2. The holiness of Christ.— Outside the Gospels holiness is ascribed to Christ in the Acts and the Epistles.— (a) The Acts. St. Peter (2^) and St. Paul (13^^) see in the resurrection of Jesus proof
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HOLINESS
HOLY ONE
that He is God's • Holy One,' in whom is fulfilled the Messianic promise that He should not see coiTuption (Ps 16'"; RVm renders Tp? 'godly or beloved,' see above on oaios). In the prayer ot the early Church, Jesus is twice described as Jehovah's ' Holy Servant ' (4'-^- ■*'), and it is probable that St. Peter has in mind Is 53 when he speaks of Jesus as ' the Holy and Righteous One ' (3", cf. y."). In these passages ^7105 is applied to the ideal Servant, in whose consecration, even unto death, Gods moral glory was revealed. — (6) The Eputle.i. Onr High Priest, for ever 'separated from sinners,' is ' holy ' (He 7^). Here oirios is a comprehensive summary of those inward qualities which were manifested by oui- Lord's dutiful submission to His Father's will ; pre-eminently He was ' pure in heart,' fitted to exercise, in the presence of God, His ministry of intercession. In Ko 1^ ' the spirit of holiness ' is not a synonym of Holy Spirit ; holiness is ascribed to tlie spirit of the Incarnate Son. The irveviia of Christ was human ; in this respect He was ' made like unto his brethren ' (He 2") ; but His spirit was holy, and in that He was 'without sin' (4'''), He was unique among men. His 'spirit of lii.liuess' was 'the seat of the Di\'ine naturf'; 11.- \\,is tilled with the Holy Spirit, and lu-iiiu: • 1— (•iiti;illv filled with God' was 'full of Diviiir uii|i.illiii, .1 life' (of. Meyer, Com. inloc). St. I'aul ■IitI, r , i|i: ; u \,;is incomplete accord (/i-aTd) with till' 1 li.iliness which
was thecharacteriziii J ■ , -jarit of Christ
that His Divine Sdii-li p !h ; : ic visibly mani- fested in the miracle of His reMirrection. In 1 Jn 021) 'Ye have an anointing (xp'o'Ma) from the Holj- One,' the reference may possibly be to God the Father ; but almost certainly the Holy One is Christ (cf. 3' ' He is pure,' and see above). The true reading in v.^ [avrov not t6 axn-b), ' His anoint- ing,' seems to remove all ambiguity. St. John says that Christians have a chrism from the Christ ; and there can be little doubt that the predominant reference in chrism is to the Holy Spirit. It is ' a faint prelusive note,' and in 3^ ' the fuU distinct mention of the Holy Spirit comes like a bur.st of the music of the " Veni Creator," carrying on the fainter prelude ' {Exjios. Bible, p. 170).
The chief contributions to the formal exposition of the NT doctrine of holiness lie beyond the limits of this article. It need occasion no surprise that even to His disciples our Lord should not speak directly concerning holiness until in His farewell prayer He asked that tlu' men called to continue His mission nii^ht ^li.irc His consecration. The reason for His retiniuf i> that ■ in Him, and for them, holiness imiiorted sniD.rhiii^— far more and other than it did in the iL-lii^inii ,if tlie day. . . . Only as they saw their l.crJ .Irvdto His person in the consummating sarriliir «oiil(l they be prepared to realize what tlitir Christian conse- cration involved' (Fimllay, Expositor, vi. [1901] iv. 5). It is also significant that the prayer for His disciples' holiness should immediately follow the discourse in wliich our Lord expounds in wel- come detail what is involved in the promise of the Spirit whose gracious indwelling is the secret of holiness.
The Gospels are, however, the supreme revela- tion of holiness. The imitation of Christ is the royal road to holiness ; His teaching concerning union with Himself and the bestowment of the Holy Spirit reveals the secret of holiness. The writers of the Epistles, under the jjuidance of the promised Teacher, unfolded the implications of their own experience and the purpose of the In- carnation, the Passion, and the abiding Priesthood of the Son of God.
The stress laid on the positive idea, which is probably the primarj- conception of holiness, may
serve to guard Christians against the en-or of sup- ])osing that holiness may be acquired by with- drawals and negations, or by compliance with external regulations. Holiness means the attain- ment of the Divine likeness, and this consists in moral qualitirs wliirli an- all luniprised in holy love. The iiH'iiM' ti) liolin.v, inrreases in strength as God is iii.ti- ]" iii-rtlv kiiouii. In proportion as the Holy I'atlur is ki'iowii as He is, will be the gladness of our response to His claims, and the ardour of our desire to be like Him in this world. Into the world Christ sent the men for whose con- secration He prayed, and His promise, 'Ye shall know that ye are in me' (Jn 14^), conveyed to them His assurance that ' in the world ' they should attain to holiness. Life in Christ is holiness.
LiTERATLTiE. — In addition to the books mentioned in the body of the article, see the Comm. on the various passa^s, and works on Theol. of NT; also Grimm-Thayer and Cremer, sw. Uym;, oitik; art. 'Holiness' in Hastings'" Z)B; Issel, Der Begriff tl.