And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery,
but be filled with the Spirit,
addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs,
singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart,
giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father
in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ
submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.
–Ephesians 5:18-21

“Get drunk” on the Spirit.  I think that’s what Paul means.  When he draws the contrast between ” . . . do not get drunk with wine . . . but be filled with the Spirit”, I think he’s also drawing a comparison.  Don’t get drunk with wine because that leads to immoral self-indulgence.  “Get drunk with” the Spirit because that leads to worshipful singing.

Singing flows from the Spirit’s filling.  ” . . . do not get drunk with wine . . . but be filled with the Spirit” (5:18).  Kind of a shocking contrast/comparison!  But don’t picture Christians staggering around the sanctuary slurring “Holy, Holy, Holy”.  These pagans-turned-Christians may have used wine to “juice” their former idolatrous worship.  So Paul may be using their past to direct their present:  “No more wine to stimulate “worship”; drink the Spirit to get singing!”

The implication is significant:  Worshipful singing to the Lord that pleases the Lord requires the Spirit of the Lord. Jesus said, ” . . . those who worship [God] must worship in Spirit and truth” (John 4:24).  Most translations have “spirit”–small “s”.  But, based on Romans 8:15 (” . . . you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, ‘Abba!  Father!'”), I take Jesus to mean “Spirit”–capital “S”–or at least to mean our spirit filled with the Spirit.  Singing in worship isn’t a community sing-along.  It actually is an act of God.  It flows from the Spirit’s filling.

There’s a second implication:  We shouldn’t not sing because we think we can’t sing.  Over the years I’ve noticed some people who don’t sing and asked them why.  “Because I can’t sing!”  No matter.  Who do you think gave you that “bad” voice?  The Creator (who also gives you the Spirit)delights to hear you sing to him!  Think about the greatness of the God to whom we’re singing.  Who do you think sings well enough for him?  God the Holy Spirit fills us so we can sing in ways that delight him (even if people around us don’t stand in awe of the heavenly sounds coming from our mouth or we think we’re so bad we couldn’t even make the kids’ choir at 30 years old!).

How can we be filled with the Spirit?  No how-to’s needed for drinking wine.  But how can we “drink” the Spirit?  (who, after all, is a person–God the Holy Spirit) Paul commands us, “Be filled with the Spirit”, but doesn’t tell us how here.  However, in 1:17 he prays that God might give us the Spirit of wisdom and revelation.  So one way to be filled with the Spirit is to ask God to in prayer (not a one-time event).  And in 6:18 he urges the church to “take . . . the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.”  So another way to be filled with the Spirit is  hear and read God’s Word (not a once-a-week event with the pastor).  So from prayer and the Word comes the Spirit’s filling.  And from the Spirit’s filling comes singing to the Lord.

Singing fuels the Spirit’s filling.  Grammatically, Paul may mean both that singing flows from the Spirit’s filling and singing further fuels the Spirit’s filling.  Haven’t you sensed that at times?  As you sing to the Lord with his people haven’t you discerned a deeper working of the Spirit in you?  Haven’t you felt your heart burn inside?  Haven’t you become aware of a powerful longing for him? 

A Word to the Cautious.  All this talk about the Spirit sounds, well, kind of “charismatic”.  Next we’ll be barking like dogs and falling  backwards on the floor.  Listen, I’m not arguing for worship-like-a-circus.  Some behaviors clearly cross the line of  “decently and in order” (1 Corinthians 14:40).  But when Paul contrasts/compares Spirit-filled worship-singing with getting drunk on wine, he clearly expects worship to engage our emotions.  Shouldn’t it?  After all, we’re worshiping God “who blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places”–choosing us, predestining us for adoption, redeeming us through Christ’s blood, forgiving our trespasses, lavishing the riches of his grace on us, making known to us the mystery of his will, naming us heirs of his glory (1:3–14)?  Let’s not be so cautious of “crossing the line” that we fail to sing and make melody to the Lord “with our heart” (5:19)!

Thirsty?