Ask Your Preacher - Archives
“Keep Your Hands To Yourself”
Categories: CHARISMATIC/PENTECOSTAL, COMMUNITY CHURCHES, FALSE WORSHIP, NEW TESTAMENT, RELIGIONS, WORSHIPI know that in many of my friends’ churches, they lift and raise their hands during worship. Is this wrong?
Sincerely, Raising A Concern
Dear Raising A Concern,
The practice of lifting up your hands during worship is traced to 1 Tim 2:8, but unfortunately your friends’ churches misunderstand the verse. There is nothing wrong with literally lifting up your hands to God, but Paul is telling them to “lift up holy hands, without wrath and disputing”. The context is about a certain lifestyle that people were to have. It is similar to the saying, “put your hand to the plow” in Lk 9:62. ‘Lifting up holy hands’ refers to working, laboring, and serving in a godly way. Christians are to serve God faithfully, without arguing and disputing with each other. ‘Lifting up holy hands’ has nothing to do with how high your arms are raised when you pray; it has to do with the character of the life we live. Are we living holy lives where our hands serve God (1 Cor 4:12)? Raising your hands during worship has the impression of godliness, but it denies the actual power of God’s command to ‘lift up holy hands’ (2 Tim 3:5).
