Freed From the Slavery of Sin

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John 8:3–11

The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman caught in adultery, and having set her in the center of the court, they said to Him, “Teacher, this woman has been caught in adultery, in the very act. “Now in the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women; what then do You say?” They were saying this, testing Him, so that they might have grounds for accusing Him. But Jesus stooped down and with His finger wrote on the ground. But when they persisted in asking Him, He straightened up, and said to them, “He who is without sin among you, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.” Again He stooped down and wrote on the ground. When they heard it, they began to go out one by one, beginning with the older ones, and He was left alone, and the woman, where she was, in the center of the court. Straightening up, Jesus said to her, “Woman, where are they? Did no one condemn you?” She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said, “I do not condemn you, either. Go. From now on sin no more.”

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Through the sacrifice of the blood of Jesus Christ, we have been declared “Not guilty”; we have been freed from the guilt of our sin.

No human being (with the exception of Jesus Christ) will ever be able to stand before God on the merits of his or her own righteousness, for none possess righteousness on his or her own. If that were the case, then there would have been no need for Christ’s atonement.

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Isaiah 64:6

For all of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a filthy garment; and all of us wither like a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.

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Born-again Christians sin between the time they are saved and the time they die but upon death, they do not and can not enter the presence of God spotted and mired with that sin. God does not somehow look the other way or ignore that sin. One must be sinless to enter the presence of God and the one and only way to that purity is through the imputation of Christ’s pure righteousness.

Born-again Christians, true believers, no longer posses a sin nature. Ezekiel prophesied that God would replace our heart (the center of a person’s nature. Jeremiah 17:9 “The heart is more deceitful than all else and is desperately sick; who can understand it?”) of stone with a heart of flesh.

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Ezekiel 36:26–27

Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will be careful to observe My ordinances.

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God’s Word is very clear that the old sin nature died on the cross with Christ and that a new creature now lives in Christ.

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Galatians 2:20

I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.

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2 Corinthians 5:17

Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.

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1 Peter 2:9–10

But you are a chosen race, A royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; for you once were not a people, but now you are the people of God; you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

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Romans 8:9–17

However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him. If Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, yet the spirit is alive because of righteousness. But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you. So then, brethren, we are under obligation, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh—for if you are living according to the flesh, you must die; but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, “Abba! Father!” The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him.

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Sin, however, still exists in the world and it is a very powerful temptation. Sin is desirable, at times very desirable, if it wasn’t, it wouldn’t be a temptation. My kids are never tempted to sneak a brussels sprout or piece of red bell pepper from the refrigerator, but if there is an open cookie jar on the counter, well that’s a different story!

Prior to the cross, we were enslaved to sin. Sin was our master and we obeyed our master. Christ’s victory on the cross defeated Satan and stripped him of his power to hold us captive and to enslave us to sin.

Prior to the Emancipation Proclamation, certain individuals and groups of individuals were regarded as property in this country. They were enslaved to their masters and were forced to obey their masters. The law of the land protected the rights of the masters to do whatever they wanted to with their slaves, and forced the slaves to obey. The Emancipation Proclamation set these slaves free. They were freed from the power of their former masters. The masters, however, did not let go so easily. They tried to hold on to their power over their former slaves. Many former slaves knew no other way of life; they were not taught and indoctrinated into the new life that the Emancipation Proclamation provided. Therefore, even though these former slaves were no longer legally bound to their masters, they were still enslaved by ignorance and helplessness, and ended up continuing in their life of slavery by their own choice. The Emancipation Proclamation removed the legal power that masters had over slaves, but it did not remove the masters themselves or their desire to captivate their former slaves, nor did it empower the former slaves to resist their former masters.

Like the Emancipation Proclamation, Christ freed us from our former master. We are now free! Satan, sin, and the temptation to sin, however, all still exist. Unlike the Emancipation Proclamation, God has provided each believer power, through the Holy Spirit, to resist and turn away from our former master. We are not ignorant and helpless when faced with sin. We have an advocate who is greater and stronger than our former master.

Through Christ’s blood, our sins are forgiven, but forgiveness is not the full extent of the power of the cross. God does not merely forgive us and then leave us spiritually unchanged. If that were the case, we would continue living in and repeating the same sins we did according to our old nature. We are changed; we are new creatures. This new creature possesses the ability to choose not to sin. The old creature (our sin nature) died with Christ on the cross and no longer controls us. The power of what Christ accomplished on the cross has a transforming influence on our lives that begins with forgiveness and then carries us further into the death that Christ died. We experience His death ourselves. He died for our sins and we die with Him to sin. Do we sin? Yes, of course. We have the inertia of our old life that tempts us to return. We have the enemy who is constantly tempting us to follow him. But we are not enslaved to sin, as the “old man” was. When we die to sin, our old relationship to sin is broken. We experience sin differently from before our salvation.

Before we were born again, we sinned by nature. After the new birth, when we sin we sin against our nature. There is not an old man and a new man living within each believer. I was the old man. Now I am the new man. The new man is not perfect, but he is actually new.

We are now free from the guilt of sin, but also free from the power of sin. Because of the blood of Jesus Christ; because of what He accomplished on the cross, God, through His Holy Spirit, gives us the power to resist and turn away from sin. When Christ died on the cross for our sins, He became the conduit through which the Holy Spirit liberates us from the power of sin. When we are saved we become sharers in God’s own nature. We do not in any sense become God or gods, but we share in His holiness and righteousness. We are changed at a core level; our very nature is change so that we are able to share real fellowship with God who is holy.

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2 Peter 1:4

For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust.

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If we walk with Christ, we (hopefully) are sinning less and less as we mature and grow in Him. We will never achieve perfection on our own, but when we are saved, we are empowered by the Holy Spirit through the atoning blood of our Savior to strive for it and to perform the good works for which God has predestined us. God has freed us from the bondage of sin; we are no longer bound to sin; the Holy Spirit who dwells within us empowers us to turn away from sinful acts.

We will never be able to enter into the presence of our Holy God on our own merits, but only through the atoning blood of our Savior. We will never be able to serve God apart from the Holy Spirit enabling us, which was accomplished on the cross.

If you are a believer, then taste of the forgiveness of your sins and feel the freedom from the power of sin.

If you are not a believer; if you do not know Jesus Christ as your savior, then acknowledge your sinfulness and recognize Jesus Christ as the only deliverer from your bondage and slavery to sin. Moreover, in the words of our Lord, “Go and sin no more!”

—David S. Spaggiari

Laying On of Hands—The Biblical Perspective

Introduction

Throughout church history, denominations, churches, and individuals have adopted many practices and traditions. Some are biblically based and some are not. Some are found in scripture but are not practiced the way scripture describes them or the way God intends.

I have described a scenario below that I believe most Christians have experienced, participated in, witnessed, or at least heard about at one time or another in their walk.

Scenario

There is a gathering (formal or informal) of Christians, such as a bible study, a prayer meeting, a retreat, or just a gathering in someone’s home. It comes to the attention of the group that one of its members is experiencing some type of a serious difficulty in his life. It could be the loss of his job, a deep personal struggle, a health issue, or any number of other serious difficulties. Someone in the group suggests, “Let’s pray and lay hands on this person and ask the Lord to deliver him from this difficulty.” Everyone in the room gathers around this person, stretches out their arms and places a hand upon this person. Prayers are offered for the deliverance of this brother from his difficulty, the huddle breaks up, hugs are given, everybody takes their seats, and the meeting continues.

This type of scenario is fairly common in many churches today, especially within (but not limited to) Pentecostal circles. The question is, is this an appropriate expression of the laying on of hands. The purpose of this study is to answer this question by finding the biblical perspective on the laying on of hands.

I approach this subject as I approach all biblical subjects I study and especially ones that I teach: with a reverent fear. A little bit more so in this particular case because the instruction I am giving regarding the Church exercising laying on of hands, I am presenting as the biblical perspective, not a biblical perspective, or my perspective. I’m not giving a lot of wiggle room on this subject. There is probably more the Bible has to say about this subject than I am presenting in this study I would be arrogant to say, in an absolute sense, that I have captured everything that God has said about this or everything that God thinks about this and that no one could ever add anything of value to what I have written. I do, however, have a firm belief and strong conviction that the content of the instruction I am presenting in this study is God’s perspective on the subject. I am not claiming this as divine revelation, but as knowledge gained from a solid study of God’s Word on this subject.

I began my study on this subject by searching the scriptures for all of the occurrences of laying on of hands, compiling a list, and then systematically studying each occurrence. I place Hebrews 6:1–2 at the top of the list even though it does not contain an actual occurrence of laying on of hands and it provides no instructions about laying on of hands. It does, however, tie together all of the instructions and examples of laying on of hands throughout the bible.

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Hebrews 6:1–2

1Therefore leaving the elementary teaching about the Christ, let us press on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, 2of instruction about washings and laying on of hands, and the resurrection of the dead and eternal judgment.

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Context of Scripture

The author was rebuking the Hebrew believers for having become “dull of hearing” and for not being further along in their understanding of the fundamental things of God than they were. He admonishes them that at this point in their walk that they should have a firm grasp on the basic fundamental teachings of the faith. Many of them had been believers for 25– 30 years. He exhorted them to learn the fundamentals and then to move on to the more complex elements of their walk and faith. He gives them (and us) a list of fundamental teachings and describes them as being a firm and solid foundation for a Christian walk.

It is in this context that he lists the laying on of hands as being an elementary teaching.

Definition

The Greek word that has been translated to elementary is Arche (G746)

• Arche literally means beginning.
• In classical Greek it always signifies primacy.

• The term was used to describe the first cause or beginning point of a subject; the most basic, foundational, or fundamental concepts of a subject; the basic elements of matter.
• It does not convey a random or arbitrary selection of something being first, such as the order in which you pile your plate in a buffet line. Where you begin and the order in which the items are selected has no significance as to the outcome.
• It conveys a systematic and essential selection of something being first as in mathematics. Each topic is built upon the prior topic. If the first topic is omitted, then each topic that follows will not be understood or will be misunderstood. The significance of misunderstanding a topic in this instance is paramount. Once a topic is misunderstood, each subsequent topic learned is learned through a filter of misunderstanding. This increases the possibility of continuing to misunderstanding subsequent topics which further skews the end result.

When translators translate from Greek to English, they often times translate one particular Greek word into several different English words, based upon the context of the word and what they thought the author intended. The New American Standard Bible, Updated Version contains 39 occurrences of Arche. Of those 39 occurrences, 38 of them are translated to “beginning” and only once is it translated to “elementary”. I find it somewhat confusing as to why they chose “elementary” for this particular occurrence; I think that “beginning” does a far better job of conveying the overall meaning of the passage.

There are two important elements of this passage that we need to understand:

• There are essential aspects of the instructions about laying on of hands that we should study, learn, and understand.
• This is a subject that God wants us to understand and He wants us to understand it from the beginning of our walk

Obviously the practice of laying on of hands is not an essential of the faith, but we can not ignore the fact that the writer of Hebrews included the laying on of hands in the following list of fundamental teachings that he describes as a firm and solid foundation for a Christian walk.

• Repentance from dead works
• Faith toward God
• Instruction about Washings
• Instruction about the Laying on of Hands
• Resurrection from the dead
• Eternal judgment

This list includes certain essentials of the faith: repentance, faith, resurrection from the dead, and eternal judgment. Each of these six items deserves its own in-depth study and writing.

The emphasis the author places in this passage is not on the act of laying on of hands but on the instruction about laying on of hands. I have come to certain conclusions as to why the author included the laying on of hands in this list, what element of laying on of hands qualifies it to be placed in this list of essentials of the faith, and how that relates to God’s instructions in the appropriate use of laying on of hands.

I stated earlier that I have a firm belief and strong conviction that the content of the instruction I am presenting in this study is God’s perspective on the subject, so I am throwing down the following challenge:

If, after reading this study, you disagree with my conclusion regarding the practice of laying on of hands, take the list of occurrences I have provided below, read and study each one, and then provide me with a biblical defense of your position.

Why Study the Laying On of Hands

• I have a desire to diligently, faithfully, and accurately exercise the gifts the Lord has given to me for His glory
• I also desire the ability to rightly discern the actions of others and to exhort, encourage, admonish, correct, and instruct (as appropriate) those over whom God has given me spiritual responsibility and authority.
• God’s Word declares that the instruction of laying on of hands is foundational to our walk with Christ

What does the laying on of hands symbolize?

The laying on of hands is symbolic in nature; there is nothing magical that takes place when hands are laid on someone. Physical touch is not necessary in order for God to accomplish His goal; however, it is a practice that has been ordained by God and should be studied, learned, and practiced accordingly.

It is interesting to me how certain groups have embraced opposite extremes when it comes to the physical touching aspect of laying on of hands. They miss the rich symbolism of the act because their practice demonstrates a belief that there is some inherent power in the touch of ones hands as if an electrical charge is being transferred from one body to another. Many of these same groups have adopted a variation of laying on of hands in which ones arm is stretched out and the hand is just simply pointed toward the individual. These and other misinterpretations usually come from a lack of thorough study of God’s Word.

The laying on of hands symbolizes the following:

• Imputation

• Transferring—It symbolizes the transferring of something from one entity to another.
• Authority—It symbolizes authority (the one laying hands on another represents God—from whom the blessing originates)
• Submission—The one having hands laid on must allow it and must be in right spiritual orientation to God’s authority.
• Identification

• The one laying hands on someone is identifying with that person or agreeing with that person’s request, direction, and spiritual condition.
• It is equivalent to saying amen after someone prays.

The General Biblical Purpose of Laying On of Hands

The act of laying on of hands is an image of God blessing His people and His people submitting to His authority.

God has ordained structure in which His blessing always flows from greater authority to lesser authority, all originating from Him the greatest authority. The biblical imagery is that of water which always flows downhill.

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Revelation 22:1

1Then he showed me a river of the water of life, clear as crystal, coming from the throne of God and of the Lamb

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God gives us this image in which the water of life, representing His blessing, is flowing (down) from His throne, representing His authority.

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Ezekiel 47:1–7

1Then he brought me back to the door of the house; and behold, water was flowing from under the threshold of the house toward the east, for the house faced east. And the water was flowing down from under, from the right side of the house, from south of the altar. 2He brought me out by way of the north gate and led me around on the outside to the outer gate by way of the gate that faces east. And behold, water was trickling from the south side. 3When the man went out toward the east with a line in his hand, he measured a thousand cubits, and he led me through the water, water reaching the ankles. 4Again he measured a thousand and led me through the water, water reaching the knees. Again he measured a thousand and led me through the water, water reaching the loins. 5Again he measured a thousand; and it was a river that I could not ford, for the water had risen, enough water to swim in, a river that could not be forded. 6He said to me, “Son of man, have you seen this?” Then he brought me back to the bank of the river. 7Now when I had returned, behold, on the bank of the river there were very many trees on the one side and on the other.

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This is essentially the same imagery as in Revelation 22:1, but in Old Testament terms. The water (God’s blessing) is flowing (down) from the threshold of the house (the Tabernacle) indicating that it is coming from within. Inside the tabernacle (where only the priests were permitted) were the Holy Place and the Holy of Hollies which contained the Ark of the Covenant. The Ark of the Covenant represented the Throne of God which symbolizes His authority. The water became deeper and deeper with each thousand cubits the man would walk from the house, indicating that the water was flowing downhill.

Each of these passages gives us beautiful images of how God wants us to stand (or kneel) in the river of the water of life and receive the blessings flowing from his throne. This is richly symbolized in the laying on of hands when practiced appropriately.

Specific Biblical Purposes of Laying On of Hands?

• Impart Spiritual Blessings (Genesis 48:10–16)
• The bringing forth of miracles (Acts 14:3)
• Impart the Holy Spirit (Acts 19:1–6)
• Transfer Sin (Leviticus 4:3)
• Physical Healing (Acts 28:8)
• Cast Out Evil Spirits (Luke 4:40–41)
• Raise the Dead (Matthew 9:18, 25)
• Impart Spiritual Gifts (1 Timothy 4:14)
• To Set Apart for Service (Acts 6:1–6)

The Church Today

Should the act of laying on of hands be practiced in the church today?

In some respects, the purpose of laying on of hands has ceased. For example, there is certainly no need to lay hands on sacrifices as in the Old Testament (Hebrews 10: 5–14).

In other respects, because its symbolism has rich and deep meaning for the church today, it is still appropriate to practice the laying on of hands in an appropriate manner.

One tendency is to make the practice something other than what God intends; another can be to ignore it all together. God desires obedience and that equates to practicing the laying on of hands, but practicing it appropriately.

Who should minister the act of laying hands upon others?

When one person lays hands upon another, he is doing so as a representative or ambassador of God and in so doing is fulfilling a role of spiritual authority. The bible does not illustrate or teach the laying on of hands as something that is to be practiced among peers. To do so negates the rich symbolism of the authority of God; it would symbolize equality with God which is in essence rebellion to God.

To avoid any possible misunderstanding in this matter understand that from one perspective we are all peers and God sees us all the same. There is no distinction drawn when it comes to our salvation. God does not save us based upon nationality or sex. There is no distinction when it comes to praying. No individual or group of Christians is set above another when it comes to prayer. God hears all of our prayers and calls us to pray for one another. From another perspective God has ordained a particular structure or hierarchy to His kingdom, as in the church or in a family.

• Husbands are to lead their wives; wives are not to lead their husbands.
• The church is to be lead by male leadership, not female.

These are but two examples, but it is from this perspective that we are to lay hands on based upon distinction.

The following is a list of appropriate expressions of the laying on of hands:

• Husband to wife
• Parent to child
• Elder/pastor to church member
• Believer to unbeliever

On Whom Should Hands Be Laid?

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1 Timothy 5:22

Do not lay hands upon anyone too hastily and thereby share responsibility for the sins of others; keep yourself free from sin.

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Paul is instructing Timothy, who is in Ephesus, regarding elders; he is not instructing elders. By the context of this sentence it is clear that Paul is telling Timothy to be careful when appointing elders; to be sure that they are qualified and capable of serving, and to carefully examine their lives before laying hands on them to appoint them as elders.

This warning relates to the laying on of hands for any reason. Care should be taken before laying hands on someone to ensure his or her spiritual condition warrants it. One’s heart must be in right orientation with God—a place of embracing God’s authority—in order to rightly receive God’s blessing. The one laying hands on someone is identifying with that person or agreeing with that persons request, direction, and spiritual condition.

For What Specific Purposes Should Hands Be Laid?

• Ordaining those who serve
• Sending out of apostles and evangelists
• Healing

The bible gives us specific purposes for laying on of hands but do not confuse the biblical act of laying on of hands with an act of compassion such as putting an arm around someone’s shoulder or holding someone’s hand during prayer. God calls us to love one another as we love ourselves; showing compassion for and comforting each other certainly falls within this command.

Conclusion

The laying on of hands is itself a symbolic act of spiritual authority because something of greater spiritual value is being conferred from one (a representative of God) to another (a recipient of God’s blessing).

Having hands layed on is an act of submission.

The beautiful images of how God wants us to stand (or kneel) in the river of the water of life and receive the blessings flowing from his throne are richly symbolized in the laying on of hands when practiced appropriately.

This act is a picture God’s people submitting to Him; this is an essential of the faith. We cannot be in right relationship with God without submitting to Him. If we are not submitting to God, we are rebelling against Him; we cannot be true believers if we are in rebellion to God.

It is this element of the instruction about the laying on of hands that is an essential of the faith and what qualifies this act to appear in the list given by the author of Hebrews. This element makes the proper use of laying on of hands critical in the church today. If we do not properly and appropriately understand and practice the laying on of hands, then we symbolize rebellion to God, not submission.

Biblical Occurrences

Testament	Book and Verse	Person Laying on Hands	Person Having Hands Laid On	Relationship	Purpose
Old	Genesis 48:14, 17-19	Israel	Manasseh and Ephraim (Joseph’s sons)	Grandfather/grandsons	Impart blessing
Old	Exodus 29:10–21	Priests	The bull and the ram to be sacrificed	Priests/Sacrifice	To consecrate the priests
Old	Leviticus 3	Priests	Lamb/Goat	Priests/Sacrifice	Transfer of sin
Old	Leviticus 4:4	Priests	The bull about to be sacrificed	Priests/Sacrifice	Transfer of sin
Old	Leviticus 4:13–21	The elders	The bull about to be sacrificed	Elders/sacrifice	Transfer of sin
Old	Leviticus 8:14	Aaron and his sons	Bull	Priests/Sacrifice	To consecrate the priests
Old	Leviticus 8:18	Aaron and his sons	Ram	Priests/Sacrifice	To consecrate the priests
Old	Leviticus 8:22	Aaron and his sons	Ram	Priests/Sacrifice	To consecrate the priests
Old	Leviticus 16:21	Priests	Goat	Priests/Sacrifice	Transfer of sin
Old	Leviticus 24:13–16	All who heard someone curse the name of the Lord.	A person who cursed the name of the Lord.	Witnesses/criminal	Warning
Old	Numbers 8:5–11	Sons of Israel	Levites	Sons of Israel/Levites	To set apart for service
Old	Numbers 27:18-23	Moses	Joshua	Leader/successor	To set apart for service
Old	Deuteronomy 34:9	Moses	Joshua	Leader/successor	To set apart for service
Old	Daniel 10:10-21	An angel of the Lord	Daniel	Angel/Man of God
New	Matthew 19:13-15	Jesus	Children	The Lord Jesus	Impart blessing
New	Matthew 20:34	Jesus	Two blind men sitting on the road	The Lord Jesus	Physical Healing
New	Matthew 8:14–15	Jesus	Peter’s mother-in-law	The Lord Jesus	Physical Healing
New	Matthew 8:2–4	Jesus	Leper in a crowd	The Lord Jesus	Physical Healing
New	Matthew 9:18, 25	Jesus	Daughter of a synagogue official.	The Lord Jesus	Raising of the dead
New	Mark 1:41	Jesus	Leper in a crowd	The Lord Jesus	Physical Healing
New	Mark 10:13, 16	Jesus	Children	The Lord Jesus	Impart blessing
New	Mark 16:18	The Lord’s commissioned disciples and those who were saved through the disciples.	Unbelievers	Believer/unbeliever	Physical Healing
New	Mark 5:23	Jesus	Jairus’s daughter at his request.	The Lord Jesus	Physical Healing
New	Mark 6:5	Jesus	A few sick people in Nazareth	The Lord Jesus	Physical Healing
New	Mark 7:32–33	Jesus	Deaf and mute man from Decapolis	The Lord Jesus	Physical Healing
New	Mark 8:23–25	Jesus	Blind man in Bathsaida	The Lord Jesus	Physical Healing
New	Luke 13:11-13	Jesus	Woman in synagogue on Sabbath.	The Lord Jesus	Physical Healing; removing evil spirits
New	Luke 22:50–51	Jesus	Centurion guard	The Lord Jesus	Physical Healing
New	Luke 4:40, 41	Jesus	Those who were sick and demon possessed in Capernaum.	The Lord Jesus	Physical Healing; removing evil spirits
New	Acts 13:3	The elders	Barnabas and Saul	Leadership/members of the congregation	To set apart for service
New	Acts 14:3	The apostles	Undisclosed	Apostles/Christians	Bring forth of miracles
New	Acts 19:6	Paul	Ephesians (new believers)	Apostles/Christians	Impart the Holy Spirit
New	Acts 28:8	Paul	The father of Publius	Apostle/unbeliever	Physical healing
New	Acts 5:12	The apostles	Undisclosed	Apostles/Christians	Bring forth of miracles
New	Acts 6:5, 6	The apostles	Stephen, Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas; the seven chosen as deacons.	Leadership/members of the congregation	To set apart for service
New	Acts 8:18	Peter and John	New Christians	Apostles/Christians	Impart the Holy Spirit
New	Acts 9:10-12, 17	Ananias	Paul the Apostle	Believer/unbeliever	Physical healing and to be filled with the Holy Spirit.
New	1 Timothy 4:14	The elders	Timothy	Leadership/members of the congregation	Impart spiritual gifts
New	2 Timothy 1:6	The elders	Timothy	Leadership/members of the congregation	Impart spiritual gifts
New	Hebrews 6:1, 2	N/A	N/A	N/A
New	James 5:14	The elders	Those having asked to have the elders pray	Elders/congregation	Physical healing

Did God Create Sin?

I have heard this question many times: “did God create sin?” This is a favorite among cynical unbelievers, and among many believers who just don’t fully understand God’s sovereignty. If God created sin, then how can He not be responsible for it; if He didn’t, then how can He be sovereign?

Most (if not all) Christians agree that God is not (and can not be) responsible for sin, so the only viable conclusion (using this logic) is that God is not sovereign. If something exists and functions outside of God’s control, He could not possibly be sovereign, right?

This is a classic straw-man approach that unbelievers love to throw at unsuspecting (and unprepared) believers. They pose this question well aware of Christian’s strong belief that God is Holy and, therefore, could not be responsible for sin. This paints many Christians into a corner of not being able to adequately defend the biblical position of God being Holy, sovereign, and completely un-responsible for the presence of sin in the world.

This is also a question many true believers ask because of a lack of understanding the sovereign nature of God.

Hopefully this article will assist Christians in understanding and defending the biblical position and will quiet those cynical unbelievers in a fallacious argument.

Definition

The first thing we need to do is to define sin. Sin is the act of transgressing (acting in violation of) or perverting (to interpret incorrectly; misconstrue or distort) the law of God.

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Genesis 3:1–6

1 Now the serpent was more crafty than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, “Indeed, has God said, ‘You shall not eat from any tree of the garden’?”

2 The woman said to the serpent, “From the fruit of the trees of the garden we may eat;

3 but from the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat from it or touch it, or you will die.’”

4 The serpent said to the woman, “You surely will not die!

5 “For God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”

6 When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make one wise, she took from its fruit and ate; and she gave also to her husband with her, and he ate.

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1 John 3:4

Everyone who practices sin also practices lawlessness; and sin is lawlessness.

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Sin is not a creation; it has no substance; it is not being, spirit, or matter. This is a matter of semantics so I will address what I believe to be the heart of the issue. I believe the real question to be, “Did sin enter the world through God?” or “Is God responsible for sin in the world?” I will continue to address the question in this light.

Creation

Next, let’s look at God’s creation. At the conclusion of each stage of creation, God stated that what He had created was “good”. The Hebrew word used is tob, which means to be pleasing or good. This indicates that God was pleased with what He had created and that He found no fault in it. When God completed creation He looked at all He had created and stated that it was “very good”. The same Hebrew word is used here for good with the modifier meod, which means abundance. This indicates that God was pleased with all that He had created and that in it was nothing that displeased Him; that there was nothing evil or corrupt in His creation.

Can God Sin?

Next, let’s look at God’s nature in relation to sin. Can God sin? This is a question that must be addressed because sin could only have entered the world through a sinful act. I think that all Christians will agree that God can not sin. I also think, however, that it is well worth our time to take a look at why God can not sin. The essence of why God can’t sin is wrapped up in His nature as the creator, not because He is forbidden to sin or because He restrains Himself from sinning. Sin is disobedience or opposition to God. God can’t disobey or be in opposition to Himself; when God declares something, it simply “is”. Things exist through the thoughts, words, and breath of God. For God to sin against Himself is impossible not because He is bound by some arbitrary set of “natural laws” or even by a set of laws He has set in place, but because God’s actions are creative in nature. Things “are” or “become” because God declares them. God can not sin because if God did something evil it would not be evil, it would be good because God did it, since God Himself is the definition of good. In other words the concept of goodness is defined by God’s nature, not the other way around. God is not compared to an arbitrary standard called “goodness” and then deemed good because He measures up. There is no measuring stick with good on one side and evil on the other and when compared to it God is good. God is the measuring stick. In Philosophical terms, Godness is good and un-Godness is evil. Goodness is good because it reflects God’s nature. Anything that does not reflect God’s nature is evil.

God’s Creation Sinned

God created man in His image. This means that man shares, in a finite way, the communicable (capable of being transmitted from being to being) attributes of God (e.g., personality, spirituality, rationality, morality). This does not mean that man is exactly like God in every way. Man, being created in God’s image, is similar to a person viewing himself in a mirror. What he sees is an image of himself, but the image is not the substance. Likewise, man was not created with the same substance or capacity as God.

God does not have the capacity to sin (refer to Can God Sin). Adam was created in God’s image but because he was a creation he possessed the capacity to sin. Adam was like God in that he had personality, spirituality, rationality, and morality; he was different from God in that God is the creator and Adam was a creation. Because we are a creation, we have the capacity to disobey God (the creator). God does not have that capacity because He is the creator and what He says, thinks, or breathes, becomes (i.e., He is the measure of what is good and anything opposing Him is evil).

So, Through Whom Did Sin Enter the World?

God is sovereign but He did not create sin. He allows sin, He controls sin, He uses sin for good and causes good through sin in spite of itself. Adam was created with the capacity to sin or not to sin, and he freely chose to sin. Adam was like God (personal, spiritual, rational, moral); therefore, he could choose to obey God or disobey God. He was different from God (creation not creator); therefore, his choice could be sinful.

When Adam disobeyed God, he sinned and sin became part of his nature; all of his descendants inherited his fallen nature.

Conclusion

Sin entered the world through the sinful act of Adam disobeying God (transgressing God’s law).

Sin was conquered through the sinless life of Jesus fully and completely obeying God’s law.

—David S. Spaggiari

Headship in the Home: Daughters Transition to Womanhood

Introduction

Fathers play a very important, in fact a vital, role in the raising of girls. A father’s responsibility is to teach, train, affirm, protect, and defend his daughter. Key in a father’s understanding of the role he plays in the life of his daughter is to understand his wife and the role God has for her in the earth. Since we are (or should be) raising our daughters to be wives and mothers, understanding our wives and the role God has given them is essential. Please don’t misunderstand me; I am not saying that all women must be wives and mothers. What I am saying is that God’s plan and design for women is to be wives and mothers. God is certainly able to make exceptions in the lives of particular individuals, but as a default we must teach and train our daughters to become wives and mothers unless and until the Lord directs us otherwise.

Relationships

That being said (or written, as it were), let’s look at the role God has established for our wives and daughters.

We were all created by God as subordinates. A subordinate is simply one who is under the authority of another. We are all subordinates under God’s authority. Under His headship, God designed various levels and types of subordinate roles and relationships.

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Genesis 1:26–28

26 Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”

27 God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.

28 God blessed them; and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”

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We see in this account that mankind has authority over all creatures and that all creatures are subordinate to man. There are other subordinate roles and relationships in creation. One of the most significant relationships in all of God’s creation is the man-woman, or more specifically, husband-wife relationship.

Helper

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Genesis 2:18–23

18 Then the LORD God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone; I will make him a helper suitable for him.”

19 Out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field and every bird of the sky, and brought them to the man to see what he would call them; and whatever the man called a living creature, that was its name.

20 The man gave names to all the cattle, and to the birds of the sky, and to every beast of the field, but for Adam there was not found a helper suitable for him.

21 So the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and he slept; then He took one of his ribs and closed up the flesh at that place.

22 The LORD God fashioned into a woman the rib which He had taken from the man, and brought her to the man.

23 The man said, “This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.”

24 For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother, and be joined to his wife; and they shall become one flesh.

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Here we read of how God created woman, which is different from how He created man. Man was created from the dust of the earth. Woman was created from a rib that God took from the man. Woman was created to be a helper to man.

I want to spend a little bit of time and develop this idea of a “helper” before we move on. The word or concept of “helper” has somewhat of a negative connotation in today’s environment. In many industries and businesses today a helper is seen as an insignificant member of the team; someone who is expendable or easily replaced. God’s perspective on this concept is very different; it is not negative but very significant. God declared at the end of each day of creation that what He had created was “good”. At the conclusion of creation, He looked at everything He created and said that it was “very good”. In Genesis 2:18 He states that it is “not good” for man to be alone. God had a specific purpose in creating woman; a purpose that is significant and essential to His creation and His plan. Woman changed the situation with man from being “not good” to being “good”. It’s important that we hold an appropriate perspective on this concept.

The transliterated Hebrew word used that we translate to helper is Ezer (ay’-zer) which means a helper, assistant, or one who affords assistance or relief. Ezer appears 21 times in the Old Testament. A brief survey of how the writers, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, used this word begins to show the significance that God places on this concept.

Scripture	Reference
Genesis 2:18	Reference to woman
Genesis 2:20	Reference to woman
Exodus 18:4	Reference to God
Deuteronomy 33:7	Reference to God
Deuteronomy 33:26	Reference to God
Deuteronomy 33:26	Reference to God
Psalm 20:2	Reference to God’s action
Psalm 33:20	Reference to God
Psalm 70:5	Reference to God
Psalm 89:19	Reference to God’s action
Psalm 115:9	Reference to God
Psalm 115:10	Reference to God
Psalm 115:11	Reference to God
Psalm 121:1	Reference to God’s action
Psalm 121:2	Reference to God’s action
Psalm 124:8	Reference to God’s action
Psalm 146:5	Reference to God
Isaiah 30:5	A non-description of Egypt in a warning to Judah.
Ezekiel 12:14	A description of those who assisted Israel
Daniel 11:34	Reference to help that Babylon was to receive from neighboring nations
Hosea 13:9	Reference to God

The breakdown of the occurrences of this word in the Old Testament is as follows:

• 21 appearances


• 2 refer to woman


• 2 refer to nations around Israel


• 1 is used to juxtapose Egypt’s interaction with Israel


• 16 are used as references to God or His actions.

The fact that the same word is used to describe woman’s purpose and role in the earth as is used to describe God Himself or His actions is very significant and should be the backbone of what forms our perspective of this concept. The concepts of slaves, hired servants, and workers are all introduced in the Old Testament, but completely different words are used to describe these concepts.

The Bible teaches that wives are subject to their husbands; they are under the authority of their husbands, and that authority has been given by God. Women are not (and were not created to be) slaves, servants, hirelings, or workers. Women were created to help, to assist, to come along side their husbands in the assignment their husbands have been given by God in the earth. The implication is that man could not fulfill his role in the earth without woman. Woman’s role is a role that can be filled by no other. We saw that in the garden when every living being was brought to Adam but none was found suitable to be his helper.

The Lie

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Genesis 3:1–7

1 Now the serpent was more crafty than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, “Indeed, has God said, ‘You shall not eat from any tree of the garden’?”

2 The woman said to the serpent, “From the fruit of the trees of the garden we may eat;

3 but from the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat from it or touch it, or you will die.’”

4 The serpent said to the woman, “You surely will not die!

5 “For God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”

6 When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make one wise, she took from its fruit and ate; and she gave also to her husband with her, and he ate.

7 Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loin coverings.

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The enemy has fed the world a lie that women who fulfill their God ordained roles are second rate, insignificant, unimportant, less important, slaves, servants, hirelings, or workers. How women fulfill their roles have a direct and profound impact on how men (their husbands) fulfill their roles. We see that in the garden when Satan tempted Eve who then led her husband into sin. The enemy can have a deep, negative impact on the kingdom in the earth if he can convince us to believe this lie.

Roles

Now what does all of this have to do with fathers and daughters? I’m getting there.

As Christians it is essential that we understand and fulfill the roles that God has established for us. In order for us to fully accomplish our assignments, we must fulfill our roles.

God created man to rule and lead in the earth. This was His plan, purpose, desire, and pattern (i.e., His criteria) from the beginning. In the husband-wife relationship this means that husbands are to lead their wives. The bible describes this as the husband being the head of the wife. Consequently, woman was not designed to be self-sufficient or independent from man. (Genesis 2:18–24, Ephesians 5:22-24, 1 Corinthians 11:1–12)

If the husband is the head of the wife then certainly he is the head of all that comes from his wife (i.e., children). Women were created to be subordinate to their husbands; by implication children are subordinate to their fathers.

What happens as children mature; does this change? Certainly not. God’s criteria transfer from generation to generation; from (generational) household to (generational) household. Children grow and mature; they are taught and trained under the headship of their father. As they mature, they mature into the roles that God has established for them. When a child matures and is ready to move out from the headship of the father, he or she is to establish a new household based upon these criteria that God has decreed. A son moves out and becomes a head; a daughter moves out and becomes subject to another head. Douglas Wilson’s euphemism illustrates it nicely: “Sons leave; daughters are given”. This is the way God intends it (Genesis 24:50–51, 1 Corinthians 7:36–38).

Transition

This raises questions regarding certain practices in today’s western culture. What about mature children transitioning into adulthood who want to move out of their father’s household to live on their own, go away to school, or even serve in the military?

Let’s start with young men. When a young man is ready to move out from his father’s household and establish his own household, what is he to do? There are essentially three options a young man has:

• Marry and live with his wife.


• Live by himself.


• Share a household with friends (male).

If a young man marries and lives with his wife, they have established a household of which the young man is the head. This meets God’s criteria.

If a young man lives alone, he is the head of his household; a household of one. This meets God’s criteria.

If a young man shares a household with friends he might or might not be the head of his household. If they are all in agreement with “house rules” then it is possible that each young man could be considered the head of his own household. I think that in most cases, this meets God’s criteria.

Now let’s talk about young women. As with young men, there are essentially three options a young woman has:

• Marry and live with her husband.


• Live by herself.


• Share a household with friends (female).

If a young woman marries and lives with her husband, they have established a household and she is living under the headship of her husband. This meets God’s criteria.

If a young woman lives alone, she has no spiritual head (male: father or husband). She is acting as her own head. This does not meet God’s criteria.

If a young woman shares a household with friends (female) she has no spiritual head (male: father or husband). She is acting as her own head. This does not meet God’s criteria.

By today’s secular standard the resulting conclusion of this view is seen as ridiculous and archaic. After all, are young women not to live on their own; are they not to go away to school; are they not to serve in the military? Living by God’s criteria in a world where God is mocked and those who follow Him are ridiculed and persecuted is not easy. Remember the words of our Lord, “Do not think that I came to bring peace on the earth; I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I came to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; and a man’s enemies will be the members of his household”.

Conclusion

The answer is simple and the answer is clear: we are to live our lives by God’s criteria which mean we are to raise our children by God’s criteria. A Woman needs the headship of a man. They begin under the headship of their fathers and they transition to the headship of their husbands. There is no transitional or parenthetical period described in scripture for a woman’s life.

In addition to teaching and training, it is incumbent upon fathers to protect, affirm, and defend their daughters in much the same way they do their wives. A father’s responsibility is to protect his daughter from the wolves that seek to devour her, to affirm her womanhood, and to defend her honor, and then to give that responsibility to another: her husband.

The difficulty in living this out does not alter our responsibility before the Lord in the teaching, training, raising, sending, and giving of our children.

—David S. Spaggiari

About the Author

My name is David Spaggiari. I was born and raised Roman Catholic and although I attended Mass, Catechism, received my first Holy Communion, and was confirmed, I never knew the Lord or even really knew of Him. In 1974, at age 13, I had an experience in which I gained a true knowledge of the Lord; at the time I thought it was saving knowledge and considered myself born-again. In retrospect I see that I was not. In 1985, at age 24, the Lord opened my eyes to Him in a saving way and I was born-again. I immediately gained a strong desire to study God’s Word and have been doing so ever since. I am currently serving as one of four elders in a non-denominational church located in the West San Fernando Valley, CA. I am married and have four children. By trade I am a Technical Writer, but my passions are studying and teaching God’s Word, worship, and writing.

One of my favorite pass-times is watching movies. I have an appreciation for movie-making so my taste is varied. I like old movies and my favorite genre is film noir. My wife teases me about my taste in movies because there are very few movies that I really dislike. I can find qualities that I appreciate in just about any film.

I love music. Just like with movies, I like most types of music. There are just two types of music I really can’t stand: country and western! Although, I must admit that as I get older I am even warming up to them. I am a rock-and-roller at heart. I play the drums on our worship team at church with a couple of other middle-aged rock-and-rollers and we quite often tease each other about being want-to-be rock-stars.

God has blessed me with a wonderful family and together we serve Him. In a very healthy way my favorite thing to do in the world is to spend time with them. Whether I am splitting firewood with one of my sons or baking scones with my daughters—I am happy just to be with them.

My best friend in the world is my wife, Leslie. She helps me in every way to fulfill the assignment the Lord has given me in the earth. She supports me, challenges me, encourages me, and loves me even when I am unlovable. The Lords wisdom is so apparent in our marriage, because I could do nothing if not for Leslie!

The Lord has commissioned me to serve Him as an elder, teacher, and worship leader. I have a strong desire and believe in my heart that at some point in time I will minister for Him in a full-time capacity.

—David

Introduction

Welcome to Noon at Night. I have created this blog because I love studying all aspects of God’s Word and I am particularly intrigued with the deeper more difficult areas of scripture. Noon at Night will serve as an avenue for me to document my studies and share my conclusions with others. I hope to receive questions, comments, and even arguments regarding the studies I publish and the conclusions I draw. I will respond to comments as quickly and thoroughly as possible, but I have enabled comment moderation and will only respond to those comments that are mutually edifying and above all, glorifying to the Lord. I do not want to engage in antagonistic or meaningless arguments, but look forward to serious comments even when they differ from or question my conclusions. In fact, disagreement helps me to either re-think my position or defend it—both are very beneficial!

I will be publishing my studies in their entirety, so some of them might be long! I feel that the benefit of maintaining the continuity of each study by presenting it in its entirety outweighs the potential difficulty in reading a long article. I know that I run the risk of losing part of my audience with this approach, but I think those who are truly interested in participating in these studies won’t be intimidated by their length.

I want each study I publish to be thorough, so I will not publish according to a set schedule. Basically, when I complete a study, I will publish it. I encourage you to subscribe to the blog (if you are interested) so that I can notify you by e-mail each time I publish a new study.

I will also publish shorter articles on particular topics of interest to me.

I am going to publish a detailed profile of myself and a statement of beliefs, so that you know who I am and (basically) what my worldview is. Thanks for taking the time to read this introduction and I hope I have the opportunity to correspond with you in the future.

—David