It is interesting how words can lose their concrete and useful meanings by their constant repetition. A good example of this is the word “holy.” We all think we know what “holy” means because we use it so frequently in worship. If asked to define it, most of us would say it means “sacred.” What does “sacred” mean? “Holy,” of course, and suddenly we are in a tautology. But if pressed, most of us would say that it means spiritually pure, something that has been sanctified or consecrated to the Divine such as an object that is used in the worship of God or in religious practices. This inches us closer to its meaning in the time of Jesus.
Not "Holy" but "Special"
Not "Holy" but "Special"
Not "Holy" but "Special"
It is interesting how words can lose their concrete and useful meanings by their constant repetition. A good example of this is the word “holy.” We all think we know what “holy” means because we use it so frequently in worship. If asked to define it, most of us would say it means “sacred.” What does “sacred” mean? “Holy,” of course, and suddenly we are in a tautology. But if pressed, most of us would say that it means spiritually pure, something that has been sanctified or consecrated to the Divine such as an object that is used in the worship of God or in religious practices. This inches us closer to its meaning in the time of Jesus.