Миропомазание

§ 144. The concept of sacrament. Setting it up The need for anointing for strengthening in spiritual life. – Divine establishment of the sacrament of confirmation. – Ordination and anointing are apostolic ways of performing the sacrament. I. In baptism, a person is granted cleansing from sins, but in the nature of the justified person there remains a trace of the evil qualities he previously created in himself, or evil lust. She is ready, while he lives on earth, to lead him to sin (James 1:14–15). Therefore, for the regenerate, the extraordinary help of God is necessary, completely sufficient for the full implementation of the will of God and for the spontaneous cleansing of him from all the evil qualities or predispositions nesting in his spiritual nature, just as in the natural life of a person, at birth, to maintain his existence and growth, he needs reinforcement through light, air, movement and other external aids. Such help from above is given to the justified and reborn in baptism through a special sacred rite called confirmation (χρίσμα, confirmatio), in the Orthodox Church performed immediately after baptism. Confirmation is a sacrament through which the Holy Spirit is given to the baptized person, more separately, in which, “when the parts of the body are anointed with the consecrated myrrh in the name of the Holy Spirit, the gifts of the Holy Spirit are given, increasing and strengthening in spiritual life” (Katikh.), i.e., imparting to him the strength to gradually improve in spiritual life and always preserve and confess faith in Jesus Christ. II. In the Gospels there is no such direct reference to the Savior’s commandment regarding confirmation as there is regarding baptism. However, in the Savior’s teaching about the gifts of the Holy Spirit that were poured out on believers after His glorification, and especially in the testimonies of the apostles about their teaching of the Holy Spirit to the baptized, firm grounds are given for the church’s belief that confirmation is a special divinely established sacrament. I. Christ called all those thirsting for salvation to Himself and promised all believers the gifts of the Holy Spirit. On the last day of the great holiday, - testifies Ev. John, Jesus stood and called, saying: If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink! Believe in Me, as the Scripture says, rivers of water will flow out of his belly and you too. This is what is said about Dus, but those who believe in His name want to receive Him: for he had not the Holy Spirit, for Jesus was not glorified (John 7:37-39). These words of the Savior contain a promise about the establishment of the sacrament of confirmation. From the book of Acts. It is clear that the apostles taught to the believers after their baptism of the Holy Spirit through a special visible medium. So, soon after the descent of the Holy Spirit, the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God (preached by Philip), sending Peter and John to them, and those who came down prayed for them, that they would receive the Holy Spirit. Yet he did not come to even one of them, except to baptize him (Philip) in the name of the Lord Jesus. Then he laid his hand on him and received the Holy Spirit (Acts 8:14–17). Ap. Paul, during his journey through the countries of Asia Minor, came to Ephesus, where he met the disciples of John the Baptist, who were baptized only with John's baptism, and he said to them: have you received the Holy Spirit and believed? They decided to him: but even if the Holy Spirit is there, we hear. I say to them: why are you being baptized? They rekosha: in John's baptism. Paul said: John therefore baptize with the baptism of repentance, saying to the people, that they may believe in Him who comes after him, that is, in Christ Jesus. Hearing Jesus being baptized in the name of the Lord; And I laid Paul’s hand on her, and the Holy Spirit came upon her, and I spoke in tongues and prophesied (Acts 19:2-6). Ap. Peter spoke to the people on the day of Pentecost; Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38). From these testimonies, it is obvious that the sacrament of imparting the gifts of the Holy Spirit is divinely established and separate from baptism, that is, the sacred rite called anointing. The apostles began to perform this sacred act soon after Pentecost, and since they did not do anything on their own in the dispensation of the church, but fulfilled the will of Jesus Christ, they, of course, accepted a clear commandment from the Lord about the communication of the gifts of the Spirit through this sacrament. But when exactly the Lord gave such a commandment to His disciples is not indicated in Scripture. One must think that the Lord established this sacrament when, after the resurrection, He appeared to His disciples and taught them about the kingdom of God. With evidence of the teaching of the Holy Spirit to believers through ordination, there are quite clear indications in Scripture of the use of anointing as another visible sign for teaching the Holy Spirit to believers after baptism. Yes, app. John writes: you have received the anointing (χρίσμα) from the Holy One and know everything... And you, having received the anointing from Him, abides in you, and does not understand, but whoever teaches you, you teach that this very anointing is about everything, and is true and is not false; and as I teach you, continue in it (1 John 2:20, 27). Ap. speaks similarly. Paul: God has known (βέβαιων – confirming) you and me in Christ and anointing (χρίσας) us, who sealed us and gave us the betrothal of the Spirit into our hearts (2 Cor. 1:21; cf. Eph. 4:30; 1, 18). § 145. The visible side of the sacrament. His invisible actions Substance for the sacrament of anointing. – Prayer for the sending of the Holy Spirit. - Anointing with holy myrrh. – Perfect words upon anointing with holy chrism. – Restoring and strengthening grace, given in the sacrament of confirmation. I. The rite of the sacrament of anointing, as performed in connection with baptism, is ritually simple and uncomplicated. The celebrant of the sacrament (usually a priest) says a prayer in which he asks the Lord God, the Source of good things, to grant the newly baptized “the seal of the gift of the Holy Spirit” and “the communion of the holy body and the honorable blood of Christ,” to preserve him in the sanctification given to him and to confirm him in the right faith, and then anoints different parts of the body with the holy world in a cross pattern, saying at each anointing: “the seal of the gift of the Holy Spirit, Amen." The essential accessories and actions that constitute the visible side of the sacrament are thus: 1) the use of the prescribed substance for the sacrament - St. peace; 2) prayer for the sending of the Holy Spirit; 3) anointing of St. peace and 4) perfect words at the anointing of St. peace. 1. The substance for the sacrament of confirmation must be myrrh, consecrated by bishops. At the same time, recognizing myrrh as the only substance for the sacrament, the Orthodox Church at all times recognized and recognizes it as an apostolic institution, and at first as a divine one. True, the apostles brought down the Holy Spirit on those baptized through the laying on of hands, but in the apostolic time anointing with myrrh or oil was also used for the same purpose. There is more reason to believe that both of these forms - the laying on of hands and anointing were not used simultaneously, but that the laying on of hands was replaced by the apostles themselves, according to the instructions of the Spirit of truth, with the anointing of those who were baptized. That such a replacement or introduction of anointing was carried out by the apostles or by their order and consent is presupposed by the apostolic testimonies about the sealing of the baptized with the anointing of the Holy One. None of the successors of the apostles, who received a will from them to keep both their oral and written traditions (1 Tim 6:20; 2 Sol 2:15), would have decided to arbitrarily allow such a replacement. In ancient church monuments, the establishment of anointing with myrrh for the bringing down of the Holy Spirit is directly adopted by the apostles (for example, Post. Apostle III, 16-17. On the Church Hierarch IV, 1). – What caused the change in the ritual aspect of the sacrament of communicating the gifts of the Holy Spirit? Only the apostles could bring down the Holy Spirit on those who were baptized (Acts 8:12–18). This was possible for them at the beginning of Christianity, when there were not so many baptized people. But with the spread of Christianity, both the apostles themselves and their immediate successors, the bishops, could not appear everywhere to, following baptism, bring down the Holy Spirit on all those baptized through the laying on of hands. And therefore, perhaps, the Holy Spirit, who dwelt in the apostles, deigned to replace the laying on of apostolic hands on those who were baptized with another, more convenient action - anointing, so that the consecration of the world would be performed by the apostles themselves and, after their death, by the bishops, and the anointing of the baptized with the sacred oil would be provided to all elders. Another assumption is also acceptable. The laying on of hands was also used when placing people in church positions. Hence, naturally, the question could arise: what should be the difference between ordination, as placement into the degrees of the priesthood, and ordination, as the communication of grace-filled gifts necessary for establishment in the Christian faith and life? It cannot be expected that the apostles themselves would not eliminate such misunderstandings, or at least not provide an answer to such a question. Thus, it is natural that a similar consideration prompted the apostles to change the form of confirmation. It was myrrh, and not any other substance, that could be chosen because the anointing with myrrh corresponded to its Old Testament prototype. In the Old Testament, priests and kings were anointed with the sacred oil, which dignity in a general sense was adopted by the apostles and Christians (1 Pet 2:9; Rev. 1:6; 20:6). The myrrh necessary for the sacrament must be consecrated. The power and right to sanctify the world, the decrees of ancient councils are assigned exclusively to bishops, “as the successors of the apostles, who themselves performed ordination to bestow the gifts of the Holy Spirit” (Katikh.); “Let not the presbyter do the perfecting of the world” (Carth. 6 ave.). The presbyters perform the sacramental anointing with the chrism already consecrated by the bishops. 2. The anointing with the sanctified chrism is preceded by a prayer for the sending down of the Holy Spirit to the baptized person. Prayer, as a necessary part of confirmation, was included in the rite of the sacrament even under the apostles. App. Peter and John, preparing to perform it on the newly baptized in Samaria, first of all prayed for them, that they would receive the Holy Spirit. The use of prayer preceding anointing was also common in the ancient church. In Postan. apostle." the very example of the ancient prayer during anointing is given, and it is noted: “in this (i.e., in the prayer pronounced by the celebrant of the sacrament) lies the power of the laying on of hands on everyone” (VII, 43–44). 3. Through prayer, the celebrant of the sacrament “anoints the baptized person with holy myrrh, creating the image of the cross: on the forehead and toes, and nostrils, and mouth, and both ears, and toes, and to hands and feet” (Trebnik). The anointing of all the main parts of the body was legalized at the Ecumenical Councils (II Ecumenical 7th Ave.; VI Ecumenical 95th Ave.). It is clear why the church introduced the anointing of all parts of the body. Through anointing, the baptized are imparted with various gifts of the Holy Spirit of God (Is. 11:2-3), necessary for their enlightenment in the truths of faith and growth in life according to its spirit, and not just one of them, but also the whole being of a person needs sanctification. And therefore, it is necessary to imprint with the world not just one part of the body of the baptized, but all its most important parts, as instruments of all the powers and abilities of the soul. The anointing of each part has its own sign: thus, “the anointing of the forehead means especially the sanctification of the mind and thoughts, the anointing of the chest means the sanctification of the heart, or desires, eyes, ears and lips – the sanctification of the feelings, hands and feet – the sanctification of the deeds and all behavior of a Christian” (Katikh.). 4. The anointing is performed by pronouncing the words: “the seal of the gift of the Holy Spirit.” The basis for the use of such a perfect formula is found in the words of St. Paul: and God, who anointed us, also sealed (αφραγισάμενος, from σφραγίς – seal) us. Its use became a custom in ancient times, so that the fathers of the 2nd Ov. The Council points to these words as well-known and long since used in the celebration of this sacrament (7th Ave.). The meaning of these words (in connection with 2 Cor. 1:21–22) is as follows: God anointed, that is, filled us with the Holy Spirit, and with this anointing confirms us in faith in Christ, puts a seal on us, showing that we are the property of God and are obliged to serve God forever; the gift of the Spirit is the seal of God in us. This indwelling of the Spirit is a betrothal, that is, a pledge (deposit) to ensure that all the promises about Christ Jesus that have not yet been fulfilled will undoubtedly be fulfilled. II. Through the visible effect of anointing with myrrh, those cleansed of sins in baptism are given the Holy Spirit with His grace-filled gifts, necessary for growth and strengthening in spiritual life. So, when app. Peter and John prayerfully laid their hands on the Samaritans baptized by Philip, and they received the Holy Spirit. I will lay Paul’s hands on John’s disciples, and the Holy Spirit will come upon him. Under the name of the Holy Spirit, Whom the Samaritans and the disciples of John received, is usually understood in Scripture as the Spirit that perfects every believer in spiritual life - in general, the grace of God (Rom. 5:5-8; Gal. 5:22), necessary for all the baptized, and not just for some, which is why the laying on of hands or anointing to bring down the Spirit of grace was performed on all the baptized. But often in the church of the apostolic age the communication of the Spirit of grace was combined with extraordinary manifestations of the Spirit (φανέρωοις Πνεύματος) in those who received the Spirit of grace, that is, in extraordinary gifts (χαρίσματα), such as, for example, the gift of tongues and prophecy in the disciples Ioannov. But the extraordinary gifts of the Spirit were then necessary due to the special circumstances of the time, which is why the Holy Spirit was pleased in certain cases to be revealed in miraculous external phenomena, but not always and not on everyone on whom the apostles laid their hands. Ap. Paul instills in the Ephesian Christians: do not offend the Holy Spirit of God, who was signified (εσφραγίσθητε) on the day of deliverance (Eph. 4:30), that is, the day of baptism. On the same day, the Ephesian Christians received the impression of the Spirit of God. This impression is the Holy Spirit indwelling them, and He should not be offended. Sealing with the Spirit on the day of deliverance (from sins) makes believers churches of the Spirit of God: the church of God is, and the Spirit of God lives in you, says the apostle about Christians; - If anyone corrupts God’s church, God will corrupt him; For the church of God is holy, as you are (1 Cor. 3:16–17). The Spirit of God, indwelling the hearts of believers, helps them achieve their salvation, nurtures and strengthens the powers imparted by the secret action of baptism. In particular, ap. John, as a result of the action of the Spirit communicated in chrismation, represents the extensive enlightenment of the minds of believers when he says: you also have the anointing of the Holy One and know everything... as the same anointing teaches you. The words of the apostle do not mean that the anointing of the Spirit directly reveals to everyone everything necessary for salvation and makes external teaching unnecessary (which would clearly contradict the entire epistle, as offering teaching, conviction and warning to the anointed, and in particular 2:24-25), but only shows that it imparts evidence of truth and power to the external teaching of the truth (taught from the beginning). The word of teaching in itself is dead, and the inner anointing of the Spirit imparts a sense of the Lord’s truth in this word, opens the hearts and minds of people more widely to perceive it, strengthens moral strength to implement the teaching in life, at the same time turning away from false teaching, anti-Christianity. Ap. Paul assimilates the effect of anointing (in the words: inform us with you in Xpucma, etc.) confirmation in faith in Christ and in general in piety. § 146. The uniqueness of the sacrament of confirmation: Anointing of kings for the kingdom Seal of the gift of the Holy Spirit. - The uniqueness of the sacrament. - The anointing of kings for the kingdom, in which the spirit of strength is asked for the head of the nations. I. Confirmation seals believers with the seal of the gift of the Holy Spirit, and since the one who seals through this sacrament and gives the betrothal of the Spirit into our hearts is God, and He remains faithful - for He cannot deny Himself (2 Tim 2:13), the sacrament of confirmation, like baptism, has always been recognized by the church and is now recognized as unique. Even those who have fallen away from Christianity into Judaism, Mohammedanism, paganism, who have retreated from the Orthodox Church into schisms and heresies, return to the Orthodox Church without being anointed - through repentance and renunciation of their errors. Through Confirmation, only those who, having received correct baptism, were not Confirmed, are joined, such as, for example, Lutherans, Calvinists and in general everyone who does not have the legal, by succession from the Apostles, priesthood and the sacrament of Confirmation, as well as those of the Roman Catholics, Armenians and our schismatics who, before turning to Orthodoxy, were not Confirmed by legitimate bishops or presbyters (sn. II sun. p. 7 pr.; VI sun. p. 95 pr.). II. In the Orthodox Church, the anointing of St. with the ointment of kings when crowning them to the kingdom, just as kings were anointed with holy oil in the Old Testament Church, which is why they were called Christs or anointed of God (Ps. 88:21; 1 Sam. 10, 1; 12, 3. 5; 24, 7, etc.). This anointing is not a special sacrament (in the strict sense), for it has one basis with the general sacrament of confirmation and the same image, and, in any case, the Orthodox Church recognizes only seven sacraments. It is not a repetition of the same sacrament, for it has exclusive meaning and use. It is the highest degree of communication of the gifts of the Holy Spirit required for a special, high and difficult ministry, a royal ministry, just as in the sacrament of the priesthood, which has degrees, ordination again and again commits ministers of the faith to higher ministries, but ordination when elevated to the highest degree of the hierarchy is not a repetition of the ordination performed when placing the same minister of the church to a lower degree. In the prayers used during the wedding of Orthodox kings to the kingdom, the Holy Spirit is asked for the head of nations. § 147. Peculiarities of heterodox confessions in the doctrine of confirmation Roman Church: bishop - celebrant of the sacrament, laying on of hands and anointing of the forehead in adolescence. – Protestant doctrine of additional rite. I. The peculiarities of the teaching of the Roman Catholic Church on the sacrament of confirmation concern the visible side of this sacrament, namely: 1) the performer of the sacrament, 2) the method of its performance and 3) time and persons, i.e. when and over whom this sacrament should be performed. 1. The Roman Church teaches that the ordinary celebrant (Ordinarius minister) of the sacrament of confirmation (confirmatio) can and should be a bishop, while elders, if they can be its celebrants, do so only in special, exceptional cases (ministri extraordinarii). The assimilation of the right to perform the sacrament to bishops alone, with the deprivation or limitation of the right of elders to do the same, is the latest legalization in the West, by the Council of Trent, even protected by anathema (Sess. VII. De confirm. c. III). In ancient times, the power to perform confirmation belonged not only to bishops, but also to presbyters (Const. Ap. VII, 22.43 and 44). This happened not only in the East, but also in the West. The new custom was established throughout the West only in the 9th century. Patr. Photius wrote that “the Latins were not afraid to anoint those who were confirmed (in Bulgaria) by the presbyters again, fabled that confirmation from the presbyters was useless and invalid, and through this they turned the supernatural and divine sacraments of the Christian into complete nonsense and laughed loudly at them” (Okr. epil. 6). Its legalization is in connection with the idea of ​​papal primacy and the desire to apparently express the advantages of popes over bishops, bishops over presbyters, in accordance with how the hierarchy is generally elevated above believers - the laity. The defenders of this papal legislation do not present sufficient grounds for it. In this case, they usually refer to the fact that the Samaritans, baptized by Philip, were sealed with the Holy Spirit through the laying on of hands not by Philip, but by the apostles themselves - Peter and John (Acts 8), and that the laying on of hands was performed on the baptized Ephesians not by anyone else, but by the apostle. Pavel (19, 6). But from these cases it does not follow that the apostles were the only and exclusive performers of this sacrament and that other persons who received authority from them through ordination, and in particular the elders, did not perform this sacrament. As for the bringing down of the Holy Spirit on the Samaritans by the apostles, and not by Philip, the ancients gave an explanation for this. “Why did they (the Samaritans), asks Chrysostom, not receive the Holy Spirit after baptism? and answers: because he (Philip) himself did not have this gift, since he was one of the seven” (On Acts of Demon. XVIII, 2). 2. The peculiarities of the Roman Church in the way of performing the sacrament of confirmation are that the bishop lays hands (or one hand) on the person being confirmed when invoking the Holy Spirit on him, for this he anoints and anoints one forehead, and other significant organs of the senses and activities of a person remain not imprinted by the Holy Spirit. peace. When anointing the forehead, the words are pronounced: “I signify you with the sign of the cross and strengthen (confirmo) the world of salvation, in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen". Then, the bishop hits the anointed one lightly on the cheek, saying: “Peace be with you!” (Cat. rom. p II, p. 111). The use of the laying on of hands to raise up the Holy Spirit is, of course, sanctified by the example of the apostles. But the ancient church recognized St. as the main and necessary thing when performing Chrismation. ointment and anointing with it and, no doubt, because the apostles themselves replaced the laying on of hands with anointing. Therefore, it is inappropriate to use the laying on of hands when performing the sacrament. Anointing only the brow at confirmation is a later custom that gradually became established. In ancient times in the West, priests could perform the full rite of confirmation and usually performed it immediately after baptism, but then priests began to be granted only the right to anoint the saint. the eyes, lips, hands, chests, and forehead anointing, for the sake of the special elevation of the episcopal rank, were given to bishops. Little by little, priestly anointing began to lose meaning in the eyes of the people; Episcopal anointing was accompanied by special solemnity and the meaning of the sacrament was exclusively taught to him. The bishop's anointing of all parts of the body when performing the sacrament over older Christians was not convenient, and therefore only the anointing of the forehead was retained during the anointing. So, for reasons of poor quality, for the sake of increasing the external advantages of the episcopal rank, the Roman Church modified the ancient method of performing the sacrament with the anointing of all parts of the body, while depriving the presbyteral anointing of sacramental meaning. The words now spoken in the Roman Church during the celebration of the sacrament are “I signify you,” etc. do not have the authority of sacred antiquity behind them (this formula was established by the time of the 15th century). In addition, it does not indicate the essence of the sacrament of anointing and its internal meaning, which consists in confirming the anointed in the grace-filled gifts of the Holy Spirit. About the custom of hitting the anointed person on the cheek, they think that this custom, established in the Middle Ages, was taken from the rites of knightly initiation. 3. The sacrament of confirmation is taught in the Roman Church separately from baptism, and after more or less significant time. The separation of confirmation from baptism according to the time of execution was caused by granting the right to perform confirmation only to the bishop, since a bishop, even not in a large diocese, cannot be present at the baptism of every baby. In order to give this innovation plausibility, they later began to determine the age before which it is supposedly impossible to begin this sacrament (7–12 years from birth) and to require special preparation for the reception of this sacrament - the preliminary assimilation of the truths of the Christian faith. Currently, confirmation by bishops is usually timed to coincide with bishops’ tours of their dioceses. As a result of infrequent episcopal visits and various random circumstances, it happens in our times that many Republican Catholics live to old age and die without receiving the seal of the gift of the Holy Spirit, while others do not even know well whether they were anointed or not. Justifying the custom of postponing the anointing of the baptized, Catholics point to the example of the Samaritans, who received the Holy Spirit through the laying on of apostolic hands not immediately after baptism, but after some time. But this example more confirms the Orthodox custom, not the Roman one. Philip, who baptized the Samaritans, did not have the power to bring down the Holy Spirit, and therefore it is natural that there was a period of time between the baptism of the Samaritans and the bringing down of the Holy Spirit on them. However, this interval was very short, for the apostles, as soon as they heard about the baptism of the Samaritans, found it necessary to urgently teach them the Holy Spirit and immediately from among themselves sent the app. Peter and John. In other cases, the apostles did not separate baptism from confirmation or ordination. Yes, app. Paul, having baptized some in Ephesus, immediately imparted to them the Holy Spirit through the laying on of hands (Acts 19:5-6), and in his letter to the Ephesians he commands them (the Ephesians) not to offend the Spirit, by which they were marked on the day of deliverance, that is, on the very day of baptism (Eph. 4:30). They also give the following justification for depriving newly baptized infants of the sacrament of confirmation until they are 7–12 years old or more. They say that one must approach the sacrament with consciousness and faith, and this is possible only after the children reach a certain age. But is such reasoning consistent with the Catholic ex opere operato? Based on this consideration, the baptism of infants should also be postponed until the same conscious age. However, the Roman Church baptizes infants according to the faith and vows of their adopters and their parents for them and upon conviction of the reality of the sacrament ex opere operato. And did the Lord I. Christ determine any age for communicating His grace to people? It is known that the highest mortality rate occurs in infancy. The ministers of the Roman Church take upon themselves the grave responsibility that those who die in infancy and childhood die through their fault, not sealed by the Holy Spirit. II. Protestantism rejected confirmation as a sacrament of the New Testament, recognizing it only as an additional rite to the sacrament of baptism. With this meaning, this sacred act, called, as in the Roman Catholic Church, confirmation, exists in Protestant societies, in particular in the Anglican Church. It is accomplished without anointing with chrism, through one laying on of hands on children who have reached 12–18 years of age. The purpose of confirmation is for children to confirm the vows given in baptism in their place by their parents or successors. To justify their negative view of this sacrament, Protestants usually point out that the apostles performed ordination to impart to the baptized the extraordinary gifts of the Holy Spirit, for example, the gift of prophecy, the gift of tongues, etc. These extraordinary gifts constituted an exceptional and, at the same time, temporary phenomenon in the church. With the cessation of the communication of extraordinary gifts, the imposition of hands, which was used to bring them down, should also cease to exist. Such reasoning cannot be considered fair. True, through the laying on of apostolic hands, believers also received miraculous gifts. But these were extraordinary actions of the sacrament of anointing, and not permanent actions connected with its very being. In the primal church, extraordinary gifts were not communicated to everyone, but only to some (1 Cor. 12:29–30), while the apostles considered the sending of the Holy Spirit through the laying on of hands or anointing necessary for all Christians without exception (Acts 8:17; 19, 6). And when we are talking about the gifts of grace that are communicated to Christians in the sacrament of laying on hands or anointing (John 14:16–17; Rom.8:9), then in the word of God the expression is used to designate this sacrament: they received the Holy Spirit (Acts 19:2). Extraordinary gifts are called manifestations of the Spirit, divisions of gifts (1 Cor. 12:7). Through the laying on of hands, believers received, firstly, the Holy Spirit, and secondly, speaking in tongues and prophesying (Acts 19:6). – In support of their view of the apostolic laying on of hands, Protestants also point out that Scripture mentions only two examples of the laying on of hands at baptism, while in other cases of baptism the laying on of hands is not mentioned at all (for example, Acts 16:15. 30-33, etc.). But sometimes the apostles do not mention baptism, but simply say that “those who were converted received the word or doctrine.” However, no one can claim that in these cases baptism was not performed if it is not mentioned. In the same way, there is no basis for asserting that the ordination did not take place if it is not mentioned. You might be interested in: