# Church Assessment - Smyrna ## Question: What good things can you say about your church? How about the American church? --- ### Background - In my note [[1627598467_Church_Assessment|Biblical Assessment of the Seven Churches]], I discussed a pattern I discovered in Jesus' [[Assessment]] of the [[Seven]] churches in **Revelation 2-3**. - This assessment of the [[Church]] in [[Smyrna]] is derived from the Berean Study Bible (BSB), [[Revelation_02|Revelation 2.8-11]] --- ### Authority Of The Assessor - These are the words of the First and the Last, who died and returned to life. {2.8} --- ### Acknowledgment of some good things - I know your affliction and your poverty — though you are rich! {2.9} - And I am aware of the slander of those who falsely claim to be [[Jew|Jews]], but are in fact a synagogue of [[Satan]]. {2.9} --- ### Condemnation of some negative things - NONE --- ### Plan of action - Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Look, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison to test you, and you will suffer tribulation for ten days.  {2.10} - Be faithful even unto death. {2.10} - He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches  {2.11} --- ### Consequence for failing to complete the plan of action - NONE --- ### Promise / reward - I will give you the crown of life. {2.10} - The one who is victorious will not be harmed by the second death. {2.11} --- ### Other Noteworthy Observations - No mention any negative behavior - No consequence for failing to complete the plan of action --- The Holy Bible, Berean Standard Bible (https://bereanbible.com), BSB is produced in cooperation with Bible Hub (https://biblehub.com), Discovery Bible (https://discoverybible.com), OpenBible.com (https://openbible.com), and the Berean Bible Translation Committee. This text of God's Word has been dedicated to the public domain (https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0). ---