IMPARTATION is Doctrine of Demons
1 Tim. 4:1 But the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons,
Imparting the anointing is a common practice among Charismatics. The practice got its origins from earlier revivalists such as Maria Woodworth-Etter and Aimee Sample McPherson. It got to be commonplace during the New Order of the Latter Rain. During this alleged move of God it was taught that spiritual gifts, callings, healing, and delivering power could be transmitted through the laying-on-of-hands. This concept was vigorously fought by the formal leadership of the Assemblies of God. At that point the AOG denied that it was possible to impart these things through the laying on of hands (please see our on-line Discernment Newsletter which has a copy of the AOG letter written coming against this and other Latter Rain doctrines ).
Millions of people have gone to meetings at the Toronto Airport Church, Holy Bromptom Church in England, or the Brownsville Assembly of God to have hands laid on them. For what purpose? To receive an impartation of the Holy Spirit or to receive the "blessing" flowing in those meetings.
Let's begin with a logical question. If a Christian has been born again, then, they have all of the Holy Spirit there is to "have" at the moment of conversion. There is no subsequent infilling with the Spirit after conversion. This is purely a Wesleyan concept which the Pentecostal's took over.
| 1 Cor. 12:13 For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all made to drink of one Spirit. |
I have given a Biblical explanation of why there is no subsequent baptism of the Holy Spirit on the web site.
Since Christians have the Holy Spirit at conversion . . .what does another person have to impart to them? Biblically each Christian has all, 100% of the Holy Spirit that anyone can have, thus there is nothing of Him another person can impart through hands being imposed on them.
Thus, if one has The Spirit, what is it that one receives when a person lays hands on him? I can testify from my personal experience that when hands have been laid on me at various times and by various people that I felt power flow into me. At times this power was so great that it literally caused me to fall to the floor. I was not faking it, as I have seen some others do. It was a literal, real experience of something greater than my body could physically stand up to.
When my wife got up to the platform at a Benny Hinn meeting she too was floored by a power greater than she could withstand. What was this power? There are no easy answers, but this much is certain, it was not the power of the Holy Spirit flowing from the person of Benny Hinn.
Now from a charismaniac world-view we were taught that this was the power of the Holy Spirit flowing into us. Or we were receiving a heavier anointing for some new facet of personal ministry, etc. At the time this made sense. Keeping in mind that we believed in a subsequent infilling/baptism, so for us, there could be many repeated infilling, or as we said "greater heights and deeper depths in the spirit."
The Texts We Cited:
| Romans 1:11 For I long to see you, that I may impart unto you some spiritual gift, to the end ye may be established; |
That's it, the only time the term impart is used in the entire NT of the KJV. In the Greek the term for impart is metadidomi, met-ad-id'-o-mee; from Greek 3326 (meta) and Greek 1325 (didomi); to give over, i.e. share :- give, impart.
In examining this passage we see some very important aspects. First, who is speaking? Paul the apostle. To whom is he speaking? The Church at Rome. Paul desires to impart to these believers some spiritual gift (pneumatikos charismakos) that those early Christians may be established.
There is no problem if one wants to teach that the Biblical apostles of the Church had the ability to impart spiritual gifts to help establish the early Church. In fact, if anyone will do a close reading of the book of Acts they will find that when the Holy Spirit came in power (as we like to say today) it was always due to the direct ministry of the apostles or their indirect ministry, such as Peter preaching at Cornelius house and while Peter preached the Holy Spirit came upon them (Acts 10:44).
The ability to impart charismatic gifts was the sole realm of the apostles. Philip preached to the Samaritans but when it came to time receive the Holy Spirit (again please read my article on why this is not a valid citation for subsequent baptism) Philip had to allow Peter to do his ministry.
Acts 8:19-22 Saying, Give me also this power, that on whomsoever I lay hands, he may receive the Holy Ghost. 20But Peter said unto him, Thy money perish with thee, because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money. 21Thou hast neither part nor lot in this matter: for thy heart is not right in the sight of God. 22Repent therefore of this thy wickedness, and pray God, if perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee. |
What was Peter's response? He cursed the man for several reasons. The man was first not an apostle, so he was in presumptuous sin, secondly he thought he could buy this ability. You simply do not find anyone other than an apostle bestowing any type of gift through the laying on of hands.
Furthermore when you read the letters from the apostles they do not detail in any way doctrine regarding impartation of gifts or anointings. Why not? Because the apostles and their congregations understood this was something that was apostolic. It was proof of their ministry, it was a sign which validated their work. Paul in 2 Cor. 12:12 appealed to the signs he worked as proof of his apostleship.
Signs and wonders were never part and parcel of the Christian life or experience as far as normal everyday believers were concerned. The only ones who worked great miracles in the NT were either the apostles or those they had imparted charismatic gifts unto according to the will of God (1 Cor. 12:11). Signs and wonders were not everyday occurrences. When the Samaritans received the Holy Spirit it was a shock to the believers in Jerusalem. Why? Because 10 years had passed and that experience was unique to the Day of Pentecost. It was not an everyday happening. We seem to loose sight of these facets of Biblical truth when we read the book of Acts.
If one is honest with God's Word and themselves then one must admit that the texts used to attempt to prove the validity of imparting gifts today belong solely to the true original Biblical apostles.
When the original apostles died there were no more apostles after them. Their job was done, they laid the foundation for the Church which God has been building upon for almost 2,000 years. Notice that when the apostles were near the time of their death that they wrote absolutely nothing regarding who would receive their apostolic mantle. Why not? Because they (and again, their congregations) knew that there were no more apostles after these men.
So when the apostles finally passed from the scene and those to whom they had imparted gifts passed away . . . then the supernatural gifts ceased. We never read of the apostles disciples imparting gifts to others, and then those disciples imparting to others. In other words, there is no historic record of any type of apostolic succession of supernatural gift giving via impartation. If Paul laid hands on you and the Lord chose to give you a gift, that was your gift, you did not have the ability to pass it along to others. Only the Roman Catholics believe things like this historically. It has never been a Protestant belief or orthodox practice.
Where Does This Leave Us Today?
If you are one who believes in some form of divine impartation via a human instrument it leaves you up the proverbial creek without a Scriptural paddle!
Since the genuine ability to impart ceased with the death of John, this means that since that day whatever people think they have been imparting to believers has in fact been deception at best, or the giving of a counterfeit spirit/experience at worst.
How Do You Account For These Experiences?
To begin with to preach and teach a doctrine of impartation is to teach a false doctrine. There is no valid imparting of spiritual gifts via human instrumentality today.
A great number of peoples experiences are due to their own mind-set. Look at it this way:
 | I am in a large congregation. |
| The pastor/prophet/evangelist is calling for people to come to the altar. |
| People respond. |
| Then other men line up behind them. |
| Hands are laid on the folks, they begin to fall down and are appropriately caught by the catchers. |
A mind set was created as soon as the catchers arrived! If no catchers had come up, how many would have fallen down? Not many, if any (I used to be a catcher, I know these things). It is amazing how many people will fall when another is there to catch. In over 15 years of charismania I saw possibly 3 people (I was one of them) fall without a catcher present.
So in many cases the falling and the feelings are pre-conditioned emotional responses. A percentage of them are simply faked, i.e. people equating falling with spirituality (any charismatic knows exactly what I am saying is true).
It gets tricky however when hands are laid on you and you do feel a real, legitimate force hit your body. Something beyond the normal little "zap" you are used to. Since we know from the Bible it is not a Biblically approved experience, it must be chalked up to strange fire. Strange fire is defined by me to mean people intruding into the spiritual realm where they have not been given any divine mandate.
Since people are involved in unscriptural practices from the get-go, i.e. teaching and believing various heretical concepts and practices, they are open to further deception and the enemy of our souls is more than glad to provide spiritual experiences for those already in delusion.
Where we see impartation being fully practiced is in occult religions, especially eastern forms of mysticism. People have the serpent power, the Kundalini, awakened in them through the guru or master laying hands on the disciple. The things these people manifest are identical with those being manifested in Toronto and Pensacola. PLEASE GO TO THE KUNDALINI CONNECTION AND READ ALL OF THAT SECTION.
In closing, no man or woman has anything to impart to you via a supernatural experience or gift through their hands. It is now a false doctrine and is demonic because it is deception. Those who claim to lay hands on folks, who then are thrown through the air (a common occurrence according to Steve Hill at Pensacola) are doing so by occultic demonic power and not by the Holy Spirit.
I recognize that some are no doubt offended by the above statement. For that I am sorry, but I urge you to think for a moment. If God is in the business of knocking people down by His sovereign power . . . why then do you need a catcher? If God knocks you down, then He is God enough to see to it you are not hurt! Why are modesty clothes placed over the women? Would not the all-knowing God minister to these sisters in such a manner where their modesty would not be compromised? How do you explain these 2 simple questions? How do you explain the complete lack of contextual Scriptural evidence for this practice being continued today? How do you explain the silence of almost 1,800 of Church History regarding such a practice and belief? Pentecostalism is less than 100 years old in America.
I am open to respond to any well reasoned discussion on this or any matter. Just do not e-mail me with your experience and thus the practice is justified. I can take you to Hindu ashrams and you can talk to folks who after their Kundalini was awakened have produced admirably fruit in their lives. I want to hear Biblical reasons, and then historic orthodox reasons to believe this practice of impartation is valid for the Church today. Selah........