Is being drunk in the Spirit a biblical experience?
The topic of being “drunk in the Spirit” is one that generates a lot of discussion and disagreement among Christians. Some believe it is a genuine spiritual experience, while others are skeptical or see it as unbiblical. In this approximately 9,000 word article, we will explore what the Bible does and does not say about the concept of spiritual drunkenness.
What Does It Mean to Be “Drunk in the Spirit”?
The phrase “drunk in the Spirit” refers to an experiential phenomenon common in some charismatic and Pentecostal circles. It involves exhibiting behaviors resembling drunkenness which are attributed to being overwhelmed by the presence and power of the Holy Spirit. Some common manifestations attributed to spiritual drunkenness include uncontrollable laughter, falling down, shaking, slurred speech, and loss of motor control.
Those who experience and promote it view spiritual drunkenness as a gift from God intended to bring refreshment, joy, and deeper intimacy with Him. They see parallels between the effects of alcohol and the Spirit’s work in releasing inhibition, inspiring exuberance, and imparting boldness. Proponents point to verses like Ephesians 5:18, which contrasts being drunk with wine and being filled with the Spirit. They argue that just as alcohol affects physical faculties, so God’s Spirit can overwhelm people’s senses.
Skeptics are concerned that attributing dramatic behaviors to the Spirit’s work lacks biblical support and opens the door to emotionalism and even demonic influence. They believe genuine Spirit-filled behavior exhibits self-control, not loss of control. They point out that the Bible often uses drunkenness metaphorically to depict wayward Israel or God’s judgment, not advocate literal drunken behavior as Spirit-led.
So does the Bible support or prohibit the notion of spiritual drunkenness? As we examine key passages, we’ll see the answers are more nuanced than absolute positions on either side.
Old Testament Background
The Old Testament provides some background concepts that inform the New Testament teaching on the Holy Spirit. Two Hebrew words, ruach and shakar, are particularly relevant.
Ruach means breath, wind, or spirit. In the Old Testament, ruach sometimes describes the Spirit of God coming powerfully upon people and granting abilities like prophecy (Numbers 11:25-29). This shows that the idea of God’s Spirit actively working in and through people has biblical roots.
Shakar means to drink alcohol to excess or become drunk. Occasionally in the Old Testament, shakar is used figuratively of being overwhelmed with emotions like sorrow (Psalm 107:27). Once it refers to the Cup of God’s wrath making the nations “drunk” with judgment (Jeremiah 51:7). These metaphors portray being consumed or overpowered internally, similar to drunkenness.
So the Old Testament introduces ideas of God’s Spirit rushing upon people powerfully and drunkenness as a metaphor for being overwhelmed internally. However, it does not bring these specific concepts together. References to actual drunken behavior being Spirit-induced come later.
Day of Pentecost
Many look to Acts 2:1-21, the events of Pentecost, as a key passage regarding spiritual inebriation. At Pentecost, the Holy Spirit descended upon believers who then exhibited ecstatic behaviors: speaking in other tongues, prophesying, and praising God exuberantly. Some see parallels between these behaviors and the effects of alcohol intoxication.
However, the text does not say the disciples were drunk. Peter explained the phenomenon by quoting Joel 2 about God pouring out His Spirit, not by attributing it to alcohol. And while energetic and unusual, the disciples’ actions also reflected self-control: taking turns speaking intelligibly, prophesying, listening to Peter’s sermon, and responding positively to it. They were not uncontrolled and incoherent.
So while Pentecost shows the Spirit energizing believers in extraordinary ways, it does not clearly depict “drunkenness” or support loss of self-control as the mark of the Spirit’s work. Ecstatic experience, yes – but balanced by order which drunkenness disrupts.
Wine of the Spirit
A significant metaphor related to spiritual inebriation is the “new wine of the Spirit.” Derived from Jesus’ saying no one puts new wine into old wineskins (Luke 5:37-38), charismatics see this as referring to the Holy Spirit’s power and joy being like fresh wine poured out, overwhelming and renewing those who receive Him.
However, in context, Jesus made this statement to justify why His disciples did not fast like John the Baptist’s – because they were with the bridegroom (Jesus) now, not mourning with an absent bridegroom as John’s disciples were. The new wine statement warned that Jesus’ new order should not be rigidly forced into old religious forms. It was not specifically about the Spirit’s work among believers.
Ephesians 5:18 is closer to linking new wine with the Spirit. It says not to get drunk with wine, but be filled with the Spirit. However, this contrasts the effects of alcohol and Spirit, it does not equate them. Nowhere does the Bible explicitly refer to the Holy Spirit or His presence as “new wine.” That is an interpretive gloss. While imaginative, it goes beyond Scripture to equate new wine with the Spirit and see intoxication as Spirit-induced.
Spirit Poured Out
Joel 2:28-29 predicts God will pour out His Spirit on all people in the last days, so that they prophesy, dream dreams, and see visions. Peter declared this prophecy fulfilled at Pentecost as the Spirit was poured out (Acts 2:17-18). The language of God’s Spirit being “poured out” recurs in Acts 2:33, 10:45, and Titus 3:5-6.
Some see these verses as indicating the Spirit can overwhelm people, like wine does when lavishly poured out. However, none of these passages describe resulting behaviors like drunkenness. They convey the Spirit abundantly lavished on believers, not obliterating their self-control. Further, other verses use “pour out” regarding God’s judgment and wrath (Psalm 79:6, Jeremiah 10:25). So this metaphor does not necessarily imply inebriation from the Spirit’s presence.
Drinking of the Spirit
Another relevant metaphor is drinking or receiving the Spirit. Jesus spoke of giving living water that becomes in believers a spring of gushing, eternal life (John 4:10, 7:37-39). Paul described people drinking the same spiritual drink from the spiritual rock (1 Corinthians 10:4). Verses like these portray the Spirit as refreshing drink we receive to sustain spiritual life.
But these passages do not connect drinking the Spirit to becoming intoxicated and uncontrolled. Water metaphors suggest the Spirit as life-giving refreshment, not mind-altering wine. Further, 1 Corinthians 12:13 says all believers were made to drink of one Spirit – not to deprivation of senses and self-control, but enriching unity in Christ. So drinking the Spirit means receiving Him by faith, not being inebriated.
Filled with the Spirit
Ephesians 5:18 contrasts drunkenness with being filled with the Spirit. But does “filled” imply overflowing fullness that overwhelms normal faculties? Not necessarily.
The key aspect of being filled with the Spirit is submission to God’s control rather than loss of self-control. This is evident from the verse’s context: filled by speaking to one another in psalms and hymns (v. 19), submitting to one another in the fear of Christ (v. 21), wives submitting to husbands (v. 22). Colossians 3:16 similarly connects being filled with the word of Christ dwelling richly, evidenced by teaching and admonishing one another in wisdom (v. 16).
So being filled with the Spirit means normal faculties overflowing with God’s wise words, not overflowing with intoxicating effects that impair faculties. When believers yield control of thoughts and speech to the Spirit, they gain self-control and build others up, rather than losing composure.
Paul’s analogy of not getting drunk with wine indicates worldly drunkenness and spiritual filling are diametric opposites. Drunkenness impairs self-control – being filled with the Spirit produces Spirit-controlled fruit like love, patience, kindness (Galatians 5:22-23). And all lists of spiritual gifts include self-control, not its deprivation (1 Corinthians 12:8-10, Romans 12:6-8). So the biblical concept of filling involves submitting to God’s control, not surrendering human control.
Spiritual Gifts
Since some equate spiritual drunkenness with manifestations of certain gifts like tongues and prophecy, it is worth examining what those gifts entail.
1 Corinthians 14 provides keys for orderly use of gifts like tongues, prophecy, revelation in the assembly. The overarching guidelines are that everything must be done for edification, in an orderly way, with self-control (1 Corinthians 14:26, 40). Tongues must be interpreted to be edifying or kept private (1 Corinthians 14:27-28). Prophets must yield to one another, speaking in turn (1 Corinthians 14:29-32). So all gifts – including more ecstatic ones – must operate under self-control for proper edification.
This passage also distinguishes the effects of the Spirit’s gifts and pagan frenzy. Pagans in ecstasy lost self-awareness and self-control, but prophets in ecstasy retained their faculties and became more aware (1 Corinthians 14:32). This reinforces that the Spirit inspires rational, orderly expression of His gifts – not loss of control.
Overall, the New Testament guidelines insist all spiritual gifts must express God’s character qualities like love, edify others maturely, and exhibit ordered control. Any manifestation that violates those standards falls short of biblical criteria for genuine gifts.
Principles from Passages
While no single passage presents definitive teaching about spiritual drunkenness, key principles emerge from examining relevant verses in context:
– God’s Spirit is capable of powerfully energizing, motivating, and renewing people. But this is not the same as depriving them of control of their faculties.
– Drunkenness is sometimes used metaphorically in Scripture, but literal drunkenness is always presented negatively, not as Spirit-induced.
– Accounts of the apostles experiencing the Spirit emphasize extraordinary actions, but still ordered, intelligible, edifying impact – not loss of self-control or incoherence.
– Figures like drinking the Spirit and filling convey receptive abundance – not passive overflow that impairs faculties, but active submitting to God’s control with all faculties engaged.
– Being filled with the Spirit produces responsible, others-edifying expressions like teaching, wise speech, and orderly worship – not chaotic self-indulgence.
– Guidelines for gifts like prophecy and tongues require intelligible expression that edifies others, not uncontrolled ecstasy. The Spirit inspires rational awareness and ordered function.
– Scripture contrasts pagan frenzy and loss of awareness with the Spirit granting awareness, revelation, conviction, wisdom – heightened faculties submissively engaged, not suspended.
Overall, the biblical evidence does not support the notion that the Holy Spirit overwhelms people’s faculties or causes uncontrolled drunken-like behavior. Instead, the Spirit strengthens believers’ minds and self-mastery to serve God’s purposes responsibly.
Potential Dangers
If the biblical evidence does not clearly endorse the notion of Spirit-induced inebriation or loss of control, what are potential concerns with this teaching?
First, attributing drunken behavior to the Spirit’s work lacks direct scriptural support. Well-meaning believers can improperly equate their own experiences with biblical reality. This risks subjectivism – normalizing uncontrolled excess without biblical precedent.
Second, it ignores the many warnings about drunkenness and loss of self-control. Scripture consistently portrays these negatively, never as reflections of the ordered fruit the Spirit produces. So attributing disordered, unrestrained behavior to the Spirit contradicts biblical values.
Third, it can minimize personal responsibility for self-control. If loss of composure is blamed on “getting drunk in the Spirit,” there is less motivation to grow in measured, mature expression of gifts. Eccentric behaviors are tolerated instead of challenged.
Fourth, it opens the door to emotionalism, exaggeration, and even demonic counterfeiting. When intoxicated behaviors are accepted as Spirit-empowered, seeking such experiences can become prioritized over the fruit and gifting the Spirit actually develops.
In summary, even if proponents have sincere intentions, the notion of being drunk in the Spirit lacks firm biblical grounding. And welcoming uncontrolled, eccentric behaviors as Spirit-inspired can have dangerous implications. So wisdom urges caution about accepting or promoting this practice.
Healthy Perspective
Given unresolved questions about the biblical validity of spiritual drunkenness, how should Christians approach this matter? Here are some suggested principles for a healthy perspective:
1. Base beliefs first on scriptural patterns, not just individual experiences. Scripture provides the standards for weighing subjective impressions.
2. Remember that the biblical evidence does not clearly endorse the notion of the Spirit overwhelming faculties. Passages depicted Spirit-filled actions as orderly and rationale, not chaotic.
3. Be very cautious about attributing behaviors, especially irrational ones, to the Holy Spirit’s work. The Spirit inspires wise expression of His gifts, not loss of self-mastery.
4. Focus on maturing in the Spirit’s fruit – love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23). Eccentric behaviors may draw attention, but it is steady fruit that best represents the Spirit.
5. Emphasize sound teaching on exercising spiritual gifts responsibly and orderly for others’ edification. 1 Corinthians 14 provides essential guidelines for keeping gifts Spirit-controlled.
6. Challenge exaggerated manifestations that violate scriptural boundaries. The Spirit inspires articulateness and awareness, not slurred speech or unconsciousness.
7. Remind believers they are personally responsible for self-control as a fruit of the Spirit. The Holy Spirit strengthens mastery of one’s spirit, not susceptibility to lose control.
8. Encourage appreciation for genuine spiritual experiences that edify others without fanfare. Changing hearts through the Spirit’s wisdom is more significant than sensational signs.
9. Focus on encountering God’s actual presence, not chasing subjective sensations said to reflect His presence. Deepening understanding of Him through Scripture nurtures true relationship.
In conclusion, the Bible does not clearly endorse or forbid all notions associated with being drunk in the Spirit. But it provides essential standards and safeguards for assessing spiritual experiences wisely. Christians affirming God’s ability to empower and renew His people in extraordinary ways also have a duty to emphasize the fruit and gifts the Spirit produces to build others up in love.
