Laying On of Hands

2022-11-18

Hebrews 6:2 calls the “laying on of hands” one of the “principles of the doctrine of Christ” (Hebrews 6:1). Here are some examples. One theme emerges from the examples: There is transaction taking place.

Arresting or Attacking

Consider Jesus preaching against the Jewish leaders: “And when the chief priests and Pharisees had heard his parables, they perceived that he spake of them. But when they sought to lay hands on him, they feared the multitude, because they took him for a prophet” (Matthew 21:45-46).

Consider Jesus’ arrest in Gethsemane: “And Jesus said unto him, Friend, wherefore art thou come? Then came they, and laid hands on Jesus, and took him” (Matthew 26:50).

Consider the apostles who would be persecuted for the faith: “But before all these, they shall lay their hands on you, and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues, and into prisons, being brought before kings and rulers for my name’s sake” (Luke 21:12).

There are many more examples of this. The one laying on hands is using authority, real or assumed, in arresting the other.

Sin Sacrifices

Consider the scapegoat used in the Day of Atonement: “And Aaron shall lay both his hands upon the head of the live goat, and confess over him all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their transgressions in all their sins, putting them upon the head of the goat, and shall send him away by the hand of a fit man into the wilderness” (Leviticus 16:21). The sins of the people were transferred to this goat, who took the sin away from the people into the wilderness. A transaction took place: the guilty transferred his sin onto the innocent.

Healing

Consider Jairus when coming to Jesus concerning his daughter: “While he spake these things unto them, behold, there came a certain ruler, and worshipped him, saying, My daughter is even now dead: but come and lay thy hand upon her, and she shall live” (Matthew 9:18).

Consider signs that would follow the believer: “They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover” (Mark 16:18). Laying hands on the sick would heal people of sickness as a testimony for the Lord.

Consider Jesus’ ministry, when he healed people. He often laid His hands on the sick to heal them, though His method was not always the same: “Now when the sun was setting, all they that had any sick with divers diseases brought them unto him; and he laid his hands on every one of them, and healed them” (Luke 4:40).

Consider Publius’s father on the island of Melita: “And it came to pass, that the father of Publius lay sick of a fever and of a bloody flux: to whom Paul entered in, and prayed, and laid his hands on him, and healed him” (Acts 28:8).

Consider the role of church elders: “Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord” (James 5:14). This does not specifically say anything about laying hands on the sick one, but it is implied.

In these examples, healing power was transferred from the one having healing power to the one needing healing. Ultimately, this power came from Christ via His Holy Spirit.

Receiving the Holy Spirit

Consider the Samaritans when they were first saved: “Then laid they their hands on them, and they received the Holy Ghost” (Acts 8:17). Being that these were the first fruits of the Samaritans that were saved, this event validated them as true Christians, being that “the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans” (John 4:9).

Consider Paul’s laying on of hands to the Ephesian disciples of John. “And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied” (Acts 19:6). Once again, this may be a way to validate the Gospel to those who only heard through the preaching of John but not Jesus. Receiving the Spirit does not always happen this way, but it did here. Being born again and believing is the time when one is baptized with the Spirit.

The Spirit-filled apostles gave the Spirit to those who needed the Spirit.

Ordination

Consider the appointment of Joshua: “And the LORD said unto Moses, Take thee Joshua the son of Nun, a man in whom is the spirit, and lay thine hand upon him; And set him before Eleazar the priest, and before all the congregation; and give him a charge in their sight. And thou shalt put some of thine honour upon him, that all the congregation of the children of Israel may be obedient” (Numbers 27:18-20).

Consider Timothy: “Neglect not the gift that is in thee, which was given thee by prophecy, with the laying on of the hands of the presbytery” (1 Timothy 4:14).

Consider Barnabas and Saul, before they began their first missionary journey: “And when they had fasted and prayed, and laid their hands on them, they sent them away” (Acts 13:3).

Authority from a master delegated authority to a servant or a successor. For Barnabas and Saul, the authority of the local church was delegated to the two missionaries.

Giving of Strength and Peace

Consider John when He encountered the fully glorified Jesus: “And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the first and the last” (Revelation 1:17). Here, John was in fearful paralysis, but the Lord Jesus gave him peace that could only come from Him.

Conclusion

Whether it being encouragement, healing, delegating authority or the giving of power, the laying on of hands was used a lot in the first century. It was a transaction from one to another to edify the church.