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Hello, OnScript listeners. Welcome back for another episode. This is M onscript.

Hello, OnScript listeners. Welcome back for another episode. This is Matt Lynch, coming to you from Westminster Theological Center in the UK. I'm a co-host of OnScript with

Matt Bates at Quincy University in Illinois and Drew Johnson at the King's College in

NYC, though he's at St. Andrews for this year.

Two quick announcements before we get on to the episode. First, October is National OnScript

iTunes Review Month, in case you didn't know about that. That's just a fancy way of asking

if you could give us a review on iTunes as a way to help others find us.

Second, stay tuned until the end of the episode where we have a few more book recommendations,

not from us, but from you, by the people and for the people.

Okay, on to the episode.

Anointing, christening, unction, Messiah, Christ.

The simple act of pouring or smearing oil on the head is proven both foundational and divisive

in Judaism and Christianity.

This language about oil can be very, well, sorry to do this to you, but this language

about oil can be very slippery. This is true

in ancient context as well as modern. Disagreements about anointing and messianic terminology abound.

For instance, Trifo, a second century Jew is reported to have said the following in his famous

dialogue with Justin Martyr. The Messiah, if indeed he has come and is somewhere, is incognito.

He does not even know himself, nor does he have any power until Elijah comes and anoints him

and makes him manifest to everyone. And then Trypho speaks about the Christian community and says

...