PASTOR OMODELE OLUBI
[biblegateway passage=”HEBREWS 6:1-3″ display=”HEBREWS 6:1-3″]; [biblegateway passage=”GENESIS 48:13-16 ” display=”GENESIS 48:13-16 “]
The Hebrew Church looks like a church that has grown. What Paul mentioned in Hebrews 6 universally applies to the church(body of Christ), but may also not apply for every local church as per their level of growth.
The doctrines mentioned in Hebrews 6 are not actually new testament per se. Faith towards God, baptisms and the rest were the lifestyles of people in Old Testament. Although, eternal judgement was not too pronounced in the Old Testaments. The hope of a typical Jews is just that a messiah would be raised and Israel would subdue the earth.
One of the pillars of the principles of the doctrine of Christ is laying of hands. The arm is the institution of power in the human body. We cannot grab anything without our hands. All through Scripture, we see the hand of God at work and it is impossible to talk about the power in the arms of God without referring to the Holy Spirit.. His hands saves and rescues from destruction. God led the children of Israel with his mighty and outstretched arms. The hands of God is also his Spirit.
Laying on of hands is one practice that is often trivialized but it deserves appropriate attention. It is amazing how much power and grace we have left because we have done away with laying of hands. Jacob laid hands on his grandchildren in order to impart blessings on them. He transferred God’s plans to his offspring by laying hands.
We need to maintain close fellowship with the Father such that we can transfer God’s power to others. Laying on of hands is a means of standing in the place of God to bless others.
PURPOSES FOR LAYING OF HANDS
1. Impartation of blessings and Authority [Genesis 48:14-18; Numbers 27:18;]
2. Healing [Mark 16:18; Luke 4:40;]
3. Transference of sins into the bullocks and goat [Leviticus 4:4; Leviticus 24:14;]
4. The impartation of the Holy Ghost power and His gifts can be effected by laying on of hands, [Acts 8:14-21; Acts 19:5-6;]
5. Consecration (God separating people for special purposes) [Acts 9:17-18; Acts 13:1-3; Matthew 19:14-15; ]
Anointing is replicated and even multiplied as a result of laying on of hands, e.g. Steven Jeffery and Reinhard Bonnke. The practice of laying of hands in the Jews is a very common one. Even though, our lives are not dependent on people laying hands on us. It can be separating one for evil.
We need to begin to generate faith inside of us. This is one of the ways God extends his Kingdom through our faith.