Ephesians 5:18-33
Rev Biak Lawm Thang
“…the meaning of being filled with the Spirit…”
~5 min read
Dear Bethelites,
Introduction
Of the various glorious ministries that the Holy Spirit continues to perform in the life of the believer,¹ probably the most misunderstood and misused is what is commonly known as the “filling” of the Spirit. Nowadays, in some Christian circles, almost anything that happens beyond normal and natural course (such as unceasing laughter or crying, unseemly crawling/rolling/jumping and dancing, meaningless utterance and insane activity in worship, etc.) seems to be interpreted in terms of Spirit-filling. Many have been and continue to be deceived into believing that such “extraordinary” outbreaks are indeed the outward manifestation of being filled with the Spirit. What exactly is the meaning of Spirit-filling? What happens to a person who is truly filled with the Spirit? These are important questions and are dealt with by the apostle Paul in Eph 5:18-33.
¹The Holy Spirit, the third Person of the holy Trinity, performs many works in the life of the believer, which include: regenerating (John 3:3-5; Tit 3:5), baptizing (Acts 1:4-5; 1 Cor 12:13), sealing (Eph 1:13, 14; Gal 4:6; Rom 8:14, 16; 2 Tim 2:19-21), indwelling (Rom 8:9; 1 Cor 6:19; 2 Cor 6:16), empowering (Rom 8:2, 12, 13; Gal 5:22-23), guiding (Acts 8:27-29; 16:6, 7; 13:2-4; Rom 8:14; Gal 5:16, 25), anointing (1 John 2:27; Acts 2:20), gifts-giving (Rom 12:6-8; 1 Cor 12:4-11; Eph 4:10, 11).
Meaning (v.18)
When Paul penned this portion of God’s inspired Word from the prison of Rome, he was in the process of explaining what it means to live the Christian life in the day-to-day activities. He summarily termed it as “walking worthy of” one’s calling as a Christian (4:1). This theme he continued to elaborate right through the end of the epistle (chapters 4-6). Earlier in the previous three chapters (1-3), he had just finished explaining the theological and doctrinal aspect of being a Christian. He now addressed the practical implications of that doctrine (chapters 4-6). True Christianity is not just about believing in biblical doctrines but also living a godly life as the consequence of those beliefs. It is in the context of such practical exhortation that the apostle placed the subject of Spirit-filling. The logical implication is that a Spirit-filled life is a part and parcel of being a Christian.
“And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit” (v 18). What exactly then is the meaning of being filled with the Spirit? The phrase “be filled with the Spirit” suffers various misinterpretations. Some understand it in terms of having more of the Spirit, or being progressively filled up by the Spirit, just like a bottle is filled with water by degrees. These are misconceptions, leading to, in many cases, unseemly behaviours mentioned above. The Holy Spirit is not like a liquid or a thing that can be decreased, increased or possessed in lesser or greater degrees. Being the third person of the Holy Trinity, He is a Person. It is either you have Him, or you don’t have Him at all. By definition, there can be no such thing as having more or less of the Spirit.
Before we were born again in Christ, the common experience of every one of us was that we did not have the Spirit within us. But the moment we are born again, the Spirit immediately makes His residence within us, and from then on, He never leaves us for the rest of our lives. This is known as the indwelling of the Spirit, a one time, but continuous, permanent, and non-repeatable experience of every true believer (cf Rom 8:9; 1 Cor 6:19; 2 Cor 6:16; Eph 2:22). This ministry of the Spirit is different from filling, which is the subject of the present reflection.
The original word for “filled” is pleroo, which is a very common word in the New Testament. Most frequently it is translated as “fulfill,” “fill,” and “full.” While it can have different shades of meaning, depending on the context in which it is used, it’s meaning in relation to the filling of the Spirit must be understood in terms of influence or control. The person who is “filled with the Spirit” is completely influenced, controlled, and led by the Spirit. This understanding is supported by the immediate context and the instances of Spirit-filled events recorded in the New Testament (cf Acts 2; 4:8; 7:55; 13:9, 52 etc). In the same verse, to bring out his point, the apostle Paul draws the analogy of a wine-controlled situation: “and be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess.” The person who is drunk with wine is controlled and driven by the power of wine, so that he does things that are “excess” (“riot,” Tit 1:6; 1 Pet 4:4), which he would not do when freed from the power of wine. Similarly, the believer who is filled with the Spirit is under His complete control, so that his thoughts, speech, and deeds are all framed in harmony with the will of the Spirit.
Further observations on the grammar of the phrase “be filled with the Spirit” will shed more light. First, it is a command in the passive sense (passive imperative), which requires the action of the Spirit (the object) for fulfillment, while the benefit of that action goes to the believer (the subject). In obedience to the command the believer is sincerely and earnestly to allow the Holy Spirit to take full control of his life. This he can do by humbly submitting to His authority and leading (Gal 5:16-18, 25), by filling himself richly with God’s Word (Col 3:16), and by not grieving or quenching Him (Eph 4:30; 1 Thes 5:15-19).
Second, it is a command that needs to come true in the believer’s life on a continual or repeated manner. This is indicated by the tense and mood in which the command is given (present imperative). While the other works of the Spirit, such as sealing, baptizing, and indwelling, are non-repeatable, the filling with the Spirit is a repeatable one. The believer must seek to experience it in his life continually or repeatedly so that he can live his life for God’s glory.
Third, it is a command to every believer without exception. Note that the command is given in the plural form, indicating that a Spirit-controlled life is meant for every single believer, not just for Pastors and Preachers, or some godly people (cf 2 Cor 3:18). Putting the whole thing together, a Spirit-filled life is an experience that must be true repeatedly or continually in the life of every true believer.
Result (vv.19-33)
The rest of the chapter, namely, verses 19-33, can be seen as a description of the result of a Spirit-filled life. When the believer is filled with (controlled by) the Spirit, the following behaviours (instead of those improper behaviours mentioned above) will be evident in his life (though not confined to these): a heart filled with joy and praise (v 19), a thankful heart (v 20), a submissive heart in the fear of God (v 21), a wife who is respectfully submissive to her husband (vv 22-24), and an husband who is faithfully loving toward his wife (vv 25:33).²
²Other fruits of a Spirit-filled life include victory over sin (Gal 5:16), bearing spiritual fruits (Gal 5:22-23), boldness in witness (Acts 4:31) etc.
Conclusion
Dearly beloved, is your life controlled by the Holy Spirit? Or are you filled with and controlled by something else – worldly fame and fortune, jealousy, anger, hatred, pride, and all sorts of sin? Let us pray very hard and do our part faithfully so that we may live a Spirit-filled life for the glory of God.
With love in Christ,
Biak Lawm Thang
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