Anoint means ‘to pour oil’ or ‘rub ointment’ on a person. Anointing was an act in those days by which persons or materials were consecrated for ritual use (Gen. 31:13; Ex. 30:26, 40:10). People were also anointed to institute them into an office (1 Sam. 16:12, 13) and to indicate divine appointment (2 Chro. 22:7). In the Old Testament times, prophets (1 Kin. 19:16), kings (1 Sam. 10:1) and priests (Ex. 29:1-7) were anointed once, and that too at the beginning of their special office. “Christ’ means ‘the Anointed one. The Old Testament predicts the anointing of Jesus Christ (Ps. 45:7; Is. 61:1) and the New Testament records the anointing of
Jesus Christ by the Holy Spirit (John 1:32-34; Luke 4:18; Heb. 1:9) and explains it
(Acts 4:27; Luke 4:18).
1. Overall Teaching in the Old Testament on Anointing
In the Old Testament times there was a practice of anointing people who were called for God’s service. The Old Testament teaches that anointing is setting apart called persons for God’s special service: Anointing gave him the authority from God to carry on the service of God for which he was called. It also bestowed him with a special responsibility to carry on the service for which he is set apart at the time of anointing.
The study of Old Testament teaching on anointing will enable us to understand clearly the New Testament teaching of anointing of believers.
a. Old Testament Hebrew words on anointing
The Hebrew word used for ‘anoint’ in the Old Testament is masah. This word occurs in 69 places with the meaning of applying oil by pouring or spreading. The Hebrew word used to refer to the ‘anointed one’ in the Old Testament is masiah or Messiah. This word occurs in 39 places referring to Jesus Christ and a few people including king Cyrus (Is. 45:1). Most of these words occur in the books of Samuel and Psalms to refer to Israel’s king or the royal line of David.
As per The NIV Complete Concordance, the words ‘anoint’, ‘anointing’ and ‘anointed’ occur in 128 places in the Old Testament. These words are used to refer to the following categories of persons or materials in the Old Testament.
Priests18
Kings50
ProphetsJesus Christ18
Materials34
People4
Cherub1
2. Overall Teaching in the New Testament on Anointing
The New Testament teaches that God anoints believers by the Holy Spirit for ministry. This anointing is different from the anointing in the Old Testament where a person is consecrated for leadership or ministry and it was a physical anointing with oil. As a special case in the Old Testament, when David was anointed, he received the Spirit of the Lord to carry on the special task of being the leader of the people of Israel (1 Sam. 16:13)
Jesus Christ was also anointed with the Holy Spirit to fulfill His special ministry at the beginning of His ministry (ls. 61:1; Acts 10:38; Mark 1:10) and He received the Holy Spirit at the time of anointing. The word ‘anointing is also used in the New Testament to describe the outpouring of the Holy Spirit to equip a person for God’s ministry.
Greek words for anointing: Three different words are used in the New Testament for the word ‘anointing. The Greek word chrio for ‘anoint occurs in five places in the New Testament (Luke 4:18; Acts 4:27; 10:38; 2 Cor. 1:21; Heb. 1:9) to figuratively describe the special appointment or commission by God which sets a person apart for a special purpose. In these five references, four references refer to Jesus Christ as the anointed one for the ministry. But 2 Corinthians 1:21 describes the anointing of believers by God, setting them apart for the ministry. This verse says that all believers are anointed and sealed with the Holy Spirit.
The next word used for ‘anoint’ is aleipho. This word occurs in eight places in the New Testament. It carries the literal meaning of the word and it refers to the rubbing of oil or ointment on the body (Matt. 6:17; Mk. 6:13; 16:1; Luke 7:38, 46; Jn. 11:2; 12:3; James 5:14). In these places, anointing is associated with hospitality, special treatment accorded to honoured guests or anointing the sick or the dead body.
Chrisma is another Greek word used in the New Testament for ‘anointing’ and it occurs in three places (1 Jn. 2:20, 27). About this word Lawrence O. Richards in Expository Dictionary of Bible Words writes,
Chrisma focuses, not on the act of rubbing or spreading (anointing as a process), but rather on that with which one has been anointed. Traditionally, the anointing in 1 John has been understood to be the Holy Spirit, who is given to believers and who is identified in John’s Gospel as the Teacher (Jn 16:12-15). Because the Spirit links each believer intimately
Head of the Church, we can count on the one with whom with Jesus, the te we have been anointed to “guideus) into all truth” (16:13)
3. Two Vietos on the Anointing of the Holy Spirit
The following two main views on anointing are prevalent ameong believers
these days A believer is anointed only when he speaks in tongues This view teaches that a believer is anointed when he receives the Holy Spirit
with the sign of speaking in tongues. Those who hold this view teach that anointing of the Holy Spirit is an experience and anointing can be received again and again. They also teach that whenever a person speaks in tongues he is anointed with the Holy Spirit. This view insists that all those who have not spoken in tongues are not anointed with the Holy Spirit. Some believers who hold this view believe that a believer can also be anointed with fire.
b. All believers are anointed at the time of their salvation Those who hold this view believe that all believers are anointed by the Holy
Spirit at the time of salvation for doing God’s ministry. They believe that there is no need for believers to wait for the anointing of the Holy Spirit and speak in tongues as sign of anointing. This view insists that the Bible teaches that speaking in tongues is one of the gifts of the Holy Spirits. They say that there is no support in the Scriptures for the teaching that the experience of speaking in tongues is a sign for the anointing of the Holy Spirit.
Having considered the two views that are prevalent among Christians on anointing, let us see what the Bible teaches on anointing. This can be understood by studying all the passages in the Scriptures which deal with anointing of the
Holy Spirit. 4. Biblical Teaching on Anointing of the Holy Spirit
Let us study from the New Testament what it teaches on anointing. There are only three passages in the New Testament (2 Cor. 1:21, 22; 1 John 2:20; 1 John 2:27) in which the word ‘anointing’ is used with respect to believers.
a. God anoints believers and seals them with the Holy Spirit
