Persons distinct because of their relationship to God. In the OT, two different Hebrew terms are commonly rendered by this English term. One, derived from the word meaning “covenant faithfulness,” suggests that those who are so designated are bound closely to their God in love (Ps 31:23; Ps 148:14). The other, derived from the word for “holy,” identifies those so described as set apart and dedicated to the service of God (Dan 7:27). The same associations are present in the NT, where the word “saints” is used to refer to Christians in distinction from nonbelievers (1Cor 6:2). Thus, in (Rom 1:6-7), the phrases “called to belong to Jesus Christ,” “God’s beloved,” and “called to be saints” are virtually synonymous. In Acts and the Pauline letters, the term most often refers to Christians resident in particular places, such as Jerusalem (Acts 9:13; Rom 15:25; Rom 15:26; Rom 15:31), Lydda (Acts 9:32), and Corinth (1Cor 1:2). In Revelation, the term is used more specifically for Christian martyrs (e.g., Rev 17:6).
