Laying on of Hands

Hebrews 6:1-2 AMP  THEREFORE LET us go on and get past the elementary stage in the teachings and doctrine of Christ (the Messiah), advancing steadily toward the completeness and perfection that belong to spiritual maturity. Let us not again be laying the foundation of repentance and abandonment of dead works (dead formalism) and of the faith [by which you turned] to God,  (2)  With teachings about purifying, the laying on of hands, the resurrection from the dead, and eternal judgment and punishment. [These are all matters of which you should have been fully aware long, long ago.]

•              How many of you are still in Elementary School? Of course not!
•             This doctrine or teaching is a fundamental.  You build on foundation, you don’t forget & leave it behind.

Used for Blessing  (With prophetic element)

Genesis 48:14-16 KJV  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.  (15)  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,  (16)  The Angel which redeemed me from all evil, bless the lads; and let my name be named on them, and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac; and let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth.

•             This is an Old Testament example of how the blessing was passed on.
•             Hands are important!

Impartation of Authority and Honor

Numbers 27:18-20 KJV  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;  (19)  And set him before Eleazar the priest, and before all the congregation; and give him a charge in their sight.  (20)  And thou shalt put some of thine honour upon him, that all the congregation of the children of Israel may be obedient.

Deuteronomy 34:9 KJV  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.

Joshua had something after hands were laid on him that he didn’t have before!

• The spirit of wisdom was imparted by Moses laying hands on Joshua.
• Notice that he already had “the spirit.”
• You don’t get everything God has at once!

Acts 6:5-6 KJV  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:  (6)  Whom they set before the apostles: and when they had prayed, they laid their hands on them.

• Not every instance of laying on of hands is for ordination into the ministry.
• Here Stephen was set apart for service in waiting on people in serving food.

 Transfer of Sins to Scapegoat

2 Chronicles 29:23 KJV  And they brought forth the he goats for the sin offering before the king and the congregation; and they laid their hands upon them:

• Here and many places in Leviticus is an example of sins being “transferred” to the scapegoat . . .
• You don’t want just anyone putting their hands on you!
• 1 Timothy 5:22 KJV  Lay hands suddenly on no man, neither be partaker of other men’s sins: keep thyself pure.

 Jesus Imparts Blessing Through Prayer and Laying on of Hands

Matthew 19:13-15 KJV  Then were there brought unto him little children, that he should put his hands on them, and pray: and the disciples rebuked them.  (14)  But Jesus said, Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven.  (15)  And he laid his hands on them, and departed thence.

•  People recognized that there was something special about Jesus touching them.
• I want you to notice that in each of these examples from Scripture that someone in authority has done the laying on of hands.
• Whether it was a leader/prophet like Moses or a grandfather like Israel or as we shall see a group of church leaders

Hebrews 7:7 KJV  And without all contradiction the less is blessed of the better.

“The blessing here spoken of,” says Dr. Macknight, “is not the simple wishing of good to others, which may be done by inferiors to superiors; but it is the action of a person authorized to declare God’s intention to bestow good things on another. In this manner Isaac and Jacob blessed their children under a prophetic impulse; in this manner the priests under the law blessed the people; in this manner, likewise, Melchisedec, the priest of the most high God, blessed Abraham.”                                               Adam Clarke’s Commentary on the Bible

 

Faith Plays a Role in Receiving

Mark 6:5-6 KJV  And he could there do no mighty work, save that he laid his hands upon a few sick folk, and healed them.  (6)  And he marvelled because of their unbelief. And he went round about the villages, teaching.

• Faith plays a major role in what you receive by laying on of hands.
• In this case Jesus Himself was the one doing the laying on of hands and unbelief kept the people from receiving!
• You can always teach the Word.  This is the only way to get the faith level up anyway.

 Healing is Ministered Through the Laying on of Hands

Luke 4:40 KJV  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 13:11-13 KJV  And, behold, there was a woman which had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bowed together, and could in no wise lift up herself. . . . And he laid his hands on her: and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God.

Mark 16:18 KJV  . . . they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.

 

Baptism in the Holy Ghost Ministered Through the Laying on of Hands

Acts 8:15-19 KJV  Who, when they were come down, prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Ghost:  (16)  (For as yet he was fallen upon none of them: only they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.)  (17)  Then laid they their hands on them, and they received the Holy Ghost.  (18)  And when Simon saw that through laying on of the apostles’ hands the Holy Ghost was given, he offered them money,  (19)  Saying, Give me also this power, that on whomsoever I lay hands, he may receive the Holy Ghost.

Acts 19:5-6 KJV  When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.  (6)  And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied.

• Not only did they speak with tongues, they also prophesied!
• When they Holy Ghost came on them.
• (They were already saved or they wouldn’t have been baptized)

Acts 13:2-3 KJV  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.  (3)  And when they had fasted and prayed, and laid their hands on them, they sent them away.

It is remarkable that the imposition of hands in the ordaining of elders was not used among the ancient Jews, probably never under the first temple; and rarely, if ever, under the second. See Lightfoot on this place. The Church at Antioch, however, did depart from this custom: they put their hands on the heads of Barnabas and Saul; thus designating them to be the persons whom they, under the direction of the Holy Spirit, sent to preach the Gospel of Christ to the heathen.

Adam Clarke’s Commentary on the Bible

Not ordination to the ministry, but a solemn consecration to the great missionary task to which the Holy Spirit had called them. . . . Clearly Barnabas and Saul had to finance the tour themselves.

Archibald Thomas Robertson; WORD PICTURES IN THE NEW TESTAMENT

Special Ministry Endowments Imparted

1 Timothy 4:14 KJV  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 AMP  Do not neglect the gift which is in you, [that special inward endowment] which was directly imparted to you [by the Holy Spirit] by prophetic utterance when the elders laid their hands upon you [at your ordination].

Gifts From God Were Imparted When Paul Laid His Hands On Timothy!

2 Timothy 1:6 KJV  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.

2 Timothy 1:6 AMP  That is why I would remind you to stir up (rekindle the embers of, fan the flame of, and keep burning) the [gracious] gift of God, [the inner fire] that is in you by means of the laying on of my hands [with those of the elders at your ordination].

Inner Fire through the laying on of hands

• Paul imparted something to Timothy

Romans 1:11 KJV  For I long to see you, that I may impart unto you some spiritual gift, to the end ye may be established;

 

Something supernatural takes place when hands are laid on you.

• Impartation may take place.
• Activation of gifts you may have already received.
• Healing
• The transfer of anointing
• Supernatural abilities.
• While we can receive a general blessing from any believer there is something special when someone with divine authorization does the laying on of hands.
• Sometimes spiritual authority may authorize someone temporarily, by direction of the Holy Spirit, to do the laying on of hands.
• Faith is always part of it.  Hunger and thirst are key roles as well.

Be ready to receive from God when hands are laid on you.

Make it a point of contact, that the moment hands are laid on me I will receive something from God.