We trust that the reader has been led from Logic to the Logos, and has

discovered that in the Person of the Son of God we arrive at true

understanding, and that apart from Him, all reasoning is incomplete, and

becomes at best a great 'perhaps'.

It is an axiom sanctioned alike by Scripture and popular proverb that

actions speak louder than words.  Yet while we should ever remember that such

is the case, we must not miss the Scriptural importance of the spoken word.

'Every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the

day of judgment' (Matt. 12:36).  The context shows the idle word to be

'Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh' (Matt. 12:34).

'If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man, and able

also to bridle the whole body' (Jas. 3:2).

James continues with the figure of the small bit in the horse's mouth,

and the small rudder of the great ship.  It was sufficient for God to

confound the words of men at Babel in order to stop their work.  No work is

accomplished without words spoken, written or described.  The builder must

have plans and specifications; the soldier must have orders; the merchant

must give instructions and keep accounts.  Let us therefore remember the

power of a word.  In the physical world many are dumb simply because they are

deaf (see Mark 7:35).  In the spiritual world also the same is true.  Would

we have the 'tongue of the learner'? then Isaiah 50:4 shows us that such is

ours only as we have the 'ear to hear as the learned'.

This passage is important enough to warrant a pause and a careful

examination.  First we can see an intended contrast, a contrast introduced in

verse 3 of this same chapter.  The Gentiles who knew not God found their

enjoyment and inspiration in the intoxication of wine, their speech was

corrupt, filthy and unfit for saints.  Their drinking songs, accompanied by

instruments, resounded with the praise of Bacchus, Venus and the like.  The

saint is to be a contrast.  Instead of wine he is to be filled with the

Spirit, instead of unclean mirth and idolatrous songs he is to sing spiritual

songs and make melody in his heart.  Instead of praising the gods of darkness

his melody and praise should be directed to the Lord.  What are we to

understand by the injunction, 'Be filled with the Spirit'?

To understand this statement it is necessary to understand the use of

the Greek verb to fill.  Pleroo, 'to fill', takes three cases after it.  As

an active verb, followed by the Accusative, of the vessel or whatever is

filled.  As an active verb, followed by the Genitive, of what it is filled

with.  As a passive verb, followed by the Dative, of the filler, and as a

passive verb, followed by the Genitive, of what the vessel is filled with.

In the passage before us the verb is passive, and 'with Spirit', en pneumati,

is dative.  This means that the Spirit is the One that fills, and not that

the believer is filled with the Spirit.  To make sure that the meaning is

clear, let us put it this way.  A cup may be filled with water, it may be

filled with a pump.  Now, the incongruity of the statement would prevent