Holy Spirit -05- Gifts Through Laying on of Apostles� Hands
Gifts Through Laying on of Apostles’ Hands The Holy Spirit was imparted to certain people through the laying on of the hands of an apostle. The one having the hands of an apostle laid on him was enabled to perform certain miracles.
"Now when the apostles that were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent unto them Peter and John: who, when they were come down, prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Spirit ..Now when Simon saw that through the laying on of the Apostles’ hands the Holy Spirit was given, he offered them money, saying, Give me also this power that whomsoever I lay my hands he may receive the Holy Spirit " (Acts 8:14-19). The variety of gifts possessed by certain brethren in the various churches in the Apostolic age, was bestowed by this means, as for example, Paul found certain disciples in Ephesus who knew only the message and baptism of John the Harbinger, whom he taught further, and baptized in the name of the Lord. Upon these he laid his hands and the Holy Spirit came upon them (Acts 19:1-7).
Numerous kinds of gifts of this order are enumerated in the twelfth chapter of First Corinthians.
“Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit . . . but the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal. For to one is given the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; to another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit; to another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kind of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues; but all these worketh that one and the self-same Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will" (1 Corinthians 12:4-11).
Since these gifts were conferred by the laying on of the apostles’ hands, they automatically ceased when the last man died on whom the apostles laid hands. Miraculous manifestations of the Spirit were confined to the infancy of the church. They were needed to confirm the gospel (Mark 16:20; Hebrews 2:3-4). "The perfect law of liberty" (James 1:25), the New Testament, has now been confirmed and miracles are no longer needed, hence they have passed away. This is exactly what Paul said should happen. "Charity (love) never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away. For we know in part, and we prophesy in part; but when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away" (1 Corinthians 13:8-10).