What is the meaning of Luke 5:38? Instead • Luke 5:37 records Jesus saying, “And no one pours new wine into old wineskins; otherwise, the new wine will burst the skins.” Verse 38 opens with “Instead…”, signaling a clear contrast. • Jesus is not offering a mere suggestion; He is drawing a line between two incompatible realities—the old forms of religion represented by the Pharisees and the fresh work He is inaugurating. See Matthew 9:17 and Mark 2:22, where the same contrast appears. • By using “instead,” the Lord affirms that His way is the only faithful alternative. Scripture speaks plainly and literally; two mutually exclusive systems cannot coexist (Galatians 5:4). new wine • Wine, when freshly fermented, expands. Jesus uses it to picture the vibrant, living message of the gospel and the dawning New Covenant (Jeremiah 31:31–34). • This “new wine” includes: – The forgiveness of sins through Christ’s atoning death (Hebrews 9:15). – The indwelling Holy Spirit, promised in Joel 2:28–29 and fulfilled in Acts 2:17. – A new creation life for every believer (2 Corinthians 5:17). • The text is literal; Jesus is talking about real wine and real skins to illustrate equally real spiritual truths. is poured • “Is poured” underscores deliberate action. God does not drizzle grace; He pours it out abundantly (Romans 5:5). • The passive voice signals God as the ultimate Actor. Humanity cannot manufacture redemption; the Lord sovereignly dispenses it (Titus 3:5–6). • At Pentecost the Spirit was “poured out” (Acts 2:33), echoing the very language Jesus employs here, confirming the reliability of Scripture across passages. into new wineskins • New skins are flexible, able to stretch with the fermenting wine. They picture hearts made new by God: “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you” (Ezekiel 36:26). • Attempting to fit Christ’s life-giving message into rigid, man-made systems results in spiritual rupture, just as old skins burst. The warning is literal and practical. • Jesus raises up disciples willing to be reshaped—Nicodemus had to be “born again” (John 3:3), and Saul became Paul, a “chosen vessel” (Acts 9:15). • The church likewise must remain supple, submitted to Scripture, not tradition, to contain the continual work of the Spirit (Ephesians 4:23). summary Luke 5:38 teaches that the living gospel (“new wine”) must be received by regenerated hearts and Spirit-led structures (“new wineskins”). God Himself pours out this life, demanding we abandon rigid religiosity and welcome His fresh, expanding work. The verse affirms, literally and accurately, that only when believers are renewed can they fully contain and display the fullness of Christ’s kingdom. |
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