7. The Laying On of Hands

What is The Laying On Of Hands?

Human beings were not designed to live in isolation. In the very beginning, God made that clear when he said, “it is not good for the man to be alone” (Genesis 2:18). Neither were we designed to interact with each other only by speech, or by making signs to each other across a room, or by sending text messages. We were designed to interact and relate to each other by means of physical touch.

We greet each other by shaking hands, or kissing, or slapping on the back, or doing a high five. When we need comfort, it is physical touch that means the most to us. When our relationship with someone is growing cold, usually touch is the first expression of intimacy to disappear. When we part from someone and we know it’s going to be for some time we usually promise to “keep in touch”.

We are both physical and spiritual at the same time, and very often the spiritual things are expressed in a physical way:

• Prayer is a spiritual exercise, but our bodies co-operate with our spirits as we pray – we kneel; we bow; we look up towards heaven; we pace the floor.

• Worship is a spiritual exercise, but our bodies co-operate with our spirits as we worship – we sing; we raise our hands towards God; we wave a flag; we clap our hands; we prostrate ourselves on the floor.

In the same way, the laying on of hands is a spiritual exercise that is expressed through a physical action, usually done in order to transmit some spiritual power or energy from one person to another, although sometimes it is done as a means of identifying with someone else.

1. Laying on of hands for Ordination or Appointment

a. Joshua

This is the first example we find in the Bible of authority being transferred from one person to another through the laying on of hands.

In an earlier event, recorded in Numbers 11:16-17 & 24-26, some of the spirit that was upon Moses was transferred by God to 70 chosen elders, who were to share with Moses the burden of caring for the congregation. This was entirely a work of God, and Moses had no part to play in it.

The commissioning of Joshua, however, was a more important event in the sense that the people needed to understand that when Moses was no longer there to lead them, it would be Joshua, and Joshua alone, who would be stepping into his shoes. The public ceremony, with Moses laying his hands upon Joshua, left no room for doubt.

However, this was not simply a ceremonial occasion.

God told Moses to, “invest him with some of your authority” (verse 20). This authority had come from God in the first place, imparted to Moses during his encounter with God at the Burning Bush (Exodus 4:13-17), and only God had the right or the ability to have it passed on to anyone else.

It was not for Moses to decide who should succeed him, or who would have his authority after he was gone. But God did not perform this transfer of authority Himself – He instructed Moses to do it.

b. Jeremiah

In this case it is God Himself who lays His hand upon the prophet.

On the one hand this gave Jeremiah great assurance that He had a genuine call. More than any other prophet he had to stand alone against the whole nation, and there were many times when he questioned whether he was doing the right thing (e.g. Jeremiah 20:7-18). At those times, he would remember that his commissioning came from God in person and not through any other man.

The other side of the coin, of course, was that only Jeremiah himself knew what God had done. There were no witnesses to the event. When people asked him, “Who do you think you are, anyway?” (e.g. Jeremiah 43:1-3; 44:16), he could not point back to a public ceremony of ordination to prove his prophetic credentials. He had to stand in faith.

c. The First Deacons

This is the first account in the New Testament of hands being laid on to commission or appoint anyone.

The apostles are the recognised authority within the church, and until this time there have been no other church officials. The issue of the fair distribution of aid to the widows was a delicate one and required both sensitivity and firmness.

It is interesting to note that all of the men chosen had Greek names. Since it was the widows from the Greek community that were complaining of unfairness, this should have dealt with that aspect of the problem.

The related issue of whether the seven would be accepted by the community as a whole was decisively resolved by the public laying on of hands by the apostles. The seven were not acting on their own authority, but on the authority of the apostles and, consequently, on the authority of God.

d. Barnabas and Saul

This is the first instance in the New Testament of the appointment of apostles other than the Twelve who were appointed by Jesus (Matthew 10:1-8; Luke 6:12-16).

We are not told whether or not Jesus laid hands upon the Twelve, only that He “gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every disease and every infirmity.” (Matthew 10:1 RSV).

In Acts 13 it is clearly the Holy Spirit who is commissioning Barnabas and Saul, but it is also important to note that these men do not rise up and set out on their mission without the blessing and the support of the other leaders in the Antioch church. They function as members of the Body, not as independent individuals who do not require the support of the church or have to give account of their actions.

The Body of Christ is a major plank in the structure of Paul’s theology (e.g. Romans 12:1-8; 1 Corinthians 12:12-31; Ephesians 5:21-32; Colossians 1:18; 1 Timothy 3:14-15). He understood very well the interdependence of all of God’s people, no matter how great or small they might appear to be in the eyes of men.

The fact that it was Barnabas and Saul who were sent out did not suggest that they were in some way better or greater than the other three prophets and teachers at Antioch. On the contrary, they were unwilling to step out until all five had fasted and prayed together, and the other three had laid their hands upon them.

The missionary journey was a joint effort of all of the saints in Antioch. We can be certain that the other leaders were continually in prayer for the apostles, and we know that Paul was very conscious of his need for prayer support from the church (Romans 15:30; 2 Corinthians 1:11; Philippians 1:19; 1 Thessalonians 5:25; Philemon 1:22).

So in this case, the laying on of hands serves to confirm the known call of God and also to reassure those who are sent that they have the full approval and continuing support of those who remain behind.

e. A Warning to Timothy

Paul left Timothy in Ephesus to make sure that the church stayed on track and did not get distracted or derailed by people with strange ideas (1 Timothy 1:3-7).

One of his responsibilities was to appoint elders to oversee and govern the church, and deacons to serve it (1 Timothy 3:1-13 – compare Titus 1:5-9). Although it is not specifically stated that hands were laid on in the appointment of these church officials (compare Acts 14:23), we may infer from 1 Timothy 5:22 that this was normal practice, as had been the case with the first deacons in Acts 6:6.

As someone has said, it is easier to appoint than to disappoint. The old adage: “marry in haste – repent at leisure” might be adapted to say, “ordain in haste – repent at leisure”. Once an unsuitable person has been installed as a church official, it is very difficult to remove them from their post without causing upset and disquiet within the congregation – especially if the person in question is popular.

However, the thrust of Paul’s warning is that if the person in question is found to be living an unrighteous life, the one who appointed him will be deemed to be guilty by association. Laying hands on someone is not the same as offering them a contract of employment. It is far more intimate. The one who lays on hands is stating publicly that they personally approve of the other person and that they have full confidence in them.

If questions are then raised about the calibre of the appointee, those questions will also be directed towards the one who made the appointment. This is a warning to everyone in leadership in the church to be very sure about the quality of those whom they want to promote or appoint, and if there are any doubts, to hold back.

The one thing that is worse than having no leader is having a bad leader.

2. Laying on of Hands for Impartation

In certain cases, the laying on of hands goes beyond simply appointing someone to an office, but is a means of imparting to that person some power or ability that they did not previously possess.

a. Impartation of the Holy Spirit

(See also Acts 8:17-19; Acts 19:6)

At God’s direction, Moses appointed Joshua as his successor (Numbers 27:18-23), but along with the appointment came an impartation of God’s Spirit and divine wisdom to lead the nation.

We do not know whether Moses was aware that this impartation was going to happen, or whether it came as a surprise to him as much as it did to Joshua and everybody else. This was a sovereign act of God over which Moses had no control. His job was to appoint; God’s was to impart.

In Acts 8 and Acts 19, God chose that through the laying on of the apostles’ hands the Holy Spirit would be given. This does not mean that it always has to happen this way (compare Acts 2:1-4; Acts 10:44-48). God is not limited or restricted to any ritual or formula, and it is wrong of us to try to impose any such limitations either upon Him or upon ourselves. It is for God alone to decide how He wants to work in the life of any individual or group, and for us to be sensitive to His will and to flow with Him.

In Acts 8, Philip did not lay hands on anyone to receive the Holy Spirit, and neither did he take exception when Peter and John came down from Jerusalem, did lay on hands, and the people did receive the Holy Spirit. Similarly today, God will work through some people to bestow the Holy Spirit through the laying on of hands, and with other people He will not work in that way.

Let each of us recognise how God wants to work in us and through us and be content with His decisions. Simon the magician made the double error of (a) wanting for his own glory the ability that Peter and John had purely by the grace of God, and (b) thinking that he could buy it with money.

The only thing that we can do to enable ourselves to receive God’s grace is to submit to His will and have faith in His word.

b. Impartation of Gifting

This impartation to Timothy is reminiscent of the impartation to Joshua, except that we can be fairly sure that Paul was aware of what was happening. If we assume that the two verses are referring to the same event we can see that there are three important details:

1. Timothy was being prayed over by “the presbytery” (KJV), or “the body of elders” (NIV), all of whom were laying hands upon him to appoint him to his office, similar to what we have already seen in Acts 13:2-3.

2. Also similar to Acts 13:2-3 was that a prophetic word was given. However, this case is different in that a new spiritual gifting was imparted to Timothy through the prophecy. In Acts 13:2 the Holy Spirit said, “I have already called Barnabas and Saul; now, send them off”. In this case the Holy Spirit is enduing Timothy with gifting, and using the vehicle of the prophetic word to do it.

3. In 2 Timothy 1:6 Paul says that the gift was imparted through the laying on of his hands. Although all of the elders had their hands laid upon Timothy, it was through Paul’s hands that the power was transmitted to Timothy. Whether or not it was Paul who spoke the prophecy, it was while the prophetic word was describing and explaining the gifting that the anointing was being transferred into Timothy’s life through Paul’s hands.

If Paul had not been there, would Timothy have received the gifting? Would God have used another means to impart it to him?

We do not know. All we can say is that if God is determined to do something, He will find someone through whom to do it, even if it is not the person that you or I would choose (e.g. Numbers 22:20; 1 Kings 17:4, 8; Isaiah 44:28; 1 Timothy 1:13-16).

We must also be open to the possibility that God has chosen to work through us in a particular way to achieve a particular end, and that if we do not do what He wants us to do, it will not be done at all.

If this is so, then it means that we must always be prepared “in season and out of season” (2 Timothy 4:2) to move as the Holy Spirit directs us so that the work of God will not be hindered as a result of our unwillingness.

c. Impartation of a Blessing

Note the importance that Joseph attributes to the way in which Jacob lays his hands upon the boys to bless them. He expects the right hand to be laid upon the older son and the left hand upon the younger, so that the older will receive the greater blessing.

Jacob however, being led by the Holy Spirit, places his right hand upon the head of Ephraim, the younger son, saying that the younger would be the greater (Genesis 48:19).

From this example we learn that it is better to use the right hand than the left to bestow a blessing. There is, of course, no reason why you should not use both hands at once, as it seems that Jesus did when blessing the children (Matthew 19:13, 15; Mark 10:16).

Jesus was more than happy to take time with the children to bless them. Each one received His undivided attention while He ministered to them, placing both hands upon them – probably upon their heads.

We can only imagine what a thrilling experience it must have been for those little ones to have Jesus Himself blessing them, for we can be sure that He was not merely going through the motions, but was imparting to them something of His own spirit, which would remain with them for the rest of their lives.

d. Laying on of Hands for Healing

There are more examples of laying on of hands for healing than for any other purpose.

• In 2 Kings 4:34, however, we see the prophet Elisha laying not only his hands but his whole body on a child who has died.

• When raising the dead, Jesus did not normally touch the dead body, but simply commanded the person to rise (e.g. Luke 7:14; John 11:43; Compare Acts 9:40). The notable exception is the daughter of Jairus (Matthew 9:25; Luke 8:54). Interestingly, Jairus believes that if Jesus will lay hands upon his daughter, she will live (Matthew 9:18; Mark 5:23).

• On some occasions Jesus laid His hands upon everyone, and saw them all healed (Luke 4:40).

• At other times His power was limited by the unbelief of the people around Him. Maybe this explains why miracles are so rare in western Europe today! (Mark 6:5).

• Jesus had no problem reaching out his hand to bring healing to a leper, whom no-one else would touch. He knew that the leper would get what He had, but He would not get what the leper had! (Matthew 8:3; Mark 1:41; Luke 5:13)

• Other examples of Jesus laying hands on the sick for healing are a deaf man (Mark 7:32), a blind man (Mark 8:23, 25), and a crippled woman (Luke 13:13).

• Jesus expects His disciples to lay hands on the sick and the sick to recover (Mark 16:18).

• Paul, while he was still called Saul, experienced this at the hands of Ananias (Acts 9:12, 17), and subsequently put it into practice himself (Acts 28:8).

Who is Qualified to Lay Hands on Someone Else?

The scripture does not specify any restrictions in the use of laying on of hands, except for the note of caution from Paul to Timothy in 1 Timothy 5:22. However, everything must be done “decently and in order” (1 Corinthians 14:40), so it is not appropriate to go about laying hands on people without authorisation of the church leadership.

If you feel that you have something to impart to someone, ask permission from someone in authority. This protects both you and the person you want to minister to. Also, given that the purpose of laying on hands is to either appoint someone to an office or impart some grace to another person, we can state a simple rule:

• If you have something from God to impart, then impart it.
• If you do not have something to impart, then wait until you do.

When is it appropriate to Lay on Hands?

Laying on of hands should be by agreement between the one giving and the one receiving.

This is normally an unspoken agreement. For instance, someone coming forward for healing will probably expect that hands will be laid on them.

However, it would not be appropriate to approach someone and lay hands on them to pray or prophesy without first asking the person’s permission to do so, unless you know the person well enough to know that they would be comfortable with you doing so.

We must always treat people with respect and not assume that, just because we have a gifting, everyone is just waiting for us to minister to them. Be discreet; be polite; be considerate. “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you”.

How Do We lay on Hands?

There is no scripturally approved technique for the laying on of hands, but simple common sense would dictate the following rules:

• Make sure that your hands are clean before you start.

• Treat the person with respect. Do not touch them in a way that would invade their personal space or occasion embarrassment. Either lay your hand or hands upon their head, or lightly hold their hands in yours.

• For ordination, lay hands on the person’s head.

• For healing, lay hands on the part of the body that needs healing. If the person being prayed for is of the opposite sex to you, enlist the help of someone of their sex to do the laying on of hands while you pray. If that is not possible, or the person does not want hands laid on that part of their body, ask them to lay their own hands on themselves.

• If oil is being used (James 5:14), ask the person’s permission, as they may not want to have oil in their hair or on their clothes.

• Do not be heavy-handed or pushy. If the person is going to fall under the power of the Spirit, let them fall. If they are not going to fall, do not push them.

We have mentioned laying on of hands in relation to the resurrection of the dead. For more on this vital subject, go on to the next article.