Laying On Of Hands: Blessing, Authority, Healing

Today I want to go into one of the less covered things, and that is the doctrine of laying on of hands. Incredibly this is listed as one of the foundational doctrines of the church.

Heb 6:1-2 Therefore let us leave the elementary teachings about Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death, and of faith in God, 2 instruction about baptisms, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment.

It is amazing that this is listed as one of the elementary, foundational doctrines of Christianity. What are we to understand by the laying on of hands?

Laying on of hands generally means one of three things.

1. The person laying hands may transmit spiritual blessing or authority or healing to the one on whom hands are laid.
2. The person laying hands may help transmit the baptism in the spirit or spiritual gifts
3. The person laying hands publicly commits to God the person for some special task or ministry.

At times all these three purposes may be combined in one and the same act. Let’s take a look at these one at a time.


I. IMPARTING BLESSING, AUTHORITY AND HEALING
A. OLD Testament Examples.

1. Jacob and Joseph’s sons.

Gen 48:14 But Israel reached out his right hand and put it on Ephraim's head, though he was the younger, and crossing his arms, he put his left hand on Manasseh's head, even though Manasseh was the firstborn.

This scripture shows that it was the accepted practice to transmit blessing through the laying on of hands. And that the greater blessing came through his right hand and the lesser blessing though the left. But the laying on of hands in the OT was one of transmitting blessing. We know that something spiritual happened because when Isaac blessed Jacob instead of Esau, he could not rescind it.


2. Moses and Joshua
Num 27:18-21So the LORD said to Moses, "Take Joshua son of Nun, a man in whom is the spirit, and lay your hand on him. 19 Have him stand before Eleazar the priest and the entire assembly and commission him in their presence. 20 Give him some of your authority so the whole Israelite community will obey him.

So Moses laid his hands on him and publicly acknowledged him as his successor, but something actually happened to Joshua as a result of this. We see this in.

Deut 34:9 Now Joshua son of Nun was filled with the spirit of wisdom because Moses had laid his hands on him. So the Israelites listened to him and did what the LORD had commanded Moses.

So here is something interesting. In this case it wasn’t so much a blessing that was transmitted to Joshua, but an impartation of wisdom and authority. Moses actually transmitted a measure of the spiritual wisdom he had obtained from God, and he publicly acknowledged God’s choice of Joshua as leader. Now, let’s take a look at this doctrine in the New Testament.

B. New Testament Examples:

Healing The Sick

Luke 8:42-46 As Jesus was on his way, the crowds almost crushed him. 43 And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years, but no one could heal her. 44 She came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak, and immediately her bleeding stopped.
45 "Who touched me?" Jesus asked. When they all denied it, Peter said, "Master, the people are crowding and pressing against you."
46 But Jesus said, "Someone touched me; I know that power has gone out from me."

Now a couple of things come to us from this scripture :

First, the anointing is tangible. It can be perceived. Jesus perceived that power or dunamis had gone out of him. So, if it came out of him, where did it go? It went into the woman to heal her.

Second notice that she didn't even touch him. She touched the edge of his cloak. Somehow the dunamis was transmitted through his clothing. Incredible you say, let's look at ......

Acts 19:11-12 God did extraordinary miracles through Paul, 12 so that even handkerchiefs and aprons that had touched him were taken to the sick, and their illnesses were cured and the evil spirits left them.

The anointing on Paul was even transmitted through cloth that had touched him! Lest you think this was something just for them....

Mark 16:17-18 And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; 18 they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well."

In the New Testament , we have see established the practice of laying on of hands to transmit power to heal. Here the laying of hands is a means for the physical healing for the sick.

James 5:14-15 Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. 15 And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up.

Now if there is this practice of anointing with oil, it would seem rather instinctive that hands would be laid on the person during its administration, but this may not be so.

We must remember it is not just the laying on of hands that heals. Faith is what makes this operative. Sometimes there may be a transfer of anointing, especially through those with the gift of healing, but God may heal with just an act of naked act of faith on the part of the person. Faith is the operative thing that leads to healing. Continued tomorrow...