📖 Biblical Definition
Greek hagios, holy / set apart / consecrated, the principal NT adjective for holy. The cognate family is foundational to NT pneumatology and ecclesiology: hagios (G40, holy); hagiazo (G37, to sanctify); hagiasmos (G38, sanctification); hagiotes (G41, holiness). The supreme NT designation is the Holy Spirit (to Pneuma to Hagion) and the holy ones, hoi hagioi (the saints — not a select few but the entire community of those consecrated to God in Christ, Romans 1:7, called to be saints; 1 Corinthians 1:2; Ephesians 1:1). The NT continues and intensifies the OT qedushah theology: the LORD's intrinsic holiness as the pattern; the church's derivative holiness as the image; the Spirit's work of hagiasmos (sanctification) as the means. The Reformed-confessional doctrine of sanctification (Westminster XIII) is the systematic articulation. The patriarchal-Reformed reader recovers the integrated biblical category: holiness is the LORD's own character; the saints (hagioi) are all believers consecrated in Christ; sanctification (hagiasmos) is the Spirit's progressive work conforming them to Christ; the Christian life is therefore the integrated reality of justified-sanctified-being-sanctified.
📜 Webster 1828 Definition
Greek hagios (G40), holy / set apart / consecrated; principal NT adjective for holy; cognate family hagiazo, hagiasmos, hagiotes; hoi hagioi (the saints) = all believers.
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HAGIOS, Greek adj. (G40; holy, set apart, consecrated) Principal NT adjective for holy. Cognate family: hagiazo (G37, to sanctify); hagiasmos (G38, sanctification); hagiotes (G41, holiness). Supreme designation: the Holy Spirit (to Pneuma to Hagion). Hoi hagioi (the saints) = the entire community of those consecrated to God in Christ (Romans 1:7; 1 Corinthians 1:2; Ephesians 1:1), not a select few. NT continuation and intensification of OT qedushah; Reformed-confessional doctrine of sanctification (Westminster XIII).
📖 Key Scripture
Romans 1:7 — "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."
1 Peter 1:15-16 — "But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy."
Hebrews 12:14 — "Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord."
1 Thessalonians 4:3 — "For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication."
⚠️ Modern Corruption
Roman Catholic restriction of hagioi to canonized saints; modern soft-evangelical reduction of holiness to niceness; Reformed-confessional doctrine retains the NT substance.
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The two principal historic corruptions of biblical holiness are opposite. Roman Catholic ecclesiology restricts hagioi to canonized saints, treating most believers as something less than saints in the proper NT sense; the Reformation recovered the NT category: hagioi are all believers, consecrated to God in Christ. Modern soft-evangelicalism reduces holiness to mere niceness or moral propriety; the biblical hagios is substantive transcendence and consecration. The Reformed-confessional doctrine of sanctification (Westminster XIII) retains the NT integration: the believer is positionally holy in Christ (definitive sanctification), is being progressively sanctified by the Spirit (progressive sanctification), and will be finally and fully holy in glory (consummate sanctification).
🔗 Greek & Hebrew Roots
G40; cognate family hagiazo, hagiasmos, hagiotes; NT continuation of OT qedushah.
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['Greek', 'G40', 'hagios', 'holy, set apart, consecrated']
['Greek', 'G37', 'hagiazo', 'to sanctify']
['Greek', 'G38', 'hagiasmos', 'sanctification']
Usage
"Hagios: holy; the LORD's intrinsic character and the church's derivative consecration."
"Hoi hagioi (the saints) = all believers (Romans 1:7)."
"Be ye holy; for I am holy (1 Peter 1:15-16)."