The Oil Of God

Dynamic Definition

The theological "belief-system" of contemporary Christian religion has given definitions to most Biblical words which have a narrow, historical, static connotation, rather than an on-going dynamic meaning. This has disallowed many Christians from properly understanding the Scriptures, in that they approach the text of Scripture with a static presuppositional "grid" of vocabulary and understanding.

It is not that the "popular", orthodox definitions are inaccurate, per se, only that they are inadequate to convey the vital, Spirit~empowered activity of Christian life. The need exists to explain the dynamic implications of these Biblical words, and that in complete accordance with their original etymological and linguistic meanings.

"GOSPEL"

It is common knowledge that the word "gospel" means "good news." The question we must ask is" Good news of what? Many perceive "gospel" to be the good news of the Christian "belief-system," or the good news of the formulated doctrines of the Church. Others may think of the good news of the historic advent of Jesus as recorded in the four Gospel narratives of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. The deficiency of these definitions is evidenced in the static quality of both history and theology.

This historicizing and theologizing tendency was evident even from the first century of Christian history. Ignatius used "gospel" in the dynamic sense of Christ as center and goal of salvation history, but in Iranaeus, Eusebius and Clement of Alexandria the word "gospel" came to designate a tradition, a corpus of teaching, a book or books. As Gerhard Friedrich indicates in the Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, "The gospel records an historical event, but this event transcends ordinary history. Similarly, it consists of narratives and teachings, but it also relates to human reality and shows itself to be living power." (Dynamic) "It cannot be grasped in the ordinary way; divine revelation takes place in it. Martin Luther concurs by writing, "The gospel is not in truth that which is written in books and set down in letters, but rather a spoken message: living word..." (Dynamic)

A more dynamic definition might then be that the "gospel" is the good news of the vital indwelling life of the risen Lord Jesus Christ by which mankind is restored to functional humanity as God intended.

Paul states his theme for Romans, "I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power (dunamis~dynamic) of God for salvation to everyone who believes..."
Romans 1:16

 

 This is what makes the Bible such an amazing book. The very words have a life~giving energy concealed in them. They are the good news of the gospel to anyone who reads the words.

 

They tell us how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him.

Acts 10:38-39.

 

God "anointed" Jesus. The anointing is like rubbing and smearing something with oil. Anyone coming into contact with someone who has been anointed by God gets oil on them. You can't touch something oiled and come away without oil on you. Try touching oil and see if you don't come away from it with oil on you. It can't be done.

 

Jesus was anointed, he was oiled of God! Anyone coming into contact with Jesus gets oil on them from Jesus anointing. The Spirit of God came upon Jesus at the Jordan river. This anointing was the inner power that attacked and defeated sickness and even death in those to whom He ministered "with power."

 

The word for 'power' here is dunamis and is the word for miraculous ability and inner power, which produces the supernatural.

 

Logic would dictate that if Christ required the anointing for teaching and ministry, and the apostles were instructed to tarry in Jerusalem to receive power from on high (Luke 24-49), and both Peter and Paul emphasized the Holy Spirit baptism (Acts 8;19), then who are we to escape the same baptism of power in our own lives?

Joel 2:28-29

 

²⁸ And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions:
²⁹ And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit.

The term "pour out" paints a picture of a vessel filled with oil being poured out over something.

Let's get under the spout where the oil comes out!