2 Corinthians 1:21-22
What is written? (ESV)
And it is God who establishes us with you in Christ, and has anointed us, and who has also put his seal on us and given us his Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee.
What does it say?
God established a fellowship of the saints through Jesus and sealed it by the Holy Spirit, who was given in our hearts as a down payment.
What is its immediate context?
Paul’s letter to the church at Corinth, writing to them defending his apostleship and also rejoicing in their handling of the some of the issues/sin he dealt with in 1 Corinthians.
How 2 Corinthians 1:21-22 is applied across Bible answers
Is God’s grace irresistible?
God gives his Spirit to believers, not as a literal guarantee but as the Greek word (arrhabon) indicates: a pledge or down payment.
What does the Holy Spirit do for the Christian today?
The Holy Spirit has sealed the Christian and is in the Christian's heart as a down payment.
What is God’s seal?
Paul gives a similar/identical thought3 regarding the Holy Spirit's seal on believers.
Where do we see the personality of the Godhead?
Paul identifies the Father, Son, and Spirit in/by which the Christian is "established."
Why does God give the non-miraculous gift of the Holy Spirit? (Acts 2:38-39)
Paul testifies to God's gift of the Spirit (e.g. "anointed us") in baptism1 and reiterates the promise He made through the prophets.111213
(Holger Neubauer says, "The sealing, and the anointing, and the guarantee are synonymous expressions." (*4:18) Yes, but "anointing" doesn't have to mean "miraculous" and Paul makes no such assertion or implication.)
