Is the laying of hands necessary in order to receive the Holy Spirit?

  • Christian Chat is a moderated online Christian community allowing Christians around the world to fellowship with each other in real time chat via webcam, voice, and text, with the Christian Chat app. You can also start or participate in a Bible-based discussion here in the Christian Chat Forums, where members can also share with each other their own videos, pictures, or favorite Christian music.

    If you are a Christian and need encouragement and fellowship, we're here for you! If you are not a Christian but interested in knowing more about Jesus our Lord, you're also welcome! Want to know what the Bible says, and how you can apply it to your life? Join us!

    To make new Christian friends now around the world, click here to join Christian Chat.

Nehemiah6

Senior Member
Jul 18, 2017
26,074
13,771
113
#21
I know it occurs in scripture and seems to be a method for transfering the Holy Spirit. I would appreciate your understanding of it. Thanks.
Short answer: NO. It is the Lord Jesus Christ who gives the gift of the Holy Spirit to those who repent and believe. See Acts 2. There was no laying on of hands for about 3,000 saved Jews. They were simply baptized after they repented and believed.
 

wattie

Senior Member
Feb 24, 2009
3,229
1,126
113
New Zealand
#22
We are talking about the different roles of the Holy Spirit here.

He indwells a believer at receiving salvation. This isn't by the laying on of hands.

He also comes 'in the midst' of a Christian congregation. This isn't salvation because they are already saved .

He empowers also.. the individual and a whole congregation. This is not salvation not laying on of hands

Think about who is receiving the Spirit in a passage. Is it an individual or about a whole congregation?

Is it about salvation or a different work?

My understanding of laying on of hands is approving / blessing someone who is going out in ministry.
 

NOV25

Well-known member
Nov 23, 2019
977
386
63
#25
No... it’s how it was done for me but.. they did this for anyone they prayed for. What matters is Luke 11 13. You ask you then thank Him for giving the holy spirit to them that ask. You are not moved by what you feel or see you walk by faith. If GOD said it HE will always do it. Never are moved by what any one else says or personally believes. Luke 11 13 speaks for its self. No way to twist it. So you can have hands laid on you yet you can also say "Father you said in luke 11 13 you will give the holy spirit to them that ask so I ask you for the holy spirit. Thank you Father forgiving me the holy Spirit. <---thats it you got it.
You’re forgetting one little detail in Luke, the Father gives to His children.

All the Mormons who pray for the Holy Spirit, do they receive? How about the Jehovah witnesses? Kenneth Copeland, TD Jake’s, Simon the sorcerer and other false believers that ask for the Spirit, does the Father give to them?
No, only to His children.
 

Cameron143

Well-known member
Mar 1, 2022
18,974
6,526
113
62
#26
Yes, but not all scripture is doctrine for the body of Christ. One must know the audience to whom the doctrine applies.😉
Of course it is. Read 2 Timothy 3:16.
 

Underwhosewings

Well-known member
Jan 19, 2023
1,318
670
113
Australia
#27
I know it occurs in scripture and seems to be a method for transfering the Holy Spirit. I would appreciate your understanding of it. Thanks.
Ephesians 1:13 KJV
In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,
 

John146

Senior Member
Jan 13, 2016
17,101
3,684
113
#28
Of course it is. Read 2 Timothy 3:16.
All scripture is for doctrine, but all scripture is not doctrine for the body of Christ. What God gave Noah to follow is different than what he gave Abraham. The directions God gave Abraham were different than what God gave to Moses. Yes?
 

Karlon

Well-known member
Mar 8, 2023
2,529
1,136
113
#29
All scripture is for doctrine, but all scripture is not doctrine for the body of Christ. What God gave Noah to follow is different than what he gave Abraham. The directions God gave Abraham were different than what God gave to Moses. Yes?
the Holy Spirit is received upon becoming born again which includes water & spiritual baptism!
 
Oct 6, 2021
496
83
28
#30
Really? What scripture tells you that?
So far, it seems I'm the only one to give a scripture that explains in detail how to receive the Holy Spirit....
There does seem to be more than one way to receive the Holy Spirit. Your way...which I admit sounds like the easiest. And you can receive the gift through the power and Authority the Lord gave his disciples.
But since I have never met anyone, given this power and authority, I too believe it's best to follow Peters instructions in (Acts 2:38).
 

Cameron143

Well-known member
Mar 1, 2022
18,974
6,526
113
62
#31
All scripture is for doctrine, but all scripture is not doctrine for the body of Christ. What God gave Noah to follow is different than what he gave Abraham. The directions God gave Abraham were different than what God gave to Moses. Yes?
Not exactly correct. While there are aspects of the ceremonial law that no longer apply, there remains still the applications of the doctrines that underlie them. We don't need to build an ark. But the grace that attended Noah and his family still comes to God's people today. The ark that saved them still represents Christ. The word of God brought the message of salvation.
The principles of scripture are timeless and profitable as doctrine always.
 

oyster67

Senior Member
May 24, 2014
11,887
8,705
113
#33
Is the laying of hands necessary in order to receive the Holy Spirit?


No.
All automatically receive the Holy Spirit the moment they are born again. We are living in the Church age now. The Spirit came down 2000 years ago and never left us (The Church.)
 

Everlasting-Grace

Well-known member
Dec 18, 2021
5,843
1,854
113
#34
eph 1: 13 In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, 14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.
 
Jun 20, 2022
6,460
1,330
113
#35
as we see, Peter was Preaching and the Holy Spirit fell upon those listening.
then we see where other Apostles laid their hands upon a person they were praying with and the Holy Spirit again came to those being touched and prayed for.

as long as the environment is true and God is Present, the Holy Spirit, can Manifest however needed to reveal God's Glory.

i will say from experience and those i have been fortunate to pray with, they and myself, seem to prefer having hands touching a shoulder or like during prayer or helping someone pray through until they themselves are filled with the Holy Spirit. most say it makes them feel not so alone in that moment.

think about Salvation Moment:
you are Broken before God.
you also feel isolated like the spotlight is on you because no one else is praying but WATCHING you!!

God Works how He chooses.
but for us who had hands touching us during our Salvation Moment, made it feel like i was doing the Right thing and it made us want God more.

i feel lucky for that Moment and Experience in my life.
 

Pilgrimshope

Well-known member
Sep 2, 2020
13,915
5,638
113
#37
Not an opinion..... scripture from Act ch 2

37 Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” 38 And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
“And he commanded us to preach unto the people, and to testify that it is he which was ordained of God to be the Judge of quick and dead. To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins. While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word.

Then answered Peter, Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized, which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we? And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord. Then prayed they him to tarry certain days.”
‭‭Acts‬ ‭10:42-44, 46-48‬ ‭KJV‬‬
 

Pilgrimshope

Well-known member
Sep 2, 2020
13,915
5,638
113
#38
Part of the problem is that being indwelt by the Holy Spirit is not the same as the gift of the Holy Spirit.
All Christians are indwelt by the Holy Spirit...1 Corinthians 6:19.
The gift of the Holy Spirit is separate from that and so is its purpose. It is what was prophesied by Joel and evidenced on the day of Pentecost. While Pentecost was a one time event, you see the same type of thing occurring throughout the book of Acts concurrent with salvation or a short time after.
a brother do you have any scripture at all making any distinction between receiving the holy spirit or any other form of receiving the holt spirit ? I’d be willing to consider that but I’m not rec Finding anything in scriptire th at wouod suggest that here’s anymore th an just receiving the promise Jesus made of the holy spirit

See theres doctrine that explains it all is the thing believers receving the Holy Ghost is exclusively from Jesus doctrine and it’s exclusively given to anyone that believes the gospel

The thing is we can receive the holy ghost then deny it’s word in us and not follow the Holy Ghost or we can repent and start following him

abut there’s no varying degrees of receiving the holt spirit of Jesus wi th r we do or don’t from what I understand anyways I’m not aware of any doctrine that says you receive the Holy Ghost but then you need to receive it a different second way or anything like that at all

Do you know of any scripture that makes a distinction that might help me see what you’re saying brother ?

The holy ghost is freely available to all because of this

“Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear.”
‭‭Acts‬ ‭2:33‬ ‭KJV‬‬

and so a few verses later Pete says this

“Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.”
‭‭Acts‬ ‭2:38-39‬ ‭KJV‬‬

I’m not aware of any other receving of the holy ghost or any other event once you receive the Holy Ghost he’s in you “ indwelt “ not even sure that’s a term in the Bible but when you receive e holt ghost he lives in your heart

“And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.”
‭‭Galatians‬ ‭4:6‬

a there’s just believing and receving the holy ghost or rejecting and not receiving it then it’s time to learn from and follow to salvstion because just receiving the spirit isnt salvation we have to repent and be led by the spirit

“For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, and have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, if they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame.

For the earth which drinketh in the rain that cometh oft upon it, and bringeth forth herbs meet for them by whom it is dressed, receiveth blessing from God: but that which beareth thorns and briers is rejected, and is nigh unto cursing; whose end is to be burned.”
‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭6:4-8‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Receiving the Holy Ghost doesn’t mean we can’t be lost it means we’re empowered now to repent and be saved
 

Cameron143

Well-known member
Mar 1, 2022
18,974
6,526
113
62
#39
a brother do you have any scripture at all making any distinction between receiving the holy spirit or any other form of receiving the holt spirit ? I’d be willing to consider that but I’m not rec Finding anything in scriptire th at wouod suggest that here’s anymore th an just receiving the promise Jesus made of the holy spirit

See theres doctrine that explains it all is the thing believers receving the Holy Ghost is exclusively from Jesus doctrine and it’s exclusively given to anyone that believes the gospel

The thing is we can receive the holy ghost then deny it’s word in us and not follow the Holy Ghost or we can repent and start following him

abut there’s no varying degrees of receiving the holt spirit of Jesus wi th r we do or don’t from what I understand anyways I’m not aware of any doctrine that says you receive the Holy Ghost but then you need to receive it a different second way or anything like that at all

Do you know of any scripture that makes a distinction that might help me see what you’re saying brother ?

The holy ghost is freely available to all because of this

“Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear.”
‭‭Acts‬ ‭2:33‬ ‭KJV‬‬

and so a few verses later Pete says this

“Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.”
‭‭Acts‬ ‭2:38-39‬ ‭KJV‬‬

I’m not aware of any other receving of the holy ghost or any other event once you receive the Holy Ghost he’s in you “ indwelt “ not even sure that’s a term in the Bible but when you receive e holt ghost he lives in your heart

“And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.”
‭‭Galatians‬ ‭4:6‬

a there’s just believing and receving the holy ghost or rejecting and not receiving it then it’s time to learn from and follow to salvstion because just receiving the spirit isnt salvation we have to repent and be led by the spirit

“For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, and have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, if they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame.

For the earth which drinketh in the rain that cometh oft upon it, and bringeth forth herbs meet for them by whom it is dressed, receiveth blessing from God: but that which beareth thorns and briers is rejected, and is nigh unto cursing; whose end is to be burned.”
‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭6:4-8‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Receiving the Holy Ghost doesn’t mean we can’t be lost it means we’re empowered now to repent and be saved
One place to start is 1 Corinthians 12:3...no one calls Jesus Lord except by the Holy Spirit. So the Holy Spirit is already present in the believer before confession of Jesus as Lord. This is unobserved.

The baptism of the Spirit is outward and compared by Peter as what they experienced the day of Pentecost. It is done by God to authenticate the conversion. This is what Ephesians 1:13 speaks to.
 

DJT_47

Well-known member
Oct 20, 2022
1,041
187
63
#40
To receive the Holy Spirit, no, but to receive the manifestation or gifts of the Spirit, yes. Requires the laying on of the apostle's hands and there are no apostles today. To receive the indwelling of the Holy Ghost/Spirit, the answer is found in Acts 2:38, which happens at the time of water baptism.