{"id":15430,"date":"2016-08-18T01:50:34","date_gmt":"2016-08-18T06:50:34","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/localreferences-in-the-letter-of-smyrna-rv-28-11-part-3jews-in-smyrna1\/"},"modified":"2016-08-18T01:50:34","modified_gmt":"2016-08-18T06:50:34","slug":"localreferences-in-the-letter-of-smyrna-rv-28-11-part-3jews-in-smyrna1","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/localreferences-in-the-letter-of-smyrna-rv-28-11-part-3jews-in-smyrna1\/","title":{"rendered":"LOCAL\nREFERENCES IN THE LETTER OF SMYRNA \n(RV 2:8-11), PART 3:\nJEWS IN SMYRNA1"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center;line-height:normal'><b>David E. Graves<\/b><\/p>\n<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:3.0pt;text-indent:18.0pt;line-height: normal'>There was a considerable Jewish population in Smyrna, which was hostile to the early church. They opposed the early Christians and promoted the persecution of Christians (Rv 2:9\u201310). In the Revelation to John, they are described as calling themselves Jews but really belonging to the synagogue of Satan. As Walvoord points out, the Christian <\/p>\n<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:6.0pt;line-height:normal'>persecutors were not only pagans, who naturally would be offended by the peculiarities of the Christian faith, but also hostile Jews and Satan himself (1983: 61).<\/p>\n<p class=MsoNormal align=center style='margin-bottom:6.0pt;text-align:center; line-height:normal'><b>Actual Jews<\/b><\/p>\n<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:3.0pt;text-indent:18.0pt;line-height: normal'>However, were these ethnic Jews who were not <i>religious<\/i> Jews, or Gentiles pretending to be Jews, or ethnic Jews who were rejecting the truth in Christ (Stern 1992: 795\u201396; Michaels 1997: 74)? The general consensus of commentators is that <i>Ioudaious<\/i> (Greek) refers to anti-Christian ethnic Jews (Trench 1861: 137; Charles 1963: 1.57; Osborne 2002: 131; Robertson 1934: 6.302; Lenski 1963: 97; Thompson 1998: 68\u201369; Gregg 1997: 67; D\u00fcsterdieck 1979: 138; Alford 1968: 4.566).2 To the early Christians, these were Jews in name only (see Mt 3:9; Jn 8:33; 2 Cor 11:22; Phil 3:4ff.).Paul and Clement both put forth this view (Rom 2:28\u201329; Roberts and Donaldson 1994, <i>Recognitions of Clement<\/i> 5.34).It is evident that this idea was a general perception in the early church. In all probability these were ethnic Jews who, though religious, rejected Jesus and their true \u201cJewishness\u201d in Him.<\/p>\n<p class=MsoNormal align=center style='margin-bottom:6.0pt;text-align:center; line-height:normal'><b>Presence in Smyrna<\/b><\/p>\n<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:3.0pt;text-indent:18.0pt;line-height: normal'>The source of the Jewish presence in Asia Minor can be traced back to the time of the Seleucids, as early as 200 BC (Ramsay 1895:668n.4) when Antiochus the Great (261\u2013248 BC) imported 2,000 Jewish families from Babylon to improve his grip on this territory (Josephus Ant. 12.125; Ramsay 1895: 668).3 These Jews were given land, guaranteed privileges,4 and a separate government. It has also been documented that there was a large Jewish population from the time of Cicero settling in every city in Asia and particularly in western Asia Minor (Smallwood 1976: 121; Roberts and Donaldson 1994, Cicero <i>Pro Flacco<\/i> 68; Philo Legum allegoriae 1.245; Philo 1993: 1929). By the first century the Jewish population in Asia Minor reached in excess of one million (Horst 1989: 106\u2013107). From these data, Ramsay rightly concludes that, <\/p>\n<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:6.0pt;line-height:normal'>we cannot doubt that this large Jewish population exercised a great influence on the development of the district and of the cities (1895: 668). <\/p>\n<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:3.0pt;text-indent:18.0pt;line-height: normal'>The persecution of Christians by the Jews during the &#64257;rst two centuries was frequent5 and also present in Smyrna (Rv 2:10). Frend points out that <\/p>\n<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:6.0pt;line-height:normal'>In the persecutions which were to wrack Asia in the reign of Marcus Aurelius, the Jew was often in the background (1965: 259).<\/p>\n<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:6.0pt;line-height:normal'><b>Emperor Marcus Aurelius (AD 161\u2013180).<\/b> The Jews were often in the background during the persecutions against the Christians in the reign of Marcus Aurelius. (Istanbul Archaeological Museum)<\/p>\n<p class=MsoNormal align=right style='margin-bottom:6.0pt;text-align:right; line-height:normal'><i>BSpade<\/i> 19:2 (Spring 2006) p. 42<\/p>\n<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:6.0pt;line-height:normal'><b>Third century AD gymnasium at Sardis, <\/b>as seen from the Jewish Synagogue. The close proximity of the synagogue to the gymnasium suggests that the Jewish population at Sardis enjoyed a privileged status.<\/p>\n<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:3.0pt;text-indent:18.0pt;line-height: normal'>Lieu challenges this view in her article on Jewish persecution, stating that it is easy to show that the Jewish persecution of Christians must \u201crely more on rhetoric than on wealth of evidence\u201d (1998: 279).6 She argues away the predominance of Jewish involvement stating that it was less fact than the Christians\u2019 imagination. Her major premise focuses on the illusion of persecution: <\/p>\n<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:6.0pt;line-height:normal'>What is beyond dispute is that Christians perceived and presented themselves as persecuted&#8230;That Justin was seriously convinced of Jewish hostility to Christians is not to be doubted; however, the frequent repetition of the theme owes as much to its function within one (or more than one) theological schema, as it does to its historical primacy (1998: 280, 182\u201323).<\/p>\n<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:3.0pt;text-indent:18.0pt;line-height: normal'>However, even given Lieu\u2019s best efforts to argue away the evidence, there appears to be sufficient justification for claiming a predominant Jewish influence in early Christian persecution.7 Frend goes so far as to say that, <\/p>\n<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:3.0pt;text-indent:18.0pt;line-height: normal'>In the last resort, the troubles of the early Church were due as much to the virulence of the Christian-Jewish controversy as to any other cause (1958: 156). <\/p>\n<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:3.0pt;text-indent:18.0pt;line-height: normal'>Waal also recognizes that \u201cthe great dispute in Revelation is between <i>ecclesia<\/i> and <i>synagoga<\/i>; it is there that the antithesis lies\u201d (1990: 125).8 There is sufficient evidence to support the claim of a significantly hostile Jewish community in Smyrna in the first <\/p>\n<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:6.0pt;line-height:normal'><b>Miletus theater<\/b> capable of seating 15,000 in ca. AD 100. In addition to theatrical performances, it was also used for gladiatorial combat and animal fights.<\/p>\n<p class=MsoNormal align=right style='margin-bottom:6.0pt;text-align:right; line-height:normal'><i>BSpade<\/i> 19:2 (Spring 2006) p. 43<\/p>\n<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal'><b>Jews in Other Cities <\/b><\/p>\n<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:3.0pt;text-indent:18.0pt;line-height: normal'>The presence of Jews in other nearby cities also supports the idea that there was a strong Jewish presence in Smyrna. A number of the other seven cities were also influenced by the Jews. Both Smyrna and Philadelphia were warned of the activities of the \u201cSynagogue of Satan\u201d (Rv 2:9; 3:9). This strong Jewish influence is indicated from the letters of Ignatius, bishop of Antioch. In Philadelphia, Christians were at risk from continuous Jewish preaching (Roberts and Donaldson 1994, Ignatius <i>To the Philadelphians<\/i> 6.1).9 <\/p>\n<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:6.0pt;line-height:normal'><b>Inscription on the seat of the Miletus theatre.<\/b> It reads, \u201cPlace of the Jews, also called \u2018God-fearers.\u2019\u201d <\/p>\n<p class=MsoNormal align=right style='margin-bottom:6.0pt;text-align:right; line-height:normal'><i>BSpade<\/i> 19:2 (Spring 2006) p. 44<\/p>\n<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:6.0pt;line-height:normal'><b>Painting of the martyrdom of Polycarp <\/b>on the ceiling of the St. Polycarp Roman Catholic Church, the oldest Catholic Church in Izmir. He was burned to death after refusing to deny Christ, saying \u201c86 years I have served Him and He never did me any injury, how then can I blaspheme my King and my Savior?\u201d (<i>Mart. Pol.<\/i> 9:5). Permission to build a chapel to Polycarp was granted in 1520 by Suleyman the Magnificent, sultan of the Ottoman Empire 1520\u20131566. <\/p>\n<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:3.0pt;text-indent:18.0pt;line-height: normal'>In Sardis, just 50 mi (80 km) east of Smyrna, a large second century synagogue10 has been discovered which contains \u201cmore Jewish inscriptions than any other Diaspora centre except Rome\u201d (Smallwood 1976: 509; Kroll 2001: 5\u201355). The prominent location of the Jewish synagogue near the gymnasium in Sardis indicates the centrality of Jewish society in the life of the city.11 The elaborate mosaics and richly decorated table12 indicate the wealth and prominence of the Jewish citizens of Sardis. An inscription on a theatre seat in Miletus (approximately 100 mi [62 km] south of Smyrna) reads \u201cplace of the Jews also called the God-fearing,\u201d indicating a large prominent Jewish community able to procure permanently marked seating in the theatre (McDonagh 2001: 245). <\/p>\n<p class=MsoNormal align=center style='margin-bottom:6.0pt;text-align:center; line-height:normal'><b>Jewish Involvement in the Martyrdom of Polycarp <\/b><\/p>\n<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:3.0pt;text-indent:18.0pt;line-height: normal'>There is little doubt that not only were many Jews living in Smyrna in the first and second centuries, but they were also active in the persecution of the Christian church as evidenced in the martyrdom of both Polycarp and Pionius. Although there is evidence for a Jewish community in first and second century Smyrna, it wasn\u2019t until the middle of the second century that the Jews of Smyrna made an \u201cimpact on recorded history\u201d (Smallwood 1976: 507) when they joined with the residents of Smyrna against the Christians to martyr Polycarp, Bishop of Smyrna (Lightfoot and Harmer 1989, <i>Martyrdom of Polycarp<\/i> 1.13).13 He was the bishop of Smyrna for many years. In his old age as he stood before the proconsul he was given the choice of cursing Jesus\u2019 name and living, or confessing his name and dying. Polycarp replied: \u201c86 years have I served Christ, and he has never done me wrong. How can I blaspheme my King who saved me?\u201d (Roberts and Donaldson 1994, Eusebius <i>Ecclesiastical History<\/i> 4.15.25). At this point the proconsul sentenced him to die by being burned at the stake. The record indicates that the Jews were foremost in gathering wood for the fire. Even though it was the Sabbath, they deliberately carried burdens of wood and transgressed the law (Lightfoot and Harmer 1989, <i>Martyrdom of Polycarp<\/i> 8.1; 13.1). When the persecution broke out in Smyrna in this period, the Jews were not directly involved initially (Lightfoot and Harmer 1989, <i>Martyrdom of Polycarp<\/i> 3.2), but the Jews became involved when the focus was placed upon Polycarp: <\/p>\n<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:6.0pt;line-height:normal'>Gentiles as well as Jews living in Smyrna, cried out with uncontrollable anger and with a loud shout: \u201cThis is the teacher of Asia [<i>or<\/i> of impiety],14 the father of the Christians, the destroyer of our gods, who teaches many not to sacrifice, or worship (Lightfoot and Harmer 1989, <i>Martyrdom of Polycarp<\/i> 12.2). <\/p>\n<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:3.0pt;text-indent:18.0pt;line-height: normal'>Lieu doubts that Jews spoke these words, arguing: <\/p>\n<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:6.0pt;line-height:normal'>These we cannot pursue except to note that it is irrelevant, albeit true, that the words are unlikely to have been found on Jewish lips\u2014they would not have claimed the city gods as \u201ctheirs\u201d nor ventured to accuse someone else of avoiding their <\/p>\n<p class=MsoNormal align=right style='margin-bottom:6.0pt;text-align:right; line-height:normal'><i>BSpade<\/i> 19:2 (Spring 2006) p. 45<\/p>\n<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:6.0pt;line-height:normal'>worship without running the risk of having the same charge turned against themselves. It is equally pointless to allocate the cries to the groups involved, so that the Jews contribute only the first two affirmations, or to debate the \u201corthodoxy\u201d of the Jews involved or the official nature of their involvement. From the point of view of the narrative Polycarp\u2019s clear testimony must have a universal audience and he himself must stand alone against the gathered forces of the opposition (1998: 285\u201386). <\/p>\n<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:3.0pt;text-indent:18.0pt;line-height: normal'>Musurillo ascribes the Jews\u2019 remarks to different groups in the crowd (1972: 11 n. 16). Regardless of the suspected motives, evidence of Jewish involvement in persecution of the early church is found throughout the Acts15 and in the accounts of the early church fathers to indicate that this was not out of character in Smyrna. <\/p>\n<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:3.0pt;text-indent:18.0pt;line-height: normal'>Banks and others have pointed out how deeply rooted the convictions of the Jews were in their actions against Polycarp. He states, <\/p>\n<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:6.0pt;line-height:normal'>it seems that the Jews of Smyrna were more antagonistic than were the Romans to the spread of Christianity, for it is said that even on Saturday, their sacred day, they brought wood for the fire in which Polycarp was burned (1949: 2818).16 <\/p>\n<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:3.0pt;text-indent:18.0pt;line-height: normal'>Ramsay also points out that the Jews were not present at the spots in the stadium. He argues that,<\/p>\n<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:6.0pt;line-height:normal'>many who would abhor to appear as spectators of the games on a Sabbath would feel justified in putting to death an enemy of their faith on that day (1979: 273). <\/p>\n<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:3.0pt;text-indent:18.0pt;line-height: normal'>Smallwood observes that, <\/p>\n<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:6.0pt;line-height:normal'>even if common hostility rather than positive friendship lay behind this possibly temporary alliance, the part played by the Jews in the story and the fact that the day of the martyrdom is given in Jewish terms as \u201ca great Sabbath\u201d speaks for the Jews\u2019 importance in Smyrna at the time (1976: 507). <\/p>\n<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:3.0pt;text-indent:18.0pt;line-height: normal'>The consensus of scholars favors the Jewish community playing a significant role, even if they did not instigate the attack on Polycarp (Lightfoot and Harmer 1989, <i>Martyrdom of Polycarp<\/i> 12\u201318).<\/p>\n<p class=MsoNormal align=center style='margin-bottom:6.0pt;text-align:center; line-height:normal'><b>Jewish Involvement in the Martyrdom of Pionius <\/b><\/p>\n<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:3.0pt;text-indent:18.0pt;line-height: normal'>The attitude of Jews toward Christians can be further illustrated from the trial of Pionius, a priest in Smyrna, during the Decian persecution in AD 250 (Potter 1992:6.75; Zincone 1992:2.688-89). <\/p>\n<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:3.0pt;text-indent:18.0pt;line-height: normal'>In a public <i>apologia,<\/i> Pionius directs his defense speech to the Jewish community when he addresses,\u201cGreeks, Jews and women\u201d (Musurillo 1972, <i>Martyrdom of Pionius<\/i> 3.6).Pionius specifically refers to Jews when he says, \u201cthose among this audience who are Jews, listen while I make my brief discourse\u201d (Musurillo 1972, <i>Martyrdom of Pionius<\/i> 4.2).He refers to the Jews again, and notes their ridicule of those who deserted the faith: <\/p>\n<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:6.0pt;line-height:normal'>I understand that you [Jews] laughed and rejoiced at those who deserted and considered as a joke the error of those who voluntarily offered sacrifice (Musurillo 1972, <i>Martyrdom of Pionius<\/i> 4.3). <\/p>\n<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:3.0pt;text-indent:18.0pt;line-height: normal'>Then he addresses the <i>men of Judea<\/i> and appeals to Moses and Solomon, quoting from Deuteronomy 22:4 and Proverbs 24:17 (Musurillo 1972, <i>Martyrdom of Pionius<\/i> 4.4\u20136). During his discourse, Pionius \u201cmentions Jewish proselytizing efforts among Christians and attempts to discredit Christian doctrine\u201d(Musurillo 1972, <i>Martyrdom of Pionius<\/i> 2.1; 3.6; 4.2; 13.1; 14.1). According to Smallwood, this would indicate an active community of Jews, \u201cenjoying good relations with their gentile neighbours and considerable freedom of action\u201d (1976: 508). <\/p>\n<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:6.0pt;line-height:normal'><b>Bronze libation bowl with decorative handle.<\/b> Liquid offerings (libations), such as wine, oil or milk, were poured out on altars or the ground in honor of the gods. Libation bowls traditionally had a raised center (omphalos) and many examples, especially Greek, had no handle. Christians were compelled to either offer a libation to the imperial cult or face martyrdom. (Roman, &#64257;rst-second century AD, British Museum)<\/p>\n<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:3.0pt;text-indent:18.0pt;line-height: normal'>Pionius acknowledged that, <\/p>\n<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:6.0pt;line-height:normal'>even if, as they[Jews]claim, we are their enemies, we are at any rate men, and men who have been treated unjustly (Musurillo 1972, <i>Martyrdom of Pionius<\/i> 4.8). <\/p>\n<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:3.0pt;text-indent:18.0pt;line-height: normal'>Pionius indicates a strong hostility between the Jews of Smyrna and the Christian community, whom the Jews call their enemies. <\/p>\n<p class=MsoNormal align=right style='margin-bottom:6.0pt;text-align:right; line-height:normal'><i>BSpade<\/i> 19:2 (Spring 2006) p. 46<\/p>\n<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:6.0pt;line-height:normal'><b>Statue of Polycarp<\/b>, behind the altar of the St. Polycarp Catholic Church, Izmir.<\/p>\n<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:3.0pt;text-indent:18.0pt;line-height: normal'>Lane Fox makes several conclusions from the evidence in <i>Martyrdom of Pionius<\/i>. His first conclusion stated that there was, \u201ca Jewish community of some size and rank.\u201d Second, that Jews and gentiles lived in close proximity to each other. Third, the Jews had \u201ccontacts in the city\u2019s life.\u201d Finally, \u201cthe Christian church was a poor relation to the strong Jewish community\u201d (1987: 481\u201382). Even Doughty, who challenges most of Lane Fox\u2019s conclusions, agrees to at least these conclusions (2003: n. p.) The historical evidence from the martyrdoms of Polycarp and Pionius concurs with the statement about Jewish persecution in Revelation 2:9. <\/p>\n<p class=MsoNormal align=center style='margin-bottom:6.0pt;text-align:center; line-height:normal'><b>Persecution by Jews of Jewish Christians <\/b><\/p>\n<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:3.0pt;text-indent:18.0pt;line-height: normal'>Ramsay argues that the Jews expressed their strongest hatred against converted Jews: \u201cIt was the Jewish Christians, and not the pagan converts, whom the national Jews hated so violently\u201d (1979: 272). The Jews had no interest in converted pagans, but focused on those who owned strong convictions in leaving Judaism, like the apostle Paul (Ramsay 1979: 272; Grant 1963: 927). The animosity from the Jewish quarter within Smyrna may additionally be based on Christianity winning <i>God fearers<\/i> (McDonagh 2001: 245) from the synagogue. <\/p>\n<p class=MsoNormal align=right style='margin-bottom:6.0pt;text-align:right; line-height:normal'><i>BSpade<\/i> 19:2 (Spring 2006) p. 47<\/p>\n<p class=MsoNormal align=center style='margin-bottom:6.0pt;text-align:center; line-height:normal'><b>Bibliography <\/b><\/p>\n<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-top:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:6.0pt; margin-left:18.0pt;text-indent:-18.0pt;line-height:normal'><b>Alford, Henry <\/b><br \/> 1968 <i>Hebrews-Revelation<\/i>. The Greek Testament: ACritical and Exegetical Commentary 4, rev. by Everett F. Harrison. Chicago: Moody. <\/p>\n<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-top:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:6.0pt; margin-left:18.0pt;text-indent:-18.0pt;line-height:normal'><b>Banks, Edgar J. <\/b><br \/> 1949 Smyrna. Pp. 2818\u201319 in <i>The International Standard Bible Encyclopaedia<\/i> 4, ed. James Orr. Grand Rapids MI: Eerdmans. <\/p>\n<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-top:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:6.0pt; margin-left:18.0pt;text-indent:-18.0pt;line-height:normal'><b>Barclay, William <\/b><br \/> 1957 <i>Letters to the Seven Churches<\/i>. London: Abingdon. <\/p>\n<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-top:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:6.0pt; margin-left:18.0pt;text-indent:-18.0pt;line-height:normal'><b>Beale, Gregory K. <\/b><br \/> 1998 <i>The Book of Revelation<\/i>. The New International Greek Testament Commentary. Grand Rapids MI: Eerdmans. <\/p>\n<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-top:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:6.0pt; margin-left:18.0pt;text-indent:-18.0pt;line-height:normal'><b>Beagley, Alan J. <\/b><br \/> 1987 <i>The \u201c<\/i>Sitz im Leben\u201d <i>of the Apocalypse with Particular Reference to the Role of the Church\u2019s Enemies<\/i>. New York: de Gruyter. <\/p>\n<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-top:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:6.0pt; margin-left:18.0pt;text-indent:-18.0pt;line-height:normal'><b>Charles, Robert H. <\/b><br \/> 1963 <i>The Revelation of St. John<\/i>. The International Critical Commentary. Edinburgh: T&amp;T Clark. <\/p>\n<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-top:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:6.0pt; margin-left:18.0pt;text-indent:-18.0pt;line-height:normal'><b>Cimok, Fatih <\/b><br \/> 2002 <i>A Guide to the Seven Churches<\/i>. Istanbul: ATurizm Yayinlari. <\/p>\n<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-top:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:6.0pt; margin-left:18.0pt;text-indent:-18.0pt;line-height:normal'><b>Cicero, Marcus T. <\/b><br \/> 1977 <i>In Catilinam 1\u20134: Pro Murena; Pro Sulla; Pro Flacco\/Cicero<\/i> 10, trans. C. MacDonald. Loeb Classical Library 324. Cambridge: Cambridge University. <\/p>\n<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-top:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:6.0pt; margin-left:18.0pt;text-indent:-18.0pt;line-height:normal'><b>Doughty, Darrell J. <\/b><br \/> 2003 <i>Persecution and Martyrdom in Early Christianity<\/i>. Drew University, http:\/\/courses.drew.edu\/FA2001\/bibst-720s-001 (accessed August 28, 2005). <\/p>\n<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-top:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:6.0pt; margin-left:18.0pt;text-indent:-18.0pt;line-height:normal'><b>D\u00fcsterdieck, Friedrich <\/b><br \/> 1979 <i>Critical and Exegetical Handbook to the Revelation of John.<\/i> Trans. from German third ed., ed. with notes by Henry E. Jacobs. Repr. sixth ed. Winona Lake: Alpha (orig. ed. Funk &amp; Wagnalls 1884). <\/p>\n<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-top:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:6.0pt; margin-left:18.0pt;text-indent:-18.0pt;line-height:normal'><b>Exell, Joseph S. <\/b><br \/> 1978 <i>Revelation<\/i>. The Biblical Illustrator 23. Grand Rapids: Baker. <\/p>\n<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-top:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:6.0pt; margin-left:18.0pt;text-indent:-18.0pt;line-height:normal'><b>Frend, William H. C. <\/b><br \/> 1958 The Persecutions: Some Links between Judaism and the Early Church. <i>Journal of Ecclesiastical History<\/i> 9: 141\u201358. 1965 <i>Martyrdom and Persecution in the Early Church: A Study of a Conflict from the Maccabees to Donatus<\/i>. Oxford: Blackwell. <\/p>\n<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-top:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:6.0pt; margin-left:18.0pt;text-indent:-18.0pt;line-height:normal'><b>Grant, Frederick C. <\/b><br \/> 1963 Smyrna. Pp. 926\u201327 in <i>The Dictionary of the Bible<\/i>, ed. James Hastings, rev. ed. by Frederick C. Grant and Harold H. Rowley. New York: Charles Scribner\u2019s Sons. <\/p>\n<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-top:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:6.0pt; margin-left:18.0pt;text-indent:-18.0pt;line-height:normal'><b>Gregg, Steve, ed. <\/b><br \/> 1997 <i>Revelation, Four Views: A Parallel Commentary<\/i>. Nashville: Thomas Nelson &amp; Sons. <\/p>\n<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-top:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:6.0pt; margin-left:18.0pt;text-indent:-18.0pt;line-height:normal'><b>Horst, Pieter W. van der <\/b><br \/> 1989 Jews and Christians in Aphrodisias in the Light of their Relations in Other cities of Asia Minor. <i>Nederlands Theologisch Tijdschrift<\/i> 43: 106\u2013107. <\/p>\n<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-top:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:6.0pt; margin-left:18.0pt;text-indent:-18.0pt;line-height:normal'><b>Josephus, Flavius <\/b><br \/> 1926 <i>The Works of Flavius Josephus<\/i>, trans. Henry St. J. Thackeray, 9 vols. Loeb Classical Library. Cambridge, England: Cambridge University. <\/p>\n<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-top:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:6.0pt; margin-left:18.0pt;text-indent:-18.0pt;line-height:normal'><b>Kistemaker, Simon J. <\/b><br \/> 2001 <i>Exposition of the Book of Revelation<\/i>. New Testament Commentary 14. Grand Rapids MI: Baker. <\/p>\n<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-top:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:6.0pt; margin-left:18.0pt;text-indent:-18.0pt;line-height:normal'><b>Kroll, John H. <\/b><br \/> 2001 Greek Inscriptions of the Sardis Synagogue. <i>Harvard Theological Review<\/i> 94: 5\u201355. <\/p>\n<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-top:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:6.0pt; margin-left:18.0pt;text-indent:-18.0pt;line-height:normal'><b>Lane Fox, Robin J. <\/b><br \/> 1987 <i>Pagans and Christians<\/i>. New York: Knopf. <\/p>\n<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-top:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:6.0pt; margin-left:18.0pt;text-indent:-18.0pt;line-height:normal'><b>Lenski, Richard C. H.<\/b><br \/> 1963 <i>The Interpretation of St. John\u2019s Revelation<\/i>. Minneapolis: Augsburg. <\/p>\n<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-top:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:6.0pt; margin-left:18.0pt;text-indent:-18.0pt;line-height:normal'><b>Lieu, Judith M. <\/b><br \/> 1998 Accusations of Jewish Persecution in Early Christian Sources, with Particular Reference to Justin Martyr and the Martyrdom of Polycarp. Pp. 279\u201395 in <i>Tolerance and Intolerance in Early Judaism and Christianity<\/i>, eds. Graham N. Stanton and Gedaliahu A.G. Stroumsa. Cambridge: Cambridge University. <\/p>\n<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-top:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:6.0pt; margin-left:18.0pt;text-indent:-18.0pt;line-height:normal'><b>Lightfoot, Joseph B., <\/b>and <b>Harmer, John R. <\/b><br \/> 1989 <i>Apostolic Fathers<\/i>, second ed., ed. Michael W. Holmes. Grand Rapids: Baker. <\/p>\n<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-top:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:6.0pt; margin-left:18.0pt;text-indent:-18.0pt;line-height:normal'><b>McDonagh, Bernard <\/b><br \/> 2001 <i>Blue Guide: Turkey,<\/i> third ed. London: A&amp;C Black. <\/p>\n<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-top:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:6.0pt; margin-left:18.0pt;text-indent:-18.0pt;line-height:normal'><b>Michaels, J. Ramsey <\/b><br \/> 1997 <i>Revelation<\/i>. IVP New Testament Commentary Series. Downers Grove IL: InterVarsity. <\/p>\n<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-top:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:6.0pt; margin-left:18.0pt;text-indent:-18.0pt;line-height:normal'><b>Musurillo, Herbert, ed.<\/b><br \/> 1972 <i>The Acts of the Christian Martyrs<\/i>. Oxford, England: Clarendon. <\/p>\n<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-top:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:6.0pt; margin-left:18.0pt;text-indent:-18.0pt;line-height:normal'><b>Osborne, Grant R. <\/b><br \/> 2002 <i>Revelation<\/i>. Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament. Grand Rapids MI: Baker.<\/p>\n<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-top:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:6.0pt; margin-left:18.0pt;text-indent:-18.0pt;line-height:normal'><b>Philo<\/b><br \/> 1993 <i>The Works of Philo: Complete and Unabridged in One Volume<\/i>. Trans. Charles D. Yonge. Peabody MA: Henderson.<\/p>\n<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-top:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:6.0pt; margin-left:18.0pt;text-indent:-18.0pt;line-height:normal'><b>Potter, David S. <\/b><br \/> 1992 Smyrna. Pp. 73\u201375 in <i>The Anchor Bible Dictionary<\/i> 6, ed. David N. Freedman. New York: Doubleday. <\/p>\n<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-top:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:6.0pt; margin-left:18.0pt;text-indent:-18.0pt;line-height:normal'><b>Ramsay, William M. <\/b><br \/> 1895 <i>Cities and Bishoprics of Phrygia<\/i> 2. Oxford: Oxford University. <br \/> 1979 <i>The Letters to the Seven Churches<\/i>. Grand Rapids MI: Baker. <\/p>\n<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-top:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:6.0pt; margin-left:18.0pt;text-indent:-18.0pt;line-height:normal'><b>Roberts, Alexander, <\/b>and <b>Donaldson, James, eds. <\/b><br \/> 1994 <i>Ante-Nicene Fathers<\/i>. Repr. Peabody MA.: Hendrickson. <\/p>\n<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-top:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:6.0pt; margin-left:18.0pt;text-indent:-18.0pt;line-height:normal'><b>Robertson, Archibald T. <\/b><br \/> 1934 Word Pictures in the Greek New Testament on CD-ROM. BibleWorks\u2122 Version 5.0. 1992\u20132002. Printed ed.: Archibald T. Robertson, Word Pictures in the New Testament 6: The General Epistles and the Revelation of John. Nashville: Broadman. <\/p>\n<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-top:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:6.0pt; margin-left:18.0pt;text-indent:-18.0pt;line-height:normal'><b>Silberschlag, Eisig <\/b><br \/> 1933 The Earliest Record of Jews in Asia Minor. <i>Journal of Biblical Literature<\/i> 52: 66\u201377. <\/p>\n<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-top:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:6.0pt; margin-left:18.0pt;text-indent:-18.0pt;line-height:normal'><b>Simcox, William H. <\/b><br \/> 1890 <i>Revelation of St. John the Divine<\/i>. The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges, ed. John J. S. Perowne. Cambridge: Cambridge University. <\/p>\n<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-top:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:6.0pt; margin-left:18.0pt;text-indent:-18.0pt;line-height:normal'><b>Smallwood, E. Mary<\/b><br \/> 1976 <i>Jews Under Roman Rule: From Pompey to Diocletian<\/i>. Studies in Judaism in Late Antiquity 20. Leiden: Brill. <\/p>\n<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-top:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:6.0pt; margin-left:18.0pt;text-indent:-18.0pt;line-height:normal'><b>Stern, David <\/b><br \/> 1992 <i>Jewish New Testament Commentary<\/i>.Chandler AZ: Messianic Jewish Resources International. <\/p>\n<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-top:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:6.0pt; margin-left:18.0pt;text-indent:-18.0pt;line-height:normal'><b>Swete, Henry B. <\/b><br \/> 1957 <i>The Apocalypse of St. John<\/i>, third ed. Grand Rapids MI: Eerdmans. <\/p>\n<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-top:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:6.0pt; margin-left:18.0pt;text-indent:-18.0pt;line-height:normal'><b>Thompson, Leonard L. <\/b><br \/> 1998 <i>Revelation<\/i>. Abingdon New Testament Commentaries. Nashville: Abingdon. <\/p>\n<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-top:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:6.0pt; margin-left:18.0pt;text-indent:-18.0pt;line-height:normal'><b>Trench, Richard C. <\/b><br \/> 1861 Commentary on the Epistles to the Seven Churches of Asia. London: Truebner. <\/p>\n<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-top:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:6.0pt; margin-left:18.0pt;text-indent:-18.0pt;line-height:normal'><b>Unger, Merrill F. <\/b><br \/> 1962 <i>Archaeology and the New Testament<\/i>. Grand Rapids MI: Zondervan. <\/p>\n<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-top:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:6.0pt; margin-left:18.0pt;text-indent:-18.0pt;line-height:normal'><b>Waal, Cornelis van der <\/b><br \/> 1990 <i>The Covenantal Gospel<\/i>, ed. H. DeJong, trans. G. L. Bertram. Neerlandia, Alberta: Inheritance. <\/p>\n<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-top:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:6.0pt; margin-left:18.0pt;text-indent:-18.0pt;line-height:normal'><b>Walvoord, John F. <\/b><br \/> 1983 <i>Revelation: The Bible Knowledge Commentary<\/i>. ed. Roy B. Zuck. Wheaton IL: Victor. <\/p>\n<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-top:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:6.0pt; margin-left:18.0pt;text-indent:-18.0pt;line-height:normal'><b>Zincone, S. <\/b><br \/> 1992 Pionius. Pp. 688\u201389 in <i>Encyclopaedia of the Early Church<\/i> <b>2<\/b>, ed. Angelo di Berardino, trans. Adran Walford. Oxford: Oxford University. <\/p>\n<p class=MsoNormal align=center style='margin-bottom:3.0pt;text-align:center; line-height:normal'><b>David E. Graves <\/b>is director of Computer Services, and Information Security Officer at Atlantic Baptist University, Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada, and also teaches archaeology at the ABU-Oxford program, Oxford, England. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>David E. Graves There was a considerable Jewish population in Smyrna, which was hostile to the early church. They opposed the early Christians and promoted the persecution of Christians (Rv 2:9\u201310). In the Revelation to John, they are described as calling themselves Jews but really belonging to the synagogue of Satan. As Walvoord points out, &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/localreferences-in-the-letter-of-smyrna-rv-28-11-part-3jews-in-smyrna1\/\" class=\"more-link\">Continue reading<span class=\"screen-reader-text\"> &#8220;LOCAL<br \/>\nREFERENCES IN THE LETTER OF SMYRNA<br \/>\n(RV 2:8-11), PART 3:<br \/>\nJEWS IN SMYRNA1&#8221;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-15430","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-sermons"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15430","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=15430"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15430\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=15430"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=15430"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=15430"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}