Doctrine of Laying on of Hands
The doctrine of the laying on of hands speaks to the authority and rule the Lord sets in His church and the appointment of leaders who feed and care for the sheep. Laying on of hands is a symbol for preaching and teaching the Gospel and showing people the more perfect way of Christ.
Many examples show how the baptism of water and the Spirit are given to new disciples by the established ones who have walked before them. The Lord raises Apostles and elders, making them his ministers and preachers, who preach the Gospel and bring about both baptisms in their appointed times. The greater works of God are preaching the Gospel that raises the dead, heals the sick, and opens blind eyes and deaf ears to those the Lord has prepared. A preacher must be sent to preach the words of Living fire, the Gospel that works these spiritual baptisms.
Rom 10:14 How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?
Rom 10:15 And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!
We saw Apollos’s example above when speaking about baptisms. When Aquilla and Pricilla laid their hands on Apollos, he then received the Holy Spirit. Similar examples are shown in the Acts of the Apostles, who do the laying on of hands, being the firstfruits unto God. We see Paul go to Ephesus, where again, many disciples are met who only have John’s baptism and are unaware that there is something else they are to receive. Similar to the event with Apollos, Paul laid hands on them and they received the Holy Spirit.
Act 19:1 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,
Act 19:2 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.
Act 19:3 And he said unto them, Unto what then were ye baptized? And they said, Unto John’s baptism.
Act 19:4 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.
Act 19:5 When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.
Act 19:6 And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied.
Act 19:7 And all the men were about twelve.
The Scriptures read as if these happened instantly, but they are a parable. The laying on of hands speaks to preaching and teaching the Gospel and imparting the Spirit and power of the Words of Christ to those given to hear our words and see our example. This imparting and teaching takes some time, and then we continue to tarry until the Lord comes. The timing is all in the Father’s hand, as only He knows the day and the hour the Promise is appointed to come.
Another example of laying on of hands is Timothy, a mighty labourer with Paul in the Gospel. Timothy received the Holy Spirit, the baptism of Christ by the laying on of hands by Paul and the other elders. It is how the gift of the Holy Spirit is given to others by those who themselves were first raised for this very purpose. It is how the church of the Living God is built.
1Ti 4:14 Neglect not the gift [the Promise, the Holy Spirit] that is in thee, which was given thee by prophecy, with the laying on of the hands of the presbytery.
Only the Apostles and the elders whom the Lord has anointed and sends forth can perform the laying on of hands. The Lord sets the rule and authority in the church and appoints some to perform the greater works that feed, guard, and wash the flock of God.
Eph 4:11 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;
Eph 4:12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:
Eph 4:13 Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:
Those waiting for the Promise are under the rule and guidance of the Apostles and elders who sincerely care for them, feeding them, washing them with the water of the Word, and praying with them and for them until Jesus Christ is formed in them. Christ through His Christ stays with them, being patient and longsuffering with them, until they are born again of the water and the Spirit. The Apostles and elders become their spiritual parents, fathers, and mothers by whom the children of God are born and raised to maturity, just as it is done in natural. We are to respect and submit to our parents in the Lord just as we would in the natural.
Gal 4:19 My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you,
1Jn 2:1 My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:
Those who lay on hands, meaning preach and teach, are to be obeyed as the Lord has set them in the church. Any disobedience to them is disobedience to the Lord as they are the risen Christ sent to heal us. The Lord is well pleased when we do, and the result is blessing.
Eph 6:1 Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right.
Eph 6:2 Honour thy father and mother; (which is the first commandment with promise;)
Eph 6:3 That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth.
Honoring thy father and mother was the fifth of the Ten Commandments given to Moses and also came with the promise of a long life.
Exo 20:12 Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.
This commandment to honour those the Lord has set over us who also begot us into the Gospel comes with the promise of long life. “Long life” is a parable in both cases and speaks about the blessing of eternal life rather than one’s physical lifespan. Eternal life is indeed long, but more important than the duration of time, this speaks to a greater truth that we now know the Lord, which is the coming of the Promise. The benefits and call to tarry together in Jerusalem, being subject to those the Lord has set to rule in the church, is vitally important to one’s salvation.
Joh 17:3 And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.
Those who judge in the flesh do not recognize Jesus Christ in His anointed ones and miss their hour of visitation, not being ready by learning these essential doctrines. We have thousands of instructors in Christ as we search for the truth, but few fathers beget us through preaching the Gospel. We are to honor those who lay their hands on us and bring us the Gospel of Promise.
1Co 4:15 For though ye have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet have ye not many fathers: for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel.
1Co 4:16 Wherefore I beseech you, be ye followers of me.
Our overcoming of sin, being healed spiritually, comes forth from the laying on of hands, the teaching, preaching, and correction in the way of the Lord’s commandments. Christ sends out His chosen ones, His anointed, also known as the Elect, given the Spirit, to do these greater works of healing the sick, raising the dead, opening eyes and ears, and preaching the Gospel.
Mar 16:18 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.
Mat 11:5 The blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them.
If we read with spiritual eyes and ears, we see the greater works of the Lord, the healing and raising of people from death all over, being done by the laying of hands by the apostles and elders in the church.
Act 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.
Anointing one with oil in the Spirit is the same as laying hands on them. It is putting the living word, the Spirit of the Lord, onto the wounds and bodies of those suffering from spiritual sickness and death.
Jas 5:14 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:
Jas 5:15 And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him.
By the laying on of hands by Christ and His Christ, the Apostles of God, others are raised from spiritual death into newness of life. The parables of the Scriptures hide this, but those with eyes to see understand. Christ and His Christ, speaking the commandments to arise and come forth, raise people from the spiritually dead when their ears hear the Word of the Lord.
The Apostles and elders have a duty to guard the flock and be faithful watchmen. They are to discern who enters the assembly and worships with the sheep. Exercising discernment requires us to know who the Lord has prepared to hear the Gospel and who is not prepared by the Lord. We know them by their fruits. The elders must not be too quick to preach the Gospel to those unprepared to hear it.
1Ti 5:22 Lay hands suddenly on no man, neither be partaker of other men’s sins: keep thyself pure
Mat 7:6 Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you.
The negative aspect of laying on of hands supports the positive aspect we covered above. When deceivers lay their hands on us, they are speaking accusing and excusing carnal [evil] thoughts to us, and if we take the bait and engage with them, we are put into a prison of the flesh. This is the bondage we have been delivered from, after the Promise comes, and we are not to answer them back or engage in the manner of the carnal mind.
Luk 20:19 And the chief priests and the scribes the same hour sought to lay hands on him; and they feared the people: for they perceived that he had spoken this parable against them.
Luk 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.
Christ’s example was our example to follow. Christ either answered them not, or if He did speak, He gave them a commandment.