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Saints

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In Scripture, saints are God's holy ones—people set apart to belong to him by covenant grace. In the New Testament, the term ordinarily refers to all believers in Christ, not only especially exemplary Christians.

At a Glance

Biblically, saints are holy ones set apart to God. In the New Testament, the term normally names all Christians in Christ, while later church usage may reserve it for recognized exemplars.

Key Points

Description

Saints means holy ones: people set apart to God. In Scripture, holiness is not chiefly a claim of moral perfection but of belonging—God claims a people for himself and calls them to reflect his character. The Old Testament uses the language of holy ones in ways that can refer to God's covenant people and, in some contexts, to heavenly beings; the New Testament regularly addresses local congregations as saints because they are in Christ and therefore set apart to God. This means the ordinary biblical sense of saint is broader than later ecclesiastical usage that reserves the title for officially recognized exemplars. A sound biblical definition should therefore keep both truths together: all true believers are saints in Christ, and saints are called to live in the holiness their identity already signifies.

Biblical Context

Biblically, saints must be defined by Scripture's own usage. The term is shaped by covenant belonging, union with Christ, and the call to holy living. Its meaning is best read from the whole canon rather than from later tradition alone.

Historical Context

In the history of the church, saint came to be used in some traditions for believers formally recognized for outstanding holiness, martyrdom, or exemplary faith. That later devotional usage developed after the New Testament and should not be allowed to redefine the Bible's broader use of the term.

Jewish and Ancient Context

In the Hebrew Bible and Second Temple Jewish background, the related idea of 'holy ones' carries the sense of those belonging to the holy God. The term can refer to God's people or, in some passages, to heavenly beings. Context determines the referent.

Primary Key Texts

Secondary Key Texts

Original Language Note

Hebrew qedoshim and Greek hagioi mean 'holy ones' or 'saints.' In the New Testament, hagioi commonly names all believers in Christ.

Theological Significance

The term matters because it ties together identity and calling. Saints are not Christians who have achieved a higher class of spirituality; they are God's consecrated people, made holy in Christ and called to grow in practical holiness.

Philosophical Explanation

As a category, saints concerns belonging, identity, and moral formation. In Christian thought, a saint is not defined by self-derived excellence but by God's setting apart of people for himself through grace.

Interpretive Cautions

Do not confuse the Bible's ordinary use of saint with later canonization practices. Do not erase the New Testament's corporate sense by restricting saints to a few heroic individuals. Also note that some Old Testament uses of 'holy ones' may refer to angels or heavenly beings, so context must govern interpretation.

Major Views

Most Protestant interpreters understand the New Testament's saints as all believers. Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox traditions also use saint for specially recognized holy persons, while still acknowledging the biblical language of all believers as holy ones in Christ.

Doctrinal Boundaries

This entry should remain within biblical doctrine and historic Christian orthodoxy. Later ecclesiastical customs may be described, but they must not override the scriptural meaning of the term or imply a doctrine of merit that displaces grace.

Practical Significance

The word encourages believers by reminding them that holiness is both their identity and their calling. It also supports the church's habit of addressing ordinary Christians as God's holy people, not as spiritual elites.

Related Entries

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Data

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