Acts-Ac.6:12-15 “Laying of hands”

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

Here see an action which is visible, a sign and its significance is derived from the presence of God. The eternal word settled in the heaven is the Word which is the law. In an earlier post we considered the expression ‘by stretching for thine hands to heal’ and it forms part of the prayer of the apostles, “And grant unto thy servants, that with all boldness they may speak thy word,/ By stretching forth thine hand to heal; and that signs and wonders may be done by the name of thy holy child Jesus.”(4:29-31). Whatever they did was to be in obedience of the divine Will to which their master was ever zealous to follow. So the Lord God stretching forth his hand it the word gone forth from his mouth still was in force. When Moses fed the Israelites with water from the rock God had assured him that he would be there. “Behold, I will stand before you there on the rock at Horeb, and you shall strike the rock, and water shall come out of it, and the people will drink.” And Moses did so, in the sight of the elders of Israel.”(Ex.17:6-ESV). It explains the presence of God. The apostles proved it and as the Spirit records this for our instruction, “And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness.”(v.31)

Jesus also had assured them that whatever they had agreed upon was also agreed in heaven. It is what the name of Jesus Christ would signify in practice. “I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be  loosed in heaven.”(Matt.16:19-NIV). As we shall see they would suffer and some would become martyrs for his name. The life of Stephen was set on the line. But as Jesus has already warned,”“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”(John 16:33-NIV)

And the word of God increased; and the number of the disciples multiplied in Jerusalem greatly; and a great company of the priests were obedient to the faith.

⁸ And Stephen, full of faith and power, did great wonders and miracles among the people.

⁹ Then there arose certain of the synagogue, which is called the synagogue of the Libertines, and Cyrenians, and Alexandrians, and of them of Cilicia and of Asia, disputing with Stephen.

¹⁰ And they were not able to resist the wisdom and the spirit by which he spake.

¹¹ Then they suborned men, which said, We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses, and against God.

¹² And they stirred up the people, and the elders, and the scribes, and came upon him, and caught him, and brought him to the council,

¹³ And set up false witnesses, which said, This man ceaseth not to speak blasphemous words against this holy place, and the law:

¹⁴ For we have heard him say, that this Jesus of Nazareth shall destroy this place, and shall change the customs which Moses delivered us.

¹⁵ And all that sat in the council, looking stedfastly on him, saw his face as it had been the face of an angel.