Holy Spirit Anointing
HOLY SPIRIT ANOINTING is fully scriptural. In the Old Testament, all who served God had to be anointed. This is replaced in the New Testament by the Holy Spirit for all believers. The first thing to learn is that “anointing” is just one of the synonyms of the baptism in the Spirit; there are others. For years we have sung Psalm 23, “My head Thou dost with oil anoint,” which actually refers to the practice of oiling the head of sheep for their protection; but the anointing of the Spirit, or the baptism with the Spirit, is more than merely a protective health measure.1 Let us see what we can learn in the house of Simon the Pharisee (Luke 7:36–50). Jesus is making a complaint using language similar to that of Psalm 23. He is saying to His host, “You did not anoint My head with oil.” He was comparing Simon and an unknown woman. She had poured perfumed oil upon His feet and had continued kissing them, but Simon had done nothing. It was the social welcome for guests to anoint them with frag...