WHY WE DO NOT PRACTICE THE LAYING OF HANDS

THE PHRASE “laying of hands” on somebody could mean: “to kill, to murder or to destroy” [Genesis 22:12, 37:22, Nehemiah 13:21, Job 9:33].

ANOTHER meaning of the Hebrew SHALACH or “laying of hands” is to attack the enemies [Joshua 8:19, 26].

The phrase lying of hands was used in reference to Jacob’s ritual ceremony of blessing the heirs (when the grantor was dying). The laying of hands originated from the Egyptians not from the believers of Old Testament.

In the Tabernacle, the laying of hands [CAMAK in Hebrew] was used as a symbolic substitution of priestly act designed to transfer sin from man to animals sacrificed at the altar [Leviticus 3:2,8,13, 4:4, 15,24, 6:12, 16:21, 24:14].

The laying of hands were used in the Old Testament for ordination of kings and prophets, adapted by the New Testament early believers for ordination of missionaries- men who were spiritually mature and capable of leading a local church [Acts 13:1-3, 1 Timothy 4:14, 5:22].

The laying of hands was used during the early Church Age by apostles and disciples of Jesus Christ in relation to their ministry of healing the sick [Mark 16:18, Luke 20:19] as authentication of their apostolic calling. Since the lying of hands was common practices of the Old Testament prophets, there fore it was widely accepted by the unbelieving Jews of the early Church Age [Matthew 9:18, Acts 8:18-19].

After the book of Acts, there are no mentioned of laying of hands for the sick, demon-possessed or for the problematic.  The prophecy of Mark 16:18 were fulfilled in the apostolic era. The Bible is closed- the Canon is completed. The lesser gifts of the Spirit (tongues, healing and miracles) have already ceased [Hebrew 6:2 1 Corinthians 13:8b].

The sign gifts are for the unbelieving Jews [1 Corinthians 14:1-19] and not for the believers of the Church Age. We are not Jews. There are several principles that we have to remember related to laying of hands.

The historical inferior sign gifts are no longer applicable to Church Age. It is doing what God has already stopped.

There is no command for us to lay hands to heal the sick, to cast out demons, to rebuke human problems, to anoint or to bless anybody.

The laying of hands has no spiritual relevance; it is not a symbol of spiritual truth.

The laying of hands is not Biblical doctrine since its authority had already lapsed. The laying of hands is not a symbol of spiritual authority.

The laying of hands is an ecumenical practice – now widely circulated among the cults and pagan. Everybody seems using it for his personal benefits.

Our priority is not to lay hands but to grow and mature spirituality through consistent study of the Bible doctrine.

We are to examine every teaching, every ritual and every practice. We have to investigate every teaching and everything we do in the church- to see if it is Biblical doctrine.

©2003-2007  J. R. Cherreguine Bible Doctrine Ministries