Student Study Guide
Lesson 9
The Ministry of Laying on of Hands
Section 1 - What the Laying on of Hands Actually Is
Section One
The writer of Hebrews calls the laying on of hands one of the six foundational doctrines of Christ - baby food, elementary teaching. Yet in more than thirty years of ministry, this doctrine is rarely taught specifically: its purpose, its power, and the real spiritual activity that takes place when it is practiced.
Core Principle: Wherever you see the laying on of hands in Scripture, it consistently deals with the imparting or transferring of something. Not symbolically. Literally. There is an actual spiritual transfer that takes place from one individual to another.
Fill in the Blanks
1. The laying on of hands is one of the foundational doctrines of Christ listed in Hebrews 6:1-2.
2. Wherever you see the laying on of hands in Scripture, it consistently deals with the or transferring of something - not symbolically, but literally.
3. In the Old Testament sacrificial system, the person would lay hands on the innocent animal and was transferred from the guilty party to the animal - a foreshadow of Christ.
4. The hand speaks of power and , either man's power through man's hands, or God's power through God's hands.
Warning - 1 Timothy 5:22: "Lay hands on no man suddenly." Paul's warning is serious. Do not lay hands on people without understanding what you are doing. Discern character, not just charisma. The impartation is real - and it can be negative as well as positive.
5. Paul's warning is: "Lay hands on man suddenly." The impartation that takes place is real - and can be negative as well as positive.
Your Reflection
Section 2 - The Seven Impartations
Section Two
There are seven major areas of transferring and imparting through the laying on of hands. Study each one carefully.
Impartation One: Authority and Wisdom
6. Joshua was full of the spirit of wisdom not because he went to school or had years of experience, but because had laid hands on him. The spirit of wisdom transferred - and transferred with the wisdom.
Impartation Two: Healing
7. The supernatural power of health and healing that flows through a yielded vessel is to another person through the laying on of hands.
Impartation Three: Life
8. Elisha did not merely pray from a distance - he stretched himself out and placed his hands on the child. itself was imparted through physical contact. Through the laying on of hands, life can be transferred even where death has come.
Impartation Four: Spiritual Gifts
9. Spiritual gifts can be from one person to another through the laying on of hands. We do not have to wait until someone has passed away to receive of the gift that is upon them.
Impartation Five: The Holy Spirit
10. The baptism of the Holy Spirit can be released and imparted through the laying on of hands. This is - do not take it lightly and do not be in a hurry.
Impartation Six: Commissioning and Sending
11. When God's established authority lays hands on you and sends you, it is the same as being by God. You carry not just your own power and authority, but the power and authority of the one who sent you, backed by all of heaven.
12. Stephen was one of the seven men commissioned to for the widows - a seemingly menial task. Yet he moved in such miracles and power that he became the first martyr in church history. The miracles grew out of his willingness to be faithful in the task beneath him.
Key Principle on Commissioning: Many people in the church are wandering, confused, and wondering why nothing works. They went. They did not wait to be sent. They formed their own ministry, launched their own platform, ran with their own vision. What you are sent to do may feel far beneath your gifts. Do it anyway.
13. The author's pattern with Dr. Morris Cerullo: he began as an usher, setting up chairs, putting envelopes on seats, staying . He did not argue. He did not tell anyone he was called to the nations. He just served - and then was sent.
Impartation Seven: The Transfer of Blessing
14. The blessing that was on Israel transferred to Ephraim and Manasseh through the laying on of hands. When Isaac released the blessing on Jacob, even though through deception, once the hands were laid on and the blessing was spoken, it was . Nothing could reverse it.
15. What Adam and Eve lost in the garden - THE BLESSING, the supernatural of God - is the very thing God has been working to restore ever since.
16. In Genesis 1:28, when God said "Be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth, subdue it, have dominion" - that was not a command, it was an . A release of capacity. The power to be fruitful was released into them.
Your Reflection
Section 3 - Handling This Ministry Correctly
Section Three
The doctrine of the laying on of hands is sacred. Handle it seriously.
Fill in the Blanks
17. Be careful about who lays hands on you - discern , not just charisma.
18. Be willing to receive commissioning even for tasks that seem you.
19. Receive the blessing and the blessing on.
20. The impartation that takes place through this ministry is . It is not a ceremony. It is a transfer. Treat it that way.
| The Seven Impartations | Key Scripture | What Is Transferred |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Authority & Wisdom | Deuteronomy 34:9 | Spirit of wisdom; authority to lead |
| 2. Healing | Luke 4:40 / Mark 16:18 | Supernatural power of health |
| 3. Life | 2 Kings 4:34 | Life itself, even where death has come |
| 4. Spiritual Gifts | 1 Timothy 4:14 / 2 Timothy 1:6 | Gifts of the Spirit from a living person |
| 5. The Holy Spirit | Acts 8:17 | Baptism / release of the Holy Spirit |
| 6. Commissioning | Acts 6:6 / Acts 13:2-3 | Divine authority & power of the sender |
| 7. Blessing | Genesis 48:14 | The supernatural empowerment to prosper |
Personal Application
Lesson 9 - Practice Test
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Part A: Multiple Choice (5 questions · 2 pts each)
1. What is the consistent principle wherever the laying on of hands appears in Scripture?
2. How did Joshua receive the spirit of wisdom according to Deuteronomy 34:9?
3. What happened to Stephen, one of the seven men commissioned to wait on tables for widows?
4. What does the lesson say about many people in the church who are wandering and confused about their ministry?
5. What was the "blessing" (THE BLESSING) that Adam and Eve lost in the garden, and that God has been restoring ever since?
Part B: True or False (6 statements · 1 pt each)
1. The laying on of hands is a purely symbolic ceremony with no actual spiritual transfer taking place.
2. According to the lesson, spiritual gifts can only be received after the person who carries them has died.
3. When God's established authority lays hands on you and sends you, you carry not just your own power but the authority of the one who sent you, backed by all of heaven.
4. The qualifications required to serve tables in Acts 6 were men who were merely available and willing.
5. A negative spiritual impartation is possible through the laying on of hands, which is why Paul warned Timothy to lay hands on no man suddenly.
6. God's word in Genesis 1:28, "Be fruitful and multiply," was a command requiring human effort to fulfill, not an empowerment releasing divine capacity.
Part C: Fill in the Blank (5 items · 1 pt each)
1. Wherever you see the laying on of hands in Scripture, it deals with the literal or transferring of something.
2. Joshua received the spirit of wisdom because Moses laid hands on him - and transferred along with the wisdom.
3. Paul warned Timothy: "Lay hands on no man ."
4. When God's authority sends you, you carry not just your own authority but the authority of the one who you.
5. THE BLESSING that God has been restoring since the fall is the supernatural of God - the power to prosper in every area of life.
Part D: Short Answer (completion credit)
1. Explain why Paul's warning "Lay hands on no man suddenly" (1 Tim. 5:22) is serious, using the lesson's teaching on the nature of the impartation.
2. Describe the principle of commissioning illustrated by Stephen (Acts 6) and Paul (Acts 13). Why is it significant that Stephen was sent to wait on tables before he moved in miracles?
3. What is "THE BLESSING" the lesson refers to, how was it lost, and how has God been restoring it through Abraham's lineage to Christ?
Part E - Before You Leave
Are you currently waiting to be sent or have you gone on your own? What does the commissioning principle mean for your life right now?
Who in your life carries a gift or anointing you would like to receive impartation from? What would it mean to position yourself under that person's ministry?
My commitment this week: