Grammar and the Bible

Published: April 27, 2023, midnight

b'What school subject do you like the least? Even though I love to write, I\\nalways loathed English class\\u2014especially grammar. Diagraming sentences,\\nparts of speech, verb tenses\\u2026 it wasn\\u2019t my thing. So imagine my surprise\\nwhen I realized that what I had learned about grammar could help me study\\nthe Bible.\\n.\\nTake Ephesians 5:18 for example: \\u201c\\u2026be filled with the Holy Spirit.\\u201d This\\nverse is telling us to submit our lives to God and let Him fill us with His\\nHoly Spirit.\\n.\\nThe grammar lesson here is in the words \\u201cbe filled.\\u201d First, the object of\\nthis command is plural. This means that these words apply not only to a\\nsingle reader or listener of this verse, but to everyone who believes!\\nAfter all, Paul (the author of Ephesians) was writing this letter to the\\nwhole church in Ephesus, not just one person. So, not only does God fill\\neach of us with the Holy Spirit individually, but He also fills the church\\nas a whole with the Holy Spirit.\\n.\\nSecond, these words are written in the present tense. Paul didn\\u2019t say \\u201cwas\\nfilled\\u201d or \\u201ccould be filled.\\u201d He said, \\u201cbe filled.\\u201d It is a present\\naction\\u2014every day we can choose to submit to God and be filled with His love\\nand joy, \\u201csinging psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves,\\nand making music to the Lord in your hearts\\u201d (verse 19).\\n.\\nThird, this phrase uses a passive verb. It doesn\\u2019t say, \\u201cfill yourself.\\u201d It\\nsays \\u201cbe filled.\\u201d All we have to do is ask God, and He will fill us. We\\ndon\\u2019t fill ourselves. God is doing the work; all we have to do is submit to\\nHim.\\n.\\nHe gave everything\\u2014including His Son\\u2014for us. Jesus died on the cross\\nand resurrected from the dead so we could be filled with His presence\\nthrough the Holy Spirit. When we put our trust in Him, He fills us up and\\nhelps us follow His good ways, overflowing His love and joy in everything\\nwe do. \\u2022 Kimberly Brokish\\n.\\n\\u2022 What does it look like to live a life filled by the Spirit? (Hint: check\\nout today\\u2019s Bible passages.) \\n.\\n\\u2022 How can the things we learn about the world (such as languages, history,\\nculture, science, etc.) help us better understand Scripture? \\n.\\n\\u2026be filled with the Holy Spirit. Ephesians 5:18b (NLT)\\n\\xa0\\nRead Verses:\\nEph.5.15-Eph.5.20|Col.1.9-Col.1.14'