AND UNTO THE ANGEL OF THE CHURCH IN SMYRNA WRITE

By Akin Ojumu

Contrary to what you’ve been taught, the fire of faith of the Christian Church was not quenched at the close of the Bible Canons when Apostle John wrote “The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all. Amen” of Revelations 22:21.

Unlike what you’ve hitherto believed, the fervor of the faith of believers in Christ did not fizzle out with the death of the last of the original Twelve Apostles in c. 100 AD and then rekindled 1800 years later at Azusa Street.

The advent of the Pentecostal and Charismatic movements did not bring about a great awakening in the Church and resurgence of Biblical Christianity. Charles F. Parham, John G. Lake, William J. Seymour, Kathryn Kuhlman, Aimee Semple McPherson, Maria Woodworth-Etter, William Branham, E.W. Kenyon, Kenneth Hagin, Oral Roberts, etc., did not birth a revival or rejuvenation to the Christian faith. On the contrary, the aberrant strain of Christianity perpetuated by these individuals, which is mostly focused on experience and phenomenon, was diametrically opposed to the traditions of faith passed down by the original Twelve Apostles.

Given the enormous amount of illiteracy in the pulpits about Church history and the widespread obliviousness in the pews about the immediate post-apostolic era, it’s incredibly important for us to know that the original Twelve Apostles actually had disciples of their own to whom they committed the original and traditional doctrine of the Christian faith.

These disciples were the Apostolic Fathers, aka Church Fathers, who carried on the teachings of the Apostles in the post-apostolic (or patristic) Church. The three most prominent of the Apostolic Fathers – early Christian leaders who had direct contact with the Apostles – are Clement of Rome, Ignatius of Antioch, and Polycarp of Smyrna.

The Patristic era, or Age of the Church Fathers, is the foundational period of Christian theology spanning roughly from the end of the 1st century (after the Apostles) to the 8th century AD. It saw the establishment of the biblical canon, major doctrinal creeds, and the evolution of Christianity from a persecuted sect into the Imperial Church, defining core orthodox belief.

Clement of Rome, aka Pope Clement I, was the Bishop of Rome in the late first century. He is considered to be the first of the Apostolic Fathers of the Church. Clement was imprisoned by Roman Emperor Trajan and was executed by being tied to an anchor and thrown into the sea about c. 110 AD (Source: Google AI).

Ignatius of Antioch (c. 35–107/110 AD) was sentenced to death by Emperor Trajan for his faith. Under military guard, he traveled from Antioch to Rome, writing seven famous letters during the journey, before being executed in the Roman Colosseum by being devoured by wild beasts (Source: Google AI).

Polycarp of Smyrna (c. 69–155 AD) is the subject of this commentary and the previous one. He was a disciple of the Apostle John, was martyred at age 86 by being burned at the stake and then stabbed with a dagger in 155 AD. He refused to renounce Jesus Christ, stating he had served Him for 86 years and suffered no wrong, leading to his execution in the Smyrna stadium (Source: Google AI).

Tradition has it that Polycarp was already the Bishop of the Church in Smyrna when Apostle John wrote the letters to the Seven Churches in Asia Minor in the Book of Revelation.

Revelations 2:8-11

“And to the angel of the Church in Smyrna write: ‘The words of the first and the last, who died and came to life. “‘I know your tribulation and your poverty (but you are rich) and the slander of those who say that they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and for ten days you will have tribulation. Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. The one who conquers will not be hurt by the second death.’”

As the “angel of the Church of Smyrna,” i.e., the Elder or Pastor or Bishop of the Church, Polycarp must have been the person who received and read Apostle John’s letter to the congregation. That makes him one of the very first people in history to read the Book of Revelation.

The Church in Smyrna, along with the Church in Philadelphia, were the only two Churches that received commendation and no condemnation from the Lord Jesus in the Letters to the Churches. As the leader of the congregation, Polycarp suffered everything that was prophesied in the Revelations 2:8-11. But the man endured to the end, and he was faithful unto death.