"And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;"

                            -Ephesians 5:18

This verse is often wrongly understood to mean, "Be not drunk with wine excessively," or, "Do not drink excessively," therefore meaning that just a little, or only getting drunk now and then is okay. However, the true meaning of this Scripture is far from such.

When we are reading the Bible, we should bear in mind that it was not written in English, but translated to English. Thus, it is sometimes necessary to explore the Greek and Hebrew languages in order to better understand the Word of God itself. With that said, the word "excess" in this passage comes from the Greek word "asotia", which means "unsavedness and profligacy." (According to Strong's Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible)

This same Greek word was used twice elsewhere in the Bible; however, in these verses it was translated as "riot."

"If any be blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children not accused of riot or unruly."

                            -Titus 1:6

"Wherein they think it strange that ye run not with them to the same excess of riot, speaking evil of you:"

                            -I Peter 4:4

After reading these two verses, it is clearly visible that Paul was not telling the Ephesians that it is okay to drink as long as they do not do so excessively. Rather, he is saying that wine/strong drink is filled with riot, unsavedness, and profligacy.