Question:
42.1—Being “slain in the Spirit” is becoming a more and more common/popular thing. We discussed this a little bit at camp and I came back confident it was wrong. Then I talked to a friend of mine who believes it’s right. She used the verse in Revelation that says that God would rather that we be hot than lukewarm. Can we discuss this? Is it right? It seems weird, uncomfortable in my soul.
Answer:
42.1—There is no instance in Scripture of a believer being “slain in the Spirit.” There are instances of believers such as Abraham, Daniel, Peter, Paul, and John being in a trance. Also unbelievers such as Balaam, and King Saul, (both who also prophesied).
Believers are also said to have died with, or to have been crucified with, Christ in Romans 6:8 (but read the whole chapter) and Galatians 2:20. This is not a physical or spiritual experience. It is a grace granted position, accepted by faith, entitling the believer to reckon himself dead to sin and alive to God, freeing him from the bondage of sin (the bondage of our sinful nature) after being saved. This is not “slain in the Spirit.”
Daniel and John fell at the Lord’s feet as dead when they saw Him. This is not being “slain in the Spirit.” It is the result of having seen the Lord (Daniel 8:17; Revelation 1:17).
In 2 Corinthians 11:19-21, the apostle Paul says those “who would smite you in the face” are false apostles, or ministers of Satan (13-21). Need we say more?