Holy Spirit: Must hands be laid on people to receive Him?
We find Scripture where Peter and John are doing this. Is it an example for us today? I’ve known people who thought it was. Here’s the passage they were reading as a basis for believing that—
Acts 8:14-17
14 Now when the apostles which were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent unto them Peter and John:
15 Who, when they were come down, prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Ghost:
16 (For as yet he was fallen upon none of them: only they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.)
17 Then laid they their hands on them, and they received the Holy Ghost. [Emphasis added]
In answer to our question, we need to note first that we must always rightly divide Scripture to come to a knowledge of the truth about anything we find in the Bible.
2 Timothy 2:15
15 Study [SPOUDAZO = be diligent] to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. [Emphasis added]
That statement’s not a suggestion but a command that is often ignored and disobeyed. The Bible, of course, is true and ALL of it is FOR us but it is not all TO us or ABOUT us. That’s one of the most important distinctions we all need know and apply about anything we read in the Bible. Just using the Bible to determine our beliefs is not enough. There are many verses and passages of Scripture that have nothing to do with us today because they are addressed TO a people of another time. For more information about this please see my other articles about it—
Bible: How should one study it?
Bible: How can one gain the truth?
A second principle we need to note as we address this question about the Holy Spirit is the fact that the book of Acts is a transitional book. The passage we’re studying is in Acts 8. In chapter nine we have the beginning of a whole new development. There we have the record of the salvation of a man named Saul who becomes known as the apostle Paul, the apostle to the Gentiles. As I hope you know, he was the one God chose to introduce this time of which we are a part today.
Romans 11:13
13 For I [Paul] speak to you Gentiles, inasmuch as I am the apostle of the Gentiles, I magnify mine office: [Emphasis added]
From the time of Abraham until the time of Romans 9 everything was pretty much all about the people of Israel, not the Gentiles. Some Gentiles by birth got saved in that time frame, but that was extremely rare. Being the transitional book that Acts is, it should not surprise us that there’s a lot of controversy about many things that occurred in that time frame. Such is the case with the subject matter in the title of this article.
An important fact of the matter is that Acts is the most abused and most misunderstood part of the Bible. There’s controversy there over when this present age of grace began, the function of various spiritual gifts, the authority of the apostle Paul, and much more. But to come to a knowledge of the truth about these things and more, the authority of the apostle Paul and his writings must be accepted. It is primarily because of a lack of that that we have denominations today where there’s so much controversy and the resultant division. “Divide and conquer” has been Satan’s work through the centuries to gain control. Such was the case with Israel that had been divided into two sectors, the northern kingdom [Samaria] and the southern kingdom [Judah]. The gospel of the kingdom was to unite them again as one. You’ll find an article on this website that defines this “gospel of the kingdom” which IS NOT our gospel today—
Gospels: Did Peter and Paul preach the same gospel?
Our gospel was not in place at the time of Acts 8. The gospel of the kingdom that had been given to the twelve apostles was the one still in place. It was by that gospel, that is also called the gospel of the circumcision, that the world was to be evangelized with before Christ would establish His earthly kingdom reign.
Matthew 24:14
14 And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come. [Emphasis added]
As you can see in an article I wrote about it, the world has been evangelized with our gospel, the gospel of the Grace of God, many times, but still not ever with the Gospel of The Kingdom.
Second Coming: Must the world first be evangelized?
This “Gospel of The Kingdom” was to be used to first evangelize Israel BEFORE it went to the world. But first, Israel, both the northern and the southern kingdoms of it, needed to be united in this effort. And although there was some positive response, overall, there was not. There was far more rejection of it. All this was contributing to the direction things were headed. With the stoning of Stephen in the next chapter [Acts 9] the interruption of things then came. God then saves the top rebel of them all and with him begins a whole new program of which we are still a part today some two thousand years later.
What happened with the laying on of hands in Acts 8, like so many other things of that time, is not a part of what we have now. With the apostle Paul, God started a whole new program that is still not understood by Christendom today. Controversy is everywhere, even as it is with this Acts 8 passage. In their perhaps sincere attempts to see some application for it today, so many have only added to the confusion and the controversy. Receiving the Holy Spirit is now not some experience that may occur AFTER one’s salvation by the laying on of hands. Today, EVERY person who accepts Christ’s work for their salvation is fully and permanently indwelt with the Holy Spirit at that point. Our apostle Paul needed to remind the Corinthian church of this.
1 Corinthians 6:19-20
19 What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?
20 For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s. [Emphasis added]
Today, if a person doesn’t have the Holy Spirit dwelling in them, they are not saved.
Romans 8:9
9 But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. [Emphasis added]
Therefore, what we read about in Acts 8 does not happen today. It is not normative now. In the early Acts period and even to the end of it [Acts 28] all kinds of things went on that have no part in things today. The main reason these miraculous things went on was to convince people that their message, their teaching, was of God. In Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians, he told them that eventually all those miraculous things would cease, something much of Christendom refuses to accept even now.
1 Corinthians 13:8-13
8 Charity [AGAPE = love] never faileth [PIPTO = done away with]: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail [KATARGEO = reduced to inactivity or abolished]; whether there be tongues, they shall cease [PAUO = cease]; whether there be knowledge [the gift of special revelatory knowledge], it shall vanish away [KATARGEO = reduced to inactivity or abolished].
9 For we know in part, and we prophesy in part.
10 But when that which is perfect [TELEIOS = perfect] is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.
Some people think “that which is perfect” refers to Christ, but He is not a part of the context here. The subject matter is the revelation of Scripture. Furthermore, the Greek gender here [for “that which is perfect”] is neuter, not masculine. Therefore, it can’t be referring to a person. Instead, it is referring to an object. That object is the completion of the writing of Scripture.
11 When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.
This “childhood” stage of this present age is long past. Therefore, these special spiritual gifts have been withdrawn and do not exist today. For more information about this, please see my article about it—
Spiritual Gifts: Do they exist today?
12 For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.
The “dark glass” refers to the still incomplete revelation of God’s will for our time through Scripture at that time. That revelation, unlike now, was still incomplete. We now have our 66 books of the Bible as a complete document.
13 And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity. [Emphasis added]
The Twelve Apostles were to begin their ministry in Jerusalem and continue there until there was national repentance. That repentance, that change of mind about the identity of this Jesus of Nazareth, never came. Therefore, at the Acts 15 “Jerusalem Conference” with Paul, and even at the time of Acts 16, the twelve apostles are all still right there in Jerusalem. Because of Israel’s unbelief they’ve not been able to take their Gospel of The Kingdom to the world.
Acts 16:4-5
4 And as they went through the cities, they delivered them the decrees for to keep, that were ordained of the apostles and elders which were AT Jerusalem. [Emphasis added]
And even though they had some success in their evangelistic work it was limited to only a few. The people of Israel continued right on in their rejection of their Messiah. Even today, Israel continues to be a nation of unbelievers, fully rejecting Jesus their Messiah, let alone the apostle Paul who they would view as a traitor if any of them even know who he is.
For more information about how the Holy Spirit works in our day, please see my articles about this—
Holy Spirit: What does it mean to be filled with the Spirit?
Holy Spirit: What does the apostle Paul tell us about Him?
Holy Spirit: Does He really indwell all believers today?
Holy Spirit: What is His role in our life today?
Holy Spirit: Can you lose Him?
Conclusion—
Again, the book of Acts is a transitional book. Gaining the Holy Spirit through the laying on of hands is one of many things that has now changed. Today, every believer gains the permanent indwelling of the Holy Spirit at salvation. The laying on of hands is completely unnecessary.
1 Corinthians 12:13
13 For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit. [Emphasis added]
Anyone today who does not have the Holy Spirit dwelling in their body is not saved.
Again, Romans 8:9
9 But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. [Emphasis added]
What a wonderfully blessed people we all are today!
