Saints
The Meaning of Sainthood
The biblical concept of sainthood differs significantly from popular usage. The Hebrew word qadosh and the Greek word hagios, both translated "saints" or "holy ones," are primarily words of consecration and relationship rather than moral accomplishment. To be a saint in biblical terms is to be set apart by God as His own, claimed and consecrated for His purposes. This is not something a person achieves through exceptional virtue but something God initiates through His sovereign choice.
The Old Testament uses qadosh to describe God's people collectively as those who belong to Him. In Daniel, the Aramaic equivalent qaddish appears in reference to both heavenly beings ("holy ones") and God's faithful people. The term emphasizes God's ownership and claim rather than human merit.
Saints in the Old Testament
In the Old Testament, the concept of sainthood is closely tied to Israel's identity as God's chosen people. God declared to Israel, "You shall be holy, for I the LORD your God am holy" (Leviticus 19:2). The people were called to live in a way that reflected their consecrated status. The Psalms frequently address or refer to the community of saints: "O fear the LORD, you his saints, for those who fear him have no lack" (Psalm 34:9). "Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints" (Psalm 116:15).
The related Hebrew word chasid, sometimes translated "saints" and sometimes "the faithful" or "the godly," carries more of a sense of personal righteousness and covenant loyalty. In 1 Samuel 2:9, God "will guard the feet of his faithful ones." This word emphasizes the responsive human side of the covenant relationship.
Saints in Paul's Letters
Paul regularly addressed his letters to the "saints" in various cities: "to the saints who are in Ephesus" (Ephesians 1:1), "to all the saints in Christ Jesus who are at Philippi" (Philippians 1:1), "to the saints and faithful brothers in Christ at Colossae" (Colossians 1:2). In every case, "saints" refers to the entire community of believers, not to a select group of exceptionally holy individuals.
This usage is critically important: every baptized believer is a saint by virtue of being claimed by God in Christ. The ordinary Christians in Corinth, with all their problems and failures, were addressed as saints (1 Corinthians 1:2). Sainthood is the starting point of the Christian life, not its culmination.
The Call to Live Worthy of Sainthood
While sainthood is God's gift rather than human achievement, it carries an immediate ethical obligation. Because God has consecrated His people, they are called to live in a manner consistent with their identity. Paul speaks of actions performed "as is fitting among saints" (Ephesians 5:3) and commends Phoebe so that the Roman church might welcome her "in a way worthy of the saints" (Romans 16:2).
This creates a dynamic tension: saints are not people who have achieved holiness, but people who have been claimed by a holy God and are therefore obligated to grow into the holiness that already defines their identity. The process of becoming in practice what one already is in status is at the heart of New Testament sanctification.
The Communion and Perseverance of Saints
The New Testament emphasizes the corporate nature of sainthood. Saints are not isolated individuals but members of a community bound together by their common consecration. Paul's collection for the "saints" in Jerusalem (Romans 15:25-26; 2 Corinthians 8:4; 9:1) demonstrates the practical obligations that flow from this shared identity. The letter to the Hebrews calls believers to persevere alongside the "great cloud of witnesses" (Hebrews 12:1), the saints of previous generations whose faithfulness encourages those who follow.
In Revelation, the prayers of the saints rise like incense before God's throne (Revelation 5:8; 8:3-4), and the saints are called to patient endurance as they await God's final vindication (Revelation 13:10; 14:12). The ultimate vision is of the holy city, the New Jerusalem, where the saints dwell forever in God's presence (Revelation 21:2-3).
Biblical Context
Saints appear throughout Scripture: as God's consecrated people in the Old Testament (Psalm 34:9; 116:15; Daniel 7:18, 22), as the standard address for believers in Paul's letters (Romans 1:7; 1 Corinthians 1:2; Ephesians 1:1; Philippians 1:1; Colossians 1:2), in connection with ethical expectations (Romans 16:2; Ephesians 5:3), Paul's collection (Romans 15:25; 2 Corinthians 8:4), and in the eschatological vision of Revelation (Revelation 5:8; 13:10; 14:12).
Theological Significance
The biblical concept of saints teaches that holiness begins with God's initiative, not human effort. God sets people apart for Himself, and this consecration creates both identity and obligation. The universal application of the term to all believers democratizes holiness, making it the calling of every Christian rather than the achievement of a spiritual elite. The corporate dimension emphasizes that sainthood is lived out in community, and the eschatological vision assures saints that their consecration will be brought to completion in God's eternal kingdom.
Historical Background
The concept of a holy people set apart for divine service existed throughout the ancient Near East, where temples maintained consecrated personnel and nations claimed special relationships with their patron deities. Israel's distinctive contribution was the democratization of holiness to include the entire covenant people, not just priests and kings. In the later church, the term 'saint' gradually narrowed to designate individuals of exceptional holiness, leading to the practice of canonization in Catholic and Orthodox traditions. The Reformation recovered the biblical emphasis on all believers as saints, a principle reflected in the Protestant doctrine of 'the priesthood of all believers.'