Saints of God

“Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, . . . to all that be in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints; grace to you, and peace, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” Romans 1:7

The first seven verses of the book of Romans constitute the introduction to the epistle—the salutation; but those who have read the preceding articles of this series will conclude, if they never thought of it before, that there is a world of thought conveyed even in one of the greetings of the apostle Paul. Not one word did he write in vain. The expression to which we wish to call especial attention in this article is, “called to be saints,” or, more properly, “called saints.”

The word “saints,” is used throughout the Bible to denote the people of God, both while they are in this world, and after they have been redeemed. On his missionary journeys, Paul gathered money for the poor saints at Jerusalem. Romans 15:25, 26; 1 Corinthians 16:1. Three other epistles he addressed respectively as follows: “To The saints which are at Ephesus” (Ephesians 1:1); “to all the saints in Christ which are at Philippi” (Philippians 1:1); and “to the saints and faithful brethren in Christ which are at Colosse.” Colossians 1:2. In short, it is generally used as synonymous with “Christian.” This should serve to give us an exalted idea of what it is to be a Christian, rather than an inferior idea of what it is to be a saint.

The Roman Catholic Church, with the arrogance characteristic of it, has assumed the prerogative of making saints. It holds that a saint is far different from the ordinary Christian, and confers the title of “saint” upon men long dead, much as a college will grant a post-graduate degree to one who since graduation has been particularly successful in certain lines of work or study. But this is wholly a perversion of the Bible use of the term, for it properly belongs to all who are in Christ.

A saint is one who is sanctified. The two words have a common derivation. Paul addressed his first epistle to the Corinthians, “unto the church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints.” 1 Corinthians 1:2. Sanctification is not, as some imagine, a special grace bestowed upon certain Christians, but is the condition of all who are truly Christians. All who are in Christ Jesus are sanctified, and for this reason they are called saints. The modern idea that a man may live for years in a justified state before God, and still know nothing of sanctification, is but another phase of the Roman Catholic idea that a saint is an extraordinary Christian—something more than a Christian. To be sanctified is looked upon, not as a necessity, but as a privilege granted to a few; and the result is a lowering of the standard of simple Christianity.

The word rendered “sanctified,” means to consecrate, to devote to religious uses. The word rendered “saint,” signifies the person or thing being devoted or set apart. I will quote the first definitions both of the Greek and the Latin words that are so rendered: “Agios (hagios) “devoted to the gods, (Latin, Sacer); and so I, in good sense, Sacred, holy.” Liddell and Scott. The Latin word sanctus, which is rendered “saint,” is from the verb sancio, which is defined, “to render sacred or inviolable by a religious act; to appoint as sacred or