INSIGHT Publications
Christ Within You! The Indwelling of the Holy Spirit,
Chapters 9 & 10
Chapter 9
What is the Anointing?
Before launching into a discussion of the gifts of the Spirit, it is necessary to discuss the concept behind the term "anointed."
God's Anointing
Literally, "anoint" refers to the practice of pouring oil ("ointment") over a person or thing in order to signify that he or it has been chosen or set aside by the Spirit for a special purpose. In the Old Testament, things could be anointed as well as people, such as the furnishings of the tabernacle. The thing or person which is anointed is then "holy," being set apart for God's use. When someone or something is called "anointed," in the spiritual sense, it means that God has placed his power upon that person or thing to accomplish his work.
God's anointing is in some ways synonymous with God's blessing. God blesses an enterprise, first, by sanctioning or approving it; and second, by adding to it the power of his Spirit in order to bring it about and multiply its results.
God has always sought to use people in bringing about his will. He would like to bless his servants along the way, but if necessary He will use unlikely means, such as Balaam's donkey, to accomplish his Plan.
The
remainder of this article is now included in:
 |
Christ
in Us: The Exalted Christ and the Indwelling of the
Holy Spirit
How does the Holy
Spirit indwell the believer, and why should one seek that experience?
In this collection of articles based on over twenty years' personal
experience as well as academic study, the author relates Spirit Baptism
and spiritual gifts to their source, the exalted Jesus Christ.
He describes this Exaltation of Christ and constructs a theory of
how the Holy Spirit indwells the believer, drawing from psychology and
medical science as well as Scripture. Finally, he
proposes a new Theology of Exaltation that sees the whole sweep of church
history as the ongoing glorification of Christ and Redemption of the
world.
ISBN 978-0-6151-3840-4
paperback, 192 pp., 6 x 9 in., with index and appendices. |
God's Trombone Books by Paul Hughes
Other Contents
- External Anointing
- Internal Anointing
Scripture References
Anointed Things:
- Exodus 29:2, 36; 30:26, 40:9
- Isaiah 21:5
- Leviticus 2:4, 7:12, 8:10
- 2 Samuel 1:21
- Numbers 6:15, 7:1
False Prophets, Teachers, and Christs:
- Matthew 7:15; 24:11, 24
- Galatians 2:4
- Mark 13:22
- Ephesians 4:14
- Luke 21:8
- Colossians 2:8
- Acts 20:29-30
- 1 Timothy 4:1-3
- Romans 16:182
- Peter 2:1
- 2 Corinthians 11:13-15
- Jude 4
Circumcision of the Heart:
- Deuteronomy 30:6
- Romans 2:29
- Philippians 3:3
- Colossians 2:11
The phrase "spiritual gift" actually occurs only once in the Greek of the New Testament, in Romans 1:11. In all other instances, the gifts are referred to as "spiritual things" (pneumatika) or "grace-gifts" (charismata).
My purpose here is not to make a detailed discussion of the gifts and their uses. Other fine works on the subject are available. Instead, my purpose is to examine spiritual gifts in view of the question, "How do the gifts of the Spirit work in the believer?"
Other Contents
- Verbal Gifts
- Gifts of Power
- Gifts of Revelation
Source
Interview by Raymond T. Brock, "The Mystery of Glossolalia," Paraclete 23 (Fall
1989)
Scripture References
Pneumatika:
- Romans 15:27
- 1 Corinthians 2:13; 9:11; 12:1; 14:1, 12; 15:46
- Ephesians 1:3
Charismata:
- Romans 11:29, 12:6
- 1 Corinthians 1:7; 7:7; 12:4, 9, 28, 30, 31
- 1 Timothy 1:6
- 1 Peter 4:10
Gift Lists:
- Romans 12:6-8
- 1 Corinthians 12:28, 29-30; 13:1-3, 8
- Ephesians 4:11
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Copyright 1993, 1996 Paul A. Hughes
Last updated May 2007. For more information, comments, or suggestions, write pneuma@aggienetwork.com.