

Ordination in the sense of setting aside officers of the church for a certain work by the laying on of hands was practiced in apostolic times (1Tim.4.14; 2Tim.1.6), but it is nowhere described or enjoined. No great emphasis was placed on this rite.


The separation and commissioning of particular persons by the church for the work of the Christian ministry; but the outward calling by the congregation should correspond to and be consequent on the inward calling of the [[Holy Spirit]]. There is general consent that essential to the form of ordination are prayer and the laying on of hands, in accordance with what seems to have been the practice of the apostolic church. It is true that in the accounts of the calling of the Twelve (Mark 3:13ff.) and the commissioning of the Seventy (Luke 10:1ff.) it is not said that Christ prayed and laid hands on them; but this does not rule out the possibility that He did so. On the other hand, it might be concluded that a direct dominical commissioning