What Is a “SAINT” According to the Bible?

A ‘saint’ in the biblical sense does not refer to a deceased Catholic of heroic faith canonized by officials of the Roman sect, but simply to God’s people — whether Old Testament or New Testament — assuming they are set apart through dedication and service to the LORD.

The Hebrew Word for ‘Saint’

In the Old Testament the Hebrew word for ‘saint’ is qadosh (kaw-DOHSH), which means “holy” or “sacred” and comes from qodesh (KO-desh), meaning “set apart” or “consecrated.” The corresponding Aramaic word is qaddish (kaw-DEESH). While qadosh can refer to items of worship separated for the LORD’s use, like the altar and garments (Exodus 29:37 & 31:10), it also refers to noble people consecrated unto God (Exodus 22:31, Leviticus 19:2 & 20:7).

Here’s a reference to Old Testament saints:

I say of the holy people [qadosh] who are in the land, “They are the noble ones in whom is all my delight.”

Psalm 16:3 (NIV)

As for the saints [qadosh] in the land, they are the excellent ones, in whom is all my delight.

Psalm 16:3 (ESV)

Here’s a another example:

Fear the LORD, you his holy people [qadosh], for those who fear him lack nothing.

Psalm 34:9 (NIV)

Oh, fear the LORD, you his saints [qadosh], for those who fear him have no lack!

Psalm 34:9 (ESV)

A Secondary Hebrew Word for ‘Saint’

Chasid (khaw-SEED) is another Hebrew word translated as ‘saint,’ which means “pious” or “godly,” that is, to be like God. Here’s an example of its use in the Scriptures:

Love the LORD, all his faithful people [chasid]! The LORD preserves those who are true to him, but the proud he pays back in full.

Psalm 31:23 (NIV)

Love the LORD, all you his saints [chasid]! The LORD preserves the faithful but abundantly repays the one who acts in pride.

Psalm 31:23 (ESV)

Chasid can also mean “kind or merciful,” which are qualities of the LORD. You see, chasid people are kind and merciful because they are godly, i.e. like God.  Thus being a saint of God doesn’t refer to people who merely say they follow the LORD, but to those who actually do so on a daily basis while humbly “keeping with repentance” when they inevitably miss it (Matthew 3:8, Psalm 32:5 & Proverbs 28:13).

Take two of the worst kings of Judah, Joram (aka Jehoram) and Ahaz, the Bible plainly describes these men as evil (2 Kings 8:18 & 2 Kings 16:2-3). They were full-fledged Hebrews and leaders of God’s nation on Earth, yet they obviously were not saints of God despite being technically in covenant with the LORD. So it’s possible to be in covenant with God and yet not be a saint.

‘Saint’ in the New Testament

The Greek word for ‘saint’ in the New Testament is hagios (HAG-ee-os) and corresponds to the meanings of qadosh and qodesh above, that is, “holy” or “sacred” and thus “set apart by/for God.” Notice how Paul uses the word in his first letter to the believers at Corinth:

To the church of God in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus and called to be his holy people [hagios], together with all those everywhere who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ—their Lord and ours:

1 Corinthians 1:12 (NIV)

To the church of God that is in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints [hagios] together with all those who in every place call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, both their Lord and ours:

1 Corinthians 1:12 (ESV)

Observe that the Corinthian believers were “called to be saints” — God’s holy people. ‘Called’ in the Greek is  klétos (klay-TOHS), which means “called or invited — summoned by the LORD to an office or position.” In this case, the position happens to be God’s holy people — set apart for service to the Lord.

Since all believers are called to be saints, the New Testament speaks of all believers as saints even though, technically, not every believer is a saint in practice. Here’s an example:

Greet all God’s people [hagios] in Christ Jesus. The brothers and sisters who are with me send greetings.

Philippians 4:21 (NIV)

Greet every saint [hagios] in Christ Jesus. The brothers who are with me greet you.

Philippians 4:21 (ESV)

You could view this as an example of calling into being things that are not as though they were (Romans 4:17), which ties into positional truths vs. practical reality. For instance, the Scriptures describe the spiritually-regenerated believer as “holy in God’s sight” (Colossians 1:22). The LORD sees the believer as holy because that’s his/her position in Christ via spiritual rebirth (Titus 3:5). It’s a positional truth and it’s reality whether the believer feels holy or not. In order to walk in practical holiness, the believer simply needs to renew his/her mind with this truth, which you can learn about in this video.

A similar example is how all believers are called to be disciples (learners) of Christ but, unfortunately, not every believer is a disciple of the Lord (John 8:31) in actual practice, even if the Scriptures refer to them as such.*

* Interestingly, Judas Iscariot is plainly called a disciple of Christ in the Bible, but he obviously wasn’t one in reality since the Messiah plainly referred to him as “a devil,” which was verified when Judas shortly later betrayed the Lord (John 12:4 & John 6:70). So what made Peter, James & John true disciples (Mark 9:2–3 & Matthew 26:36–38) and Judas a false one? Keeping in mind that we’re talking about a time when spiritual rebirth wasn’t yet available to believers since it was before Jesus died for our sins and was raised to life for our justification (Romans 4:25), the former were genuine disciples simply because they actually repented of their sins & believed (Mark 1:15 & Matthew 3:8) whereas Judas obviously did not.

“Be Holy Because I Am Holy”

As noted above, hagios can also be translated as “holy,” as Peter does here:

14As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. 15But just as he who called you is holy [hagios], so be holy [hagios] in all you do; 16for it is written: “Be holy [hagios], because I am holy [hagios].”

1 Peter 1:14-16

Peter is quoting three verses from the Old Testament (Leviticus 11:44-45 & 19:2), supplanting the Hebrew qadosh with the Greek hagios, which shows that these are equivalent terms. A saint of God is a holy person who separates himself/herself from the world for service to the LORD, regardless of what their particular calling may be (and I don’t just mean those called to fivefold ministry, like a pastor). God is in essence saying, “Be a saint for I am the absolute saint, separate from the world and its inherent pollution.”

All believers are instructed to do this in the Bible:

14Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? 15What harmony is there between Christ and Belial ^b ? Or what does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? 16What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said:

“I will live with them

and walk among them,

and I will be their God,

and they will be my people.” ^c

17Therefore,

“Come out from them

and be separate,

says the Lord.

Touch no unclean thing,

and I will receive you.” ^d

18And,

“I will be a Father to you,

and you will be my sons and daughters,

says the Lord Almighty.”

2 Corinthians 6:14-7:1

This passage is foundational to any believer who wants to fulfill their God-given calling to be a saint in the LORD’s service. Saints are holy people of the Most High who separate themselves from the world, its viewpoint, its ideologies, its idols and its idolatries so as to focus on relationship with the LORD. Your work will proceed from that, whatever your unique assignment might be. Obviously this doesn’t mean you shouldn’t associate with unbelievers, as Paul did so on a regular basis in order to positively influence them (1 Corinthians 9:19-23), not to mention Jesus Christ (John 4:4-26 & Mark 2:17).

However, being “yoked together” with unbelievers suggests working in union with them and therefore agreeing with their perspective, such as embracing their unbelief, their false doctrines and celebrating their sinful practices (or, worse, participating in them).

A good example would be young believers who go off to secular university wherein they make the mistake of yoking together with unbelievers thereof — whether students or faculty — and come out years later dyed-in-the-wool atheists. This unfortunately happens all the time. What good is obtaining a high-falutin degree and landing a lucrative job if you lose your faith, relationship with God and eternal life? You can read details on such here.

A good question to ask yourself concerning relationships with unbelievers is this: Are you positively influencing them or are they negatively influencing you? If it’s the latter you’ll obviously have to break associations with them for your own spiritual well being (at least as far as is possible).

The reason Paul wrote 2 Corinthians 6:14-7:1, led of the Holy Spirit, is because some believers in Corinth found certain pagan teachings appealing and so tried to combine them with the Christian message. Yet there’s no place for linking something false with that which is truth, aka reality (John 8:31-32).

Also, keep in mind that Christ conflicted with religious leaders of his day who knew the Judeo Scriptures like the backs of their hands, but they were polluted by legalism, a spirit of fake religiosity:

39“You study the Scriptures diligently because you think that in them you have eternal life. These are the very Scriptures that testify about me, 40yet you refuse to come to me to have life.”

John 5:39-40

I add this because not everyone who is seemingly devout and says “Lord, Lord” is a genuine believer if the fruit they bear on a consistent basis tells otherwise and they’re arrogantly not “keeping with repentance” (Matthew 7:15-23, 3:8 &. 1 John 1:8-9). While such people put on the airs of being saints of God, it’s simply not true. Thus, if you want to be an effective saint in God’s service you’ll have to “leave them” (Matthew 15:14).

Related Topics:

Holiness — A Fresh Look

How to Keep Yourself BLAMELESS (while Not Being SINLESS)

How God Sees You (video)

Legalism — Understanding its Many Forms

The Basics of Christianity

Understanding the Religion of LIEberalism