Biblijna nauka o świętości człowieka

Abstract

The concept of holiness is one of the key theological issues. Semantically the term “holiness” focuses on God, the only absolutely Holy, who lives and works in the Church, and is also the source of the holiness of the Church. Visible reflection of the holiness of the Church on earth are the countless saints – people who are called by God to be holy, and with the proper spiritual life, had grown up in perfection and become able to accept the special sanctification by the Holy Spirit. But God is calling to be holy not only those who have tasted holiness – which formally announced to the world bythe church in an act of canonization – but all Christians.

The term “holy” is used by Bible not only in reference to God, but also to the people, places and things, sanctified bycontact with God, exalted by him, dedicated to the service of God. The article deals on the holiness of the human in the Old and New Testaments only.

The New Testament repeats call to be holy directed by God to man in the Old Testament (cf. 1 Peter 1:15). But at the same time God calls the human to be perfect (Mathew 5:48). The source of human holiness in the New Testament is Jesus Christ, who received it from God the Father. The New Testament sacrifice of Jesus Christ replaced the Old Testament sacrifice rendered by archpriest. This sacrifice is the source of human sanctification and forgiveness of sins (Hebrews 10:14). Christ sacrifice has opened the way for every man to God, and this path is not limited neither by time nor by space.

The New Testament reveals the concept of human holiness much wider and deeper than the Old Testament did. On the pages of Gospels and Epistles of the Apostles there are shown the human patterns that make up the definition of holiness.Then they are repeated and explained in the Church by Holy Fathers mainly. It is thanks to the action of the Holy Trinityevery Christian can be saint. It is thanks to the adoption by the Son of God the human nature, members of the Church are given the possibility to recover the original nature of the man, soiled by sin, to transform it by the grace of God. Following Jesus Christ, participating in His Divinity and by His grace Christians became saints.