XXVIII. ON REVELATION CHAPTER II.

A decorative initial E starts the main text.

The spirit of piety is needed in tribulations.

And to the angel of the church of Smyrna write: These things says the first and the last, who was dead and lives: I know your tribulation and your poverty, but you are rich: and you are blasphemed by those who say they are Jews and are not, but are the synagogue of Satan. After the spirit of fear, the spirit of piety arises from above. That spirit undoubtedly speaks here, suggesting how one should endure persecution. Indeed, the name of the church itself
Smyrna myrrh

is fitting for this cause or intention. For Smyrna Smyrna is called myrrha myrrh, which signifies the mortification of the flesh. Truly,
Romans 12.

those who suffer persecution for the sake of justice have the greatest need for the spirit of piety, so that they may be pious in their passions and gentle in the face of reproaches or insults. They should not return evil for evil, or a curse for a curse, but on the contrary, they should offer a blessing. Indeed, in the meantime, they should be refreshed by their own tears, sighing for eternal life. They suffer in the hope of this life, and because of its delay
Psalm 31 This refers to Psalm 42:3 in modern numbering..

they weep, just as one of them says in the psalm: "My tears have been my bread day and night, while it is said to me daily: where is your God?" From what better principle should the spirit of piety begin its discourse, intending to console the troubled? For it says: "These things says the first and the last, who was dead and lives." To the one who is troubled, it places before their eyes the first and the last, who was dead and lives, so that one does not wonder at the heat of the temptation as if something new were happening. It is as if this spirit says to the one it wishes to console: You have been cast down from some worldly height; because of justice, you are burned by insults as if you were a low-born man,
1 Peter 2. The passion of Christ is consolation in tribulations.

and furthermore, you are burned by the blows of slaves. But how great is this if you look to him who suffered for you, leaving you an example that you should follow his footsteps? For though he was first and most precious when he was with God, being the Son of God according to one nature and the son of an undefiled virgin according to the other nature, while he was thus first and best, and
Isaiah 53.

most beautiful among the sons of men, he was the last, that is, the most wretched, among men. As the prophet of God said with a groan: "We saw him and there was no sightly appearance; and we desired him, despised and the last of men, and we thought of him as a leper, struck by God and
Psalm 81 This refers to Psalm 82:1 in modern numbering..

humbled." Thus he was the first, God standing in the synagogue of the gods, and the last, that is, the most truly wretched under the judgment of men. What great thing is it then if you, a man and not God, are cast down from your own small honor for his sake? If what you suffer as a man, not without sin, should be compared to the passion he suffered for you, who committed no sin, nor was deceit found in his mouth?
Isaiah 53 and 1 Peter 2.

Therefore, he began well and properly: "These things says the first and the last." But why was it necessary to add this: "who was dead and lives"? Surely for a great heap of consolation, so that the one who is mortified by following the footsteps of Christ may know that he shall live just as he did: though he was dead, he now lives. And what does he say? "I know your tribulation and your poverty." That which he now says, "I know," must be understood as spoken with great force and the same weight
Isaiah 53. How Christ is said to know our infirmities and tribulation.

with which the aforementioned prophet had spoken of him: "And we saw him as a man of sorrows, and one knowing infirmity." He said "knowing infirmity" in place of saying "having experience of infirmity." And so here, "I know your tribulation and your poverty" means "I have experience of the tribulation which you suffer, and I have experienced in myself the poverty you endure." For who sustained greater tribulation than I? And since I was rich, who descended to such
Psalm 108 Psalm 109 in modern numbering.. Hebrews 5.

poverty as I did? For of me the Psalmist says: "And he persecuted the poor and needy man, and the one troubled in heart to put him to death." Mindful of this experience, the Apostle says: "For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our infirmities, but one tempted in all things according to our likeness, without sin." For he was tempted by hunger, thirst, persecution, and death. And from this, he says, "I know your tribulation and your poverty." Therefore, you should grieve no less because you know or have experienced it; for I, being such a one, know the same, that is, I have experienced it. It follows and says: "But you are rich and are blasphemed by those who say they are Jews and are not, but are the synagogue of Satan." When I spoke of your poverty, I spoke according to the false estimation
But you are rich and are blasphemed. Psalm 67 and Isaiah 4.

of men; for according to the truth of the matter, you are rich. They think you are poor, but you are rich. For I, ascending on high—I in whom all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are hidden, sitting at the right hand of the Father—gave gifts to men, and from this you were made rich. You possess the word of wisdom, or the word of knowledge, or any other talent from the many divisions of graces. And
Colossians 2. 1 Corinthians 12.

though you are so rich, you are blasphemed as if you were poor, as if you were nothing, as if you had received nothing, knew nothing, and in no part knew God or were known by God. By whom are you so blasphemed?

XXIX. COMMENTARY BOOK II.

By those who say they are Jews and are not, but are the synagogue of Satan. It is a great labor and a great affliction of heart for you to be so blasphemed by such people. But I also know this; I have experienced this. I was rich, having all the treasures of divinity dwelling in me bodily;
Colossians 2, Isaiah 11, Luke 4, John 15, John 7, John 9, Matthew 12 and Luke 11, John 8.

having the spirit of the Lord resting upon me, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and fortitude, the spirit of knowledge and piety, and the spirit of the fear of the Lord. It is for this reason that I did works which no one else does; and I spoke so that my adversaries said: "Never did a man speak as this man." And though I was so rich, I was blasphemed as a poor man who had no good thing, or as one who was not from God. For they said: "This man is not from God, for he does not keep the Sabbath." Also: "By Beelzebub the prince of demons he casts out demons." And further: "He has a demon," they said, "and is insane. Why do you listen to him?" And many things similar to these. Thus was I blasphemed by those who said they were Jews, saying: "We are the seed of Abraham, our father is Abraham, we have one father, even God." But they were not Jews or sons of Abraham, but were the synagogue of Satan. Wherefore I said to them: "You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father." By such as these you are also blasphemed, namely by false brothers, whoever confesses they know God but deny him by their deeds. **Fear none of those things
To Titus 1. How it is proper to fear tribulations.

which you are about to suffer.** Do not fear, he says, so as to give way or lose faith through fear of evils. Otherwise, fearing or trembling is granted to the weakness of nature, provided that the spirit does not yield to fear by retreating from the will of God. For even of him who speaks these things, and in whom the spirit of piety speaks
Mark 14. Matthew 26.

these things, it is written: "And he takes Peter and James and John with him, and began to fear and be weary." Also he says of himself: "The spirit," he says, "is willing, but the flesh is weak." What are those things which you are about to suffer? Behold, the devil will cast some of you into prison, that you may be tested: and you will have tribulation for ten days. Behold, he says, this will not happen for a long time; the present time is assigned to your tribulation, but the future to your joy. Conversely, the present time is set for the laughter of the impious, but the future for their grief and anguish. Why did he not say "evil men will cast you," but says the devil will cast some of you into prison?
The devil will cast some of you into prison.

Clearly, the spirit of piety ought to speak and teach in this way, instructing the pious martyr to attribute the whole thing to the devil as the internal driver, while the persecuting man acts externally. Thus the martyr may pity the persecuting man whom the devil has besieged, and hope for him to be liberated from the devil, mindful of him who said: "Pray for
Matthew 5.

those who persecute and slander you." For he who said this prayed for those persecuting and crucifying him, saying: "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do." To some
Luke 23.

it was granted as they asked, for those who shed his blood by persecuting him later drank it by believing. Therefore, the pious martyr, while being sent into prison, should know and say that the devil does this, by whom the persecuting man is held captive. Thus, between chains and prisons, he should temper his responses and lift his suppliant soul to God for his persecutors, so that he might liberate some of them, which has often happened. He will cast you, he says, into prison. Why? For what purpose? That you may be tested. For he is the tempter, and he intends the whole thing so that he might deceive some of you. With
That you may be tested. Matthew 4. Job 2.

such an intention he sought after holy Job; for that reason he struck him externally with a terrible sore, so that from the sole of his foot to the top of his head there was no soundness in him, in order to overturn his simplicity and righteousness internally. He hoped Job would sin with his lips and speak
Job 1.

something foolish against God, so that the devil might insult God as a victor, God having proposed: "Have you considered my servant Job, that there is none like him on earth, a simple and upright man, fearing God and avoiding evil?" Intending this, he says the devil will cast some of you into prison, so that you do not all die quickly by a sudden stroke of the sword, but being weary by the prolongation of punishments and the delay of death, you might be disturbed in your hearts, and fluctuating among the storms of injuries, you might fall and, having lost hope, if possible, be swallowed up. Behold, this is what is to come; this the devil does through his fellow ministers. And you will have tribulation for ten days, that is, until
For ten days, that is, until death.

death, namely as long as you serve in the law of God, as is proper, so that you may fulfill the ten commandments. For it follows: Be faithful until death. Surely the constancy of fidelity needs to be strengthened by good encouragement for as long as the force of tribulations strives to wrench that same fidelity away. When therefore he says "be faithful until death," he shows clearly enough that the ten days of tribulation reach until death. Be faithful, he says, until death, and I will give you the crown of life. When he says these things, he manifests why he spoke of himself earlier, saying: **He who was
An example of perseverance from Christ.

dead, and lives.** For he urges the same perseverance when he says, "be faithful until death."

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