Hagios is the word used in the New Testament to mean holy. The New Testament doesn’t speak much about God being holy, but it does talk about God’s Spirit, the Holy Spirit. Hagios can mean set apart, holy, or sacred. I think of the song by Brian Doerksen called Refiner’s Fire.
Refiner’s Fire by Brian Doerksen
Purify my heart, Let me be as gold and precious silver
Purify my heart, Let me be as gold, pure gold
Refiner’s fire, My heart’s one desire
Is to be holy, Set apart for You, Lord
I choose to be holy, Set apart for You, my Master
Ready to do your will
Purify my heart, Cleanse me from within, and make me holy
Purify my heart, Cleanse me from my sin, Deep within
So what does it mean to be holy? What does it mean for God to be holy? I will do my best here. God is totally set apart from man. No one can compare to Him. He is set apart from evil. He is pure. He is perfect, the only perfect One. Isaiah tells that he “saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted, and the train of his robe filled the temple.” He continues, “And they (seraphs) were calling to one another: ‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory.'” Isaiah then cries, “Woe to me! I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty.” (Isaiah 6:1-5) To think about the perfect God seeing us in all of our imperfectness, is humbling. We don’t even like to think about other imperfect people knowing about all of our imperfections.
What does it mean for us to be holy? We instinctively know that we cannot, on our own, be holy like God is holy. Before God calls us to be His own, we are slaves to our sinful nature. But through a believing relationship with Jesus, we are called holy. Jesus Christ died for our sins, so when we confess our sins God cleanses us. We are made holy. Hebrews 10:10 follows: “We have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.” Then the Holy Spirit works in us and through us with the fruits of the Spirit to be more like the perfect God who is perfect in all these fruits. Only He has perfect love, perfect joy, perfect peace, etc.
About one quarter of the more than 200 verses using hagios in the New Testament translate hagios as saints. The Latin word for holy is sanctus, which is where saints comes from. Just think of a saint as a holy person and the translation makes sense. The holy people of God are considered saints.
Verses:
Matthew 4:5 NIV Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple.
Matthew 7:6 KJV Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you. (The NIV uses sacred.)
Matthew 12:32 ESV And whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come.
Matthew 27:52 NIV And the tombs broke open. The bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life. (Many translations use saints for holy people.)
Mark 1:24 ESV “What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are–the Holy One of God.”
Mark 3:29 NASB But whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin.
Mark 8:38 KJV Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.
Luke 1:49 NIV For the Mighty One has done great things for me–holy is his name.
Luke 11:13 ESV “If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”
John 14:26 NASB But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you.
Acts 2:4 NIV All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.
Acts 2:38 ESV And Peter aid to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”
Acts 20:28 NASB Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood.
Romans 7:12 NIV So then, the law is holy, and the commandment is holy, righteous and good.
Romans 8:27 KJV And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.
Romans 12:1 NIV Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God–this is your true and proper worship.
Romans 12:13 ESV Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality.
1 Corinthians 3:17 NASB If any man destroys the temple of God, God will destroy him, for the temple of God is holy, and that is what you are.
2 Corinthians 9:12 ESV For the ministry of this service is not only supplying the needs of the saints but is also overflowing in many thanksgivings to God.
2 Corinthians 13:13 NASB All the saints greet you.
Ephesians 1:4 NIV For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight.
Ephesians 6:18 ESV Praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints. (NIV uses Lord’s people for saints.)
Colossians 3:12 NIV Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.
1 Thessalonians 3:13 KJV To the end he may stablish your hearts unblameable in holiness before God, even our Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints.
Philemon 1:7 NIV Your love has given me great joy and encouragement, because you; brother, have refreshed the hearts of the Lord’s people.
Hebrews 6:10 NASB For God is not unjust so as to forget your work and the love which you have shown toward His name, in having ministered and in still ministering to the saints.
1 Peter 1:15-16 ESV But as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.”
Revelation 3:7 NIV “To the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: These are the words of him who is holy and true, who holds the key of David. What he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open.”
Revelation 4:8 NASB And the four living creatures, each one of them having six wings, are full of eyes around and within; and day and night they do not cease to say, “HOLY, HOLY, HOLY is THE LORD GOD, THE ALMIGHTY, WHO WAS AND WHO IS AND WHO IS TO COME.”
Revelation 21:2 ESV And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
Revelation 22:19 KJV And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.
The G/K number for hagios is 41.
The Strong’s number for hagios is 40.
