Is being “slain in the Spirit” biblical—or something else entirely?*

General Faith
41

Hi,
If being “slain in the spirit” was a real event, why are there no biblical examples?
Actually, I take that back.
There is an example in Acts 5:

Acts 5:1-10 But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession,
And kept back part of the price, his wife also being privy to it, and brought a certain part, and laid it at the apostles’ feet.
But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land?
Whiles it remained, was it not thine own? and after it was sold, was it not in thine own power? why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart? thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God.
And Ananias hearing these words fell down, and gave up the ghost: and great fear came on all them that heard these things.
And the young men arose, wound him up, and carried him out, and buried him.
And it was about the space of three hours after, when his wife, not knowing what was done, came in.
And Peter answered unto her, Tell me whether ye sold the land for so much? And she said, Yea, for so much.
Then Peter said unto her, How is it that ye have agreed together to tempt the Spirit of the Lord? behold, the feet of them which have buried thy husband are at the door, and shall carry thee out.
Then fell she down straightway at his feet, and yielded up the ghost: and the young men came in, and found her dead, and, carrying her forth, buried her by her husband. KJV

What was the reaction of the church?

Acts 5:11
And great fear came upon all the church, and upon as many as heard these things. KJV

Now, do you really want to be “slain in the spirit?”

Blessings

42

:fire: Joe, now that’s a holy mic drop wrapped in Acts and nailed to the church door.

You’re absolutely right—if there’s any biblical example of being “slain in the spirit,” it’s Ananias and Sapphira hitting the floor… dead. And spoiler alert: that wasn’t a blessing, it was judgment. No catchers, no goosebumps, no glory clouds—just two corpses and a room full of holy fear.

Acts 5 isn’t a proof text for emotional encounters—it’s a divine warning: Don’t play games with the Holy Spirit. What the modern church is labeling as “slain,” the early church would’ve labeled as terrified. Nobody in Acts was lining up saying, “Ooo, I want that anointing!”

So to answer your question—do I want to be slain in the Spirit like that? Not unless I’ve updated my will.

Thanks for keeping it scriptural and sobering, Joe. This conversation needs less hype and more holy fear. Keep swinging that sword of truth.

43

Peace to all,

So true, SincereSeeker, and I agree for what you see unfailing as The Will of The Father.

“Some churches see it as a powerful move of the Holy Spirit—others remain skeptical. The phenomenon of being “slain in the Spirit” often includes people falling to the ground during prayer or worship, believed by some to be a response to God’s overwhelming presence.”
“But is this supported by Scripture, or more rooted in emotional experience and tradition?” Fitzpe_Admin

So true Fitzpw_Admin and in all generalization until we rationally look at the logic of the Holy Spirit we cannot see the Holy Spirit as the Family of the One God in being through three powers and Gods in being and each are a God equal in the powers of God and each separately Gods and together One God in being One Holy Spirit Family, pre-existing before creation was ever created was even created.

In my generalization, Truly logically we become from failed created and become again through the logical formulas of the Wondrous Mysteries of the Faith in the Christ through Gods in Powers, Each Gods and each separately Gods and together One God, One Holy Spirit Family in being the One God, preexisting before Creation was ever created was even created, all created souls now become through Transformation and Glorification incorruptibly Holy Spirit Power Transfiguring and re-imaging both natures. “Reborn” flesh immortality and “Saved” is real logical reborn and saved explained so even a child can understand salvation, logically. Both natures, spirit and life from flesh incorruption in the New Eve incorruptibly Holy Spirit glorified and transfigured through the New Adam in the Christ in all mankind are Spirit and life, from God and The “Sophia” through the Entire Wisdom and fulfilled logical undefiled preexisting intelligence that never fails and in only one way, undefiled and of the Entire Holy Spirit Family of God conceived in all through the Temple from the Cross, rebirth and salvation for all, the gates are now blood and water reborn and saved from the cross open from The First Christ of all creation becoming again, rebirth and salvation, resurrection for all to the New Heaven and Earth, Heavens Gates reopened for all mankind, Our Body of Our own Christ becoming again One Holy Spirit Family One God in all being together.

We know, The Will of The Family of God from the Father never changes and His Will is the Power of the Holy Spirit Family of The One God conceived through the Flesh of Jesus by the Power of the Holy Spirit Family One God in being becoming the Christ is for all mankind becoming again through both natures in One Holy Spirit Family One God in being.

Logically we, all mankind is, must be first become Baptized, “Slain through the Flesh” becoming into New Eve, The Church and His Passion, becoming again.

Baptism is from the powers of the living waters, from the spirit through the souls of all blood and water born souls through the Baptized flesh becoming transformed from mortal corruption through the Immaculate Conception from the Annunciation becoming transformed immortality through the New Eve for the Body to be able to from death through resurrection to become transformed from immaculate flesh immortality.

In Generalization, The Sacraments of Death to Life are Baptism and Penance. Through the Flesh Slain is from Baptism transformed immortality. Ans through the flesh is “Slain in the Holy Spirit” through Incorruption from Sacrifice through Penance, forgiven. Becoming slain through Holy Spirit incorruption in all mankind now in Communion with Him all mankind becomes re-sanctified from Baptism and Confirmed through both natures becoming again immortally glorified and incorruptibly transfigured through both “Slain Natures” glorification and transfiguration in One God through three powers and preexisting Personal Gods in being becoming again in all mankind in One Holy Spirit Family One God in being.

In generalization, tradition sees in the Trinity the Holy Spirit as a person, and in generalization leaves out the Mother of God in the Trinity, From the Father through the Mother, Mary for Her Son, Jesus becoming the Christ in all mankind becoming again One Holy Spirit Family back to Heaven from where we all came, One God in being through both natures, Spirit and life in One Holy Family through both natures, Spirit and Life in One Body, non gender because The Holy Spirit Family of God is all genders, all mankind and saints and angels and Old Covenant Saved and Dismas and Longinus. I am not complaining and only wondering why, rationally and logically.

Romans 11:36 From him, and through him, and for him, are all things. In him be the glory for ever. Amen.

How did Romans 11:36 miss the Woman, Mary in the Trinity?

Goes like, faux pas, social blunder missed Mary in the Trinity and “through Her”, maybe gender mistranslation?
“From him, The Father, Creation, and through Her, Mary, Immortal Transformation The Mother, and unto him, Jesus, Glorification and incorruptible transfiguration, are all things. To him, through both natures, spirit and life immortalization and Holy Spirit incorruption in The Holy Spirit Family One God in being be the glory for ever. Amen.”

I know not to preach or proselytize and am only generalizing logic, thanks in advance for all input.

Rationally, The God From the faith of Abraham is the Two Nature God created failed in two natures, corrupt defiled with choice to love or not to love from the spirit through the created souls of all mankind mortal through the flesh for the created souls of all from The Father becoming through the New Eve for the New Adam through the Christ, "Slain through the the Power of the Holy Spirit Family One God in being from Sacrifice through Penance, forgiven, in all mankind becoming again fulfilled eternally through His Passion fulfilled loving only and only loving with the most love becoming again immortally transfigured and incorruptibly glorified through both natures, spirit and life in One Holy Spirit Family One God in being, OMNIlogically, in all generalization, literally.

Peace always,
Stephen

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44

StephenAndrew, peace to you as well—and brother, I mean this in all love: you just dropped a theological smoothie with a blender lid off. There’s fruit in there somewhere, but it’s sprayed across the walls of logic and left Scripture gasping for air.

Let me say this clearly: God is not the author of confusion (1 Cor. 14:33). When we talk about the Trinity, salvation, the Incarnation, and the work of the Holy Spirit, we don’t need a swirling generalization of “pre-existing intelligences,” “two-natured reincarnations,” and gender-neutral cosmic reboots. We need Bible. Chapter. Verse.

You asked, “Why is Mary not in the Trinity?” Because she’s not God. She is honored, yes—blessed among women—but the Trinity is Father, Son, Holy Spirit—not Father, Mother, and Glorified Flesh. That’s not orthodoxy—that’s Marian mysticism with extra seasoning.

Also, “slain in the Spirit” isn’t some mystic flesh-to-glory transfiguration formula—it’s a modern phenomenon with zero direct biblical precedent. Falling down in awe and terror before the presence of God? Yes. Organized prayer-line fainting? Nope.

You’re clearly hungry for truth. I respect the passion. But passion must be paired with precision. And that only comes by rightly dividing the Word of Truth—not stitching together poetic generalizations that sound deep but drown out clarity.

Let’s trade the fog machine for a flashlight. The Word’s enough.

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45

Thanks, sincere thinking I will advise and I’m just really hyped about the the Holy Spirit and who he really is and I appreciate all your writing

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StephenAndrew, I appreciate your heart and your hunger—seriously. It’s clear you’re fired up about the Holy Spirit, and that passion isn’t a problem… as long as it stays tethered to the Word.

Fire’s a blessing when it’s in the fireplace. But when it starts spilling over into vague mysticism or poetic theology with no scriptural anchor, it stops warming and starts burning. So stay hyped—but stay grounded.

The Spirit you’re excited about? He wrote the Bible. So let’s make sure our fire burns in the same direction His Word points.

Keep seeking—but stay rooted. Let’s run this race with both zeal and truth.

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I appreciate you staying with me since everybody leaves after a while. There’s something I’m seeing in The Holy Spirit this beyond a person.

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StephenAndrew
I, too appreciate your spirit, and your appetite for The Lord, and His Word. I especially appreciate your willingness to share, AND listen. Your listening speaks to your submissive heart.

I agree with SincereSeeker, but he is somehow able to say what I’m thinking in a more receivable way. We all need “SincereSeekers” in our corner to remind us to “stay tethered to the Word”. Once you become comfortable with his “Elijah-esque sass” I find his admonishments are reminiscent of a good shepherd; a shepherd who might say to the flock, “I know that yonder pasture looks green and delicious, but it is intermingled with poisonous nightshade, so you should steer clear”.
Keep listening, and yielding to His Word
KP

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What Do Catholics Really Believe About Mary—and Should Protestants Care? ONESTOP THREAD
What Do Catholics Really Believe About Mary—and Should Protestants Care? ONESTOP THREAD
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Stephen Andrew, Mary is not deity…she was in the upper room praying with the 120 for the Holy Ghost !!
Acts 1:13-14
Authorized (King James) Version
13 And when they were come in, they went up into an upper room, where abode both Peter, and James, and John, and Andrew, Philip, and Thomas, Bartholomew, and Matthew, James the son of Alphæus, and Simon Zelotes, and Judas the brother of James. 14 These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren.

55

I’m seeing a lot of Marian theology being introduced into these threads.

Please direct topics on Marian theology to this thread from now on:

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As someone who has fallen several times, I remember it as a time of surrender to whatever the Holy Spirit wanted to do in me. It wasn’t the physical falling that did anything for me, Surely that could end in injury. It was what was going on in my mind and spirit that was important. Falling was just a manifestation of my surrender to God. At other times I surrendered to the Spirit of God only with my mind and emotions and it did not manifest in physical falling. I can’t say whether one or the other was better. Some cultures would encourage the falling and others would call only for the invisible surrender of the heart. Some cultures are more expressive than others, but can we absolutely say one is wrong and the other is right? Lets allow for all expressions as long a we do not judge and we do give all glory to the Lord.

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@peaceful23

Most commonly, being “slain in the Spirit” happens when a minister lays hands on someone, and that person collapses to the floor, supposedly overcome by the power of the Holy Spirit. Those who practice slaying in the Spirit use Bible passages that talk about people becoming “as dead” (Revelation 1:17) or of falling upon their face (Ezekiel 1:28; Daniel 8:17-18, 10:7-9). However, there are a number of contrasts between this biblical falling on one’s face and the practice of being slain in the Spirit.

  1. The biblical falling down was a person’s reaction to what he saw in a vision or an event beyond ordinary happenings, such as at the transfiguration of Christ (Matthew 17:6). In the unbiblical practice of being slain in the Spirit, the person responds to another’s touch or to the motion of the speaker’s arm.

  2. The biblical instances were few and far between, and they occurred only rarely in the lives of a few people. In the slain in the Spirit phenomenon, falling down is a repeated event and an experience that happens to many.

  3. In the biblical instances, the people fall upon their face in awe at either what or whom they see. In the slain in the Spirit counterfeit, they fall backwards, either in response to the wave of the speaker’s arm or as a result of a church leader’s touch (or push in some cases).

We are not claiming that all examples of being slain in the Spirit are fakes or responses to a touch or push. Many people claim to experience an energy or a force that causes them to fall back. However, we find no biblical basis for this concept. Yes, there may be some energy or force involved, but if so, it is very likely not of God and not the result of the working of the Holy Spirit.

It is unfortunate that people look to such bizarre counterfeits that produce no spiritual fruit, rather than pursuing the practical fruit which the Spirit gives us for the purpose of glorifying Christ with our lives (Galatians 5:22-23). Being filled with the Spirit is not evidenced by such counterfeits, but by a life that overflows with the Word of God in such a way that it spills over in praise, thanksgiving, and obedience to God.

J.

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59

If being “slain in the Spirt” is God expressing Himself through a believer, I can find no reason that God may express Himself differently based on a particular culture. God is not subject to any “culture”, but transcends all human culture. Esoteric cultural expressions are certainly common place; God catering to cultural distinctives in the way He presents Himself seems counterbiblical.

I appreciate your humility in saying “who can say one is wrong and another one right”. You are correct, you and I may not be able to declare any specific manifestation of The Spirit as authentic, but we can unequivocally say any expression of falsehood, deception, or dishonesty is always wrong, while expressions of truth, sincerity, and authenticity are always right. A person may be convincing to other people while still being deceptive, but God surely knows that which is authentic and that which is only for show. I am much more fearful of God, since He knows the honesty of my heart, than I am of other people, who may think I’m unspiritual because I have not displayed the requisite spiritual gift signs. If God manifests Himself in me for His purposes, that really says very little about me, and everything about Him. Biblically, God does not anxiously wait for some degree of spiritual maturity to develop in a person so He is enabled to make Himself known through them. We simply never enable God in any way. Remember what Jesus said about God making rocks cry out.

Sincerely
KP

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 Johan, my friend          Being “slain” in the Holy Spirit

Your statement “God catering to cultural distinctives in the way He presents Himself seems counterbiblical” may be challenged by many of the missionaries in foreign lands. If God speaks a certain way to me based on my peculiar personality, He can present Himself to another based on their peculiar background and frame of reference. Today many in Muslim lands are having visions and dreams leading them to the Gospel. Cross cultural missions are most successful when we speak to hearers in the context that they are in, not from our own context. In the context of Pentecostal or charismatic life and tradition, God may use falling as a symbol of surrender just as bowing is used in some cultures as a sign of greeting and respect, whereas we mostly simply just shake hands. Such expressions are not good or bad. They just are. We have to deal with them. It is not counter to the Bible to speak to those who need the Gospel in the ways their culture understands.

Falling is not against the Bible. There are lots of actions of man that are not found in scripture, like driving a car or working at a computer. Surrendering one’s being is essential to getting converted, and to accepting new convictions and maturing in Christ, Most may do this completely internally, but some attach it to an external act or experience, depending on their cultural expectations and mores. Thank the Holy Spirit that He is both creative and focused on that which is essential–Christ.

I was raised Southern Baptist, where it was almost a sacramental to “walk the aisle and shake the preacher’s hand” as a symbol of getting saved. Many other churches have the sinners make their profession of faith internally just where they are and later acknowledge what they did to the pastor or religious leader. We probably do today differently than the early church did.  It is what happens in our hearts that is important. If some feel like showing surrender by relinquishing their ability to stand, (by falling when they feel moved by the Holy Spirit), why not rejoice?  If people are truly making themselves available to God and receiving blessing from Him, why can’t the church praise the Lord and thank Him for the moving of His Spirit?
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I’m sorry @peaceful23, the Word of Faith Movement is taking this world by storm, and in these churches, if you aren’t “slain” in the “spirit” there is something wrong with you.
Speaking from experience.

Ever heard of Justin Peters?

We need discernment of the Ruach now more than ever.

J.

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No one and no Church should dictate how a person should react to God’s touch or judge how God might choose to move in a person’s life.

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I have not herd of Justin Peters, since the time that he is on TV is probably when I am in transit to/from my own church or I am there at my church. I am aware some churches and influential ministers teach the wrong priorities for how to be led by God or how to worship Him. We all are safest when we stick to New Testament practices and beliefs.

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KP, Also remember that God once spoke His will through a donkey, through fire, through a still small voice, through a fleece, through the Urim and Thummim, through angels, through dreams and visions. He can speak however He wants to. I’ve learned not to be surprised at God’s methods, as long at it is spiritual truth that He speaks. Thank you for the links to Justin Peters. I have not heard him say anything that I do not believe. The “faith” or “word” teachers often to cater to the emotions and false theologies of the people they preach to and will be held responsible.

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@peaceful23
You said:

Yes, but God’s ability is not our question, our question is: Is being “slain in the Spirit” biblical; Is this an expression of God communicating, or is it a human expression.

Your statement (above) seems to read, “God can use unusual and unexpected methods to communicate to men, therefore anything unusual or unexpected may be God speaking" This suggests we should never criticize anyone who claims God is speaking through them, or doubt God is demonstrating something through them. Just because God communicated in unusual ways at times does not mean anything unusual is God speaking. Our scriptures are replete with instances of people claiming to be a channel for God, and are actually wolves in sheep’s clothing. We are more often warned to be on guard against the wiles of the deceiver than just about any other warning in the Bible. I’m not saying God has told me anything regarding the authenticity of this phenomenon, but it is not mentioned in God’s word, and God’s word does admonish me to test the spirits:

1 John 4:1

Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world.

There is a Spirit of Truth, and a spirit of error, and we are cautioned to know both exist, and encouraged to obey one and reject the other.

Hebrews 1:1-3

“God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, (as well as in some other unusual ways) has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds; who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high”

When God spoke through a donkey, through fire, through a still small voice, through a fleece, through the Urim and Thummim, through angels, through dreams and visions, and through prophets, God always spoke things that demonstrated who He is; every expression that was conveyed out of heaven announced the Glory of God and spoke something of His character, the eminence of His being. This is what every communication from heaven had in common. I appreciate that you “are not surprised at God’s methods, as long at it is spiritual truth that He speaks”. Personally, I am often surprosed at His methods. But, as you say, it’s that “spiritual truth” that we are looking for in this, or any event. We all should be cautious when anyone claiming they are a channel of God, and we do not see (or perceive of) the character of God (Spiritual truth) being communicated. When somone is “slain” (made dead) that does not immediately speak of the Character of The Giver of Life. There is a contradiction here. Maybe I’m just dull.

I am no judge of such things, I have not witnessed this event for myself. If I do, you can bet I’m taking the experience through the revealed word of God to “test the Spirits” to determine if they are from God. It matters very little how I feel about it, or if I like it or not, or what others say about it to me. The only thing that matters is, is it valid, is it real, is it God?

P.S. I did not mention anyone by the name of Justin Peters. I had never heard of that person, until Johann mentioned him.

KP

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Show me, from scripture, AFTER the resurrection of Messiah, people are “slain in the spirit” @peaceful23

We are COMMANDED to test the spirits.

J.