There was a question in a post below about referring to baptism as an "anointing." I re-post my reply here:
There's a lot that could be said about this (see Peter Leithart's "Priesthood of the Plebs" for an extensive study), but in brief, I was thinking about some of the following: Jesus was anointed in His baptism by the Holy Spirit (Acts. 10:36-37). The Scriptures also say that we have been anointed (2 Cor. 1:21, 1 Jn. 2) and generally refer to Christians as kings and priests (1 Pet. 2:5-10, Rev. 1:6), that is, bearing offices that presuppose anointing. While the Holy Spirit is obviously tied to this anointing, the NT generally associates the Holy Spirit with baptism (Acts 2:38, Tit. 3:5). I would also argue generally that since the name "Christ" means "anointed one," and to be baptized is to be baptized "into" Christ (cf. Rom. 6:3, Gal. 3:27), all who are baptized are covenantally joined to the "Anointed One" and thereby share in His anointing.
Monday, June 18, 2007
Baptism as Anointing
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I should also add that this is a fairly common view of baptism historically as witnessed by the fact that from the earliest centuries of the church, converts were often literally anointed with oil immediately before or after their baptisms. This is still practised in a number of communions in connection with rites of confirmation and chrismation. I believe the same assumptions are at work in the ritual "laying hands" on newly baptized Christians as seen in association with the gift of the Holy Spirit (Acts 8:17, 19:6).
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