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are samples of its use. The word sphragis "seal" comes sixteen times in the New
Testament and sphragizo twenty-five times.
We will not attempt to examine every reference, but we are particularly concerned
with the subject of Eph. 1: 13 which is connected with the witness of the Spirit. There is
a passage written before Acts 28:, which by its very additions is illuminating, we
refer to II Cor. 1: 22:
"Who hath sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts."
At first, unless like true Bereans we consider the context, we may assume that
inasmuch as both II Cor. 1: 22 and Eph. 1: 13 speak of both seal and earnest, that it is all
one and the same whether the epistle thus quoted is on one side of Acts 28: or the
other. A closer examination, however, will reveal an essential dispensational difference.
"Now He which stablisheth us with you in Christ, and hath anointed us, is God, Who
hath also sealed us, and given us the earnest of the spirit in our hearts" (II Cor. 1: 21, 22).
The word "stablish" is the Greek bebaioo which is used in I Cor. 1: and Heb. 2: with
particular reference to the confirming nature of miraculous gifts.
"Which at first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them
that heard Him; God also bearing them witness, both with signs and wonders, and divers
miracles, and gifts of the holy spirit, according to His own will" (Heb. 2: 3, 4).
"That in everything ye are enriched by Him, in all utterance, and in all knowledge;
even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you; So that ye come behind in no gift;
waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ" (I Cor. 1: 5-7).
Paul practically said, therefore, in II Cor. 1: 21 "Now He which confirmeth us (by the
endowment of miraculous gifts) with you . . . . . is God". Associated with this
confirmation is "anointing". Chrio "to anoint" gives the title "Christ", The Anointed.
This anointing, says John in his first epistle, made it unnecessary that any man should
teach those who received it, for "the same anointing teacheth you of all things"
(I John 2: 27). No member of the One Body has such an anointing, but where there were
miraculous gifts, there would also be found this anointing. In I Cor. 12:, which deals
with supernatural gifts in the church, the Apostle uses the somewhat strange expression
"so also is Christ" (12: 12). Now a reading of the context will make it impossible to read
this of our Lord. Valpy says of the word "Christ" here:
"The word Christos is frequently used by Paul as a trope, denoting sometimes the
Christian spirit and temper, as when he says until Christ be formed in you (Gal. 4: 19);
sometimes the Christian doctrine as, But ye have not so learned Christ (Eph. 4: 20), and
in this place the Christian church."
All that we need add to Valpy in this place is, "that church as endued with
supernatural gifts". The "stablishing" and the "anointing" belong to the calling that lies
on the side of Acts 28: that commences with Pentecost, Ephesians has the seal and
the earnest just the same, but the supernatural gifts are conspicuous by their absence. The
seal is "with that holy spirit of promise". The construction of this phrase in the original is
somewhat peculiar. It is: