What is being ‘drunk in the Spirit’?
Question 04038
Being ‘drunk in the Spirit’ is a phrase used within certain charismatic and neo-charismatic circles to describe a state of apparent spiritual intoxication, characterised by uncontrollable laughter, staggering, slurred speech, and behaviour that mimics physical drunkenness. The phenomenon gained global prominence during the so-called ‘Toronto Blessing’ of 1994 and continues to feature in certain charismatic settings today. It is presented as an overwhelming experience of God’s joy and presence. The question, as always, is whether this has any foundation in what the Bible actually teaches about the work of the Holy Spirit.
The Biblical Texts Cited
The primary text used to support the concept of spiritual drunkenness is Acts 2:13, where onlookers at Pentecost accused the disciples of being ‘filled with new wine.’ Proponents argue that the Spirit’s impact was so powerful that the disciples appeared drunk, and that this provides a template for similar experiences today. The problem is that Peter immediately and explicitly denied the charge. ‘These people are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is only the third hour of the day’ (Acts 2:15). Peter did not say, ‘Yes, they are drunk in the Spirit.’ He rejected the comparison outright and went on to explain what was actually happening: the fulfilment of Joel’s prophecy and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, resulting in intelligible speech in known languages. The accusation of drunkenness was a misunderstanding by the crowd, not a description of what the Spirit was doing.
Ephesians 5:18 is also cited: ‘And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit.’ Proponents suggest this draws an analogy between the effects of wine and the effects of the Spirit, implying that being filled with the Spirit produces Spirit-intoxication. But the verse does the opposite. It draws a contrast, not a comparison. Paul is saying: instead of being controlled by alcohol (which leads to asōtia, excess or reckless living), be controlled by the Spirit. The effects of being filled with the Spirit are described in the verses that follow: speaking to one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs; giving thanks always; submitting to one another (Ephesians 5:19–21). These are marks of lucidity, gratitude, and relational order, not the loss of rational control.
The Toronto Blessing and Its Legacy
The phenomenon commonly described as being drunk in the Spirit became mainstream through the events at the Toronto Airport Vineyard Church (later Toronto Airport Christian Fellowship) beginning in January 1994. Services were characterised by prolonged uncontrollable laughter, shaking, jerking, staggering, animal noises (roaring, barking), and people lying on the floor for extended periods. Leaders described these as manifestations of the Holy Spirit’s joy and power. The movement spread to churches around the world, including the UK, and generated intense debate within evangelical Christianity. The Vineyard denomination eventually distanced itself from the Toronto church, which was removed from the Vineyard Association of Churches in December 1995.
The legacy of the Toronto Blessing illustrates the danger of building theology on experience rather than Scripture. When extraordinary phenomena occur and are attributed to the Spirit, the response must be to test them against the biblical evidence, not to assume they are genuine because they are dramatic. The New Testament provides clear criteria for evaluating what comes from the Spirit: it will glorify Christ (John 16:14), it will produce the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22–23), it will build up the body (1 Corinthians 14:12, 26), and it will operate in an orderly manner (1 Corinthians 14:33, 40). Behaviour that resembles drunkenness, that removes self-control, that produces chaos, and that draws attention to the experience rather than to Christ fails these tests.
The Character of the Spirit’s Work
The New Testament presents the Spirit as the one who brings clarity, not confusion. He guides into all truth (John 16:13). He produces self-control as a fruit of His presence (Galatians 5:23). He enables believers to pray with understanding (1 Corinthians 14:15). He empowers bold proclamation of the gospel (Acts 4:31). The spirits of prophets are subject to prophets (1 Corinthians 14:32), meaning that genuine spiritual experience does not override the conscious control of the person involved. God is not a God of confusion but of peace (1 Corinthians 14:33).
None of this is consistent with the phenomena described as being drunk in the Spirit. The loss of rational control, the mimicking of drunken behaviour, the animal noises, the prolonged incapacitation: these bear no resemblance to anything described as the Spirit’s work in the New Testament. They bear closer resemblance to the ecstatic practices of pagan religion, where the goal was to lose oneself in the spiritual experience, than to the lucid, Christ-exalting, body-edifying work of the Holy Spirit described in the Epistles.
So, now what?
The desire for a powerful experience of God’s presence is understandable and not wrong in itself. God is real, the Spirit is a Person, and encountering Him can be deeply moving. But the test of a genuine encounter with the Holy Spirit is not how dramatic it feels; it is whether it produces Christ-likeness, self-control, love for others, and a deeper engagement with the truth of Scripture. If an experience leaves you less rational, less self-controlled, and more focused on the experience itself than on Jesus, it is not the work of the Spirit as the Bible describes Him. The Spirit’s joy is real, deep, and transformative. It does not need to mimic drunkenness to prove its authenticity. A believer walking quietly in genuine holiness and producing the fruit of the Spirit is far more evidence of the Spirit’s power than any amount of staggering, laughing, or falling over.
“For God is not a God of confusion but of peace.” 1 Corinthians 14:33 (ESV)
