Ephesians 5:18: Holy Spirit or Human Spirit?

By Clifford Rapp, Jr.

Chafer Theological Seminary

Clifford Rapp received his B.A. degree from Biola University; and a Th.M. degree in Old Testament Literature and Exegesis from Dallas Theological Seminary. He is a professor of Old Testament and general biblical studies at Chafer Theological Seminary. Cliff also pastors Orange Coast Free Methodist Church, Costa Mesa, California.

Introduction

Many understand Ephesians 5:18 to be a command to be filled with the Holy Spirit. Generally teachers take this to mean that the believer surrenders to the control of the Holy Spirit. That is, Paul commands believers to be continuously filled with the Holy Spirit. Every true Christian has all the Holy Spirit, but this verse commands that the Holy Spirit have all the believer. Holy Spirit control should characterize the Christian walk.

In spite of the appeal of this interpretation, a number of questions and alternative interpretations exist. This article primarily concerns itself with a single question. That is, should we translate the word “spirit” (πνεῦμα, pneuma), with a capital “S” referring to the Holy Spirit, or with a lower case “s” referring to something else?

What Kind of a Contrast?

A key question in determining whether to capitalize the “S” is “What kind of contrast does the verse intend?” There is obviously some kind of contrast intended between “do not get drunk with wine … but be filled with the Spirit.”

Scholars make at least four suggestions as to how we should understand or interpret the comparison. The first interpretation would take it as a non-literal, figurative difference, which one could call a “balanced sentence.” [1] Jerome Smith asserts, “The balanced sentence employs a contrast, where the first member is employed solely to emphasize the last member.” [2] He compares it to the Lord’s prayer, “Lead us not into temptation, but … ” where he says that there is not a real comparison because the Lord does not lead people into temptation. The sole purpose of the “Lead us not … ” is to emphasize “Deliver us from evil.” [3]

Now it is doubtful that Paul would employ such a figure in Ephesians 5:18 with the contrast between being drunk and being filled. In the context, this comparison is part of a series of comparisons (unwise/wise in verse 15 and foolish/understanding in verse 17). It would seem both confusing and detrimental to his argument to throw in a non-literal comparison at this point. Also the possibility of Christians becoming drunk was a real problem. It was an issue with the saints at Corinth.4 That this is a figurative sentence is an unlikely possibility and, additionally, it does not help to determine whether to use a capital or a lower case “S” on the word “spirit.”

A second interpretation of the comparison in Ephesians 5:18 is to view it exclusively as a contrast between two states. There is no contrast between “wine” and “Spirit,” but only between drunkenness and fullness. [5] Virtually every expositor recognizes that the primary contrast is between two states of being. The verse says “Do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation.” Because we cannot call wine itself “dissipation,” [6] the words “for that” must mean “for that state of drunkenness is dissipation.” The word order of the original language also does not put the emphasis on the contrast between “wine” and “Spirit.” [7] Nevertheless if we understood the verse only to mean, “Do not live in a state of drunkenness for that is dissipation, but live in a state of being full,” we would miss something important. “Wine” and “Spirit” are not the principle contrast, but the apostle does contrast them and we should translate them. In any case, this second view does not help to determine whether to use a capital or a lower case “S.”

The last two ways of interpreting the intended contrast of Ephesians 5:18 serve as a divide. They separate those who would use a lower case “s” and those who would translate with a capital “S.” Those who think that a small “s” is appropriate understand the comparison as an unbalanced comparison. Each side of the comparison is missing an element. So, they say, the contrast is:

Do not get drunk with wine [in your X],
but be filled [with Y] in your spirit.

As to what we should supply to fill in the blanks, there are at least two suggestions. One view sees it as a contrast between the two natures of the believer. People who interpret this way would then supply “carnal nature” or “flesh” to fill in the “X.” Then, they would understand “spirit” as the “spiritual nature.” Thus they interpret:

Do not get drunk with wine in your fleshly nature,
but be fulfilled with something in your spiritual nature.

Others, who see the comparison as unbalanced, would fill in the blanks more literally. The “X” blank would be the “mind” or “understanding.” The “spirit” would be the human spirit. And the “Y” blank would be the “joy” [8] that results from understanding what is the will of God or “the mind of Christ.” [9] So they interpret:

Do not get drunk in your mind with wine,
but be filled in your spirit with joy (or, with the mind of Christ).

They use a number of points to support this view. For those who would supply the concept of joy, the verb translated “be filled” is commonly used of a person being filled with human emotions such as joy. [10] In addition the most common meaning of the Greek preposition en (ἐν) followed by the dative case is to indicate location.

In favor of those who would supply the concept of the “mind of Christ,” Ephesians 5:18 begins with the word “and” [11] which sets it forth as an example of the command given in verse 17. Accordingly, verse 18 explains something of what understanding the will of the Lord entails. Since Paul previously revealed that in Christ we are “renewed in the spirit of [our] mind,” [12] it would seem possible that Paul might urge saints to lay hold of that truth by being filled in their spirit with the mind of Christ. Also the most common meaning of the Greek preposition en (ἐν) followed by the dative case is to indicate location.

Concerning form, the Greek does not balance the clauses of Ephesians 5:18. On the negative side (“do not to get drunk with wine”), there is no preposition (μὴ μεθύσκεσθε οἴνῶ me methuskesthe oino). Yet the preposition en occurs on the positive side (πληροῦσθε ἐν πνεύματι, plerousthe en pneumati). Those who hold to an unbalanced comparison take it that, if Paul had intended pneumati (“with the Spirit”) to contrast directly with oino (“with wine”), he would not have used the preposition en. [13]

The first of these latter explanations (taking the comparison of Ephesians 5:18 as unbalanced) is awkward for two reasons. First, the idea of being drunk in the sphere of our carnal or fleshly nature does not fit. Drunkenness is a work of the flesh, [14] but it is the body or mind, not the fleshly nature that is the sphere in which drunkenness takes place. Second, fulfillment in our spiritual nature would seem to be a work of the Holy Spirit. One would seem forced to say, “Be fulfilled with the Holy Spirit in your spiritual nature.” Then the phrase, ἐν πνεύματι (en pneumati), would be given two distinct meanings. [15] Abbott aptly comments, “This seems an impossible combination, or rather confusion of two distinct ideas.” [16]

The second of the two interpretations that take the comparison as unbalanced seems stronger, but is still not compelling. Paul views the human spirit as active in prayer, worship, and service, but not as a center or location for understanding. For example, when Paul says, “I shall pray with the spirit and I shall pray with the mind also,” [17] he is not thinking of two spheres of prayer, but of two instruments to employ in prayer. In fact, in the matter of prayer, he writes that he can pray in his spirit without understanding in his mind. [18] If Paul meant for his readers to know the location for understanding what the will of God is, he would have used “mind” [19] or “understanding,” [20] rather than “spirit” without some qualifying phrase like “in the spirit of your mind.” Besides that, the concepts of people “being filled with the Spirit” and believers “full of the Holy Spirit” are so common in the New Testament that if Paul meant something different in Ephesians 5:18, he certainly would have expressed it more clearly.

We may say the same thing for the phrase, “with the Spirit” (ἐν πνεύματι, en pneumati), that is, “with” or “by” the Spirit. In his writings Paul uses a variety of grammatical constructions to show the agency of the Holy Spirit. En pneumati is one of the most common ways. He uses en pneumati at least two other places in Ephesians to indicate agency. In 2:22 it is by means of the Spirit that God indwells the Church. In 3:5 it is by means of the Spirit that God reveals the mystery of Christ. As Robinson notes,

It appears on the whole best to interpret the phrase as referring to the Holy Spirit: and the interpretation is confirmed when we observe the freedom with which the Apostle uses the preposition in instances which are free from ambiguity; as I Cor. xii 3 … Rom. xv 16 … compare also Rom. xiv 17, where there is a contrast somewhat resembling that of our text.” [21]

It is a very simple, natural interpretation to understand the en pneumati of Ephesians 5:18 as a reference to the Holy Spirit.

Those who support capitalizing the “S” in Spirit, take the contrast in Ephesians 5:18 to be a balanced contrast. “With wine” and “with the Spirit” play the same role on their respective sides of the contrast. [22] In support of this view are the New Testament passages that contrast drinking wine and being filled with the Spirit. Twice Luke makes this contrast. [23]

Also culturally, drunkenness as a form of worship and spiritual experience was common and widespread throughout the Roman empire at the time of the writing of Ephesians. [24] The readers would naturally view Paul’s words through their cultural experience, and Paul understood their perspective. The contrast between drunkenness in the rites of Dionysius and the fullness of the Spirit in the worship of the church would have come to the minds of the readers as a matter of course. Also in support of this view is the phrase (ἐν πνεύματι, en pneumati), which carries the meaning “in the Spirit” elsewhere in Ephesians. [25]

Regarding the use of the preposition en, it was necessary for Paul to use it to maintain the balance in function between “Spirit” and “wine” (pneumati and oino). The verb, “be filled,” is part of a class of verbs that in the active voice take the genitive and in the passive voice take the dative to indicate the content of filling. [26] If Paul had written “with the Spirit” (pneumati) without the preposition en, he would have given, not the agency by which one is filled, but the content with which one is filled. For example, if we wanted to translate “the bucket was filled with water” into Koine Greek, we could use the passive of the verb pleroo followed by the word for “water” in the dative case. [27] Then we would understand that water was what was in the bucket (content). If we wanted to translate “the bucket was filled with a hose” into Koine Greek, we could use the passive of the verb, pleroo, followed by the preposition en and the word for “hose” in the dative case. Then we would understand that the means used to fill the bucket was a hose. [28]

Objections to Interpreting Ephesians 5:18 as a Reference to the Holy Spirit

The Meaning of “Be Filled”

Some point out that the Greek verb, πληρόω (pleroo), means “to fulfill” or “to fill [full].” It does not mean to control or to empower. It is only by imposing meaning into the verb (eisegesis) that one can come up with the ideas of “to be controlled by the Spirit” or “to be empowered by the Spirit.”

While no one would argue that the verb, pleroo, denotes “to fulfill,” or “to fill [full],” there are a number of factors that lead one to interpret it as connoting “to control.” First, the verb is a passive imperative, which can mean “allow oneself to be … ” [29] It is a matter of surrender or giving-in to the doer of the action. [30] In this case a surrender to the Holy Spirit.

Second, the verb is a present tense, which may indicate durative action. An abiding state or condition is in view. Allowing oneself to be fulfilled by the Spirit should be the constant experience of the believer.

Third, when the New Testament uses the adjectival form “full of the Holy Spirit,” it describes the character of a person. A person full of the Holy Spirit is a person capable of service within the body of Christ, [31] or of representing Christ to those outside of the church. [32] A person full of the Holy Spirit is a person worth emulating. One should constantly surrender to the Spirit to become a person who merits this description.

Four, as was mentioned above, the contrast in Ephesians 5:18 is primarily between two states, the state of drunkenness versus the state of being filled by the Spirit. [33] The person who is drunk is under the control of wine. A natural conclusion is that the believer filled with the Sprit is under control of the Spirit. [34] What is the state of being filled by the Spirit if it is not each believer giving way to the Spirit’s inner transforming work? Can it be any less than the metamorphosis from glory to glory which comes from the Spirit? [35]

Additionally, consider that Paul uses the verb translated “be filled” four times in Ephesians, once in the active voice, once in the middle and twice in the passive. When Scripture uses the active and middle voices Christ is the subject (Ephesians 1:23; 4:10). Paul would have us to understand that Christ fills all in all. When Paul uses the passive, praying that the saints may be filled (3:19), or commanding that they be filled (5:18), the natural inference is that Christ fills them. The first passive use of the verb gives us a glimpse of the goal or the extent to which Christ fills us, “to the measure of all the fullness of God.” The second use of the passive explains the means by which Christ fills us with this fullness, that is, by means of the Holy Spirit. This is a simple, straight forward, consistent way of understanding the text.

Taken this way we have a typically Pauline allusion to the Trinity. Christ fills us to the fullness of God by the Spirit. It is typically Pauline not only to bring the three Persons of the Godhead together around a single verbal concept, but also to do so in Their order of mention. [36] He usually varies the order of mentioning the members of the Trinity from a strict first Person, second Person, third Person order.

The Parallel with Colossians Three

Those who take the position that “spirit” in Ephesians 5:18 needs a lower case “s” remind us that two things equal to the same thing are equal to each other. They point out that Paul associates the filling of the Spirit in Ephesians 5:18 with believers speaking to one another, singing in their hearts, giving thanks and submitting to one another. In Colossians the same concepts occur together when we let the word of Christ richly dwell in us. [37] Consequently, they conclude, being filled with the Spirit must mean be filled in your [human] spirit with the word of Christ.

This interesting bit of logic works well in mathematics, but Ephesians 5:18 does not give us enough information to make such a deduction. There are two many variables and possibilities. For comparison, in one passage Paul writes that he worships God in his spirit, [38] while in another place he says that true believers worship in the Spirit of God. [39] In these two places Paul uses the same verb, the same preposition, and the same word and case endings for spirit, but one cannot conclude that Paul’s spirit is the Holy Spirit!

Ephesians 5:18 begins with the word “and” that introduces the verse as a specific example of the command in the preceding verse [40]. Believers are to understand what the will of the Lord is. One example of understanding the will of the Lord is to be filled with the Spirit. If one were to remove the specific example in verse 18 the passage would still make sense. It is God’s will that Christians speak to one another, sing, give thanks and submit to one another. This being the case, the parallel in Colossians can be understood in either of two senses: (1) Letting the word of Christ dwell in us is another specific example of the will of the Lord [41], or (2) we may see it as equivalent to understanding the will of the Lord.

The Parallel with 1 Corinthians 14

1 Corinthians 14 uses pneuma three times of the human spirit in the context of worship. Paul sees the human spirit as an active agent of worship. The human spirit is capable of praying, [42] singing [43] and giving thanks [44] in the context of worship. Because being filled ἐν πνεύματι (en pneumati) is conjoined to singing and giving thanks in Ephesians 5, it must refer to the human spirit.

Since, however, as has been shown above, Paul indicates that the human spirit can function independently from the mind, the human spirit would not be a logical place to locate understanding of the will of the Lord. Believers would have to be filled in their mind or understanding with the comprehension of the will of the Lord, not in their human spirit. Paul must have had the Holy Spirit in mind.

Conclusion

There are a number of questions that we may ask about how to translate “by the Spirit” in Ephesians 5:18. Yet when we consider all the issues, the evidence brings us to the position represented in every translation of the English Bible: we should capitalize the “S” to denote the Holy Spirit. [45] It has always been the will of the Lord that Church saints “be filled by means of the Holy Spirit.”

Notes

1. The New Treasury of Scripture Knowledge, edited by Jerome H. Smith (Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1992), p. 1386.
2. Smith, p. 1151.
3. Smith, p. 1151.
4. 1 Corinthians 11:21.
5. The Interpreter’s Bible, edited by George Arthur Buttrick (New York: Abingdon-Cokesbury Press, 1953), Volume X, “Ephesians” by Francis W. Beare, p. 714
6. If wine itself was dissipation, then the Bible would require total abstinence.
7. The Expositors Greek Testament, edited by W. Robertson Nicoll (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1974 reprint), Volume III, “Ephesians” by S.D.F. Salmond, p. 363.
8. Unpublished notes from a 1995 presentation at Chafer Theological Seminar by John Geise.
9. Dictionary of New Testament Theology, edited by Colin Brown (Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1967), Volume I, “Fullness,” by R. Schippers, p. 739.
10. John 15:11; 16:24; Romans 15:13; 2 Timothy 1:4; 1 John 1:4; 2 John 12.
11. Greek: καί (kai), explicative — general to specific.
12. Ephesians 4:23.
13. One could also note that the result phrase, “for that is dissipation,” is not balanced in verse 18. However, the participles that follow in verses 19–21 could be understood as results of being filled with the Spirit.
14. Galatians 5:21.
15. Alford’s Greek Testament, by Henry Alford (Grand Rapids: Guardian Press, 1976 reprint of 1875 fifth edition), 3:134.
16. A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the Epistles to the Ephesians and to the Colossians, by T. K. Abbott (Edinburgh: T. & T. Clark, 1897), p. 162.
17. 1 Corinthians 14:15.
18. 1 Corinthians 14:14.
19. νοῦς (Nous).
20. φρήν (Phren).
21. St. Paul’s Epistle to the Ephesians, by Joseph Armitage Robinson (London: Macmillan and Co., 1904), pp. 203–204.
22. This view is widely held. H. C. G. Moule, for example, writes, “I do not hesitate to supply the definite article, ‘the Spirit.’ The context assuredly demands it, for we need a word which shall be an antithesis to the ‘wine’ of the previous clause.” Ephesians Studies (New York: A. C. Armstrong and Son, 1900), p. 274.
23. Luke 1:15; Acts 2:4, 13.
24. See Bibliotheca Sacra, Volume 136, Number 543, July-September, 1979, “The Dionysian Background of Ephesians 5:18, ” by Cleon L. Rogers, Jr.
25. Ephesians 2:22; 3:5; and possibly 6:18 where it would mean “in association with.”
26. A Greek Grammar of the New Testament, by F. Blass and A. Debrunner, translated and edited by Robert W. Funk (Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 1961), section 172, p. 95.
27. Paul uses this form, pleroo followed by a simple dative, in Romans 1:29 and 2 Corinthians 7:4.
28. “No examples of this construction have been found in biblical Greek to express content, thus, to see en pneumati here as indicating content is grammatically suspect” (Selected Notes on the Syntax of New Testament Greek, DTS 203, by Daniel Wallace, p. 65).
29. Funk, section 314, p. 165.
30. To take the en pneumati of Ephesians 5:18 as a reference to the human spirit would mean that the verb is not passive, but middle (see Abbott, p. 161).
31. Acts 6:3.
32. Acts 7:55.
33. Calvin comments, “Such carnal excitement is contrasted with that holy joy of which the Spirit of God is the Author, and which produces entirely opposite effects.” He also notes Erasmus’ words, “This is a pleasant kind of drunkenness, which stimulates you … to psalms, to hymns, to spiritual songs … .” Commentaries on the Epistles of Paul to the Galatians and Ephesians, by John Calvin (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1948), p. 315.
34. “Men are said to be filled with wine when completely under its influence; so they are said to be filled with the Spirit, when he controls all their thoughts, feelings, word, and actions.” Commentary on the Epistle to the Ephesians, by Charles Hodge (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1974 reprint), p. 302.
35. 2 Corinthians 3:17, 18.
36. 2 Corinthians 13:14 for example.
37. Colossians 3:16.
38. Romans 1:9.
39. Philippians 3:3.
40. και explicative as noted above
41. Those who take the reference to the Spirit in Ephesians 5:18 as a metonymy where the cause is put for the effect, i.e., the Spirit for the operations of the Spirit, could also see Colossians 3:16 as a specific operation of the Spirit as in John 6:63.
42. 1 Corinthians 14:14–15.
43. 1 Corinthians 14:15.
44. 1 Corinthians 14:16–17.
45. See, for example, KJV, NKJV, ASV, NASB, NIV, RSV, Living Bible, The New English Bible, The New Life Testament, and The New Testament in Hebrew and English.