twenty-six times, and lupe `grief' or `sorrow' some sixteen times, in every

occurrence the grief or sorrow manifested or endured is that of persons, and

the same must be true here in Ephesians 4:30.  The Holy Spirit of God that

can be `grieved' must be a Person.  Coming to the pair of references

Ephesians 1:17 and 2:2,3, we shall find food for serious thought as we

perceive the contrast between that spirit of wisdom and revelation which

leads on to the knowledge of that mighty power that `worketh in' the

believer, and that spirit which `worketh in the sons of disobedience'.  The

recognition that there are `two' spirits at work in the world today, compels

the intelligent child of God first of all to distinguish between them, and

secondly to `endeavour to keep ... One Spirit', the Spirit that worketh in

the sons of faith.

We now come to the four central references.  Of these, 2:22 and 3:16,17

are most evidently linked together.  In 2:22 the church is said to be a

habitation, katoiketerion, of God in Spirit.  For this cause Paul prays that

the believer may be strengthened by the Spirit in the inner man, that Christ

may dwell, katoikesai, in their hearts by faith.  Ephesians 3:2 -13 is a

large parenthesis, and the prayer of Ephesians 3:14 -21 is a direct outcome

of the temple position revealed in Ephesians 2:22.

`For this cause, I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles

... For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father' (Eph. 3:1 and 14).

The other pair of references, 3:5,6 and 4:3 are linked together by a

most wonderful unity.  This unity is expressed in 3:6 by a threefold use of

sun `together with'.

`That the Gentiles should be joint heirs sunkleronoma and a joint body

sussoma and joint partakers summetocha of the promise in Christ Jesus'.

This precious unity, the distinctive feature of the Mystery, is

balanced in the structure by the Unity of the Spirit which we are enjoined to

keep.  What does the reader think of that system of teaching that would

deprive the member of the Body of Christ of this priceless guarantee?

We cannot pursue the examination of every reference, and with the

exception of perhaps one, namely Ephesians 5:18, no difficulty will be

presented to the reader.  It may be that some will value a little help on the

phrase `be filled with the Spirit', and avoiding all references to Greek

Grammar, which, if understood by the reader, would render our explanation

unnecessary, we just explain for the sake of those who are unable to consult

the original, that it is not the teaching of Ephesians 5:18 that the `Spirit'

enters into the believer, but that the Spirit is the One that fills the

believer with something else.  Other Scriptures suggest that He takes of the

things of Christ for this filling.

The parallel passage in Colossians 3:16, which repeats the

consequential `psalms, and hymns and spiritual songs', uses the words `Let

the Word of Christ dwell in you richly' in place of `be filled with the

Spirit', and is the best comment on the passage.  The Spirit evidently fills

the believer `with the word of Christ'.

The three `spiritual' things referred to in Ephesians speak for

themselves.  The fact that `wickednesses' can be `spiritual' teaches us that

the word `spiritual' when speaking of our blessings, indicates that `flesh

and blood' and `temporal' blessings are contrasted.