Who is the Holy Spirit?

The books of Ephesians and Colossians were both written while the apostle Paul was in prison in Rome. They were delivered to the churches in Ephesus and Colossae and were meant to be circulated among the various churches in Asia Minor. The two letters are very similar in structure and content. Comparing the two letters often provides insight into their meanings.

Let's look at two passages that have many remarkable similarities and one even more remarkable difference. See if you can spot the difference.

Ephesians 5:18-20

And do not get drunk with wine,

for that is dissipation,

but be filled with the Spirit,

speaking to one another

in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs,

singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord;

always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God, even the Father;

Colossians 3:16

Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you,

with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another

with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs,

singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God.

Now here are the two passages again, this time with the similar thoughts interspersed so that the comparison is more vivid.

Ephesians 5:18-20; Colossians 3:16

And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation,

but be filled with the Spirit, Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you,

speaking to one another with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another

in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs,

singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord; singing

always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God, even the Father;

with thankfulness in your hearts to God.

Now let's compare the two passages.

Ephesians 5:18-20; Colossians 3:16

And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation,

Ephesians introduces the passage by beginning a comparison of the wasteful speech that results from being filled with wine...

but be filled with the Spirit, Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you,

with the fruitful speech that results from being filled with the Spirit or with the word of Christ.

speaking to one another with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another

in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs,

singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord; singing

always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God, even the Father;

with thankfulness in your hearts to God.

These last four couplings are identical in content. In some Paul goes into more detail but the thought is the same.

The striking difference in two otherwise identical passages is that, in Ephesians, Paul refers to the filling of the Spirit and, in Colossians, Paul refers to the filling of the word of God. Is it possible that, in Paul's thinking, the Spirit is the word of God?