Drunk (3182) (methusko from methuo = drink to intoxication) means to have one's faculties impaired (as by alcohol) or become intoxicated. Both wine and the Spirit do their work deep in the human psyche. They effect people below the level of consciousness, down at the foundations of personality. The Spirit is not merely with God's people but in them.
The present imperative with a negative commands them to stop an action already in progress (or not to start this practice). A T Robertson adds that the idea is that getting drunk means it is "Forbidden as a habit and to stop it also if guilty."
Drunk is a word that is often used figuratively in English, for example describing a person drunk with rage, etc. Think of it this way - what fills a person a person controls a person. If I am filled with anger, envy, hatred, etc, those emotions will control my actions and interactions with others.
The person drunk with wine loses self-control, but the one "drunk" with the Spirit gives the believer self-control! (cf Gal 5:23)
Vincent writes that...
In the Septuagint the verb (methusko) repeatedly occurs for watering (Ps 65:9, 10), but always with the sense of drenching or soaking; of being drunken or surfeited with water. In Jer. 48 (Sept. 31) 26, it is found in the literal sense, to be drunken. The metaphorical use of the word has passed into common slang, as when a drunken man is said to be wetted or soaked (so Plato, above). The figurative use of the word in the Septuagint has a parallel in the use of potizo, to give to drink, to express the watering of ground. So Ge. 2:6, a mist watered the face of the earth, or gave it drink. Compare Ge 13:10; Dt. 11:10. A curious use of the word occurs in Homer, where he is describing the stretching of a bull’s hide, which, in order to make it more elastic, is soaked (methuousan) with fat (“Iliad,” xvii., 390). (Vincent, M. R. Word Studies in the New Testament 2:82)
Wuest has an interesting comment on methusko writing that...
A curious use of the word occurs in Homer, where he is describing the stretching of a bull’s hide, which in order to make it more elastic, is soaked (methusko) with fat.” The word, therefore, refers to the condition of a person in which he is soaked with wine. (Wuest, K. S. Wuest's Word Studies from the Greek New Testament: Eerdmans)
Here are the 5 in the NT...
Luke 12:45 "But if that slave says in his heart, 'My master will be a long time in coming,' and begins to beat the slaves, both men and women, and to eat and drink and get drunk;
John 2:10 and said to him, "Every man serves the good wine first, and when men have drunk freely, then that which is poorer; you have kept the good wine until now."
Ephesians 5:18 And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit,
1 Thessalonians 5:7 (note) For those who sleep do their sleeping at night, and those who get drunk get drunk at night.
Revelation 17:2 (note) with whom the kings of the earth committed acts of immorality, and those who dwell on the earth were made drunk with the wine of her immorality."
Methusko - 30x in the non-apocryphal Septuagint (LXX) - Ge 9:21; 43:34; Deut. 32:42; 1Sa 1:14; 2Sa 11:13; Ps. 23:5; 36:8; 65:9, 10; 7" class="scriptRef">Pr 4:17; 23:31; Song 5:1; Is 7:20; 34:5, 7; 49:26; 55:10; 25.27" class="scriptRef">Je 25:27; 31:13, 25; 46:10; 48:26; 51:7, 39, 57; La 3:15; 4:21; Ho 14:7; Nah 3:11; Hab 2:15.
Wine (3631) (oinos) (Dictionary Article on wine) is the fermented drink common in the Ancient near east. The wine most commonly drunk in Paul’s day was either nonalcoholic or had very low alcohol content. Fermented juice was mixed with water (as much as 8 or 10 parts water to 1 part wine) to lessen its power to intoxicate, particularly when the weather was hot and much fluid was consumed. Because water was frequently contaminated, as in many third world countries, the slight alcohol content of common wine acted as a disinfectant and had certain other health benefits.
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones wrote
Drink is not a stimulus, it is a depressant. It depresses first and foremost the highest centers of all in the brain. They are the very first to be influenced and affected by drink. They control everything that gives a man self-control, wisdom, understanding, discrimination, judgment, balance, the power to assess everything; in other words everything that makes a man behave at his very best and highest. The better a man’s control, the better man he is.… But drink is something which immediately gets rid of control; that indeed is the first thing it does.
Barnes writes that...
A danger to which they were exposed, and a vice to which those around them were much addicted. Luke 21:34. It is not improbable that in this verse there is an allusion to the orgies of Bacchus, or to the festivals celebrated in honour of that heathen god. He was "the god of wine," and, during those festivals, men and women regarded it as an acceptable act of worship to become intoxicated, and with wild songs and cries to run through streets, and fields, and vineyards. To these things the apostle opposes psalms, and hymns, and spiritual songs, as much more appropriate modes of devotion, and would have the Christian worship stand out in strong contrast with the wild and dissolute habits of the heathen. Plato says, that while those abominable ceremonies in the worship of Bacchus continued, it was difficult to find in all Attica a single sober man.
Barclay writes that Paul...
goes on to draw a contrast between a pagan gathering and a Christian gathering. The pagan gathering is apt to be a debauch. It is significant that we still use the word symposium for a discussion of a subject by a number of people; the Greek word sumposion literally means a drinking-party. Once A. C. Welch was preaching on this text: "Be filled with the Spirit." He began with one sudden sentence: "You've got to fill a man with something." The heathen found his happiness in filling himself with wine and with worldly pleasures; the Christian found his happiness in being filled with the Spirit. (Barclay, W: The Daily Study Bible Series. The Westminster Press or Logos)
The Bible Background Commentary has an interesting note that...
Many people in the ancient world believed that drunkenness could produce a sort of inspiration or possession by Dionysus, god of wine. Dionysus’s most active worshipers yielded control of themselves to him and performed sexual acts or acts full of sexual symbolism (often to the distaste of conservative Romans). Here Paul may contrast this behavior with inspiration by God’s Spirit. People did not think of Dionysus every time someone became drunk, however; drunkenness was more commonly associated simply with loss of self-control. It was standard practice in both the late-night banquets of the rich and the taverns of the poor.
Wine
Nave's Topical Bible
Made from grapes, Gen. 40:11; 49:11; Isa. 25:6; Jer. 40:10, 12; from pomegranates, Song 8:2.
Kept in jars, 13" class="scriptRef">13.12" class="scriptRef">Jer. 13:12; 48:12; in skins, Josh. 9:4, 13; Job 32:19; Matt. 9:17; Luke 5:37, 38; in bottles, Josh. 9:4, 13; Job 32:19; Jer. 13:12; 48:12; Matt. 9:17; Luke 5:37, 38.
Cellars for, 1 Chr. 27:27.
New, Hag. 1:11.
Old, Luke 5:39.
Medicinal use of, Prov. 31:6, 7; recommended by Paul to Timothy, 1 Tim. 5:23.
Used at meals, Matt. 26:27-29; Mark 14:23.
Made by Jesus at the marriage feast in Cana, John 2:9, 10.
Ceremonial use of, Matt. 26:27, 28, 29; Luke 22:17, 18, 19, 20.
Forbidden to priests while on duty, Lev. 10:9; Ezek. 44:21; to Nazirites, Nu 6:2, 3;
Abstinence from, of Daniel, Da. 1:5, 8, 16; 10:3; of courtiers of Ahasuerus, Est 1:8; 1Ti 5:23.
Samson's mother forbidden to drink, Jdg. 13:4, 5.
Forbidden to kings, Pr 31:4.
Denied to the Israelites in the wilderness, that they might know that the Lord was their God, Dt 29:6.
Offered with sacrifices, Ex. 29:40; Lev. 23:13; Num. 15:5, 10; 28:7, 14.
Given by Melchizedek to Abraham, Gen. 14:18.
Fermented, Lev. 10:9; Num. 6:3; 28:7; Deut. 14:26; 29:6; Prov. 23:31, 32; Mark 2:22.
Refined, Isa. 25:6; Jer. 48:11.
Of staggering, Psa. 60:3.
Inflames the eyes, Gen. 49:12.
Commerce in, Rev. 18:13.
Banquets of, Esth. 5:6.
Given to Jesus at the crucifixion, Matt. 27:48; Mark 15:23; Luke 23:36; John 19:29.
Intoxication from the use of, Psa. 104:15; Prov. 4:17.
Instances of Intoxication from
Noah, Ge 9:21; Lot, Ge 19:32; Joseph Ge 43:34; Nabal 1Sa. 25:36; Amnon, 2Sa 13:28, 29; Ahasuerus, Est 1:10; kings of Israel, Hos 7:5; falsely charged against the disciples, Acts 2:13.
Figurative
Of the divine judgments, Psa. 60:3; 75:8; Jer. 51:7.
Of the joy of wisdom, Prov. 9:2, 5.
Of the joys of religion, Isa. 25:6; 55:1; Joel 2:19.
Of abominations, Rev. 14:8; 16:19.
Symbolic
Of the blood of Jesus, Matt. 26:28; Mark 14:23, 24; Luke 22:20; John 6:53-56.
Unclassified Scriptures Relating to
Deut. 14:26; Deut. 33:28; 2 Kin. 18:32; 2 Chr. 32:28; Neh. 10:39; Psa. 4:7; Psa. 104:14, 15; Prov. 31:6, 7; Eccl. 2:3, 11; Isa. 56:12; Hos. 2:8, 22; Hos. 7:14; Joel 1:5; Joel 2:24; Joel 3:3; Amos 6:6; Hab. 2:5; Hag. 1:11; Zech. 9:17; Zech. 10:7; 1 Tim. 5:23
Admonitions Against the Use of
Lev. 10:9; 3" class="scriptRef">Num. 6:3; Jdg. 13:4; Prov. 20:1; 7" class="scriptRef">Prov. 21:17; Prov. 23:29-32; Prov. 31:4, 5; Isa. 5:11, 22; Isa. 24:9; Isa. 28:1, 3, 7; Jer. 23:9; Jer. 35:2-10, 14, 18, 19; Ezek. 44:21; Hos. 4:11; Luke 1:15; Rom. 14:21; Eph. 5:18; Tit. 2:3
FOR THAT IS DISSIPATION: en o estin (3SPAI) asotia: (Matthew 23:25; 1Peter 4:3,4)
For that is dissipation - for that is debauchery and it will ruin your life.
The 1828 Webster's Dictionary defines dissipation as
The act of scattering; dispersion; the state of being dispersed. Scattered attention; or that which diverts and calls off the mind from any subject. A dissolute, irregular course of life; a wandering from object to object in pursuit of pleasure; a course of life usually attended with careless and exorbitant expenditures of money, and indulgence in vices, which impair or ruin both health and fortune.
Lawrence Richards paraphrases it...
don't live under the influence of alcohol but under the influence of the Spirit. How important that we drink deep of Him, and let Him give direction to our lives. (Bible Reader's Companion)
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Greek Word Studies ( - )
Read freely Greek Word Studies from the Austin Precept text commentary of the Bible in text and pdf format. Precept Austin is an online free dynamic bible commentary similar to wikipedia with updated content and many links to excellent biblical resources around the world. You can browse the entire collection of Commentaries by Verse on the Precept Austin website.We have been "bought with a price" to be "ambassadors for Christ" and our "salvation is nearer to us than when we believed" so let us "cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God" "so that when He appears, we may have confidence and not shrink away from Him in shame at His coming." (1Cor 6:20, 2Cor 5:20, Ro 13:11, 2Cor 7:1, 1Jn 2:28)