The word, anointing, is used as a simile The best explanations we can get are found in the Scriptures. There were three classes anointed in the Old Testament-priests, prophets, kings. They were anointed by oil being poured on their heads. This outward and ritualistic act was in keeping with the Old Testament economy of worship as given by God among the children of Israel. But let it be carefully noted that along with the ritualistic anointing, there was a spiritual accompaniment.
This was well illustrated in the case of the anointing of David to be king over Israel by the prophet Samuel. We read, " Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his brethren: and the Spirit of the Lord came upon David from that day forward " (1 Sam. 16: 13). So anointing in such cases was accompanied by something real. It was not just a mere bit of formalism, but carried with it an impartation of the Holy Spirit according to the need of the one anointed.
Oil is a well-known type of God's Holy Spirit. In the case of the anointing of a priest, the impartation of the Holy Spirit of God would give the one anointed the intelligence and power to carry out the priestly office. The anointing of the prophet would carry with it the intelligence and power to carry out the prophetic office. The anointing of the king would give him the intelligence and power to carry out the kingly office.
So it is with the Christian. True, in Christianity there is no warrant for any outward ritualistic act in anointing with oil in this connection. When this is attempted, Spurgeon said it was a case of empty hands upon empty heads. But the Christian anointing is the spiritual impartation of divine intelligence and power to carry out the Christian life by the reception of the Holy Spirit.
We now adduce Scriptures to prove this statement. We read,
This is a most beautiful passage. It puts the matter before us in a wonderful way. The Spirit of God within us is the Spirit of God's Son. As such the Spirit of God shares with God's Son all the unfolding of the blessings that God the Father showers on His children. To have such a Spirit within us must mean intelligence and power for the believer. Such a Spirit puts the believer at home with Divine things, and the more he knows of them, the more it begets holy reverence and joy.
Again,
This again emphasizes the thought of spiritual intelligence. What a wonderful revelation that we can call God Father, that we are the children of God. We have the intelligence for this and the power to take up the relationship. So we read our Lord's own words,
" Teach you all things " is intelligence surely of the highest order.
The Apostle John emphasizes the same thought. Writing to " little children," that is the babes in the family of God, those, who are just beginning the Christian life, he says,
" Ye have an unction [the same word in the original as anointing] from the Holy One, and ye know all things " (1 John 2:2020But ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things. (1 John 2:20)).
This seems startling at first. It cannot mean that the immature babe, or even the maturest saint, knows everything. But in having the Spirit, we have One indwelling, who knows everything, and in every difficulty or lack of knowledge, thus have a capacity to receive Divine teaching.
Again we read,
" The anointing which ye have received of Him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in Him " (1 John 2: 27).
Some have foolishly taken this verse to mean that they must not receive any teaching or ministry from any servant of the Lord. As a rule those, who come to this understanding of the passage, are highly conceited, and vainly think that no person can teach them. We have come across such cases, men puffed up with fleshly pride, posing to be so high and mighty that no one can help them or teach them. They are self-sufficient, and that is to their condemnation.
One thing is certain. Scripture never contradicts itself. We have the passage which tells us of our Lord, the Head in Heaven, giving gifts to men-apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, teachers, " for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ " (Eph. 4:1212For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: (Ephesians 4:12)).
What is meant by the Apostle John is, that no man, as a mere man with natural powers only, can teach the believer anything. The wisest savant in this world's learning, if unconverted, cannot teach the simplest believer one divine truth. The Spirit of God working in the believer's heart is able to teach the believer all truth. And even when we hear and receive teaching and ministry from the Lord's servants, they do not speak as merely natural men, but as sanctified vessels for the presentation of truth, which the Holy Ghost must enforce on the minds of the hearers to make the ministry or teaching effective. It is the Holy
Spirit of God who teaches. He is the only Teacher, but He graciously uses human vessels as His agents. " Behold, I send the promise of My Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high " (Luke 24:4949And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high. (Luke 24:49)).
We need power for living, for walking, for fruit-bearing, for witnessing, indeed for all the activities of the Divine nature, so we read,
The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law " (Gal. 5:2222But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, (Galatians 5:22)).