The Foundational Principle Of Laying On Of Hands – Part 5

The Building Materials of the Glorious Church – Part 5

THE SOUND DOCTRINE OF JESUS CHRIST CONT’D.

Welcome to Part 5 of the series “Building a Foundation For the Glorious Church”. If you have not read the previous studies in Parts 1-4, please take the time to do so, as each of these are key elementary (foundational) doctrines that each believer in Christ must know and apply to their walk to move on to maturity in Christ. I can’t emphasize enough the importance of these foundational principles that many Christians have never been taught or taken the time to search out the scriptures to understand what Hebrews 5:12 – 6:3 means.

“For when for the time you ought to be teachers, you have need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; and you phave come to need milk and not solid food. For every one who only partakes of milk is unskillful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe. But solid food belongs to them that are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern good and evil.” “Therefore leaving the discussion of the elementary 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, of laying on of hands, of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment. And this will we do, if God permits.” (Hebrews 5:12-6:3)

Laying On Of Hands

For some of you, the topic of Laying on of Hands will be a touchy and uncomfortable subject, so I only ask that you have an open heart and mind and stop right now to ask the Holy Spirit of Truth to help you understand the importance of this. Those who know my husband and me know how passionate we are about this particular principle.

This foundational elementary doctrine is one that has been misunderstood and misused in churches for years and there is and has been a price to pay for its misuse. Laying Hands on people in ministry has become a thing of ceremonial practice rather than a foundational doctrine with a scriptural purpose for moving into maturity. Because people have not learned the true purpose of this doctrine and how to use it, Satan has had a field day.

The Divine Purpose

The Purpose of Laying on of Hands is the defining doctrine to extend the Kingdom of Heaven (the Kingdom of God) into the earth through people of God, His family. Again, the purpose is to extend the Kingdom of Heaven into the earth through people of God, His family.

There are four (4) distinct applications for the laying on of hands:

1) Healing, typically of physical diseases and mental disorders;

2) Impartation;

3) Confirmation of gifts and callings; and

4) Commission and sending.

The nature of religion and it’s structural order is responsible for the present neglect of this elementary doctrine. What happened?

It’s important to go back and look at the Old Testament (OT) ways prior to the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. In the OT, God had appointed Levitical Priests to be representatives of the people and to offer sacrifices for their sins.

Over time, religious groups have designed their own governance around the characteristics of secular governmental order. Modern day religion/denominations have implemented a practice of making members of their congregations and take the consent of members for their basis of modern church order. (Board of directors, members voting for those board members, board members selecting pastors and priests…none of which is the order of Jesus Christ).

History:

The Roman emperor, Constantine, introduced this form of church order when he made Christianity the Roman Empire’s official religion. Within the empire, the authority of the church shifted from the empowerment of the Holy Spirit to empowerment of the Roman republic. It was Constantine that elevated the power of the state over that of the church. At the time of Constantine, it’s important to recognize that the people of God had been so suppressed in their faith and had been held captive for so many years, that they were more than happy to settle for this new order, just to have some sort of freedom to worship.

Modern day institutions have derived from the Levitical order of priests and have ignored the order and authority of the New Testament Church, which is derived not from the Levitical priesthood but from the Order of Melchizedek.

“If perfection could have been attained through the Levitical priesthood—and indeed the law given to the people established that priesthood—why was there still need for another priest to come, one in the order of Melchizedek, not in the order of Aaron? For when the priesthood is changed, the law must be changed also.” (Hebrews 7:11-12) NIV

Jesus Christ is the only representative of mankind to God, because He is all that is necessary. And, with the change of priesthood, Christ also administers God’s original intent for his relationship to mankind (just as it was designed in Eden before the fall of man).

“but because Jesus lives forever, he has a permanent priesthood. Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them. Such a high priest truly meets our need—one who is holy, blameless, pure, set apart from sinners, exalted above the heavens. Unlike the other high priests, he does not need to offer sacrifices day after day, first for his own sins, and then for the sins of the people. He sacrificed for their sins once for all when he offered himself. (Hebrews 7:24-27)

Bear with me, as I am laying the foundation for the laying on of hands.

We no longer live in the OT and we have entered into a new covenant with God through Jesus Christ. He is our high priest and we are His messengers (ambassadors) here on earth. It is here that His messengers of heaven will be sent out to us, to give us a message carried with God’s power and authority, so that we may give that message to others with His power and authority, so as to change the earth.

Four (4) principles of Laying on of Hands:

As we examine and study the four principles of Healing, Impartation, Confirmation, and Commissioning, keep in mind the laying on of hands is an administration that causes the message from Heaven to be imparted from those to whom the message is given for those to whom the message is intended.

“Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God’s people and member of God’s household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus Himself as the chief cornerstone. In Him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in Him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by His Spirit. (Ephesians 2:19-22)

1. Healing – Healing by the laying on of hands is a demonstration of power with two purposes: 1) the one laying hands on another as a messenger sent from God, and 2) it establishes the authority of the Kingdom the messenger represents in the circumstances into which he or she is sent. READ THIS AGAIN! The laying on of hands for healing is not just because the bible says to. It is only as a messenger sent. Keep reading and make sure you understand the purposes.

These dual purposes identify the anointing of the messenger directly to the people and expand the authority of God’s Kingdom, through His Messenger (Holy Spirit), for their benefit.

The first purpose for healing by laying on of hands is to demonstrate a messenger’s anointing, so that the ones witnessing the demonstration can receive the message.

The second purpose for healing by laying of the hands is to establish the superiority of God’s Kingdom over its opposition. As you go back in scripture and read of Jesus and his miracles of healing, it was for this very purpose…to extend the Kingdom of God on earth and defeat the opposition. Same with His disciples.

Please understand this: Anytime a messenger is sent in the name of the Jesus to establish the Kingdom’s authority, the messenger is sent with the full expectation of opposition. Jesus equips and prepares the messenger accordingly and it is not in words, but rather in demonstration of power and the authority of the Kingdom to accomplish change.

Is it no wonder so many are not healed today when the church is quick to lay hands on people? Rather than pray, seek, and wait to see who the messenger is that God will/has sent, they do a religious act with zero anointing or authority and the devil wins when the person is not healed. There is no change accomplished and the Kingdom of God is not advanced.

Warning: There is a kingdom of darkness that walks in a counterfeit power greatly deceiving many. What happens is the person may be healed of one ailment/disease and within months a new worse one arises. When Jesus heals, He has healed! In a religious community, you can bet that if you are sent as a messenger of God to lay hands on someone and heal them (because God has sent you), you are going to encounter opposition but the person being healed will know it was from God and will then go and spread the good news of the Gospel of Jesus to others.

I want to take a moment and share an example of a healing by laying on of hands: In 2007, my family was on vacation and we were camping with some friends. We drove by a site some 30 miles south of where we were camping and saw a sign about a tent revival meeting. A few days later, we were led to go to the meeting on a particular night. Not knowing what to expect, we cautiously sat near the back of the meeting in a very large tent. During the worship, my head began to hurt and I was seeking the Holy Spirit as to why it was hurting. He said there was a woman there that He wanted to heal and my friend and I were to lay hands on her and pray for her healing. Well, awkward situation #1 was that is was not our meeting; and #2 the woman was sitting in the front row and we were near the back. I shared with my friend and she confirmed what I was hearing so we began to pray that if this was God’s will that she would get up and walk towards the back where we were, as we didn’t have any desire to interrupt the meeting. Sure enough, the woman got up and walked back to where we were. We shared with her what the Holy Spirit said and she got so excited. She had been in a horrible car accident a few years prior and had suffered unimaginable headaches since the accident that kept her from functioning in a normal way. My friend and I began to pray and we laid hands on her and she was instantly healed. Praise God! Awkward situation #3: There were witnesses to what had just transpired and it wasn’t 30 seconds that the “person in charge” came and asked us to step outside. The woman was rejoicing with the healing and gave all praise and honor to the Father! She was praising Jesus and thanking the Holy Spirit for the healing. She told the person questioning us that she was told to drive an hour up the mountain to the tent meeting but she didn’t know why. We shared that we were led to come and when sitting there, the Holy Spirit said He wanted to heal her. We were obedient. Well, sadly, we were all asked to leave the meeting as clearly they didn’t want the move of the Holy Spirit in their “Revival” meeting. We all graciously left. My point being is that we were “sent” as messengers and the demonstration of power of the Holy Spirit healed the woman.

2. Impartation – The transferring of gifts of the Spirit from one person to another occurs by the laying on of hands. The purpose of impartation distinguishes this aspect of the laying on of hands from the act of healing. It is a means of conveying the delegated power and authority of Christ for specific purposes. Rarely does this happen in organized religion as many denominations don’t believe in the gifts of the Spirit.

While there may be different purposes, it is generally for the establishing of order and empowering the body of Christ. It is also a routine administration with the baptism of the Spirit by the laying on of hands.

Laying on of Hands is also one of the ways for being baptized of the Spirit, as the Holy Spirit can come upon one at a given time by a heavenly messenger. Laying on of hands for this purpose is to establish and impart the authority to operate in the capacity in which he or she is sent. It must be done by an anointed messenger sent and with the demonstration of power of the Holy Spirit.

Impartation is one of the administrations permitted by the Holy Spirit for the authentication of gifts of government (God’s government). The substance of what is imparted, for example, gifts of the Spirit, is different from the administrative process by which it is imparted.

Example: Everyone is born with spiritual gifts which become activated when he or she is baptized with the Holy Spirit. Other gifts are then given as needed in one’s ministry. Not all are called to have the gifts of government, but all are called to serve the Kingdom of Heaven here on earth, and in accordance to the call, the gifts are given to fulfill that call. Laying on of the Hands, as led by the Holy Messenger, is one way to release those gifts in the appointed time.

The substance of impartation through the laying on of hands both furthers and is facilitated by the order of God’s house, and is subject to the restrictions related to the credibility of the one who imparts and to the consent of the one who receives. As messengers of Christ, the one who imparts must be representing Jesus and be led by Jesus to do the imparting. Anything less is not in the order of God’s house and is a work of the flesh.

3. Confirmation – Confirmation of one’s gifts and calling traditionally occurred by the laying on of hands. While certain gifts of the Spirit are resident within a person from their mother’s womb, confirmation of one’s gifts, however, comes after a time when the individual has been functioning in his or her gifts to the extent that others can testify of the person’s readiness to function in a broader sphere of the gifts.

When believers reach a place of maturity, confirmation of that maturity and of the gifts that support their work is accomplished through the laying on of the hands. Timothy is a great example of his gifts being confirmed. Read Timothy.

Today, confirmation has been reduced to a religious ceremony for the induction of a person into membership of a religious group. Biblical confirmation, however, is an act that recognized the transformation of someone from the pagan culture to a son of God. It also establishes those who have been functioning in their gifts and callings at a level of maturity sufficient to be trustworthy and able to function in a wider sphere than before being confirmed.

4. Commission and Sending – Let’s start with scripture in the New Testament.

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. 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 13:1-4)

When we read about Paul (also known as Saul) and Timothy, we can begin to see the process of which a commissioning occurs. Both their journeys demonstrate that they had been walking in their gifts for a good period of time, proving themselves faithful and true to the call, prior to being commissioned. It is only the Holy Spirit who ordains a minister and commissions one through a prophetic utterance. Too many religious groups today are eager to ordain ministers that have not yet proved themselves faithful to the call. As a result, they may fall into temptation or worse–fall away from the faith.

Unfortunately, because the elementary doctrine of laying on of hands for commissioning is greatly neglected or misused in church administration, believers are unaware of the central role for the spreading of the gospel.

What we tend to see instead is that anyone who feels a call to ministry may initiate the process of entering ministry and because they haven’t been taught or learned about the elementary doctrines, they end up following the masses to bible school or by an apprenticeship under a pastoral leadership within a denomination. Depending on the denomination, some may go on mission trips because the denomination is mission focused, but rarely do these models recognize or support anyone’s true gifts or calling.

The laying on of hands for commissioning and sending is a biblical pattern that stands on the order of God’s house. He is a God of order and in His pattern, those who are well-known for their reliable work are commissioned and sent to their callings; and the one’s who are commissioning and sending them are generally spiritual fathers/mothers who are themselves well-known for their godly character and work of leading the House of God. As involved fathers/mothers, they are able to recognize the gifts and callings of those in their community and have nurtured those gifts to maturity. God will never send anyone out unless they have proven themselves worthy and reliable to get the calling done. In the proper biblical context, the spiritual parent will hear from the Holy Spirit on what to do and it will be confirmed by more than two witnesses. Then they will lay hands on the believer to commission them.

Neither Paul or Timothy sent themselves into their calling and ministries. What might a calling or ministry look like? It may be being sent to a new location or be given a wider increase of authority and scope of function consistent with one’s gift set and calling.

In conclusion, the laying on of hands is the defining doctrine for extending the Kingdom of God into the earth through the people of God, his family. I pray that you are blessed by this study and have gained new understanding on this elementary doctrine.

1 Timothy 5:22 – New King James Version
Do not lay hands on anyone hastily, nor share in other people’s sins; keep yourself pure.

1 Timothy 5:22 – Amplified Bible
Do not hurry to lay hands on anyone [ordaining and approving someone for ministry or an office in the church, or in reinstating expelled offenders], and thereby share in the sins of others; keep yourself free from sin.

I truly hope you are enjoying and benefiting from the revelation of these studies. I know my eyes were opened wide once I understood them. I have never been the same. God is good and He wants all to move on to maturity in Christ Jesus. Before we can move into the perfectional doctrine of the sound doctrine of Jesus (solid food), we must master the elementary (spiritual milk) doctrines. Without them, we will not be able to fulfill our destiny as the Glorious Church. Blessings to all and join me in Part 6 when we discuss the elementary principle of the Resurrection of the Dead.

Garry and Norma Umphress