The Meaning of Holiness: Some of What the Scholars Have Written

In an attempt to define holiness, we will look at a reformer, a few confessions, and writers from each century since the Reformation.  I will put the century in which they wrote in parentheses and the work in brackets.  Unless it is a commentary, their works will be cited in Further Reading.

Many begin with the more common understanding of holiness on the moral level such as purity and righteousness.  Holiness is:

Jerry Bridges (21^st): “the absolute absence of any evil in Him….He is Himself the essence of moral purity,” and “all of His thoughts and actions are consistent with His holy character.” [The Pursuit of Holiness]

John Owen (17^th): the infinite, absolute perfection and rectitude of his nature, as the eternal original cause and pattern of truth, uprightness, and rectitude in all.” [The Holy Spirit: the Works of John Owen]

Millard Ericksson (21^st): God is unique and absolute in purity and goodness — “Uniqueness” he defines as “totally separate from all of creation,” and “absolute purity or goodness” as being “untouched and unstained by the evil in the world.” [Christian Theology, 2^nd ed.]

Wayne Grudem (20^th): “God’s holiness means that he is separated from sin and devoted to seeking his own honor….both a relational quality (separation from) and a moral quality (the separation is from sin or evil, and the devotion is to the good of God’s own honor or glory).”  Also, “God’s holiness means that he is separated from sin and devoted to seeking his own honor….both a relational quality (separation from) and a moral quality (the separation is from sin or evil, and the devotion is to the good of God’s own honor or glory).” [Systematic Theology]

Thomas McComiskey (20^th): “God’s holiness means that he is separated from sin and devoted to seeking his own honor….both a relational quality (separation from) and a moral quality (the separation is from sin or evil, and the devotion is to the good of God’s own honor or glory).” Additionally, “dedicated to what is good and kept from what is evil.  The separation of men from what defiles ceremonially is but typical of the holiness that is spiritual and ethical.” [kadosh, TWOT]

In the next post we will investigate how the Law applies to the 21st century.