To pursue a life of intoxication, the dismissal of moral inhibitions.
Love for Christ is the first or initiating love which a Christian perceives upon asking Jesus the Christ to remove their sins and become the Lord, director of my life.
* When I first completed this post, I unfortunately left the computer, prior to closing the file, well enough said. My content was lost.
My initial response was to say, “the heck with it”, “I received what satisfied me”, “no need to redo the research”, The Lord did not confirm that line of thought so I have rewritten this post. Let those who have an ears hear. This may only by for you.
18 And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit, Ephesians 5:18 New American Standard
καὶ μὴ μεθύσκεσθε οἴνῳ ἐν ᾧ ἐστιν ἀσωτία, ἀλλὰ πληροῦσθε ἐν πνεύματι, Ephesians 5:18 Greek NT: Westcott/Hort with Diacritics
Ephesians 5:11 Do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but instead even expose them; 12 for it is disgraceful even to speak of the things which are done by them in secret. 13 But all things become visible when they are exposed by the light, for everything that becomes visible is light. 14 For this reason it says, “Awake, sleeper, And arise from the dead, And Christ will shine on you.” 15 Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, 16 making the most of your time, because the days are evil. 17 So then do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. 18 And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit, 19 speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord; 20 always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God, even the Father; 21 and be subject to one another in the fear of Christ.
The Ephesians seem to have achieved part of this admonition but they lost the impetus which is the filling of the Spirit. In Revelations chapter 2 we see the that the Ephesians exposed darkness:
1 “To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: 2 ‘I know your deeds and your toil and perseverance, and that you cannot tolerate evil men, and you put to the test those who call themselves apostles”
“Awake, sleeper” is written to those following Christ much as Revelations 3 addresses those in the churches; 20 ‘Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me. 21 ‘He who overcomes, I will grant to him to sit down with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne. 22 ‘He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’”
In Revelations 2 the Ephesians are rebuked as follows;
1“To the angel of the church in Ephesus write:… 4 ‘But I have this against you, that you have left your first love. 5‘Therefore remember from where you have fallen, and repent and do the deeds you did at first; or else I am coming to you and will remove your lamp-stand out of its place—unless you repent.
| Be Drunk | With Wine | Not Safe | |
| μεθύσκεσθε, methyskesthe 3182 [e] be drunk V-PNM/P-2P | οἴνῳ, oinō 3631 [e] with wine: N-DMS | ἀσωτία; asōtia 810 [e]debauchery N-NFS | |
| The occurrence of mesthyskesthe is its only occurrence in the New Testament | οἴνῳ name of Dionysus, Orph.Fr.216. (“ϝοῖνος” Leg.Gort. 10.39, Inscr.Cypr.148H. ; cf. Lat. Vinum – Liddel and Scott | The occurrence of asōtia is its only occurrence in the New Testament | |
| I find it interesting the ‘methyskesthe’ was used in connection ‘oinō’ and ‘asōtia’ when so many occurrences translating to ‘sober’ are found in the writing of the new testament: | The basic rituals for men involved identifying with the god Dionysus in an enactment of his life, death and rebirth (including some form of ordeal). (Wiki)In contrast, the female initiate was prepared as Ariadne (bride of Dionysus), and united with him in the underworld. In reference to this, the ritual symbol of Dionysus—hidden in the liknon until the culmination of the female rites—was first a goat’s penis, and later a fig-wood phallus. After this rite, she participated in a similar communion or wedding feast. (Wiki) | From ἀ (negative prefix) and σῴζω, Verb, Definition: I save, heal, preserve, rescue.σῴζω occurs in the New Testament in the following New American Standard Bible: bring…safely (1), cured (1), ensure salvation (1), get (1), get well (2), made…well (6), made well (5), preserved (1), recover (1), restore (1), save (36), saved (50), saves (1), saving (1) | |
| νήφω (néphó) – to be sober, to abstain from wine,νηφάλεος, (néphalios) — sober, ἐκνήφω (eknéphó) — to become sober, σωφρονέω (sóphroneó) — to be of sound mind, σώφρων (sóphrón) — of sound mind, self-controlled, ἀνανήφω (ananéphó) — to return to soberness, σωφρονίζω (sóphronizó) — to recall one to his …, γρηγορεύω (grégoreó) — to be awake, to watch, διάνοια (dianoia) — the mind, disposition, thought, ἐνδύω (enduo) — I put on, clothe, σεμνός (semnos) — reverend, ie venerable, σωφροσύνη (sóphrosuné) — soundness of mind, κόσμιος (kosmios) — orderly | The basic principle beneath the original initiations, other than the seasonal death-rebirth theme supposedly common to all vegetation cults (such as the Osirian, which closely parallels the Dionysian), was one of spirit possession and atavism. This in turn was closely associated with the effects of the wine. The spirit possession involved the invocation of spirits by means of the bull roarer, followed by communal dancing to drum and pipe, with characteristic movements http://www.mlahanas.de/Greeks/LX/DionysianMysteries.html
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Debauchery – noun – excessive indulgence in sex, alcohol, or drugs. This is not just a time to time thing but a way of life, a pursuit of a life possessed by a drive for intoxication, or in and archaic sense to be possessed by a base, natural spirit. New International Version (©1984) debauchery, New Living Translation (©2007) will ruin your life, English Standard Version (©2001) debauchery, New American Standard Bible (©1995) dissipation, King James Bible (Cambridge Ed.) excess, International Standard Version (©2008) leads to wild living, King James 2000 Bible (©2003) excess, American Standard Version riot, Weymouth New Testament a thing in which excess is so easy, Young’s Literal Translation dissoluteness | |
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From Word Biblical Commentary: Volume 42: Ephesians: Lincoln
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Ephesians
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Colossians
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| 5:15 πῶς περιπατεῖτε, μὴ ὡς ἄσοφοι ἀλλ’ ὡς σοφοί | 4:5 Ἐν σοφίᾳ περιπατεῖτε πρὸς τοὺς ἔξω |
| 3:16b ἐν πάσῃ σοφίᾳ | |
| 5:16 έξαγοραζόμενοι τὸν καιρόν, | 4:5 τὸν καιρὸν ἐξαγοραζόμενοι |
| 5:19b ᾄδοντες καὶ ψάλλοντες τῇ καρδίᾳ ὑμῶν τῷ κυρίῳ | 3:16 b διδάσκοντες καὶ νουθετοῦντες ἑαυτοὺς ψαλμοῖς ὕμνοις ᾠδαῖς πνευματικαῖς |
| 5:20 εὐχαριστοῦντες πάντοτε ὑπὲρ πάντων ἐν ὀνόματι τοῦ κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ τῷ θεῷ καὶ πατρί | 3:17 ποιῆτε … πάντα ἐν ὀνόματι κυρίου Ἰησοῦ, εὐχαριστοῦντες τῷ θεῷ πατρὶ δι’ αὐτοῦ |
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New American Standard
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Ephesians
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Colossians
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| 15 how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, | 5 Conduct yourselves with wisdom toward outsiders |
| 16 with all wisdom | |
| 16 making the most of your time, | 5 making the most of the opportunity. |
| 19 speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord; | 16 teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, |
| 20 always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God, even the Father; | 17Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father. |