By Olusegun Ibikunle
We shall continue to study and search scriptures deeply for revelation knowledge and understanding on what the, Bible teaches correctly on the anointing oil and why the anointing oil is not biblical for Christian believers in the New Testament.
In the life of every true Christian believer, the Holy Spirit manifests in two dimensions, namely, (1) the Holy Spirit within (this is the indwelling Presence of the Holy Spirit inside of you) immediately you give your life to Christ – Romans 8:11 NKJV “But if the Spirit of Him (the Holy Spirit) who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit (the Holy Spirit) who dwells in you.”
And (2) the Holy Spirit upon you (this is the infilling Power of the Holy Spirit upon you) when the Holy Spirit has come upon you through the baptism of the Holy Ghost – Luke 24:49 NKJV and Acts 1:8 NKJV “Behold, I (Jesus Christ) send the Promise (the Holy Spirit) of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high… you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you.”
Now to James 5:14 KJV “Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord.” Read this scripture carefully – it says “anointing him with oil” – it is not anointing him with anointing oil.
This scripture (James 5:14) recommended the use of oil (not Anointing Oil) for church elders as a sign at that time for the Jewish Christians scattered outside Israel. The book of James is written to the Jewish Christians scattered abroad outside Israel – James 1:1 KJV “James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad, greeting.”
As at that time, the church was still young (not like now) and the elders were instructed here to use oil (not the anointing oil) because this epistle of James is traditionally attributed to James the half-brother of the Lord Jesus Christ (James the Just : Mark 6:3, Matthew 13:55) – and the audience is generally considered to be Jewish Christians, who were dispersed outside Israel (James 1:1KJV) as the Jews always require a sign for them to believe, therefore the use of oil is to serve as a sign for them – 1Corinthians 1:23 “For the Jews require a sign…” – this is the reason you see them (the church elders) being told to use oil (not anointing oil) and pray for the sick
Read again Mark 6:13 KJV “And they cast out many devils, and anointed with oil many that were sick, and healed them.” Here in this Scripture, the 12 disciples of Jesus Christ went out to minister to the Jews only because it was during the time of the earthly ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ. During this particular time, the gospel was only preached to the Jews. Even the Lord Jesus Christ instructed His disciples NOT to go the Gentiles because He had not died, buried and resurrected – the dispensation of the Gentiles ( the dispensation of the Holy Spirit with the gospel of grace of the Lord Jesus Christ of the New Testament) had not come then: Matthew 10:5 – 7 KJV “These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not: But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand.”
Since Jews always require for a sign or see a sign, unless they will not believe, therefore, the use of oil (not the anointing oil) was approved for a sign by the disciples for the Jews only: John 4:48 KJV, 1 Corinthians 1:22 KJV and Mark 6:13 KJV “Then said Jesus unto him, Except ye see signs and wonders, ye will not believe…. For the Jews require a sign…And they (12 disciples of Jesus Christ) cast out many devils, and anointed with oil many that were sick, and healed them.” You can see that the use of oil, that is, to anoint with oil (not the anointing oil) is for a sign to the Jews for them to believe.
1 John 2:20 NKJV and Ephesians 1: 13 NKJV “But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and you know all things….your salvation…having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise.” After your genuine salvation and you have received the infilling Power of the Holy Spirit by Holy Ghost Baptism, you have the anointing upon (the Holy Spirit upon), you don’t use oil but the miracles, signs and wonders that God will use you to perform will be through the word of God in the Name of Jesus Christ and by laying of hands – Mark 16:17 -18 NKJV and Philippians 2: 10-11 NKJV “And these signs will follow those who believe(the genuinely born again Christians): In My name (in Jesus Name) they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover…that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
Every genuinely born again Christians are anointed by God Himself – 2 Corinthians 1:21 KJV “Now he which stablisheth us with you in Christ, and hath anointed us, is God.”
Our Lord Jesus Christ never used anointing oil or oils in His earthly ministry, even the disciples (the apostles) of the Lord Jesus Christ never used anointing oil or oils after they had received the baptism of the Holy Ghost on the Day of Pentecost.
In the New Testament where they only used oil (not anointing oil) is in the book of James 5:14 by the church elders to pray for the sick for the reason mentioned earlier before – there is no other use in the New Covenant. This church age is the dispensation of the Holy Spirit, therefore the use of anointing oil in the New Testament is not needed at all.
All the Christian ministers are able ministers of the New Testament in the dispensation of the Holy Spirit – they are not the ministers of the Old Testament: 2 Corinthians 3:6 KJV “Who (God) also hath made us able ministers of the new testament…”
For the sake of emphasis, once you are born again genuinely, you are “anointed” of the LORD GOD.
For more details that will bless you more and give you a deeper and better understanding on this subject by ONE TRUTH (OLUSEGUN IBIKUNLE), feel free to click and read for free this site: onetruth.com.ng
