CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTION

In writing 2 Timothy, Paul seeks to offer his son in faith counsels in a good way

to help him to stand firm in faith and to perform his ministry, no matter the situation he is

facing, even though Timothy is about to undergo suffering and persecution this would be

difficult times and he ought to be prepared. Paul tells Timothy that he need a great deal of

courage to bear and confront false teaching and persecution. In addition, the apostle

recommends that he be bold in the use of the spiritual gifts by the laying of hands (2 Tim

1:6) for the growth of ministry, because he was sure of that the Holy Spirit was upon

Timothy’s life.

Remembering of how he served the Lord Jesus and his very own life, Paul urges

Timothy to be a devoted Christian to God and to his sheep. Preaching and teaching is to

be to be his constant activities in his Ministry (2 Tim. 4:2), and he must instruct others for

ministry speaking to them with strength the privilege of serving Christ (2 Tim. 2:2.)

Looking at the expression “laying of palms” in (2 Tim 1:6) call for a closer

theological valuation of the practice of laying of hands inside the church practice for

ordination. “Ordination is a formal ceremony in which a local church acknowledges the

evidence of a special call to ministry in the life of a candidate. The ceremony of

ordination symbolizes God’s act of setting aside and empowering a person to carry out

that ministry in a specific place of service.”1

The act of laying on hands is an old practice2 and is used in different context,

when comes to ordination, interestingly Sharon Warner states to be the central key and

the core for endorsing ecclesiological identity.3 Aside of it, the understanding of its

significance shape significantly the view of ministry, the act of ordination that one goes

through, are pathway into the heart of the church’s belief about ministry, on this sense a

ordained minister not only is recognized and acceptanceted as ordained ministry but also

the ceremony impart in the heart of the church that the minster has been called for a

sacred ministry.4

Background of the Problem

The practice of laying of the hands has being ground for a great discussion for

decades, despite of the discussions, the practice of laying on hands continues to be

implemented in the liturgy for ordination. Throughout of the discussion two models of

ordination have being suggested the “embodied model” and “empowered model.5”

“In the "embodiment" model of ordained ministry people are ordained on basis of

innate gifts. They are special persons who go about doing ministry, whether or not

1
Thomas D. Lea and Hayne P. Griffin, 1, 2 Timothy, Titus, The New American commentary 34
(Nashville Tenn.: Broadman Press, 1992) (1992), 141.
2
John E. Toews, “Rethinking the meaning of ordination: toward a biblical theology of leadership
affirmation,” The Conrad Grebel Review 22.1 (2004), http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&
db=rfh&AN=ATLA0001585770&site=ehost-live.
3
Sharon Warner, “The meaning of ordination in the church,” Lexington Theological Quarterly
37.1-2 (2002): 63, http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=rfh&AN=ATLA0001401213&
site=ehost-live.
4
Ibid.
5
Ibid., 65.
community authorizes. Essentially their call is from God, not the church. "In one sense

the church does not need to 'empower' these persons. Rather, the church is called to

recognize the gifts for ministry which is already embody.”6 This model suggested the

laying of hands as a ritual to express the empowerment by the Holy Spirit for a person

being ordained, and it is the climax for theological and ecclesiological implication.

On one hand, “In the empowerment model the people raise up one of their

number to be their leader. That person has functional authority, but no essential authority.

Clergy are no better than any other Christians, they are simply set apart, empowered, to

do a job.”7 For this model the concept of ordained ministry calls for the laying on of

hands not by the elders, but by the congregation. In order to understand the ritual of

laying on hands, it’s of great importance to investigate the practice within the Old and

New Testimony, its reason and its significance.

Statement of the Problem

The two models presented in the introduction creates implications that shape the

understating of the ritual of laying on hands on ordained minister. Such differences in

interpretation influence the understanding of ordination both in regard to its nature and its

function. “The recent emphasis on ordination and the increased of ‘sacralization’ of the

practice did not involve any careful review of the biblical texts.”8 So, does the Bible

6
Ibid., 66.
7
Ibid.67
8
Toews, “Rethinking the meaning of ordination: toward a biblical theology of leadership
affirmation.”
provides a significance information for such practice? Is 2 Tim 1:6 base for ordination?

What is the significance of “laying of hands in ordination”?

Significance of the Study

The significance of the study seek to analysis the biblical base for the practice of

the laying on hands in the ritual of Christian ordination, this paper offers a comparative

study of the practice of laying on hands both Old and New testament and it seeks offer a

plausible understanding of Christian practice today.

Delimitation of the study

This study delimited in analysis the significance of the expression “laying of

hand”, both in Old and New Testament, the researcher delimitate the paper in searching

the Hebrew term (sāmaḵ yaḏ ʿal) and Greek. (epitíthēmi).

Methodology
 CHAPTER II

LITERATURE REVIEW

Laying of Hands in the OT

The Old Testament provides a rich heritage for practices of laying on hands. The

laying on of hands, which became central in ceremonies of Christian ordination, was

practiced in various settings. The appointment of Joshua as Moses' successor, the

installation of the seventy elders, and the ordination of priests, Levites, and prophets is to

be considered as precedents for Christian ordination. (Reference 1) The language of

ordination used in the Old Testament also provides clues to the significance of the

Christian rite. (Provide Support3)

The meaning of “laying of hands” has generated so much controversies in Jewish

and Christian circles9. The Old Testament phrase “laying on of hands” occurs twenty-five

(25) times in a variety of contexts with a variety of meanings. Of the twenty-five

occurrences, twenty-three can be explained as a technical term describing a ritual act. The

most common use is in acts of sacrifice (18 times) when the one making an offering lays

a hand upon the sacrificial victim. While some interpreters see this act as a “transference

of sin or guilt from the one making the offering to the victim,” (Support Reference4)

others suggest think it only identifies “the victim as belonging to the one making the

offering and implied ownership as well as an attribution of the gift to God” (Support

Reference5). Thus, the one presenting the sacrifice symbolically offered their lives to

God as a gift.

9 Wright, 1986
 The key verb in “laying on of hands” is “smk” which means: “support, lean, lean

upon, lay, uphold, refresh.” This verb is used 48 times in the OT. It is generally used to

refer “to support or strengthening provided, often in parallel with other verbs connoting

help” (TOLT).

The Hebrew words Sim and “šîm” are two of the synonymous verbs to “smk.”

However, “smk” is a technical term which connotes exercising some force, while each of

these other verb is less of a technical term with a wide range of applications indicating

touching without application of physical pressure. The uses of this verb in Psalm 88:7

and Ezek 24:2 indicate the use of some pressure, attack, or coming against Out of the 48

uses of “smk” in the OT, over 20 uses point to the leaning of hands on an animal about to

be sacrificed (Support Reference) While both hands are put on the goat on the Day of

Atonement, (Support Reference) only one hand is laid on the other sacrifices throughout

the daily sacrificial activities. (Support Reference) The Day of Atonement clearly

involves the imposition of hands as transference of sin (Lev 16:22). For all the other

sacrifices with one hand laid, some argue that this touching only identifies the offeror

with the animal, without transferring his sin to it.

Out of the 48 appearances of the verb “smk”, only four (4) times does it refer to

some form of consecration, (Support Reference) “ordination,” commissioning of

leadership and transference of authority: three times with Joshua’s inauguration (Num

27:18, 23; Deut 34:9) and once in the dedication ceremony of the Levites (Num 8:10;)

concluded that “samak” was a strong term meaning to lean strongly with pressure and is

used in rituals of sacrifices and consecration, thus signifying the “pouring of one's

personality into another being, the creation of a representative or substitute.

 The laying on of hands on the head of certain sacrificial animals was an important

part of the old sacrificial offering system. Several people participated in the laying on of

hands, including:

Individual Israelites: “When any one of you offers an offering to the Lord,… he

will lay his hand on the head of the burnt offering, that it may be accepted for him for his

atonement” (Leviticus 1: 2, 4).

Elders (Elders): “And the elders of the congregation shall lay their hands upon the

head of the bullock before the Lord; and the bullock shall be cut off before the Lord”

(Leviticus 4:15).

Rulers: The ruler "shall lay his hand on the head of the goat" (Leviticus 4:24).

Community Members: “Anyone of the people... Will lay his hand upon the head

of the sin offering” (Leviticus 4:27, 29).

High priests: “Aaron shall lay both his hands on the head of the living goat”

(Leviticus 16:21).

Levites: “And the Levites shall lay their hands upon the head of the bullocks... To

make atonement for the Levites” (Numbers 8:12). The Lord has ordained the laying on of

hands for various sacrificial offerings, including burnt offerings, peace offerings, and sin

offerings (see Leviticus 1: 4; 3: 1–2; 4: 3–4; 24: 10–16).

 Laying hands on sacrificial animals teaches vicarious law or the power of one to

act in the place of another. (Reference) In this case, he symbolically conveys the sins of

the people to the head of the animal. Or, as one Bible scholar has stated, the laying on of

hands “identifies the sinner with the sacrificial victim to be killed and symbolizes the

offering of his own life.” (Reference) The symbolism of the laying on of hands, in the

context of the sacrificial offerings, is expressed in Leviticus 16: 21–22, where the high

priest transmits the sins and iniquities of Israel to the head of the goat. “And Aaron shall

lay both his hands upon the head of the living goat, and shall confess upon it all the

iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their transgressions, and all their sins; He will

put them on the head of the goat. That goat shall bear upon them all their iniquities. ”

Understanding Old Testament culture can help unravel the full meaning of the

Old Testament significance of the practice of laying on hands. This is particularly true of

rituals that point the use of laying on hand on the sacrifices; to commission; ordination

sin confession and spiritual Gifts

Laying of Hands in the NT

Imposition of hands is “A technical term for the Laying on of Hands by the

Bishop in Confirmation”10 it is part of a ceremonial act of consecration or identification

(Heb. sāmaḵ yaḏ ʿal Gk. epitíthēmi tás cheíras, epíthesis tō ́ n cheirō ́ n)

10
“Imposition of Hands,” The American Church History Series, 143.
Laying of hands in Acts

Laying of Hands in Pauline Corpus

COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF THE USE OF LAYING HANDS

Theological Implications
 CHAPTER IV

SUMMARY

The OT seems to use the term “laying on of hands” to communicate several ideas

including transference, substitution, confirmation of legal decisions, ownership, and

recognition and setting aside.

In addition the general meaning of the act, however, was that of naming,

indicating the person or thing as recognized, or admitted, in a sense. During the

priesthood endowment ceremony, Aaron and his sons laid their hands on the head of the

bull and the two rams to be sacrificed, thus recognizing that these animals were being

sacrificed for them to become priests of God. (Ex 29:10, 15, 19; Le 8:14, 18, 22) When

Moses appointed Joshua as his successor at God's command, he laid his hands on Joshua,

who was consequently recognized as successor leader, it was not because Moses passed

on anything aside responsibility to Joshua, he was “filled with the spirit of wisdom”

before the laying on hands and thus he was able to lead Israel properly. (De 34: 9)

Hands were laid upon people when they were designated as beneficiaries of a

blessing. (Ge 48:14; Mr 10:16) Jesus Christ touched, or laid hands on, some people

whom He healed. (Mt 8: 3; Mr 6: 5; Lu 13:13) In some cases, the gift of Holy Spirit was

bestowed by the laying on of the apostles' hands. - Acts 8: 14-20; 19: 6.

CONCLUSION

The embodied and empowered model can be harmonized

(1) In Consecration of Offerings Lev 1:4; 3:2; 4:15; 16:21

(2) In Ordination or Consecration of Men for Service (Num 8:10; 27:18; Deu 34:9; Act
6:6; 1Ti 4:14; 5:22; 2Ti 1:6)
(3) In Blessing (Gen 48:14; Mat 19:15; Mar 10:16)

(4) In Healing (Mar 6:5; 7:32; 16:18; Luk 4:40; 13:13; Act 28:8)
 REFERENCE

BIBLIOGRAPHY
Lea, Thomas D., and Hayne P. Griffin. 1, 2 Timothy, Titus. The New American
commentary 34. Nashville Tenn.: Broadman Press, 1992.

Toews, John E. “Rethinking the meaning of ordination: toward a biblical theology of

leadership affirmation.” The Conrad Grebel Review 22.1 (2004): 5–25. http://
search.ebscohost.com.

Warner, Sharon. “The meaning of ordination in the church.” Lexington Theological

Quarterly 37.1-2 (2002): 61–84. http://search.ebscohost.com.

Wright, D. P. (1986). “The gesture of hand placement in the Hebrew Bible and in Hittite
literature”. Journal of Annals of Oriental Studies, 106, 433–46.