Anointing

It’s good to see all of you back at Deeper Waters, the blog that dives into the ocean of truth. We’re in our Trinitarian Commentary and we don’t have much further to go. Our last big book will be Revelation and I am looking forward to that one. We are actually going to go through that book and not discuss Eschatology, but see what it tells us about the Trinity and I think we’ll be surprised how much there is. I ask for your prayers as I continue the path of Christlikeness. I also ask for your prayers for my financial situation. Finally, I ask for your prayers in a current situation that’s going on in my life. For now, let’s go to 1 John 2:24-27.

²⁴See that what you have heard from the beginning remains in you. If it does, you also will remain in the Son and in the Father. ²⁵And this is what he promised us—even eternal life.

²⁶I am writing these things to you about those who are trying to lead you astray. ²⁷As for you, the anointing you received from him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about all things and as that anointing is real, not counterfeit—just as it has taught you, remain in him.

John’s point still continues about life. Eternal life is a major theme in John and for John, that life cannot be separated from the Father and the Son. This makes sense since the Son is life and he lives because the Father lives. If you are cut off from the source of life, then it would follow that you cannot have life.

This life is also not just biological life as there are several who have life right now who do not have eternal life. This is a quality of life. We are to share in the life of God in some sense. To be cut off from that is to live simply a half-life of sorts.

Our main interest is that this involves the Father and the Son. While they are distinct persons, there cannot be no separating of their activity in John. If you have one, you have the other. If you do not have one, you do not have the other.

I also wish to make a point about the anointing. John says that because of the anointing, the readers do not need anyone to teach them. Is he saying that there is no point to Christian teachers? As long as we have the Holy Spirit, we have no need of a teacher?

Well, no. That would be teaching them that they do not need to listen to teachers. John is not refuting himself. He is again countering the gnostic claim that they need secret knowledge. If they have the Holy Spirit, then they have all they need to be saved. They know all that is necessary for salvation. That doesn’t mean that they can’t be built up further and we should all seek that. I regularly like to find good teachers and learn from them all that I can.

We shall continue 1 John tomorrow.