The Anointing and its Counterfeits
Dear Phil,
How can we distinguish between the anointing of the Holy Spirit and counterfeit manifestations?
Ken
How can we distinguish between the anointing of the Holy Spirit and counterfeit manifestations?
Ken
Dear Ken,
Your question rightly assumes that there are counterfeit manifestations. Satan masquerades as an angel of light (2 Cor 11:14). Jesus said, “Many false prophets will arise and lead many astray” (Matt 24:11). Jesus even foretold that “false christs [anointed ones] and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect” (Matt 24:24). The greatest counterfeiter will be the false prophet of Revelation who “performs great signs, even making fire come down from heaven to earth in front of people, and by the signs that it is allowed to work in the presence of the beast it deceives those who dwell on earth…” (Rev 13:13–14; 19:20). Since there are counterfeits and counterfeiters, how do the elect avoid deception?
There is a great deal of confusion about “the anointing of the Holy Spirit.” Some use the phrase for a special sense of divine empowerment experienced by a preacher and/or by his audience. On this view, conviction of sin, righteousness, and judgment to come determines whether the preacher is anointed. Others use it for the Spirit’s power which can be tapped to experience healing, blessing, and personal flourishing. On this view, health, wealth, and prosperity are marks of the anointing. Others associate it with speaking in tongues or with the ability to do signs and wonders; others with activities such as shouting, running the aisles, getting blessed, or falling out under the Spirit. To be honest, I can’t find any of these uses of the phrase in the Scriptures.
The noun “anointing” (chrisma) occurs in only two NT verses: 1 John 2:20 and 1 John 2:27. Following the Latin Vulgate’s lead, the KJV translated it “unction” in v.20 (1 John 2:20 KJV), but shifted to “anointing” in v.27 (1 John 2:27 KJV). Modern English versions translate it as “anointing” in both verses.
1 John 2:27 is probably the key NT text on this topic. John writes, “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.” Perhaps there is such confusion because “the anointing” sounds impersonal and experiential. But if we read Scripture carefully and comprehensively, we see that “the anointing of the Holy Spirit” actually means “the anointing which is the Holy Spirit.” The Holy Spirit is the anointing.
“The anointing” does two things that support this conclusion. First, the anointing “abides in us.” John says that “We know that [Jesus] abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us” (1 John 3:24; cf. Rom 8:9, 11). Paul says that believers are anointed with the Spirit who seals us and lives within us as a pledge of our inheritance (2 Cor 1:21; Eph 1:13–14). Second, “the anointing” teaches us. According to 1 Corinthians 2:12–13, “We have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God. And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit.” In other words, the Spirit who abides in us teaches us to understand what God has revealed in his word (1 Cor 2:9–10). The anointing that abides in us and teaches us is the Holy Spirit.
Once we know that the Spirit is the anointing, we can apply what Scripture says about the Spirit to discern false manifestations. “No one speaking in the Spirit of God ever says ‘Jesus is accursed!’ and no one can say ‘Jesus is Lord’ except in the Holy Spirit” (1 Cor 12:3). “By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God.” (1 John 4:2–3; cf. 2 John 1:7). False prophets are known by their fruits: if they do not obey the Scriptures, they do not have the anointing (Matt 7:15–23; Gal 5:22–23).
Blessings,
Phil
Your question rightly assumes that there are counterfeit manifestations. Satan masquerades as an angel of light (2 Cor 11:14). Jesus said, “Many false prophets will arise and lead many astray” (Matt 24:11). Jesus even foretold that “false christs [anointed ones] and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect” (Matt 24:24). The greatest counterfeiter will be the false prophet of Revelation who “performs great signs, even making fire come down from heaven to earth in front of people, and by the signs that it is allowed to work in the presence of the beast it deceives those who dwell on earth…” (Rev 13:13–14; 19:20). Since there are counterfeits and counterfeiters, how do the elect avoid deception?
There is a great deal of confusion about “the anointing of the Holy Spirit.” Some use the phrase for a special sense of divine empowerment experienced by a preacher and/or by his audience. On this view, conviction of sin, righteousness, and judgment to come determines whether the preacher is anointed. Others use it for the Spirit’s power which can be tapped to experience healing, blessing, and personal flourishing. On this view, health, wealth, and prosperity are marks of the anointing. Others associate it with speaking in tongues or with the ability to do signs and wonders; others with activities such as shouting, running the aisles, getting blessed, or falling out under the Spirit. To be honest, I can’t find any of these uses of the phrase in the Scriptures.
The noun “anointing” (chrisma) occurs in only two NT verses: 1 John 2:20 and 1 John 2:27. Following the Latin Vulgate’s lead, the KJV translated it “unction” in v.20 (1 John 2:20 KJV), but shifted to “anointing” in v.27 (1 John 2:27 KJV). Modern English versions translate it as “anointing” in both verses.
1 John 2:27 is probably the key NT text on this topic. John writes, “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.” Perhaps there is such confusion because “the anointing” sounds impersonal and experiential. But if we read Scripture carefully and comprehensively, we see that “the anointing of the Holy Spirit” actually means “the anointing which is the Holy Spirit.” The Holy Spirit is the anointing.
“The anointing” does two things that support this conclusion. First, the anointing “abides in us.” John says that “We know that [Jesus] abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us” (1 John 3:24; cf. Rom 8:9, 11). Paul says that believers are anointed with the Spirit who seals us and lives within us as a pledge of our inheritance (2 Cor 1:21; Eph 1:13–14). Second, “the anointing” teaches us. According to 1 Corinthians 2:12–13, “We have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God. And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit.” In other words, the Spirit who abides in us teaches us to understand what God has revealed in his word (1 Cor 2:9–10). The anointing that abides in us and teaches us is the Holy Spirit.
Once we know that the Spirit is the anointing, we can apply what Scripture says about the Spirit to discern false manifestations. “No one speaking in the Spirit of God ever says ‘Jesus is accursed!’ and no one can say ‘Jesus is Lord’ except in the Holy Spirit” (1 Cor 12:3). “By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God.” (1 John 4:2–3; cf. 2 John 1:7). False prophets are known by their fruits: if they do not obey the Scriptures, they do not have the anointing (Matt 7:15–23; Gal 5:22–23).
Blessings,
Phil