Ephesians 5:18
Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to reckless indiscretion. Instead, be filled with the Spirit.
Do not get drunk on wine
The phrase "do not get drunk on wine" serves as a direct admonition against excessive consumption of alcohol. The Greek word for "drunk" is "methyskō," which implies a state of intoxication that impairs judgment and self-control. In the historical context of Ephesus, a city known for its pagan worship and revelry, this command would have been particularly poignant. Wine was often used in religious ceremonies, and drunkenness was associated with pagan rituals. The Apostle Paul is urging believers to distinguish themselves from the surrounding culture by exercising self-control and sobriety.

which leads to reckless indiscretion
The Greek word translated as "reckless indiscretion" is "asōtia," which conveys a sense of wastefulness and debauchery. This term suggests a lifestyle that is devoid of moral restraint and leads to destructive behavior. In the broader scriptural context, such behavior is often contrasted with the fruit of the Spirit, which includes self-control and righteousness. The warning here is clear: indulgence in alcohol can lead to a loss of moral clarity and a life that dishonors God.

Instead, be filled with the Spirit
The contrast between being drunk with wine and being filled with the Spirit is stark and intentional. The Greek word for "filled" is "plēroō," which means to be fully supplied or complete. This filling is not a one-time event but a continuous process of yielding to the Holy Spirit's influence and guidance. In the historical and scriptural context, being filled with the Spirit results in a life characterized by the fruits of the Spirit, such as love, joy, peace, and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23). This command encourages believers to seek spiritual fulfillment and empowerment rather than temporary and destructive pleasures.

Persons / Places / Events
1. Paul the Apostle
The author of the letter to the Ephesians, Paul was a key figure in the early Christian church, known for his missionary journeys and theological teachings.

2. Ephesus
A major city in Asia Minor, Ephesus was a center of trade and culture. The Ephesian church was one of the early Christian communities to which Paul wrote.

3. Holy Spirit
The third person of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit is central to Christian life and empowerment, guiding believers in truth and righteousness.

4. Wine
In the context of Ephesians 5:18, wine represents indulgence and excess, which can lead to a lack of self-control and moral failure.

5. Reckless Indiscretion
This term refers to behavior that is unwise and lacking in moral restraint, often resulting from drunkenness or other forms of excess.
Teaching Points
Avoiding Excess
The command to not get drunk on wine serves as a broader principle against any form of excess that leads to a loss of self-control and moral compromise.

Being Filled with the Spirit
This is an ongoing process, not a one-time event. Believers are encouraged to continually seek the Spirit's guidance and empowerment in their daily lives.

Contrast of Influences
The passage highlights the contrast between being influenced by substances like wine and being influenced by the Holy Spirit, urging believers to choose the latter.

Moral and Spiritual Discernment
Being filled with the Spirit equips believers with the discernment needed to live wisely and make godly choices.

Community and Accountability
Engaging with a community of believers can provide support and accountability in the pursuit of a Spirit-filled life.
Bible Study Questions
1. What are some modern-day equivalents to "getting drunk on wine" that can lead to reckless indiscretion, and how can we guard against them?

2. How does being filled with the Spirit manifest in a believer's daily life, and what are some practical ways to seek this filling?

3. In what ways does the influence of the Holy Spirit differ from other influences in our lives, and how can we prioritize His guidance?

4. How can the teachings in Galatians 5:16-25 help us understand the importance of living by the Spirit rather than indulging in the flesh?

5. What role does community play in helping us live a Spirit-filled life, and how can we actively engage with others to foster spiritual growth?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Galatians 5:16-25
This passage contrasts the works of the flesh with the fruit of the Spirit, emphasizing the importance of living by the Spirit rather than indulging in sinful desires.

Proverbs 20:1
This verse warns about the deceptive nature of wine and strong drink, highlighting the dangers of losing self-control.

Acts 2:4
The filling of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost demonstrates the transformative power of the Spirit in the lives of believers.

1 Corinthians 6:19-20
These verses remind believers that their bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, urging them to honor God with their bodies.
A Warning Against IntemperanceT. Manton, D. D.Ephesians 5:18
Christians Invited to Partake of the Spirit FreelyAnon.Ephesians 5:18
Christians Must be Filled with the SpiritT. Manton, D. D.Ephesians 5:18
DrunkennessJ. Lathrop, D. D.Ephesians 5:18
Drunkenness and its AntidoteW.F. Adeney Ephesians 5:18
Drunkenness to be AvoidedJohn Edwards, D. D.Ephesians 5:18
Filled with the SpiritJ. Eadie, D. D.Ephesians 5:18
Grace Expels ViceH. Drummond.Ephesians 5:18
Not Spirits, But The SpiritJ. Pulsford.Ephesians 5:18
Not Wine, But the SpiritJ. E. Beaumont, D. D.Ephesians 5:18
The Sin and Folly of DrunkennessR. W. Dale, LL. D.Ephesians 5:18
The Sin of IntemperanceJ. Eadie, D. D.Ephesians 5:18
The Wine DivineHarry Jones, M. A.Ephesians 5:18
To be Filled with the SpiritJ. H. Evans, M. A.Ephesians 5:18
Warning Against DrunkennessT. Croskery Ephesians 5:18
Exhortation to Exercise Wisdom in Regard to Our Manner of WalkR. Finlayson Ephesians 5:15-21
Two Worlds of One RaceD. Thomas Ephesians 5:15-21
Inspiration, Spirituous and SpiritualR.M. Edgar Ephesians 5:17-21
The True Antidote to DrunkennessT. Croskery Ephesians 5:18-21
People
Christians, Ephesians, Paul
Places
Ephesus
Topics
Debauchery, Dissipation, Dissoluteness, Drunk, Drunken, Easy, Excess, Filled, Full, Instead, Leads, Overcome, Over-indulge, Overmuch, Riot, Spirit, Wherein, Wine
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Ephesians 5:18

     3233   Holy Spirit, and sanctification
     3254   Holy Spirit, fruit of
     4436   drinking, abstention
     4544   wine
     4942   fulness
     5844   emotions
     5850   excess
     5856   extravagance
     8151   revival, corporate
     8162   spiritual vitality
     8164   spirituality
     8307   moderation
     8422   equipping, spiritual

Ephesians 5:18-19

     5015   heart, and Holy Spirit

Ephesians 5:18-20

     3218   Holy Spirit, and praise
     3221   Holy Spirit, and prayer
     3251   Holy Spirit, filling with
     7028   church, life of
     8666   praise, manner and methods

Library
January 1. "Redeeming the Time" (Eph. v. 16).
"Redeeming the time" (Eph. v. 16). Two little words are found in the Greek version here. They are translated "ton kairon" in the revised version, "Buying up for yourselves the opportunity." The two words ton kairon mean, literally, the opportunity. They do not refer to time in general, but to a special point of time, a juncture, a crisis, a moment full of possibilities and quickly passing by, which we must seize and make the best of before it has passed away. It is intimated that there are not
Rev. A. B. Simpson—Days of Heaven Upon Earth

June 27. "Be Filled with the Spirit" (Eph. v. 18).
"Be filled with the Spirit" (Eph. v. 18). Some of the effects of being filled with the Spirit are: 1. Holiness of heart and life. This is not the perfection of the human nature, but the holiness of the divine nature dwelling within. 2. Fulness of joy so that the heart is constantly radiant. This does not depend on circumstances, but fills the spirit with holy laughter in the midst of the most trying surroundings. 3. Fulness of wisdom, light and knowledge, causing us to see things as He sees them.
Rev. A. B. Simpson—Days of Heaven Upon Earth

April 22. "Christ is the Head" (Eph. v. 23).
"Christ is the head" (Eph. v. 23). Often we want people to pray for us and help us, but always defeat our object when we look too much to them and lean upon them. The true secret of union is for both to look upon God, and in the act of looking past themselves to Him they are unconsciously united. The sailor was right when he saw the little boy fall overboard and waited a minute before he plunged to his rescue. When the distracted mother asked him in agony why he had waited so long, he sensibly replied:
Rev. A. B. Simpson—Days of Heaven Upon Earth

Third Sunday in Lent
Text: Ephesians 5, 1-9. 1 Be ye therefore imitators of God, as beloved children; 2 and walk in love, even as Christ also loved you, and gave himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for an odor of a sweet smell. 3 But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not even be named among you, as becometh saints; 4 nor filthiness, nor foolish talking, or jesting, which are not befitting: but rather giving of thanks. 5 For this ye know of a surety, that no fornicator, nor unclean
Martin Luther—Epistle Sermons, Vol. II

Twentieth Sunday after Trinity the Careful Walk of the Christian.
Text: Ephesians 5, 15-21. 15 Look therefore carefully how ye walk [See then that ye walk circumspectly], not as unwise, but as wise; 16 redeeming the time, because the days are evil. 17 Wherefore be ye not foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. 18 And be not drunken with wine, wherein is riot, but be filled with the Spirit; 19 speaking one to another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord; 20 giving thanks always for all things
Martin Luther—Epistle Sermons, Vol. III

God's Imitators
Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children'--Eph. v. 1. The Revised Version gives a more literal and more energetic rendering of this verse by reading, 'Be ye, therefore, imitators of God, as beloved children.' It is the only place in the Bible where that bold word 'imitate' is applied to the Christian relation to God. But, though the expression is unique, the idea underlies the whole teaching of the New Testament on the subject of Christian character and conduct. To be like God, and
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture Ephesians, Peter,John

Pleasing Christ
'Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord.'--Eph. v. 10. These words are closely connected with those which precede them in the 8th verse--'Walk as children of light.' They further explain the mode by which that commandment is to be fulfilled. They who, as children of light, mindful of their obligations and penetrated by its brightness, seek to conform their active life to the light to which they belong, are to do so by making experiment of, or investigating and determining, what is 'acceptable
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture Ephesians, Peter,John

Unfruitful Works of Darkness
'And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.'--Eph. v. 11. We have seen in a former sermon that 'the fruit,' or outcome, 'of the Light' is a comprehensive perfection, consisting in all sorts and degrees of goodness and righteousness and truth. Therefore, the commandment, 'Walk as children of the light,' sums up all Christian morality. Is there need, then, for any additional precept? Yes; for Christian people do not live in an empty world. If there were
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture Ephesians, Peter,John

Sleepers at Noonday
'Wherefore He saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light,'--Eph. v. 14. This is the close of a short digression about 'light.' The 'wherefore' at the beginning of my text seems to refer to the whole of the verses that deal with that subject. It is as if the Apostle had said, 'I have been telling you about light and its blessed effects. Now I tell you how you may win it for yours. The condition on which it is to be received by men is that they awake
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture Ephesians, Peter,John

What Children of Light Should Be
'Walk as children of light.'--Eph. v. 8. It was our Lord who coined this great name for His disciples. Paul's use of it is probably a reminiscence of the Master's, and so is a hint of the existence of the same teachings as we now find in the existing Gospels, long before their day. Jesus Christ said, 'Believe in the light, that ye may be the children of light'; and Paul gives substantially the same account of the way by which a man becomes a Son of the Light when he says, in the words preceding
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture Ephesians, Peter,John

The Fruit of the Light
'The fruit of the light is in all goodness and righteousness and truth.'--Eph. v. 9 (R.V.). This is one of the cases in which the Revised Version has done service by giving currency to an unmistakably accurate and improved reading. That which stands in our Authorised Version, 'the fruit of the Spirit' seems to have been a correction made by some one who took offence at the violent metaphor, as he conceived it, that 'light' should bear 'fruit' and desired to tinker the text so as to bring it into
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture Ephesians, Peter,John

Paul's Reasons for Temperance
'And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them. 12. For it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret. 13. But all things that are reproved are made manifest by the light: for whatsoever doth make manifest is light. 14. Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light. 15. See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, 16. Redeeming the time, because the days
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture Ephesians, Peter,John

Redeeming the Time
'See, then, that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil.'--Eph. v. 15, 16. Some of us have, in all probability, very little more 'time' to 'redeem.' Some of us have, in all probability, the prospect of many years yet to live. For both classes my text presents the best motto for another year. The most frivolous among us, I suppose, have some thoughts when we step across the conventional boundary that seems to separate the unbroken sequence
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture Ephesians, Peter,John

On Marriage.
TEXT: EPH. v. 22-31. IN completing lately the annual round of our Christian holy-days, I expressed to you the wish that the holy emotions which our hearts experience at such seasons might not pass away with them; but that the impressions then made might accompany us during the other half of the year, so that without any extraordinary festival incitement we might constantly retain a more lively sense of communion with the Redeemer, and a fuller enjoyment of what the eternal Father has done through
Friedrich Schleiermacher—Selected Sermons of Schleiermacher

The Light of God
Preached for the Chelsea National Schools.] Ephesians v. 13. All things which are reproved are made manifest by the light: for whatsoever is made manifest is light. This is a noble text, a royal text; one of those texts which forbid us to clip and cramp Scripture to suit any narrow notions of our own; which open before us boundless vistas of God's love, of human knowledge, of the future of mankind. There are many such texts, many more than we fancy; but this is one which is especially valuable
Charles Kingsley—Sermons for the Times

Against Foolish Talking and Jesting.
"Nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient."-- Ephes. v.4. Moral and political aphorisms are seldom couched in such terms that they should be taken as they sound precisely, or according to the widest extent of signification; but do commonly need exposition, and admit exception: otherwise frequently they would not only clash with reason and experience, but interfere, thwart, and supplant one another. The best masters of such wisdom are wont to interdict things, apt by unseasonable
Isaac Barrow—Sermons on Evil-Speaking, by Isaac Barrow

Sensual and Spiritual Excitement.
Preached August 4, 1850. SENSUAL AND SPIRITUAL EXCITEMENT. "Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is. And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit."--Ephesians v. 17, 18. There is evidently a connection between the different branches of this sentence--for ideas cannot be properly contrasted which have not some connection--but what that connection is, is not at first sight clear. It almost appears like a profane and irreverent juxtaposition
Frederick W. Robertson—Sermons Preached at Brighton

Members of Christ
"For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones."--Ephesians 5:30. YESTERDAY, when I had the painful task of speaking at the funeral of our dear friend, Mr. William Olney, I took the text which I am going to take again now. I am using it again because I did not then really preach from it at all, but simply reminded you of a favorite expression of his, which I heard from his lips many times in prayer. He very frequently spoke of our being one with Christ in "living, loving, lasting
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 38: 1892

Living, Loving, Lasting Union
With new portraits of Pastor C. H. Spurgeon and Mr. William Olney "For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones--Ephesians 5:30. BEFORE the funeral, at Norwood Cemetery, of the late Mr. William Olney, senior deacon of the church at the metropolitan Tabernacle, a service was held in the Tabernacle. The building was crowded with sympathizing friends, who came to testify the affection they bore to the beloved deacon who had been so suddenly called from their midst. The senior Pastor
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 38: 1892

Wary Walking.
(Twentieth Sunday after Trinity.) EPHESIANS v. 15. "See then that ye walk circumspectly." Some people tell us that salvation is the easiest thing in the world. We have only to feel that we believe in Jesus Christ, and all is done. Now neither Jesus Christ Himself, nor the Apostles whom He sent to teach, tell us anything of the kind. On the contrary, our Saviour, whilst He dwells on the fulness and freedom of salvation, offered to all without money, and without price, tells us that many are called,
H. J. Wilmot-Buxton—The Life of Duty, a Year's Plain Sermons, v. 2

Tenth Day. Love to the Brethren.
"And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us."--Eph. v. 2. "Jesus," says a writer, "came from heaven on the wings of love." It was the element in which he moved and walked. He sought to baptize the world afresh with it. When we find Him teaching us by love to vanquish an enemy, we need not wonder at the tenderness of His appeals to the brethren to "love one another." Like a fond father impressing his children, how the Divine Teacher lingers over the lesson, "This is My commandment!" If
John R. Macduff—The Mind of Jesus

"For to be Carnally Minded is Death; but to be Spiritually Minded is Life and Peace. "
Rom. viii. 6.--"For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace." It is true, this time is short, and so short that scarce can similitudes or comparisons be had to shadow it out unto us. It is a dream, a moment, a vapour, a flood, a flower, and whatsoever can be more fading or perishing; and therefore it is not in itself very considerable, yet in another respect it is of all things the most precious, and worthy of the deepest attention and most serious consideration;
Hugh Binning—The Works of the Rev. Hugh Binning

"If So be that the Spirit of God Dwell in You. Now if any Man have not the Spirit of Christ, He is None of His. "
Rom. viii. 9.--"If so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his." There is a great marriage spoken of, Eph. v. that hath a great mystery in it, which the apostle propoundeth as the sample and archetype of all marriages or rather as the substance, of which all conjunctions and relations among the creatures are but the shadows. It is that marriage between Christ and his church, for which, it would appear, this world was builded, to be
Hugh Binning—The Works of the Rev. Hugh Binning

"The Truth. " Some Generals Proposed.
That what we are to speak to for the clearing and improving this noble piece of truth, that Christ is the Truth, may be the more clearly understood and edifying, we shall first take notice of some generals, and then show particularly how or in what respects Christ is called the Truth; and finally speak to some cases wherein we are to make use of Christ as the Truth. As to the first. There are four general things here to be noticed. 1. This supposeth what our case by nature is, and what we are all
John Brown (of Wamphray)—Christ The Way, The Truth, and The Life

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