“Do not lay hands on anyone hastily, nor share in other people’s sins; keep yourself pure” (1 Timothy 5:22).
There are several ways to understand the idea of “laying hands upon someone” when used in the context of 1 Timothy 5:22. For example, we can associate this reference with the ceremonial act of ordination to a position of ministry. As implied in the passage quoted above, this type of leadership appointment should never be taken without prayerful and detailed consideration.
This should also prompt us to recall Paul the Apostle’s counsel regarding the appointment of elders from earlier within this letter: “But let these also first be tested…” (1 Timothy 3:10). For instance, it would be unwise to ordain a gifted person into the ministry before that person is ready to assume the challenges associated with a ministerial position.
One way to avoid that issue is to look for the traits and characteristics mentioned earlier in 1 Timothy chapter three as well as the Pastoral Epistle of Titus. Those attributes include the following qualities…
“…not given to wine, not violent, not greedy for money, but gentle, not quarrelsome, not covetous; one who rules his own house well, having his children in submission with all reverence… not a novice, lest being puffed up with pride he fall into the same condemnation as the devil. Moreover he must have a good testimony among those who are outside, lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil” (1 Timothy 3:3-7).
“…blameless, as a steward of God, not self-willed, not quick-tempered, not given to wine, not violent, not greedy for money, but hospitable, a lover of what is good, sober-minded, just, holy, self-controlled, holding fast the faithful word as he has been taught, that he may be able, by sound doctrine, both to exhort and convict those who contradict” (Titus 1:7-9).
These qualifications provide us with some important standards to consider in the area of church leadership. For instance, a person who holds a position of wealth, prominence, or status is not necessarily suited for a church leadership position based on those qualities alone. If we exclude or minimize the characteristics given to us in the passages quoted above in favor of such qualities, we may be faced with an unpleasant, embarrassing, or disastrous situation later.
Much like a sports team that promotes a promising athlete to the major-league level before he or she is ready, those who promote a gifted, but ill-prepared person to a leadership position also bear a degree of responsibility if that person should ever fail.