ACD Series or Booklet: Part IV of VI

First Principles of the Christian Faith – Part IV

by Brian Knowles

he practice of laying on of hands has an antiquitous history. In Moses’ day, Israel offered animal sacrifices to God in the tabernacle. God himself instructed Moses in the correct procedures. He said, “Bring the bull to the front of the Tent of Meeting, and Aaron and his sons shall lay their hands on its head. Slaughter it in the Lord’s presence at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting...” (Exodus 29:10-11 NIV).

            Laying hands on the sacrificial animal’s head symbolically transferred the deeds and their effects of the one offering the sacrifice to the animal. The animal’s death represented the death of the individual. The priest would lean his hands on the animal’s head, between the horns. Similar instructions were given for sacrificing rams (verse 15).

            In Leviticus 3:2, 8 & 12, we find similar instructions concerning the sacrifice of goats. The sacrifice of animals was for the atonement of sins: “After the Levites lay their hands on the heads of the bulls, use the one for a sin offering to the Lord and the other for a burnt offering to make atonement for the Levites” (Numbers 8:12). Study also Leviticus 16:20-22 to see how the sins of the sins of the Israelites were transferred to the goat to be carried into the wilderness. 

Transfer of Authority

Not only were hands laid on the heads of sacrificial animals in ancient times, the ceremony was also used to transfer authority from one person, or group, to another: So the Lord said to Moses, ‘Take Joshua son of Nun, a man in whom is the spirit, and lay your hands on him. Have him stand before Eleazar the priest and the entire assembly and commission him in their presence. Give him some of your authority…” (Numbers 27:18-20).

            When God separated the Levites for special service to Him, He invoked the authority of the whole congregation: “Bring the Levites to the front of the Tent of Meeting and assemble to whole Israelite company. You are to bring the Levites before the Lord, and the Israelites are to lay their hands on them” (Numbers 8:9-10). The Levites were to represent the people, so the people formally consented to their commissioning. Laying on of hands is also for commissioning: “Moses did as the Lord commanded him. He took Joshua and had him stand before Eleazar the priest and the whole assembly. Then he laid his hands on him and commissioned him, as the Lord instructed through Moses” (Numbers 27:22 – 23).

            When Moses laid his hands on Joshua, it had a concrete result: “Now Joshua son of Nun was filled with the spirit of wisdom because Moses had laid his hands on him” (Deuteronomy 34:9).

Transfer of Power

The laying on of hands also represented a transfer of power – in some cases, for healing: “My little daughter is dying,” said a distressed father to Jesus, “Please come and put your hands on her so that she will be healed and live” (Mark 5:23). While Jesus was en route to lay hands on the little girl, a woman touched the hem of his garment – probably the tassel of his prayer shawl – and immediately “power” went out from him to heal the woman who was afflicted with “an issue of blood” (Mark 5:27-30). Spiritual power can be transferred by touch.

            After Saul’s conversion, at which time he was blinded by God (Acts 9:8), God sent a man named Ananias to lay hands on him: “The Lord told him, ‘Go to the house of Judas on Straight Street and ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul, for he is praying. In a vision he has seen a man named Ananias come and place his hands on him to restore his sight” (Acts 9:11-12).

            Ananias obeyed the Lord, went to the house, entered it, and found Saul. “Placing his hands on Saul, he said, ‘Brother Saul, the Lord – Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here – has sent me to that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit” (Acts 9:17). Once Ananias had laid hands on Saul, his sight was restored. Immediately he was baptized (verses 18-19).

            As most readers know, Saul’s name was changed to Paul and he became one of the Lord’s most effective apostles. Paul preached the Gospel to non-Jews all over the Roman Empire. His converts to the faith were many. Ministers with various talents and abilities were commissioned for service (Ephesians 4:11-13). Apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers were empowered to serve the Body the Lord was raising up to experience salvation and to preach the Gospel. They were commissioned by the elders. Writing to Timothy, one of the elders, Paul said, “Do not neglect your gift, which was given you through a prophetic message when the body of elders laid their hands on you” (I Timothy 4:14).

            Even today, in some churches, personal prophecies sometimes accompany the commissioning, ordination and sending out of ministers for service. This practice is by no means universal throughout the Church, but it does happen in some circles.

Receipt of Holy Spirit

Perhaps the most important function of the laying on of hands is for the receipt of the Holy Spirit which is the empowering aspect of Deity (Acts 1:8). Note Acts 8:12 in this regard: “Then Peter and John placed their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.” A man named Simon Magus was able to observe the visible transformation of those who received the Holy Spirit through the laying on of hands, and he sought to buy the ability to do it himself: “When Simon saw that the Spirit was given at the laying on of hands, he offered them [Peter & John] money and said, ‘Give me also this ability so that everyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit” (Acts 8:18). Peter’s response was quick and to the point: “May your money perish with you, because you thought you could buy the gift of God with money! You have no part or share in this ministry, because your heart is not right before God. Repent of this wickedness and pray to the Lord. Perhaps he will forgive you for having such a thought in your heart. For I see that you are full of bitterness and captive to sin” (Acts 8:20-23).

            One can only impart to another what one first has oneself.

Paul at Ephesus

The apostle Paul happened to be passing through the town of Ephesus. When he arrived there, he came across some disciples of the Lord. In the course of his conversation with them, he asked them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” (Acts 19:1). Remarkably they replied, “No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit” (verse 2).

            Paul then asked about the nature of their baptism. They responded that they had experienced “the baptism of John” – that is, the Baptist (verse 3). Paul explained that “John’s baptism was a baptism of repentance. He told the people to believe in the one coming after him, that is, Jesus” (verse 4).

            Paul immediately knew that he needed to lay hands upon them: “When Paul placed his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied. There were about twelve men in all” (verses 5-7). The results were obvious and visible. It was clear that what the twelve experienced was of a supernatural nature.

            The impartation of the Holy Spirit comes, not by water baptism, but through the laying on of hands of one who already possesses the Spirit. Sometimes there is a clear manifestation of new spiritual power, at other times it is not visible until later.

Summary       

We see then the laying on of hands symbolizes or represents the transference of something from one person to another person or from a person to a sacrificial animal. It plays a role in empowerment, atonement, ordination and commissioning, or in the impartation of the Holy Spirit. Jesus laid hands on those he wished to heal. On one occasion, Jesus reached out and touched a man with leprosy, and the man was immediately cleansed of it (Matthew 8:1-3).

            A little later, Jesus found Peter’s mother-in-law sick with a fever. He touched her hand with his and the fever left her (Matthew 8:14-15).

            The power of Jesus’ touch, or simply of touching his garment, was again demonstrated at Gennesaret: “And when the men of the place recognized Jesus, they sent word to all the surrounding country. People brought all their sick to him and begged him to let the sick just touch the edge of his cloak, and all who touched him were healed” (Matthew 14:35-36).

            On the Isle of Patmos, where the apostle John received the visions of the Book of Revelation, the same Jesus whom he had “handled” or touched when he was in the flesh (I John 1:1) returned the favor by laying his hand on John, reviving and strengthening him to receive the disturbing visions of the Apocalypse (Revelation 1:17). The touch of our Lord is still available to his people in this time. If we want it, we must seek it. When we receive it, we too may lay hands upon others whose hearts are right, that they too might be empowered by the Presence of the Lord (Acts 3:19 KJV), or healed or commissioned. God gives his Spirit to those of us who are willing to obey him (Acts 5:32).