The warning about getting drunk with wine uses the same language as in Septuagint Proverbs 23.31. The verb is the present tense of the imperative and so may be read “Stop getting drunk with wine” (see Translator’s New Testament “Give up drinking too much”). It is impossible to determine why this particular warning was necessary; it appears that verses 18-20 have to do with group worship, and so the drunkenness could be of a religious nature, that is, drinking wine in worship to gain communion with God, as was the practice among certain religious groups of that time. In any case, drunkenness, says the writer, will only ruin you, which translates the Greek noun for “dissipation, debauchery, reckless living.” (See the noun used in Titus 1.6; 1 Peter 4.4; and the adverb in Luke 15.13.) In some languages the translation will be “that will make you lead a dishonored life” or “that will cause you to have a life that is very messed up.”

Which translates the prepositional phrase “in which”; the antecedent is not wine but the habit of getting drunk with wine. So it may be necessary to repeat the verb, “getting drunk will only ruin you” or “doing that will only ruin you.” Or else, “because that will only ruin you.”

It should be noticed that the Greek word means real wine, here and everywhere else it is used in the New Testament, not unfermented grape juice.

Instead of filling themselves with wine, the readers are told to be filled with the Spirit (compare the similar idea in Rom 14.17). The Spirit is at the same time what fills and the one who fills; he fills the believer with himself. Some, however, take “spirit” here as the human spirit and so would translate “be filled spiritually” (Beare, Westcott, Abbott); all the translations consulted take it to be God’s Spirit.

In a number of languages it is difficult, if not impossible, to speak of “being filled with the Spirit.” Such an expression is so frequent in the Scriptures that it would seem to make sense in any language, but this is simply not true. One can, however, use an equivalent expression such as “be controlled by the Spirit” or “let the Spirit rule you” or “let the Spirit live within you.”

Quoted with permission from Bratcher, Robert C. and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on Paul’s Letter to the Ephesians. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1982. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .