Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Christian Crier

Home
About

Home
Evangelical
Top 7 Bible Verses About Anointing

Top 7 Bible Verses About Anointing

Last updated on: November 4, 2016 at 1:04 pm by Jack Wellman

Top 7 Bible Verses About Anointing 2016-11-04T13:04:14-05:00 Jack Wellman

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Here are my top 7 Bible verses about anointing.

The Believers Anointing

First John 2:27 “But the anointing that you received from him abides in you, and you have no need that anyone should teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about everything, and is true, and is no lie—just as it has taught you, abide in him.”

The anointing John is writing about is clearly the anointing of the Holy Spirit. That’s Who it is that he says “abides in you,” therefore we have no need that “anyone should teach” us because the Spirit brings the truth of God alive. That does not mean that we don’t need pastors and Bible teachers but this is what Jesus spoke about regarding the Holy Spirit when He told the disciples that “When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come” (John 16:13) so that is how “his anointing teaches [us] about everything” since He abides in us.

The Anointing of the Oil

Exodus 29:7 “You shall take the anointing oil and pour it on his head and anoint him.”

This is describing the anointing of Aaron since he was the chief priest at the time of the Exodus. The oil is representative of the Spirit of God but also of the official designation to an office by God’s decree. Kings were frequently anointed in times past as an indication that they were sanctioned or ordained by God. In fact, Aaron and his sons were “anointed in them and ordained in them” indicating that the office and the official position of the priesthood are ordained by God Himself who chooses who will be His priests. This is never a decision by men but always by God.

The Lord’s Anointed

Luke 4:18a “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor.”

Here Jesus quotes Isaiah 61:1 exactly which says the same thing. Isaiah 61 is about the Year of the Lord which was fulfilled in Jesus’ ministry. Jesus quoted Isaiah more than any other prophet, possibly because Isaiah wrote so much about the coming Messiah. Jesus went on to quote more of Isaiah 61 saying “He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor” (Luke 4:18b-19). Jesus fulfilled these prophecies…He set the oppressed free, He gave sight to the blind, He proclaimed liberty from sin as He purchased by His own blood those who believed in Him and He proclaimed the “Lord’s favor” in His work at Calvary. This gives clarity to Acts 10:38 where Peter says that “God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.”

Anointing the Sick

James 5:14 “Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord.”

Here, James directs believers who are sick to “call for the elders of the church” and then “let them pray over” you and be anointed “with the oil in the name of the Lord.” There was no special healing power in the oil had but the power was “in the name of the Lord.” The sick are commanded to ask for the elder’s anointing and not just wait for someone else to suggest it. Here, the idea is that the oil is “in the name of the Lord” meaning the healing is ordained by God and that oil has no special healing power but the power is found only “in the name of the Lord.”

Anointed with the Oil of Gladness

Psalm 45:7 “You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness. Therefore God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness beyond your companions.”

To be anointed with the oil of gladness is a sign of a person’s being saved because joy is one of the undeniable evidences or fruits of the Holy Spirit (Eph 5:22). A person that has the Holy Spirit understands that they are secure in the Lord because they have been cleansed and are now seen by God as having Jesus’ own righteousness imputed to them (2 Cor 5:21). A person then naturally loves righteousness and hates wickedness, a sign of the Spirit’s conviction of sin. This anointing by or from the indwelling of the Spirit of God gives them the motivation to do what is right. This “oil of gladness” that believers have been anointed with naturally produces “gladness beyond [our] companions” perhaps meaning we have more joy than those who haven’t experienced the new birth (John 3:5-7).

Touch Not my Anointed Ones

First Chronicles 16:21-22 “He allowed no one to oppress them; he rebuked kings on their account, saying, “Touch not my anointed ones, do my prophets no harm!”

I love these verses because although God was speaking about His chosen people Israel, those who have been adopted by God are considered by God as His own anointed ones. Just as God gives warning to those who try to harm the children of Israel, so too does this apply to those who are considered God’s own people as we read in many Bible verses like Zechariah 2:8 “For thus said the LORD of hosts, after his glory sent me to the nations who plundered you, for he who touches you touches the apple of his eye.”

God Anoints Us

Second Corinthians 1:21-22 “Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.”

God associates our being anointed with His setting “his seal of ownership on us” and I for one want to be owned by God. This spiritual anointing seals the believer in Christ, the Spirit in our hearts is a deposit like putting up a deposit on something we have promised to but here, God is “guaranteeing what is to come” and what is to come is even too marvelous to describe (Rev 21, 22).

Conclusion

If you have repented and put your trust in Christ, then you have been anointed by God, chosen by God, sealed by God and no one touches God’s anointed. He will rebuke those who do. That’s why this anointing is an anointing of joy and gladness that no man can rob. Praise God for His marvelous anointing of all of those who have been born again, and someday, perhaps soon, we will enter that kingdom in the unending joy that results from being in the presence of the Holy One.

Another Reading on Patheos to Check Out: What Did Jesus Really Look Like: A Look at the Bible Facts

Article by Jack Wellman

Jack Wellman is Pastor of the Mulvane Brethren church in Mulvane Kansas. Jack is also the Senior Writer at What Christians Want To Know whose mission is to equip, encourage, and energize Christians and to address questions about the believer’s daily walk with God and the Bible. You can follow Jack on Google Plus or check out his book Blind Chance or Intelligent Design available on Amazon

Previous Post

January 31, 2015

Top 7 Bible Verses About Laziness

Next Post

February 5, 2015 Top 7 Bible Verses To Encourage Pastors

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Bible Answers Bible Definitions Bible Story Bible Study Bible Verses Christian Books Christian Entertainment Christian Fathers Christian Mothers Christian Quotes Devotional Famous Christians Music News Parables Prayers Quotes Sunday School Lesson Uncategorized Youth Sermons

Select a Month October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

Who were the first two sons of Adam and Eve?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Seth and Enosh Isaac and Ishmael Jacob and Esau Cain and Abel