Measures of Anointing and Spiritual Gifts

For He whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God does not give the Spirit by measure.

(John 3:34)

This brings us to another important point that needs to be discussed: the degree of anointing or measure of God's power that resides in the individual. The Holy Spirit, speaking through John the Baptist, teaches us in the above-quoted passage of scripture that God gave Jesus of Nazareth the Spirit without measure. In other words, Jesus carried within Himself the full measure of God's power after He was baptized with the Holy Spirit. By implication, therefore, the Holy Spirit is telling us that we carry the power of the Holy Spirit by measure. In other words, we don't carry the full anointing of the Holy Spirit in us as Jesus did.

But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ's gift.

(Ephesians 4:7)

The concept of the saints only carrying a measure of the Holy Spirit's anointing agrees with what the apostle Paul has written in the above-quoted passage of scripture. Paul teaches us that each of us has received grace—that is, God's anointing—according to the measure of the gift that each of us has received from the Lord. Clearly, not every saint has received the same gift, and therefore each one of us requires the appropriate measure of anointing (power) that pertains to the gift we have received. For example, some have received the gift of apostle while others have received the gift of prophecy. You can readily understand that the gift of apostle requires a greater anointing to be able to function in that gift, compared to the degree of anointing required to operate in the simple gift of prophecy. I have quoted these two gifts purely to illustrate the point that certain gifts require more anointing or power than others do. As we look at the different areas in this teaching where we as believers lay hands on people, this point becomes important to keep in mind. Just as we can all lay hands on others simply in faith, the transference of anointing takes place that much more effectively when someone is specifically anointed to operate in that area.

For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith. For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function, so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another.

(Romans 12:3-5)

In the above-quoted passage of scripture, the Holy Spirit through the apostle Paul reinforces the truth that each member in the body of Christ has received a different measure of God's power. In this passage, Paul teaches us not to think of ourselves more highly than we ought to think, but rather we are to recognize that we are individual members of the body of Christ and each one of us has our own role to fulfil. Therefore, in relation to our separate functions that we have in the body, each of us has received a different anointing from the Lord. When believers learn to operate in the specific anointing that they have received, they will see greater results when they lay hands on individuals to minister God's power to them.

An Illustration from Philip's Ministry

Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria and preached Christ to them. And the multitudes with one accord heeded the things spoken by Philip, hearing and seeing the miracles which he did. For unclean spirits, crying with a loud voice, came out of many who were possessed; and many who were paralyzed and lame were healed. And there was great joy in that city. But there was a certain man called Simon, who previously practiced sorcery in the city and astonished the people of Samaria, claiming that he was someone great, to whom they all gave heed, from the least to the greatest, saying, "This man is the great power of God." And they heeded him because he had astonished them with his sorceries for a long time. But when they believed Philip as he preached the things concerning the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, both men and women were baptized. Then Simon himself also believed; and when he was baptized he continued with Philip, and was amazed, seeing the miracles and signs which were done. Now when the apostles who were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them, who, when they had come down, prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit. For as yet He had fallen upon none of them. They had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Then they laid hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.

(Acts 8:5-17)

In this section we are discussing the concept of achieving greater results by recognizing what our gifts are and thus operating in the specific anointing that we have received from the Lord. Let me illustrate this point by means of an example given to us in the passage of scripture quoted above. The context of this passage is that persecution of the church in Jerusalem had broken out after Stephen was martyred, resulting in the saints fleeing Jerusalem and preaching the gospel wherever they went. Philip, who was an evangelist (Acts 21:8), went down to the city of Samaria where he preached the gospel. This passage reveals that Philip had a city-wide revival and multitudes responded to his message by giving their hearts to the Lord. Not only were many saved through his ministry, but many were also healed and delivered through his laying on of hands. We see that when Philip ministered in Samaria, many were saved, healed, and delivered; but as we read further in the above account, we see that no one was filled with the Holy Spirit.

So why is that? Philip had no problem laying hands on those who were sick and demon-possessed, so why not lay hands on the new converts to be filled with the Spirit as well? The reason was because Philip had received the spiritual gift of healings from the Lord, and thus he carried the anointing to be able to minister God's power to multitudes in healing and deliverance. But when it came to laying hands on believers to be filled with the Holy Spirit, Philip recognized that he was not anointed in that area, because that wasn't his gift. The ministry of the laying on of hands for the infilling of the Holy Spirit is a separate spiritual gift and therefore carries a different anointing. Philip asked the church in Jerusalem to send him help in that area.

In response to Philip's request, the church in Jerusalem specifically sent the apostles Peter and John to Samaria to lay hands on the saints. The reason they did that was because Peter and John had received the ministry gift from the Lord for the infilling of the Holy Spirit, and they were therefore anointed in that area. Philip could certainly have laid hands on each new convert in faith and prayed for them to be filled with the Holy Spirit. But scripture tells us that multitudes were saved, so for Philip to pray in faith for each one in turn to receive the infilling of the Spirit would not have been nearly as effective as having people pray who were specifically anointed by the Lord to minister in that area. Clearly Philip recognized that he couldn't do it all, and that each one of us has received our own gift from the Lord. We are to walk in our callings and defer to others in the body of Christ in areas where we have not received those gifts from the Lord.

Michael E.B. Maher

Laying on of Hands

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