Laying On of Hands

“Laying on of hands” is one of the foundational teachings listed in Hebrews 6:1-3.

“Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection;
not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God,
of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead,
and of eternal judgement.”

Throughout scripture the hand is considered very important. It is the extension of a person himself. It is in his hands that man brings gifts to give to others or brings sacrifices to God. God speaks of His active power in the earth as His hands. (Isaiah 66:1-2) When we sing praises about what God has accomplished on the earth, we talk about what His hands have done. (Ps. 118:15-16) In scripture, the right hand in particular always contained the greater blessing. Following are some of the reasons that “laying on of hands” are important:

1. The hands are the vehicle of blessing. To lay your hands upon something is to transfer what you are to the thing on which you lay your hands. Aaron lifted his hands toward the people to bless them in Lev. 9:22. A father would pass on his strength and authority by imparting his own personal blessing along with that of God through the laying on of hands. Genesis Chapter 27 records for us the period of time when Isaac blessed his sons Jacob and Esau. The blessing for each child was specific, with the first-born receiving the greater blessing from Isaac’s right hand – which is why Jacob went to such great lengths to deceive Isaac…. He wanted the greater blessing from the right hand that was reserved for the first-born..

2. A superior imparts blessing to another by laying hands upon him and praying or prophesying. We have an example of this in Deuteronomy when Moses laid hands upon Joshua. Joshua was changed when Moses laid his hands upon him. He had something he did not have before – the spirit of wisdom…... “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” (Deut. 34:9). Also, we read in the book of Acts that the apostles laid hands upon Stephen, Philip, Procorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas from Antioch to set them apart for ministry…. “whom they set before the apostles; and when they had prayed, they laid their hands on them.” (Acts 6:6) And Paul and Barnabas were also sent out after hands had been laid on them. (Acts 13:3)

3. The Gift of the Spirit, a.k.a. Baptism in the Spirit is shown to be imparted through the “laying on of hands”. Of the five recorded instances where believers received the Baptism in the Holy Spirit in the book of Acts, three clearly indicate that this was conferred by the “laying on of hands”. (Acts 8:14-17, Acts 9:17, Acts 19:6) By the time of the first century, laying on of hands and the giving of the Spirit were solidly connected…. “And when Simon saw that through laying on of the apostle’s hands the Holy Spirit was given, he offered them money, saying, Give me also this power, that on whomsoever I lay hands, he may receive the Holy Ghost. But Peter said unto him, Thy money perish with thee, because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money. ” (Acts 8:18-20)

4. Healing is imparted through the laying on of hands…. “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 4:40) In Acts 28:8, we read: “Publius’ father was sick in bed, suffering from a fever and dysentery. Paul went in to see him and, after prayer, placed his hands on him, and healed him. (Acts 28:8)

5. “Spiritual Gifts” are imparted through the laying on of hands. “Do not neglect your gift, which was given you through a prophetic message, when the body of elders laid their hands on you.” (I Tim. 4:14) “For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands.” (2 Tim. 1:6)

In summary, laying on of hands is seen throughout both the Old and New Testaments as a means of imparting blessing, whether it be healing, restoration, spiritual gifting, the receiving of the Spirit, or setting apart for ministry.

When we lay hands on someone, we should know that God has first given us something to pass on. We should seek to know the Will of God for any given situation. When Peter and John healed the beggar by the temple gate in Acts 3:1-9, the Holy Spirit caused them to know that He would work through them to impart strength and healing. They were to act as stewards for God. They knew what God wanted for this man, and they spoke to him words of faith which he was able to receive. The gift God had for the beggar was to come through their hands and through their words of faith. They were acting under God’s authority, giving what they had been given for this purpose.

There is a warning given by Paul to Timothy in 1 Timothy 5:21,22 -- “I charge you in the sight of God and Christ Jesus and the elect angels, to keep these instructions without partiality, and to do nothing out of favoritism. Do not be hasty in the laying on of hands, and do not share in the sins of others. Keep yourself pure.” There is real spiritual power in the laying on of hands, and it should be done with purpose, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit.