…which is in you through the laying on of my hands.
Summary: Paul shares a personal story about how Timothy came to have the Holy Spirit.
Before we get into the ‘laying on of hands,’ we should probably review the whole sentence to ensure we understand the context of what Paul is talking about:
“For this cause [the sincere faith in you], I remind you that you should stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands.”
With this sentence, Paul finishes the final brushstrokes of his portrait of how Timothy came to faith in Jesus Christ.
Timothy’s grandmother Lois was raised as a faithful Jew. Her daughter, Eunice, was also a faithful Jew who married a Greek. Timothy was raised from childhood to know the Scriptures his mother and grandmother knew so well.
When Paul came to Lystra on his first missionary journey, Timothy’s grandmother came to faith in Jesus Christ. Soon, his mother believed as well. By the time Paul returned, a few years later, Timothy also believed, and in fact, he was considered a disciple of Christ. It was at this point that young Timothy came to Paul’s attention. It was then, apparently, that Paul laid his hands on the boy, and he became filled with the Holy Spirit.
Why?
Why did Paul lay his hands on the boy?
Most occurrences of the Holy Spirit being given to believers did not involve the laying on of hands. For example, when the apostles received the Holy Spirit on Pentecost, no one laid hands on them (Acts 2:1-4). When Peter went to visit Cornelius, he had barely finished explaining the Gospel when the Spirit came on “all who heard his message” (Acts 10:44–48). There is no mention of laying on hands here, either.
Perhaps the answer is in the words spoken by Jesus to Nicodemus when he said, “The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit” (John 3:8).
Maybe there is an extra blessing, the blessing of a gift that follows the laying on of hands. That would explain Paul’s statement that the gift of the Spirit came through the laying on of his hands.
One thing we know for certain— that is not the only way to receive the Holy Spirit.
Application: Trust that God will keep his promise and fill you with the Holy Spirit.
Food for Thought: How does the laying on of hands make a spiritual event extra special?
Please click ‘’Continue Reading” for comments. Quotes are from the World English Bible (Public Domain) unless otherwise noted.
Thanks, Jeff
Thanks Paul! 🙂
How does the laying on of hands make a spiritual event extra special?
The laying on of hands is a physical act communicating a spiritual reality. An outward expressions of a spiritual event or a transfer of something invisible, such as sin or a blessing or an affirmation.
1 Timothy 5L22, Do not be hasty in the laying on of hands, nor take part in the sins of others; keep yourself pure.
It is a spiritual affirmation, and one that activates the Holy Spirit. A testimony to the entire church body, globally, of this person’s character, and is to be done cautiously, especially for ordination into a position within the church.
Thank you, Ron.
I appreciate your thought on this. It is not only the gift of physical affirmation, but the testimony that goes with it.