Laying Of Hands

Laying Of Hands

Some argue that this practice symbolizes a direct transfer of authority from one church leader to another, supposedly tracing back to the apostles. However it does not actually establish apostolic succession, but rather reflect specific instances of blessing or empowering individuals for ministry roles, not an unbroken, authoritative lineage.

The laying on of hands has various meanings and purposes.

1. Arrest or Control Someone’s Will

John 7:30 – Then they sought to take him: but no man laid hands on him, because his hour was not yet come.

Matthew 26:50 – And Jesus said unto him, Friend, wherefore art thou come? Then came they, and laid hands on Jesus, and took him.

Luke 21:12 – 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.

Acts 5:18 – And laid their hands on the apostles, and put them in the common prison.

2. For Healing

Jesus Christ Raises The Dead

Mark 5:22-23 – And, behold, there cometh one of the rulers of the synagogue, Jairus by name; and when he saw him, he fell at his feet, And besought him greatly, saying, My little daughter lieth at the point of death: I pray thee, come and lay thy hands on her, that she may be healed; and she shall live.

Mark 5:35,41 – While he yet spake, there came from the ruler of the synagogue's house certain which said, Thy daughter is dead: why troublest thou the Master any further?… And he took the damsel by the hand, and said unto her, Talitha cumi; which is, being interpreted, Damsel, I say unto thee, arise.

Healing By Jesus
Mark 6:5 – And he could there do no mighty work, save that he laid his hands upon a few sick folk, and healed them.

Luke 4:40 – 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 13:13 – And he laid his hands on her: and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God.

Examples of healing without the laying of hands.

The Centurion's Servant
(Matthew 8:5-13; Luke 7:1-10)
Jesus heals the servant of a Roman centurion from a distance. The centurion expresses faith that Jesus can heal his servant without needing to be physically present. In this case, Jesus heals the servant by speaking a word, showing that physical proximity or the laying of hands was not required for healing. Jesus commended the centurion's faith, which was key to the healing.

Woman with the Issue of Blood
(Mark 5:25-34; Luke 8:43-48)
Jesus did not physically lay hands on her; instead, her faith in His power to heal was the key element. The healing occurred through her act of touching His garment.

Nobleman's Son
(John 4:46-54)
Jesus healed a nobleman's son without being physically present, but by speaking a word. Jesus did not need to touch the boy, but His spoken word healed the son, demonstrating that healing can occur by the authority of Jesus' word alone.

Healing By Christians

Mark 16:17-18 – And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; 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.

Acts 28:8 – 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.

Examples of healing without laying of hands.

Peter's Shadow Healing
(Acts 5:12-16)
It shows that people were healed by coming into contact with Peter's shadow, indicating that healing did not always require direct physical interaction.

Lame Beggar
(Acts 3:1-10)
Peter heals a beggar who had been lame from birth, but instead of laying hands on him, Peter tells him to get up and walk. In this case, healing occurred through the authority of Jesus' name, not by laying on hands. Peter's command for the man to walk in the name of Jesus was what led to his healing.

3. For Ordination/Commissioning

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

Missionaries

Acts 13:2-3 – As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them. And when they had fasted and prayed, and laid their hands on them, they sent them away.

This was done for a missionary journey. In verses 4-12 Paul and Barnabas are sent out by the Holy Spirit to travel to Cyprus, where they preach in synagogues. Verses 13-41 talks about Paul delivering a sermon in a synagogue in Pisidian Antioch.

Numbers 27:18-23 – 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. And he shall stand before Eleazar the priest, who shall ask counsel for him after the judgment of Urim before the LORD: at his word shall they go out, and at his word they shall come in, both he, and all the children of Israel with him, even all the congregation. And Moses did as the LORD commanded him: and he took Joshua, and set him before Eleazar the priest, and before all the congregation: And he laid his hands upon him, and gave him a charge, as the LORD commanded by the hand of Moses.

This passage describes Moses laying hands on Joshua to commission him as his successor to lead the Israelites.

Deuteronomy 34:9 – And Joshua the son of Nun was full of the spirit of wisdom; for Moses had laid his hands upon him: and the children of Israel hearkened unto him, and did as the LORD commanded Moses.

This verse refers to the ordination of the seven deacons, including Stephen, to serve the early church.

Acts 6:2-6 – Then the twelve called the multitude of the disciples unto them, and said, It is not reason that we should leave the word of God, and serve (diakoneō) tables. Wherefore, brethren, look ye out among you seven men of honest report, full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business. But we will give ourselves continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the word. And the saying pleased the whole multitude: and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Ghost, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolas a proselyte of Antioch: Whom they set before the apostles: and when they had prayed, they laid their hands on them.

📜 SERVE
diakoneō (dee-ak-on-eh'-o)
From G1249; to be an attendant, that is, wait upon (menially or as a host, friend or [figuratively] teacher); technically to act as a Christian deacon: - (ad-) minister (unto), serve, use the office of a deacon.

The context was deciding who would serve tables because the Hellenists were complaining that their widows were being overlooked in the daily serving of food. Not that they were passing on divine authority to them.

Examples of ordination/commissioning without the laying on of hands.

Jesus Commissioning His Disciples
(Matthew 28:18-20)
In this case, Jesus commissions His disciples to go and make disciples of all nations. There is no mention of the laying on of hands in this commissioning, yet it is a form of sending them out with authority. Jesus speaks directly to His followers, giving them the authority and responsibility for the Great Commission.

The Calling of the Twelve Apostles
(Luke 6:12-13)
In the case of Jesus choosing the twelve apostles, there is no record of the laying on of hands. Jesus selected them personally without a formal laying on of hands for ordination. His calling of the twelve was a direct and personal act of commissioning them to be apostles.

The Prophetic Call of Jeremiah
(Jeremiah 1:4-10)
God directly calls and commissions Jeremiah as a prophet to the nations, without any mention of the laying on of hands. While other prophets may have experienced ordination with the laying on of hands (like Elisha after Elijah), Jeremiah’s call was through direct divine revelation, highlighting that God can commission someone to ministry without the physical act of laying on hands.

Do not hurry to lay hands on anyone.

1 Timothy 5:22 – Lay hands suddenly on no man, neither be partaker of other men's sins: keep thyself pure.

This verse warns against the premature ordination of individuals, emphasizing the seriousness of the act of laying on of hands for commissioning.

4. For Blessing

Genesis 48:14 – And Israel stretched out his right hand, and laid it upon Ephraim's head, who was the younger, and his left hand upon Manasseh's head, guiding his hands wittingly; for Manasseh was the firstborn. And he blessed Joseph, and said, God, before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac did walk, the God which fed me all my life long unto this day,

Mark 10:16 – And he took them up in his arms, put his hands upon them, and blessed them.

Examples of blessing without the laying of hands.

Luke 24:50-51 – And he led them out as far as to Bethany, and he lifted up his hands, and blessed them. And it came to pass, while he blessed them, he was parted from them, and carried up into heaven.

James 1:12 – Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.

Genesis 49:28 – All these are the twelve tribes of Israel: and this is it that their father spake unto them, and blessed them; every one according to his blessing he blessed them.

Numbers 6:23-27 – Speak unto Aaron and unto his sons, saying, On this wise ye shall bless the children of Israel, saying unto them, The LORD bless thee, and keep thee: The LORD make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee: The LORD lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace. And they shall put my name upon the children of Israel; and I will bless them.

5. For Imparting The Holy Spirit

Acts 8:14-19 – Now when the apostles which were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent unto them Peter and John: Who, when they were come down, prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Ghost: (For as yet he was fallen upon none of them: only they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.) Then laid they their hands on them, and they received the Holy Ghost. And when Simon saw that through laying on of the apostles' hands the Holy Ghost was given, he offered them money, Saying, Give me also this power, that on whomsoever I lay hands, he may receive the Holy Ghost.

Acts 19:1-6 – And it came to pass, that, while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul having passed through the upper coasts came to Ephesus: and finding certain disciples, He said unto them, Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed? And they said unto him, We have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost. And he said unto them, Unto what then were ye baptized? And they said, Unto John's baptism. Then said Paul, John verily baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people, that they should believe on him which should come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus. When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied.

Acts 9:17-18 – And Ananias went his way, and entered into the house; and putting his hands on him said, Brother Saul, the Lord, even Jesus, that appeared unto thee in the way as thou camest, hath sent me, that thou mightest receive thy sight, and be filled with the Holy Ghost. And immediately there fell from his eyes as it had been scales: and he received sight forthwith, and arose, and was baptized.

The text implies that these disciples were sincere in their devotion but had an incomplete understanding of the gospel. John’s baptism prepared people for Jesus but did not grant the indwelling Holy Spirit or the fullness of Christian salvation. It’s likely that they were not yet fully “saved” in the Christian sense—meaning they hadn’t experienced the new covenant relationship with God through faith in Jesus and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.

Examples of impartation of the holy spirit without the laying of hands.

Pentecost (Holy Spirit Given to the Disciples)
(Acts 2:1-4)
In this event, the Holy Spirit was imparted to the disciples on the day of Pentecost. The coming of the Holy Spirit was marked by the sound of wind, tongues of fire, and speaking in tongues. Importantly, no one laid hands on them. The Holy Spirit came directly from heaven as promised by Jesus in Acts 1:8.

The Holy Spirit Given to the Gentiles
(Acts 10:44-46)
This event takes place when Peter preaches to Cornelius, a Roman centurion, and his household. While Peter was still speaking, the Holy Spirit came upon the Gentiles without anyone laying hands on them. The evidence of the Spirit's arrival was that they began speaking in tongues and praising God, which astonished the Jewish believers who were with Peter.

Jesus Breathing on the Disciples
(John 20:22)
After His resurrection, Jesus breathed on His disciples and said, "Receive the Holy Spirit." This event occurred before the Pentecost and does not involve the laying on of hands. It signifies the first impartation of the Holy Spirit to the disciples in preparation for their future ministry.

6. For Imparting Spiritual Gifts

Deuteronomy 34:9 – And Joshua the son of Nun was full of the spirit of wisdom; for Moses had laid his hands upon him: and the children of Israel hearkened unto him, and did as the LORD commanded Moses.

1 Timothy 4:14 – Remember to use the gift you have, which was given to you through a prophecy when the group of elders laid their hands on you.

The "gift" is likely a spiritual gift given to Timothy for his role in ministry. This gift was imparted through prophecy (1 Timothy 1:18) and the laying on of hands by the elders of the church.

2 Timothy 1:6 – Wherefore I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gift of God, which is in thee by the putting on of my hands.

These verses illustrate the various contexts in which laying on of hands is used in the Bible, including healing, impartation of the Holy Spirit, commissioning for ministry, blessing, and the impartation of spiritual gifts.

Examples of imparting spiritual gifts without the laying of hands.

Paul explains that the Holy Spirit distributes various gifts to each believer “as He wills.”

1 Corinthians 12:7-11 – But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal. For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit; To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues: But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will.

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Grace be with all them that love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity. Amen.

- The Christian King