What is chrismation, and is it biblical?

Answer

The sacrament of chrismation is conducted in the Orthodox Church. Similar to how baptism symbolizes the Lord’s death and resurrection, chrismation symbolizes the arrival of the Holy Spirit upon the individual and somewhat aligns with confirmation in the Catholic Church. Chrismation is viewed as a sacrament, serving as a way to receive divine grace.

During chrismation, a person’s entire body is anointed with a special blend of oils known as holy chrism or myrrh. This ritual is typically carried out immediately after baptism, which is usually performed in infancy in the Orthodox Church, although chrismation can also be administered to adult converts.

In the Orthodox Church, chrismation holds more significance than just symbolizing the Spirit’s arrival; it is the mechanism through which the Spirit descends upon the individual. The website of the Orthodox Church in America describes the sacrament as the moment when “we receive ‘the seal of the gift of the Holy Spirit.’ . . . Through chrismation, a person is bestowed with the ‘power from on high’ (Acts 1–2), the Spirit of God, to live out the new life received in baptism. Just as Christ the Messiah is the Anointed One of God, the individual is anointed. They are transformed—echoing the bold words of the Church fathers—into a ‘christ’ alongside Jesus. Therefore, through chrismation, we are made a ‘christ,’ a child of God, an individual indwelt by the Holy Spirit, someone in whom the Holy Spirit resides and operates—as long as we desire it and collaborate with His potent and holy influence.”

If the anointing and the ritual were merely symbolic or illustrative, chrismation could be seen as a lovely representation of the Holy Spirit’s arrival upon the Christian. However, according to the Orthodox Church, the ritual is not solely symbolic or commemorative but also instrumental in the Spirit’s indwelling. Consequently, this ritual is not supported by the Bible. Chrismation is not explicitly mentioned in Scripture, and the significance of chrismation is not fully explained.On is contrary to Scripture. Grace, God’s blessing on the undeserving, cannot be earned and still be called grace «And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work. », (Romans 11:6). The Holy Spirit comes upon all who believe, regardless of whether or not a specific rite is performed. Likewise, the performance of a rite will not convey the gift of the Holy Spirit in the absence of personal faith. Ephesians 1:13–14 clearly states, “Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory.”