“and of instruction about washings, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment.” (Hebrews 6:2 ESV).
The next item on this list of elementary principles from Hebrews 6:2 involves “laying on of hands.” The origin of this practice dates back to the early Old Testament period as a symbolic act of blessing (see Genesis 48:8-20). It also appears as an element of the Old Testament sacrificial law…
“Now the Lord called to Moses, and spoke to him from the tabernacle of meeting, saying, ‘Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: When any one of you brings an offering to the Lord, you shall bring your offering of the livestock—of the herd and of the flock. If his offering is a burnt sacrifice of the herd, let him offer a male without blemish; he shall offer it of his own free will at the door of the tabernacle of meeting before the Lord. Then he shall put his hand on the head of the burnt offering, and it will be accepted on his behalf to make atonement for him” (Leviticus 1:1-4).
This practice was later associated with the act of ordination to a position of authority as recorded in the Biblical book of Numbers…
“And the Lord said to Moses: ‘Take Joshua the son of Nun with you, a man in whom is the Spirit, and lay your hand on him; set him before Eleazar the priest and before all the congregation, and inaugurate him in their sight” (Numbers 27:18-19).
“Laying on of hands” also has several New Testament associations as well. These include…
- Blessing (Matthew 19:13–15).
- Healing (Luke 4:40).
- Ordination to a ministerial office (Acts 6:1-6).
- Provision of the Holy Spirit (Acts 8:14-17, Acts 9:17).
- God’s divine empowerment for a specific task (1 Timothy 4:14, 2 Timothy 1:6).
Finally, we should also recognize Paul the Apostle’s counsel regarding this practice in the Biblical book of 1 Timothy: “Do not lay hands on anyone hastily, nor share in other people’s sins; keep yourself pure” (1 Timothy 5:22). We can associate this cautionary message with anyone who may be seeking ordination to a ministerial position.
That ordination process should involve a prayerful and detailed consideration of the candidate in question. If we fail to do so, we might prematurely ordain someone before that person is ready to assume the challenges associated with a ministry position.
So taken as a whole, Hebrews 6:2 tells us that this practice represents an elementary doctrine for a mature man or woman of God.