The Church · The Laying On of Hands
epithesis tōn cheirōn · the laying on of hands · ἐπιτίθημι, to lay upon
a real point of impartation — of the Spirit, healing, blessing, and commissioning — to be used with discernment
One phrase · hands laid on
ἐπίθεσις τῶν χειρῶν — the laying on of hands — is listed among the elementary doctrines of the faith (Heb 6:2). From Jacob blessing his grandsons (Gen 48) to the sacrifice identified with the offerer’s hand (Lev 1:4), hands are a biblical point of identification and impartation: what passes is real, not merely symbolic.
God uses it to impart the Holy Spirit, to heal, to bless, and to commission. But because something real is transferred, the source matters profoundly. Scripture warns, “do not lay hands hastily on anyone” (1 Tim 5:22) — for hands can convey the Spirit and His gifts, or, in the wrong hands, an unclean spirit. Impartation is to be received with discernment.
Hands as a point of impartation; receiving the Holy Spirit; healing the sick; commissioning and the imparting of gifts; and the discernment the practice demands.
A foundation of the faith.
βαπτισμῶν διδαχῆς, ἐπιθέσεώς τε χειρῶν, ἀναστάσεώς τε νεκρῶν
… epitheseōs te cheirōn …
the doctrine of baptisms, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead.
Hebrews ranks it among the very foundations. Throughout Scripture hands convey blessing and identification — Jacob over Ephraim and Manasseh (Gen 48), the offerer’s hand on the sacrifice (Lev 1:4). Something real is transferred; this is no empty ceremony.
Hands as a point of contact for the Spirit.
καὶ ἐπιθέντος αὐτοῖς τοῦ Παύλου τὰς χεῖρας ἦλθεν τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον ἐπ’ αὐτούς
… ēlthen to pneuma …
and when Paul laid hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them.
In Samaria, Peter and John laid hands and believers received the Spirit (Acts 8:17); at Ephesus, Paul laid hands and they spoke in tongues and prophesied (19:6); Ananias laid hands on Saul “that you may receive your sight and be filled with the Spirit” (9:17). Hands as a point of contact for the Spirit’s coming.
They will lay hands, and they will recover.
… ἐπὶ ἀρρώστους χεῖρας ἐπιθήσουσιν καὶ καλῶς ἕξουσιν
… kai kalōs hexousin — they will recover
…they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.
Jesus “laid His hands on each one and healed them” (Luke 4:40); Paul laid hands on Publius’s father and healed him (Acts 28:8). Hands are an ordained point of contact for the healing power of God. (See the companion study on healing.)
Sending, ordaining, imparting.
… ἀναζωπυρεῖν τὸ χάρισμα τοῦ θεοῦ ὅ ἐστιν ἐν σοὶ διὰ τῆς ἐπιθέσεως τῶν χειρῶν μου
… dia tēs epitheseōs tōn cheirōn mou
…stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands.
A gift was imparted to Timothy through prophecy with the laying on of hands of the elders (1 Tim 4:14; 2 Tim 1:6); the seven were set apart (Acts 6:6) and Barnabas and Saul sent (Acts 13:3) the same way. Hands commission for ministry and impart gifts — a real transfer, in real obedience.
For it transfers — and not only good.
χεῖρας ταχέως μηδενὶ ἐπιτίθει, μηδὲ κοινώνει ἁμαρτίαις ἀλλοτρίαις
cheiras tacheōs mēdeni epitithei …
do not lay hands hastily on anyone, nor share in the sins of others; keep yourself pure.
Because impartation is real, the source decides what is conveyed. Holy hands impart the Spirit and His gifts; but hands under another power can transfer the unclean — as in the occult “awakenings” and energy-transfers of Eastern mysticism (kundalini, shaktipat) and similar counterfeits. So receive impartation with care: know the source, test the spirit (1 John 4:1), and let everything bow to Christ.
Two errors surround this gift. On one side, undiscerning impartation — receiving the laying on of hands from any source, opening oneself to counterfeit “anointings” and demonic transferences (kundalini and other occult “energy” awakenings) that mimic the Spirit’s power. On the other, a fearful rejection of the genuine — refusing the real, biblical impartation God ordains. The way between is discernment: know the source, and submit it all to Christ.
… προσήνεγκεν αὐτοῖς χρήματα … δότε κἀμοὶ τὴν ἐξουσίαν ταύτην
… dote kamoi tēn exousian tautēn
…he offered them money, saying, “Give me this authority too.”
Simon the sorcerer, who had practiced magic, saw the Spirit given through the apostles’ hands and tried to buy the power — a counterfeit, occult grasping after impartation. Peter’s rebuke was severe (8:20–23). Beware any “impartation” sought or given for control, money, or show, or drawn from a source not wholly Christ’s.
… μὴ παντὶ πνεύματι πιστεύετε, ἀλλὰ δοκιμάζετε τὰ πνεύματα
… dokimazete ta pneumata — test the spirits
do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are from God.
The cure for both ditches is discernment. Do not receive impartation indiscriminately, and do not refuse the genuine in fear. Test the source by Scripture, by its fruit, and by whether it exalts Jesus (1 Cor 12:3). The real always magnifies Christ; the counterfeit draws you elsewhere. (See the studies on discerning of spirits and deliverance.)
So honor this foundation without fearing it and without using it carelessly. God still imparts His Spirit, healing, blessing, and gifts through hands laid on in faith — welcome it. But because the transfer is real, keep watch over the source: lay hands soberly, keep yourself pure, and do not receive impartation from hands that do not belong wholly to Christ. Holy hands and a discerning heart — that is the way of this gift.
1 TIMOTHY 5:22 · THE WARNING
χεῖρας ταχέως μηδενὶ ἐπιτίθει, μηδὲ κοινώνει ἁμαρτίαις ἀλλοτρίαις
Do not lay hands hastily on anyone, nor share in the sins of others; keep yourself pure.
Test the spirits, whether they are from God (1 John 4:1). Impartation is real — so know the source, and let everything bow to Christ.
The laying on of hands is a genuine, biblical, foundational practice (Heb 6:2) — a real point of impartation and identification, not an empty gesture. God uses it for the receiving of the Spirit, for healing, for blessing, and for commissioning and the imparting of gifts. It is to be welcomed, not feared, and exercised in faith.
But because it is a real transfer, the source matters. Scripture warns, “do not lay hands hastily on anyone, nor share in the sins of others” (1 Tim 5:22) — careless impartation can make one a partaker. What is conveyed depends on the spirit at work: holy hands impart the Holy Spirit and His gifts; hands operating under demonic power can transfer unclean spirits. The kundalini “awakening” and shaktipat of Eastern mysticism, and other occult energy-transfers, are real counterfeits — demonic impartations cloaked as spiritual power. So receive impartation with discernment: know the source, test the spirit (1 John 4:1), and submit it all to Scripture and the lordship of Christ. This is no reason to fear the genuine — only to be discerning, for the true always exalts Jesus. (See the companion studies on discerning of spirits, deliverance, the baptism in the Holy Spirit, and healing.)
Laying on of hands is not an empty ritual. Scripture treats it as a genuine point of transfer and identification — the Spirit received (Acts 8:17; 19:6), the sick healed (Mark 16:18; Acts 28:8), gifts imparted (2 Tim 1:6), ministers set apart and sent (Acts 6:6; 13:3; 1 Tim 4:14). Something real passes from one to another under God’s hand. That is why it ranks among the “foundations” (Heb 6:2) — and why it is never to be treated lightly or performed casually.
Because the transfer is real, what is imparted depends on the spirit at work in the one ministering — which is why Scripture says, “do not lay hands hastily on anyone” (1 Tim 5:22). Hands set apart to God impart the Holy Spirit and His gifts; hands operating in another power can transfer the unclean. The kundalini and shaktipat “awakenings” of Eastern mysticism, and similar occult transferences, counterfeit the Spirit’s touch and impart what is demonic. So do not receive impartation indiscriminately: know the source, test the spirit (1 John 4:1), and let everything bow to Christ and His Word. (See the companion studies on discerning of spirits and deliverance.)
| Theme | Key texts |
|---|---|
| A foundation | Heb 6:2; Gen 48:14; Lev 1:4 |
| Receiving the Spirit | Acts 8:14–17; 9:17; 19:6 |
| Healing the sick | Mark 16:18; Luke 4:40; Acts 28:8 |
| Commissioning & gifts | Acts 6:6; 13:3; 1 Tim 4:14; 2 Tim 1:6 |
| With discernment | 1 Tim 5:22; Acts 8:18–23; 1 John 4:1 |