Tag Archives: drinking

B&B Friday: Bloggers and others discuss alcohol and the Christian

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bible_in_handsThis B&B Friday will be dedicated to blogs, somewhat, though not in a review. To cap off the series on alcohol and the Christian, I wanted to offer some links for those interested in reading more.

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 10

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wineWe need to look at a few more passages that show us what the New Testament says about alcohol. After that I’ll try and piece together the implications of what we’ve seen. Thanks to all who have been patient and supportive as we’ve gone through this. Too often we only look at the texts that support something we’re trying to prove, rather than considering what the whole Bible has to say. Let’s look at these texts:

  • Romans 14 is an important passage, dealing with Christians who held different convictions. (Sometimes we talk about this being about Christians with different opinions, but that softens the conflict that was going on here) Some Christians would eat meat, some wouldn’t. Some would observe certain days, some refused. Some drank wine, others chose to abstain. Some key points from these verses are:

    “Accept him whose faith is weak, without passing judgment on disputable matters. One man’s faith allows him to eat everything, but another man, whose faith is weak, eats only vegetables. The man who eats everything must not look down on him who does not, and the man who does not eat everything must not condemn the man who does, for God has accepted him. Who are you to judge someone else’s servant? To his own master he stands or falls. And he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand.” (Romans 14:1-4)
    “Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in your brother’s way. As one who is in the Lord Jesus, I am fully convinced that no food is unclean in itself. But if anyone regards something as unclean, then for him it is unclean. If your brother is distressed because of what you eat, you are no longer acting in love. Do not by your eating destroy your brother for whom Christ died. Do not allow what you consider good to be spoken of as evil. For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit, because anyone who serves Christ in this way is pleasing to God and approved by men.” (Romans 14:13-18)
    “Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food. All food is clean, but it is wrong for a man to eat anything that causes someone else to stumble. It is better not to eat meat or drink wine or to do anything else that will cause your brother to fall.” (Romans 14:20-21)

    We can’t pass judgment on those whose conscience won’t allow them to participate in certain things, nor can we pass judgment on those who feel they have the freedom to participate.

  • In Colossians 2, Paul says “Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day.” (Colossians 2:16) This goes beyond not judging. It also tells us that we must not allow ourselves to be judged. “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) The human commands of do not handle, do not taste, do not touch would seem to be the best way to restrain the flesh, but Paul says those tactics are ineffective.
  • “Brothers, do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks against his brother or judges him speaks against the law and judges it. When you judge the law, you are not keeping it, but sitting in judgment on it. There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the one who is able to save and destroy. But you—who are you to judge your neighbor?” (James 4:11-12) There is one Lawgiver. It’s not me. It’s not you. It’s God.
  • “They forbid people to marry and order them to abstain from certain foods, which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and who know the truth. 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.” (1 Timothy 4:3-5) The Bible says that God created wine for man’s good. Should we speak ill of something that God created?

There’s more to be said on this issue, but let’s pause now and look in depth at these verses before we move on. See you tomorrow!

[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 9 (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)