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Emphasis Mine In Bible Verses
Introduction - The Never Ending Quest For Signs and Wonders
A very large percentage of Christians in the Charismatic world seem to endlessly chase 'signs and wonders'. Apparently Christianity that consists of nothing more than faith, prayer, and obedience to God's commands seems to be far too mundane and boring.
They want miracles. They want to see healing. They want to experience what they consider an in-filling of the Holy Spirit. They want to to hear prophecy (regardless of whether it actually comes to pass or not). They want to do something, hear something, experience something. In other words they want excitement.
All too many modern Christians seem to rely on how they feel to the exclusion of everything else including the word of God. They assume any experience they may have is from God if it makes them feel good. Holiness may as well be a word in a foreign language.
We say we believe that our Bible is the infallible, inerrant word of God. We say that we read His word and implicitly believe what it says.
The truth is that we do not.
Because if we actually took the Word of God seriously, we would stop glossing over passages like Matthew 12:38-39 in which Jesus told the scribes and Pharisees who wanted to see a sign from Him.
An evil and adulterous generation craves for a sign; and yet no sign will be given to it but the sign of Jonah the prophet". (Matthew 12:38-39 NASB)
Yet, like so many other warnings in the Scriptures, it goes unheeded.
Slain In The Spirit (also known as "falling under the power of God")
Slain in The Spirit: sometimes referred to as falling under the power, carpet time etc. These terms are used to describe what happens when the Holy Spirit supposedly comes upon a person with such power that they cannot stay on their feet and collapse on the ground.
"Resting In The Spirit" is said to take place after someone has been 'Slain'. The person on the ground feels very peaceful and relaxed - a sensation that has been described by some as a feeling of "floating" or being wrapped in cotton wool. They may have visions, hear what they assume to be the voice of the Lord, or experience some form of healing. They can 'Rest in the Spirit' for a few minutes to several hours.
See The Warning about being lulled into such a passive state
Closely connected with speaking in tongues this phenomenon has gained unprecedented popularity and is in fact a much sought-after experience in Charismatic and Pentecostal circles. It has even become a trademark of the meetings of many well known preachers since it is often seen as a sign of the spirituality (or anointing) of a minister who is able to impart the Spirit with a touch.
Charismatics view this phenomena as being in harmony with the Scriptures because they claim there are several instances in the Scriptures when people physically dropped to the ground under the power of God. The reality is there is no similarity between people falling to the ground in the Scriptures and what takes place when people are slain in the spirit. In fact there is a world of difference between them. See Chapter 2
AlsoSee The Anointing
A little understood and commonly misused term. Please note that The Bible makes absolutely NO mention of any preachers or teachers being "anointed". Much to the contrary the fact that so many are running around calling themselves "anointed" is an extremely ominous sign of the end of the age.
Benny Hinn best known for his "Miracle Crusades" in which he will sweep his hand or even his jacket in the direction of a group of people who promptly fall over. More commonly a so called 'anointed' evangelist touches people on the forehead causing them to be "slain". The person's fall is usually broken by "catchers" who are positioned behind them to prevent injury. Especially in the case of women in skirts they may also provide a sheet to cover the lower half of the ladies' body.
Some will lie quietly in an almost trance like condition and later report feeling very peaceful and relaxed. Yet others have described a feeling of "floating" or being wrapped in cotton wool. They may see visions, hear what they believe is the voice of the Lord, or experience some form of healing. They can 'rest in the spirit' for as little as a few minutes to as long as several hours.
However, many others will writhe or roll around on the floor, weep and cry out, make strange noises etc. All too often they laugh uncontrollably and virtually unceasingly - a phenomenon knows as "holy laughter" or being drunk in the spirit. Even those who do not fall to the ground will adopt strange postures, jerk uncontrollably, violently shake their heads similar to what can be seen in a mosh pit at a rock concert.
Not only is the participant's behavior many steps beyond bizarre, but the phenomenon has spread - to the furthermost ends of the church. The You Tube video of people being slain in the spirit in Russia has been removed, but here is one from S. Korea
 What speaks volumes is that the only people in the New Testament who manifested irrational behavior of any kind were those who were demon possessed.
What should give us plenty of pause for thought (but rarely seems to) that charismatic churches are not the only places where this phenomena is seen. Chapter Four compares the supposedly 'Christian' phenomenon of 'Slain In The Spirit' with the ancient Hindu tradition of 'Awakening' Kundalini - the concentrated life force associated with the goddess Shakti.
History
Although it is difficult to pinpoint exactly where and when the phenomenon of being "slain in the spirit" originated, it has been around for quite some time albeit in a much smaller way .
Jonathan Edwards (1703-1758) was an 18th century American theologian, pastor and revivalist and Reformed Church pioneer. His preaching is believed to have been instrumental in launching the First Great Awakening. Regarding this time, Edwards wrote,
"It was a very frequent thing to see a house full of outcries, faintings, convulsions, and such like, both with distress, and also with admiration and joy." [1]
John Wesley (1703-1791) an English cleric, theologian, and evangelist who sought to reform the Church of England from within. The movement he started was known as Methodism. Wesley described people falling as one of the "outward signs that so often accompanied the inward work of God."
The Shakers One of the earliest groups to indulge in this behavior were the Shakers - the term being a mocking description of a Christian sect founded circa 1747 in England and then organized in the United States in the 1780s. They were initially known as "Shaking Quakers" because of their ecstatic behavior during worship services. In meeting, they marched, sang, danced, and sometimes turned, twitched, jerked, or shouted.
Others The preaching ministry of nineteenth-century Methodist circuit-rider Peter Cartwright (1785 - 1873) was characterized by similar manifestations. "God's power" were also said to have taken place in the Kentucky revivals of 1800-1801, Finney's ministry, Andrew Murray's church and the Welsh revival of 1859.
"Trance evangelist" Maria Woodworth-Etter was called so because she often go into a trance like state as would others attending her so called "revival" meetings. Some stood rigid gazing into heaven, others lay on the floor unable to move for hours or even days. Yet others screamed, cried, moaned, shook violently, and rolled around on the floor.
Kathryn Kuhlman / Aimee Semple McPherson (1890-1944) founder of the Foursquare Gospel denomination and evangelist and healer Kathryn Kuhlman (1907-1976) made "slaying in the Spirit" a household term among charismatics in the ‘60s and ‘70s.
(Televangelist Benny Hinn was heavily influenced by both women even claiming to be Kuhlman’s successor having picked up "the anointing," which he says still lingers at her grave).
Azusa Street And then of course there was William Seymour & The Azusa Street Revival. See Brief History of Pentecostalism - The Four Major Pentecostal 'Revivals'
William Branham's (1909 – 1965) praises are sung even today in the Pentecostal And Charismatic World. See The Occult Beginnings of Dominionism
Many of these 'ministers' were particularly concerned with scriptural precedent only in getting what they deemed as 'results'.
For example Finney asserted that a revival is not a miracle but rather the "result of the right use of the appropriate means" with the blessing of God". He also claimed that "mistaken notions concerning the sovereignty of God have greatly hindered revivals.” [03]
I can hardly believe that a Christian uttered those words but moving on...
See Why The Fire Hasn't Fallen
Christianity is not alive and well in spite of loud declarations to the contrary. We don't seek God because we are wholly convinced that we have already arrived.
The Final Arbitrator
One of the four most dangerous mistakes any Christian can make is unquestioningly believing and trusting any man or woman based on any combination of their personal testimony, their ability to supernaturally cause someone to fall to the floor or heal them, their often hear claims that God spoke to them, any accounts of visiting 'Heaven' etc. HERE
When it comes to spiritual matters ALL our decisions have be based NOT what took place in this ministry or that, NOT on anything anyone may claim or teach, and NOT on personal experiences (whether our own or someone else's), but on what the Word of God says - Nothing more, nothing less.
When confronted with any kind of phenomena (especially unusual phenomena claiming Divine origin) a wise believer will first search the Bible to see whether there is a Biblical foundation for what is taking place. And that doesn’t mean using isolated verses as proof. The Context is CRUCIAL
Regardless of spread and popularity the million dollar question is whether or not there is a Biblical basis for being Slain In The Spirit, Resting In The Spirit, Being Drunk In The Spirit, Holy Laughter etc.?
However, if you wish to ensure that there is actually any support for these practices in the Scriptures then you have to be willing to examine these "proof texts" in detail not just superficially read the passages in question.
Justifying the strange phenomena by appealing to the fact that it occurred and still occurs in various ministries is both senseless and dangerous - similar to treating the writing of the so called 'church fathers' as being on par with Gospel truths. All too often they penned the most awful anti-Biblical manure.
Although not a 'church father' Augustine is an outstanding example. See The Sins of Augustine. Neither was Martin Luther the person popular legend has made him out to be
End Notes
[01] Jonathan Edwards, "The Distinguishing Marks of the Work of the Spirit of God," Jonathan Edwards on Revival (Edinburgh: The Banner of Truth Trust, 1984), 64. As cited in Shaking and “Slain” in the Spirit: Historical Reflections by Andrew Gabriel, https://www.andrewkgabriel.com/2014/09/18/shaking-and-slain-in-the-spirit-historical-reflections
[02] John Wesley, The Works of John Wesley, 3rd ed., vol. 1 (Grand Rapids: Baker, 1979), 210 and 196. As cited in Shaking and “Slain” in the Spirit: Historical Reflections by Andrew Gabriel, https://www.andrewkgabriel.com/2014/09/18/shaking-and-slain-in-the-spirit-historical-reflections
[03] Charles Finney's on Revivals of Religion: Summary
http://www.jesusdust.com/2012/11/charles-finneys-on-revivals-of-religion.html
Continue on To Part 2 - Is There A Biblical Basis For Resting In The Spirit, Shaking In The Spirit, Being Drunk In The Spirit, or for Holy Laughter? HERE
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