☕ Try Treinta Coffee and support the show: https://www.treintacoffee.com/
Use code CharismaticCheetah for 5% off your order.
Dr. Merrill Greene returns to the podcast to discuss his book Drunk in the Spirit and the biblical, historical, and cultural evidence for altered states of consciousness, trance, ecstasy, and unusual spiritual experiences.
We begin by defining altered states of consciousness and examining evidence from the Ancient Near East showing that ecstatic prophetic experiences were known within the cultural world of the Bible.
From there, we explore numerous biblical examples, with particular attention given to Saul among the prophets and the unusual events surrounding him in 1 Samuel. We also discuss Abraham, Adam, the seventy elders, Balaam, Hannah, David, Miriam, Ezekiel, and other possible examples.
The conversation then moves into the New Testament and early Christianity, including Peter and Paul's experiences of trance, prophetic speech, the language of being “in the Spirit,” the Didache, Tertullian, and accounts from the early church.
Finally, we turn to the question that matters for continuationists today: What should Christians actually do with this?
How can we remain open to genuine manifestations of the Holy Spirit while recognizing that experiences can also be manufactured, faked, or counterfeit? How should pastors discern unusual manifestations? And what does Paul's command for order in the church look like when genuine spiritual experiences may themselves appear strange?
This is a conversation about taking both the supernatural activity of God and biblical discernment seriously.
Learn more about Dr. Merrill Greene: https://www.weirdgod.com/
Get Merrill's books: https://a.co/d/09XCNsSY
Treinta Coffee: https://www.treintacoffee.com/ Use code CharismaticCheetah for 5% off.
Charismatic Cheetah Merch: https://charismatic-cheetah.printify.me/