The sacrament of confirmation is found in Bible passages
such as Acts 8:12–17, 9:17, 19:6, and Hebrews 6:2, which speak of a laying on
of hands for the purpose of bestowing the Holy Spirit.
When reading the passage from Acts 8:12-17 please notice
that Philip baptized those in Samaria but since Philip was not one of the
Apostles, he wasn’t the ‘Philip’ from among the. This is where we find the first indication
that only an apostle (or his successor ie a bishop) can bestow the Sacrament of
Confirmation.
We also see that Hebrews 6:2 is especially important because
it’s not a narrative account of how confirmation was given and, thus, cannot be
dismissed by those who reject the sacrament as something unique to the
apostolic age. In fact, the passage refers to confirmation as one of
Christianity’s basic teachings, which is to be expected since confirmation,
like baptism, is a sacrament of initiation into the Christian life.
We read: "Therefore let us leave the elementary
teachings of Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again the foundation of
repentance from acts that lead to death, and of faith in God, instruction about
baptisms, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal
judgment" (Heb. 6:1–2).
Notice how in this passage we are walked through the
successive stages of the Christian journey—repentance, faith, baptism,
confirmation, resurrection, and judgment. This passage encapsulates the
Christian’s journey toward heaven and gives what theologians call the order of
salvation or the ordo salutis. It well qualifies as "the elementary
teachings" of the Christian faith.
The laying on of hands mentioned in the passage must be
confirmation: The other kinds of the imposition of hands (for ordination and
for healing) are not done to each and every Christian and scarcely qualify as
part of the order of salvation.
God Bless
Nathan
Nathan
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