Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Preface
- Chapter 1 Introduction
- Chapter 2 Brothers and sisters – ἀδελφοί
- Chapter 3 The believers
- Chapter 4 The saints – οἱ ἅγιοι
- Chapter 5 The assembly – ἡ ἐκκλησία
- Chapter 6 Disciples – μαθηταί
- Chapter 7 The Way – ἡ ὁδός
- Chapter 8 ‘Christian’ – Χριστιανός
- Chapter 9 Conclusions
- Bibliography
- Selected author index
- Subject index
- Index of texts
Chapter 4 - The saints – οἱ ἅγιοι
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 05 December 2011
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Preface
- Chapter 1 Introduction
- Chapter 2 Brothers and sisters – ἀδελφοί
- Chapter 3 The believers
- Chapter 4 The saints – οἱ ἅγιοι
- Chapter 5 The assembly – ἡ ἐκκλησία
- Chapter 6 Disciples – μαθηταί
- Chapter 7 The Way – ἡ ὁδός
- Chapter 8 ‘Christian’ – Χριστιανός
- Chapter 9 Conclusions
- Bibliography
- Selected author index
- Subject index
- Index of texts
Summary
Usage
The plural adjective ἅγιοι is used substantively sixty times in the NT with reference to ‘Christians’ and in these cases is normally translated as ‘the saints’. The substantivised participle of ἁγιάζω is used five times to refer to people as ‘the sanctified ones’. οἱ ἅγιοι occurs unevenly across the New Testament and is predominantly a Pauline term, although it occurs significantly in Revelation. The occurrences are Matthew: 1; Paul: 30; Ephesians: 7; The Pastorals: 1; Acts: 4; Hebrews: 2; Jude: 1; Revelation: 14. Occurrences of the substantivised participle are 1 Corinthians: 1; Acts: 2; Hebrews: 2.
ἅγιος means ‘dedicated to God, holy, sacred’ and ‘that which is holy’; οἱ ἅγιοι when used of people indicates that they are ‘consecrated to God’.
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- Self-designations and Group Identity in the New Testament , pp. 122 - 163Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2011