Should Christians Stay in Their Current Location
The question of whether Christians should remain in their current location is addressed in various biblical texts and theological traditions, often with nuanced interpretations depending on the specific context. A general principle articulated by Paul in 1 Corinthians is that Christians should accept their God-given circumstances and continue in the social situation in which they became believers [5].
Paul advises in 1 Corinthians 7:26, "Because of the present crisis, I think it is good for a man to remain as he is" [3]. John Gill interprets this "present necessity" not as the brevity of life, but as the various difficulties and trials associated with the married state, suggesting it is more advisable for single individuals to remain so [11]. This counsel extends to other life circumstances, with Paul stating, "As a general rule, Christians should continue in the social situation in which they first became believers" [5]. He further elaborates that if a Christian brother has a non-Christian wife who wishes to remain with him, he should not leave her [2].
However, the concept of "staying in place" also appears in more specific, temporary contexts. When Jesus sent out his disciples, he instructed them, "Stay at the same house, eating and drinking whatever you are offered. For the worker is worthy of his wages. Do not move around from house to house" [1]. John Gill, commenting on Mark 6:10, interprets this as a directive for evangelists to remain in the first house they enter in a city or town during their stay, rather than moving between residences [8]. This instruction emphasizes stability and reliance on hospitality during missionary work.
The Patristic tradition also considered the behavior of Christians in different locations. The Twelve Patriarchs advises Christians traveling to places without other believers to be "wise as serpents, and harmless as doves" and to live with "chaste and holy behaviour" so that God may be glorified [4]. This suggests that while Christians might find themselves in new locations, their conduct should remain consistent with their faith. Augustine, in a letter to Honoratus, discusses situations where Christians might be hindered by "insuperable difficulties" or are unwilling to seek new refuges, preferring to remain in their current location. In such cases, he argues, they should not be left without Christian ministers [12].
Theological perspectives also touch on the nature of Christian existence in the world. Tyndale House notes that believers are considered "temporary residents and foreigners" in this world, with their true citizenship in heaven [9, 10]. This perspective suggests a spiritual detachment from any earthly location, viewing one's physical dwelling as transient. Thomas Aquinas, in discussing Christ's ascension, argues that it was fitting for Christ to ascend to heaven because His resurrected, immortal, and incorruptible life was not suited for an earthly dwelling, which is characterized by "generation and corruption" [7]. This theological point, while not directly about human Christians, underscores a broader understanding of the appropriate "place" for a perfected, spiritual existence.
Historically, interpretations of "abiding in one's place" have sometimes been quite literal. Adam Clarke notes that some Jewish traditions understood the command in Exodus 16:29, "Abide ye every man in his place," to mean not going beyond a certain distance from one's home or city on the Sabbath, defining a "Sabbath day's journey" [6]. This demonstrates how a directive to "stay in place" could be interpreted with precise geographical limitations in some religious contexts.
Sources
- Luke “Luke 10:7 (BSB) — Stay at the same house, eating and drinking whatever you are offered. For the worker is worthy of his wages. Do not move around from house to house.”
- I Corinthians “I Corinthians 7:12 (BBE) — But to the rest I say, and not the Lord; If a brother has a wife who is not a Christian, and it is her desire to go on living with him, let him not go away from her.”
- I Corinthians “I Corinthians 7:26 (BSB) — Because of the present crisis, I think it is good for a man to remain as he is.”
- Schaff ANF/NPNF (Patristic) “ANF Vol 8: Twelve Patriarchs, Excerpts, Epistles, Apocrypha, Decretals — CHAP. VI. -- HOW CHRISTIANS SHOULD BEHAVE THEMSELVES AMONG HEATHENS. (part 1): If, moreover, it chance that we go to a place in which there are no Christians, and it be im- 63 portant for us to stay there a few days, let us be "wise as serpents, and harmless as doves;"(1) and let us "not be as the foolish, but as the wise,"(2) in all the self-restraint of the fear of God, that God may be glorified in everything through our Lord Jesus Christ, through our chaste and holy behaviour. For, "whether we eat, or drink, or do anyt”
- 1 Corinthians (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on 1 Corinthians 7:17: 7:17-24 Paul states as a general principle that Christians should accept their God-given lot in life. 7:17 As a general rule, Christians should continue in the social situation in which they first became believers (see 7:20, 24).”
- Exodus (Methodist/Wesleyan) “Adam Clarke on Exodus 16:29: Abide ye every man in his place - Neither go out to seek manna nor for any other purpose; rest at home and devote your time to religious exercises. Several of the Jews understood by place in the text, the camp, and have generally supposed that no man should go out of the place, i.e., the city, town, or village in which he resides, any farther than one thousand cubits, about an English mile, which also is called a Sabbath day's journey, Act 1:12; and so many cubits they consider the space round the city that constitutes its suburbs, which they draw from Num 35:3, Nu”
- theology (Catholic (Scholastic)) “Aquinas, Summa Theologica, Third Part (Tertia Pars), Of the Ascension of Christ, Art. 1: Article: Whether it was fitting for Christ to ascend into heaven? I answer that, The place ought to be in keeping with what is contained therein. Now by His Resurrection Christ entered upon an immortal and incorruptible life. But whereas our dwelling-place is one of generation and corruption, the heavenly place is one of incorruption. And consequently it was not fitting that Christ should remain upon earth after the Resurrection; but it was fitting that He should ascend to heaven. On the contrary: On the c”
- Mark (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Mark 6:10: And he said unto them,.... He continued giving orders and directions to them, saying, in what place soever you enter into an house, there abide till ye depart from that place: that is, in whatsoever city or town they should come to, the first house they went into, they should continue in, during their stay in that city or town, and not shift from house to house; See Gill on Mat 10:11.”
- 1 Peter (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on 1 Peter 2:11: 2:11-12 These verses are transitional. They can be viewed as the finale to the first section of the letter or as the opening statement of the second section of the letter. They enunciate the letter’s central theme: Christians living in hostile territory need to live out the principles of the Good News so that they can win other people to the Lord. 2:11 “temporary residents and foreigners”: Believers belong not to this world but to the Kingdom of Heaven (see 1:1, 17).”
- 1 Peter (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on 1 Peter 1:17: 1:17 Christians’ citizenship is in heaven (1:1; see Phil 3:20); they live in this world as “temporary residents” who are uncomfortable with its values and who long for their true home.”
- 1 Corinthians (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on 1 Corinthians 7:26: I suppose, therefore, that this is good,.... The opinion of the apostle, the sentiment of his mind, his judgment in this case were, that it was better, more advisable and eligible, for persons that were single to continue so; his reason for it follows, for the present necessity; by which is meant not the shortness of life, and the necessity of dying, when husband and wife must part, upon which trouble ensues; nor the various sorrows, cares, encumbrances, trials, and exercises that attend a conjugal state, as bearing and bringing forth, and bringing up childre”
- Schaff ANF/NPNF (Patristic) “NPNF1 Vol 1: Augustine — Confessions, Letters — TO HIS HOLY BROTHER AND CO-BISHOP HONORATUS,1 AUGUSTIN SENDS GREETING IN THE LORD. (part 11): go, and whose mercy may be found wherever their lot is cast by those who, whether hindered by known insuperable difficulties, or unwilling to toil after unknown refuges, in which perils may be only changed not finished, prefer not to go away elsewhere," -- most assuredly those who thus resolve to remain ought not to be left destitute of the service of Christian ministers. If, on the other hand after hearing their bishops and clergy speak as above, the pe”