The Anointing of the Holy Spirit by Peter Tan Pt1 [Summary] 

Main Summary: The Anointing of the Holy Spirit by Peter Tan explores the anointing of the Holy Spirit—what it is, how it operates, how it can be transferred or increased, and its essential role in ministry and daily Christian living. It highlights biblical examples and teaches believers how to walk in God’s power and presence.

Lessons You’ll Learn From This Post 

• God’s Gifts to the Church
• What is The Anointing 
• The Anointing Through The Life of Jesus
• The Believer’s Anointing
• The Anointing isn’t just Invincible, it is Tangible
• The Tangibility of the Anointing 2
• What is the Glory of God 
• Falling Under the Power
• The Anointing For Ministry

God’s Gifts to the Church

1. The Nine Gifts of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:7-11)

• Revelation Gifts:

• Word of Wisdom: Revelation of the future for guidance (Acts 11:28)
• Word of Knowledge: Revelation of past and present facts (Acts 5:3-4)
• Discerning of Spirits: Insight into the spirit world (Acts 27:23-24).

• Power Gifts:

• Gift of Faith: Supernatural confidence to receive miracles (Daniel 6:10-24)
• Working of Miracles: Supernatural power for extraordinary acts (Judges 14:6)
• Gifts of Healings: Divine power for healing and wholeness.

• Vocal Gifts:

• Gift of Prophecy: Speaking God’s message in a known language (Acts 15:32)
• Gift of Tongues: Speaking in an unknown language (1 Corinthians 14:27)
• Interpretation of Tongues: Translating messages given in tongues (1 Corinthians 14:27).

2. The Fivefold Ministry Offices (Ephesians 4:11-12)

• Apostles: Sent by God to establish churches (Galatians 2:8)
• Prophets: Confirm divine guidance, not direct it (Acts 11:27-30)
• Evangelists: Spread the gospel, working alongside apostles (Acts 8:4-25)
• Pastors: Shepherds of local churches, skilled in teaching and faith (1 Timothy 3:1-6)
• Teachers: Instruct believers in sound doctrine (Acts 11:26).

3. The Nine Body Ministries (Romans 12:6–8; 1 Corinthians 12:28-31)

• Deacons: Serve and care for the needy (Acts 6:2-3).
• Prophesying Believers: Regularly manifest the gift of prophecy
• Teaching Believers: Teach in local church settings (2 Timothy 2:2)
• Exhorters: Encourage and uplift believers (Acts 9:27)
• Christian Entrepreneurs: Financially support God’s work (1 Timothy 6:17-19)
• Christian Administrators: Organize church activities with wisdom (1 Corinthians 12:28)
• Christian Welfare Workers: Serve the poor and needy (Romans 12:8)
• Speaker of Various Tongues: Special ministry of diverse tongues (1 Corinthians 12:28)
• Interpreter of Tongues: Interprets unknown tongues for the church (1 Corinthians 12:30).

Also read The Power of Fasting by Peter Tan [Summary]

What is The Anointing 

• The anointing is God’s impartation of His ability upon a yielded vessel to fulfill His work. Availability is not enough; God empowers those who surrender to Him.
• Many in the Bible were anointed for specific tasks: Priesthood (Aaron and his sons – Exodus 30:30). Leadership (Moses and the seventy elders – Numbers 11:17). Kingship (David – 1 Samuel 16:13) 
• Wisdom and craftsmanship (Bezaleel – Exodus 31:2,3). Miracles and power (Elijah, Elisha – 2 Kings 2:9,14). Jesus’ ministry was marked by the anointing (Acts 10:38).
• God requires consecration before He imparts the anointing. Disrespecting the anointing has severe consequences, like we saw in Nadab and Abihu – Leviticus 10:1-2. And God protects His anointed ones (1 Chronicles 16:22).
• The anointing is tangible and can be transferred (e.g., through laying on of hands – Deuteronomy 34:9). It enables governance, wisdom, warfare, miracles, and evangelism.
• The anointing is a spiritual substance that can be transferred and stored (e.g., Paul’s handkerchiefs – Acts 19:11-12).
• The Church cannot fulfill its mission without the anointing. The power of God, demonstrated through signs and wonders, is what confirms the Gospel (Romans 15:19).

Also read The Price of Spiritual Power by Robert Liardon [Summary]

The Anointing Through The Life of Jesus

• Jesus lived a righteous life for 30 years before being anointed at His baptism.
• The Holy Spirit descended upon Him like a dove (John 1:32) and drove him into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. He fasted for 40 days and nights. 
• Jesus declared that the Spirit was upon Him for specific purposes, preaching, healing, and deliverance (Luke 4:18).
• Jesus performed His works through the anointing, and He promised that believers could do the same works and even greater ones (John 14:12).
• The anointing is essential to destroy the works of the devil (Isaiah 10:27; 1 John 3:8).
• The anointing was given to Jesus without measure (John 3:34).
• Elijah’s anointing was measurable, as Elisha received a double portion and performed twice as many miracles (2 Kings 2:9).
• God took part of Moses’ anointing and placed it on seventy elders (Numbers 11:17, 25).
• The anointing grows from faith to faith, glory to glory, and grace to grace (Romans 1:17; 2 Corinthians 3:18).
• Greater works include an increase in quantity (more people doing His works worldwide), quality (new afflictions and diseases healed), and judgment (future divine judgments, as seen in Acts 5: Ananias and Sapphira).
• Modern technology enables the spread of anointing through media (e.g., healing through satellite broadcasts or digital platforms).
• If you must do the works of Jesus, we see that Jesus operated in power by abiding in the Father (John 14:10-11).
• You must walk in deep union with Christ, allowing the Holy Spirit to work through you.
• The same anointing Jesus had is available to every believer, not just church leaders.

The Believer’s Anointing

• There are three types of anointing: Believer’s Anointing -The anointing within every believer, which is the foundation of all anointings. Ministerial Anointing – The anointing upon specific individuals for ministry (prophet, priest, king). Corporate Anointing – The anointing present in a gathering of believers.
• The Believer’s Anointing is the Most Important of all three anointings. Why? Because it is unique to New Testament believers. Old Testament saints only had the anointing upon, not within. And New Testament believers are led primarily by the inward witness, not prophets.
• This Anointing Within Can Be Increased. It grows through faith, grace, and glory. While faith increases through hearing the Word (Romans 10:17), grace is multiplied through knowledge of Christ (2 Peter 1:2), and glory is directly related to anointing and can increase (2 Corinthians 3:18).
• The believer’s anointing enables supernatural signs as well. You can cast out demons, speak in tongues, have divine protection, and heal the sick (Mark 16:17-18).
• 95% of God’s leading comes through the inward witness. Even ministers must check their visions and impressions against the believer’s anointing. Spiritual errors occur when ministers follow external impressions without confirmation from the anointing within.
• What you do or don’t do is responsible for increasing the Anointing within. You change levels in the anointing as you grow spiritually. It is developing this anointing within that leads to greater works (John 14:12).

Also read The Price of God’s Miracle Working Power by A. A Allen [Summary] 

The Anointing isn’t just Invincible, it is Tangible

• The anointing is perceptible to our five senses. It manifests supernaturally and can be felt physically.
• Elisha knew when the anointing was present and when it was absent. He did not rely on talent or intellect but sought the anointing.
• Elisha used music to usher in the anointing when it was absent. Worship and prayer can help activate the anointing.
• Without the anointing, ministry is ineffective and powerless. Paul emphasized that true ministry is not with eloquence but with the Spirit’s power (1 Cor. 2:4).
• The anointing is not automatic; one must grow in it. Elisha spent ten years learning from Elijah before receiving a double portion.
• Different people perceive the anointing in different ways (e.g., fire, trembling, electricity). Knowing how the anointing manifests in your life is crucial.
• Staying within the calling God has assigned ensures safety and effectiveness. Trying to operate outside your divine assignment can be dangerous.

The Tangibility of the Anointing 2

• The anointing in Hebrew, “mischah” means “smearing,” symbolizing the Holy Spirit’s impartation through oil. While in Greek, “chrisma” means “rubbing in,” indicating a tangible impartation of God’s power.
• The anointing is a real, transferable power that can be stored and transmitted like electricity. Elisha’s bones carried the anointing even after his death, raising a dead man (2 Kings 13:21). Paul’s handkerchiefs and aprons transmitted healing and deliverance (Acts 19:11-12). Jesus’ garments were charged with power, healing those who touched them (Mark 5:27-30; 6:56).
• The flow of anointing depends on its level, not the material it flows through. The anointing can flow through organic (clothing) and inorganic (wood, stone, bones) substances. Moses’ rod was transformed into “The Rod of God” (Exodus 4:20), showing God’s power flowing through inanimate objects. Peter’s shadow carried the anointing, healing people without physical touch (Acts 5:15).
• Like electrical systems may need rewiring for higher power, so also believers must increase their spiritual capacity for more of the anointing.
• The anointing increases through prayer, fasting, worship, and spending time in God’s presence. It is those who pay the price in seeking God that can experience greater levels of His anointing.

Also Read Anointing For Breakthrough By David Oyedepo [Summary]

What is the Glory of God 

• The Hebrew word kabod means “weight” or “heaviness,” while the Greek word doxa refers to “splendor, radiance, and manifestation.” This means the glory of God has substance and is tangible.
• While the anointing represents God’s power, His glory represents His attributes. Power and presence are inseparable—where God’s presence is, His power follows.
• The more you become conscious of God, the more His glory manifests through you.
• The anointing is the tangible manifestation of God’s power, while the glory is the manifestation of His person. So the greater the level of anointing, the greater the manifestation of God’s glory. When Moses encountered God’s glory, his face shone with supernatural light.
• The glory of God manifests in varying degrees. In Solomon’s temple, the glory was so strong that priests could not stand to minister (2 Chronicles 5:14). The level of anointing in a meeting depends on the level of manifested glory.
• To manifest God’s glory, you must grow in His love and attributes (mercy, truth, grace). Developing both love and spiritual gifts together is what allows for the greater manifestation of God’s power. Moving in the glory of God requires alignment with His nature.
• There are no shortcuts in growing in the glory of Gd. It requires time in His presence, meditation on His Word, and suffering for Christ’s sake. Suffering for Christ refines your character and increases the “weight” of glory upon you.
• As you grow in God’s glory, you become more sensitive to its manifestation in different settings.
• God’s manifest glory can fill places—houses, temples, prisons, mountains. When believers gather in unity, God promises to manifest Himself. To experience His glory in our gatherings, we must shift our focus away from ourselves and fully on Him.

Falling Under the Power

• There are different Interpretations of falling under the power. Some believe those who fall have something wrong with them, while others think they are more yielded to God. Both interpretations are based on experience rather than Scripture.
• Biblical Perspectives on Falling Under the Power

1. It is a side effect of God’s glory (2 Chronicles 5:14, Exodus 40:34-35, Acts 9:3-4).
2. It does not determine spirituality, as both holy and evil men have fallen under the power (Daniel 10:7-9, John 18:5-6).
3. Not all who fall experience transformation (John 18:6-12).
4. Some receive blessings and callings, like Paul’s transformation (Acts 26:12-19).
5. The Bible treats it as a side effect, not an experience to be sought (Ezekiel 2:1, Acts 26:16).

• The anointing can be misused and misunderstood. For many, it is about making people fall rather than using it to heal and deliver.
• The power of the anointing weakens when misused, just like electricity dissipates when overloaded. It must be channeled properly to achieve God’s purpose.
• The true purpose of the anointing is to destroy the works of the devil, heal the brokenhearted, and set captives free (1 John 3:8). Falling under the power is a side effect, but healing and salvation are the main purpose.

The Anointing For Ministry 

• Jesus Functioned in All Five Offices: He operated as an apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor, and teacher. Few ministers today are called to function in all five roles.
• God Chooses Ministry Offices: No one can appoint themselves to a ministerial office; only God determines a person’s calling (Ephesians 4:11, 1 Corinthians 12:28). Human ordination only confirms what God has already chosen.
• Development in the Ministry takes time: Philip started as a faithful believer, then became a deacon, and later was recognized as an evangelist (Acts 21:8). Paul was unknown initially, but through faithfulness and mentorship (by Barnabas), he developed into his calling as an apostle.
• Faithfulness is Key: If you are just starting in ministry, you must remain faithful, as God will place you in the hearts of the right people to help you. Established ministers should be encouragers, not hindrances.
• There is a difference between a call and a burden: A call is a divine appointment from God. A burden is a personal concern for a need, but it does not necessarily mean you are called to ministry. It requires a call to enter full-time ministry, not just a burden.
• Timing and Preparation are Crucial: The ministerial anointing comes at the right time. Preparation is necessary before stepping into the calling (e.g., Elisha served Elijah for ten years before receiving the prophetic mantle).
• The Cost of the Anointing: The anointing is costly; it requires full consecration to God. Kathryn Kuhlman emphasized that it cost her entire life. Jesus’ three years of impactful ministry were the result of thirty years of preparation.
• Too Much Work, Too Little Anointing: It is an error to attempt ministry without adequate preparation or anointing; it will lead to minimal impact.

Now that you understand the power and purpose of the anointing, take time to meditate on it and seek God’s presence more deeply. Reflect on how this truth applies to your life and ministry, and ask the Holy Spirit to increase His power in you for greater works.

Finally, here is a question we’d love you to answer.

Have you ever experienced the tangible power of the Holy Spirit in your life or ministry? Or Do you know which type of anointing you’re walking in?

We would love to hear from you. Please leave your answer and comment in the comment box below.

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