1 Timothy 4:1 "The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons."

"Holy" laughter is not a new phenomena. What is new about "holy" laughter is that it is no longer limited to certain fringe Pentecostal groups, but is spreading through mainstream Christianity with the help of favorable press by two "Christian" networks -- Trinity Broadcasting Network and the Christian Broadcasting Network.

A year ago only a small percentage of Christians had heard of "holy" laughter. Today, however, most evangelicals are aware of the phenomena. What most are not aware of is that "holy" laughter is just one manifestation in a group of manifestations that characterize a growing movement -- a movement sometimes referred to as the "great end-times revival." To analyze "holy" laughter necessitates examining the "revival." This includes examining the manifestations, as well as analyzing key doctrines and proof-texts used to support these manifestations.

South African "evangelist" Rodney Howard-Browne is generally credited with launching the American "laughing revival." Howard-Browne claims that, in 1979, he received a special visitation from God: "It felt like liquid fire -- like someone poured gasoline over me and set me on fire....The best way I can describe it is that it was as shocking as if I had unscrewed a light bulb from a lamp and put my finger in the socket. I knew it was God."(1) Since then, Howard-Browne, the self-proclaimed "Holy Ghost bartender," has been serving his "new wine" to congregations throughout North America. One church in particular, the Toronto Airport Vineyard, has become the church to which pastors from throughout the world now flock to experience this "new wine," which they in turn "bring back" to their churches. This phenomena is now popularly referred to as the "Toronto Blessing" (hereafter TB). The "Toronto Blessing" includes "holy" laughter, but it includes other manifestations as well.

The "revival" is characterized by a number of manifestations, any or all of which can be observed in a single service. To aid in analysis, we will separate the manifestations into four categories. The first manifestation category is "holy" laughter. "Holy" laughter is loud, uncontrollable laughter that breaks out among members of the congregation. Proponents stress that "holy" laughter has New Testament precedent -- they identify it with the events recorded in Acts chapter 2, where the apostles are accused by some in the crowd of having "had too much wine." Old and New Testament verses mentioning laughter and joy are also invoked as textual support.

The second category is that of being "struck dumb" in the Spirit. This is considered a testimony. The individual will (seemingly) attempt to deliver a verbal testimony and instead will be unable to speak during the entire "testimony." Saying absolutely nothing becomes the testimony.

The third category, that of being "slain in the Spirit," has taken on a new characteristic in this movement. Instead of being "out" under the power of the "Spirit" for just a few minutes, in this manifestation people can be out for several hours. Like more common examples of being slain in the Spirit, this too requires the assistance of the evangelist. Rodney Howard-Browne has developed his own unique style of imparting this "blessing." After having the potential recipients stand, Howard-Browne will walk slowly down the line, place his hands on the people and say such things as, Fill! Ho ho. Fill! Ho ho, ha ha. Out of your belly let it bubble. Ha ha. Howard-Browne has also been known to tell people, "Don't pray about it," implying that praying to God will prevent a person from receiving this so-called "blessing."

The fourth manifestation is one that is generally not seen by television audiences. One can occasionally see people waving their arms as they run around the auditorium, but this is only the very mildest form of this supposed "prophetic" manifestation. Rather than describe it, I will quote at length from John Arnott:

" And so now we're starting to see people prophetically acting like lions and oxen and eagles and even warriors. We had a phone call one time it said, "One of our congregation's been acting like an eagle flying around the room. We can't get them to stop, what do we do?" And we thought, you know, throw a rabbit out in the middle of the floor and maybe they'll come down [laughter]."

But seriously, it's a wonderful thing and we've seen it spontaneous in Steve Wood's church from St. John, New Brunswick on the east coast, we had all four of those manifestations happening at the same time. So what did the man look like? He looked like a warrior, just yelling Ahhhhh!!!! You know, you see that, our first inclination is "That's demonic." But that is too simplistic a view. It could be the flesh or more probably, if you know the person and their heart and their integrity, it just may be the Holy Spirit putting an empowering, like a warrior, on them.

But we saw all four of them going at once. It scared people so bad that many of them ran right out of the meeting. I was amazed, myself. This one little keyboard player lady, about 115 lbs, she's on all fours just snorting and pawing the ground like an angry bull. That went on for a while and she's frightened. She's doesn't know "why is this happening to me?" She ran out of the room at one point....

So, does that help with the animal sounds? Officially, we're saying, "we don't know," cause we don't know. Why is that guy roaring like a lion? I don't know. I've never done that. Why don't you ask him? See what he says. See if he says it's good or not. See if it's changing his life for the good. (2)

In evaluating this "revival" to determine whether or not it is of God, we must evaluate it solely on the basis of conformity to Scriptural truths. Whether or not these manifestations were evident (as proponents like to claim) in historic revivals is irrelevant. The written Word of God is the standard by which all things are to be tested.

1 Corinthians 12 states, "Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good....All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he gives them to each one, just as he determines." That our sovereign God determines how and when the Holy Spirit will be manifest in the lives of believers is Scriptural. God is sovereign. The Holy Spirit gives spiritual gifts to each person according to His pleasure. God is omnipresent. He does not reside in a certain location from which He pours out spiritual manifestations on those who have come to visit Him. In light of these Scriptural truths, one can conclude that flying to Toronto, or attending a Rodney Howard-Browne meeting, to obtain "new wine" violates the clear teaching of Scripture.

"Therefore, my brothers, be eager to prophesy, and do not forbid speaking in tongues. But everything should be done in a fitting and orderly way" (1 Cor. 14:39). 1 Corinthians chapter 14 mandates orderly worship. "Holy" laughter and TB violate this mandate. It is not uncommon in these gatherings to hear laughter, yelling, or animal noises burst forth during, and continue in conjunction with, formal prayer. Services have been known to halt entirely; the message being replaced by unbridled outbursts of laughing, screaming, growling, and roaring. Again, this is a clear violation of Scripture.

"For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified" (1 Cor. 2:2). One of the most notable aspects of "holy" laughter and TB is that the focus is on the miraculous, and how this is the beginning of the "great end-times revival." Jesus Christ is usually given only token lip-service if He is mentioned at all. The primary focus of this movement is not on Jesus Christ, but on manifestations. This is not Scriptural. While the New Testament admonishes Christians to receive and exercise spiritual gifts for the building up of the body, it is Christ alone that must be exalted -- never the gifts. When Jesus Christ is mentioned in these meetings it is often in a downright blasphemous context. For example, Charles and Francis Hunter have been known to have one of their staff bound across the stage, jump and twirl in the air a couple of times, and then fall to the floor in laughter. The audience is told they are "looking at Jesus." The Happy Hunters cite Luke 10:21 as their proof-text. They write, "To rejoice in this instance means to 'twirl' around with reckless abandon! Can't you just visualize Jesus with so much joy that He twirled around with reckless abandon? What a sight to behold!" (3) To read such an interpretation into Luke 10:21 is exegesis at its worst.

That "holy" laughter and TB violates Scripture is clear. So how do proponents of this movement justify it? For one thing, they claim that Acts chapter 2 is evidence that the apostles were "drunk in the Spirit," and thus were manifesting signs similar to "holy" laughter. That is not what Scripture teaches. Acts 2 states very clearly that the apostles were heard to be speaking in a variety of languages, and that only some in the audience attempted to explain away the phenomena by making fun of the Apostles and claiming that they had drank "too much wine." "Holy" laughter is in no way supported by this chapter.

In his meetings, Howard-Browne (and others) often quote Old and New Testament passages that refer to laughter and joy. No Bible passage, when taken in context, provides support for "holy" laughter. "Holy" laughter is not found in Scripture; those who claim that it is found in Scripture are twisting Scripture in an attempt to legitimize the movement. The Bible teaches that this type of thing would occur in the Last Days: "For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths" (2 Tim. 4:3-4).

Rodney Howard-Browne attempts to justify being "struck dumb in the Spirit" by referring to Luke 1:20: "It's Scriptural: In Bible days people like John the Baptist's father Zachariah, were struck dumb and couldn't speak."(4) Read Luke 1:20 in context; it is describing a punishment, not a blessing. Luke says that Zachariah lost his ability to speak as a punishment for disbelief: "And now you will be silent and not able to speak until the day this happens, because you did not believe my words." Likewise, sticking people to the floor with "Holy Ghost glue" is not Scriptural. In Scripture, people do fall prostate before the power and majesty of the Lord, but this occurs when sinful men come into the presence of a Holy God. Nowhere in Scripture do we read of comic-strip manifestations such as the ones Rodney Howard-Browne describes: "All she could do was flap her hands. So she was lying there flapping away -- flap, flap, flap, flap." (5)

As is the case with Rodney Howard-Browne's "new wine," the other TB manifestations find no support in Scripture. Though I have already quoted Arnott as stating that they (the leadership) cannot explain why the animal noises are manifesting, he and other church leaders do offer one "possible" explanation:

Byron Mode from Texas wrote a beautiful explanation of what he saw. See, we saw this grown man in a starched pink shirt with a nice tie and everything, in front of 300 pastors roaring like a lion and walking around like a lion and all kinds of stuff. That's what we saw, and I'm thinking, "oh, please, Lord, don't like this go weird, Lord, please, this is, I don't understand this" [Laughter]. What I didn't see was the incredible vision that he was having at the time, about the gates of hell being disintegrated by the power of God and hundreds of captives being set free. So, 'I'll take the vision, Lord, but couldn't you do it a little, you know.

But you see, those kinds of visions necessarily go along with an outpouring of power, kind of like Sampson. So we were kicking this issue around hours on end, believe me, with the Vineyard leaders. And John Wimber, one day, at a luncheon table is saying things like "but I just don't think we can make any kind of connections in terms of theology or even draw any conclusions here. I think the Scriptural weight is too thin, and so therefore, we want to avoid that kind of thing."

And his wife, Carol, as only she could do in her way, is saying, "Well, wait a minute, John," (going back to Revelation 4 now,) "If Jesus wants to bring His friends to the party, don't you think we should let Him?" That's good, isn't it? That's very profound! (6)

No, that is not profound. To invoke Revelation chapter 4 as a possible proof text to support Christians acting like animals is ridiculous. Revelation 4 records John's vision of the throne-room in heaven; it cannot be used to justify the "Toronto Blessing."

Advocates of "holy" laughter or TB offer three other reasons for accepting the phenomena. The first is that, since Scripture does not specifically forbid these manifestations, we should not forbid them either. After all, we "shouldn't put the Holy Spirit in a box." It has been already demonstrated that these manifestations do violate the clear teachings of Scripture. All Scripture is "God-breathed" (2 Tim. 3:16); a "new revelation" that contradicts Scripture is not of the Holy Spirit.

Second, we are told that these manifestations are producing "good fruit," and thus must be ultimately judged on that basis. The "fruit" spoken of is often listed as "restored marriages," "changed lives," and "fresh revelations of the love of God." If we are to accept "holy" laughter or TB based on these "fruits" then we must also accept Mormonism and the New Age Movement since their adherents also claim similar "fruits." Good fruit that results from an experience that contradicts the Word of God is not the work of the Holy Spirit.

Third, advocates of "holy" laughter and TB claim that it must be of God since, "Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone?"(Mat. 7:9). This verse cannot serve as a proof text to support the manifestations. It is the Holy Spirit who determines the gift, and it is the Holy Spirit who determines the time. Any attempt to force God into bestowing spiritual gifts (which is what occurs in "holy" laughter and TB) is to despise God's sovereignty. God will allow Christians outside of His will to fall from fellowship -- this could include accepting doctrines of demons. Paul, in writing to the Corinthians confirms this: "For if someone comes to you and preaches a Jesus other than the Jesus we preached, or if you receive a different spirit from the one you received, or a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it easily enough" (2 Cor. 11:4).

"Holy" laughter and the "Toronto Blessing" ARE NOT OF GOD. These are not manifestations of the Holy Spirit, but rather, are the product of an unholy spirit. In their thirst for supernatural manifestations some Christians are abandoning sound doctrine and are being led astray by a false gospel; a gospel that ignores Jesus Christ and exalts miraculous experiences. Our Lord warned that this would happen: "For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and miracles to deceive even the elect -- if that were possible. See, I have told you ahead of time" (Mat. 24:24). Sadly, those who are getting caught up in this "revival" are being told to not question or hinder the manifestations (or often the leaders promoting them). Howard-Browne says, "Don't quench the Holy Spirit....In the coming revival we've got to get mature enough to say, 'That's the flesh. Don't worry about it.'" (6) The Bible says otherwise: "Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true" (Acts 17:11).

I do not want to give the impression that all those who have experienced "holy" laughter or the "Toronto Blessing" have completely abandoned the faith. Christians who do not know the Word of God, or who fail to exercise discernment, can be deceived, but they can also be restored through repentance. An example of this deception is evident in the earlier quote from John Arnott, where he stated that, "You know, you see that, our first inclination is 'That's demonic.' But that is too simplistic a view. It could be the flesh or more probably, if you know the person and their heart and their integrity, it just may be the Holy Spirit putting an empowering, like a warrior, on them." (8)

That these manifestations could be the result of demonic influences is not a "simplistic" view. Few Christians want to admit that they may have been deceived by an unholy spirit, but it is clear that "holy" laughter and "Toronto Blessing" do not originate with the Holy Spirit. Those who have received "holy" laughter or the "Toronto Blessing" may be experiencing demon-oppression, or they may be experiencing the fruits of emotionalism, but they are definitely not experiencing the Holy Spirit.

Christians who have been mislead, whether by oppression or emotionalism, can be released from their bondage. Repent before the Lord, place the Word of God in your heart and mind; resist the devil and he will flee from you. Finally, find a healthy, well-balanced church -- one where the focus is, not on experiences, but on Jesus Christ and the teaching of God's Word.

Should you still not be convinced that "holy" laughter and TB are the products of an unholy spirit, I leave you with two final quotes, and a question. The first quote is from Rodney Howard-Browne; the second is from Wes Campbell. Remember, these are the testimonies of men who believe they have encountered the Holy Spirit in a special way. Our question is this: Do these sound like the testimonies of people who have actually experienced God the Holy Spirit, or the testimonies of men who have had encounters with a deceiving spirit?

Rodney Howard-Browne: "But I'd rather be in a church where the devil and the flesh are manifesting than in a church where nothing is happening because people are too afraid to manifest anything....And if a devil manifests, don't worry about that, either. Rejoice, because at least something is happening!" (9)

Wes Campbell: "My dear, sweet wife. She just was [sound effect] pulled into the center of the room and she began to shake, more violent than last night, and I just jumped right up onto the back of the couch and I went [he screams]. I felt like spiritual Home Alone 2, you know? [he screams] And I'm up there scared, oh, we were scared! You think you were scared last night! Scared. You know, I don't blame any of you for being scared. For about the first six months I was scared to go home with her at night! I'm not kidding. I'm not kidding. We'd just stay out. Lots of times I'd just stay out late. She'd come home, she'd want to pray. I don't want to pray. I'd turn the lights on. This is no exaggeration. I'd turn the lights on in the house. I'd turn the lights -- I never knew when it was going to happen. Sometimes we'd be talking about things that maybe, you know, we shouldn't have. Maybe we were telling a story, or maybe we were talking about somebody. The slightest little thing would set her off. The slightest thing. For the first year the slightest thing would set her off."

"One time, one time, somebody was just talking 'oh, we don't know if this is God. We don't know' and she just, I mean, she, this is Tight Brethren, Closed Brethren person's house. You just cannot, those of you that don't know the background, you cannot conceive of what I'm talking about. I am talking about the most conservative, anti-gifts situations you can possibly believe. We were in this house and this girl is going 'I don't know' and all of a sudden [sound effect] it just exploded and she came right in front of this woman, I mean, right in front of this woman. She's just going, she goes 'Allison, Allison, open your eyes.' [scream] She goes, 'This is Me, Allison' and Allison -- she said 'Don't ever be ashamed of My Spirit again.'" (Author's note: What is described here is reminiscent of possession. Are we to believe that the Father or the Son took possession of the speaker in order to exalt the Holy Spirit? This is not Scriptural!)

"So I was plumb scared. I was just scared. We'd go to bed, she'd sneeze in bed, I'd go 'What's the matter? What's happening?' So I don't blame anybody for the type of feelings you're feeling."

"I remember the very first time -- it happened at Christmas -- I think it was about the next -- two days after the first outpouring -- we had to go to the pastor's, you know, the administerial Christmas luncheon. They said, 'let's bow for prayer.' I said, 'Don't. Don't!' These are honest, true stories. I said, "Don't do it." (10)

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. (Gal. 5:22-25).

NOTES:

1. Rodney Howard-Browne, Manifesting the Holy Ghost (Louisville, KY: R.H.B.E.A. Publications, 1992) 16, emphasis in original.
2. John Arnott, Pastors' Meeting - Airport Vineyard, Toronto, Ontario, 10-19-94, audiotape transcript.
3. Charles and Francis Hunter, Holy Laughter (Kingwood, TX: Hunter Books, 1994) 32.
4. Rodney Howard-Browne, The Coming Revival (Louisville, KY: R.H.B.E.A. Publications, 1991) 6.
5. Rodney Howard-Browne, Manifesting the Holy Ghost (Louisville, KY: R.H.B.E.A. Publications, 1992) 26.
6. John Arnott, Pastors' Meeting - Airport Vineyard, Toronto, Ontario, 10-19-94, audiotape transcript.
7. Rodney Howard-Browne, The Coming Revival (Louisville, KY: R.H.B.E.A. Publications, 1991) 6.
8. John Arnott, Pastors' Meeting - Airport Vineyard, Toronto, Ontario, 10-19-94, audiotape transcript.
9. Rodney Howard-Browne, The Coming Revival (Louisville, KY: R.H.B.E.A. Publications, 1991) 6.
10. Wes Campbell, (Toronto Airport Vineyard, 10-15-94) audiotape transcript.
Special thanks to Robert Hunter for preparing the above audiotape transcripts.
Copyright 1995 by Defending the Faith. All rights reserved.

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