THE FIFTH FOUNDATIONAL PRINCIPLE of Jesus Christ is the laying on of hands. The laying on of hands is a spiritual tool that can release the power of God into people’s lives.
Throughout his ministry, Jesus laid hands on people.
“Then little children were brought to Him that He might put His hands on them and pray… and He laid His hands on them” (Matt. 19:13-15). Jesus blessed these children. “And He took them up in His arms, laid His hands on them, and blessed them” (Mark 10:16).
Jesus laid hands on the sick to heal them. One day a leper came to Jesus and asked if he was willing to heal him.
“Then Jesus put out His hand and touched him, saying, ‘I am willing; be cleansed.’ Immediately his leprosy was cleansed” (Matt. 8:3).
After this Jesus went into Peter’s house.
“Now when Jesus had come into Peter’s house, He saw his wife’s mother lying sick with a fever. So He touched her hand, and the fever left her” (Matt. 8:14-15a).
In the evening of the same day, Jesus healed many people.
When evening had come, they brought to Him many who were demon-possessed. And He cast out the spirits with a word, and healed all who were sick, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying: “He Himself took our infirmities and bore our sicknesses.” (Matt. 8:16-17)
Jesus healed all who were sick in Capernaum. Luke tells us they were healed through the laying on of hands.
When the sun was setting, all those who had any that were sick with various diseases brought them to Him; and He laid His hands on every one of them and healed them. (Luke 4:40)
When Jesus laid hands on people, he released spiritual power. This spiritual power brought physical transformation to sick bodies.
Healing Brought by Jesus
Jesus’ healing miracles fulfilled a prophecy from Isaiah chapter 53, quoted in Matthew 8:17.
Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed. (Isa. 53:4-5)
Around 700 BC, Isaiah prophesied that Christ would die for the sins of the world. All our sins would be laid upon him, God’s wrath would fall upon him, and he would die in our place. In this way he would take away our sins and all the evil results of sin.
Isaiah 53:4 says that Christ would take our griefs and sorrows (NKJV). These Hebrew words, choli and makob, refer to sicknesses and diseases. The apostle Matthew, quoting this same verse from Isaiah, translates these words as infirmities and sicknesses (Matt. 8:17). This is the correct translation, given by God himself by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.
The Hebrew word choli,used 24 times in the Old Testament, is almost always translated sickness or disease. It ought to be translated as such in Isa. 53:4. The Hebrew word makob occurs 16 times in the Old Testament. This word can be translated as either pain or sorrow. Matthew, through his Greek translation, confirms that these Hebrew words refer to physical sicknesses.
Christ’s redemption is complete. His blood is sufficient to resolve all evil that humanity faces, including sickness, disease, pain, sorrow, or depression. Everything can be healed by Christ, because he took sin away.. With the root of evil gone, sin’s branches will all fall down.
Appropriating the Victory of Christ
Someone might say, “Wait a minute. If Jesus came to take away our sicknesses, then why do we still get sick?”
This can be answered by asking another question: If Jesus died on the cross for our sins, then why do we still sin?
Jesus paid the price to take all our sins away, but we’re not yet experiencing the full victory over sin. In the same way, Jesus is able to take all our sicknesses away, but we still get sick. But as we grow spiritually, we will experience increasing victory over sin and all its evil results in our lives.
When we get sick, we don’t need to be overwhelmed. There is victory in Christ, and he can heal us. But even if we don’t experience victory the way we would like, God is so powerful that he can bring some kind of good out of any kind of evil.
“And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose” (Rom. 8:28).
The Disciples Lay Hands on the Sick
Jesus healed the sick through the laying on of hands, and he commanded his disciples to heal the sick through the laying on of hands.
“And as you go, preach, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ Heal the sick” (Matt. 10:7-8a).
“Lay hands on the sick, and they will recover” (Mark 16:18b).
Miraculous healings are part of the growth of the kingdom of God upon the earth.
“Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father” (John 14:12).
Throughout the book of Acts, believers laid hands on sick people and healed them.
“The father of Publius lay sick of a fever and dysentery. Paul went in to him and prayed, and he laid his hands on him and healed him” (Acts 28:8).
Laying on of Hands for Fellowship
The laying on of hands does more than heal sick bodies, it reveals the importance of the body of Christ.
Saul, who became Paul, met Jesus on the Damascus road and his life was transformed. But Saul needed more than a revelation of Jesus to fulfill his calling. He also needed a revelation of the body of Christ. That’s why God sent a brother named Ananias to lay hands on him. Nothing else is said in the Bible about Ananias. But Ananias was important because he represented the body of Christ to Saul. When Ananias laid hands on Saul, his eyes were healed, and he was filled with the Holy Spirit.
The laying on of hands reminds us that God’s power is within his people, and that none of us can accomplish God’s plans apart from the church. We are not called to live the Christian life as individuals. We need each other to reach our full potential in God.
“For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ” (1 Cor. 12:12).
The laying on of hands is a sign that we are connected to our brothers and sisters in the family of God. When one believer lays hands on another by the leading of God, the awesome spiritual power within the body of Christ operates.
God’s Church Pattern
The laying on of hands is a special ministry of the church. In order to understand this ministry, we must first understand church.
Church is not a building. Neither Jesus nor his apostles told anyone to build a “church” building, and for the first three centuries of Christianity, not one such building was constructed. Church is not a denomination. Jesus prayed that all his disciples would be one (John 17:21), and Paul specifically forbad the creation of denominations (1 Cor. 1:11-13).
The most basic expression of church in the New Testament is the house church. House churches are mentioned in Acts 2:46, Rom. 16:3-5, 1 Cor. 16:19, Col. 4:15, Philemon 2, and in other verses. In house churches, believers met together regularly, ate common meals, supported each other, and had participatory meetings.
In the New Testament, all the house churches in a city were part of the church in that city. In each city there were possibly hundreds of believers, and these believers were part of different house churches scattered throughout each city. (See for example Rom. 16:5,14,15.)
All Christians all over the world are part of the church all over the world. This vast worldwide church is the body of Christ.
We need to understand God’s definition of church if we are going to be part of church as God intends. We are under no obligation to be a part of church as defined by man. But we are obligated to be part of church as defined by God.
Laying on of Hands for the Baptism of the Holy Spirit
The laying on of hands can heal the sick, bless people, and reveal the body of Christ. It can also effect the baptism in the Holy Spirit.
When Ananias laid hands on Saul, he was baptized in the Holy Spirit.
In Ephesus, Paul laid hands on believers and they were baptized in the Holy Spirit. “When Paul had laid hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke with tongues and prophesied” (Acts 19:6).
In Samaria, believers were baptized in the Holy Spirit through the laying on of hands.
Then they laid hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit. And when Simon saw that through the laying on of the apostles’ hands the Holy Spirit was given, he offered them money, saying, “Give me this power also, that anyone on whom I lay hands may receive the Holy Spirit.” (Acts 8:17-19)
A man named Simon saw that through the laying on of hands people were baptized in the Holy Spirit. He wanted the same power. Peter rebuked him, saying that this power was a “gift from God.” The power of the laying on of hands is not something that operates by human will or power, but according to the Holy Spirit.
Laying on of Hands to Impart Spiritual Gifts
The laying on of hands can also impart spiritual gifts. A group of elders once laid hands on Timothy to impart to him a spiritual gift. Paul advised Timothy, “Do not neglect the gift that is in you, which was given to you by prophecy with the laying on of the hands of the eldership” (1 Tim 4:14).
Timothy also received a spiritual gift when Paul laid hands on him. “Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands” (2 Tim. 1:6).
When the Holy Spirit reveals that God wants to equip someone with a spiritual gift, that gift can be imparted through the laying on of hands.
Laying on of Hands to Commission for Ministry
The laying on of hands can also set people apart for new ministry. When Stephen and other men were chosen to do ministry in the early church, the apostles laid hands on them – “whom they set before the apostles; and when they had prayed, they laid hands on them” (Acts 6:6). The laying on of hands separated these men for their new service to God.
Five prophets and teachers were at the church in Antioch. When two of them, Paul and Barnabas, were about to become apostles, the others laid hands on them.
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.” Then, having fasted and prayed, and laid hands on them, they sent them away. (Acts 13:2-3)
The laying on of hands marked the point at which Barnabas and Saul were elevated from being prophets or teachers to being apostles. The laying on of hands imparted spiritual power which elevated them to this new level of service.
Don’t Lay Hands Quickly
Laying on of hands must be done by the leading of the Holy Spirit.
“Don’t lay hands too quickly on anyone, neither be partaker of other people’s sins. Keep yourself pure” (1 Tim. 5:22).
Don’t lay hands quickly on anyone, either imparting to them spiritual gifts or ordaining them for ministry. Placing someone into a ministry position too quickly will cause problems for the church. Paul gives the following advice when ordaining deacons: “But let these also first be tested; then let them serve as deacons, being found blameless” (1 Tim. 3:10). People must prove their character before being put into leadership positions.
The laying on of hands is a way to impart blessing from God. It can heal the sick, effect the baptism of the Holy Spirit, impart spiritual gifts, and launch someone into a new ministry. The laying on of hands is a powerful ministry of the church, and it is a means through which the power of Christ operates within his body. It is the fifth basic principle of Jesus.
~ Prayer ~
Dear God, thank you for the spiritual power that can be released through the laying on of hands. You want your people to heal the sick through the laying on of hands. You desire to baptize people in the Holy Spirit and impart spiritual gifts through the laying on of hands. Lead me by your Spirit so I know when you want me to lay hands on someone, and when you want someone to lay hands on me. Help me to understand church as you define church, so that I may experience her power in the way you intend. Connect me to like-minded believers, who will seek to follow you the way your word instructs. And let your Holy Spirit work powerfully among your people as they submit to your will. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.
Victory Over False Teachings
- Clergy Must Lay Hands. Some churches believe that only professional priests or clergy should lay hands on people. But the Bible says the laying on of hands can be done by any believer who is led by God to do so.
- No Healing From God. Some churches teach that God does not heal people supernaturally today, and that sickness is God’s will. But the Bible says Jesus healed every sick person who came to him while he walked the earth. Jesus commanded his disciples to heal the sick too, giving them spiritual power to do so.
- No Sickness. Some churches believe that true Christians will never get sick. But the Bible says complete freedom from all sickness will only occur at the end of the age (Rev. 21:4).
- Everyone Will be Healed. Some churches teach that we should pray indiscriminately for everyone to be healed, and they will be. But the Bible says we need to be led by the Holy Spirit in our ministry (Luke 4:25-27).
- No Medicine. Some churches condemn all use of medicine. But the Bible doesn’t (1 Tim. 5:23).
- Church is a Building. Some churches say that churches are buildings, and that we should build “church” buildings. But the Bible says church is a people, and it nowhere tells anyone to build a “church” building. The early church met in homes.
- Church is a Denomination. Some churches say that denominations are ok. But the Bible forbids denominations (1 Cor. 1:12). Jesus prayed that all his people would be one (John 17:21). The divisions of the church in the New Testament times were purely geographic.
- Seminary. Some churches believe that if someone wants to become a minister, he must go to seminary. But there were no seminaries in the New Testament, yet there were plenty of effective ministers. The Bible says that to serve God, we must be called and equipped by God himself (1 John 2:27).
Foundations Study 5: Laying on of Hands
Matthew 19:13-15, Mark 10:16
- Why were these children blessed when Jesus laid hands on them?
- Why didn’t Jesus just speak a blessing to these children instead of laying hands on them?
- How do blessings and curses practically affect our world?
Matthew 8:14-15, Luke 4:40
Why does God choose to heal people through the laying on of hands?
Matthew 8:16-17, Isaiah 53:4-6
- Where does sickness come from? Is sickness from God?
- Why did Jesus’ death on the cross take away our sicknesses?
- Why do we still get sick?
- If Jesus died to take away our sins, why do we still sin?
- How do we experience more victory over sin?
- Can we experience increasing victory over sickness?
Romans 8:28
- How does God bring good out of sickness or other bad events?
- Have you ever experienced God bringing good out of something bad?
Matthew 10:7-8, John 14:12, Mark 16:18, Acts 28:8
- Can you work miracles?
- Have you ever done a miracle?
- Have you ever laid hands on a sick person and prayed for him to recover? What happened?
- Have you ever been miraculously healed?
Acts 2:46, Romans 16:3-5, 1 Corinthians 16:19, Colossians 4:15, Philemon 2
- Why did the early church meet in house churches?
- Are there any examples of church buildings in the New Testament?
- Does God recognize city church today like he did in the New Testament?
- Were there denominations in the New Testament?
- How does laying on of hands reveal the importance of church?
Acts 8:17-19, Acts 19:6
Why does God baptize people in the Holy Spirit through the laying on of hands?
1 Timothy 4:14, 2 Timothy 1:6
Why does God impart spiritual gifts through the laying on of hands?
Acts 6:6, Acts 13:2-3, Acts 14:4
- Why did the apostles lay hands on those who had been chosen to be ministers?
- What ministry did Paul and Barnabas have before the brethren in Antioch laid hands on them? What ministry did they have after this?
1 Timothy 5:22
- Why shouldn’t we lay hands quickly on someone?
- How can laying hands on someone too quickly defile us?
- Is it possible to be spiritually defiled when someone lays hands on us?
Bethel Cornerstone 