Page 84 - Bible Doctrines II w videos short

The Charismatic movement is most known for its acceptance of speaking in tongues (also known
as glossolalia), divine healing, and prophecies as evidence of the Holy Spirit. Most meetings are for
praying and spirited singing, dancing, shouting “in the spirit,” and raising hands and arms in prayer. Also,
anointing the sick with oil is often part of the worship service. These are the primary reasons for the
movement’s growth and popularity. While growth and popularity are certainly desirable, they cannot be
used as a test for truth.

The question remains: is the Charismatic movement scriptural? We know that since the creation of
mankind Satan’s insidious master plan has been simply to put a veil between God’s children and God’s
inerrant Word (Gen.3:1). There is no denying that God performs miracles. Some of what occurs in the
Charismatic movement very well may be a true work of the Holy Spirit. However, the core truth is this:
The Body of Christ does not need new apostles, nor new faith healers, nor self-styled miracle workers.
What the Church needs is to return to the Word of God and proclaim the whole counsel of God in the
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power and love of the Holy Spirit.

Is Being Slain in the Spirit Biblical?

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. Charismatics who practice slaying in the Spirit use Bible passages that
talk about people becoming “as dead” (Rev. 1:17) or of falling upon their face (Ezek.
1:28; Dan. 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 (Matt. 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).

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
(Gal. 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
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God.

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