The Laying on of Hands
The Laying on of Hands
Question
What doctrinal or spiritual meanings are carried by the laying on of hands by members of the clergy upon the head of any person?
Answer
When one of the bishop fathers or priest fathers lays his hand upon a person, this indicates the transmission of a certain grace from that father to the person upon whom the hand is laid.
What is this grace? And what are its different kinds?
1) Blessing
The hand may be laid simply for the granting of a blessing. This occurred when Jacob the Patriarch laid his hands upon the two sons of Joseph the Righteous (his right hand upon Ephraim and his left upon Manasseh) and blessed them (Gen. 48:13–20).
Likewise, the Lord Jesus Christ blessed the children in the same manner: “Then He took them up in His arms, laid His hands on them, and blessed them” (Mark 10:16).
The blessing may also be given by raising the hands rather than laying them upon people, especially when those being blessed are a large multitude upon whom it is not practically possible to place one or two hands.
An example of this in the Old Testament is Aaron the high priest blessing the people: “Then Aaron lifted his hand toward the people, blessed them” (Lev. 9:22).
Likewise, the Lord blessed the apostles: “And He led them out as far as Bethany, and He lifted up His hands and blessed them” (Luke 24:50).
2) Granting the Holy Spirit
Before the practice of anointing with the Holy Myron, the apostolic fathers laid their hands upon people, and they received the Holy Spirit. This occurred with the people of Samaria when the holy Apostles Peter and John “laid hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit” (Acts 8:17). Likewise, with the people of Ephesus: “And when Paul had laid hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them” (Acts 19:6).
At present, the Holy Myron is used instead. However, the laying on of hands may be used in granting the Holy Spirit to elderly women who are baptized at an advanced age, and likewise to elderly men, after these individuals have been anointed with the Holy Myron on the visible parts of the body.
3) Ordination
The ordination of deacons and all ranks of the priesthood is performed with the specific declaration for that rank.
At the ordination of the seven deacons, the apostolic fathers prayed and “laid hands on them” (Acts 6:6).
Likewise, hands were laid upon Barnabas and Saul (Acts 13:3), and the Apostle Paul laid his hand upon Saint Timothy (Bishop of Ephesus). He reminded him of this, saying: “I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands” (2 Tim. 1:6).
Concerning ordinations, he advised him: “Do not lay hands on anyone hastily, nor share in other people’s sins” (1 Tim. 5:22).
4) Healing
It was said concerning the Lord: “Now when the sun was setting, all those who had any that were sick with various diseases brought them to Him; and He laid His hands on every one of them and healed them” (Luke 4:40).
Concerning the woman who had been bent over for eighteen years: “And He laid His hands on her, and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God” (Luke 13:13).
The Lord granted this same power to His saints: “They will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover” (Mark 16:18).
Ananias of Damascus laid his hand upon Saul of Tarsus so that he might receive his sight (Acts 9:12). The Apostle Paul also laid his hands upon Publius when he was suffering from fever and dysentery (Acts 28:8).
5) Power
This expression has also been used figuratively to signify the granting of a particular power.
As it is written: “And the hand of the Lord was on Elijah” (1 Kings 18:46), meaning that the Lord granted him strength.
It was also said concerning Ezekiel: “The hand of the Lord was upon him there” (Ezek. 1:3), and he saw the cloud of the Lord, visions, and revelations. He also said: “The hand of the Lord was upon me there” (Ezek. 3:22), and he saw the glory of the Lord.
This power is also seen in the parting of the Red Sea, when the Lord said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it” (Ex. 14:16, 21).
6) Substitution
In the offering of sacrifices to act on behalf of sinners and for the transfer of their sins from them to the sacrifice.
The sinner would lay his hand upon the head of the sacrifice so that it might stand in his place and his sin might be transferred from him to it. It would die on his behalf, and God would accept it for his redemption.
Therefore, he confessed his sin over its head so that the sacrifice might bear it on his behalf (Lev. 5:5).
He laid his hand upon the burnt offering (Lev. 1:4), the trespass offering (Lev. 4:4), and the peace offering (Lev. 3:2).
On the great Day of Atonement, the high priest, representing the entire people, laid both his hands upon the head of the live goat and confessed over it all the iniquities of the children of Israel, all their transgressions, and all their sins, placing them upon the head of the goat (Lev. 16:21).
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