Filled with the Spirit

Ephesians 5.18 has always been an enigma to me. What does it really mean to be filled with the Spirit? And how do I get filled (or better yet, how did I get unfilled)? Graham Cole has written an excellent book called Engaging with the Holy Spirit: Real Questions, Practical Answers. This book comes at least in part from a larger work, which is also excellent, He Who Gives Life. I thoroughly enjoyed this short primer on the Holy Spirit. I really enjoyed his treatment of the filling of the Spirit in the last chapter. Maybe I have heard this type of thing before, but to understand these verses in terms of Ecclesiology instead of Sanctification is really helpful and clarifying for me.

Let me attempt to reconstruct some of the argument. The only command in the Bible to be filled with the Spirit is found in Eph 5.18. We have numerous examples of the Spirit empowering prophets, kings, apostles, even Elizabeth enjoys some type of special ministry of the Spirit when she and Mary meet (Luke 1.41-42). Cole argues that these special experiences need to be treated with great care. These experiences all involve some type of filling AND speaking. "These instances of filling are conjoined with some kind of speech act." (103)

We then come to Eph 5 and we meet our only actual command to be filled. These special occurrences give us no indication of an intentionally cooperative activity. In other words, God chose to sovereignly do these things. These instances are all individual. The Ephesians passage is corporate. The command is given then we find 5 participles, all present and continuous in nature. The question is, do we understand these as being participles of result or participles of means? One quote may help to clarify the difference: "The five participles [activities] do no lead to the filling by the Spirit, rather they indicate the means by which the command is carried out." (107 )

So what's the point? Cole makes some great observations in the last part of his argument. I think this final quote will well summarize the significance of this discussion.

However, to pursue the Spirit's control is to miss it. In moral philosphy there is a fallacy called the hedonistic fallacy. Pursue pleasure, and you will not get it. Pleasure is a byproduce of other pursuits. Pursue the Spirit, and you will not be obeying the Pauline command. However, fill up our gathering with these practices, and then the Spirit will be filling the temple of God. Both attitude (thankfulness and reverence or respect) and activity (speaking, singing, making melody, and so forth) are involved.

May our corporate gathering reflect the mighty filling of the Spirit through our attitudes and our actions. You would be well served to pick up this book for yourself and read all the chapters. My attempt to summarize doesn't do this treatment justice!