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 anyone from

imagining that the pump was found afterwards in the cup, but as there are

passages which speak of the filling or baptism of the Spirit, the unguarded

reader does not discern the meaning so clearly.  Now if the Spirit fills us with

something that takes the place of `wine wherein is excess', we should seek to

know what it is.  Once again the parallel epistle Colossians supplies the needed

`Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly.  Teach and admonish one

another in all wisdom, singing in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs

with grace in your hearts to the Lord' (Col. 3:16 author's translation).

This parallel is so complete that we cannot avoid the inference that `to

be filled with the Spirit' will be to be filled by the Spirit with the word of

Christ.  The Spirit everywhere takes of the things of Christ and applies them to

the heart of the believer.  That constitutes the inspiration of his renewed

conversation, `speaking to yourselves', and will prevent any corrupt

communication from proceeding out of his mouth, for out of the abundance of the

heart the mouth speaketh, and a heart filled by the Spirit with the word of

Christ will speak accordingly.  The melody of hearts finds its Amen in:

`Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name

of our Lord Jesus Christ' (Eph. 5:20).

The lowliness and meekness that adorns this doctrine is expressed by:

`Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God' (Eph. 5:21).

`Fear', phobos, and `reverence', phobeomai (see Eph. 5:33) explain one

another.  Our reverence for Christ places us all in our true relationship one

with another.  This relationship is threefold and practically covers the whole

of human society.

The verses that follow are devoted to the application of truth to the

domestic and social side of life, a side as important, if not more so, than that

of the ecclesiastical and public.  Truth like charity begins at home.  The

bishop must be able to manage his own house before he can think of ruling the

house of God.  The Spirit of God has sealed us.  The Spirit of God can fill us.

Let us walk accurately, for His Word is still a lamp unto our feet and a light

unto our path, as well as serving to illuminate our mind.