既贫穷又富足的教会
启示录二章8至11节
8你要写信给士每拿教会的使者，说：那首先的、末后的、死过又活的，说：
9我知道你的患难，你的贫穷（你却是富足的），也知道那自称是犹太人所说的毁谤话，其实他们不是犹太人，乃是撒但一会的人。
10你将要受的苦你不用怕。魔鬼要把你们中间几个人下在监里，叫你们被试炼，你们必受患难十日。你务要至死忠心，我就赐给你那生命的冠冕。
11圣灵向众教会所说的话，凡有耳的，就应当听！得胜的，必不受第二次死的害。
信息分享
这是致教会的七封书信中最短的一封。在给士每拿教会的信中，基督对他们说：「你将要受的苦，但你不用怕」。
士每拿离开以弗所约40哩。透过字里行间，我们对此教会的情况已略知一二：他们正经历患难、穷乏、受苦、监禁、试炼和死亡。他们为了见证基督而付上沉重的代价。
基督在这封信中，亲自安慰这群在苦难中挣扎的信徒；他重申自己是「那首先的」──在未有这一切患难之前，祂便已经存在；祂又是「那末后的」──当这一切过去之后，祂仍然永远长存。祂曾亲身经历死亡，所以祂尝过死亡的滋味；但祂已战胜死亡而复活，所以我们无须惧怕死亡。现在写信给他们的，正是这位永活和得胜的救主。
基督对他们说：「我知道你的患难」。「患难」一词的原文，是指麦子在两块大石中间被磨成面粉的过程中，所承受的极大压力。基督没有说要救他们脱离患难，然而，祂却承诺会保守他们。基督至今仍然给予信徒这应许。
基督同时表示，祂知道他们是贫穷的。也许，他们是为到基督的缘故而失去家财。然而，基督却指出，他们其实是富足的，因为他们已拥有最珍贵的信仰。同样地，教会的真正财富，乃是属灵上的一切丰富赐予。
此外，还有人毁谤教会。教外人会对教会作出种种攻击，这并不出奇；但最大的伤害，却在于教会内的信徒彼此攻击，这样一来，信徒间的相交生活便遭到破坏。
基督将两个宝贵的应许给予士每拿教会，其一就是把生命的冠冕赐给忠心的信徒，其二是必不受第二次死的苦，也即不会永远与神隔绝。对士每拿的信徒来说，这岂不是极大的安慰吗？基督的应许是永不改变的，我们至今仍握有这个宝贵的应许，问题是我们知道吗？
反思：
我们究竟重视人的评价，还是基督的评价呢？
THE CHURCH THAT WAS BOTH RICH AND POOR
Revelation 2:8-11
8 “And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write, ‘These things says the First and the Last, who was dead, and came to life:
9 “I know your works, tribulation, and poverty (but you are rich); and I know the blasphemy of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan.
10 Do not fear any of those things which you are about to suffer. Indeed, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and you will have tribulation ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.
11 “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes shall not be hurt by the second death.”’
Message
This is the shortest of the seven letters to the churches. Here Christ is saying, 'Don't be afraid of the things you might suffer'.
The town of Smyrna was about 40 miles from Ephesus. We do not know who founded the church there, probably Paul. The conditions in the church are found in the words, tribulations, poverty, suffer, prison, tried, death. This was the price they paid for standing for Christ.
To the members of this struggling church, Christ described himself as the first-he was there before all these troubles began. He called himself the last-he will be there after all these things are past. He had been dead-he knew what it was to die. He is alive again-he has conquered death so they need have no fear. It was the living, victorious Saviour who was writing to them.
Christ said, 'I know your tribulations'. The word is used for the pressure between two stones that grind wheat into flour. Christ did not say he would take them out of suffering, but that he would keep them in it. This is still true today.
Christ also said he knew how poor they were. Perhaps they had lost everything for the sake of Christ. But Christ also said they were rich in the things that really matter. The true riches of a church are spiritual riches.
Men had been saying things against this church. This had come from the outside and no doubt was not true. The greatest danger is when people on the inside of the church begin to talk against each other. Then their fellowship is destroyed.
Christ gave two wonderful promises to the church at Smyrna-a crown of life for faithfulness, and they would never be faced with the second death; which will really be separation from God forever. Isn't that great news? And those promises are still ours today.
A QUESTION:
Are we concerned about what men say or about what Christ says?