Question 1

What does "Sanctification" mean in the King James Bible?

Accepted Answer

In the KJV, "Sanctification" means "spiritual growth." The concept of God actively, progressively separating a person from common use for sacred purpose -- like a vessel taken from the kitchen and placed on the altar. Sanctification was not self-improvement but divine repurposing.

Question 2

Why did the word "Sanctification" disappear from modern English?

Accepted Answer

Retained in religious vocabulary but drained of specificity. Originally meant 'being set apart by God for sacred purpose'; now vaguely means 'becoming more spiritual.' The word was at peak usage around 1611 and declined by still used but hollowed (~1970).

Question 3

What modern word replaced "Sanctification"?

Accepted Answer

"Sanctification" was replaced by: "spiritual growth" (though this self-directed and gradual; sanctification was god's act of setting apart, not human self-improvement); "holiness" (though this describes the result, not the process; sanctification was the active work of being made holy); "personal development" (though this secular and human-centered; sanctification was fundamentally about god's action on a person).

What Does “Sanctification” Mean in the Bible?

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