Search
There is an example in Acts 8 that shows us the principle of the Body. At that time the church in Jerusalem suffered great persecution, and except for the apostles, all the disciples were dispersed. Philip was not an apostle; he only took care of the distribution of food. But because he had life, he went down to Samaria and preached the gospel. Many believed and were baptized, and there was "much joy in that city" (v. 8). But there was a difference between these saved ones and the believers in Jerusalem. These saved ones did not have the Spirit upon them yet. Therefore, the apostles sent Peter and John as representatives to fill up the lack. They laid hands on the new converts, and the new converts received the Holy Spirit.
What is the significance of the laying on of hands? According to Leviticus, when a man offered a sacrifice, the offerer had to lay his hands on the offering. This means that the laying on of hands is a sign of identification. Many places in the New Testament speak of the laying on of hands. First Timothy 5:22 says, "Lay hands quickly on no man," lest, as Paul explained, we should "participate in others' sins." This shows once again that the laying on of hands signifies an identification. We have to be careful lest we "participate in others' sins." In the Old Testament, when kings or priests were appointed, there was the laying on of hands as well as the anointing upon the head. Hence, there are two main meanings of the laying on of hands: It puts the believers under the anointing of the Head, and it brings the believers into the fellowship of the Body.
The apostles are the representatives of God. They are also representative members in the Body of Christ. When Peter and John laid their hands on the believers in Samaria, their act brought those upon whom they laid hands under the authority of the Head and into the fellowship of the Body. This means that they were acknowledged as part of the Body. Once they were brought into the one Body and came under the one anointing, the Holy Spirit immediately fell upon them. If the saved ones in Samaria had received the Holy Spirit before the apostles arrived, Philip would have been able to boast that Peter and John had their work in Jerusalem while he had his work in Samaria. If this had been the case, the saved ones in Samaria would have become separate from the saved ones in Jerusalem. If some had claimed Peter for Jerusalem and others had claimed Philip for Samaria, the principle of the Body would have been broken. The events in Samaria show us that unless one submits to the Body, he cannot receive the anointing. We cannot have the anointing if we do not recognize the Body. The Holy Spirit is not given to individuals but to members of the Body. The apostles' laying on of hands brought the believers into the fellowship of the Body. Hence, the laying on of hands acknowledges that there is union, fellowship, and one Body. The Body is one; therefore, the members need to recognize their dependence not only on the Head but also on one another.
Hebrews 6:1-2 speaks of six items as "the word of the beginning." The laying on of hands is one of the six foundational matters of the Christian life. These six items can be divided into three groups. The first group includes repentance from dead works and faith in God. This is an inward attitude or action taken by one toward himself or toward God. The third group includes the resurrection of the dead and eternal judgment. These are teachings that have to do with things in the future. The second group includes baptism and the laying on of hands. These two items are outward testimonies. Baptism and the laying on of hands are two testimonies of the church that are essential for those who are to "be brought on to maturity." We have not neglected five of these items, but we have neglected one of them — the laying on of hands. Although the Bible does not clearly say that we must practice the laying on of hands, it does show us that at the time of the apostles, a man received the laying on of hands as soon as he was saved and baptized. By baptism we enter into Christ. By the laying on of hands we enter into the Body. Believers are put not only into Christ, but also into the Body of Christ. This is our proper position. We know that every believer should break bread on the Lord's Day. The breaking of bread refreshes our memory of the significance of baptism and the laying on of hands. By baptism we bear witness to the fact that we have put off ourselves and the world and entered into Christ. By the laying on of hands we bear witness to the fact that we have left the ground of being an individual and taken a stand on the ground of the Body. Henceforth, even if circumstances take us to a place of geographical isolation, we will not be alone, because the whole Body will be with us. If we suffer, all of the members will suffer with us, and we can count on them coming to our aid continually.
At the time of the laying on of hands, if the Holy Spirit gives prophetic prayer for the one who is being brought under the anointing, then the specific features set forth in prophecy will characterize the future life and ministry of that one. We have an illustration of this in the case of Timothy. When Paul and the elders laid hands on him, prophetic utterance was given, and Paul later exhorted Timothy to not neglect the gift imparted to him, but to fan it into flame (1 Tim. 1:18; 4:14; 2 Tim. 1:6). If we truly have a revelation of the Body, we must have the laying on of hands. It is our testimony to the reality of the Body and our commitment to the life of the Body. By this we declare that everything is for the Body and nothing is for the individual. If the Lord cares to use us, praise Him; if He chooses to use another, praise Him still. There is no room for jealousy in the Body of Christ.
In James 5:14-16 we see the laying on of hands in relation to sickness. In the case of sickness we are instructed by James to call for the elders of the church. The elders, rather than the members of the church who have the gift of healing, need to be called because the sick persons in this case need to be brought under the anointing; their case must be dealt with by the representatives of the church. The sins referred to in verse 15 are particular sins; they are sins against the Body. How do we know that the sickness here is a special kind of sickness and not ordinary sickness? If we know the remedy that a doctor prescribes, then we can deduce the type of illness that a patient has. Since the patient is brought under the anointing, we can safely infer that the patient's sickness was due to a departure from the anointing. The Word of God plainly declares that many are weak and sick, and many have even died, because of the failure to discern the Lord's Body (1 Cor. 11:29-30). James 5 presents such a case. If we are living in the realm of the Body, then we are always under the anointing of the Head. However, as soon as we take an individual line, we depart from the anointing and expose ourselves to sickness and death. The sin of the man in James 5 must have been the sin of detaching himself from the Body. If his sin was only a personal sin, he could have been forgiven by trusting in the blood and by confessing to others. There would have been no need to ask the elders to anoint him with oil. The elders' oil cannot remove sin; only the blood can remove sin. Verse 15 says that he will be forgiven if he has sinned; however, the forgiveness is due to the elders' prayer. Therefore, this sin is not an ordinary sin; it is the sin of acting contrary to the Body. As a consequence, there is the need to ask the elders of the church to pray for him and to anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord so that he can be brought back under the Head and into the Body.
Verse 16 says, "Therefore confess your sins to one another and pray for one another that you may be healed." This verse tells us to confess our sins to one another. We have to confess to one another because something is wrong in the Body of Christ. The sphere of confession corresponds with the sphere of transgression. If I have only sinned against God, I must make my confession to Him alone. The sin in these verses is a sin against the Body. Since something has gone wrong in the Body of Christ, both the sick one and the elders have to take responsibility for it. The sick one has offended the Body, and the elders represent the Body. Therefore, the sick one has to confess, and the elders also have to confess. Note that confession is mutual. The sick one confesses, but the elders also confess. The sick one acknowledges that the sickness is a result of taking an individual position, and the elders acknowledge that they have failed in the matter of love and watchfulness; otherwise, the sick one would not have departed from the ground of the Body.
After the mutual confession, there is prayer. "Pray for one another." This means that the elders pray for the sick, and the sick pray for the elders. The result is that the sin is forgiven, and the sickness is healed. Mutuality is the characteristic of the Body. Do you see how the Body is highlighted in anointing, confession, and prayer? In the Body every member should have love and humility. Being outside the Body brings in not only physical sickness but also spiritual sickness. Those who are outside of the Body should see the importance of turning back to the anointing and turning back to the Body. It is through these turns that they will receive the help of the other members.
In the case of Paul's conversion we have a further illustration of the laying on of hands. Acts 9 shows us two characteristics of the revelation that Paul received at the time of his conversion. When the Lord appeared to Paul on the way to Damascus, He showed him that persecuting the believers was the same as persecuting Him (vv. 3-5). The Lord asked, "Why are you persecuting Me?" He did not ask, "Why are you persecuting those who believe in Me?" Paul asked, "Who are You, Lord?" The Lord said, "I am Jesus, whom you persecute." The Lord showed Paul that he was persecuting the Head when he was persecuting the members of the Body. When you damage any member of the Body, you damage the Head. Every sin that offends the Body offends the Head. Every believer of the Lord is one with the Lord. This is the oneness of the Head with the Body. Paul was the first one who saw the Body of Christ. The day that the Lord revealed Himself was the day that Paul saw the Body.
After this high revelation, the Lord charged him to go into the city, and there it would be told to him what he must do (v. 6). This was also a revelation of the Body. After such a high revelation, the Lord did not speak to him directly; rather, He committed him to the Body. On the day Paul was saved, the Lord showed him the principle of the Body. Three days later the Lord sent a small disciple by the name of Ananias to lay hands on him, and Ananias said to him, "Saul, brother, the Lord has sent me — Jesus, who appeared to you on the road on which you were coming — so that you may receive your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit" (v. 17). Ananias was just an ordinary brother. We know nothing about his history before or after this event. When he was sent by the Lord to Saul, he said, "Saul, brother." This ushered Saul into the Body of Christ, filled him with the Holy Spirit, and brought him under the anointing.
Matthew 18:15-16 is not about whether a person is right or wrong. It is not even about whether a person feels that he is right or wrong. It is about the testimony of two or three brothers. If they say that you are wrong, you are wrong. Therefore, when other brothers say that you are wrong, and you do not feel that you are wrong, you should take their judgment and believe in them more than in yourself. If two or three brothers stand in the name of the Lord and say something to you, you should listen to them.
In the church there are four groups of people representing the Body. They are: (1) the apostles, (2) the elders, (3) those whom the Lord has specially chosen, and (4) two or three believers who deny themselves and who have come under the Lord's name. These four groups of people represent the church. If we are wrong, the Lord will send a believer to us to speak to us about it. If we do not listen to the word of one believer, he will tell two or three other believers. If we still do not listen to their word, we should receive help from the elders. We cannot have any independent actions. For problems that cannot be solved, we should consult the apostles. They are designated by the Lord to represent the Body. We cannot overlook the Body, and we cannot overlook the representatives of the Body. May the Lord grant us the revelation of the Body so that we can submit to Christ the Head as well as to the representatives of the Body.
