The Elder’s Ordination (7) Laying on of Hands: Considerations in Favor of the Practice
This article concludes a series on elder ordination in the Protestant Reformed tradition, specifically examining the biblical and confessional basis for the practice of laying on of hands during ordination ceremonies. Kuiper surveys historical Reformed perspectives on this practice, notes the silence of the Three Forms of Unity on the matter, and explores theological arguments for why it may be appropriate for elder ordinations despite not being explicitly mandated by Reformed standards.
Previous article in this series: April 1, 2016, p. 300. Neglect not the gift that is in thee, which was given thee by prophecy, with the laying on of the hands of the presbytery. I Timothy 4:14 With this article we conclude our treatment of the ordination of elders. Our first three articles on this subject explained what ordination is, and why ordination in a public ceremony is significant both for the elder being ordained and for the congregation in which he is ordained. Next, we examined...
Full article available on sb.rfpa.org