Early Christian Beliefs About Heavenly Citizenship

Origen, Commentary on Matthew Direct teaching

And so neither can thieves in regard to whom the Saviour said, All that came before Me are thieves and robbers, John 10:8 break through those things which are treasured up in heaven, and through the heart which is in heaven and therefore says, He raised us up with Him, and made us to sit with Him in the heavenly places in Christ, Ephesians 2:6 and, Our citizenship is in heaven. Philippians 3:20

Origen, Commentary on Matthew Supporting witness

...us up with Him, and made us sit with Him in the heavenly places in Christ," Ephesians 2:6 and, "Our citizenship is in heaven." Philippians 3:20

Irenaeus, Against Heresies: Book V Direct teaching

...s held down by it, emerges from under its dominion. And again, to the Philippians he says: “But our citizenship is in heaven, from where we also look for the Savior, the Lord Jesus, who will transform the body of our humiliation to be conformed to the body of His glory, just as He is able according to the working of His own power.” What, then, is this “body of humiliation” that the Lord will transform to conform to “the body of His glory?” Clearly, it is this body made of flesh, which is indeed humbled when it falls into the earth. Its transformation occurs in such a way that, while it is mortal and corruptible, it becomes immortal and incorruptible, not due to its own inherent nature but through the mighty working of the Lord, who can bestow immortality on the mortal and incorruption on the corruptible. Therefore, he says, “that mortality may be swallowed up by life. He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who has also given us the guarantee of the Spirit.” He uses these words clearly in reference to the flesh; for the soul is not mortal, nor is the spirit. What is mortal will be swallowed up by life when the flesh is dead no longer, but remains living and incorrupti

Origen, Against Celsus Supporting witness

But indeed they do in a sense separate themselves and stand aloof from those who are aliens from the commonwealth of God and strangers to His covenants, in order that they may live as citizens of heaven, coming to the living God, and to the city of God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, to the general assembly and Church of the first-born, which are written in heaven.

Hippolytus, Refutation of All Heresies Supporting witness

...s, no one knows this place except us alone, who have been born again, spiritual, not fleshly, whose citizenship is in heaven above.

Tertullian, Against Marcion Supporting witness

Galatians 4:26 and, while declaring that our πολίτευμα, or citizenship, is in heaven, he predicates of it that it is really a city in heaven.

Philippians 3:20 Direct teaching

But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ,

Hebrews 11:16 Direct teaching

But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city.

Hebrews 12:23 Supporting witness

to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are registered in heaven, to God the Judge of all, to the spirits of just men made perfect,

1 Peter 1:4 Supporting witness

To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you,

Ephesians 2:19 Supporting witness

Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God;

Cyprian, Treatises Direct teaching

26. We should consider, dearly beloved brethren — we should now and always reflect that we have renounced the world, and are in the meantime living here as guests and strangers.

Cyprian, Treatises Supporting witness

...g places. By cutting away the desires of the flesh, you obtain the reward of a greater grace in the heavenly home. Indeed, all who attain the divine gift and inheritance through the sanctification of baptism put off the old man in it by the grace of the saving washing, and, renewed by the Holy Spirit from the filth of the old contagion, are cleansed by a second birth. But the greater holiness and truth of that repeated birth belongs to you, who no longer have any desires of the flesh and of the body. Only the things that belong to virtue and the Spirit have remained in you for glory. This is the word of the apostle, whom the Lord called His chosen vessel, whom God sent to proclaim the heavenly command: "The first man," he says, "is from the earth, earthy; the second man is from heaven. As is the earthy, such are they also who are earthy; and as is the heavenly, such also are the heavenly. As we have borne the image of him who is earthy, let us also bear the image of Him who is heavenly." 1 Corinthians 15:47. Virginity bears this image. Integrity bears it. Holiness bears it, and truth. The disciplines that are mindful of God bear it, keeping righteousness with religion, steadfast

Clement of Alexandria, The Stromata (Miscellanies) Supporting witness

...devoutly, and like a teacher. For this reason the admirable Peter also says, "Beloved, I beg you as strangers and pilgrims, keep yourselves from fleshly desires, which fight against the soul, having your conduct good among the Gentiles." For this is the will of God: that by doing good you should silence the ignorance of foolish men, "as free, and not using freedom as a covering for evil, but as servants of God." In the same way Paul also writes in the Epistle to the Romans: "How shall we who died to sin still live in it? For our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be destroyed," down to this point: "Do not present your members as weapons of unrighteousness to sin," Romans 6:13. And indeed, since I have come to this place, I think I should not pass over the point that the Apostle proclaims the same God through the law and the prophets and the Gospel. For the saying, "You shall not desire," which is written in the Gospel, he attributes to the law in the Epistle to the Romans, knowing that the one who preached through the law and the prophets was one and the same, the Father, and that He was announced through him. For he says, "What shall we say then? Is the

Hermas, Connection to Hebrews 13:14 Direct teaching

He says to me, "You know that you who are the servants of God dwell in a strange land; for your city is far away from this one.

Hebrews 11:13 Direct teaching

These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.

Hebrews 11:9 Supporting witness

By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise:

Hebrews 11:14 Supporting witness

For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country.

1 Chronicles 29:15 Supporting witness

For we are strangers before you and sojourners, as all our fathers were. Our days on the earth are like a shadow, and there is no abiding.

Hebrews 13:2 Supporting witness

Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.

Hebrews 13:14 Supporting witness

For here we have no lasting city, but we seek the city that is to come.

Justin Martyr, The First Apology Background

But if the soldiers enrolled by you, and who have taken the military oath, prefer their allegiance to their own life, and parents, and country, and all kindred, though you can offer them nothing incorruptible, it were verily ridiculous if we, who earnestly long for incorruption, should not endure all things, in order to obtain what we desire from Him who is able to grant it.

1 Peter 2:17 Direct teaching

Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor.

Justin Martyr, The First Apology Supporting witness

...ayer to the gods of my country. But, as they did not respond, I called upon those among us known as Christians. Upon investigation, I found a great number and multitude of them and initially acted against them, which was quite inappropriate, as I later understood their power. They began the battle, not with weapons, armor, or bugles, as such preparations are detestable to them because of the God they carry in their conscience. Therefore, it appears that those we think are atheists have God as their guiding force entrenched in their conscience. Throwing themselves on the ground, they prayed not only for me but for the entire army, that we might be saved from the current thirst and hunger. We had been without water for five days because there was none, being deep in Germany, in enemy territory. Simultaneously as they threw themselves on the ground and prayed to God (a God unknown to me), water poured from the sky, refreshingly cool upon us but as withering hail upon Rome's enemies. Immediately we acknowledged the presence of God following their prayer—a God unconquerable and indestructible. Based on this, let us pardon such individuals who are Christians, lest they pray for and ac

Tertullian, De Corona Supporting witness

Our citizenship, the apostle says, is in heaven.

Tertullian, Against Marcion Supporting witness

Our conversation, says he, is in heaven. Philippians 3:20 I here recognise the Creator's ancient promise to Abraham: I will multiply your seed as the stars of heaven.

Cyprian, Treatises Supporting witness

...ive more quickly at the honor of heavenly glory, since Paul the apostle declares and says, "For our citizenship is in heaven, from where also we look for the Lord Jesus Christ, who will change the body of our humiliation and make it like the body of His glory"? Philippians 3:21 The Lord Christ also promises that we shall be like this, when He prays to the Father for us so that we may be with Him, and may live with Him in eternal dwelling places, and may rejoice in the kingdoms of heaven, saying, "Father, I will that they also whom You have given me be with me where I am, and may see the glory which You have given me before the world was made." John 17:24 He who is going to attain the throne of Christ and the glory of the kingdoms of heaven ought not to mourn or grieve, but rather, according to the Lord's promise and according to his faith in the truth, should rejoice in this departure and transfer.

Clement of Alexandria, The Stromata (Miscellanies) Direct teaching

Prayer, then, to speak more boldly, is conversation with God. Even when we whisper and do not open our lips, we speak in silence, yet we cry out inwardly. For God continually hears all our inward conversation. So also, at the closing words of prayer, we raise our head and lift our hands to heaven, and set our feet in motion. In this we follow the eagerness of the spirit as it is directed toward the intellectual essence. We also try to draw the body away from the earth along with our words. As we raise the soul upward, winged with longing for better things, we urge it on to the region of holiness, bravely despising the chain of the flesh. For we know very well that the Gnostic willingly passes over the whole world, just as the Jews certainly passed over Egypt, clearly showing above all that he wants to be as near as possible to God.

Cyprian, Epistles Supporting witness

... apostle says, "Shine as lights in the world." Philippians 2:15. In the same way Peter exhorts: "As strangers," he says, "and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul, having your conduct honorable among the Gentiles; so that, whereas they speak against you as evildoers, they may by your good works, which they shall see, glorify the Lord." 1 Peter 2:11-12. Indeed, I am glad to say that most of you are careful about this, and, having been made better by the honor of your confession itself, you guard and preserve its glory by calm and virtuous lives.

Apostolic Constitutions, Apostolic Constitutions Supporting witness

... in this place, that the Lord of the whole world may graciously allow us without fail to follow His heavenly hope, and without ceasing to pay Him the debt of our prayer. Let us pray for every episcopacy under the whole heaven, for those who rightly divide the word of Your truth. And let us pray for our bishop James and his parishes. Let us pray for our bishop Clement and his parishes. Let us pray for our bishop Euodius and his parishes. Let us pray for our bishop Annianus and his parishes. Let us pray that the compassionate God may grant that they continue in His holy churches in health, honor, and long life, and give them an honorable old age in godliness and righteousness. And let us pray for our presbyters, that the Lord may deliver them from every unreasonable and wicked action, and grant them a presbyterate in health and honor. Let us pray for all the deacons and ministers in Christ, that the Lord may grant them a blameless ministry. Let us pray for the readers, singers, virgins, widows, and orphans. Let us pray for those who are in marriage and in childbearing, that the Lord may have mercy on them all. Let us pray for the eunuchs who walk in holiness. Let us pray for those

Lactantius, The Epitome of the Divine Institutes Supporting witness

...e suffers harm from someone more powerful than himself, let us rescue him. Let our house be open to strangers, or to those who need shelter. Let our defense not be lacking for orphans under guardianship, or our protection for the defenseless. To ransom captives is a great work of pity. So also is visiting and comforting the sick who are poor. If helpless people or strangers die, we should not allow them to lie unburied. These are the works, these are the duties, of pity. If anyone takes these up, he will offer to God a true and acceptable sacrifice. This offering is more fit to be given to God, who is not pleased by the blood of a sheep, but by the godliness of a human being. Because God is just, He deals with a person by His own law and by His own standard. He shows mercy to the one He sees is merciful. He is unyielding toward the one He sees is harsh to those who beg him. Therefore, so that we may be able to do all these things that are pleasing to God, money must be despised and moved to heavenly treasures, where no thief can break in, no rust can destroy, and no tyrant can take them away. There it may be kept for us under God's protection as our eternal wealth.

Cyprian, Life and Passion of Cyprian Supporting witness

...Scripture certain things beyond the level of his newness in the faith, and out of proportion to how early his faith still was, he immediately took hold of what he had discovered, so that he might use it to deserve well of God. By giving away his resources to relieve the need of the poor, by giving out the purchase money from whole estates, he gained two benefits at once: contempt for the ambition of this world, than which nothing is more harmful; and the practice of that mercy which God has preferred even to His sacrifices, and which even the man did not keep who said that he had kept all the commandments of the law. So, with an early swiftness of godliness, he almost began to be perfect before he had learned the way to be perfect. Who among the ancients, I ask, has done this? Who among the most honored veterans in the faith, whose hearts and ears have long been moved by the divine words for many years, has attempted anything like this? Yet this man, still untrained in the faith, and perhaps not yet trusted by anyone, went beyond the men of ancient times and accomplished it by his glorious and admirable labors. No one reaps immediately after sowing. No one presses the grape harv

Clement of Alexandria, The Stromata (Miscellanies) Supporting witness

Be not conformed, says the apostle, to this world: but be transformed in the renewal of the mind, that you may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. Romans 12:2

Irenaeus, Against Heresies: Book V Supporting witness

...efore, as without the Spirit of God we cannot be saved, the apostle urges us through faith and pure conversation to preserve the Spirit of God, so that we do not become without the Divine Spirit and lose the kingdom of heaven; and he proclaims that flesh and blood, on their own, cannot inherit the kingdom of God.

1 Peter 2:11 Direct teaching

Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul;

Hebrews 10:34 Supporting witness

for you had compassion on me in my chains, and joyfully accepted the plundering of your goods, knowing that you have a better and an enduring possession for yourselves in heaven.