Laying on of Hands: Missing the Forest for the Tree

 In Hebrews 6:1, the writer mentions the elementary doctrine of "Laying on of Hands" as one of the elementary doctrines of the church. He does not mention the practice in any other place in Hebrews. [Read Hebrews 5:11 - 6:3.] Contrary to what our Pentecostal, Apostolic, Full, and Four Gospels brethren and sisters tell us, the laying on of hands has less to do with healing and more to do with ordination and the consecration of sacrificial offerings. In the Bible, the "laying on of hands" references are associated (1) with the sacrificial system and the consecration of the offerings, (2) the blessing of and prayers for children and descendants, (3) the receiving of the Spirit of wisdom or a gift of the Spirit and the commissioning or ordination of a person (king, prophet, judges), (4) and the commissioning or ordination of a person to the various types of priesthoods. Our holiness brothers and sisters are missing the forest of the Biblical references to the laying on of hands because of the tree of healing. For those of you not familiar with the phrase, Merriam Webster has this definition: Idiom: US : to not understand or appreciate a larger situation, problem, etc., because one is considering only a few parts of it. It is only by viewing the forest ecologically that we can examine the various references regarding the "laying on of hands" in their natural context. If our attention is focused on a particular problem or aspect, we may miss other parts and the interconnectedness of the whole. Like in the video during the children story time, when our attention is too narrowly focused we can miss important actions and events. When we let our fears, weaknesses, and experience become our focus, and we become fixated on what we consider important or prudent, we will often miss what God wants us to see and appreciate. We miss the blessings and the experience of God's love and protection. Like the Israelites who focused their attention on the Giants of the land, the iron chariots, and the wall cities, they could not see God's power, God's protection, God's faithfulness, and God's strength. They were focused on their tree of weaknesses and/or their enemy's tree of strength when they should have seen the whole forest and all of the ecosystem of God's power and purpose within creation! They missed the forest because of the tree. We must always remember that although we cannot see all of God's program, we can trust that God knows and God loves and cares for us. "For My thoughts are not your thoughts, and your ways are not My ways," ⌊declares⌋ Yahweh. "For as the heavens are ⌊higher⌋ than the earth, so My ways are ⌊higher⌋ than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts" (Is 55:8-9). Oh, the depth of the riches and the wisdom and the knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how incomprehensible are his ways! "For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counselor?n Or who has given in advance to him, and it will be paid back to him?" For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory for eternity! Amen (Ro 11:33-36). How does one go about understanding and examining the forest of Scripture instead of one or two trees that we like to focus upon because of our personality, will, life history, or some trauma or tragedy that blinds us to the larger ecology of the forest and what God wants us to know? How does one do this when doing their Bible study? What we may want to focus on (to solve a problem and find answers) is often not what God considers the problem or solution; our concerns are secondary or tertiary or -even worse--distractions. As mentioned in my previous sermons and teaching, one should not start with a binary or myopic understanding of a topic: in this case, "the laying on of hands." Instead, one should take an inclusive, inductive, and wholistically approach and discover all that the Bible says regarding the same. We should start collecting and viewing all of the Biblical evidence. How would you go about this? What resources would you use other than the Bible and the Guidance of the Holy Spirit? [Invite congregants to list resources out loud?] [Show slides of resources?] a. Cyclopedia or Bible Encyclopedia b. Bible Index or Strong's or other Bible Concordances c. Study Bible's Cross-references d. Dictionary of Synonyms // Thesaurus to look up other words that are synonyms for healing (e.g., miracles, wonders, acts) and for laying on of hands (e.g., touch, extending (the hand), imposition of hands, anointing, consecration, placing (the hand), etc.) e. Bible Dictionary / Bible Factbook f. Electronic Study Bible g. Faithlife Study Bible ii. Bible Gateway iii. Bible Hub [Show video of Faithlife Bible Study Topic Guide.] How would you use those resources? [Invite congregants to list how one would use those resources?] a. Journaling b. Commonplace Book Concise Oxford English Dictionary, 11th ed. a book into which notable extracts from other works are copied for personal use [and which acts as a cross-reference to other sources and authors]. c. Creating a table, database, or a taxonomic table of references d. Using a Graphic Organizer You Used in High School: e.g., the KWHL [Show the KWHL Organizer.] [Have congregant turn to their inserts.] In my examination, I have found the following 33 references that I have grouped according to their 5 situational contexts. One of the first things that is quickly realized is that the concept of laying on of hands means more than some of our brothers and sisters in the holiness and Pentecostal movements would like us to highlight. Out of the 33 references to the "laying on of hands", only 16 refer to healing while the remaining 17 are used in situations other than healing: e.g., 4 refer to someone blessings or praying over someone else; 6 refers to the consecration of animals sacrifices; 5 are used in conjunction with the commissioning or ordination and receipt of the Spirit of Wisdom or the Gift of God (2 others are used without reference to the Sprit or a divine gift); and 2 are used in conjunction with the Apostles facilitating and new believers receiving the Holy Spirit. (See texts below.) When you look through the Bible and look up all the references to healing, being made whole, being cleansed, etc., we have 182 references (or around 100 other occurrences) and only 16 healings concur or happen with the laying on of hands. (1) In Blessings/Prayers (4 References) Ge 48:14 (Joseph's sons) Mt 19:15 (children) Mk 10:13, 16 (children) Lk 18:15 (children) (2) In the Consecration of Offerings (6 References) Lev 1:4 Lev 3:2 Lev 4:15 Lev 16:21 Nu 8:10 (with the Levites) Nu 27:18 (with the Levites) (3) Receiving the Spirit of Wisdom or the Gift of God and Ordination (5 References) Dt 34:9 (Joshua) 1 Ti 4:14 (Timothy 2 Ti 1:6 (Timothy) Acts 6:6 (Deacon) 1 Ti 5:22 (Elders) (4) In Healing (16 References) Mt 8:3 (Jesus heals) Mt 8:15 (Jesus heals) Mt 9:29 (Jesus heals) Mt 20:34 (Jesus heals) Mk 1:41 (Jesus heals) Mk 6:5 (Jesus heals) Mk 7:31-37 (Jesus heals) Mk 8:22 (Jesus heals) Mk 16:18 (the Eleven receives healing power) Lk 4:40-41 (Jesus heals) Lk 5:13 (Jesus heals) Lk 13:10-13 (Jesus heals) Lk 22:51 (Jesus heals) Acts 3:7 (Peter heals) Acts 28:8 (Paul heals) Ja 15:14-15 (with oil) (5) Receipt of the Holy Spirit (2 References) Acts 8:14-25 (Peter and John) Acts19:6 (Paul) Total Laying on of Hands References = 33 References to Healing Apart from Laying on of Hands. (182 verses or approx. 100-150 events) A. First Conclusion: The Concept of Laying on of Hands Is Not Limited to Healing The first conclusion that one can deduce is that the "laying on of hands" is not limited to healing. It is used in conjunction with healing only 1/4 of the time; in the other 3/4 it is associated with blessings, prayers, ordination and commissioning, and receipt of the divine or a divine attribute or gift. If we look at all the healing texts where there is a "laying on of hands," 1/10 to 1/15 of all healings are done with touching. 9/10 to 14/15 of all healings were done without touching or the "laying on of hands." If the laying on of hands was a critical or an essential aspect of healing, then the Bible evidence is at odd with such convictions. B. Second Conclusion: Oil is Mentioned Only Once with Healing The second conclusion is that anointing with oil is not the usual practice employed in healing. In only one verse (one verse other than the Hebrews 6 passage) is healing associated with using oil. All other cases of healing are without the use of oil. This will bring us to a third conclusion below. C. Third Conclusion: Since the Old Testament Has Few References Associating the Laying on Hands with Healing, the Laying on of Hands is Not a Prerequisite for Healing. A second consequence also arises when one looks at categories and Biblical notations. Namely, the Bible that the Apostles and the New Testament writers used was the Old Testament; the New Testament had not yet been written by the Apostles and other New Testament writers and collected into a book. When the writers of the New Testament wanted to justify the use of "laying on hands," they would be referring to the Old Testament texts and practices. Consequently, when we look at the references to the "laying on of hands" as found in the Old Testament, it is not associated with healing at all. All the Biblical passages that associate laying on of hands with healing are in the New Testament. The sources of authority to which the NT community based their actions were the Old Testament and what they witnessed in the life and teaching of Jesus. In regard to the Old Testament, we have recorded miracles and healings, but none of these recorded acts of healing was associated with the "laying on of hands." One may wish to add the Elijah healing story in 1 Kings 17 and the Elisha healing story in 2 Kings 4 as two references where the prophet laid his hands upon someone to heal them. However, the actual picture is that of the prophets laying fully prostrate upon the dead boys-feet to feet, head-to-head, hands to hands. We can conclude, therefore, that the "laying on of hands" is not a prerequisite for healing and was not a precedent from the O.T. Scriptures. So why did the New Testament church associate the laying of hands with those eight verses? Let us carefully examine the context in which the New Testament writers associated healings with the "laying on of hands" to understand why it was employed in those 8 NT passages, especially in James. D. What Does the Phrase "Laying on of Hands" Signify? [E in PowerPoint Presentation] What could the phrase "laying on of hands" signify then if it is not a prescription for or formula for healing? First, it represents the power of the Gospel of Jesus Christ to break social taboos or barriers regarding gender, class, ethnicity, and sickness. It symbolizes that the Gospel of Jesus Christ can overcome the stigma of one's spiritual and earthly ailments. Like the story of Peter and Cornelius in Acts 10, the "laying on of hands" symbolizes that all individuals can be blessed by, consecrated by, and commissioned by God to be an ambassador of the Gospel. Consequently, the symbolic act of touching someone, "laying one's hands" on someone, is an act of practical theology and of revolutionary politics. God's family and God's provision of grace is for everyone-not just the Jews and not just the self-proclaimed "righteous." Second, the 'laying on of hands" and Jesus' touching or being touch shows that there is no longer an "untouchable" person or a non-healable soul. This is illustrated in Matthew 8:1-4 where Jesus is said to have touched the person with leprosy and healed him and in Mark 5:24-34 where the woman with the issue of blood touches the helm of Jesus' garment and is healed. Both highlight that God's provision of grace is for everyone. Jesus is not untouchable or unreachable by anyone. Being able to touch Jesus and having Jesus touch the sinner, person with leprosy, and untouchable person shows the compassion and love that God has for even the least of humanity. God was and is never too holy or sacred--and man was and is never too lowly and profane--to be beyond the reach or touch of God. The "touching or laying of hands" is an objective gesture and symbol of God's love and care and the inclusiveness of the Gospel. E. Fourth Conclusion: There Are Multiple Usages for Oils: for Personal Perfume, for Cooking and Other Household Usages, for the Consecration of Sacrifices, for the Anointing of Priests and Kings, for Healing, and for Burial-among others. (James 5:14-15; 2 Corinthians 12:7-10; John 9:1-5; 1 Timothy 5:22-23; Exodus 25:6, 30:22-33, 35:8) We will now turn to those passages that mention anointing someone with oil and healing. Contrary to current practices of holiness and African American churches, the reference to oil in James is not a reference to simple, plain, or virgin olive oil. The oil that would have been used was probably olive oil-based, but that was only part of the ingredients. Olive oil was usually (1) mixed with herbal and organic fragrances for the oils of consecration, anointing, and of blessings on the one hand and (2) mixed with medicinal herbs and minerals for the oils of healing on the other hand. The third type of oil, (3) the holy anointing oil for the temple sacrifice, was a mixture of olive oil, stacte resin, onycha, galbanum, and frankincense in equal parts and salted. 31 "And you will speak to the ⌊Israelites⌋, saying, 'This will be my holy anointing oil throughout your generations. 32 It will not be poured on human flesh, and with its measurements you will not make any like it; it is holy; it will be holy to you. 33 Anyone who compounds perfume like it and who puts it on a stranger will be cut off from his people.'" 34 And Yahweh said to Moses, "Take for yourself fragrant perfumes-stacte resin and onycha and galbanum [or myrrh, cinnamon, calamus, and cassia]-fragrant perfumes and pure frankincense, ⌊an equal part of each⌋, 35 and make it into a compound of incense, the work of a perfumer, salted, pure, holy. 36 And you will grind part of it to powder, and you will put part of it before the testimony in the tent of assembly where I will meet with you; it will be a most holy thing to you. 37 And the incense that you will make with its measurements you will not make for yourselves; it will be holy to you for Yahweh. 38 Anyone who makes any like it to smell it will be cut off from his people." The Lexham English Bible (Ex 30:31-38). Following the Biblical usage then, we are dealing with the first two types of olive oil mixture: (1) the first for anointing, commissioning, or blessing a person and (2) the second for medicinal purposes. Ordinary persons could not use the temple's holy oil reserved for the Lord and the Temple. Consequently, the oil mixture used for healing would have to have olive oil (1) that was mixed with fragrances for the consecrating, anointing, or blessing of an individual or (2) that was mixed with medicinal herbs and minerals for the healing of a person. While we do not know to which type of oil [anointing or medicinal] the writer of James is alluding in James 5-6, if it is regarding the act of the forgiveness of sins that is in question (verse 15c) and which is connected with the illness, then it would be the oil of consecration, anointing and/or of blessing. If, on the other hand, if it is regarding the act of healing alone (verse 15a), then it would be the oil of healing or medicinal oil. In either case, we can say that this passage does not support the position that a Christian should only depend on divine physical healing. Why? An argument can be made that James points to the use of both medicine (the oil of healing) and prayer as complementary actions. That is, it supports a "both/and" approach to sickness. Another argument can be made that the prescription found in James for the use of oil, prayer, and the laying on of hands points to only certain types of physical ailments that have their genesis in a moral or spiritual failing or sin. If the sickness or illness is a divine act of judgment by God upon an individual for some sin he or she has committed, then the person's repentance and request for forgiveness for the sin in question along with the use of the oil of consecration, then prayers of forgiveness and mercy and the laying on of hands become effective for those types of sin-caused-sicknesses. Note: this type of oil is the oil of consecration, anointing, or blessing and not an oil of healing since the concern is more in accord with the making of a sin or a guilt offering or sacrifice. Consequently, this latter usage says nothing about sicknesses and illnesses that come about because of a fallen world. Jesus, himself, recognizes that not all illnesses are the results of a sin that causes a particular illness. (See John 9:1-5.) In addition, we also have the text of 1 Timothy 5:22-23. In 1 Timothy 5:22-23, the writer mentions in verse 22 that Timothy is not to be too hasty in the laying on of hands regarding the consecration of elders in the verses above. In the very next verse (v. 23), he advised him to drink wine because of his stomach and his frequent illness. (In the pre-modern period, the water that was used for cooking and drinking was often unsanitary by our modern standards. Wine, with its alcoholic content, killed the parasites and bacteria that would often be in the ancient people's drinking water. Hot drinks like boiled herbal teas and soups and stew-like items were often effective for the same reasons, especially if the person drank only those two types of drinks. If the writer was against the use of conventional medicine, then the juxtaposition of the phrase "laying on hands" and "drink wine" in these verses is very odd. One would expect the writer to have suggested instead that the elders lay hands on Timothy and pray for his health/ We would certainly not expect the writer to positively advocate for the drinking of alcoholic wine to cure or mediate his illness. A fourth point of consideration has to do with Paul's own illness or ailment recorded in 2 Corinthians 12. Paul, himself, is denied healing, not because he lacked faith, but because God wants to use Paul's weakness to demonstrate God's power, that God can use the sick or weak or imperfect person, culture, or thing to bring about God's own Perfect and Goodwill. F. Transfer of Authority and Legitimacy 1. Jesus Heals and the Apostles Can too. In the Gospels, we see Jesus healing the sick and lame and raising the dead. We also see the 12 disciples sent out to do the same thing. This legitimizes the disciples as having received the authority given to them by Jesus. 2. Peter and John Facilitate the Receipt of the Holy Spirit, and Paul can too. In the Gospels, we see Jesus healing the sick and lame and raising the dead. We also see the 12 and 72 disciples sent out to do the same thing. In Acts and in Galatians, we see a similar comparison. What the Jewish Disciples were able to do for the Jews, Peter can do also for the Gentiles (in Acts 10), they receive the Holy Spirit just as the Jewish believers had. Later in Acts, Paul and Barnabus, the apostles to the Gentiles are shown having the same authority and power to facilitate the receipt of the Holy Spirit on Gentiles. The Jerusalem Council later confirmed the status of these Gentiles as Believers after Peter compares his facilitation of the receipt of the Holy Spirit on Cornelius' household with Paul's and Barnabus' facilitation of the Holy Spirit coming upon the Gentile believers. Again, the laying on of hands, was used to show that Paul had the same authority and commission as the Jewish apostles and disciples and that Gentiles had access to the Holy Spirit as did the Jews. G. James and His Use of Laying on Hands What is your take on James and the phrase "laying on hands." Look at the Biblical evidence in their context and produce your own conclusions. H. Side Bar 2: Other Types or Kinds of Oil in Use in Biblical Times In addition to olive oil, the ancient believers also had access to other types of medicinal or healing oils and fats. The Bible and ancient sources mention castor oil, which was used as a laxative; cedar oil, which was used as an antiseptic; aloe vera, and linseed (flaxseed) oils, which were used topically to relieve pain and inflammation and internally to treat colonic disorders. They also had knowledge of and access to animal fats: fish oils, lanoline (from sheep), and fats from other domestic livestock. Consequently, the Bible mentions a variety of healing herbs and oils that were in use by the ancient Biblical peoples although olive oil was the most widely used. What is the main point of this section, section "H," that I am trying to make? When the Biblical writers mention oil, they do not exclusively mean olive oil unless olive oil is especially mentioned. Although other "oils were rare," says the Archaeological Encyclopedia of the Holy Land, it was not just olive oil that was available. These other ointments and oils could have been and were imported from other areas of the Fertile Crescent. The OT does not distinguish between "oil" and "ointment." In Egypt and Mesopotamia numerous vegetable oils and animal fats formed the basis of ointments. Among the vegetable oils some of the more important include castor oil, sesame oil, linseed oil, radish oil, colocynth oil, and oil from various nuts. (Elwell, W. A., & Beitzel, B. J. (1988). In Baker encyclopedia of the Bible (p. 1586). Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House) Laying on of Hands: Missing the Forest Because of the Tree By Floyd Knight Page 7 of 7 Copyright (c) 1996, 2009and 2015 by Floyd Knight. All Rights Reserved.