19 February 2024

GREEK AORIST TENSE (2)

By John Ollis

Thank you for the many responses to my first blog on this topic. I want to highlight one more awesome verse under this theme. My readers know that my burden is to see God’s people “Growing in grace and in the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ” If you haven’t read blog 1 in this teaching, may I suggest you read it first before reading this one. As I wrote in (1) my Greek Scholar friend cannot understand why the translators did not emphasise this tense, nor do we see it in the more modern translations either.. So much of what we read in the New Testament written in the present tense in English should be read in THE PRESENT CONTINUOUS TENSE, not as a one off response but a continued practice and lifestyle.

My text today is Eph.5:18-21 NKJV And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit, 19 speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord, 20 giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, 21 submitting to one another in the fear of God. Ephesians 5:18-21

AMP.N.T. And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery; but ever be filled and stimulated with the [Holy] Spirit.
19 Speak out to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, offering praise with voices [and instruments] and making melody with all your heart to the Lord,
20 At all times and for everything giving thanks in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God the Father.
21 Be subject to one another out of reverence for Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed one.

N.I.V. (1984) 18 Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit. 19 Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, 20 always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
21 Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.

N.L.T. Don’t be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit, 19 singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, and making music to the Lord in your hearts. 20 And give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

PASSION And don’t get drunk with wine, which is rebellion; instead be filled with the fullness of the Holy Spirit. 19 And your hearts will overflow with a joyful song to the Lord Jehovah. Keep speaking to each other with words of Scripture, singing the Psalms with praises and spontaneous songs given by the Spirit! 20 Always give thanks to Father God for every person he brings into your life in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. 21 And out of your reverence for Christ be supportive of each other in

We will never forget the day when we were born again, and the Holy Spirit came to reside in us, if you were Discipled you would have soon learnt that the Holy Spirit wants to not just reside but to PRESIDE in us. (oh that more Believers would know and experience this. We must make the decision to surrender our lives to the Lord (Rom. 12:1) blog 1 on this truth) and theresult is THE HOLY SPIRIT FILLS THE HOUSE.

Paul describes our body as a TEMPLE in 1 Cor. 6:19 NKJV Do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? 20 For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.

Sadly, as we often fail and disobey the Lord, Paul tells us in Eph.4:30-32 NKJV do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31 Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. 32 And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.

When we sin, the Holy Spirit doesn’t leave us, but our actions are saying I want to be the boss of my life, I will preside!!!. We are convicted of our sin and repent, and personally, I then ask the Holy Spirit to FILL THE HOUSE AFRESH, and take His rightful place on the throne of my heart.

Now, let us go back to Eph.5:18-20, and Eph 4:30-32 and see the important truths and keys to maintain the Spirit filled life.

  1. The Bible doesn’t teach total abstinence from alcohol, but personally I choose not to drink alcohol.
  2. We must have a singing/rejoicing heart, both privately and corporately, we sure have so much to praise the Lord for DAILY.
  3. We must have an attitude and lifestyle of thankfulness knowing “all things work together for good, to those who love God and are called according to His purpose. Rom. 8:28.
  4. Submission to one another, again, this must be a lifestyle, if not we lose our peace and grieve the Holy Spirit.
  5. Our speech must be free off corrupt words, our lives free of bitterness ,wrath, and evil speaking, what we say should always edify others, ever remembering that as the Lord forgave us of our sins, so we should forgive one another.

So with the Lord’s help we can fulfil Eph. 5:18, and when we fail, quickly come to the foot of the Cross and seek forgiveness we can live a SPIRIT FILLED LIFE,

When we are filled with the Spirit we are introduced to the many and varied Gifts of the Holy Spirit, and we often receive a particular gift from the Holy Spirit, but you will note no “gifts” are listed here as a sign/s of being currently filled with the Spirit, but there sure is much emphasis and inference on the fruit of the Spirit. we read in Gal. 5:22-23 NKJV But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.

May we experience more of what Paul says in verses 24-25 NKJV And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.

I trust these 2 blogs on the Greek aorist tense, encourage you to CONTINUALLY do those things to maintain a Spirit filled life.

Please be encouraged, we can do these things as it is all part of “God’s so great Salvation”, and is our inheritance NOW amen.

As always your comments are appreciated.