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calling and stewardship. "Time" here is not chronos--mere duration, but kairos, a fitting
time, hence an opportunity. It has been said:--
`Opportunities are for eternity, but not to eternity.'
Alas that many only recognize opportunity by its back. Think of the opportunities for
service, for study, for communion, for helping, that have been allowed to slip this day,
this week. Have you always been prepared to speak that word in season? to give that
helping hand? The past is beyond us, and we can but seek the forgiveness that is ours in
Christ. The present is here, let us then:--
"Forestall the opportunity, because the days are evil" (Eph. 5: 16).
To do this we need wisdom, we need to:--
"Understand what the will of the Lord is" (Eph. 5: 17).
How can this understanding be attained? The answer comes in the next verse:--
"And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess, but be filled with the Spirit (when)
speaking to one another" (Eph. 5: 18, 19).
What is it to be filled with the Spirit?
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 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