Laying On of Hands: Guidelines and Principles—Exercise with Caution

Introduction: How Olympic Hockey Relates to Laying On of Hands

It’s been hailed as the greatest sports moment of the 20th century. And in consideration of the unlikely victory and iconic broadcasting moment, it’s also been called a miracle.

It was the 1980 Olympics, and the Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union would play out on literal ice.

For the previous two decades, the Soviet hockey team had won gold in 14 world championships and in each of the previous four Olympics: 1976, 1972, 1968, and 1964. Just weeks before, the Americans had lost to the Soviets in embarrassing fashion: 10–3.

But on that Lake Placid afternoon in 1980, a group of American amateurs defeated the Soviet professionals in a 4–3 upset. “The Miracle on Ice” it has been dubbed.

It’s a story that continues to inspire 44 years later, even though we’re now at the beginning of the summer games, not the winter ones. Perhaps this year’s opening ceremonies did little to fan the flames of your Olympic spirit. But, let me remind you that the original Olympic games were held to honor false gods; and the Panhellenic Games (of which the Olympics were a part)¹ were an occasion used by the apostle Paul to draw comparison to Christian living.

So if you’re wondering how the Olympics fit with the preaching of the Word, it does so perhaps more than you thought. And yes, I’m claiming biblical precedent in the comparison I want you to see in this sports story.

Of particular interest to our current topic of study—laying on of hands²—is the approach of the head coach of the 1980 men’s hockey team, Herb Brooks. He was a man tasked with choosing the best men for an honored position in troubled times. It was his responsibility to find greatness. He was to assess the individual character and skill needed for the challenge. And Brooks’s ability to do just that is part of the enduring legacy for both him, the players involved, and the country they all represented.

Brooks’s approach was unconventional, which was wise considering that the conventions of the past 20 years only resulted in loss. In the past, coaches had picked the best college players. The result was that the American Olympic teams played really good North American college hockey but not good Olympic hockey. So they always lost on that world stage of the Olympics.

Brooks understood that the Olympics demanded a different style of play, superior conditioning, and individuals with the skill and psyche needed to play on and compete as a team. Of his selections for the team, Brooks said that he “wasn’t trying to put greatness into anyone; [he] was trying to pull it out.”³

His approach took time. The opposite approach would have been hasty, measured by subpar standards, and rooted in a coach’s desire to mold players after himself.

The principles and guidelines in play for selecting a team like the American hockey team are similar to the guidelines and principles Scripture gives us when it comes to the specific topic we’ve been studying: laying on of hands for the purpose of ordination.

The principles and guidelines in play for selecting a team like the American hockey team are similar to the guidelines and principles Scripture gives us when it comes to … laying on of hands for the purpose of ordination. … Pick the right people. The success of the community is at stake.

In earlier sermons, I mentioned that Scripture is largely silent on the details of this process. What it does make clear when it comes to laying on of hands is this: proceed with caution. We’re to pick the right people. The success of the community is at stake.

7 Reasons Not to Rush the Process

In 1 Timothy, Paul is writing to his disciple Timothy, who is in Ephesus, where he is charged with setting up and leading the church. Paul directs Timothy as follows in his letter:

Do not lay hands upon anyone too hastily and thereby share responsibility for the sins of others; keep yourself free from sin.⁴ (1 Timothy 5:22)

The context of this verse is the topic of how to properly assess elders. But what applies to leadership here is worth noting for all involved in church community.

Let’s look at the entire passage, and from it we’ll pull out seven reasons from Scripture to not rush the process of laying on of hands for ordination.

The elders who rule well are to be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who work hard at preaching and teaching. For the Scripture says, “You shall not muzzle the ox while he is threshing,” and “The laborer is worthy of his wages.” Do not receive an accusation against an elder except on the basis of two or three witnesses. Those who continue in sin, rebuke in the presence of all, so that the rest also will be fearful of sinning. I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus and of His chosen angels, to maintain these principles without bias, doing nothing in a spirit of partiality. Do not lay hands upon anyone too hastily and thereby share responsibility for the sins of others; keep yourself pure.

No longer drink water exclusively, but use a little wine for the sake of your stomach and your frequent ailments.

The sins of some men are quite evident, going before them to judgment; for others, their sins follow after. Likewise also, deeds that are good are quite evident, and those which are otherwise cannot be concealed. (1 Timothy 5:17–25, emphasis added)

Reason #1: The Work Is Hard and Significant

We learn this reason from verse 17. The work of elders deals with public proclamation. The role of those who are ordained is in public view, and what they proclaim is not supposed to be mere opinion or sage advice on self-improvement or good citizenship; elders are to declare the truths of Scripture on eternal matters. Thus, their work affects men’s souls.

Their work affects men’s souls.

Those who rule well (“especially those who work hard at preaching and teaching”) are to be considered worthy of double honor.

Paul previously wrote to Timothy about the diligence needed and the weight of the matter:

Until I come, give attention to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation and teaching. Do not neglect the spiritual gift within you, which was bestowed on you through prophetic utterance by the laying on of hands by the presbytery. Take pains with these things; be absorbed in them, so that your progress will be evident to all. Pay close attention to yourself and to your teaching; persevere in these things, for as you do this you will ensure salvation both for yourself and for those who hear you. (1 Timothy 4:13–16, emphasis added)

This passage again emphasizes how significant the work of an elder is. You don’t rush into ordination because the work is hard. The matter is serious. Laying on of hands guarantees nothing—it’s not a magical moment when power is conveyed from one person to another, and it’s all automatic from there.

Paul himself had laid hands on Timothy, but he still reminds him not to neglect the spiritual gift in him. Even post-ordination, it was possible to neglect that gift. Diligence is still required after the elders lay hands on a person for ordination. Why? Because you’ll face all sorts of challenges: financial challenges, false accusations, personal favoritism, problems of work/life balance, guilt by association, secret sins, and more. (Other than those things, being an elder/pastor is really fun!)

In all seriousness, we don’t rush into laying on of hands for ordination because it’s hard and serious work.

Reason #2: It Demands the Church’s Monetary Resources (in Some Cases)

In 1 Timothy 5:18, Paul writes, “For the Scripture says, “You shall not muzzle the ox while he is threshing.” This is an Old Testament reference. The idea is, if you muzzle (cover the mouth of) an ox while it’s out working in the field (plowing, for example), the animal cannot draw sustenance from the field he’s working. He can’t eat. This proverb is a way of saying that the minister who is working diligently is not to be muzzled; he is not to be kept from drawing sustenance or well-being from the field that he is plowing.

Paul makes his point clearer with his other quotation of Scripture at the end of the same verse: “The laborer is worthy of his wages.” These are actually the words of Jesus from the Gospel of Luke.⁵

Why does Paul bring up these quotes? He’s communicating that we don’t rush into ordaining people because sometimes it demands the church’s monetary resources, and for a church, the choice of who will receive that money and how much money is an area of complicated stewardship. For the recipient to continue to steward his position well in the context of receiving money is always a difficulty. A church that pays nothing will probably get what it pays for. If a church pays anything, then all the problems associated with money come into play.

A church that pays [the ordained] nothing will probably get what it pays for. If a church pays anything, then all the problems associated with money come into play.

Reason #3: Leaders Will Be Accused of Wrongdoing

First Timothy 5:19–20 highlights this third reason not to rush into laying on of hands for ordination:

Do not receive an accusation against an elder except on the basis of two or three witnesses. Those who continue in sin, rebuke in the presence of all, so that the rest also will be fearful of sinning.

The best-case scenario is to choose for ordination those who will not be trapped in sin. We’re all called to participate in this process; at GraceLife, it’s a congregational process in which the congregation puts forth leaders to be considered by the elders.

The best-case scenario is to choose for ordination those who will not be trapped in sin.

However, leaders inevitably sin, and so you want to have those in place who learn from it and take corrective or preventative action.

In addition, many leaders will be accused falsely at some point. The attack upon leaders is common and must be constantly guarded against. Personal reputations are guarded against so that the ministry of God is not shamed. What does that mean for the leader? For one, leaders have to serve without anxiety over their personal reputation. But also, leaders have to serve without apathy over their pastoral responsibility. You have to be able to take little offense over those who accuse you falsely, but you have to be not so indifferent that you forget that the position—a place of honor—must often be protected more than the person (for the sake of the church). That can be a hard balance to strike.

Leaders have to serve without anxiety over their personal reputation … [but also] without apathy over their pastoral responsibility.

In the best-case scenario, the community of faithful believers sees what’s happening when there’s accusation, is able to judge it correctly, and rallies around the falsely accused. It can get nasty within a church. You may have seen it in places before in which people are left to defend themselves in the midst of false accusation. Or you may have seen a situation where serious charges surface, and members of the church just say, in essence, “Well, we’ll let the leadership deal with it on their own. I’m sure they’ll figure it out.” A spirit of prayer and community are so important in such cases. But again, the best-case scenario is to choose leaders in the first place who will not be likely to become trapped in sin.

Reason #4: Leaders Must Value Principle Over Partiality (Personality)

I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus and of His chosen angels, to maintain these principles without bias, doing nothing in a spirit of partiality. (1 Timothy 5:21)

This verse points to what those who are ordained need to keep at the forefront. Those who are ordained must have the character to devote themselves to something that is unseen in the face of visible pressure.

Those who are ordained must have the character to devote themselves to something that is unseen in the face of visible pressure.

There will always be some pressure from the congregation to do things that they deem most important. The call of the ordained is to prioritize the spiritual things. The priority is God and the activity of the spiritual realm. That priority won’t always be obvious. Therefore, I encourage you, church, pick the right people (whether here at GraceLife or at your own church).

The call of the ordained is to prioritize the spiritual things.

Also, know that what you deem important in the moment might not be. Part of the reason we elect and ordain leaders is because it would be madness for the church as a whole to deal with every situation that comes up.

Your leaders won’t always make the right choices, but we should ordain the sort of people we trust to make the right choices, and do so even when public perception might suggest otherwise. Peer pressure doesn’t go away at ordination, but the responsibility demands devotion—a devotion to principle without partiality.

Reason #5: It Involves Some Level of Shared Responsibility, Both Good and Bad

Do not lay hands upon anyone too hastily and thereby share responsibility for the sins of others; keep yourself pure. (1 Timothy 5:22)

When you commission someone for a task by laying on hands, it constitutes some level of endorsement. It’s a way of saying, “I endorse this person in this moment for this task, because I have deemed the person worthy of the position.”

If you endorse those who aren’t ready to be ordained, it hinders future ministry. In particular, it hinders:

The ministry of the one doing the ordaining
The ministry of the one being ordained
The ministry of the community that is supposed to be served by this new leader

There’s a host of reasons why someone might not be ready for ordination, such as:

Age and/or experience⁶
Pockets of immaturity⁷
Unknowns (risk)/untested⁸

There are always some who seek ordination just for status—either the status of the position or to ride the coattails of a minister they see as successful. Possibilities of abuses here abound.

To lay hands on an untrustworthy person speaks against one’s reputation and judgment. One might become unnecessarily and dangerously associated with the sin of another.

In the news recently, several pastors of well-known megachurches have stepped down for reasons of sin. In every case, the spokesperson (or, rather, spokespeople) the next Sunday morning at that church is the elders. And the question asked of them is always, “What are y’all doing? How did you not see this coming?” Sometimes, the congregation will be understanding, but then they still question the elders’ competence and wonder, “Are y’all even capable of selecting the next person for this position?” Other times, the elders might acknowledge that they did see this downfall coming. Then the question becomes, “What caused you elders to overlook some of the shortcomings in this person? What caused you to make them your leader in the first place?”

There’s always the association between the person ordained and those who did the ordaining. At GraceLife, the entire congregation takes part in ordination. Our elders will lay hands upon new deacons soon (on August 18), for example, and the entire church will be part of that process—with the successes and failures that go along with it.

Imagine the scenario in which you ordain someone who goes on to be a false teacher. That false teacher might lead many astray by teaching false doctrine while defending his teachings on the basis of being ordained by some trustworthy person. We saw this kind of thing even in the early church. People would say, “I’m with Paul” or “I’m of Apollos.” A leader back then could’ve claimed, “The apostle Paul ordained me, so therefore my teachings must be legitimate.” Paul doesn’t convey that this is the case in his letter to Timothy; Timothy still had a responsibility to be diligent in his work.

Bottom line: Be careful who you ordain! If the person is of bad character, he can abuse the system. Seeking the role of elder, deacon, or missionary is a noble desire, but it comes with a cost. Sometimes it costs you your friends. I’ve seen friendships end because one person becomes ordained and has to make the difficult choice to disassociate with someone who perhaps in other scenarios they would’ve remained friends with.

Reason #6: A High Level of Responsibility Must Be Maintained Amid Ordinary Life

The life of the ordained person—the ordinary, everyday, difficult life—still goes on in the midst of your new calling.

In verse 23, Paul says to Timothy:

No longer drink water exclusively, but use a little wine for the sake of your stomach and your frequent ailments. (1 Timothy 5:23)

It almost sounds like Paul’s saying, “Timothy, you’re a minister now; start drinking!” Of course, that’s not quite the message here.

But what is the message? This is a seemingly strange insertion.

Paul’s just been talking about the roles of the ordained, and how he’s going to share in this responsibility of sin possibly (if the wrong people get ordained). Paul is getting ready to say how some will continue in sin while some will do good works. And in the midst of this, he says, By the way, Timothy, when you drink water, put a little wine in it. Why does he say this here?

This explanation is speculation, but it’s one reason I prefer the translation at the end of verse 22 “Keep yourself pure” (instead of “Keep yourself from sin”). It’s possible Timothy had taken either a vow of purity or of asceticism. I say this because of some of the issues within the church at that time and what they were arguing over in terms of what purity looks like.

Some of this we can understand today, because there are those who say you can’t be a good Christian without abstaining from drinking. They’re wrong—the Bible doesn’t have an absolute prohibition on alcohol for all believers. It says right here in 1 Timothy 5:23, “Timothy, have a little wine.”⁹

But there’s also a Roman/Greek cultic involvement, perhaps, the involvement of wine or strong drink and libations and offerings of meat and drink to the gods. As you read through the letters to the Corinthians, there’s a lot of silliness over what it is that we can put into our bodies and still be spiritual. Paul clearly knows that it’s silly. But as a minister, it’s easy to get caught up in silly things. So perhaps Timothy had just said, “You know what, it’s not worth it. I’m not going to engage in any drinking at all. And if anybody questions me, I’ll just tell them I drink water.” But apparently Timothy had some sickness, some ailments; or perhaps, where he is, the water is just not that clean. And so these stomach problems he was having were because he was only drinking dirty water. So, perhaps Paul is saying, “Pour a little wine in it, kill the bad stuff, and move on. You’ll still be pure Timothy. It’s OK.”

For those who are ordained, there’s a high level of responsibility that must be maintained and still live ordinary life. Timothy was caught up in this dilemma. You can imagine him struggling internally: “I’m responsible for shepherding these souls, and there are people struggling in this area of alcohol. So even if it costs me, I’m just going to minister this way.” But Paul’s saying, “No, that’s too much, Timothy. You need to do this.”

Even if the above is not the scenario, it seems to be that, regardless, Timothy has some kind of frequent physical ailment. If you have a frequent physical ailment, you know the struggle there. You know how much the mind and spirit are connected to the body. It’s hard to be nice to people when you’re in constant pain. It’s hard to care about things when you’re in constant pain. Timothy apparently had frequent stomach issues. It’s hard to be in public when you have frequent stomach issues.

Ordination doesn’t guarantee the blessing of ease. Sometimes, God in his wisdom gives more problems to us because of our faithfulness. That’s His choice. Sometimes He clears the path and makes it easier. But that is not guaranteed.

Ordination doesn’t guarantee the blessing of ease.

If you’re pursuing ordination or some sort of official ministry because you think it is the life of ease, you’re wrong. And if you find it to be a life of ease, I encourage you to be extremely grateful. Be the most grateful person you know. But probably reassess what you’re doing. Because remember Reason #1: the work of those who are ordained is hard and significant.

Reason #7: It Can Take Time for Sins and Successes to Reveal Themselves

Paul goes on to say, in 1 Timothy 5:24:

The sins of some men are quite evident, going before them to judgment; for others, their sins follow after.

This seems to say that we know that a future judgment’s coming, and some of what will happen then is obvious even now, but some of it’s not. Some people have been sinning the whole time, but we won’t know those sins until all is said and done.

Paul goes on to add:

Likewise also, deeds that are good are quite evident, and those which are otherwise cannot be concealed. (1 Timothy 5:25)

Good and bad—sometimes it’s obvious, sometimes it’s hidden.

Based on his previous coaching experience, Herb Brooks knew in advance some of the men who could make his team. The good in them was evident. It took further testing to reveal the remainder of the team. That testing was a long and intentional process. And Coach Brooks often challenged players right up to the breaking point to reveal whether they’d break when things got really hard.

A process that is long and intentional will frustrate and confuse many. And in that process, there’s always the person who almost makes the cut.

Brooks knew that all too well.

The last and only time the Americans had won gold prior to 1980 was 20 years earlier, in the 1960 Olympics. And the year before that, in 1959, Herb Brooks was a college player who dropped out of college to try out for the Olympic team. It was a team he played on all the way up to the final week, just prior to the Olympics. It was then that he was the last player cut due to his age and inexperience.

Brooks watched the 1960 Olympics from home. Sitting on his couch, he watched the U.S. men’s hockey team win a gold medal that year.

If we stick to the analogy, most people do watch from home—hopefully cheering on our team, cheering on those who lead us.

To break from the analogy a bit, we church members have more than just a rooting interest in this “team,” our local church. There’s application for all of us.

Applications for the Non-Ordained

Be Ready to Serve

First and foremost, those who aren’t having hands laid on them should take Paul’s warning seriously to exercise caution in any ordination process you participate in. Be careful who you endorse. But also, be prepared. Regardless of whether you’re ever called to serve in an ordained capacity or not, be the kind of person who could be called upon to serve.

Be the kind of person who could be called upon to serve.

Be Careful with Your Associations and Endorsements

Besides that, there’s a larger application that we can all consider as Christians. Even outside the realm of laying on of hands, we must be careful with our associations and endorsements. We carry not only our individual names but the Name above all names—the name of our God.

This is a tricky business. One of the knocks against Jesus was that He hung out with tax collectors and sinners. But we also have instruction within the Scripture to be careful about who we associate with—to avoid certain people. Hint: It’s usually people who are in the church. We’re told not to act like the sinners of the world, but we’re told to reach them—have dinner with the tax collectors and the sinners. Unless they’re the ones proclaiming to be the disciples of Christ, and then we step into different territory.

It takes wisdom to know who to associate with. It takes wisdom to judge other people’s associations. We all have to be careful of our associations and endorsements.

And in an overly political season, please be aware that guilt by association is an overly used and abused posture. Don’t do it. Both real and imaginary associations are going to be used to draw conclusions about character. Be careful of that.

Guilt by association is an overly used and abused posture. Don’t do it.

Recap

To review, 1 Timothy 5:22 says not to lay hands on anyone too hastily (and thus potentially share responsibility for the sins of others), and to keep yourself pure. In the surrounding verses, Paul offers seven reasons for this admonition not to rush the ordination process:

Reason 1: The work is significant.
Reason 2: Money is involved.
Reasons 3, 4, and 5: The inevitable reality for the ordained is there will be accusation, accountability (to principle), and association with others (for good or bad).
Reason 6: In the midst of all of this, life goes on.
Reason 7: Sin and success are always present but not always obvious.

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