Question:  Hi Greg,

            I am wondering what you think of being slain in the Spirit?  I have some very good friends, and my sister and her husband believe in it.  Is there any scripture that refers to being slain in the spirit?

            The preacher at the church I attend says that being slain in the spirit is evil, not good, that anyone believing in being slain is very misled.

            I have searched my Bible for information on it, but have not come across anything.  Could you help?

            I am a new Christian and I am very confused.  I don’t want to be misled, and I don’t want my friends or family to be either.  If my preacher is wrong or if my friends and family are wrong I would like to be able to show them in the Bible the truth.

            Help me please,

            Cindy

Answer:  Dear Cindy,

            The practice to which you refer—“being slain in the spirit”—is often called one of many spiritual manifestations (that is, of the Holy Spirit).  Whether it is or not is debated.

1.      The practice of the majority of Christians, both for the last 2000 years, as well as right now, is not to allow or encourage such a thing.  That fact alone does not prove being slain in the spirit to be right or wrong, but it is worth considering.

2.      Being slain in the spirit is not mentioned in the Bible.  Yes, there are times when visions are given to individuals, but it has been noted that there are far fewer visions during the new covenant, after Christ, than before.  This is simply because humanity now has a better sense of God and his gospel—visions are not as necessary.  On the other hand, the practice of falling over backward is virtually always used in a negative context in the Bible—whereas those who worship God fall forward.

3.      The practice of being “slain in the spirit” is virtually always seen in a group setting, with group dynamics playing a significant role.  The power of suggestion and of peer acceptance has been noted in studies done about being slain in the spirit.  Stated another way, those who believe that they need to be slain in the spirit, for some reason—those who are convinced that they need to be—often are.  Those who are opposed to being slain in the spirit are not—and in group settings in which being slain in the spirit is seen as important are often singled out as “opposing” (“standing in the way of”) God’s will.  The entire practice is based upon and in a subjective emotional experience, and is called by many an altered state of consciousness, not unlike hypnotism.

            In Christ,

            Greg Albrecht