If you asked John Owen what he thought of claims that people
were empowered by the Spirit to bark like dogs, make animal noises, wiggle on the floor and hiss like a snake; and other seemingly bizarre
behaviors, this is what he would say:
“Second, the Spirit of
God tends to work in and through natural human faculties (i.e., mind, will,
affections, and body), rather than against or outside of them. This point
was important to him as many “enthusiasts” of his day were claiming the Spirit’s
special presence, but during such experiences they would lose control of their
bodies, their minds, and their affections. It is from witnessing such
experiences that the pejorative titles “Shakers” and “Quakers” evolved. From
Owen’s perspective, these experiences simply didn’t make sense, for the true
Spirit affirms creation—including human nature—rather than undermining it. By
this Spirit we are renewed in God’s image as he enlightens our minds, renews
our wills, and redirects our affections toward God. When people claimed the
Spirit made them act more like beasts than like humans, Owen would scratch his head
with real skepticism about whether this was the true Spirit of God—he was
fairly confident it wasn’t.”[1]
When we read our Bible we see that apart from the materialization
of Satan into a snake and the judgment of God on King Nebuchadnezzar when he lifted his heart
in pride to God (“Immediately
what had been said about Nebuchadnezzar was fulfilled. He was driven away from
people and ate grass like the ox. His body was drenched with the dew of heaven
until his hair grew like the feathers of an eagle and his nails like the claws
of a bird” (Daniel
4:33, NIV)).there is no such manifestation.
[1] John
Owen, edited by Kelly M. Kapic and Justin Taylor. Communion with the Triune God
(Kindle Locations 652-659). Crossway Books.
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