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Cleansing Rituals, Laying on of Hands

Nakosis

Non-Binary Physicalist
Premium Member
images

Hebrews 6:1–2 — The New International Version (NIV)
1 Therefore let us move beyond the elementary teachings about Christ and be taken forward to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death, and of faith in God, 2 instruction about cleansing rites, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment.

Resurrection of the dead and eternal judgement, are fairly well known.

Instructions about cleansing rites and the laying on of hands.
Where, what are these instructions?

Were these written somewhere or was this verbal instruction passed from Apostle to disciple?

FYI, I have heard that the laying on of hands was necessary for the transfer of the Holy Spirit.
 

paradox

(㇏(•̀ᵥᵥ•́)ノ)
You omit Hebrews 6:3 which gives an answer

I have heard that the laying on of hands was necessary for the transfer of the Holy Spirit.
I have heard that physically touching someone for the sake of healing has spiritual meaning rather than physically healing someone.
that it should be taken as gesture.
 

Nakosis

Non-Binary Physicalist
Premium Member
You omit Hebrews 6:3 which gives an answer


I have heard that physically touching someone for the sake of healing has spiritual meaning rather than physically healing someone.
that it should be taken as gesture.

faith-healer-be-healed.gif

It makes me think of the faith healers. Those that claim they can heal physical afflictions through touch.
Without specific information, these ideas are interpreted different ways.

People claim powers given to them by their faith. How can we judge the truth?
 

Kenny

Face to face with my Father
Premium Member
images

Hebrews 6:1–2 — The New International Version (NIV)
1 Therefore let us move beyond the elementary teachings about Christ and be taken forward to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death, and of faith in God, 2 instruction about cleansing rites, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment.

Resurrection of the dead and eternal judgement, are fairly well known.

Instructions about cleansing rites and the laying on of hands.
Where, what are these instructions?

Were these written somewhere or was this verbal instruction passed from Apostle to disciple?

FYI, I have heard that the laying on of hands was necessary for the transfer of the Holy Spirit.

There is something important about touch:'

Healing properties of touch

As far as an empowering by the Holy Spirit, it isn't required but it is used:

Acts 8:18 And when Simon saw that through laying on of the apostles' hands the Holy Ghost was given, he offered them money,

Acts 19: 6 And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied.

It was also declared for the purpose of healing:

Mark 16:18 They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.

Acts 28:8 And it came to pass, that the father of Publius lay sick of a fever and of a bloody flux: to whom Paul entered in, and prayed, and laid his hands on him, and healed him.

It also is used for commissioning:

1 Timothy 4:14 Neglect not the gift that is in thee, which was given thee by prophecy, with the laying on of the hands of the presbytery.

Acts 6: 5 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: 6 Whom they set before the apostles: and when they had prayed, they laid their hands on them.

Also warned not to do it suddenly (as in without purpose or without foresight)
1 Tim 5:22 AMP Do not hurry to lay hands on anyone [ordaining and approving someone for ministry or an office in the church, or in reinstating expelled offenders], and thereby share in the sins of others; keep yourself free from sin.
 

Ella S.

Dispassionate Goth
there are as many truths as there are people.

people are truth.

I disagree. There's only one truth, although we might be incorrect about what we think that truth is. Potentially, that truth is unknowable to our limited cognitive faculties.

However, we can achieve verisimilitude through logic because it is a self-correcting methodology, allowing us to gain better approximations of truth over time.
 

Nakosis

Non-Binary Physicalist
Premium Member
There is something important about touch:'

Healing properties of touch

As far as an empowering by the Holy Spirit, it isn't required but it is used:

Acts 8:18 And when Simon saw that through laying on of the apostles' hands the Holy Ghost was given, he offered them money,

Acts 19: 6 And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied.

It was also declared for the purpose of healing:

Mark 16:18 They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.

Acts 28:8 And it came to pass, that the father of Publius lay sick of a fever and of a bloody flux: to whom Paul entered in, and prayed, and laid his hands on him, and healed him.

It also is used for commissioning:

1 Timothy 4:14 Neglect not the gift that is in thee, which was given thee by prophecy, with the laying on of the hands of the presbytery.

Acts 6: 5 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: 6 Whom they set before the apostles: and when they had prayed, they laid their hands on them.

Also warned not to do it suddenly (as in without purpose or without foresight)
1 Tim 5:22 AMP Do not hurry to lay hands on anyone [ordaining and approving someone for ministry or an office in the church, or in reinstating expelled offenders], and thereby share in the sins of others; keep yourself free from sin.

So the laying of hands was also a ritual to ordain priests?
 

paradox

(㇏(•̀ᵥᵥ•́)ノ)
However, we can achieve verisimilitude through logic because it is a self-correcting methodology, allowing us to gain better approximations of truth over time.
I don't agree that we gain truth little by little.
truth if not truth in it's fullness is not truth but half truth and thus not a truth because the other half is not truth.

Does everyone get their own version of truth?
It's not what people say but rather what people are.
God made people in his image, so the bible says.
go out and look around yourself, you'll see people all around your self.
this is truth. :)
 

Ella S.

Dispassionate Goth
I don't agree that we gain truth little by little.
truth if not truth in it's fullness is not truth but half truth and thus not a truth because the other half is not truth.

Then we're agreement there, because I don't believe that, either.

It's not what people say but rather what people are.
God made people in his image, so the bible says.
go out and look around yourself, you'll see people all around your self.
this is truth. :)

I am not entirely sure you know what the word "truth" means, because this does not make any sense to me.

For a statement to be true, it means that it is an accurate reflection of the external, objective world.

People are not statements, they are organisms.
 

Kenny

Face to face with my Father
Premium Member
So the laying of hands was also a ritual to ordain priests?
Yes, and still is. It is suppose to be more than just a ritual. As with Timothy of the bible, not only recognizing the gift that is in them but many times prophetic declarations are given at that time.
 

Ella S.

Dispassionate Goth
I'm sorry to see you don't follow my logic.

"Truth" in logic has a rigid and formalized definition, which you are not adhering to.

But what you expect to be "truth" is a matter for theory of everything.

Not really. A Theory of Everything would just be a model. It wouldn't necessarily be true, it would just be good at making predictions.

Once we achieve a Theory of Everything, we might later find an even better one.

"Truth" is the domain of logic, which transcends the natural sciences and has applications in everything from philosophy to ethics to math.
 

paradox

(㇏(•̀ᵥᵥ•́)ノ)
Not really. A Theory of Everything would just be a model. It wouldn't necessarily be true, it would just be good at making predictions.
A theory of everything (TOE) is a hypothetical framework explaining all known physical phenomena in the universe

Therefore it would answer your concern:
it means that it is an accurate reflection of the external, objective world.

A theory of everything would answer all our questions such as:
Are we alone, why is there something rather than nothing etc.
 

Ella S.

Dispassionate Goth
Therefore it would answer your concern:


A theory of everything would answer all our questions such as:
Are we alone, why is there something rather than nothing etc.

I'm not sure that a Theory of Everything would answer either of those questions.

I am not a physicist, but I was under the impression that the Theory of Everything is a model in physics meant to solve a few rather technical issues in the field, such as resolving the disparity between General Relativity and Quantum Mechanics.

I remember it as essentially a solution to the equivalent of the "Godel's Incompleteness Theorems" in physics, because I'm more familiar with those, but I don't know how accurate that is.

If a Theory of Everything would answer those questions, though, would you reject those answers?
 

paradox

(㇏(•̀ᵥᵥ•́)ノ)
I am not a physicist, but I was under the impression that the Theory of Everything is a model in physics meant to solve a few rather technical issues in the field, such as resolving the disparity between General Relativity and Quantum Mechanics.
ah yes indeed, it's me who is under wrong impression, my mistake:
Theory of everything - Wikipedia

If a Theory of Everything would answer those questions, though, would you reject those answers?
No why would I?
Theory of everything would surely not answer God, nor it is concerned with God.
But I think it would answer many of the great unanswered philosophical questions.
 

Brickjectivity

Turned to Stone. Now I stretch daily.
Staff member
Premium Member
Instructions about cleansing rites and the laying on of hands.
Where, what are these instructions?

Were these written somewhere or was this verbal instruction passed from Apostle to disciple?

FYI, I have heard that the laying on of hands was necessary for the transfer of the Holy Spirit.
People claim powers given to them by their faith. How can we judge the truth?
Laying on of hands has been mistaken for something other than what it is, because people are obsessed with miracles and signs.

It makes me think of the faith healers. Those that claim they can heal physical afflictions through touch.
Without specific information, these ideas are interpreted different ways.
Faith healers will tell you anything if you'll give them your attention, your soul or your money -- possibly all three in that order. They'll leave you as you were: alien to the scripture if you thought scripture was a path to miracles. Its because people see a miracle story and think its about the miracle. People who don't care what the story is really for are prey for con artists. They reveal themselves as marks to cons. Of course if you are seeking miracles you're going to attract con artists to yourself, and they will forge themselves into perfect tools to take advantage of whatever it is you seek.



In the oldest story about laying on of hands written long before any Christian works sought to borrow the meanings and the profound dedication of the Jews, in that oldest story Moses laid hands upon the 70 elders. Wisdom was transferred to them miraculously to allow them to make clever and fair court decisions. That's where laying on of hands comes from -- from that story or that event.

Why not some other symbol such as feeding them a hair from his head or shaking hands with them or some other thing such as magic fruit? Why hands laid upon heads? Then centuries later in Christian writings holy spirit gets transferred in this way. Hands laid upon heads. What could it mean? It should be obvious if you aren't obsessed with miracles; but if its miracles you seek then it obviously must be the path to miracles. Lay on hands to heal. Lay on hands to XYZ whatever you desire.
 
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