Is a return to the New Testament kind of Christianity really a valid idea? Oh yes! I believe it is! But you may wonder, is that really possible? Or in our present culture, is it even desirable? Well, is any other kind really “Christianity?” Good question. "Come now, let us reason together, says the Lord." (Isaiah chapter 1, verse 18).
Greetings to you, my friend; welcome to our Bible study program In Search of the Lord's Way to become and to be a Christian. We believe His is the only way to be saved, and His way to live this life is the very best that mankind has ever known. For centuries the Ten Commandments were the highest moral code known to man, but Christ Jesus taught even a better way than that. And that's what this program is all about, and we're glad-- and thankful, too, that you have joined us today. We pray we'll both be blessed by our study.
You don't have to be told, do you that our country is suffering from the collapse of our moral order? It isn’t just “preacher talk;” you are hearing it from every quarter. But I'm not as much concerned about the moral order in these programs as I am about the failure or the inability or the refusal of postmodern American style Christianity to define what's moral so as to be an influence for righteousness sake. I know it isn't the politically correct thing to do, but it's time that we face it, my friend; what we are seeing as "Christianity" in America today holds very little resemblance to Christianity as it's revealed in the New Testament. It has been noted by non-religious writers even that by accepting so much of the political correctness of present-day postmodern thought, today's "Christianity" has rendered itself “useless.” (That’s their word for it.) Therefore, I'm concerned about restoring genuine New Testament Christianity in this 21st century. That is what we're talking about in these programs, and I'm fully persuaded that it's not only desirable, it’s possible. Let's get back to it!
Our message today is titled, The Doctrine of Laying On of Hands. Some in our radio and television audiences have been asking questions about that, and I've promised a study of it. I'm hoping that those who have requested it are tuned with us now. And if you would like a free copy of it, either written or on audio cassette tape or on CD, simply mail your request to In Search of the Lord's Way, P.O. Box 371, Edmond, OK 73083 or by e-mail searchtv@searchtv.org. Or if you prefer, you may use our toll-free telephone number (1-800-321-8633); just call in your request. And you can access it again at your convenience, whenever you like-- day or night at searchtv.org. Ken Helterbrand's going to lead us now as we sing, and then I'll be back.
We are reading today from the book of Acts, chapter 8; and we begin reading at verse 14. “Now when the apostles who were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them, who, when they had come down, prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit. For as yet He had fallen upon none of them. They had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Then they laid hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.” We read through verse 17. We suggest that you read the whole story of it in that 8th chapter. Now let us go to God in prayer. Our heavenly Father, we are so thankful to You that You have revealed to us the answer to these mighty questions that we have; and we seek to know all of Your word and to know the truth about these matters as they come up in our lives. And we pray that we may be helpful to others in their understanding of them today as they requested. In Jesus’ lovely name, we pray You. Amen!
There's quite a lot written in the New Testament about the practice of laying on of hands in early Christianity; more than is being said, that’s being said in some denominations today, and not nearly as much as is currently being said in some others-- which is probably the reason for the requests I've had for a program about it. Well, it really isn't a difficult subject, understanding it is sometimes made difficult by some things currently taught and practiced. It would be much more easily understood if we could force a clearing of our minds of what we have always heard or always been taught or always believed about it (for it or against it), and come to the table with a clear and open mind. But that's hard to do, isn't it? Let's try it though, what do you say? There's so much said about it in the Old Testament; that it was practiced even then, but since our interest today is in the teaching and practice of the early church, and since the church is a New Testament study, we'll limit ourselves to it today. I've searched through my New Testament and noted every instance I could find of "laying on of hands." And, while we won't have time to discuss every message, or every passage in which it is mentioned, it seems to me the practice was for four distinctly different reasons.
First, there are several mentions of it as an act of violence or the use of force. For example, there's the occasion when Judas betrayed the Lord with a kiss and others "came and laid hands on Jesus and took Him" (Matthew 26, verse 46). In Acts chapter 4, verses 1 to 3 when the captain of the temple and the Sadducees came upon Peter and John, they were greatly disturbed that they taught the people and preached in the name of Jesus the resurrection from the dead. "And they laid hands on them, and put them in custody." Well, there are other such incidents, but because that reason is irrelevant to our study today, we had better hurry on and look at some other things.
The "laying on of hands" was practiced to convey a miraculous measure of the Holy Spirit. In my search of the Scriptures I found three instances of that one practice or that one purpose-- in Acts 6, another in Acts 8 which we just read, and the other in Acts 19. According to John 14:16 and 17; and John 16, verses 5 to 15; and Acts 1:1 to 5 Jesus had promised the apostles the baptism of the Holy Spirit. He made that promise to no one else, friend, modern claims to the contrary notwithstanding. He did it as a means of assuring and guarding the complete revelation of His will to man. Jesus received His teaching from God. In John 7:16 He said, "My doctrine is not Mine, but His who sent Me." And in John 17:7 in His prayer for the apostles, He said, "They have known that all things which You have given Me are from You. For I have given to them the words which you have given Me, and they have received them..." So you see He passed the teachings that He received from God the Father to the apostles (John 17, verse 8). To enable them to remember all that He had taught them, and to enable them to receive more truth He gave them the Holy Spirit as a Helper (John 16, verses 15 and 16). In view of that promise, He cautioned them not to begin their preaching ministry until they had received that "power from on high" (Luke 24, verses 48 to 49; and Acts 1 and 4). When the day of Pentecost arrived, they (that is the apostles) received that promise of the baptism of the Holy Spirit. That marked the beginning of the Christian era. In my search of the Scriptures I could find no record of anyone else having received the baptism of the Holy Spirit. No, not even Cornelius in Acts chapter 10, verse 45.
So now, back to Acts chapter 6; and 8; and 19. We've eliminated the baptism of the Holy Spirit from that conveyed by the laying on of the apostles’ hands. And if not that, then, what could it have been? Let's see. In Acts chapter 6 they have the opening of the idea that "In those days, when the number of the disciples was multiplying, there arose a complaint against the Hebrews by the Hellenists (or the Greek-speaking disciples), because their widows were neglected in the daily distribution (of benevolence)." This prompted the twelve apostles to call the church together to choose someone who that they could see that that problem was promptly corrected. They chose seven men who were said to be "of good reputation, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom," whom they set before the apostles; "and when they had prayed, they laid their hands on them." Among them were two, well, we need to mention particularly, "Stephen, a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit," and then Philip also.
These were two, or these two I should say, not only served tables, but they also preached the Gospel. But Stephen's life was cut short by stoning. Upon his death in Acts chapter 7, "A great persecution arose against the church which was at Jerusalem.” And in Acts chapter 8 “they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles....and Philip went down to the city of Samaria and preached Christ to them, many believed and were baptized, both men and women (verse 12). And there was a man there whose name was Simon, who had practiced sorcery or magic in Samaria for many years, who claimed that he was demonstrating the great power of God. And-- like some today, he deceived many people. But, when he heard Philip's message, he, too, believed in Jesus Christ and was baptized and became a part of the ministry there.
When the apostles at Jerusalem heard the good news, they sent the apostles Peter and John down there, who "laid hands on them and they received the Holy Spirit." Now let me interrupt the story here just to point out that through the laying on of the apostles’ hands the Holy Spirit was given in some measure. Now we know from Acts 2:38 that it was not what is called the "ordinary measure" or the “common measure”-- what was promised to every person who believes, repents and is baptized for the remission of sins. And, we just learned it was not for the baptism of the Holy Spirit promised by our Lord only to the apostles. So what could it have been? Well, let's continue in Acts 8, at verse 18: "And when Simon saw that through the laying on of the apostles' hands the Holy Spirit was given, he offered them money, saying, Give me this power, that anyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit." Now through the laying on of the apostles' hands a miraculous measure of the Holy Spirit was given, transferred. However, it must be noted again, that Philip, who had apparently received the gift of miracles by the laying on of the hands of the apostles earlier in chapter 6, was not able to pass that gift on to Simon or to the other Samaritans. We know that because it had not happened until the apostles Peter and John arrived on the scene. My friend, that would mean, wouldn’t it, that once those on whom the apostles laid their hands for this purpose, once they had died, there would be no one else in possession of that power or that gift?
To be sure, the first century church did experience the performance of miracles-- by the apostles, and by those on whom the apostles' laid their hands and conveyed those miraculous powers on them. When Jesus was raised from the dead, He appeared to the eleven apostles and commissioned them saying, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. He who believes and is baptized will be saved, but he who does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; they will take up serpents and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover." And that is the reading of Mark chapter 6, verses 15 through 18. And they did!
In Acts chapter 28, verses 1 to 10 Paul, who was an apostle born out of due time (meaning that he was not one of the original twelve, but he was an apostle, called to be so by the Lord, just as the others were) was bitten by a viper yet he suffered no harm. He also laid hands on a man and healed him. It was after his escape from the storm in which the ship was wrecked on the Island of Malta. The Scripture says, "In that region there was an estate of the leading citizen of the island, whose name was Publius, who received us and entertained us courteously for three days. And it happened that the father of Publius lay sick of a fever and dysentery. Paul went in to him and prayed, and he laid his hands on him and healed him." Now that is verses 7 and 8. So, laying on of hands was practiced in New Testament Christianity for the purpose of healing and other miracles, and transferring the power by the laying on of hands on others.
Now we have studied the events of Acts six and eight, and now let's take a quick look at Acts 19. In the last paragraph of the preceding chapter Luke described the work of Apollos at Ephesus, and he says it was commendable, but Apollos knew only the baptism of John. After his departure from Ephesus, Paul came there and found twelve men who had been baptized in John's baptism and he asked them if they received the Holy Spirit when they were baptized. Though they should have since according to Peter's sermon on Pentecost, those who repent and are baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of their sins, receive the Holy Spirit" (Acts 2:38). But they hadn’t. So, Paul asked them, "Into what then were you baptized? And they said, into John's baptism. Then Paul said, John indeed baptized with a baptism of repentance, saying to the people that they should believe on Him who was to come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus. And when they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. And when Paul had laid hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke with tongues and prophesied (in other words, miracles). Now the men were about twelve in all," so we are told in Acts chapter 19, verses 1 to 10.
This is the same situation which we found in Samaria in Acts chapter 8, isn’t it? The laying on of the apostles’ hands, the laying on of hands was practiced in both instances to convey the baptism of the Holy Spirit and not the ordinary measure of the Holy Spirit as mentioned by Peter in Acts 2:38, but indeed-- a measure that enabled the recipient to do miracles.
We have seen now, that the practice of laying on of hands was done in the New Testament: (1) in violence, (2) to convey a miraculous gift of the Holy Spirit, and (3) to convey the miraculous gifts of speaking in tongues, taking up serpents without harm, drinking deadly poison without suffering harm, healing the sick, and all of that. Let us pray. Holy Father, we are thankful for the enlightenment that we have on this subject. And we pray that on this study we have clarified some problems in the minds of some people, and strengthened our place and our belief in them in what was said in the Scriptures. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen!
In my study of the Scriptures on this phrase, "the laying on of hands," I found still one more purpose for the practice in the early church. It's this: It accompanied the appointment of people to perform a certain service for the Lord. Now this is the least common use in the New Testament, occurring only a few times. In Acts chapter 6 and verse 6, in the appointment of those seven deacons in Jerusalem church to serve the needy widows, when the apostles "had prayed, they laid hands on them." As I mentioned earlier in this instance laying on of the apostles' hands probably included passing on the gift of miracles. In Acts chapter 13, verses 1 to 3 there is the occasion in which the church in Antioch chose Barnabas and Saul for the work to which they had been called. Now verse three says, "Then, having fasted and prayed and laid hands on them, they sent them away" on what we call their first missionary journey. In 1Timothy chapter 4, verse 14 Paul wrote to Timothy and said, "Do not neglect the gift that is in you, which was given to you by prophecy with the laying on of the hands of the eldership (that is the NKJV; presbytery in the KJV.) It would be easy to argue that the elders gave the gift to Timothy, but the language doesn't say that. In connection with that, it's important to read another statement by Paul to Timothy in the second letter (chapter 1, verse 6): "I remind you, he said, to stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands." Now that's an obvious reference to Timothy's appointment to preach. Paul also might have conveyed the miraculous powers on him, but we have no record of Timothy ever having done miracles.
Paul gave instructions about the selection of elders and deacons. Then he wrote about other matters, and returned to elder relations in chapter 5, verses 16 through 22, concluding with this in verse 22: "Do not lay hands on anyone hastily." In that setting it's almost certain that he was saying, Do not be hasty in appointing men to be elders-- and perhaps to do any other special task.
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