This is Part Two of our series on the Elementary Teachings of Christ. See Part One here.
Hebrews 6:1-2 1 Therefore, leaving the discussion of the elementary principles of Christ, let us go on to perfection, not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God,
2 of the doctrine of baptisms, of laying on of hands, of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment.
Laying on of Hands
Laying on of hands is a practice that goes back to the Old Testament. Its purpose is to create a point of contact between a person or persons and something else. That “something else” could be just about anything – other people, animals, or inanimate objects.
Laying on of hands is almost always connected with praying for the person (or thing!) who is getting hands laid on them.
Often that touch is used in order to transfer something in the spirit. Another word used for this is impartation.
There is also the common, non spiritual meaning of taking hold of something or grabbing.
Transfer of Guilt
OT: the priests laid their hand on animals that were to be offered up as sacrifices for sin, and confessed the sins of Israel.
Leviticus 16:21 21 Aaron shall lay both his hands on the head of the live goat, confess over it all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their transgressions, concerning all their sins, putting them on the head of the goat, and shall send it away into the wilderness by the hand of a suitable man.
Usually a pair of goats was involved; one was offered up as a sacrifice, and the other was allowed to “escape” – it’s where our term scapegoat comes from, which is someone who is made to take the blame for something that another did.
So in this particular instance of laying on of hands, the thing that was transferred was the guilt for sins. God established the precedent that a substitute could be presented in our place.
Now of course in the New Testament we no longer have this practice; the reason being is that Jesus acted both as the lamb without blemish that was offered as a sacrifice, and the scapegoat who bore our sins to a faraway place.
Commissioning and Ordination
In the Bible, laying on of hands is often associated with the ordination or commissioning of individuals for specific roles or tasks. Leaders, such as priests, were consecrated through the laying on of hands, symbolizing the transfer of authority and responsibility.
Numbers 27:22-23 22 So Moses did as the Lord commanded him. He took Joshua and set him before Eleazar the priest and before all the congregation.
23 And he laid his hands on him and inaugurated him, just as the Lord commanded by the hand of Moses.
Here is a New Testament example:
Acts 13:1-4 1 Now in the church that was at Antioch there were certain prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul.
2 As they ministered to the Lord and fasted, the Holy Spirit said, “Now separate to Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.”
3 Then, having fasted and prayed, and laid hands on them, they sent them away.
4 So, being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went down to Seleucia, and from there they sailed to Cyprus.
We see in verse 1 that Saul and Barnabas were among those called “prophets and teachers”. The Holy Spirit said (which would have been through one of those mentioned as a prophet” to separate Paul and Barnabas for a special work. This was their calling to be apostles, or sent ones. They prayed, fasted, and laid hands on them to commission them to the work.
Healing and Miracles
Another common use of laying on of hands is for healing and performing miracles. Jesus and his disciples frequently laid hands on the sick to bring about healing. This practice is seen as a channel for the transfer of divine power and grace.
It was so common in Jesus’ ministry that people associated His touch with healing.
Mark 5:22-23 22 And behold, one of the rulers of the synagogue came, Jairus by name. And when he saw Him, he fell at His feet
23 and begged Him earnestly, saying, “My little daughter lies at the point of death. Come and lay Your hands on her, that she may be healed, and she will live.”
While Jesus was on the way to Jairus’ house, this occurred:
Mark 5:25-29 25 Now a certain woman had a flow of blood for twelve years,
26 and had suffered many things from many physicians. She had spent all that she had and was no better, but rather grew worse.
27 When she heard about Jesus, she came behind Him in the crowd and touched His garment.
28 For she said, “If only I may touch His clothes, I shall be made well.”
29 Immediately the fountain of her blood was dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of the affliction.
In Luke 13:13 we have the woman who was bowed over. Jesus laid hands on her, and her back was straightened.
Laying on of hands for healing was not just for Jesus and the apostles. It is part of the Great Commission, for all believers.
Mark 16:15-18 15 And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.
16 He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.
17 And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues;
18 they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.”
Impartation of Blessings
Laying on of hands is also used to impart blessings or spiritual gifts. Parents, leaders, and prophets would lay hands on individuals to bless them or to confer specific gifts of the Holy Spirit, such as wisdom, knowledge, or prophecy.
The word translated “blessing” in the New Testament is eulogia, from which we get our word eulogy. It literally means to speak well of.
The patriarchs placed great value on the blessed, which was imparted by laying on of hands and prophecy. In Genesis 27 we can read the story where Jacob conned his father Isaac (at his mother’s direction) to obtain the blessing of the firstborn in place of his older brother Esau.
The blessing was more that just saying nice things about a person. They were prophetic words that governed the direction of a person’s life. Those words came to pass.
Jacob himself, renamed Israel in his old age and reunited with his son Joseph who had become second in command in Egypt, when it came time for him to die prophesied over two sons of Joseph. He laid his hands on them (Genesis 48). In Genesis 49 he called his twelve sons together, and prophesied and spoke a blessing over them.
Jesus’ touch was most often associated with imparting healing. But here is another occasion where he laid hands on children and prayed to impart a blessing.
Matthew 19:13-15 13 Then little children were brought to Him that He might put His hands on them and pray, but the disciples rebuked them.
14 But Jesus said, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of heaven.”
15 And He laid His hands on them and departed from there.
President Trump on more than one occasion met with church leaders, who surrounded him, laid hands on him, and prayed and prophesied over him. Like Solomon, what he was after was wisdom to lead the country.
I read about a humorous incident where President Trump was present at a National Prayer Breakfast that was hosted by a more traditional group of Christians. At one point the person leading said they were going to pray for the President; they expected that he would remain where he was and everybody would bow their heads and be led in prayer. But Present Trump got up from his seat and went to the front, because he was so used to people laying hands on him that that is what he expected they were going to do.
Receiving the Holy Spirit
In the New Testament, the laying on of hands is associated with the receiving of the Holy Spirit. This is particularly evident in the Book of Acts, where believers received the Holy Spirit through the laying on of hands after their conversion.
Acts 19:1-6 1 And it happened, while Apollos was at Corinth, that Paul, having passed through the upper regions, came to Ephesus. And finding some disciples
2 he said to them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” So they said to him, “We have not so much as heard whether there is a Holy Spirit.”
3 And he said to them, “Into what then were you baptized?” So they said, “Into John’s baptism.”
4 Then Paul said, “John indeed baptized with a baptism of repentance, saying to the people that they should believe on Him who would come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus.”
5 When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.
6 And when Paul had laid hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke with tongues and prophesied.
Setting Apart for Service:
The laying on of hands is used to set individuals apart for specific service or ministry. This act is a solemn recognition of a person’s calling or consecration for a particular task within the community.
This is closely coupled with laying on of hands for commissioning and ordination. Commissioning and ordination has to do with a calling and setting apart for an office, whereas this is for consecrating for a special work or service.
In the example we gave previously in Acts 13 where Paul and Barnabas are sent out, they were being called for a work of service. And although Saul/Paul is not called an apostle there, from then on Luke refers to him as the Apostle Paul.
Resurrection of the Dead
There are examples of people being raised from the dead in both the Old and New Testaments
- Elijah raises the widow’s son (1 Kings 17:17-24)
- Elisha’s bones raise a dead soldier (2 Kings 13:21)
- Jesus raises Jairus’ daughter (Mark 5:22-24; 35-43)
- Jesus interrupts a funeral and raises the widow’s son (Luke 7:11-16)
- Jesus raises Lazarus (John 11:1-45)
- Peter prays for and raises Tabitha/Dorcas from the dead (Acts 9:36-42)
But these are not resurrections as spoken of here. One characteristic of them all is that the dead ones had not been dead for a long time. The longest was Lazarus, who had been dead four days.
These people who were raised, died again at some time. So in some way, their death had not “settled”.
Hebrews 9:27 27 And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment,
Jesus referred to both Jairus’ daughter and Lazarus as only sleeping, and that He was going to awaken them.
I have heard testimonies of people who died, went to heaven and saw Jesus, but He tells them their time was not done on earth and they returned. I expect that was the case with these people, and they would be classified as “not dead but sleeping”.
Resurrection of the dead speaks more of an eternal resurrection, and the receiving of new bodies that never die again.
Both the Old and New Testaments speak of life after death, and a heavenly home. But the physical resurrection of the body for all eternity is more of a New Testament concept.
It is hinted at in the Old Testament, however.
Job 19:25-27 25 For I know that my Redeemer lives, And He shall stand at last on the earth;
26 And after my skin is destroyed, this I know, That in my flesh I shall see God,
27 Whom I shall see for myself, And my eyes shall behold, and not another. How my heart yearns within me!
1 Corinthians 15:22-26 22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive.
23 But each one in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, afterward those who are Christ’s at His coming.
24 Then comes the end, when He delivers the kingdom to God the Father, when He puts an end to all rule and all authority and power.
25 For He must reign till He has put all enemies under His feet.
26 The last enemy that will be destroyed is death.
Death – both physical and spiritual – entered in through the fall. Verse 22 alludes to this, in that in Adam all men die (read the whole of 1 Corinthians 15 as it has more to say about this). Death is one of the strongholds the devil has had over the human race.
Hebrews 2:14-15 14 Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil,
15 and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.
Spiritual death has already been dealt with through the New Birth of the believer. We are made new in the spirit.
The last enemy that will be destroyed is physical death. Death will be undone when we are given new physical bodies that don’t grow tired or old, that are not subject to sickness and weakness. That don’t need food to sustain them (although they can still eat for fellowship and enjoyment). Disabilities will disappear. Youth will be renewed (I’ve heard testimonies of those that have seen heaven that everybody appeared to be in their early 30’s. This of course is the age Jesus was when He died).
1 Corinthians 15:39-55 39 All flesh is not the same flesh, but there is one kind of flesh of men, another flesh of animals, another of fish, and another of birds.
40 There are also celestial bodies and terrestrial bodies; but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another.
41 There is one glory of the sun, another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for one star differs from another star in glory.
42 So also is the resurrection of the dead. The body is sown in corruption, it is raised in incorruption.
43 It is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness, it is raised in power.
44 It is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body.
45 And so it is written, “The first man Adam became a living being.” The last Adam became a life-giving spirit.
46 However, the spiritual is not first, but the natural, and afterward the spiritual.
47 The first man was of the earth, made of dust; the second Man is the Lord from heaven.
48 As was the man of dust, so also are those who are made of dust; and as is the heavenly Man, so also are those who are heavenly.
49 And as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly Man.
50 Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does corruption inherit incorruption.
51 Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed–
52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.
54 So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.”
55 “O Death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory?”
Vs. 49 tells us, “as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly Man”. One of the things I’ve though of and speculated about is the abilities Jesus exhibited after His resurrection. For one thing, travel. He could just be places, like inside a room with closed doors. He met the disciples in Jerusalem, and later in Galilee. Will we have the same ability to travel instantaneously like that? I think probably so. We are told that in the Millenium, we will live in the New Jerusalem, but we will also be aiding with the ruling of nations. So there must be an efficient way to “commute”.
Eternal Judgment
One thing to understand is that it is not only believers that will be resurrected – every human being will. And that leads us into our last elementary teaching.
I covered this subject in great detail on my post Eternal Judgment
