Text: Ephesians 5:15-21
Synopsis: Paul calls believers to live with spiritual alertness and wisdom, shaped by the Spirit’s filling that comes through gathering with other believers.
Biblical Studies Toolbox: Literary & Theological Flow
A key hermeneutical principle for this passage is reading commands within their theological and literary flow. Scripture often teaches by linking belief, identity, and practice together. When we isolate individual instructions, we risk missing how they function within God’s larger redemptive purposes. Paying attention to how commands build on one another helps us see what kind of life the text is actually shaping.
Applying that principle in Ephesians 5:15–21:
“Wisdom” is defined earlier in Ephesians as God’s saving plan in Christ, which frames how we understand wise living.
“The will of the Lord” is clarified by Paul elsewhere as a transformed life oriented around following Christ, not hidden knowledge to uncover.
“Being filled with the Spirit” is explained by its biblical usage and by the actions that follow it in the text.
The results of Spirit-filling are communal practices, which shows Paul’s assumption that believers live out their faith within the gathered church.
Read Ephesians 5:15-21
Section 1: Wisdom as Life in Christ (vv. 15–16)
Read Ephesians 3:8–11 alongside Ephesians 5:15–16.
How does Paul define God’s wisdom in Ephesians 3:10?
If wisdom is rooted in God’s saving plan, how can that shape the way we understand “walking wisely” in daily life?
Give us some examples of choices that might look wise by cultural standards yet still be disconnected from Christ?
Section 2: Understanding the Will of the Lord (v. 17)
Read Romans 12:1–2 and Ephesians 5:17
Key Point:
God’s will is not presented as a hidden code or destiny to uncover, but as a transformed way of life shaped by following Christ.
Before reading this, how do you typically think of the meaning of the phrase "God's will"?
Have you ever felt like knowing God's will for your life was elusive?
Why do you think Christians sometimes treat God’s will as something mysterious or elusive?
Section 3: Being Filled with the Spirit (v. 18)
Key Point:
When Luke speaks of people being “filled with the Holy Spirit,” the emphasis is consistently on God empowering them to bear witness to Christ. The phrase describes divine enablement for faithful living and bold testimony, not a second-tier spiritual experience.
Read the following passages:
Luke 1:13-15, 41-44
Acts 2:1-11
Acts 4:8-13
Acts 4:29-31
What do these examples suggest about what happens to a person when they are "Filled with the Spirit"?
How can this shape the way we read Paul's usage of the term in Ephesians 5:18?
What background or teaching have you personally received about what it means to be “filled with the Spirit”?
Some church movements interpret this phrase only in light of its use in Acts 2 to mean that the evidence of people being "filled with the Spirit" is them speaking in tongues. In light of the other uses of the term, why would this be wrong? And, how could holding this view create problems?
Section 4: Spirit-Filling and the Life of the Church (vv. 19–21)
Key Point:
Paul describes Spirit-filled life as something formed and sustained within the gathered people of God. Worship, gratitude, and submission are not presented as private spiritual disciplines but as shared practices that shape believers together.
Read vv. 19–21 aloud.
Paul assumes believers are regularly addressing one another in worship. How can that assumption challenge the idea that church gatherings are optional or secondary to personal faith?
Think about seasons when you were less connected to a local church. How did that affect your prayer life, gratitude, or spiritual focus over time?
How might withdrawing from church life affect a person’s spiritual vitality over time?