Alcohol
From our study in Ecclesiastes, we encounter Qohelet (“The Preacher”) foolishly abusing alcohol in an effort to search for wisdom and find meaning only to be left, concluding, “all was vanity and a striving after wind, and there was nothing to be gained under the sun” (Eccl. 2:11 ESV). The invitation for us was to follow the way of Jesus. I began following the way of Jesus a week before my 18th birthday and as I began to attend worship with the church and have conversations with Christians, I discovered that in many of these cultures, there was a shared condemnation for the drinking of alcohol as a sinful activity. It was an assumption shared by most of the Christians I knew at the time. Since faith and doctrine was new to me, I inquired why this might be the case and was taught by well-meaning, but misguided people that beverage alcohol was sinful and should be avoided by those who walk with Jesus. Initially, I didn’t have biblical or historical knowledge to evaluate these claims and it would be a season of life before I realized the error in this thinking.
Many people in our culture continue to find it shocking that globally and historically, Christians have enjoyed alcoholic beverages as a gift of God, recognizing that with any gift, there can be abuse. It wasn’t until the 1800s in the United States that some churches began a widespread teaching that drinking alcohol was sinful. In fact, it may surprise you to know that one of the origin stories of Bourbon whiskey is tied to a Baptist preacher and distiller named Elijah Craig. It may also surprise you to know that the 18th Century Puritans traveled from Europe to the Americas with generous supplies of beer and wine from Europe. If you spend time studying the Reformers from 1517 through the 1700’s, you will discover a positive attitude toward beverage alcohol. Martin Luther’s wife Catherine was a master beer brewer and he was known to host Table Talks where his guests would imbibe and discuss the gospel and theology. As far back as John Chrysostom, a 4th Century pastor wrote in a sermon on I Timothy that it is heretical to teach that wine drinking is shameful (seeHomily on I Tim. 5:23 in Homilies on the Statues 1:7).
Given this history, it is strange to think that prohibition of alcohol is not merely a personal conviction for many Christian Churches and other institutions, but it is often a test of orthodox faith. However helpful as history may be, the Bible is our ultimate source of authority and where we must turn to get God’s heart on the matter. It is my contention that there is freedom to partake or to abstain and that while there are prohibitions on the overindulgence of alcohol, there are at least four popular ideas that I’ve heard taught in an effort to dissuade Christians from consuming any amount that are not biblically tenable.
1. Wine was not really wine.
The first idea is that wine in the Bible was not really wine. Instead, it was non-alcoholic, less alcoholic than contemporary wine, or simple grape juice. However, the words in the Bible for wine are always alcoholic and capable of making the consumer inebriated. In fact, the word for “drunk,” literally means to be full of wine or being overcome with wine. In the Bible, there is “wine,” “beer,” “strong drink,” “new wine,” “sweet wine,” “mixed wine,” and “spiced wine.” All of which are intoxicating or have the potential to inebriate. Sinfulness in the Bible isn’t measured in the consumption of intoxicating beverages, but in their overconsumption.
According to the Bible, grapes, grape juice, and vinegar are distinct from wine and from strong drink. For those who would take the Nazarite vow (not everyone) there was a prohibition from all of these elements. “Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, When either a man or a woman makes a special vow, the vow of a Nazirite, to separate himself to the Lord, 3 he shall separate himself from wine and strong drink. He shall drink no vinegar made from wine or strong drink and shall not drink any juice of grapes or eat grapes, fresh or dried. 4 All the days of his separation he shall eat nothing that is produced by the grapevine, not even the seeds or the skins” (Num. 6:2-4). They were not the same in the Bible any more than they are today. To claim that when the Bible says, “wine” that it really meant “grape juice” is foolish at best and dishonest at worst. In fact, if we wanted to stay consistent with this prohibition, grape juice and grapes would be forbidden as well.
A closely connected myth is the teaching that wine was mixed with water for sanitation, so it wouldn’t have inebriating effects. This was not a commendable practice in the Bible. To mix water with wine is mentioned in the Bible, but it was presented as a bad thing. As Isaiah is condemning the unfaithfulness of the people of Israel he declares, “How the faithful city has become a whore, she who was full of justice! Righteousness lodged in her, but now murderers. Your silver has become dross, your best wine mixed with water (Isaiah 1:21-22). The Apostle Paul instructs Timothy to imbibe wine instead of water, not a mixture of the two or a command to clean his water with wine (I Tim. 5:23).
2. Alcohol is presented negatively in the Bible.
A second misguided idea is that alcohol is presented negatively or to be avoided n the Bible. There are, however, scores of verses that teach the opposite. Melchizedek uses wine to bless Abraham (Gen. 14:18). Wine is used in worship of God as drink offering (Ex. 29:38-46). “Strong drink” (likely high alcohol wine or beer) is mentioned in Num. 28:7. Wine is made by God to make man’s heart glad (Ps. 104:15). “Well aged wine” is provided by God as a sign of blessing (Is. 25:6). Wine is a blessing in God’s invitation to trust and enjoy him (Is. 55:1). God will bring His people into the land of promise and they will drink wine as a sign of His blessing (Amos 9:13-15). Wine and beer are enjoyed in God’s presence: they are to be enjoyed and drank in praise of God (Deut. 14:22-26). Jesus came eating and drinking and he was accused of being a drunk (Luke 7:34). Jesus miraculously provided an abundance of quality wine – which Mary took to be a sign of God’s presence (John 2:6)
3. Christian Leaders are forbidden from drinking alcohol.
A third misguided idea is that Christian leaders are forbidden from drinking alcohol. There are some prohibitions from alcohol for leaders among God’s people, but they are specific. As we have already noted, those taking a Nazarite vow were forbidden to touch wine, strong drink, vinegar, grapes or grape juice (Num. 6:2-4). Priests and Kings are forbidden during the formal exercise of their duties (Lev. 10:8-11; Prov. 31:4-5). All other prohibitions are to immoderate consumption or abusers (Prov. 23:20; Eph. 5:18; I Tim. 3:8).
Leaders are both permitted and instructed to use alcohol. Jesus provided good wine after guests had already been drinking (John 2). He went further and commanded His disciples to partake of the wine of communion with the words, “Drink of it, all of you, for this is my blood of the covenant…” (Matt. 26:27-29). There is never an instruction to elders to abstain from alcohol. That would have made the issue much cleaner. However, Timothy is instructed to partake of wine in the midst of a culture that radically abused it (I Tim. 5:23).
4. Due to the dangers of alcohol, believers should abstain from consuming it.
The final misguided idea is that Christians should abstain from consuming alcohol due to the dangers that arise from drunkenness and the potential for addiction. In a climate of cultural clashes as the Jews and Greeks were united in the church, one of the key points made by the Apostle Paul was that believers are not to submit to ungodly demands on their liberties. He declares that believers should stand firm in the liberty won by Christ (Gal. 5:1), that teaching prohibition is demonic (I Tim. 4:1-5) and that prohibition is of no value in preventing sin (Col. 2:20-23).
Jesus didn’t abstain from drinking wine in a culture where people abused alcohol. Some worship money…should we abstain from its use? Did Jesus? There are multitudes of things that are perverted from their intended use. Martin Luther once commented, “Do you suppose that abuses are eliminated by destroying the object which is abused? Men can go wrong with wine and women. Shall we prohibit and abolish women? The sun, the moon, and the stars have been worshiped. Shall we pluck them out of the sky?”
Believers should, however, limit their liberty for the charitable regard of others (Gal. 5:13), so there is wisdom in sometimes abstaining. Everything is lawful, but not always helpful (I Cor. 6:12). We should do nothing that would cause a brother to sin (Rom. 14:20-21), so encouraging one who struggles to consume with you allows a brother looking to alcohol being a God of comfort instead of the Holy Spirit allows Him to worship a false God and is unloving.
Conclusion
Beverage use of alcohol should never be acted upon in a flippant manner. Drunkenness is an indication of a lack of relationship with the Lord and is regularly included in lists of those who shall not inherit the kingdom of heaven (I Cor. 6:10). For the Christian, there is a freedom to partake or to abstain, but there is nothing historical or biblical about prohibiting other Christians from consuming beverage alcohol. Let us be sure that if we engage in this liberty that “whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” (I Cor. 10:31).
Submitted by: Kurt Hannah