As we study what the Bible says about alcohol, we turn our attention to the books of what is called “wisdom literature.” Here we find two of the main passages cited against the use of alcohol:
Proverbs 20:1 Wine is a mocker and beer a brawler; whoever is led astray by them is not wise.
Proverbs 23:31 Do not gaze at wine when it is red, when it sparkles in the cup, when it goes down smoothly!
As we think about these verses, we need to remember some points about wisdom literature:
- Wisdom literature often uses hyperbole to make a point: “Behold, this is what I found, says the Preacher, while adding one thing to another to find the scheme of things— which my soul has sought repeatedly, but I have not found. One man among a thousand I found, but a woman among all these I have not found. See, this alone I found, that God made man upright, but they have sought out many schemes.” (Ecclesiastes 7:27-29) Taken literally, these verses teach that .1% of all men are upright, while 0% of women are upright. Some men would favor this interpretation, but I take it as hyperbole. “The fear of the LORD adds length to life, but the years of the wicked are cut short.” (Proverbs 10:27) Do all righteous people live long lives? Do all the wicked die young? To force such an understanding on wisdom literature is to misunderstand its message.
- Wisdom literature sometimes uses a word to symbolize a related activity. “A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest— and poverty will come on you like a bandit and scarcity like an armed man.” (Proverbs 6:10-11) Neither sleep nor rest is being condemned here; what is being condemned is laziness. An interesting exercise is to read what Proverbs says about sleep the same way many read what the book says about alcoholic beverages; we would be forced to preach many sermons on insomnia as a spiritual discipline.
- The advice given in wisdom literature does not always refer to sinful/lawful status. When people make statements like “Proverbs 20:1 condemns wine and strong drink,” they’re adding to the text. There is no condemnation involved. There is a warning not to be “led astray by them.” Again, it’s helpful to study what Proverbs says about things like gluttony, eating meat, sleep, etc.
Proverbs speaks out against drunkenness (see Proverbs 23:29-35), as we have seen in the rest of the Old Testament. That’s the message we should hear and take away from these passages. Let’s not force them to say things that they don’t actually say.
Some additional notes about what wisdom literature says about alcohol:
- Proverbs says that strong drink (beer) and wine should be given to the less fortunate so they may forget their condition (Proverbs 31:6-7). If every use of these drinks were condemned, would Proverbs encourage that they be given to others?
- Ecclesiastes speaks repeatedly about “eating and drinking” being part of how a believer is to enjoy life. (Ecclesiastes 2:24; 3:13; 5:18; 8:15; 9:7) Ecclesiastes 9:7 specifically mentions wine.
As always, please point out where these verses are being misrepresented or add additional verses from the books of wisdom to be considered. (I was going to include a list of the verses where Song of Solomon speaks favorably of wine, but it didn’t seem to add much to the discussion.)
[I’m largely refraining from commenting on comments, trying to present my thoughts bit by bit. Toward the end of the series, I’ll try and be more interactive.]
Previous posts in this series:
The Christian and Alcohol (Alcohol abuse)
The Christian and Alcohol, Part 2 (Alcohol in the history of the U.S.)
The Christian and Alcohol, Part 3 (Seeing what the Bible says about alcohol)
The Christian and Alcohol, Part 4 (What the Pentateuch says about alcohol)
The Christian and Alcohol, Part 5 (What the rest of the Old Testament says about alcohol)
Great series. Thanks for bringing it to the table.
I’m thinking, Tim, about your point about how the writer of Ecclesiastes repeatedly points out that wine is a part of the enjoyment of life.
Which makes me wonder– what OTHER things do we have now, that weren’t around back then, that can supplement the believer’s enjoyment of life? Were Proverbs or Ecclesiastes to be written today, wouldn’t these newer technologies and/or items likely be included? Would these things seem controversial as well to later readers?
Movies, phone conversations, and e-mail come to my mind. My life has been immeasurably improved by scores of each of these: AMADEUS has changed the way I hear music; I stay in contact with faraway friends through the phone; and just yesterday, I received a kind e-mail from a friend in Uruguay who probably wouldn’t communicate with me through any other media method. Yet, overuse of the phone, abuse of e-mail, or viewing of harmful movies are potential problems as well.
So, I’m thinking that something merely having the POTENTIAL to be harmful doesn’t make it necessarily bad in all cases for all times. For example, I COULD kill someone with my kitchen knife–but I choose not to! And the fact that my knife-with-killer-potential is so sharp and deadly makes it a real pleasure in my life, since I use it to cook a good meal for my family.
I take the alcohol passages that way: there is potential for great harm–beware!–and there is potential for great enjoyment. Be wise.
Thanks for this series and for keeping up your blog in general. I like being made to think about this stuff!
First, this is a thought provoking series, and I appreciate your efforts, Tim.
I have lived as a preacher’s kid who elected not to partake of this either in my youth or as an adult. A few years ago, I went to El Chico’s with some friends who know I don’t drink, and there a promotional sign outside the door that said something to the effect of “$0.99 Magaritas”. One of my friends pointed that out to me, and I half-jokingly replied, “I’d go to hell for that. Now, you guys may not…But I probably would.” It led to an interesting discussion.
I don’t believe that making an absolute prohibition of alcohol consumption is either biblical or wise. I have seen attempts to do so which were obvious attempts to make Scripture say what someone wanted it to say. On the other hand, the Bible clearly gives some strong warnings about its use (I like how Karen summarized it in a post above).
My question is: Are there instances in which certain people should abstain while others may not? I was asked why I did not drink in front of another group in which I gave the answer, “I took a modified Nazarite vow”. (Interestingly enough, this drew blank stares from everyone but the Jehovah’s witness in the room, who pointed out that I had cut my hair). I felt that I would adversely affect my father’s ministry if I were to go out and drink socially, and, yes, I STILL feel that way. Is the Nazarite vow something we can draw from conceptually? Just thinking out loud.
Thanks,
Donnie Baisden
Still reading and enjoying. Thanks for the work you put into your blog! :o)
Thanks for the encouragement. May we all keep studying and learning.
Karen, those are some interesting points.
Donnie, thanks for the heartfelt, honest comment. You asked, “Are there instances in which certain people should abstain while others may not?” I definitely think so. Isn’t that the point of Romans 14? I also think about the Recabites from Jeremiah 35.
Grace and peace,
Tim Archer
Tim,
Why don’t we read the WHOLE text. These verses point out several things.
Alcoholic wine is the source of woe, sorrow, contentions, complaints and uncaused wounds, and red eyes. He could have added hard livers, divorce, pregnancy, broken homes, dUI, DWI, Public intoxication charges, Etc.
There are certain drinks it is unprofitable to use wine (excessive in either volumn or strength, mixed wine.
It tells us not to look at certain types of wine.
It tells us why. We say and do things you shouldn’t and wouldn’t do if not under the influence.
He then describes what drunkeness feels like.
I think you should tell the WHOLE STORY. This is enough for me and many others who can see the damnable pain of alcohol use in our country.
29 Who has woe?
Who has sorrow?
Who has contentions?
Who has complaints?
Who has wounds without cause?
Who has redness of eyes?
30 Those who linger long at the wine,
Those who go in search of mixed wine.
31 Do not look on the wine when it is red,
When it sparkles in the cup,
When it swirls around smoothly;
32 At the last it bites like a serpent,
And stings like a viper.
33 Your eyes will see strange things,
And your heart will utter perverse things.
34 Yes, you will be like one who lies down in the midst of the sea,
Or like one who lies at the top of the mast, saying:
35 “They have struck me, but I was not hurt;
They have beaten me, but I did not feel it.
When shall I awake, that I may seek another drink?”
Proverbs 23:29 through Proverbs 23:35
Joe, I’m pretty sure pregnancy is caused from having sex.
Brother Joe,
Space limits me from quoting every single text referred to. Please note that I included Proverbs 23:29-35 in the post.
As for the rest of what you said, it is more than adequately addressed in the post.
Grace and peace,
Tim Archer
Tim,
My point is you frame this whole discussion in the context of a person who supports the idea that a Christian can consume alcohol. I think there are lots of reasons why a Christian should not consume the modern alcoholic drinks. Please, note previous discussions I have had where I noted that I don’t think this prohibits medicne, watered down weakened drinks, or small amounts. Those are not the norm in our society.
I pointed out from the text here where the Bible condemns drinking strong drink. It says don’t look at it. I guess we can drink with our eyes closed. Ha Ha. So what does it mean when it says “don’t look at it?” It means to me totally avoid it.
I am also pretty sure that your blog hasn’t maxed out it’s size limits. Information is as much in what isn’t said, as it is in what is said.
I have framed this discussion as someone who supports letting the Bible speak for itself. The fact that you are opposed to the idea of trying to study the Bible before drawing conclusions is a little frightening.
When I talk about size of my posts, I’m talking about readability. The only texts I quoted concerning alcohol were the negative texts. None of the texts from Ecclesiastes are quoted, nor are those from Song of Solomon. I didn’t even quote Proverbs 31:6-7. (You forgot to say if the Christian must close his eyes when giving strong drink to the poor)
Proverbs says not to sleep. Proverbs condemns winking, as well as pursing your lips. Proverbs says to put a knife to your throat if you tend to be a glutton. Do you preach these as well?
Alcohol abuse is a terrible thing. That’s why I started this series by addressing that. Drinking as practiced in the United States is dangerous and often sinful. The answer to that is not to force the Bible to say what we want it to say. We must deal with what the text actually says. You commented earlier that the Bible “continually” certain alcoholic drinks. That is a misrepresentation of Scripture. The Bible continually presents drunkenness as sinful and wine as a gift from God. But you have to study the whole Bible to see that, not just a few verses ripped from their context.
Brother, your argument is not with me. It’s with Scripture.
Grace and peace,
Tim Archer
My disagreement is with your teaching not the scriptures.
You never answered what it meant to not look at the wine. The force of that text condemns the use of strong drink. So please respond to that text.
Joe,
Let me say first of all that I think you’ve made some assumptions about my beliefs. If nothing else, let me quote from the very first post I made on this subject: “Anybody who flippantly says, “The Christian can participate in the use of alcohol in this country” is doing great harm, in my opinion.” If that’s where you think I’m headed, you’ve jumped to a false conclusion.
I’m trusting you’ve read the post. I’m trusting that you understand the nature of wisdom literature, how it uses hyperbole, how it refers to an item or activity to actually mean the abuse of that thing. Also keep in mind that parts of Proverbs are not discussing lawful vs. sinful, but are giving advice for better living.
For the sake of this discussion, let’s take Proverbs 23 as a whole. I recognize that’s an arbitrary selection, but I think we can work fairly with that bit of text.
Just to limit things a bit further, let’s list the negative commands in that chapter:
Proverbs 23:3 Do not crave (a ruler’s) delicacies, for that food is deceptive.
Proverbs 23:4 Do not wear yourself out to get rich;
Proverbs 23:6 Do not eat the food of a stingy man, do not crave his delicacies;
Proverbs 23:9 Do not speak to a fool,
Proverbs 23:10 Do not move an ancient boundary stone or encroach on the fields of the fatherless,
Proverbs 23:13 Do not withhold discipline from a child;
Proverbs 23:17 Do not let your heart envy sinners,
Proverbs 23:20 Do not join those who drink too much wine or gorge themselves on meat,
Proverbs 23:22 Do not despise your mother when she is old.
While these things are good advice, I don’t think that either of us believes a man will go to hell for having spoken to a fool or for having eaten the food of a stingy man. In fact, I would dare to say that Jesus did each of those things. The fact that Proverbs “condemns” those things doesn’t make them matters of eternal condemnation. Let’s not confuse the two things.
Read in context, Proverbs 23:31 is speaking about drunkenness, not just drinking wine. Thank you for providing the context above. Maybe that fact would have been easier to see had I quoted the entire passage. My apology for that. In the same way, Proverbs speaks against sleep when the topic is slothfulness. It’s a poetic device used in the Bible.
“Don’t look at wine” is a way of saying to not long after wine, don’t focus on it, don’t dwell on it. In context, it’s a reference to undue fixation on drinking.
As you’ve rightly pointed out, the Bible doesn’t contradict itself. Bringing the whole weight of the Bible to bear, we see that what God condemns is not drinking in and of itself, but drunkenness. The misuse of Scripture and the desire to gloss over multiple text from the Bible has hurt us as we talk to our young people about drinking, rather than help us. If we will teach what the Bible says, rather than what Protestant culture in the U.S. says, we will find that Scripture has more power than man’s arguments.
Grace and peace,
Tim Archer
Tim,
With so much of the negatives of alcohol why would you we want to defend it? Your interpretation gives wine again the benefit of the doubt.
The Bible Condemns drunkenness.
The Bible condemns or warns us against strong drink.
The Bible urges Kings and Priests to abstain on atleast some occasions.
The Bible tells us that the person drawn into the way of wine is not wise. Don’t we want to always be wise.
The bible tells us that drunkeness is of the works of the flesh.
It is part of the lifestyle of the gentiles/worldly people. I Peter 4
The Bible tells to always be sober minded (has reference to intoxication)
The word drunkeness means to begin to be softened (Process not just the end result)
The Bible tells us if it would offend or cause a brother to stumble then leave it alone Rom 14.
We are to seek first the kingdom of God. Can I honestly say that drinking does that?
I don’t know how many more reasons an honest christian needs, but if a person wants to drink they will find an excuse around all of these and any other thing that is said.
Doesn’t wine deserve the benefit of the doubt? Drunkenness does not, but wine is praised time and again in the Bible. Is it somehow “more spiritual” to reject something God gave us as a good gift? Shall we fall into the error of Colossians 2? If we judge people because they choose to drink wine, we are directly violating Colossians 2 and indirectly violating Romans 14. Should an honest Christian do that?
I’m not sure if I’m being called a dishonest Christian or if I’m being accused of finding excuses to do what I want. Maybe those were passing comments in no way directed toward me.
Honoring God’s gifts and not speaking ill of what he has given to us FOR OUR GOOD is part of seeking God’s kingdom.
“Since you died with Christ to the basic principles of this world, why, as though you still belonged to it, do you submit to its rules: “Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!”? These are all destined to perish with use, because they are based on human commands and teachings. Such regulations indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-imposed worship, their false humility and their harsh treatment of the body, but they lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence.” (Colossians 2:20-23)
“For everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, because it is consecrated by the word of God and prayer.” (1Timothy 4:4-5)
Grace and peace,
Tim Archer
Tim,
Alcohol is in no way a blessing as a drink. It may have a medicinal affect. It may have been useful in cleansing impure water but the liquor industry has done more harm than we can even describe.
Sex is good. Lust is not. Since the Bible has so much to say about the evils of alcohol why not avoid strong drink altogether. WE have no need for it today.
Did you know that reseach shows that kids whose parents drink are more likely to drink alcohol.
Did you know that 1 in 6 people who drink develop a drinking problem. That figure is defined very losely. It means a habitual addictive drinking problem. A much higher number sometimes engage in activity that is sinful even by your definition and dangerous and illegal by our societies.
You are defending one of Satans greatest tools. I say that not to insult you but to shake you out of your sleep.
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A sermon I will never forget..
I have heard sermons for and against drinking alcohol all my years, but the most effective sermon I experienced, growing up with a “Christian” alcoholic father who tried for many years, with many prayers to control his addiction. There were many heartaches for our family. Most of all, it was hard to watch the heartache it caused my mom. She hung in there through many trials and tears even when we kids told her at one point that we would understand if she sought a divorce. I will never forget seeing my dad show up at my high school graduation. He was the drunk at which everyone was laughing.
All four of us kids have remained strong and faithful Christians and none of us drink alcohol; we listened to the sermons that we saw in our own home. We wouldn’t want to risk that in our own families today. I remember hearing hearing in church, “If you don’t want to become an alcoholic, don’t take the first drink. Good advice. That stuck with me for a long time.
All mine and my siblings children were blessed to grow up in alcohol and drug free homes, and in some ways it may be unfortunate our kids didn’t experience the tough sermon we did. I have told them our story many times and hoped and prayed it sank in, I would hate to see my grandchildren experience what I did.
I agree that the Bible doesn’t say you can’t drink wine. Yes, Jesus turned water to wine, and Timothy was told to take a little wine for his stomach sake, but there are so many warnings considering drinking. There are many useful things that Satan can turn into weapons to destroy us and alcohol and drugs are powerful ones. Drunkeness is a dangerous thing…so scary that in Gal. 5:21 it is listed after murder in the list of things that keep you from inheriting the kingdom of God. I haven’t ever met anyone who drinks that says, some may have a problem, but I can control my drinking and I have never met a drunk that started out to be one.
Do you remember your parents telling you not to play with fire. That is what I think of about considering drinking. I attended many AA meetings with my dad. Many men and women got up and told tragic life stories, some had lost everything. So sad.
As my dad was in his senior years I went to him and told him about my feelings about my graduation day when he arrived drunk and staggering. He sat there and cried and he asked for my forgiveness. I cried too; we hugged. He said he never remembered that happening, but drunks don’t. They are too drunk to know what they did, or remember, or know the harm they do to the ones who love and need them the most.
Think, really think, “How will drinking influence my family, my children and others around me. …And what about that struggling Christian father sitting at the next table? Oh you didn’t know he had a problem did you? How could you ? He looks like a successful guy. He dresses well, has a good job at the moment, his family is nice and he may even be an elder at your church. Little do you know, he is about to get fired from yet another job, because tomorrow he is going on another month long benge. This is my dad. Is it really worth it?
God has provided us with the ‘Holy’ Spirit and surely that is the only ‘spirit’ I need. What can wine give me that that the Holy Spirit cannot. The Gifts of HIS Spirit gives us Love, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Brotherly kindness, self control…. can alcohol do that? It might try. … Oh yeah, I left out one of the gifts of the Holy Spirit, “JOY” JOY, JOY …. a WONDER FULL JOY. …And that is a Joy you will never forget!
Blessings to all, and pass the tea please.
Nancy Clinard Harper
A CORRECTION: In the former post I meant to say
I haven’t ever met anyone who drinks that DOESN’T think, “Some may have a problem, but I can control my drinking” and I have never met a drunk that started out to be one.
Thanks, Nancy. I hope you’ll take the time to read the whole series. God bless.