No. 61. >> I've noticed that at an ordination a number of pastors gather at a worship service and lay hands on the new pastor and speak scriptural texts to him. How important is that very act? And where in Scripture is it found? >>DR. KLAUS DETLEV SCHULZ: David, I will begin, again, by quoting something from Walther, his "Theses on the Ministry," and continue with the second half of Thesis 6, which I have read to you at the previous question. Because there he says something to the ordination that you are alluding to in your question. The ordination of the called persons with the laying on of hands is not a divine institution but merely an ecclesiastical right established by the apostles. It is no more than a solemn public confirmation of the call. What Walther is saying here is that the act that is considered ordination is one that is affirming the call of the congregation extended to an individual previously. When I look at the scriptural evidence, I see texts such as Acts 14 Verse 23. And also I Timothy 4 Verse 15. And also I Timothy 5:22. If you look at these texts in detail, we will see that for one thing, that this laying on of hands was indeed a very important apostolic custom. That Timothy was reminded of the laying on of hands on himself. And that he should stick to the confession that he had made at that time. This laying on of hands was not an arbitrary act but also goes back to the election of the Levites. And so it was considered also an important act when the deacons were called in Acts 6. It belongs to the actual right of ordination. And it is in solemn affirmation that an individual who has now knelt down before the congregation has qualified himself through education and has also received the call. And has now affirmed publicly in the office of the ministry. I often find it sad that we as the Missouri Synod and as Christians generally have torn the call and the ordination itself apart so that months on end can remain between the two. I see it very important from what I read in the Scripture that Timothy and in Acts 14, for example, Verse 23, the laying on of hands was accompanied or preceded directly shortly before by the actual call extended to the individual. In other words, the worship service setting is crucial, I believe, to putting somebody into the ministry of Word and sacrament. It needs the public affirmation of the congregation that it wants to have this individual serve the church. It also needs a solemn affirmation of those that ordained the individual, place their hands on and speak the words from Scripture over him. Of course, we don't need to have the hands being laid on him. I think we use the laying on of hands just as something that is beautifully explaining that a blessing is being extended to this individual. We know that in the I Timothy letter Paul reminds us of the gift that has been given to him through the laying on of hands. I believe that this gift that is extended to Timothy is one that the Holy Spirit gives and grants. It is a particularly blessing that is associated with the function that he is supposed to perform later on. I believe that when Timothy stands on the pulpit and preaches God's Word, that he is being blessed by the Holy Spirit. That this gift that is given to him is one that will become active and that the gift will be active through that very preaching of God's Word. In other words, the Holy Spirit gives his blessing to it. And once that -- it comes to fruition amongst all members who hears.