What does the Bible mean by "Saint"

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atassina

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How is “saint” defined by use in the Bible? I am not asking how the Church defines saint, rather I want to know the distinctions used in the Bible to describe what are the qualities of a saint.
 
There a wonderful non- Catholic sight to help perpetuate the already enormous apostasy. At this rate their will be another 5000 Christian Churchs in another decade.
 
atassina said:
How is “saint” defined by use in the Bible? I am not asking how the Church defines saint, rather I want to know the distinctions used in the Bible to describe what are the qualities of a saint.
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I am going to start a thread on Saints of the day and Feast days- Part 2.
This is an excerpt from the introduction.
I hope it helps.
”In the early Church, all Christians, being faithful members of the Mystical Body of Christ, were classified as “saints”. Saint Paul in particular, so, liked to refer to members of the early Christian Community. He spoke of “ the saints who are at Ephesus” ( Eph. 1:1), etc.
In the Acts of the Apostles, we also find that all who were followers of Christ were called “saints”.
The word “saint “is derived from the Latin word “ sanctus” which means “ holy”. In this original meaning of the word, therefore, “every Christian soul, incorporated with Christ by baptism, and having within himself The Holy Spirit( so long as he remains in the state of sanctifying grace), is holy; is a saint…” Leo J. Trese in his book, The Faith Explained.
Nowadays when we say “saint”, we mean only those in heaven.”
 
Saint means holy and did you know all who are in Christ’s Church are all called saints. The church or the elect have a heavenly hope, Jesus Christ’s as the sacrificial lamb entered into the Most Holy as represented in the Tabernacle.

By entering into heaven we become saints.

Your bro. Vic
 
711vic said:
Saint means holy and did you know all who are in Christ’s Church are all called saints. The church or the elect have a heavenly hope, Jesus Christ’s as the sacrificial lamb entered into the Most Holy as represented in the Tabernacle.

By entering into heaven we become saints.

Your bro. Vic
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OK. I still need more help. I asked this question because I wished somebody a happy St. Patrick’s day. A Protestant Co-worker, also wished her the same and then said, “But the Catholics mean something different than the Bible.” I said saint means set apart. He said yes holy and set apart. All Christians are saints.

What are some strategic ways to respond to his remarks?
 
odhiambo said:
I am going to start a thread on Saints of the day and Feast days- Part 2.
This is an excerpt from the introduction.
I hope it helps.
”In the early Church, all Christians, being faithful members of the Mystical Body of Christ, were classified as “saints”. Saint Paul in particular, so, liked to refer to members of the early Christian Community. He spoke of “ the saints who are at Ephesus” ( Eph. 1:1), etc.
In the Acts of the Apostles, we also find that all who were followers of Christ were called “saints”.
The word “saint “is derived from the Latin word “ sanctus” which means “ holy”. In this original meaning of the word, therefore, “every Christian soul, incorporated with Christ by baptism, and having within himself The Holy Spirit( so long as he remains in the state of sanctifying grace), is holy; is a saint…” Leo J. Trese in his book, The Faith Explained.
Nowadays when we say “saint”, we mean only those in heaven.”
Click to expand...
I’m confused. Is that last statement yours? If so, did you just “change” the meaning to fit what you think is right? Just a question.
 
Worker123 said:
I’m confused. Is that last statement yours? If so, did you just “change” the meaning to fit what you think is right? Just a question.
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The last statement is actually not mine, it is still in quotes, but I agree with it completely. When I say ’ saint’ so and so, I mean someone who has since died and has been canonized.
If there is a contradiction, I am sorry but I do not see it:)
 
Worker123 said:
I’m confused. Is that last statement yours? If so, did you just “change” the meaning to fit what you think is right? Just a question.
Click to expand...
I see what you mean Worker123, **the last statement is not in quote.
**. It should have been. It still does not, however change the fact that I hold it as true.
 
Worker123 said:
I’m confused. Is that last statement yours? If so, did you just “change” the meaning to fit what you think is right? Just a question.
Click to expand...
Worker123:

I also think it still holds. In general when we as Catholics talk about saints, we mean
  1. Canonized Saints
  2. All humans in heaven.
    In casual conversation, we all tend to mean canonized saints. Nevertheless, the New Testament holds that all holy followers of Jesus are saints. I assumes this means without sin or any tendency or attachment to sin whatsoever. Certainly a high standard to which very few of us will reach in this life.
 
Saint…holy…
  1. Saint is used in different senses by the Church
  2. Those canonized are examples of heroic sanctity
  3. All in heaven are saints …some heroic some less so.
  4. and Yes St. Paul referred to Christians of his day as saints…as holy…and indeed Pope Benedict notes this…so one who is “in Christ”…who is alive in Christ…is a saint.
“At the beginning of Christianity, the members of the Church were also called “saints”. In his First Letter to the Corinthians, St Paul addresses “those sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints together with all those who in every place call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ” (I Cor 1: 2). Indeed, Christians are already saints because Baptism unites them to Jesus and to his Paschal Mystery, but at the same time they must become so by conforming themselves every more closely to him.” --Pope Benedict XVI

vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/angelus/2007/documents/hf_ben-xvi_ang_20071101_all-saints_en.html
 
Council of Trent (1545-1563) in Part III on the function of the saints in heaven. In the 25th session, the Council of Trent saints are identified as those “who reign together with Christ” and “who enjoy eternal happiness in heaven,” in other words, as only certain Christians in heaven.

Vatican II (1959-1965), the most recent of Roman Catholic ecumenical councils? Lumen Gentium begins with promise with its repeated emphasis of Christians as the holy “people of God.” Indeed, the Council declares that, “The Church, whose mystery is being set forth by this Sacred Synod, is believed to be indefectibly holy” (Lumen Gentium, 5.59).

If your question then is what does the BIBLE mean by saint the biblical stance is briefly that all true Christians who die are resurrected as ‘saints.’

That is the biblical view, so the question then arises why are some called ‘saints’?

Well first of all, there are approximatively 10,000 so-called saints so does that mean out of all of the persons who have lived & died (now in the billions) there are only 10,000 saints?

What about the thousands of unnamed faithful Christians eaten alive in ancient Rome are they not saints? Of course they are saints.

So then why are some canonized as saints? The reason simply is that there are many, many, many saints but only some are DECLARED as saints.

This process of declaration that is to say canonization can be a long process. If we take the example of say saint Peter his declaration of being a saint was obvious.

The church has declared some persons as saints but actually there are countless others who are saints.

Here is an interesting passage of scripture worth considering.

Matthew 20: 20Then the mother of the sons of Zeb′e·dee approached him with her sons, doing obeisance and asking for something from him. 21He said to her: “What do you want?” She said to him: “Give the word that these my two sons may sit down, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your kingdom.” 22Jesus said in answer: “YOU men do not know what YOU are asking for. Can YOU drink the cup that I am about to drink?” They said to him: “We can.” 23He said to them: “YOU will indeed drink my cup, but this sitting down at my right hand and at my left is not mine to give, but it belongs to those for whom it has been prepared by my Father.”

The final declaration as to who are saints belongs to God.

your bro. Vic

P.S. Why can it be said that Saint Paul was the only living saint before he died? ( a bit of a trick question).
 
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