<p>5:4 <i>Nor filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor crude joking, which are not befitting saints; but rather the giving of thanks</i>- Paul always gives an antidote, a new channel into which to channel the energy which would otherwise be expended on the forbidden action. Paul's vision for personal transformation is remarkable; he envisages those accustomed to coarse language instead using words of praise.</p><p>According to the New Testament, having a spirit of true thankfulness to God <i>in all things</i> should help swamp our tendency to sinfulness; the concept of praising God in gratitude should get such a grip on our way of thinking that the thinking of the flesh is thereby suppressed. Eph. 5:3,4 states this in so many words. It reels off a list of forbidden sexual thoughts and actions; and then the antidote is stated: &quot;Let (them) not once be named among you... <i>but</i> <i>rather</i> giving of thanks&quot;. A few verses later the same medicine is prescribed; this time as the antidote to an unsaintly abuse of alcohol: &quot;Be not drunk with wine... <i>but</i> be filled with the Spirit; speaking to yourselves in psalms... singing and making melody in your heart... giving thanks always for all things&quot; (Eph. 5:18-20). This is a laboured, triple emphasis on praise as being the antidote to drunkenness.</p>