Revelation 2:9 Revelation 2:9 I know thy works, and tribulation, and poverty, (but thou art rich) and I know the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews, and are not, but are the synagogue of Satan. "I know thy works," Thus Christ testified unto all the seven churches; "I know thy works," see Revelation 2:2. The knowledge of Christ (as He is God, and the only wise God our Saviour, Jude 1:25), is, first, the knowledge of perfection, whose understanding is infinite, \ whereby he doth perfectly know himself, \ and all things else, being the wisdom of the Father. \ Secondly, the knowledge of approbation, or reprobation (Romans 9:11-13 compared with Acts 13:48 and Jude 1:4), whereby he doth know distinctly both persons and things good and bad; so Christ knew the works of this church with approbation, and the works of the church of the Laodiceans with rejection, \ I will spue thee out of my mouth. "And tribulation, and poverty" By "tribulation" here, we may understand either their outward afflictions and persecutions, which they had or should endure, which Christ took notice of, \ or their inward griefs and sorrows, their troubles of soul, \ which Christ also looks upon, \ and by "poverty" here we may understand the low and poor condition this church was in at this time in respect of temporal things, the wants and straits that some of her ministers or members were in, the church not having wherewith to supply them, which was the condition of the church at Jerusalem and the churches in Judea in the apostles days; Read 1 Corinthians 16:1-3 and 2 Corinthians 8:3-4; 2 Corinthians 8:6; 2 Corinthians 8:13-15. "But thou art rich" Though Christ knew her outward poverty, yet he acknowledged her spiritual riches; which God knows is the state and condition of very many of his precious saints in this world, \ rich in spirituals, rich in grace, rich in faith, rich in good works, etc. but poor in temporals. "And I know the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews, and are not," etc. (blasfhmia, in approved Greek authors, blasphemy), doth signify any evil works or speeches uttered against men with calumniation of their persons, or contumely of their gods; sacred writers, and the penmen of the Holy Scriptures do use this Greek word for any injurious, opprobrious, envious or slanderous words uttered by ungodly men, to the reproach of God, \ his Son Jesus Christ, \ his name, \ his written word, \ his doctrine, \ his ministers, \ his churches, \ or his saints. \ These blasphemers said they were Jews, but were not. A Jew is one of Abraham’ s seed, either after the flesh, and so were they, \ who vainly boasted in a fleshly confidence, and so did these who say they are Jews, or after the spirit, such are the children of promise, \ even all them that are Christ’ s, \ so were not these, though they said so, they did lie, \ though they were Jews outwardly, whose circumcision is outward in the flesh, yet they were not Jews inwardly, whose circumcision is inward, that of the heart in the spirit. \ "But are the synagogue of Satan" It is likely the Jews had a synagogue in this city of Smyrna, where they worshipped God according to the Mosaical administrations, mixed with the traditions of their fathers, which Christ testified against as vain and false worship, \ and therefore he calls them the synagogue of Satan. \ Some of those Jewish worshippers blasphemed the Lord Jesus Christ, and the doctrine and worship which the Christians in this church professed, by speaking some evil, opprobrious, and slanderous words against them, which Christ took notice of, and called "blasphemy:" See the exposition of Rev 3:9. See KNOLLYS: Revelation 3:9