Anointing
Typological treatment in the corpus
Nee places anointing as a pneumatological function of the Spirit: while the Spirit as life is Christ in us, the Spirit as anointing works God’s element into us as our inner element. Type in OT oil-ritual; antitype in Spirit-anointing that gives inner knowledge of God’s will.
Biblical Grounding
| Reference | Context |
|---|---|
| 1 John 2:27 | ”The anointing you received from him remains in you” |
| Luke 4:18 | ”The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me” |
| Ps. 23:5 | ”You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows” |
| 2 Cor. 1:21 | ”Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us” |
| 1 John 2:20 | ”You have an anointing from the Holy One, and all of you know the truth” |
Typological Interpretation by Author
Watchman Nee & Witness Lee
A particular pneumatological function in the Nee-Lee system is anointing—the Spirit as anointing-oil:
1 John 2:27 tells us that the ‘anointing’ is in us, which we have received from the Lord. Anointing in the Bible refers to the Spirit of God (Luke 4:18). Therefore, this verse tells us that the Spirit of God, who dwells in us, is the anointing.1
This distinguishes itself from two other functions of the Spirit: while the Spirit as anointing anoints us with God’s element, Christ lives in us as life and God works in us as will. The anointing means:
God’s element becomes our inner element, and we come to know God and His desire and will in all things.2
The anointing works practically as continuous awareness. Nee writes:
The anointing is the movement of God’s Spirit in us. This anointing in us anoints us often. When we go through things, the Spirit anoints us and makes us aware of God’s will.3
This makes anointing not mystical, but practical-knowing-function: the inner sentience of God’s will through the Spirit-as-anointing-oil.
Related Types
- Holy Spirit: (entry would cross domains; internal reference only)
- Spirit-Soul-Body: spirit-soul-body (anointing works on soul-channels: heart, conscience, emotion)
- Manifestation: manifestation (anointing is Spirit-element that inwardly manifests)