Cheers, Jesus, and pass another bottle of wine
- Pastor Tony
- Sep 27, 2014
- 3 min read
It is a hard, debated, subject, Christians and drinking. By drinking, I mean, drinking alcoholic beverages, i.e. wine, beer, whiskey, etc. This debate rages in Christian circles, from the founding of the Church till today. What is the Biblical approach, and how can I know it.
First, let’s put out some known facts. Wine, as mentioned in the Bible was both alcoholic and non-alcoholic. The Greek and Hebrew words used for it were more a reference to the fruit of the vine than if it was fermented or not. Deuteronomy 18:4, proves this, ‘The firstfruit also of thy corn, of thy wine, and of thine oil, and the first of the fleece of thy sheep, shalt thou give him.’ The first fruits of the ‘wine’ is an obvious reference to the first ‘fruits of the vine’. Interesting enough, the use of wine to mean both fermented and not and has been true of the Latin, other languages and even English (up to a Century ago). Dr. Frederic R. Lees, of England, the author of several learned articles in Kitto's Cyclopaedia, in which he shows an intimate acquaintance with the ancient languages, says: "In Hebrew, Chaldee, Greek, Syriac, Arabic, Latin, and English, the words for wine in all these languages are originally, and always, and inclusively, applied to the blood of the grape in its primitive and natural condition, as well, subsequently, as to that juice both boiled and fermented.”
Second, scripture firmly and unequivocally condemns, drunkenness. Ephesians 5:18 ‘And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;’ 1 Corinthians 6:10 ‘Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.’ And, yes, I think drunkards include, drug addicts, and other forms of addiction. There is no doubt, in my mind, that being drunk is a sin. Being sober, meaning clear thinking, is commanded in multiple places; 1 Peter 5:8, 1 Thessalonians 5:6, 8, 1 Timothy 3:2, 11, just to name a few.
Third, is it a sin for a Christian to drink, that is, alcoholic drinks, yes or no? Let’s clarify, I believe that Christian are at liberty, alcoholic drinks are not anything that can be put in a stomach to be sin, Matthew 5:11 ‘Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man.’ Jesus clearly said that it is what comes out of our heart that is sin, not what we put in our bellies. Alcohol, in and of itself, can’t be sinful, but its use and our reasons for doing it are. Paul even commended Timothy (1 Timothy 5:23) to drink wine for a stomach ailment. I think that Nyquil, cough medicines, etc., would be equivalent today. But, if you are drinking (to get drunk), partying and painting the old town red, you are sinning!
And finally, it is no doubt, in my mind at least, that the alcoholic industry is not for moderation, or less use of their products. The use of strong drinks and even just beer has ruined many families. Lives have been lost in use of alcohol, and its intended use (by the industry;get drunk). This is not a condemnation of those who do drink responsible, because the vast majority of alcohol consumers do drink but are not a danger to society. This is true of alcohol and drugs, the abuse of both, has become a downfall of a many soul.
I cannot condemn the Christian who feels at liberty to drink alcoholic beverages. I think a beer for your kidneys, wine for an upset stomach or even social drinking are hard to condemn in the light of scripture. It appears to me we should err on the side of safety and refrain from anything that would be a stumbling block to others, Romans 14:13 ‘Let us not therefore judge one another any more: but judge this rather, that no man put a stumblingblock or an occasion to fall in his brother's way.’ I have taken the stance of a teetotaler, meaning abstain from all alcoholic drinks. I do so in light of my witness, family history (alcoholic grandfather) and condemnation I feel, even looking at the stuff. I will not condemn or judge you in your liberty, as long as you see my liberty as well.