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1Ti_5:22. The exhortation in this verse: χεῖρας ταχέως μηδενὶ ἐπιτίθει , is not defined further. In the N. T. the laying on of hands is mentioned on various occasions; thus specially in healing the sick (whether by Christ or His disciples), in bestowing the divine blessing (Mat_19:13; Mat_19:15), in imparting the Holy Spirit (Act_8:17), in appointing to a definite ecclesiastical office (Act_6:6), in setting apart for special church work (Act_13:3). It has been thought that Paul has here in mind the laying on of hands which was done at the readmission of excommunicated persons (de Wette, Wiesinger); but there is no trace in the N. T. of the existence of this custom in apostolic times. It is more natural to refer it to the ordination, whether of a presbyter or deacon (besides the older expositors, Mosheim, Otto, van Oosterzee,[195] Plitt, and others); but in that case 1Ti_5:22 should have come before 1Ti_5:21. Hofmann thinks that it is used of the appointment to a church office; but of this there is no hint in the context. It will be most correct to take the exhortation quite generally, so that the meaning is, Timothy is to lay hands ΤΑΧΈΩς , i.e. “in over-hasty fashion,” on no one—whatever the occasion may be. The reason why not, is given in the next words: μηδὲ κοινώνει ἁμαρτίαις ἀλλοτρίαις . The ἈΛΛΟΤΡΊΑΙ ἉΜΑΡΤΊΑΙ are not, as Hofmann thinks, the sins of those who are hasty in the laying on of hands, but the sins of those on whom hands are too hastily laid. He who thoughtlessly lays hands on the unworthy, thereby declaring them worthy of the divine blessing, makes himself a sharer in their sins. Against this Timothy is to guard; he is rather to observe what Paul expresses by saying: ΣΕΑΥΤῸΝ ἉΓΝῸΝ ΤΉΡΕΙ . This exhortation is in itself quite general, but it stands here in close relation to the foregoing warning. Timothy is to keep himself pure ( ἉΓΝΌς as in 1Ti_4:12, not in the special meaning “chaste”), particularly in not making himself a partaker of others’ sins by laying hands on them too hastily. This reference, declared by van Oosterzee to be the only one possible, is wrongly denied by de Wette and Wiesinger. Heinrichs and others err in regarding the apostle’s exhortation as “a prohibition against intercourse with wicked men.”
[195] Van Oosterzee wrongly thinks that vv. 24, 25, are in favour of this explanation; there is in them no hint of any reference to ordination.