Do not neglect the gift you have, which was given you by prophecy when the council of elders laid their hands on you. Practice these things, immerse yourself in them, so that all may see your progress. Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching. Persist in this, for by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers. | 1 Timothy 4:14–16
On Sunday, we installed Josh Borgman as an elder of the church. We spent a lot of time describing who a pastor is and how we go about finding those people who God has called and equipped. After declaring him ‘approved,’ we prayed over him and laid hands on him.
I realized afterward that we did not do a great job describing what was happening in that moment. In the Bible, the act of laying hands on someone has a few different meanings. In Genesis, we see the patriarchs laying hands on their heirs as they gave a blessing. In the sacrificial system, we see the priests lay hands on the sacrifices to place the curse of sin on them. In the New Testament, we see Jesus laying His hands on people to heal them. In Acts 8, we see the apostles lay hands on people so that they would receive the Holy Spirit. In each of these, we see that the physical act of laying hands reflects a much greater, spiritual reality. Hands are not infused with power, but there is a powerful reality occurring that the laying on of hands makes known.
In the Epistles, we see the laying on of hands as part of the process of commissioning pastors. We see this clearly in 1 Timothy 4. Paul encouraged Timothy not to doubt his calling (and some had questioned him because of his youth). Instead, he says, look to the fact that: the council of elders laid their hands on you. What is happening in the laying on of hands that would give him confidence?
AFFIRMATION
The act of laying hands is a declaration of approval. For a pastor to be installed, they must be assessed by other elders and found ‘above reproach.’ To be confirmed by other pastors gives an elder assurance in their own calling and gives the church reason to trust them. This is not just a person who has decided that they want to be in ministry; this is someone who has submitted themselves to the elders of the church to be tested. As we laid our hands on Josh, we are making the statement: this is someone who God has called to lead in this place. All of your pastors have gone through this process and been affirmed by other qualified elders.
AUTHORITY
The act of laying hands is also an act of authority. Not only do pastors affirm new elders, but they also transfer the burden of ministry. This may seem like an obvious part of the process, but it is one worth pointing out. When the pastors lay hands on a new elder, they are filling him with the authority that comes with the role. Josh is no longer ‘under’ the authority of the elders, but is now a co-laborer, sharing the weight of leading God’s church. This doesn’t mean that elder’s do not submit to one another (they do) or that they can’t be called out by the church (they should be), but the authority that God grants to those who are called to shepherd His flock has now been placed on Josh.
ACTIVATING
As Paul tells Timothy to remember when the elders laid their hands on him, he describes it as: the gift you have, which was given you by prophecy. In other words, the moment of being affirmed brings with it a filling of the Spirit. Even though we have assessed that Josh has the competency to fulfill his role as a pastor, we also know that this is not enough. In order for him to stay faithful and humble requires a work of the Holy Spirit; a gifting of grace. We want pastors to persevere – to:
practice these things, immerse yourself in them, so that all may see your progress. Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching.
Paul’s command to Timothy here is to keep going in the direction that God has called you to. In order to do that, your pastors, like every Christian, need to be kept in Christ. The promise here is that if you have pastors who do this, it will be a benefit to the whole church:
by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers.
As we laid hands on Josh, we were affirming his calling, sharing our pastoral authority with him, and activating a new work of the Spirit, which is promised to all who step into the pastorate. As a church we do not take this lightly, nor do we do this often, because we follow the warning that Paul gives in the next chapter of 1 Timothy:
Do not be hasty in the laying on of hands, nor take part in the sins of others; keep yourself pure. | 5:22
As a church, we should celebrate God gifting our church another elder, while also committing to pray for Josh and the Borgman family as they enter into new roles and responsibilities.