Slain in the Spirit

[tonychanyt]

Definition:

Sociologist Margaret Poloma has defined slaying in the Spirit as "the power of the Holy Spirit so filling a person with a heightened inner awareness that the body's energy fades away and the person collapses to the floor".

Jesus took with him Peter, James, and John to the mountain of transfiguration in Matthew 17:

5b behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.” 6 When the disciples heard this, they fell on their faces and were terrified.

People who believe in the slain in the spirit use this incident and others to support their claim. The term slain in the spirit is not in the Bible. I would not argue about it theologically.

As for the phenomenon itself, in some instances, it could be real. In others, it is not. In any case, it is not a required experience for those who love Jesus. I've never experienced it, even though I exposed myself in this kind of atmosphere on multiple occasions watching others "slain" in the Spirit. In fact, on one occasion, I was invited by the pastor onto the stage while he attempted to perform the operation on me. A couple of strong men stood behind me in case I fell backward. It did not work for me.

If you think you have been slain in the Spirit, you need to ask yourself: what fruit have you produced since then?