Who Are The Saints In The Bible
Who Are The Saints In The Bible?
Today when people speak about a saint, invariably their concept of a saint is not the same as that found in the Bible.
Roman Catholics understand a saint to be someone who is dead, whose life conformed to Church teaching and who has performed some miracles after dying, thereby qualifying them to be canonized and to become the object of prayer, devotion and veneration. (Interesting fact: there is a 3-step process to sainthood. This isn’t a simple process and it takes years and the testimony of many people to declare a person’s sainthood. You can read more about the qualification of sainthood here).
The Biblical teaching is, however, quite different. The word ‘saint’ means one who is sanctified, or set apart for God. It is not a statement of one’s spiritual status that only a few attain. On the contrary, as believers, we believe it is our calling to become saints.
What Is A Saint?
So what is a “saint”?
According to Merriam-Webster, the modern definition of a saint is a good and holy person.
The USCCB explains that saints are people in heaven who lived virtuous, heroic, and selfless lives or suffered martyrdom for the sake of our faith.
Officially, a capital-S “Saint” is someone who the Church has deemed worthy of imitation and honor for their heroically virtuous life. Saint is often used to describe a person of exceptional holiness, formally recognized by the Church, especially by canonization.
Saints are characterized by faithfulness to their Lord (Ephesians 1.1; Colossians 1.2). The mystery of the Gospel of Christ (Colossians 1:26) had been revealed to them and they are called to endurance in their faith (Revelation 13.10; 14.12).
They are called to conform their lives to God’s holy character, and that is to live a life that is consistent with their status as saints (Ephesians 5.3). God ministers to the saints (Romans 8.27) and intends that they minister to one another’s needs (Romans 12.13; 2 Corinthians 8.4 and 9.1; Ephesians 1.15, 4.12 and 6.18; Colossians 1.4; 1 Timothy 5.10). In due time, saints will receive a glorious inheritance at Christ’s return (Ephesians 1.18; Colossians 1.12; 1 Thessalonians 3.13; 2 Thessalonians 1.10).
What It Means To Be A Saint
There are three references referring to godly character of saints:
- “that you receive her in the Lord in a manner worthy of the saints …” (Romans 16:2).
- “For the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ” (Ephesians 4:12).
- “But immorality or any impurity or greed must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints” (Ephesians 5:3).
Saints were hopeless, bold, terrified, lonely, individualistic, rebellious, progressive, loving, ambitious, counter-cultural, or over-the-top outcasts and sinners who reached beyond themselves and made the world and themselves so much better.
It is important to understand that Saints lived their earthly lives out of utmost love for their communities — some in service, some in prayer, and some in martyrdom. This love for their communities doesn’t stop at the end of their earthly lives. Rather, it is eternal.
In short, Saints were some of the original social justice warriors, and they can inspire us even in our present day.
How Many Saints Are There In The Bible?
There are more than 10,000 saints recognized by the Roman Catholic Church, though the names and histories of some of these holy men and women have been lost to history.
The saints of the church are a diverse group of people with varied and interesting stories.
Their ranks include martyrs, kings and queens, missionaries, widows, theologians, parents, nuns and priests, and “everyday people” who dedicated their lives to the loving pursuit of God.
Religious and even non-religious people alike have found inspiration from saints’ lives, particularly in the stories of saints who devoted themselves in service to the poor, sick, and disenfranchised, such as St. Mother Teresa and St. Vincent de Paul, among others.
Many of the saints who were persecuted for their faith, such as St. Stephen and St. Perpetua, showed remarkable forgiveness and patiently suffered through their trials and tortures.
Some are revered for their simplicity and humility, including St. Francis of Assisi and St. Thérèse of Lisieux.
Several, notably St. Thomas Aquinas and St. Augustine, were writers and thinkers who shaped Western thought for centuries.
Who Are The Saints?
As there are more than 10,000 saints, we could only list a small fraction of them here. We decide to put out some of the popular choices use for confirmation/baby names!
Male Saints In The Bible
St. Abel
St. Abraham
St. Ambrose
St. Amias
St. Andrew
St. Ansgar
St. Antony
St. Augustine
St. Bartholomew
St. Benedict
St. Charabel
St. Charles
St. Christopher
St. Clement
St. Cosmas
St. Cuthbert
St. David
St. Dominic
St. Drogo
St. Edmund
St. Elias
St. Erasmus
St. Eric
St. Felix
St. Fergus
St. Francis
St. Gabriel
St. George
St. Giles
St. Ignatius
St. James
St. Jesus
St. John
St. Jonah
St. Josaphat
St. Joseph
St. Jude
St. Julian
St. Justin
St. Kevin
St. Lawrence
St. Louis
St. Lucian
St. Luke
St. Magnus
St. Mark
St. Matthew
St. Michael
St. Nicholas
St. Padre
St. Patrick
St. Paul
St. Peter
St. Philip
St. Raphael
St. Rupert
St. Sebastian
St. Silas
St. Simon
St. Stephen
St. Theodore
St. Thomas
St. Timothy
St. Tobias
St. Valentine
St. Vincent
St. Zachary
Female Saints In The Bible
St. Abigail
St. Adela
St. Adele
St. Adelaide
St. Adeline
St. Agatha
St. Agnes
St. Apollonia
St. Ana
St. Anastasia
St. Anne
St. Amata
St. Audrey
St. Aurelia
St. Ava
St. Barbara
St. Beatrice
St. Bernadette
St. Bibiana
St. Bridget
St. Brigid
St. Camilla
St. Carmen
St. Catherine
St. Cecilia
St. Charity
St. Clare
St. Clarita
St. Colette
St. Diana
St. Dominica
St. Dymphna
St. Edith
St. Elizabeth
St. Emma
St. Esther
St. Eva
St. Felicity
St. Fina
St. Flavia
St. Flora
St. Francesca
St. Gabrielle
St. Gemma
St. Genevieve
St. Gertrude
St. Helena
St. Inez
St. Imma
St. Irene
St. Isabella
St. Ita
St. Jane
St. Joan
St. Josephine
St. Julia
St. Louise
St. Lucia
St. Lucretia
St. Lucy
St. Mary
St. Marina
St. Matilda
St. Paula
St. Philomena
St. Phoebe
St. Priscilla
St. Rosa
St. Rita
St. Sofia
St. Theodora
St. Theresa
St. Therese
St. Ursula
St. Victoria
St. Zita
St. Zoe
Famous Saints
Lost something? St. Anthony has your back.
Trying to sell your home? St. Joseph might be able to help.
Praying for someone with cancer? Reach out to St. Peregrine, patron saint of cancer.
Believers don’t actually worship saints, but they sometimes turn to them for guidance or in times of trouble. In church doctrine, the “Communion of Saints” is a spiritual union between the living on earth and the saints in heaven. Believers often call upon the saints, asking them to pray, or intercede, on their behalf to God.
Within popular culture, some saints are associated with real-world mini-miracles and praying to the saints is really a way of being aware and real of the challenges and asking for intercession and strength to deal with it.
Why Pray With Saints?
At Saints Prayer Miracle, we considered Saints as those that lived a life of heroic virtue or having remained faithful to God through martyrdom and we look to them as examples of lives well lived in the faith.
Many find comfort in the knowledge that holy people shared in their same struggles, sins, doubts, or hardships and ask specific saints to pray for them. Some saints are the patrons of certain occupations or causes, and these saints are often invoked to aid people in those professions or situations.
For example, St. Jude is the patron saint of impossible or desperate causes, and many believers ask him to pray on their behalf for the resolution of seemingly impossible situations in their lives. Additionally, many take or are given a saint’s name for their confirmation. A confirmation saint is often seen as having an invested interest in fostering a new spiritual growth and is usually chosen because his or her life story resonates with the neophyte.
Who Are The Saints In The Bible Summary
Regardless the different perspectives of who are the saints, more importantly, is the role saints play in your daily life.
Saint (Pope) John Paul II said it well: “The saints have always been the source and origin of renewal in the most difficult moments in the Church’s history.”
The Saints didn’t live perfect lives, but they did learn how to lean on God, sow peace, and love others during their time on earth. Think of them as your friends or mentors in prayer.
They are here to guide and help you in your spiritual journey. You can call on the Saints whenever you need support in something you’re struggling with, or anytime you are looking for a friend in prayer. Remember this, we aren’t praying to the Saints but with them.
Start (or continue) your journey to be renewed in holy and faithful living with the Saints!