Friday, March 19, 2021

Robert Banks on the Laying on of Hands in Paul's Theology

 

 

One again [as with water baptism] we do not have here a merely symbolic movement on the one hand or a quasi-magical one on the other. As its Old Testament background indicates (e.g. Gen. 48:14ff.), the laying on of hands was essentially an enacted prayer – one that achieved what it was requested. The action did not just accompany the prayer; it was part of the prayer itself.

 

As such the action lent itself to a wide variety of situations. Those, according to Acts, in which Paul is involved include commissioning of mission-works (Acts 13:3, compare 6:6), healing of the sick (Acts 28:8 [compare 9:17, 19:11 and 20:10), and recognition of leaders – as well as conveying of the Spirit. (Robert Banks, Paul's Idea of Community: The Early House Churches in their Historical Setting [Grand Rapids, Mich.: Eerdmans, 1988], 83; to be fair, the author does not believe "ordination" carries with it the concept of a [New Covenant] Priesthood. On this, see my book After the Order of the Son of God: The Biblical Evidence for Latter-day Saint Theology of the Priesthood)