Lets look at john 18:6
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Tahoma, Calibri, Geneva, sans-serif]So when He said to them, “I am
He,” they drew back and fell to the ground.[/FONT]
And some commentaries
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Tahoma, Calibri, Geneva, sans-serif]Now we are told the response of those who came to arrest Jesus:
when he said to them “I am” they retreated backward and fell to the ground. L. Morris says that “it is possible that those in front recoiled from Jesus’ unexpected advance, so that they bumped those behind them, causing them to stumble and fall.”139 Perhaps this is what in fact happened on the scene. However, the theological significance given to this event by the Evangelist implies that more is involved. The reaction on the part of those who came to arrest Jesus comes in response to his affirmation that he is indeed the one they are seeking, Jesus of Nazareth. But Jesus makes this affirmation of his identity using a formula which the reader has encountered before in the Fourth Gospel, e.g., 8:24, 28, 58. Jesus has applied to himself the Divine Name of Exod 3:14, “I AM”. This amounts to something of a theophany which causes even his enemies to recoil and prostrate themselves, so that Jesus has to ask a second time, “Whom are you seeking?” This is a vivid reminder that even in this dark hour, Jesus holds ultimate power over his enemies and the powers of darkness, because he is the One who bears the Divine Name.
Or
[/FONT][FONT=Verdana, Arial, Tahoma, Calibri, Geneva, sans-serif]They went backward ... - The cause of their retiring in this manner is not mentioned. Various things might have produced it. The frank, open, and fearless manner in which Jesus addressed them may have convinced them of his innocence, and deterred them from prosecuting their wicked attempt. His disclosure of himself was sudden and unexpected; and while they perhaps anticipated that he would make an effort to escape, they were amazed at his open and bold profession. Their consciences reproved them for their crimes, and probably the firm, decided, and yet mild manner in which Jesus addressed them, the expression of his unequalled power in knowing how to find the way to the consciences of men, made them feel that they were in the presence of more than mortal man. There is no proof that there was here any miraculous power, any mere physical force, and to suppose that there was greatly detracts from the moral sublimity of the scene.
And
[/FONT][FONT=Verdana, Arial, Tahoma, Calibri, Geneva, sans-serif]On the other hand, it is possible that the Holy Spirit could move so powerfully on a person that he/she is overcome. After all, God is incredibly powerful. But, the problem is not with this possibility, but with whether or not it is biblical. We must always seek to remain as close as possible to the word of God and let it guide our words and practices. So, let's look at the Word.
Perhaps the closest occurrence we can find in the Bible to being slain in the Spirit is where Paul the apostle fell to the ground when Jesus appeared to him:[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Tahoma, Calibri, Geneva, sans-serif]"And it came about that as he journeyed, he was approaching Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him; 4 and he fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to him, 'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?'" (
Acts 9:3-4).[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Tahoma, Calibri, Geneva, sans-serif]Is this being slain in the Spirit? No, it is not. But it is an instance where people fell to the ground when the presence of the Lord was strong. In fact, my own subjective experience includes a time where the power of the Lord was so strong that I was forced to bow my knee and be laid low to the ground. But the result was worship and adoration, not a lack of bodily control.
[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Tahoma, Calibri, Geneva, sans-serif]We can see that in the presence of God people fall to the ground. This is natural and proper given the majestic holiness of God compared to our sinfulness. Falling to the ground in the presence of the Lord is to be expected. But, does this mean that being slain in the Spirit is biblical?[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Tahoma, Calibri, Geneva, sans-serif]When someone is slain in the Spirit, he or she is usually touched on the forehead by a pastor or teacher or evangelist, etc. This touch alone seems to be the compelling means by which a person receives this movement of the Spirit. The person is then incapacitated for a period of time. Again, is this biblical? Apparently not since there is not a single instance in the New Testament where someone is touched on the forehead and falls to the ground due to the presence of the Spirit.
And finally
[/FONT][FONT=Verdana, Arial, Tahoma, Calibri, Geneva, sans-serif]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).
Read more:
Is being slain in the Spirit biblical?[/FONT]
