“chrisma”

Quick Facts

  • Pronunciation: khrē’-smä
  • Strongs Concordance: #G5545
    • to rub in, besmirch, anoint
    • to anoint one’s self
  • Appears 3 times in  2 verses in the New Testament
  • Common translations
    • “Anointing” (3x)

How chrisma is used in the New Testament

20 But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and you all know. … 27 As for you, the anointing which you received from Him abides in you, and you have no need for anyone to teach you; but as His anointing teaches you about all things, and is true and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you abide in Him. [1Jo 2:20, 27 NASB]

Observations

Here we have another word translated as “anointing”. It is exclusively used of people. It is used of ALL the people being written to in the book of 1 John. These are elsewhere referred to as things like “little children”. No where are church leaders singled out. The context reveals that what the reader has been ‘anointed’ with in fact the Holy Spirit. Furthermore, this anointed actually frees the saint from the need of hierarchical spiritual “authority” and teaching from others!

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