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What does the Bible say about 'laying on hands' ?
In many Christian churches talking about The Holy Spirit is almost forbidden. A subject one doesnot talk about. And this is hardly the way to learn about the Gifts of the Spirit or the way one can receive the Gifts. And the few churches that are talking about 'laying on hands' are usually talking about 'healing' only.

With this short study I want to shed some light on this issue: The Spirit and laying on hands. Biblical light.

Why telling about 'laying on hands' at all ?
From a former study of the Bible'The laying on of hands' we know that 'laying on of hands'belongs to the Christian fundaments. And all Christian fundaments are to be tought to Christians and -of course- in this way the Gifts of the Spirit can be received. So, one also has to no why of how laying on hands 'works'.

All Christians need the Spirit -the Will- of God. Why ? Firstly: to be able to exercise the Will of God. Secondly to receive the tools needed for it; tools that can help with teaching from the Bible, evangelistic work, baptising and praying for people etc.

• To make atonement (Numbers 8:12)
• For the sin offering (2 Chron. 29:23)
• For inauguration of an heir or ruler etc. (Numbers 27:18-23)

Being baptised in the name of Jesus took over the OT-functions of laying on hands!
In the Old Testament the relation of the human being and His God is the topic in which atonement, taking away sin and inaugeration are the main issue. With the coming of Jesus and His Sacrifice at the Cross Jesus is taking care of our atonement with God And Jesus takes away our transgressions to make our reconciliation with God possible. And it is the Spirit Jesus left behind on Earth to comfort us: to provide us with the Spiritual Gifts so we Will be able to act according to Gods Will.

The New Testament: Jesus left the Spirit with us in order to equip us with The Spiritual Gifts
The title explains where the New Testament is about: a new convandant with God through His Son Jesus and taking part in this convenant (by being baptisted by immersing) and afterwards receiving the Spiritual Gifts in order to be able to act and work according to Gods Will for your fellow man.

Examples of actions in which you directly need the Spiritual Gifts:

• Praying for other people
• Laying on hands or Healing
• Educating and Evangelising
• Baptising

Laying on of hands: God is blessing you with His Spirit
And the emphasis is and always has to be on 'GOD'. Only God can bless people with His Spirit; through other people -by laying on hands- or directly (being baptised in the Spirit).

From the previous study 'The laying on of hands' we know, that we have to make a differandce between:

• knows what he or she beliefs
• has beand baptisted
• has the urge to evangelize, teach, baptise etc.

• is searching for Jesus and God
• is learning from the Bible about God, Jesus etc.
• has not beand baptised yet
• has just beand baptised

Why making these formal differences? In case A) the person is obviously ready to receive the Spiritual Gifts. And when the person has received the Spiritual Gifts this person becomes a partaker of the Holy Spirit. At least: that is what the Bible tells us.

Hebr. 6:4 - receiving the Gifts means being a partaker of the Holy Spirit
'For it is impossible for those who were once andlightanded and have tasted of the heavandly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good Word of God and the powers of the world to come,'

In case B) the person is not ready yet to receive the Gifts of the Spirit and he/she is obviously not ready for laying on hands! In 1 Timothy 5:22 is written: ' Lay hands hastily on no man, neither be partaker of other men’s sins.'.

The B-person is not yet partaker of the Holy Spirit, but the Holy Spirit has been working with that person. Even before the person heard of God, Jesus or the Spirit.

John’s baptism and the baptism in the Name of Jesus
- laying down sin, starting a new life and declaring one's will -

Many people think, that 'being baptised' also means 'receiving the Spiritual Gifts'. And this thought is often funded by the so called 'Holy Trinity-doctrine'.

Unfortunately The Holy Bible teaches us (in Acts 8 and Acts 19:3-7), that being baptised in the Name of Jesus doesnot mean, that a person receives the Gifts. After being baptised a special prayer for receiving the Spiritual Gifts should be kept and of course with laying on hands!

The Bible also proves the Trinity-doctrine to be false. If the doctrine would have been right a person would have received the Gifts automatically after being baptised, but Acts shows us, that this is clearly NOT the case. Even after being re-baptised in the Name of Jesus the people need a special prayer with laying on hands!

Then -of course- a heavy question pops up in my mind: what is baptising really about ?!

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John's baptism

• Mark 1:4 ' John baptized in the Wilderness and preached the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins.'

From this verse we learn, that John's baptism was an act for the remission of sins. A person know he/she is sinfull and that he/she (being a Jew!)needs a baptism.

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Jesus' baptism;
-baptism in the Name of the Father, The Son and the Holy Spirit-

• Luke 3:16 'John answered, saying unto them all, "I indeed baptize you with water; but One mightier than I cometh, the straps of whose shoes I am not worthy to unloose. He shall baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.'
• Acts 8:16 'For as yet, He had falland upon none of them, for they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus'
• Acts 19:5-6 'Whand they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 6 And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke with tongues and prophesied.'

Being baptised in the Name of Jesus is clearly another baptism than John's baptism. The Jesus-baptism means: laying down one's sinfull life and being born again the Body of Christ. A 'formal declaration of intent'.

According to Acts: after the Jesus-baptism special prayer & laying on hands
From Acts 8 and 19 we learn, that baptism in the Name of Jesus is not enough and that special prayer and laying on hands are required to receive the Gifts of the Spirit. And only after that they received the Spirit.

Even so: John the Baptist states, that Jesus Will baptise with Spirit and fire, though the chapters 8 and 19 in Acts do not say, that is was Jesus doing 'the work'. Still this personal declaration (by the person that is baptised!) can ultimately lead to receiving the Spirit: by laying on hands (according to Acts 8 and 19).

The differandce between 'a personal statement' and being a 'true Christian'
Being baptised doesnot make a 'true Christian'. A true Christian is baptised in the Name of Jesus, but Will also act according to the Will of GOD. Being able to act accordingly we need the Gifts of the Spirit. And in order to receive the Spirit we need laying on hands.

Matthew 7:21 'Not every one that saith unto Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven, but he that doeth the Will of My Father who is in Heaven.'

From this Matthew verse we learn, that Jesus' Name is not enough; like Jesus we also have to do the Father's Will.

With 'oil in your lamp' you can join the Bridegroom and go to Heaven
In Matthew 25 Jesus tells two stories: the first one is about 'the 10-virgins with the lamps', the other one is about 'the talents' given to the servants.

In the first parable Jesus tells us, that nobody can join 'the Bridegroom' when he comes back to go to Heaven without 'oil'. The Oil means 'The Spirit' and the lamps are our bodies and spirits. The Bridegroom is Jesus returning for us. Without the Spirit -or Gifts of the Spirit- we cannot enter Heaven.

From the same chapter -but now the parable of the Talents- we know, when we have received the Gifts, how we can keep the Spirit: by using the Gifts according to Gods Will for Him and the people around you. And when Jesus returns to us He will judge us whether we have done the Father's Will and what we have done for people in need around us.

But before you can use the Gifts in a way God and Jesus want us to use them we do need to receive them. And let us make no mistakes about this: ALL CHRISTIANS NEED TO RECEIVE THE SPIRITUAL GIFTS. Without the Spirit no feast in heaven.

Jesus didnot leave us the Spirit for nothing!
Jesus did exactly what God wanted. The Holy Spirit of God was His Guidesman in all this. And just as Jesus desires to do the Will of God we also must have the desire to do what God and Jesus ask from us.

What God and Jesus ask from us? To stop with living sinfull lives by being baptisted and living the life God wants us to live. Doing so it is the promise and goal to grow in the relation with God and His Son, but also a friend towards the people around you. And our Guidesman in all this should also be the Spirit: the true Will of God.

And receiving the Spirit -as you know now- is all about 'laying on hands and special prayer' and of course all based on a solid Christian fundament: faith, baptism and Gods Word.