And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit,
English Standard Version (ESV)
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Ephesians 5:18
What does Ephesians 5:18 mean?
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Ephesians 5:18
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The verse doesn't just warn against drunkenness; it highlights that the true danger isn't just the wine itself, but the "excess" or "riotousness" that it unleashes within a person. Paul then offers a powerful alternative: being filled with the Spirit, which leads to a holy joy and active thanksgiving, contrasting sharply with the destructive revelry of intoxication.
And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit,
English Standard Version (ESV)
The Apostle Paul is urging believers to live wisely, not like fools, by "redeeming the time" because the days are evil. He contrasts the reckless, self-indulgent behavior of the world with the focused, Spirit-led life of a Christian, directly addressing the potential for drunkenness and its associated debauchery. Following this warning, Paul immediately pivots to the positive practice of singing and thanksgiving, showing how the Spirit fills believers in a way that wine cannot.
Paul doesn't just say 'don't get drunk.' He explains why this isn't just a bad habit, but a dangerous deception.
The verse contrasts two kinds of 'filling.' The first is being 'drunk with wine.' This isn't just about being tipsy; the Greek word used here, 'asōtia,' speaks of recklessness, dissoluteness, and a loss of self-control. It implies a life that's essentially 'unsaveable' or beyond recovery.
This state was particularly associated with pagan worship at the time, like the festivals of Bacchus, where intoxication was seen as a way to connect with their gods. Paul is starkly contrasting this with true worship. Getting drunk on wine offers a counterfeit spiritual experience – a fleeting, wild excitement that ultimately leads to destructive behavior and a separation from God's wisdom and control.
Paul doesn't leave us with a prohibition; he offers a powerful, positive alternative that truly satisfies.
The counterpoint to 'drunk with wine' is to 'be filled with the Spirit.' This isn't about a mild influence; the Greek implies being completely permeated, possessed, and controlled by the Holy Spirit. It’s a divine filling that offers a far superior experience to any artificial high.
Instead of the recklessness and debauchery of drunkenness, being filled with the Spirit leads to godly joy, peace, and wisdom. It empowers us to live rightly, to understand God's will, and to worship Him authentically, as Paul goes on to describe with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. It’s a lasting, transformative work of God within us, not a temporary escape.
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Understand the original words
asōtia · Greek Noun
A state of moral recklessness, lack of self-control, or profligacy. It implies a life spiraling out of control, dissociated from godly restraint.
plēroō · Greek Verb
In the context of the New Testament, this signifies being completely permeated, empowered, and governed by the Holy Spirit. It is a continuous, passive state where the believer is yielded to the Spirit's control.
pneuma · Greek Noun
The third person of the Trinity, the agent of regeneration, sanctification, and guidance in the life of the believer. He is the active presence of God within the Church.
Paul's instruction to avoid drunkenness and be filled with the Spirit directly counters the pervasive culture of pagan religious festivals that encouraged intoxication as a means of divine encounter.
c. 1st century AD
Roman Empire and Wine Culture
Wine was a common beverage throughout the Roman Empire, often consumed with meals and at social gatherings. While moderate drinking was accepted, excessive drunkenness was socially frowned upon and often associated with pagan festivals.
c. 1st century AD
Pagan Religious Festivals
Many pagan festivals, particularly those honoring gods like Dionysus (Bacchus), involved rituals that included ritualistic drunkenness and ecstatic behavior. These practices were seen as a way to connect with the divine through altered states of consciousness.
c. 1st century AD— this verse
Pagan vs. Christian Worship
Early Christians faced pressure to participate in or at least tolerate the excesses of pagan culture and worship. The apostle Paul contrasts the behavior in pagan rituals with the conduct expected of believers.
c. 1st century AD
Spiritual Fullness Contrasted
Paul contrasts the temporary, degrading excitement of drunkenness with the lasting, transforming empowerment that comes from being filled with the Holy Spirit.
This verse directly warns against the deceptive nature of wine and its consequences, echoing Ephesians 5:18's caution against drunkenness and its associated debauchery.
Galatians 5:22-23This passage lists the 'fruit of the Spirit,' contrasting the chaotic and destructive nature of drunkenness with the beautiful and ordered character produced by the Spirit's presence, aligning with the 'filled with the Spirit' command.
Romans 12:1-2These verses call believers to offer their bodies as living sacrifices and not be conformed to the world, which directly relates to the choice Paul presents: don't be controlled by intoxicating wine, but by the Spirit.
Acts 2:13-18This passage describes the initial outpouring of the Spirit at Pentecost, where some accused the disciples of being drunk. Paul is contrasting the true, Spirit-led joy and worship with the false intoxication the world might mistake it for.
1 Corinthians 6:9-10This verse lists drunkenness among other serious sins that will prevent people from inheriting God's kingdom, reinforcing the gravity of the warning in Ephesians 5:18 and highlighting the transformative power of being filled with the Spirit instead.
vincentEphesians 5:18: "And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;"
Be not drunk (μὴ μεθύσκεσθε)See on John 2:10.WhereinIn drunkenness, not in wine.Excess (ἀσωτία)Rev., riot. Lit., unsavingness. See on riotous living, Luke 15:13.
barnesEphesians 5:18: "And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;"
And be not drunk with wine - A danger to which they were exposed and a vice to which those around them were much addicted. Compare notes on Luke 21:34 . It is not improbable that in this verse there is an allusion to the orgies of Bacchus, or to the festivals celebrated in honor of that pagan god. He was "the god of wine," and during those festivals, men and women regarded it as an acceptable act of…
The verse doesn't just warn against drunkenness; it highlights that the true danger isn't just the wine itself, but the "excess" or "riotousness" that it unleashes within a person. Paul then offers a powerful alternative: being filled with the Spirit, which leads to a holy joy and active thanksgiving, contrasting sharply with the destructive revelry of intoxication.
The Apostle Paul is urging believers to live wisely, not like fools, by "redeeming the time" because the days are evil. He contrasts the reckless, self-indulgent behavior of the world with the focused, Spirit-led life of a Christian, directly addressing the potential for drunkenness and its associated debauchery. Following this warning, Paul immediately pivots to the positive practice of singing and thanksgiving, showing how the Spirit fills believers in a way that wine cannot.
The Apostle Paul is urging believers to live wisely, not like fools, by "redeeming the time" because the days are evil. He contrasts the reckless, self-indulgent behavior of the world with the focused, Spirit-led life of a Christian, directly addressing the potential for drunkenness and its associated debauchery. Following this warning, Paul immediately pivots to the positive practice of singing and thanksgiving, showing how the Spirit fills believers in a way that wine cannot.
"And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit," — The verse doesn't just warn against drunkenness; it highlights that the true danger isn't just the wine itself, but the "excess" or "riotousness" that it unleashes within a person. Paul then offers a…
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Last reviewed October 2026