Acts 8:17

“Then laid they their hands on them, etc.] The Ethiopic version adds, “who had been baptized”; but not upon all of them, men and women, only on some they were directed unto by the Spirit of God; whom he had designed, and now would qualify for the work of the ministry, that so this new church, might be supplied with proper officers, pastors, and teachers, to feed them with knowledge and with understanding, and who might not only have ministerial gifts to qualify them for preaching the Gospel, but extraordinary ones, which would serve for the confirmation of it; and for this purpose the apostles, “both” of them, as the Arabic version reads, laid their hands on them: for it will not seem…”

“Then laid they their hands ... - This was an act of “prayer,” expressing an invocation to God that he would impart the blessing to “them.” On “how many” they laid their hands is not said. It is evident that it was not on “all,” for they did not thus lay hands on Simon. Perhaps it was done on a few of the more prominent and leading persons, who were to be employed particularly in bearing witness to the truth of the gospel. It was customary to lay the hands on any person when a “favor” was to be conferred or a blessing imparted. See notes on Matthew 9:18. return to 'Top of Page'”

“laid: Act 8:18, Act 6:6, Act 9:17, Act 13:3, Act 19:6; Num 8:10, Num 27:18; Ti1 4:14, Ti1 5:22; Ti2 1:6; Heb 6:2 they received: Rom 1:11; Gal 3:2-5 Acts 8:18”