The activity of the Holy Spirit is recorded both in the Old and New Testaments. His primary work was revealing the Word of God and guiding the apostles and prophets as they wrote the books of the Bible. The power He had was given in three different measures. Each came from the same source, the Holy Spirit, but there were degrees of His power given to men and women. In last week’s publication there was information about the baptismal measure. It only occurred twice. The first time was on the apostles to empower them (Luke 24:49; Acts 1:8; 2:1-4) and on the household of Cornelius to let the Jews know that the Gentiles could be baptized and become part of the church (Acts 10:1-11:18).
The second measure of the Spirit’s power that was given is that which came to individuals when an apostle laid hands on people. There are five accounts recorded where the apostles used their power in this way.
Luke recorded an important bit of information about the apostles’ power to impart miraculous gifts in the account of the conversion of Simon. He wrote, “Simon saw that the Spirit was bestowed through the laying on of the apostles’ hands,” (Acts 8:18). The first of these accounts is recorded in Acts 6. In this chapter, seven men were selected to be in charge of serving the widows in Jerusalem. When those men were selected, the apostles laid hands on them (Acts 6:6). Two of the men appointed for this work were, Stephen and Philip (Acts 6:5). After these men had hands laid on them the text says, Stephen was “performing great wonders and signs among the people,” (v. 8). This is the first account of anyone preforming a miracle except the apostles after the church began in Acts 2. Where did Stephen get his power? Evidently, through the laying on of hands by the apostles since that was the way that power was imparted (Acts 8:18). This is the first recorded account of the apostles’ laying hands on people to impart miraculous power.
Philip, who was also one of the seven appointed and had hands laid on him by the apostles recorded in Acts 6, went to Samaria and began preforming miracles (Acts 8:6-7). Again, where did he get that power? Through the laying on of the apostles’ hands. “Now when the apostles in Jerusalem head that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent them Peter and John who came down and prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit,” (Acts 8:14-15). Note, Philip was able to perform miracles, but was not able to impart that power to others. Therefore, the apostles, Peter and John, came to give individuals miraculous powers. This is the second recorded case of the apostles laying hands on individuals to give them miraculous power.
The third recorded event of laying on of hands is recorded in Acts 19. Paul came to Ephesus and found what he thought were some Christians, but as it turned out they had not been baptized with the great commission baptism, but only John’s baptism and had to be baptized again (Acts 19:5). This time they were baptized for the correct reason. After they were baptized “Paul laid his hands upon them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they began speaking with tongues and prophesying,” (v. 6).
The fourth account, that may be a case where miraculous gifts were imparted, is Paul’s statement in Romans 1:11. He was writing the Roman letter from Corinth and making plans to go to Rome. He said, “For I long to see you so that I may impart some spiritual gift to you, that you may be established.”
The fifth recorded account of the laying on of hands is Paul laying hands on Timothy. Timothy was struggling and Paul said, “For this reason I remind you to kindle afresh the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands,” (2 Timothy 1:6). It seems from this passage and the rest of the book that Timothy was not using the gift he had been given.
There are nine manifestations of the Spirit (miraculous powers) listed in I Corinthians 12. These were special gifts that were used to prove that the one speaking was a messenger from God. Jesus had promised and explained the purpose of signs before He ascended. Mark explained, “They went out and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the word by the signs that followed,” (Mark 16:20). It seems that the Spirit decided which of the nine gifts each person would receive and that a person on whom the apostles laid hands, received only one gift (I Corinthian 12:4-11).
The New Testament speaks of others who had miraculous gifts such as Philip’s four virgin daughters (Acts 21:9). They had to have an apostle lay hands on them, but the Scriptures do not record an apostle doing that. The same thing can be said of people in Corinth. They could speak in tongues and prophesy (I Corinthian 14), but the Bible does not record the event of hands being laid on them.
Different Laying on of Hands
Not every time the phrase “laying on of hands” is used, does it refer to the impartation of a miraculous gift. For example, this phrase is found in Acts 4:3 and refers to government officials laying hands on Peter and John, but it was to take them to jail, not give them power. In Acts 13:3 the church in Antioch laid hands on Saul and Barnabas. It was to send them on their missionary journey with the church’s blessing. Saul was an apostle. The church could not give him any sort of power.
A Study of I Timothy 4:14
Second Timothy 1:6 states that Timothy received the gift of power from the Spirit through the laying on of Paul’s hands. But, note what I Timothy 4:14 says, “Do not neglect the spiritual gift within you, which was bestowed on you through prophetic utterance with the laying on of hands by the presbytery.” This may sound like the elders (presbytery) gave Timothy his gift, but that is not the case. It seems that this is a case where the laying on of hands was done as a sign that the church was supporting and behind the young man Timothy. When Paul went to the area where Timothy lived, he found that Timothy had a good reputation, not only in his local congregation, but even in other congregations in the area. Acts 16:2 says of Timothy, “He (Timothy) was well spoken of by the brethren who were in Lystra and Iconium.” When he left to go with Paul, the elders laid hands on him to send their blessings with him.
Second Timothy 1:6 says that the gift came “through” the laying on of Paul’s hands. First Timothy 4:14 said that it was “with” the laying on of the elders’ hands. It seems that both events may have occurred at the same time, thus the word “with” or “along with.” It is not a case where someone other than the apostles could impart a miraculous gift.
Conclusion
The laying on of the apostles’ hands gave miraculous powers to the individual, but it was not the same power as the apostles received when they were baptized in the Holy Spirit. The individuals who had hands laid on them could use that power to spread the gospel. Their gift could confirm that the one speaking was speaking with authority from God. That power that was available at that time is not available to us today because it could only be given through the laying on of the apostles’ hands. Since we don’t have apostles today, no one can have any of those miraculous gifts today.
Wayne Burger
