Lay hands suddenly on no man, what did Paul mean by that?

In the letters to Timothy, Paul gave clear instructions about the structure and the behavior of the church. In 1 Timothy 5:22, Paul instructed Timothy to lay hands suddenly on no man. But what did Paul mean by lay hands suddenly on no man? Because Jesus commanded His disciples to lay hands on the sick and they would recover. Does the Bible contradict Itself? No, the Bible doesn’t contradict Itself and shall never contradict Itself. Because the Word of God is the Truth and therefore the Bible is reliable and trustworthy. The Word doesn’t lie. But we should read the Scriptures in the right context. As written before, the Bible is a spiritual guide for born-again believers, who have become a spiritual new creation. When the spirit of a person is not raised from the dead yet, the person will not be able to comprehend or understand the Bible; the Word of God. Because of the fact that the person will not be able to comprehend or understand the Bible, (s)he shall find contradictions in the Bible. Now, let’s have a look at what Paul meant when Paul commanded Timothy to not lay hands suddenly on no man.

What does lay hands suddenly on no man mean?

Lay hands suddenly on no man, neither be partaker of other men’s sins: keep thyself pure (1 Timothy 5:22)

When we read 1 Timothy 5:22 in the context, we can conclude that 1 Timothy 5:22 has nothing to do with the laying on of hands on the sick. Because as written before, Jesus commanded His followers to lay hands on the sick. Paul walked after the Spirit in obedience to the Word, therefore Paul would never contradict the Word and disobey the Word, but confirm the Word.

In Timothy 5:22 Paul didn’t speak about the sick, but Paul spoke about an elder, who had committed a sin, which was confirmed by two or three witnesses (Read also: ‘Why did Timothy had to rebuke a sinning elder before all man in the church?‘)

When Paul instructed Timothy to not lay hands on someone too hasty, Paul meant that Timothy should not be too hasty to:

  • Ordain or appoint a believer as an elder in the congregation
  • Re-ordain or reinstate an elder, who had committed sin

A person was ordained by the laying on of hands

Someone was ordained in ministry and put into position through the custom of laying on of hands. We also read this in the Book of Acts:

And the saying pleased the whole multitude: and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Ghost, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolas a proselyte of Antioch: Whom they set before the apostles: and when they had prayed, they laid their hands on them (Acts 6:5-6)

As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them. And when they had fasted and prayed, and laid their hands on them, they sent them away (Acts 13:2-3)

servant of sin

Timothy was not allowed to reinstate a sinning elder too hasty, by the laying on of hands.

He had to be sure, that the person was profitable to function as an elder and to be an example and spiritual leader to the believers.

Timothy had to be sure, that a person was godly, full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, and walked according to the Word.

An elder had to live a holy life and be an example to the believers. An elder was not allowed to walk in rebellion against God, which means that the elder was not allowed to walk in sin. Because how can an ambassador of the Kingdom of God walk at the same time in the kingdom of darkness and represent the latter one, by walking after the flesh in sin?

If Timothy would appoint a sinning person as an elder or reinstate a sinning elder, then Timothy would also become a partaker of sin.

This spiritual rule applied to the church then, but it still applies to the church today. Sin means rebellion against God and His Word. When you become born again, you are redeemed from your sinful rebellious nature, who always resists and rebels against the Word of God. Therefore if you really have been redeemed by the blood of Jesus, then you won’t rebel anymore.

Love God above all

When you become born again, you won’t rebel against the Word, but submit yourself to the Word of God and obey Him. Because you don’t want to do anything that displeases Him, or defile, damage, or hurt the Kingdom of God.

the two great commandments, If you love Me keep My commandments

All you want to do is to please God and exalt Him! That’s the desire of the new heart of the new creation. Now, if you want to please and exalt God, then you will be obedient to His will; His commandments.

You will do, what He wants you to do and what He has commanded you to do.

Regeneration means to be set apart by God and be transferred from the kingdom of darkness into the Kingdom of God. Although you live in this world, you don’t belong to this world anymore.

You belong to Jesus Christ and the Father, and therefore you shall obey God and His Word. You shall do what He says and not do what the world (the devil) says. Remember, you will obey the person, you believe in and love.

Living a holy life?

How could Timothy tell, if someone was living a holy life? There were two ways to judge if someone was living a holy and sanctified life:

  • By the discernment of spirits, through the Holy Spirit
  • By looking at the fruit of a person’s life (including family life)

Sometimes someone can be very pious in his or her appearance and act religiously correct in front of people, but as soon as there are no people around and when no one is looking, the person can do things in secret that goes against the will of God. The person can live some kind of hidden double life. In this case, only the Holy Spirit can reveal the works and therefore the heart of the person. The Holy Spirit can tell you, if this person is really as pious as he presents himself or not.

God is omnipotent and sees everything

God is omnipotent and sees everything! Nothing is hidden before God. God will reveal every dark hidden place in someone’s life. When a person thinks that God doesn’t see, what (s)he is doing, only proves that this person doesn’t know God nor the Word; Jesus.

The Holy Spirit knows what’s inside a person’s heart and He alone can reveal those things, which are hidden from man’s natural eyes. That’s why we need the Holy Spirit in our lives and obey Him, so that we will have spiritual eyes and be able to discern the spirits.

Walking after the flesh

Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh (Galatians 5:16 KJV)

When someone is ordained in ministry and sins and/or perseveres in sin, it shows that the sinning person doesn’t walk after the Spirit but after the flesh. Because if a person walks after the Spirit, (s)he shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh, which leads to sin.

The flesh with all its lusts and desires has died in Christ and therefore no longer lives. This means if someone keeps doing the works of the flesh it proves that the flesh has not died in Christ but is still alive.

An evil heart of unbelief

Besides proving that the person walks after the flesh, it shows that there is evil in the heart of the person. Because it is written:

For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness: All these evil things come from within, and defile the man (Mark 7:21-23)

evil heart of unbelief

Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God. But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin (Hebrew 3:12-14)

A minister has responsibilities towards God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit, and the believers.

Therefore, a minister should live a holy life devoted to God. Because if a minister doesn’t live a holy life and in secret commits sin, then the whole congregation will become a partaker of his/her sin.

Besides that, if a minister habitually lives in sin, it proves that the devil has authority over his/her life and the minister is a slave of the devil, instead of a slave of Christ.

Keep the church; the body of Jesus Christ clean

Timothy was a gatekeeper of the church; the body of Christ. His task was to keep the church; the body of Christ, clean and holy and to prevent the body from being defiled. That’s why Paul instructed Timothy to lay hands suddenly on no man; to not (re)ordain or reinstate someone too quickly in ministry.

Paul knew, that there would be a considerable chance, that after a while, the person would do it again and would fall back into the same sin and/or commit another sin.

The cross means saying farewell to the flesh; the sinful rebellious nature, that can’t submit to the will of God.

What does lay hands suddenly mean for the church Today?

Paul commanded Timothy to lay hands on no man suddenly. What Paul commanded Timothy to do, still applies to the church today. In Today’s ministry, leaders should not be too hasty to lay hands and re-ordain or reinstate someone, who committed sin or still walks in sin. Nor should leaders be too hasty to ordain someone in ministry, who is a new convert. Let the new convert, first of all, be discipled and mature spiritually. Let him or her do the things that Jesus has commanded every believer to do, which are to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ; the Word, lay hands on the sick, cast out demons, etc.

church seated in darkness

Nowadays, there are many leaders in ministry, who fall into sin. In some cases, the person will be dismissed and removed from ministry for a short period of time. The sinning leader confesses his or her sins, repents or blames someone else, and in no time, the leader will be reinstated.

Especially when the person is an acquaintance, friend, or family member of the pastor, elders, leaders of the church, church board, etc.

But this is not the way the Word commands us to deal with a sinning elder or other leaders in ministry.

In this age, people deal so easily with sin. Many times sins are being condoned, accepted, and considered normal. Why? Because many believers say: “We all sin, we are all sinners”, “Times have changed, we live in a different time now”, “We must love and not condemn” etc.

But these are all lies from the devil! And because of these lies, there are only a handful of believers, who are longing for a sanctified and holy life in Jesus Christ.

Many believers fall back into the same

Many believers sin, repent, continue with their lives, and in no time fall back into the same old sin. There is often no true remorse and true repentance anymore. Because otherwise, the believer wouldn’t fall back into the same sin again and again.

Besides that, the cause of sin is not being acknowledged nor recognized by many (carnal) believers, because the root of sin is spiritual and not carnal. That’s why people fall back into the same old sin over and over again.

The unclean spirit, who lives in a person and leads the person to sin is not being tackled (cast out). The carnal believer will try to overcome sin out of the flesh, but (s)he will never succeed.

If there is sin present in the leadership of the church, how much more will sin be present in the lives of the believers?

What is sin?

As written before, sin is rebellion against the Word of God; His will. It means that you won’t receive and follow up His words and do His words. Instead, you adjust and change His Word to your carnal will, lusts, and desires. And so the Word of God is changed and adjusted to the will, lusts, and desires of man.

When you realize this, you can conclude that many leaders and churches walk in sin. They walk in rebellion against God and His Word.

They think they please Him, but in reality, they are pleasing and serving the devil, by denying the Word of God and by adjusting and changing the Word to the knowledge of this world and to the carnal will, desire, and lusts of man.

Many churches are no longer founded on the Word. But they are founded upon the knowledge of this world and upon their own philosophies, opinions, findings, and experiences. But worldly knowledge and man’s opinions, findings, and experiences don’t make the truth. Only the Word of God is and will always remain the Truth.

‘Be the salt of the earth’ 

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