Tag Archives: alcohol abuse

The Christian and Alcohol, Part 12

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wineHere’s where I venture into opinion in this series. Take it as such.

I think our culture’s views of drinking are messed up. Warped and distorted. That’s why you can’t just say, “Go ahead and drink.” In the comment section yesterday, I mentioned the article “Protestants and Catholics: Drunken Barbarians and Mellow Romans?” That article seems to explain part of it. Our culture has had influence from Germanic and Celtic cultures, more than the Latin or Mediterranean culture.

You see, I’ve lived in a Mediterranean culture, for that’s what Argentina is, to a large degree. I’ve seen people drink beer as a beverage and not as a stomach lubricant. I’ve seen diluted wine used as a regular part of meals. I’ve seen Christians drink freely with no shame and no drunkenness. I’ve known people who drank wine every day yet I never saw them anywhere close to intoxicated.

Unfortunately, their culture is changing, with the young people wanting to emulate what they see in American movies and TV. Society is becoming more mobile, and the social controls are breaking down, as they broke down here long ago.

It doesn’t have to be that way. But it is that way now. We deal with how things should be, and we deal with things as they are.

Drinking parties, keggers, night clubs and beer joints… none of those fit into what the Bible describes when it talks about enjoying God’s gifts with thanksgiving. If that’s all people know when it comes to alcohol, then it’s best to tell them to avoid it. Not because of the alcohol, but because of the abuse and because of the context. To me it’s analogous to Paul telling the Corinthians to eat meat in certain contexts and not in others. We can’t just give our young people a green light on drinking. It’s not that simple.

I also think that the church has made a mistake in abandoning that area to the devil. When the world twists and distorts what God has made, the church’s answer must be to show them what is right. For too long we allowed the world to be the only voice as to what sexuality was all about, and we’ve reaped the consequences. We’ve let the world dictate how discourse should be carried out, and Christians find it hard to deal courteously with those that disagree with them. We let the world have movies and television and are finding it terribly hard now to gain a footing in those areas. By letting the world define what the proper use of alcohol is, we’ve given the devil a formidable weapon.

When we present our young people with the traditional proof texts, it takes little for them to see them for the house of cards that they are. When we go against Paul’s advice and make “Don’t touch, don’t taste, don’t handle” our mantra, we fail to correct the excesses just as he told us we would.

My suggestions:

  • We need to re-establish the social controls. You want to drink? You do it in a planned amount, in a Christian family atmosphere, where no one allows anyone else to get drunk. No drinking parties. No frat house keggers. No wild nights on the town. One drink as part of a meal, maybe two. Or half a glass before bed. Control. Community.
  • We need to use the biblical teachings of self-control rather than the world’s teachings of “all or nothing.” That applies not only to alcohol. As someone has said, while only 20% of those who drink do so to excess, 99% of those who eat in this country eat to excess. We’ve made gluttony a joke and drunkenness a mortal sin. The Bible relates the two. We need to learn self-control in our eating, our drinking, our materialism, our political discourse, our anger, our envy, our quest for revenge, etc. (I should point out that “self-control” in the Bible is the self being controlled by the Spirit, not the self controlling the self. We need God’s help to dominate our human nature) “Do not touch, do not taste, do not handle” is the world’s way. We are called to something higher.
  • We need to give Christians the right to make the choices that are best for them. Some will choose not to drink. They need to have that right. Some will choose not to eat red meat. They should have that right. Some will opt for a life of celibacy, others for a life of poverty. Each of these decisions can be made for godly reasons. We must respect peoples rights to choose these paths and respect the rights of others to choose to participate in eating, drinking, marriage or financial safety.

Thanks to all who have joined in in this discussion. Thanks to the many more who have read without commenting here. Tomorrow I’ll share some links for additional reading, just in case I haven’t totally exhausted your patience with this subject.

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 9 (Additional passages to consider)
The Christian and Alcohol, Part 10 (Additional passages to consider)
The Christian and Alcohol, Part 11 (Modern concepts forced onto an ancient text)

The Christian and Alcohol, Part 11

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wineOne thing that comes out of our survey of the Bible on which all agree: the Bible condemns drunkenness. It’s condemned in the Old Testament. It’s condemned in the New Testament. Because of this, even though I think it is up to the individual Christian to decide whether or not to partake, all Christians must avoid drinking to excess and definitively must avoid addiction. Personally, I find nothing in the Bible that would lead me to consider the mere drinking of alcohol to be sinful, but I have no doubts that drunkenness is wrong.

One blogger, when writing about Christians and alcohol, said, “When I began this series, my biggest fear was that I would be the recipient of drunken high-fives from the frat-boy types who seem to revel in their “authentic” journey to follow Christ their own way.” I shudder at that same thought. One comment on this series accused me of giving license to “the occasional binge.” I trust that statement was written in the heat of the moment by someone who hasn’t read carefully what I’ve written. The Christian who drinks irresponsibly is sinning. Can I say it any more plainly?

Drinking to get drunk is wrong. Drinking irresponsibly is wrong. I’m hoping that on that we can all agree. [I’m less sure about a case like that of Noah, who doesn’t seem to have realized that he was going to get drunk. That story shows us the consequences of overindulgence, but all blame in the story is laid squarely on Ham, not Noah. (Talking about Genesis 9:20-25)]

I do believe, however, that we need to avoid imposing modern ideas on an ancient text, that text being the Bible. Several months ago, one blogger warned Christians about getting drunk without realizing it, basing his arguments on blood alcohol levels used by police in determining whether or not one is driving under the influence of alcohol. I see nothing in the Bible to make me think that one could be drunk without realizing it (either at that time or later).

The Bible talks about wine “gladdening the heart” or “making one merry.” I believe this is talking about the effect of alcohol on the person. I know the emotional reaction that some people have to a statement like that, but I can’t find another reasonable explanation. There is a middle ground in the Bible between unaffected by wine and drunk. The Bible calls it having a glad heart or a merry heart. Today it would be considered “intoxication,” but I honestly don’t believe it’s what the Bible calls drunkenness.

We also apply modern ideas to the story of Jesus turning water to wine in John 2. I hear things like “Jesus wouldn’t have made that much wine” or “Jesus wouldn’t have made wine for people who had already been drinking.” Seems to me these comments reflect our modern wedding parties, not an ancient one. Did you know that Jewish weddings at that time typically lasted a week? Or that these celebrations could include hundreds of people? It’s easy to see how they could run short on wine and how the large amount of wine that Jesus made was not inappropriate. We have to read these stories with first century eyes, not twenty-first century interpretation.

I still have a few things I’d like to share on this topic, but this might be a good time to pause for discussion.

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 9 (Additional passages to consider)
The Christian and Alcohol, Part 10 (Additional passages to consider)

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 3

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wineThis week and next, I want to spend some time examining what the Bible says about alcohol. That’s not as easy as you might think because of a couple of factors:

  • Emotion: This is an issue that many people have a lot of emotion tied up in. Either they’ve been personally touched by alcohol abuse, or they’ve been frustrated by traditions that have been bound upon them. Others have publicly taught one side or the other of this issue and are hesitant to go back and see if their previous conclusions are true.
  • Prior assumptions: Lots of assertions are made about alcohol, especially about what the Bible teaches about it. Many of these hinder serious study rather than advance it. My appeal is that we suspend judgment until we examine the evidence. That sounds logical, but I find it rarely happens when studying this issue.

Here’s my plan of study:

  1. The Pentateuch: We need to examine the first five books of the Bible, the books of the Law. These should receive special attention for several reasons. First, there was a time when these were probably the only written witness God’s people had. Surely God had a message for them about this important topic. Secondly, the teachings of these books give us a good idea of how the Jews would have viewed this subject. They placed a special emphasis on what was written in the Law, placing the teachings of the Pentateuch above those of other books.
  2. Most of the rest of the Old Testament: I want to look at some of the wisdom literature separately, but feel that a survey of the rest of the Old Testament is in order.
  3. Wisdom literature: Actually, I want to look at Proverbs, Ecclesiastes and Song of Solomon separately.
  4. The gospels: As always, we need to take time to look at what our Lord said and did concerning alcohol in his lifetime.
  5. The rest of the New Testament: We’ll conclude our biblical overview with the other books of the New Testament. (I started to say “the letters,” but then I remembered the reference in Acts 2)

Stay with me through this. Let’s take a good look at what Scripture says. Is there a better way to determine what we should do as Christians?

[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 2

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wine

Living in the United States in the late 20th and early 21st century, it would be easy to think that the majority of Christians have always opposed the use of alcohol, especially in this country. Actually, history tells a different story.

When the Puritans set sail on the Mayflower, they brought with them more beer than water. Alcohol was consumed on a regular basis, being safer to drink than oft-polluted water. It was seen as a gift from God, serving as an analgesic, an “energy drink,” an enhancer of food, and a tool of socialization. The Puritans, however, were strongly opposed to the abuse of alcohol. As famed Puritan preacher Increase Mather worded it, “Drink is in itself a good creature of God, and to be received with thankfulness, but the abuse of drink is from Satan, the wine is from God, but the Drunkard is from the Devil.” Those who abstained from drinking alcohol were considered to be less healthy and less spiritual, since they rejected part of what God had created for man.

The community provided strong social controls, both informal and formal. Though their rate of consumption of alcohol was much higher than what is typically found today (they averaged about three and a half gallons of alcohol per year per person), their overall sobriety was legendary.

All of this began to break down as people became more mobile and the culture moved from a rural society to an urban one. Social controls began to disappear as people moved away from their communities and stepped into the relative anonymity of city life. Drinking, which had been done in a family situation crossing gender and age barriers, began to be primarily an activity of men away from their homes. In addition, while it was difficult to produce wine on the frontier, whiskey and other distilled drinks were easily made and were relatively inexpensive.

The temperance movement grew up to combat the abuses. At first, the movement sought to bring back moderation, but eventually moved to a push for prohibition. Many religious leaders, seeing the effects of alcohol abuse, joined the fight. Eventually, the theme of the church’s message on alcohol changed, from extolling its virtues and condemning its abuse, to condemning even the production of alcohol. Giving up on re-establishing the social controls that had once controlled the abuse of alcohol, Christians sought to eradicate this evil from the land. Their motto was taken straight from Scripture: “Touch not; taste not; handle not.”

[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)

Some Additional Readings:
“National Prohibition of Alcohol in the U.S.”
“The Rejection of Wine”
“Christianity and Alcohol” — This Wikipedia article contains MANY additional resources for investigation
“Protestants and Catholics: Drunken Barbarians and Mellow Romans?“