NT Text: Acts 10:38
OT Source(s):
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Reference Type: Allusion
Connection Method(s): Promise-Fulfillment + Typology (Direct Type, Forward-Looking)
Anchor Text: Isa 61:1-2 — The Spirit of the Lord
Significance: Peter's summary of Jesus' ministry — "how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, and how Jesus went around doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil" — condenses Isa 61:1 into a narrative statement. The Isaiah passage opens with "The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, because the LORD has anointed me (mashach) to bring good news to the poor... to heal the brokenhearted... to proclaim liberty to the captives." Jesus himself identified this as his programmatic text in Luke 4:18-21, declaring "Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing." Peter's use of it in Acts 10:38 carries the same programmatic force: the anointing (echrisen) of Jesus is the Isa 61 anointing, and his healing ministry among those "oppressed by the devil" fulfills the release of captives Isa 61:1 promised. The present passage is thus distinct from Acts 10:38 to 1 Sam 10:1, which focuses on the Saul typology of anointing a king; this connection focuses on the prophetic-servant anointing of Isa 61.