Unction
Summary
A term referring to anointing, used in the New Testament specifically for the spiritual anointing believers receive from the Holy Spirit.
☩Biblical Usage
The term 'unction' occurs only in 1 John 2:20, where the same Greek word chrisma is elsewhere translated 'anointing.' John writes to believers that they have 'an unction from the Holy One' and know all things. This unction refers to the Holy Spirit who indwells believers, providing spiritual discernment and knowledge of truth.
☩Spiritual Significance
The Holy Spirit as an unction permeates the whole being of the Christian, imparting Christ's character. Unlike ceremonial anointing with physical oil, this spiritual unction enables believers to distinguish truth from error and protects them from deception. The anointing 'teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie.'
