Category Archives: Alcohol

The Christian and Alcohol, Part 9

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wineEven as we’ve looked at the passages that address wine/alcohol in the Bible, we haven’t finished with searching Scripture. There are several additional texts that offer insights that need to be considered when discussion the Christian and alcohol. Let’s look at a few today and a few tomorrow:

  • “’All things are lawful for me,’ but not all things are helpful. ‘All things are lawful for me,’ but I will not be enslaved by anything.” (1 Corinthians 6:12) It’s possible that the Corinthians had been quoting Paul when they said “All things are lawful for me,” but Paul wants them to know that they are missing the point of that statement. (He quotes the same phrase again in Chapter 10). A Christian’s freedom is to be tempered by the thought of what is edifying and by the thought of avoiding letting something control us. That idea of not being controlled is very important in this discussion. On one hand, it rules out allowing ourselves to be dominated by an addiction. On the other hand, it should be a caution to not reach a point to where we lose control, where we are being dominated by something that we have ingested.
  • The entire discussion of 1 Corinthians 8-10 also speaks powerfully to this issue. Paul warns in these chapters that a Christian must be willing to give up his rights for the good of the Kingdom, for the good of his brothers. Specifically, the discussion has to do with eating food sacrificed to idols, but the principles presented add to our discussion. (There is a similar passage in Romans 14)
  • Let me throw in one passage that should have been included in the last post on this subject. The famous verse from 1 Timothy 5:23 about “drinking a little wine.” I’m not an expert on the original languages, so I’ll merely pass this on. Let me quote something that Barry Traver wrote in a comment:

    In light of this fact, it has been suggested that 1 Timothy 5:23 should be interpreted thus:
    “Stop drinking only water [i.e. water alone, with nothing added to it], but use WITH a little wine [added to the water] for your stomach’s sake and your frequent infirmities.”
    (In the original Greek, a “little wine” is in the dative case, suggesting the addition of the word “with.”)

Tomorrow we’ll look at some other passages that should be considered when talking about the Christian and alcohol. Keep studying until then!

[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)
The Christian and Alcohol, Part 6 (What Proverbs and Ecclesiastes say about alcohol)
The Christian and Alcohol, Part 7 (What the gospels say about alcohol)
The Christian and Alcohol, Part 8 (What the rest of the New Testament says about alcohol)

The Christian and Alcohol, Part 8

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wineAt this point in our study, we want to look at what the rest of the New Testament has to say about alcohol. Again, it’s quite a lot of material to cover. I might should have split it up, but we’ll give it a try.

  • Acts 2 is the first passage to be considered, when the Holy Spirit came upon the apostles on the day of Pentecost. Some of their detractors accused them of being full of “new wine.” Peter replies that it was too early in the morning for them to be drunk.
  • The rest of the New Testament, in keeping with the teachings of the Old, consistently speaks out against drunkenness. (Romans 13:13; 1 Corinthians 5:11; 6:10; 10:7; Galatians 5:21; Ephesians 5:18; 1 Thessalonians 5:7; Titus 2:3; 1 Peter 4:3) It was considered representative of pagan behavior.
  • Christians in Corinth were getting drunk off the wine from the Lord’s Supper (1 Corinthians 11:21).
  • Leaders of the church were especially not to be given to drunkenness. (1 Timothy 3:3, 8; Titus 1:7)
  • Apparently, some in the church felt that drinking wine was wrong. Paul warns his readers to not damage the faith of these brothers through their actions. (Romans 14:21)
  • No one was to be judged on the basis of what they ate or drank. (Colossians 2:16) Regulations about eating and drinking were part of the old covenant, not the new. (Hebrews 9:10)

There are some other passages that don’t directly mention drinking or wine that should also be considered. We’ll be looking at those next week. For now, here are a few thoughts:

  1. It would seem from the accusation in Acts 2 and Peter’s response to it that it was not unthinkable for Jews to be drinking alcoholic beverages. That was probably especially true during a time of feasting.
  2. The instructions referring elders and deacons show that drinking alcohol was not unthinkable in the church, but that drunkenness was not tolerated.
  3. Paul doesn’t criticize the Corinthians for what they were drinking in the Lord’s Supper. His problem was with the fact that they didn’t wait for one another.
  4. Drunkenness was considered something from the old way of life, of the pagan way of life. (See also 1 Corinthians 10:7 and 15:32) Addiction to wine was forbidden.

Let’s reflect on these passages some for now, then we’ll look at some other New Testament principles that come into play when talking about this subject.

[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)
The Christian and Alcohol, Part 6 (What Proverbs and Ecclesiastes say about alcohol)
The Christian and Alcohol, Part 7 (What the gospels say about alcohol)

The Christian and Alcohol, Part 7

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wineWe now turn our attention to the gospels. What do these presentations of the story of Jesus tell us about wine and other alcoholic drinks?

  • John the Baptist lived his life without drinking wine nor strong drink. Jesus, on the other, partook of them freely, so much so that he was accused of being “a drunkard.” (Matthew 11:19)
  • Jesus’ first miracle involved turning water into wine at a wedding. (John 2) It was fine wine, of a sort that usually is served before the wedding guests have “well drunk” (verb coming from the word for an intoxicant).
  • Jesus described the fermentation of “new wine” becoming “old wine.” (Luke 5:37-39) He used this as a common example that his listeners would have been familiar with. Note that he recognizes in this parable that people preferred vintage wine to new wine.
  • The “fruit of the vine” used at Passover would have been wine. This was customary at Passover, and there are Jewish writings from the time which refer to wine as “fruit of the vine.” [Wayne Jackson gives a brief study of this in the Christian Courier] On the night of his crucifixion, Jesus says that he would not drink of this wine again until he drank it in his Father’s kingdom. (Matthew 26:29)
  • The gospels record no sayings from Jesus praising wine nor condemning wine; he does refer to drunkenness in a negative way in one parable. (Matthew 24:49; Luke 12:45) The teaching of the gospels is very similar to that of the Law of Moses in this regard.

    We do well to keep in mind that wine in the time of the New Testament was usually diluted, much like many people do with table wine today. See the comments section of the post “The Church’s Witness to the Responsible Use of Wine” for an excellent discussion of how wine was consumed in Jesus’ day. As we read about Jesus and his disciples drinking wine, it helps to bear in mind that what they drank was almost certainly diluted wine.

    [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)
    The Christian and Alcohol, Part 6 (What Proverbs and Ecclesiastes say about alcohol)

    The Christian and Alcohol, Part 6

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    wineAs 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:

    1. 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.
    2. 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.
    3. 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)

    The Christian and Alcohol, Part 5

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    wineI’ve bitten off more than any of us can chew, as I’ve promised to try and cover most of the Old Testament with this post. Some will have little patience for this kind of Bible study, and I’m okay with that. But some would like to see what all of Scripture has to say about alcohol, so we’ll continue on with this series.

    I’m going to have to try and group ideas here and will not be able to cover every pertinent text. I’ll do my best to give representative texts for the different ideas presented:

    • If the Pentateuch was ambiguous about its view toward drunkenness, some statements in the books of the prophets are less so. They condemn alcohol abuse. (Isaiah 5:11-12, 22; 28:1-8; Amos 4:1; 6:6) We should also note Eli’s reaction to Hannah’s apparent drunkenness. (1 Samuel 1:12-14)

    • Wine was given to man for his enjoyment. (Psalm 104:14-15; Jeremiah 31:12-14)

    • Wine was given to man to “gladden his heart.” (Judges 9:13; Ecclesiastes 9:7; 10:19; Zechariah 10:7)

    • Wine is a sign of blessing and abundance; lack of wine is a sign of punishment and hardship. (Joel 2:24-26; 3:18; Isaiah 24:7-11)

    • The joyous drinking of wine is part of God’s promise for the future (Isaiah 25:6-9; 62:8-9; Jeremiah 31:12-14; Amos 9:13).

    This Old Testament survey reflects the practice of the Puritans that we saw in an earlier post, where they praised wine as a gift from God and condemned drunkenness as a work of the devil.

    But does wine really mean wine in the Bible? Sadly, I guess this has to be addressed sometime. The theory of “wineless” wine was invented in the 19th century and refuses to go away, despite all evidence to the contrary. Rather than offer a long, drawn out argument, let me refer you to a thorough post on The Two Wine Theory. For those who don’t wish to read there, here are some pertinent quotes:

    Against this view is the nearly unanimous testimony of the lexicons, dictionaries, encyclopedias and historians that the terms for wine (yayin in Hebrew, and oinos in Greek) refer to a clearly alcoholic substance. Gentry [author of God Gave Wine—Tim] quotes a couple lexicons and the TWOT as unequivocally stating that yayin is alcoholic. Strong’s Concordance Dictionary notes: “yayin; from an unused root meaning to effervesce; wine (as fermented); by implication intoxication; — banqueting, wine, wine (-bibber).” Nelson’s Expository Dictionary of the Old Testament (edited by Merril Unger and William White Jr., and part of Vine’s Complete Expository Dictionary states: “Yayin… is the usual Hebrew word for fermented grape…. [It] clearly represents an intoxicating beverage.” The article for “wine” in the revised ISBE (edited by Geoffrey Bromiley) states “Both yayin and tirosh are fermented grape juice with alcoholic content; hence both are able to cause intoxication (cf. Hos. 4:11) and are to be distinguished from ‘must’ or unfermented grape juice.” The New Unger’s Bible Dictionary [Chicago: Moody Press, 1988; edited by Merrill F. Unger] states, “In most of the passages in the Bible where yayin is used (83 out of 138), it certainly means fermented grape juice; and in the remainder it may fairly be presumed to do so. The intoxicating character of yayin in general is plain from Scripture.”

    There is no reason to think that the wine that “gladdens men’s hearts” is anything but fermented wine, wine containing alcohol.

    [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)