Something to think about. Ephesians 5:18, "Filled with the Spirit," or "filled spiritually?"

 

“Be Filled With the Spirit?”

Ephesians 2:18

Something To Think About

 

               For years this verse has served as a command to be filled with the Holy Spirit for not only Pentecostals and charismatics but for anyone who read it including yours truly. However, upon further reflection and an examination of the Greek text, I now disagree with the excepted interpretation. I believe that it is saying, “but be filled spiritually.” I no longer see it as a commandment to be filled with the Holy Spirit. The verses that follow seem to support my conclusion. ¹⁸ And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled spiritually, (in one’s spirit)

 ¹⁹ addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart,

 ²⁰ giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,

 ²¹ submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ. (Eph. 5:18-21 ESV) Those four verses have nothing to do with how one is filled with the Spirit, but they have everything to do with our being filled spiritually. The parallel verse in Colossians says the same thing.

¹⁶ Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. (Col. 3:16 ESV)

               We do not pick and choose when and where we will be filled with the Holy Spirit, only God does that. We do not just out of the blue decide that we will be filled with the Holy Spirit. That happens when we are in a situation that requires us to be filled with the Holy Spirit and that decision is made by the Spirit Himself. Examine the incidents in the book of Acts where the apostles/disciples of Christ were filled with the Spirit, and one cannot but conclude that it is the doing of the Spirit and not of the disciples. Yes, they were submitted and obedient to God in each situation, but it was the Spirit who chose to fill them. They were doing what they had been called to do and the Spirit was in them. As they walked in obedience among the crowds, they were challenged and resisted but the Spirit filled them and gave them the words to say as Jesus had promised He would do.

 ¹⁸ And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled spiritually, (in one’s spirit)

 ¹⁹ addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart,

 ²⁰ giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,

 ²¹ submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ. (Eph. 5:18-21 ESV)

               And that explains how one is to be filled spiritually. ¹⁹ addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart,

 ²⁰ giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,

 ²¹ submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.

               There is no definite article before the word spirit, not exactly a strong argument but a point to be pondered, nevertheless. As a student of the Greek New Testament, I am aware that there are times when one can add the definite article. It is not needed here.

               Here is the Greek text of this verse with each word parsed:

 

Ephesians 5:18

καὶ conj., and, but, even, also

μὴ particle, not

μεθύσκεσθε verb, pres. pass. Imperative, to become drunk, to be drunk. This verb is a negated present imperative telling the Ephesian saints to stop getting drunk.

οἴνῳ, noun, wine

ἐν prep., with the dative, in the following pronoun being in the dative case

ᾧ pron., dative, which

 ἐστιν verb, pres. act., indic.

ἀσωτία, noun, debauchery, [Fri] ἀσωτία, ας, ἡ strictly, the disposition of an ἄσωτος (having no hope of safety); the act of one, the ἄσωτος,  who has abandoned himself to reckless immoral behavior, debauchery, dissipation, incorrigibility

ἀλλὰ conj., strongest adversative in the Greek, but!

πληροῦσθε verb, pres. Pass. Imperative be being filled, we must not miss the passive idea.

ἐν prep., with the dative, in, it is not with the spirit but in spirit

πνεύματι, noun, dative, spirit, Spirit? I am leaning toward spirit. “but be filled in spirit.” Be spiritually filled.

 (Eph. 5:18 BGT)

               That actually makes more sense considering the context. Consider the verses that follow. ¹⁸ And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled spiritually,

 ¹⁹ addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart,

 ²⁰ giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,

 ²¹ submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ. (Eph. 5:18-21 ESV)

               That is telling us how to be filled spiritually.

               The Holy Spirit indwells everyone who is in Christ. We do not have the power or the authority to choose when to be filled with the Spirit. God is the One who fills us with the Spirit, but we can choose to be filled spiritually by doing what the context tells us to do. When it is needed God will fill us with the Spirit.