LAYING ON OF HANDS
Symbolic act that consists of placing one’s hands on a person or an animal to transmit a gift, a power, or a guilt. At the annual Day of Atonement sacrifice, the priest placed his hands on the live sheep, confessing over it the iniquities of Israel.
Thus, he placed the iniquities of the people on him. Loaded with them, the live ram carried them into the desert (Lev. 16:20-22). It was a rite of transmission. Moses consecrated Joshua as his successor through the laying on of hands. With this he transmitted his dignity and power to her (Num. 27: 18-23; Deut. 34: 9).
Curses could also be transmitted in this way (Lev. 24:14). Fathers blessed their children by laying hands on them (Gen. 48:14). In the NT, the laying on of hands always means a blessing; Jesus performed many healings in this way (Mt. 9:18; Mark 5:23; 6:5; 8:23, 25, etc.) He used this action when blessing children (Mark 10:16), it is also mentioned in connection with certain healings in Acts (Acts 9:12, 17; 28:8).
At times the gift of the Holy Spirit was communicated with the hands (Acts 8:17; 19:6). In the Jerusalem church the apostles consecrated their helpers through the laying on of hands (Acts 6:6). Paul and Barnabas and later Timothy are initiated into their positions with this rite (Acts 13:3; 1 Tim. 4:14; 2 Tim. 1:6).
This ceremony is not an ordination establishing a function or a hierarchical privilege, as proven by the double imposition received by Paul in Damascus (Acts 9:17) and in Antioch (Acts 13:3). In this case the imposition confirms the spiritual gift that can only be conferred by the Holy Spirit.
Care must be taken not to lay hands on anyone lightly (1 Tim. 5:22). Nothing in the Scriptures allows the reception of any grace to be obligatorily linked to the rite of the laying on of hands. God remains sovereign and free in the use of his means, and the rule remains that “the just shall live by faith.”
In the entire book of Acts there are only two passages that mention this rite in relation to the Holy Spirit (Acts 8:17; 19:6). In the case of Saul (Acts 9:17), the laying on of hands by Ananias seems to have to do with healing Saul’s blindness.
Thus, it is wrong to say that the laying on of hands is necessary to receive the Holy Spirit, when so many texts mention the sole condition of faith (John 7:39; Gal. 3:2, 13-14; Eph. 1: 13, etc.). The same thing happens with healing: Christ and the apostles used the most diverse means: touch (Mt. 8:3), the word (Mt. 8:13, 16), action at a distance (Mt. 15:28), saliva (Mark 8:23), prayer (Acts 9:40), cloths (Acts 19:12), etc.
The great text of Stg. 5:15 talks about the anointing of oil and the prayer of faith, but says nothing about the laying on of hands. In summary, it is clear that one can be called to ministry directly by God, without any laying on of hands.
We have seen that the church of apostolic times used this rite, but no text makes it a law, but rather the Spirit blows where he wants (cf. Jn. 3: 8; Num. 11: 26-30; Lk. 9 :49, 50). There is nothing more necessary than that the man called and qualified by God (like Paul, e.g., Gal. 1:1) exercise his ministry within the framework of the body of Christ and for the common benefit (1 Cor. 12: 7; Eph. 5:21).