Towards a Better Understanding of God’s Holiness: Challenging the Status Quo

Abstract

The standard understanding of God’s holiness is usually described as “separation,” “transcendence,” or “infinite purity.” But when the usage of the term in certain contexts is scrutinized, Scripture reveals that it can mean “totally devoted.” According to Isaiah, this devotion of God to his people manifests itself in social justice, rescue, and restoration. When this definition is compared with the role and nature of the Holy Spirit as comforter, teacher, etc., it makes much more sense that the Spirit is described as holy. Although it may not be possible to change traditional terms for holy in many language communities, there must be a creative effort to turn the tide toward a more biblical understanding.