Studies on Modern Issues
Wine and Strong Drink in the Bible
1. Terms translated “wine” in the Bible
Section One: A Lot Can Change in Four Thousand Years
In this first section we hope to demonstrate the following:
➢ The term for wine is not the same today as it was in ancient times.
➢ The use of wine is not the same today as it was in ancient times.
➢ That wine is not drunk today in the same way it was in ancient times.
Terms translated “wine” in the Bible
There are many terms translated by the English word “wine” in the Bible, each with its own unique shade of meaning. Most of these distinctions are not observable when reading in the English Bible. In some passages the usage of the term is completely foreign to the modern reader. Consider the following list of Hebrew and Greek words for wine. (Some readers may want to quickly skim over this rather lengthy list of foreign terms. It doesn’t make for the most interesting reading – but it is important to “see” for yourselves that these various terms do exist in the Scriptures.)
The Old Testament (Hebrew terms)
Yayin[i]:. From an unused root meaning to effervesce; 140 occurrences; The King James Version translates it as “wine” 138 times, “banqueting” once, and “winebibbers” once.
- This is by far the most common term for wine in the Old Testament. It is most often used of fermented grape juice, and intoxicating beverage (Gen.9:21).
- However, it is on occasion, used of unfermented grape juice (Isa.16:10).
Tirosh[ii]: This term occurs in the KJV 38 times and is always translated as “wine,” sometimes described as new wine (Isa.65:8) or sweet wine (Micah 6:15). The term means “wine, fresh or new wine, must, freshly pressed wine.”
- Prov.3:10 – Note that in this passage, the word translated new wine is that which comes out of the presses, namely, grape juice.
- Isa.65:8 – Note that in this passage, the term translated new wine refers to the juice which was still found in the cluster of grapes.
- Obviously in these two occurrences, the term translated in English as new winewas in fact what we would refer to today as grape juice. When grapes are squeezed in the winepress, juice squirts out, not alcohol. Inside a cluster of grapes on the vine juice is found, certainly not what we would call wine today.
Shekar[iii]: Of the 23 occurrences of this term in the Old Testament, the KJV translates it as “strong drink” 21 times, “strong wine” once, and “drunkard” once. Strong’s defines the term as “strong drink, intoxicating drink, fermented or intoxicating liquor.” It is translated “strong wine” in Num.28:7.
There are three additional, less frequently used Hebrew terms for wine. They are as follows:
Chemer[iv]: This term appears only twice and is translated as “pure” once and “red wine” once. (Deut.32:14; Isa.27:2)
Awsees[v]: This term occurs five times and is translated as “new wine” twice, “sweet wine” twice, and “juice” once. Strong’s defines the term as “sweet wine, wine, pressed out juice.” (cf. Joel 3:18)
Mamsak[vi]: This term has two occurrences in the Bible and refers to a “mixed drink, mixed wine, or drink-offering.” It is the last word for wine in Prov.23:30, translated, mixed wine.
The New Testament (Greek Terms)
Oinos[vii]: Oinos is the most common term for wine found in the New Testament. It appears 33 times in the KJV, and is translated as “wine” 32 times, and “winepress” once. Strong’s defines the term simply as wine.
- This term most often refers to fermented grape juice, an intoxicating beverage (Eph.5:18).
- Sometimes it refers to grape juice not yet fermented (Rev.19:15).
Gluekos[viii]: denotes sweetness; new wine; must;
- This term is used only in Acts 2:13. The term refers to fresh grape juice that has recently begun to ferment.
- This term would not be used of a strong, completely fermented wine.
Sikera[ix]: – This Greek word is a transliteration from the Hebrew term shekar (strong drink). It is to be distinguished from oinos in that this is a wine made not only from grapes, but includes a strong drink made from grains and other fruits. This term is always used of a strong drink, an intoxicating beverage. It occurs only in Luke 1:15.
Oxos: This term means sharp wine or vinegar. In each of its seven occurances, it is translated “vinegar” (John 19:29,30).
We have included this list of terms because some have claimed that there is only one kind of wine in the Bible. Hence, they would say that the term wine always means wine. When the term is used in the Bible it always has the same meaning, and it is always refers to an intoxicating beverage. If wine meant an intoxicating beverage in one passage (example: Noah drank wine and got drunk), then it means an intoxicating beverage in every other passages where the English word “wine” is mentioned. They would further argue that since Jesus made wine and drank it, so it is OK for us to drink it too.
It sure sounds like a powerful argument to say “wine means wine.” Who could argue with that logic? To many, that is the end of the debate. When the position is stated in those terms, it might even seem foolish to attempt to contend otherwise. Pardon my folly, but I am going to challenge that claim. There is NOT only one kind of wine in the Bible. As we have just seen, there are many terms in the Scriptures which are translated “wine” in our English Bible, and each has a slightly different shade of meaning. I would argue that it is inaccurate and quite misleading to say, “wine means wine.” In fact, “wine (the word found in our English Bibles as a translation from over 10 different Greek & Hebrew terms) does NOT always mean wine, according to our modern understanding of the term. It CAN mean wine, but it can also mean other things. It can refer to unfermented grape juice. It can be used of a juice that is just beginning the process of fermentation. It can also mean a mixture of water and wine. And of course, it can refer to a completely fermented wine, a strong drink. It would not be fair or honest for a Christian to base his practices on a superficial, bumper sticker slogan, (“wine always means wine”) without taking the time to dig a bit deeper into God’s Word. Upon further investigation, one discovers that in the Bible the terms translated wine are not exact parallels to our modern usage of the term.
With ten different terms translated “wine” in our English Bible, it is incumbent upon the reader to consider these various terms and their various shades of meaning. Time spent in a good Bible concordance would be time well spent, and could be greatly used of the Lord in cementing conviction in the hearts of God’s people concerning God’s mind on this matter.
Consider the various ways the terms wine and must were used on the English language in the past five centuries[x]. The following references indicate how the term wine was understood by the translators of our English Bible.
Dictionary of Arts: “Juice when newly expressed, and before it has begun to ferment, is called “must”, and in common language, “new wine.”
Littleton’s Latin Dictionary (1678): “Gleukos is new wine. Must is new wine; close shut up and not permitted to work. (“Work” is an old word for ferment)
Chambers Cyclopedia (1750) “Sweet wine is that which has not yet fermented.”
Rees’ Cyclodpeia: “Sweet wine is that which has not yet worked or fermented.”
Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities: “The sweet unfermented juice of the grape was termed gleukos.”
These OLD dictionaries indicate to us how the translators of the King James Version used the word “wine” in their day. Today, we think of wine as always being fermented, and of having a high alcoholic content. But the original Greek and Hebrew terms, as well as the English usage in the 1600’s when the KJV was translated, did not always have that connotation.
There were DIFFERENT words for wine, which indicated various types of beverages. In Old English, as in the ancient Hebrew and Greek, wine did NOT always refer to a fermented, alcoholic beverage. The term COULD refer to either unfermented, sweet grape juice OR fermented grape juice. In AD 60 Plutarch wrote, “Filtered wine neither inflames the brain nor infects the mind and the passions, and is much more pleasant to drink.”[xi] Note that Plutarch used the word wine to describe a non-intoxicating juice (sometimes called wine) that was greatly valued.
Thus, when we read the word “wine” in our English Bible, we should NOT assume that it must refer to the same kind of alcoholic beverage that we call wine today. Strong drink always refers to alcoholic content. The other terms do not necessarily imply an intoxicating beverage. Thus, it is incumbent upon the interpreter to consider the following:
➢ Determine which Greek or Hebrew term stands behind the English translation.
➢ Consider the context.
➢ Consider the customs of the day.
Reading 20th century habits into the culture and customs that existed from two to four thousand years ago is a serious historical, cultural, and interpretational blunder – and can be quite misleading.
For example, the Greek term oinos could be used for EITHER alcoholic or non alcoholic beverage. Don’t assume anything without considering the context. In Ephesians 5:18, the wine (oinos) is obviously an intoxicating beverage. On the other hand, in Matthew 9:17, we see the term used for both a non-intoxicating beverage AND an intoxicating beverage in the same verse. Jesus said not to put new wine (oinos) in old wineskins. Wineskins were used to carry beverages and were made from the skins of animals. Old leather skins became brittle and fragile. If the process of fermentation began inside an old, brittle skin, the leather would split and the wine would run out. In this passage Jesus used the word oinos for BOTH the new wine (not yet fermented) which was poured in, and the wine that ran out after it fermented and broke the wineskin. Both the grape juice and the fermented wine were called “oinos” in this passage and translated “wine” in our English Bible.
Some have argued that the term wine in the Bible does NOT refer to grape juice. One man argues as follows: “One can’t have it both ways. You can’t say that wine is always grape juice, for then the negative statements in scripture make no sense; those who say that it is only grape juice tend to focus just on the neutral and positive passages, conveniently allowing them to condemn the drinking of real wine at all times.”[xii] But note carefully his strawman argument. Of course one could find fault with those who claim that wine in the Bible ALWAYS means grape juice. It would be quite foolish to make such a claim – because it is so easily refuted. We would not argue that the term wine ALWAYS means grape juice, but rather that it SOMETIMES refers to grape juice. In some passages it refers to a partially fermented grape juice or sweet wine. And of course, it OFTEN refers to an intoxicating beverage. To claim that the English word “wine” always refers to grape juice would be foolish (and dishonest), as this author correctly implies. However, it is equally foolish to assume that EVERY occurrence of the term “wine” in the Bible must refer to a strong, intoxicating drink.
We are not arguing that wine always means grape juice, nor are we arguing that that “new wine” NEVER had an alcoholic content. Often it had no alcoholic content, but sometimes it obviously did. The “new wine” mentioned in Acts 2:13, is the Greek word gleukos, which refers to anything that comes from the fruit. It normally referred to a sweet juice, but also includes the early stages of fermentation, similar to apple cider as it begins to ferment. In this context, men were accused of being full of new wine because of their unusual behavior. Clearly the onlookers thought that the men were affected by the new wine… in fact, drunk! Note how Peter answers this accusation in verse 15. Peter responds by stating that these men were not drunk because it was only the third hour of the day. They didn’t have TIME to get drunk from new wine (a juice that had just begun the process of fermentation with a very low alcoholic content). You would have to drink a LOT and for a long time to get drunk on gleukos. In other words, it was possible to get drunk on new wine, but you would have to imbibe a colossal amount to do so and it would take a long time. Peter simply states that these men did not have TIME to get drunk on a wine that has just begun the process of fermentation! On the other hand, it does not take much time to get drunk on completely fermented wine.
Some have not only argued that wine in the Old Testament was always an intoxicating beverage, but have gone so far as to claim that the Bible actually speaks positively about the “high” that the intoxicating beverage produces! Without question, the Bible DOES say that wine “cheers” the hearts of men (Cf. Zech. 9:17; Judge 9:13; Ps. 104:15; etc.). The modern mind almost automatically associates the “cheer” wine produces with the euphoric feeling alcohol produces. But once again, it is fair and wise for us to question what the Holy Spirit MEANT by this term “cheer” in Zech.9:17. Is it really equal to the “buzz” obtained from a few glasses of alcohol?
Consider Zechariah 9:17. “For how great is his goodness, and how great is his beauty! Corn shall make the young men cheerful, and new wine the maids.” The verse states that new wine “cheers” the maids. HOW does it cheer them? Obviously, it cheers them in the same way that corn (grains such as wheat or barley) cheer the young men. The prophet is not speaking of an alcoholic high. Rather, he is speaking of the utter JOY experienced by the young men and women when God blessed their hard labors in the field and prospered their harvest of crops. Those living in an agrarian society worked long and hard in the fields and orchards, and when harvest time came, their hearts were cheered and full of joy and thanksgiving to God for blessing their labors. Gathering in the many bales of wheat and other grains meant food for their families for many months. Gathering in the clusters of grapes to be squeezed into sweet juice provided a delicious drink. This abundant harvest brought a cheer to hearts that we don’t experience because we purchase our grains and juices in a supermarket with hardly a thought about the toil that went into the working the soil, sowing, weeding, and harvesting.
In fact, the term translated “cheerful” in Zech. 9:17 is used four times in the King James Version, and (according to Strong’s Concordance[xiii]) is translated as “bring forth” twice, “increase” once, and “make cheerful” once. It means to bear fruit, or in a figurative sense, to make to flourish. This could hardly be stretched to be the equivalent of a “buzz” from alcohol. In Zechariah 9:17 the term has the meaning of flourish. After gathering in a flourishing harvest of grains and large clusters of grapes, the young men and women who worked the fields experienced a “flourishing” of their hearts too. In other words, their hearts would be vibrant, joyous, fulfilled. Psalm 104:15 speaks of wine that “maketh glad the heart of man.” The psalmist knew the joy of harvest. When the corn and grapes are gathered in, the hearts of the laborers are glad. This speaks of a sense of delight and accomplishment that perhaps only a farm worker (whose life and livelihood depended upon it) could understand completely.
This gladness of heart and “cheer” were expressed communally in the annual feast of Tabernacles or the Feast of Ingathering. “Thou shalt observe the feast of tabernacles seven days, after that thou hast gathered in thy corn and thy wine: And thou shalt rejoice in thy feast, thou, and thy son, and thy daughter, and thy manservant, and thy maidservant, and the Levite, the stranger, and the fatherless, and the widow, that are within thy gates” (Deut. 16:13-14). The Rabbis used to say, “He who has not seen Jerusalem during the Feast of Tabernacles does not know what rejoicing means.” [xiv]
The thought of a liquor “high” cannot possibly be found in the passages which speak of wine “cheering” hearts. Perhaps if we lived in a hot, arid, desert-like region, a cup of cool, freshly squeezed grape juice would “cheer” our hearts too! It was considered a real treat. In fact, kings delighted in the luxury of freshly squeezed grape juice. In Genesis 40:11, the Pharaoh’s cupbearer squeezed grapes directly into the king’s cup. In a hot, arid climate, freshly squeezed grape juice was a royal treat that cheered the heart.
As the Bible term “wine” is seen in various contexts, it is clear that it can but does not always refer to an intoxicating beverage. In modern English, we would not think of using the term “wine” to refer to grape juice. The Modern English usage is not the same as the term was used in Bible times, or even its usage in the 1600’s when the King James Version was translated. There is not an exact parallel between the one Modern English term wine and the various terms in Old English or ancient Greek or Hebrew. Hence, (as illogical as it may appear on the surface) “wine is not always wine!” In order to understand what the Bible is saying on this issue, it is essential to consult a good Bible dictionary or lexicon to discover the terms which underlie the English translation “wine” and to note the various shades of meaning in its context. One need not be a Bible scholar to engage in such a study either. With a few easy-to-use Bible study tools[xv] anyone can dig into the Word for him/her self. Nothing is more rewarding than seeing truth for oneself in the Scriptures. Nothing will more firmly deepen one’s convictions than forming those convictions by personal Bible study (Acts 17:11).
[i] Enhanced Strongs Lexicon, Hebrew # 3196
[ii] Ibid, Hebrew # 8492
[iii] Ibid. Hebrew # 7941
[iv] Ibid., Hebrew # 2561
[v] Ibid. Hebrew # 6071
[vi] Ibid., Hebrew # 4469
[vii] Ibid., Greek #3631
[viii] Ibid, Greek # 1098
[ix] Ibid., Greek # 4608
[x] William Patton, Bible Wines, Sane Press, Oklahoma City, 1871, pp.14-15.
[xi] John MacArthur Jr., Living in the Spirit , Word of Grace Communications, 1981, p.12.
[xii] Daniel B. Wallace Ph.D, The Bible And Alcohol, Biblical Studies Foundation.
[xiii] Enhanced Strong’s Lexicon, Hebrew # 5107
[xiv] Victor Buksbazen, The Feasts of Israel; Friends of Israel Gospel Ministry, Inc.,Bellmawr, 1987, pg. 46.
[xv] Such tools would include the easy-to-use Strong’s Concordance, Vines Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words, Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament, etc.
2. The Use of Wine in Ancient Times
The second wrong assumption we want to deal with is that modern readers often assume that wine was used by the ancients exactly as it is used today. The Bible indicates several various usages for wine that might seem a bit foreign to the modern reader.
First of all, wine was used as a disinfectant to clean wounds (Luke 10:34). In the account of the Good Samaritan, wine was poured into the wounds of the man found lying, bleeding, and dying on the side of the road. The wine was poured in as a disinfectant, and the oil was used to coat the wound and enhance the natural healing process. It is doubtful if anyone in America would use wine for such a purpose today and the reason is obvious: there is no NEED for such a practice. In our age we have better, more effective ointments and salves which can be used on cuts and wounds. Thus, this use of wine has been rendered obsolete in the modern world. Praise God that wine is no longer needed as a disinfectant. Modern ointments are by far superior.
Secondly, a form of wine was used as a pain reliever. In ancient times, a cheap wine (oxos; sharp wine or vinegar), some times called the soldiers’ wine, was mixed with myrrh or gall and was used as a pain reliever for those dying or in extreme pain. Such a wine was offered to Jesus on the cross. In Matthew 27:34, the term is translated “vinegar.” See also John 19:29,30.
Another example of this usage occurs in Proverbs 31:6: “Give strong drink unto him that is ready to perish, and wine unto those that be of heavy hearts.” In this passage, the author uses a technique of Hebrew poetry (synonymous parallelism) commonly found in the book of Proverbs. In such a parallelism, the same thought is repeated and couched in different words for emphasis and to explain the thought in more detail. The parallel here is as follows:
⇒ “Strong drink” is equal to “wine”…
⇒ “Him that is ready to perish” is equal to “those that be of heavy hearts”…
Here the author speaks of the common practice of using wine (a strong drink) to alleviate the pain and suffering of one who is dying, and thus of a heavy heart. This man was suffering on the inside (heavy heart) and the outside (his body was perishing). Wine was virtually the only kind of pain reliever available and it was used to aid those who were suffering. Today, doctors may prescribe morphine or some other strong agent to alleviate pain for a cancer sufferer. Morphine, like alcohol, may be dangerous (they can be addicting), but they are necessary. There may come a day when another means of treating severe pain is discovered – a treatment with no dangerous side effects. Until then, we must use what is available.
Today, we have much better medical means of dealing with the pain of a patient who may be dying of some awful disease. Doctors prescribe other forms of medication because they are more efficient and more effective than wine. But in ancient times, they used whatever they had. We read horrific stories of civil war soldiers who had their arms and legs amputated (literally sawed off!) without any anesthesia other than a bottle of strong drink. If that’s all that is available, then by all means, use it! Drink a large bottle! However, it is fair to say that most folks today facing an amputation would choose modern anesthesia over a bottle of wine. Why? Because modern pain relievers and anesthesia have rendered that use of strong drink obsolete. Praise God that wine is no longer needed as a pain reliever.
Thirdly, wine was used to purify water (I Tim. 5:23). Often water would have a high alkaline content, and the pH could be neutralized somewhat by adding wine to the water. This was not the only method. Water could be made safe to drink by boiling, but that was time consuming and costly, since wood was scarce. The most common method of purifying water for drinking was to mix it with wine. Paul told Timothy to use no longer water, but to use wine for his stomach’s sake. (Note that Paul told Timothy to USE wine – not to drink it!) Timothy obviously had a stomach problem – due to poor water.
When Paul said, “Drink no longer water,” was he telling Timothy to never drink water again? Should we conclude that Christians are to no longer drink water? Hardly. Paul was telling Timothy to stop using water exclusively. Evidently, this young man was so concerned about his testimony (that he NOT be associated with the winebibbers) that he stopped drinking wine altogether. For the sake of testimony and association, he stopped mixing wine into his water – and as a result, he developed stomach problems. Paul had to urge him to use a little wine to purify his water – so as to prevent his stomach pain caused by the poor quality of the water.
In ancient times, water NEEDED this purification and sweetening. Hence, because wine was so widely used – and NEEDED – the Bible never said, “stop using wine altogether!” It was the ancient world’s medicine cabinet. It was their water purifier. It was their anesthesia for the dying. Obviously, God would not tell them never to touch wine! But God DID give some clear guidelines on HOW it was to be used. This answers the question, “If its wrong, why didn’t God just say, “Thou shalt not drink wine”?
There were legitimate usages for wine in Bible times. It was necessary. On the one hand, if used improperly, it was dangerous because one COULD get drunk on it and it was addicting. But on the other hand, it was necessary as a water purifier, medicine, and pain reliever.
Do those same needs exist today and is wine necessary today? No, they do not – at least not in America. We have safe water today, and 1001 other safe drinks. We have much more effective forms of painkillers and anesthesia. We have much better disinfectants for wounds. Today, wine, which for centuries was a dangerous but necessary beverage, is no longer necessary. However, it continues to be dangerous! (Even more so today.) The fact that the ancients used wine in Bible times is no reason to justify the Christian drinking it today.
3. How wine was drunk in ancient times
Wine was added to water to purify the water. It also sweetened up the water and gave it a bit of flavor. Folks living in Bible times didn’t have two supermarket aisles full of various types of juices and soft drinks from which to choose.
In such a warm climate, their juice would ferment all by itself unless they drank it all right after harvest. They had no canning lids, no freezers, and no powdered drinks. Thus, their choices were limited to a few kinds of fruit juices, warm goats milk, and for the most part, stagnant water from a cistern near their house. Thus, if they could add a little flavor to their water, they did. Wine was mixed with water to sweeten up the water and to purify it.
However, the ancient civilized societies were well aware of the DANGERS of alcohol. They needed the wine as a beverage and as a water purifier, and yet at the same time maintained strict codes of its “use.” A Babylonian King named Hammurabi established a code of law in which he “laid out a variety of restrictions on the consumption and sale of alcohol. Violators of these laws could be executed. Similarly, in China, during the reign of Emperor Chung K’iang, drunkards were executed to show that the government did not approve of excessive drinking.”[i] From the beginning, alcohol posed a problem to the ancient societies. On the one hand, they needed wine, but on the other hand, they also recognized its dangers.
Many writings verify the fact that the ancients dealt with this dilemma by mixing their wine with water to PREVENT intoxication. Consider the following examples. In civilized Greek society, Homer (Odyssey IX, 208f) mentions a ratio of twenty parts water to one part wine. Hippocrates also considered “twenty parts of water to one part of the Thracian wine to be the proper beverage.” [ii] Pliny (Natural History XIV, vi, 54) mentions a ration of eight parts water to one part wine. Athenaeus’s The Learned Banquet, (around A.D. 200) writes in a play that their custom was to mix three parts water to one part wine. [iii]
In Greece it was “considered barbarous to drink wine that was not diluted with water.”[iv] Plutarch wrote (in Sumposiacs III, ix), “We call a mixture wine, though the larger of the component parts is water.” [v] A mixture of equal parts was considered strong drink. The ratio varied from place to place, but the practice of mixing water with wine was common. Athenaeus quoted Mnesitheus of Athens as saying, “in daily intercourse, to those who drink it moderately it gives good cheer; but if you overstep the bounds it brings violence. Mix it half and half and you get madness; unmixed—bodily collapse.”[vi]
In Jewish society wine was also mixed with water, and unmixed wine was considered a strong drink. Several Old Testament passages spoke of the difference between wine and strong drink (Deut. 14:26; 29:6). The priests were to avoid BOTH when they went into the tabernacle (Lev.10:8-9). The Talmud (oral traditions of the Jews from about 200 BC to AD 200) includes instructions concerning wine in several chapters. One section (Shabbath 77a) states that wine which does not carry at least 3 parts of water is not wine. It would be considered a strong drink. [vii]
Rabbis said that food unblessed was unclean. They taught that wine, unless mixed with water, could not be blessed. Some rabbis demanded three parts of water; some demanded ten parts water before they would bless it. While the standards varied somewhat, it does give us some insight into the common practice of mixing wine and water in the days of Christ. (This might help shed light on the miracle at the wedding of Cana.)
A passage from the uninspired apocryphal book of II Macc. 15:39 also sheds light on this practice among the Jews: “For as it is hurtful to drink wine or water alone; and as wine mingled with water is pleasant, and delighteth the taste: even so speech finely framed delighteth the ears of them that read the story. And here shall be an end.” This passage reveals the fact that they understood that drinking water alone (unmixed) was often harmful, and was thus MIXED it with wine. The mixing improved the taste of the (often stagnant) water AND removed the hurtful or harmful effects of unpurified water. This passage indicates to us the common Jewish custom of mixing water and wine and also includes two reasons for doing so.
For the ancients, (especially the ancient Jews) drinking wine unmixed was considered Barbaric. It was a violation of Talmud and the standards of the rabbis. Wine that was not mixed was considered strong drink, and strong drink was considered Barbaric and thus, forbidden.
However, in later years, the Romans were not so restrained in their drinking practices. Excessive drinking of wine became such a problem in Rome that Emperor Domitius Ulpinus came to believe that wine would destroy the empire. “To combat alcoholism spreading throughout the Roman culture, Domitius ordered half the vineyards in the empire to be destroyed and raised the price of wine.”[viii]
When we read of drinking wine in the Bible, it must be understood in light of the customs, standards, and practices of that day. When we readthe word wine we should think “wine mixed with water” unless it specifically says unmixed or strong drink.
[i] The Encyclopedia of Psychological Disorders, Drowning our Sorrows, Chelsea House Publishers, Philadelphia, 2000, p. 20.
[ii] William Patton, Bible Wines, Sane Press, Oklahoma City, 1871, p.50.
[iii] J. Dwight Pentecost, The Words and Works of Jesus Christ, Zondervan Corporation, Grand Rapids, 1981, pp. 115-117.
[iv] The Encyclopedia of Psychological Disorders, Drowning our Sorrows, Chelsea House Publishers, Philadelphia, 2000, p. 20.
[v] J. Dwight Pentecost, The Words and Works of Jesus Christ, Zondervan Corporation, Grand Rapids, 1981, pp. 115-117.
[vi] Norman L. Geisler, A Christian Perspective on Wine-Drinking, Bib.Sac.—V139 #553—Jan 82—51.
[vii] J. Dwight Pentecost, The Words and Works of Jesus Christ, Zondervan Corporation, Grand Rapids, 1981, p.116.
[viii] The Encyclopedia of Psychological Disorders, Drowning our Sorrows, Chelsea House Publishers, Philadelphia, 2000, p. 21-22.
4. Strong drink was forbidden in the Bible
Consider the following exhaustive list of the occurrences of the expression “strong drink” in the Bible. Note also that (with a couple of exceptions) every occurrence appears in negative connotation.
- Leviticus 10:9 – Thou shalt not drink wine nor strong drink, thou, and thy sons with thee, when ye go into the tent of meeting, lest ye die—it is an everlasting statute throughout your generations.
Aaron and the priests were specifically told NOT to drink wine or strong drink when they went into the tabernacle… under the penalty of death!
- Numbers 6:3 – he shall separate himself from wine and strong drink: he shall drink no vinegar of wine, nor vinegar of strong drink, neither shall he drink any liquor of grapes, nor eat grapes, fresh or dried.
Here, one who takes the oath of a Nazarite (one separated unto God) was to separate himself from wine and strong drink.
- Deuteronomy 29:6 – ye have not eaten bread, neither have ye drunk wine or strong drink, that ye might know that I am Jehovah your God.
When the children of Israel wandered in the wilderness, they did not drink wine and strong drink. Through this experience, they learned that God was LORD. They had no need of wine or strong drink – for they drank of that Rock… God provided them with pure water. They didn’t need any wine! However, this supernatural provision of pure water would not last forever. In time, they would once again NEED wine to mix with and purify their water.
- Judges 13:4 – And now beware, I pray thee, and drink not wine nor strong drink, and eat nothing unclean.
- Judges 13:7 – And he said to me, Behold, thou shalt conceive and bear a son; and now drink not wine nor strong drink, and eat not anything unclean; for the boy shall be a Nazarite of God from the womb to the day of his death.
- Judges 13:14 – she shall not eat of anything that cometh of the vine, neither shall she drink wine or strong drink, nor eat anything unclean: all that I commanded her shall she observe.
Manoah’s wife would give birth to a baby (Samson) who would be a Nazarite. This was woman, the mother of a Nazarite, was not to drink wine or strong drink.
- 1 Samuel 1:15 – And Hannah answered and said, No, my lord, I am a woman of a sorrowful spirit: I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but have poured out my soul before Jehovah.
Hannah assures Eli that she is NOT drunk. She did NOT drink wine or strong drink. She shudders at the thought!
- Proverbs 20:1 – Wine is a scorner, strong drink is raging; and whoso erreth thereby is not wise.
This passage hardly needs comment. It certainly does not cast strong drink in a positive light.
- Proverbs 31:4 – It is not for kings, Lemuel, it is not for kings to drink wine, nor for rulers to say, Where is the strong drink?
Strong drink is NOT for kings or rulers – people who need sound judgment.
- Proverbs 31:6 – Give strong drink unto him that is ready to perish, and wine unto the bitter of soul.
Strong drink is not for those who need to use their faculties, but for those who are perishing and wish to numb their faculties.
- Isaiah 5:11 – Woe unto them that, rising early in the morning, run after strong drink; that linger till twilight, till wine inflameth them!
- Isaiah 5:22 – Woe unto them that are mighty for drinking wine, and men valiant to mix strong drink.
God pronounces a WOE against those who drink strong drink… to those who are MIGHTY in drink!
- Isaiah 24:9 – They do not drink wine with a song; strong drink is bitter to them that drink it.
Here, strong drink results in bitterness.
- Isaiah 28:7 – But these also have erred through wine, and through strong drink are they gone astray. The priest and the prophet have erred through strong drink; they are overpowered by wine, they are gone astray through strong drink; they have erred in vision, they have stumbled in judgment.
Here, strong drink causes men to err and go astray. This is hardly an endorsement.
- Isaiah 29:9 – Be astounded and astonished, blind yourselves and be blind! They are drunken, but not with wine; they stagger, but not with strong drink.
Here, Isaiah points out that strong drink causes loss of balance and control.
- Isaiah 56:12 – Come, say they, I will fetch wine, and we will fill ourselves with strong drink; and to-morrow shall be as this day, and much more abundant.
This passage MIGHT be taken in a positive way if viewed alone. However, the context reveals the one who are speaking are referred to as “dumb dogs,” and “greedy dogs which can never have enough” (vs.10-11). These are not complimentary terms.
- Luke 1:15 – For he shall be great before the Lord, and he shall drink no wine nor strong drink; and he shall be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb.
The only New Testament passage which mentions “strong drink” forbids its use by John the Baptist.
There is no honest way to put a positive spin on the Biblical usage of the term “strong drink.” And keep in mind that strong drink referred to unmixed wine.
In our day and age, we think of a strong drink as something with a high alcohol content, such as whiskey or vodka. However, the ancients knew nothing of distilled alcohol. To the writers of the Scriptures, strong drink did not mean bourbon or tequila; it referred to unmixed wine. William Patton wrote, “As to distillation, by which alcoholic liquors are now principally obtained, it was utterly unknown to the Hebrews, and, indeed to all the world in ancient times.”[i] Secular writers have recorded the same conclusions. “Neolithic farmers soon learned to ferment their newly domesticated grains and grapes. Biblical accounts of early man mention alcohol some 250 times—usually wine, but beer and vinegar as well. Some versions talk about strong drink, but that’s misleading. Distillation was a medieval invention. No one made really strong drink before the 13th century.” [ii] However, another source indicates that the first written account of alcohol distillation was recorded at a medical school in Salerno, Italy.[iii]
Another issue, which might be misleading to modern readers, is the fact that several Biblical passages differentiate between wine and strong drink. The modern reader would naturally be inclined to think that the author is differentiating between wine (as we know it today) and strong drinks such as whiskey or vodka. That is not the case. The difference is really between wine (mixed with an appropriate ratio of water) and strong drink (unmixed wine). To the ancients, unmixed wine WAS the strongest drink known to man.
In light of the ancient practice of mixing wine with several parts of water, the alcoholic content of the drink is another issue to be considered. The argument is made, “They drank wine in the Bible times. We can drink wine today too.” This analogy is faulty. Consider the following chart of alcoholic content in drinks today:
- Modern wine has between 9-11% alcohol
- Brandy has 15-20 % alcohol
- Liquors usually have between 40-50 % alcohol
- Some extra hard liquors can be 90 proof
That which is on the LOW end of alcoholic content today is what used to be called “strong drink.” What we call strong drink did not exist in Bible times.
To compare apples with apples, it is necessary to take the wine sold in stores today (9-11% alcohol) and dilute it with between 3-10 parts of water. Even if we take one of the stronger wines (11% alcohol) and dilute with the lower end of the water ratio (three parts water), we still end up with a drink which has an alcoholic content of only about 2-3%. If one uses a ration of 5-10 parts water, the alcoholic content becomes negligible. What the ancients actually drank would be considered today a sub-alcoholic drink by today’s standards.[iv] That which is sold in stores today as wine would have been considered strong drink by the ancients and those who drink it unmixed were considered barbaric. Comparing modern wines and modern practices to ancient wines and ancient practices is NOT comparing apples to apples.
In virtually every passage where strong drink (unmixed wine) is mentioned, it is cast in a negative light. There are, however, two verses which mention strong drink in the Bible where it is not found in a negative context.
- Deuteronomy 14:26 – And thou shalt give the money for whatever thy soul desireth, for oxen, or for sheep, or for wine, or for strong drink, or for whatever thy soul asketh of thee; and thou shalt eat there before Jehovah thy God, and thou shalt rejoice, thou, and thy house.
Moses speaks of this strong drink as a valuable and desirable commodity. But this passage says nothing about HOW the strong drink was to be drunk. According to the custom in Bible times, before this strong drink (pure wine) was drunk, it was first mixed with several parts of water. The ancient Jews considered unmixed, fermented wine more like a “concentrate.” They were forbidden to drink the “concentrate” unmixed. Wine is a mocker. Strong drink raging! However, that concentrate was valuable to them because of its various uses as a medicine, disinfectant, and water purifier. Thus, it was perfectly right for Moses to refer to strong drink as something valuable. When used properly, according to the customs of the day, and in harmony with the tenor of Scripture, it WAS quite valuable and necessary.
- Micah 2:11 – If a man walking in wind and falsehood do lie, saying, I will prophesy unto thee of wine and of strong drink, he shall be the prophet of this people.
Micah states that the false prophets were predicting good crops of wine and strong drink, but they were lying. The nation was actually slated for captivity, not prosperity. Like the previous passage (Deut.14:26), the false prophets in this passage indicate what the Jews thought of fermented, unmixed wine: it represented a prosperous growing season, and in that sense was good. But the fact that the false prophets held up strong drink as a sign of prosperity, says nothing about HOW that unmixed wine was used. These two passages do not in any way mitigate the dark shadow cast in each of the previous seventeen passages in which strong drink is mentioned.
“Strong drink” appears in two passages in a “neutral” light, but in seventeen under a dark shadow where we are told it causes men to err and to wander astray. Woes are pronounced against those who linger at it. Several groups of Israelites are specifically told to stay away and not to touch it. The death penalty was leveled against a priest who violated these laws. God means business when it comes to strong drink. Strong drink was valuable and necessary because of its many uses, and thus it was proper for Moses and Micah to write of its value. However, it was dangerous if drunk unmixed. All the passages that speak about DRINKING strong drink come with severe warnings. There is no honest way to conclude that the Old Testament endorses strong drink, namely unmixed wine.
[i] William Patton, Bible Wines, Sane Press, Oklahoma City, 1871, p. 57.
[ii] John H. Lienhard, The Engines of Our Ingenuity , 1997.
[iii] Judy Monroe, Alcohol, Enslow Publishers Inc, Springfield, 1994, p.8.
[iv] John MacArthur, Jr., Living in the Spirit , Word of Grace Communications, 1981, p.14.
5. Wine and Liberty
Yet, in spite of the overwhelmingly negative statements in the Bible regarding strong drink, those who believe (from an honest study of the Scriptures) that drinking strong drink is not pleasing to the Lord (and attempt to share their findings) are invariably labeled legalists and compared to the hypocritical Pharisees.
Consider the sarcastic insinuations against “Christian teetotalers” by one such writer: “Why, if one didn’t know better, he might think that God actually wanted us to enjoy life! Unfortunately, the only Bible most of our pagan friends will read is the one written on our lives and spoken from our lips. The Bible they know is a book of ‘Thou shalt nots,’ and the God they know is a cosmic killjoy.” [i] I might ask our brother, “Was God a cosmic killjoy when He sent Moses down from the mount with tablets containing ten Thou Shalt Nots?” The fact that God tells His people to avoid certain practices does NOT mean He is a killjoy. In fact, by keeping His people AWAY from certain harmful practices (including strong drink), the Lord is actually protecting and enhancing their TRUE JOY. A loving parent isn’t a killjoy when he tells his son NOT to skate on thin ice or to stay away from the road, or other dangerous activities. The real killjoy is not self-control or self-denial. The real killjoy is self-indulgence. Lasting joy doesn’t come from liquid spirits; it is the fruit of the HOLY Spirit (Gal.5:22).
The spirit of the age (Eph.2:2-3) is characterized by a love of pleasure (II Tim.3:4) and a twisting of the true meaning of grace (Jude 4). When accusations of legalism are raised today against those who believe social drinking is not pleasing to the Lord, many in the evangelical world (having been affected by that “spirit”) are inclined to accept the accusations as true without question. It is much easier to justify a practice that pleases the crowd and one which folks WANT to believe, than it is to convince them of a view that requires selfless sacrifice (love). It is much easier to justify a practice that allows the believer to blend in with the world than it is to present a view that requires taking a stand against and being DIFFERENT from the world. It is much easier to drift downstream with the crowd than to swim upstream against the current. It is also much easier to accuse those holding an opposing viewpoint of holding to a “modern, unvarnished form of Pharisaism”[ii], than it is to take the time to consider HOW they arrived at their position on this important matter.
God wants His children to grow in knowledge and to have sound judgment that is able to approve things that are excellent (Phil.1:10). The goal of believers in any culture and in any generation ought to be to discern (through the principles of grace found in the epistles), what is pleasing to the Lord and what is not – even if the outcome of that study might require a “change” of lifestyle (Rom.12:1-2). It often does.
In the previous author’s remarks, he implied that God wants His children to enjoy life and that drinking alcohol was a means to that end. Both of those implications are open for examination. First of all it should be noted that God’s overriding attribute is His infinite HOLINESS, not an inner yearning for His people to have fun. Secondly, our overriding purpose on earth as believers is not to enjoy life (Matt. 16:24-26), but to glorify God. This is accomplished through a sacrificial life that manifests the indwelling Christ by putting the glory of God first and the welfare of others before self. Presenting one’s body as a living sacrifice (willing to sacrifice self for God’s glory) results in a deep, inner joy that brings rest and satisfaction to the soul. This is infinitely superior to the fleeting “enjoyment” offered through strong drink. To suggest that alcohol helps folks enjoy life would ring quite hollow in the millions of homes of those whose lives have been shattered because of loved ones who are problem drinkers.
It is not surprising that American Christians in our generation (like the church at Laodecea), would place such a high value on personal pleasure. However, in spite of this trend, there are Christians (present author included!) who stand opposed to the recently popular (but not new) notion of “Christian hedonism.” Pleasure seeking is not a fruit of the Spirit. It is rather the spirit of the age (I Cor. 15:19,32-34; II Tim.3:4). Believers receive rest, joy, and an indescribable peace when seeking Christ, which involves being made conformable to His death (Phil. 3:10). But seeking “enjoyment” out of life (and using God as a means to that end) is very different than seeking Christ Himself. One is Christ-centered, the other self-centered. Enjoyment is not to be the OBJECT of our seeking. Christ is, or should be (Phil.1:21).
And yes, there are believers who wholeheartedly believe in and live under GRACE as a rule of life (Rom. 6:14), and at the same time believe that drinking strong drink is not pleasing to the Lord. There is nothing inconsistent with that position. Certainly there are issues where good brethren will apply the principles of grace and reach different conclusions and should receive one another (Rom.14:1-4). However, there are also issues not specifically mentioned in Scriptures, which when compared to New Testament principles will inevitably lead believers (in the same generation and culture) to the SAME conclusion. For example, the Bible says nothing about smoking, for obvious reasons – it was not yet invented when the Bible was written. There was a time a generation or so ago, when not much was known about the effects of smoking, and many Christians smoked in good conscience. But with all the information we have today, the Bible principles are CLEAR that the believer ought not to not smoke, since its connection with cancer is so well documented. Light and knowledge bring accountability. “Therefore to him that knoweth to do good and doeth it not, to him it is sin” (James 4:17).
We often hear the excuse, “If the Bible doesn’t condemn a practice, then we shouldn’t condemn it either.” The statement sounds quite pious, but I believe that such statements are sometimes cleverly designed (intentionally or unintentionally) to shut the mouths of men and women of opposing convictions. If such a motto is going to be quoted as if it were Scripture, it deserves some scrutiny. The Bible doesn’t forbid slavery, polygamy, or marijuana (assuming they were legalized) either. Should we then assume that God doesn’t CARE which we choose? Should we assume that God would be pleased with whatever choice we made, since His word doesn’t forbid them specifically? Are we to assume that the principles of grace (when applied honestly) NEVER condemn practices, but always give believers their choice? Do these principles always lead to a “good, better, best” type answer, and never to a “right or wrong” type answer? There are countless practices and issues in modern life which are not specifically endorsed or condemned by Scripture. That is why spiritual maturity and a knowledge of the principles of grace are so vital – SO THAT the believer has sufficiently exercised his senses to be able to discern between both good and evil (Heb.5:14).
One could argue forcefully that when issues such as slavery or polygamy are compared to the principles of grace in the New Testament today, it is obvious that they are NOT pleasing to the Lord. Though not specifically forbidden by the letter of the law, they are exposed by the spirit of the law. Roland H. Bainton made this point when he wrote, “Few in this land today would fail to agree that Christian principles require alike the emancipation of slaves and the abandonment of polygamy. Similarly one may argue that Christian principles call for abstinence from intoxicating beverages.”[iii] [Italics added.)
Many are arguing today that the principles of grace in the New Testament which are designed to give guidance to the believer in areas not specifically addressed in the Bible cover nothing but “gray areas” in which the believer may choose as he pleases. In many areas of choice, that is certainly the case. However, these principles are also designed to help the believer discern between right and wrong, good and evil, and between holy and unholy for issues and situations the Bible writers had no way of knowing would arise in succeeding generations. Although they were not able to address all future “issues” by name, the principles recorded give enough light for discerning believers to make choices in harmony with the mind of God on the matter. And yes, God DOES have a mind on many of these matters. The fact we are to “prove what is acceptable to the Lord” (Eph.5:5) indicates that there will be some issues that are NOT acceptable to the Lord. Not everything passes the test.
In the Scriptures the believer who exercises himself to discern between good and evil in areas not specifically mentioned in the Scriptures is portrayed as wise and mature (Heb.5:12-14; Phil. 1:9-10; I Thess.5:21-22; Eph.5:10; Acts 17:11; Lev.10:10; I John 4:1; etc.). However, in many evangelical circles today such believers are ridiculed as “sin-sniffers.”[iv] Bible teachers whose aim it is to help others apply the principles of grace to real life issues (such as drinking in the modern world) are viewed as “those who do not want other Christians to enjoy life.” [v]
Some have gone so far as to consider it legalistic to even encourage believers to ask themselves penetrating questions concerning whether an issue is pleasing to the Lord or not, or whether it might be stumblingblock to others. One such writer made the following helpful list of excellent questions: “Is it honoring to God? Might it harm a weaker brother or sister? Is it the best use of your time? Does it promote the cause of Christ? Does it avoid the appearance of evil?” But he then stated that such questions “have become a way of imposing one’s own conscience on another. In effect, they are oral tradition that is extra-biblical, palmed off as though a mark of wisdom and maturity. In other words, they are often a weaker brother’s attempt to enforce a kind of legalism on those who have fewer scruples about such grey areas.” [vi] By what stretch of the imagination could asking a brother to THINK be considered “a kind of legalism?” We have several chapters in the Bible which were written for that very purpose – to cause believers to stop and THINK about the ramifications of their actions (I Cor. 8-10; Rom. 14-15; etc.) on themselves, on others, and the testimony of Christ. It is always GOOD to “ponder the path of thy feet” (Prov. 4:26). We encourage thinking.
The purpose of this paper is NOT to put a believer under the law. Nor is it designed to frame the question of alcohol in terms of a “Thou shalt not.” Its only purpose is to HELP believers see an issue clearly so that they might (under the guidance and direction of the Holy Spirit) make a decision that is acceptable to the Lord. The more informed a believer is, the better equipped he is to consider the principles of grace and make the proper decision for his life.
Why is it that fundamentalists are labeled “Pharisaical sin-sniffers” for challenging believers to ponder the MANY BIBLICAL WARNINGSconcerning alcohol use, and the evangelicals who virtually encourage drinking (in moderation) under the banner of “grace and liberty” paint themselves with the brush of orthodoxy? Do we not see that the Biblical principles of liberty present BOTH the positive and negative aspects? Should we not present BOTH sides of the issue if we claim to be Biblical? The New Evangelical loves to teach “judge not that ye be not judged” and “all things are lawful unto me.” Most Christians in our land can recite those phrases in their sleep. Very few could recite the rest of the verse. The fundamentalist loves those passages too… but he doesn’t stop in the middle of the verse. He continues to teach the passage in its context. If we are going to present the WHOLE counsel of God, both the freedom in Christ AND the serious warnings must be presented. For example, consider the following expressions of (positive) liberty AND their (negative) warnings:
- All things are lawful for me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but all things edify not. (I Cor.10:23)
- All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any. (I Cor. 6:12)
- All things indeed are pure; but it is evil for that man who eateth with offence. (Rom.14:20)
- I know, and am persuaded by the Lord Jesus, that there is nothing unclean of itself: but to him that esteemeth any thing to be unclean, to him it is unclean…….But if thy brother be grieved with thy meat, now walkest thou not charitably. (Rom.14:14… 15)
- For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another. (Gal.5:13)
- As free, and not using your liberty for a cloke of maliciousness, but as the servants of God. (I Pet.2:16)
- But meat commendeth us not to God: for neither, if we eat, are we the better; neither, if we eat not, are we the worse. But take heed lest by any means this liberty of yours become a stumblingblock to them that are weak. (I Cor.8:8-9)
- Unto the pure all things are pure: but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure; but even their mind and conscience is defiled. (Titus 1:15)
- Even so hath the Lord ordained that they which preach the gospel should live of the gospel. But I have used none of these things: neither have I written these things, that it should be so done unto me: for it were better for me to die, than that any man should make my glorying void. ( I Cor.9:14-15)
- For though I be free from all men, yet have I made myself servant unto all, that I might gain the more. (I Cor. 9:19)
Presenting material for consideration is hardly legalism. There are some folks who simply may not be aware of the dangers of drinking alcohol for the Christian. They may not be aware of its link to sexual sins, to crime, to sickness, death, domestic violence, lack of self control, its negative affects on the brain and sound judgment, of its addictive nature, etc. Presenting information for consideration enables the believer to make a more mature and educated decision. There really ARE more issues to consider than simply to say, “I like wine and there is no verse that says Thou shalt not drink – besides, all things are lawful.” How shallow, self-centered, superficial, AND lopsided. The Bible does NOT say, “all things are lawful for me, period.” The Bible says all things are lawful, BUT…” The subject of drinking alcohol (like other social issues) is complicated and requires some research. God expects more from his adult sons. “Brethren, be not children in understanding: howbeit in malice be ye children, but in understanding be men” (I Cor. 14:20).
To call a brother a “legalist” (which is outright heresy and worthy of excommunication – Gal. 5:12) because he believes that the Bible principles when faced honestly, lead to abstinence from intoxicating beverages, is quite offensive. Justification AND sanctification are BOTH by grace through faith. And yet those who walk by faith are to grow into maturity and to exercise their senses to discern between good and evil, holy and unholy (Heb.5:14; Lev. 10:10). Not much discernment is needed to know that stealing and adultery are evil. The Bible clearly states such. But for the hundreds of other practices and issues faced by believers in the modern world, (and completely unknown and unknowable to the Bible writers) we are given PRINCIPLES to use in discerning whether such a practice falls into the category of good or evil, holy or unholy… pleasing to the Lord or not. Of course every believer needs to be convinced by God’s Spirit and God’s Word in such cases. But it is hardly fair to label those attempting to aid believers in formulating mature decisions in such areas as “legalists.”
It is not surprising to discover that in our age there are some who stretch grace well beyond its God-intended meaning. Some false teachers turn the grace of our God into lasciviousness (Jude 4). Unfortunately, there are many believers who have also seemed to “stretch” the meaning of grace to include some practices that may NOT be pleasing to the Lord. Does God not have a “mind” or opinion on these practices, simply because they were not forbidden in Scripture? Could it be that there were other REASONS why God chose NOT to deal with certain issues with a “thou shalt not?” Yet when many of the arguments supporting such social practices (like slavery, polygamy, smoking, drinking strong drink, etc.) are placed next to the principles of grace, they melt away like wax before a fire. The fact that God did not outright FORBID slavery is in no way to be mistaken as His endorsement of the dreadful practice. Rather, God chose to allow grace to first change the hearts of men who in turn would then abolish that horrible injustice. God doesn’t always deal with complicated social issues in the way that we might like, but His way is perfect… and for believers with spiritually sensitive hearts, effective!
God has given ample light in His Word to make His mind on these issues clear, for those who have eyes to see and ears to hear. The ability to see the “difference between holy and unholy” (Lev.10:10) depends upon a person’s level of maturity, spiritual discernment, and his willingness to learn (John 7:17). A heart that is unwilling to learn and eyes that are unwilling to see can justify virtually any practice.
[i] Daniel B. Wallace, Ph.D, The Bible And Alcohol, Biblical Studies Foundation.
[ii] Ibid.
[iii] Roland H. Bainton, Total Abstinence and Biblical Principles , Christianity Today, July 7, 1958.
[iv] Daniel B. Wallace, Ph.D, The Bible And Alcohol, Biblical Studies Foundation.
[v] Daniel B. Wallace, Ph. D, I Thess. 5:22 – The Sin-Sniffer’s Catch all Verse, Biblical Studies Foundation.
[vi] Ibid.
6. Wine and Sex
“Wine, women, and song” – the theme of the hedonist. Wine has always been associated with immoral sexual activity. Shakespeare wrote that drinking “provokes the desire, but it takes away the performance.”[i] A more modern writer acknowledges the same when he writes that alcohol can be used to encourage women to respond more favorably to their partner’s sexual advances in his comment, “Candy is dandy, but liquor is quicker.”[ii] Alcohol has been the date rape drug of choice for many, many centuries.
It is common knowledge that alcohol “loosens up” one’s natural inhibitions. Speaking of teens, one expert wrote that even at low levels of alcohol, “their judgment may be impaired, and they may be willing to do things they would not ordinarily do.” [iii] Another expert recognized that the decision to have sex is “not just a physical response, but involves psychological aspects as well. People may need to overcome self-consciousness, inhibition, or guilt before they can participate in or enjoy sex.”[iv] Alcohol removes all those barriers. Everybody knows it. So WHY would a believer ever choose to drink that which makes it “easier” to commit the sin of fornication?
The very first mention of wine in the Bible is found in a context of drunkenness and sexual impurity. It is believed that the first mention of any theme or doctrine in the Bible lays the foundation for that theme throughout the rest of Scripture. If that is the case, we have an unmistakably clear foundational revelation concerning the subject of wine in the Bible: “And he drank of the wine, and was drunken; and he was uncovered within his tent (Gen.9:21). In this chapter we have the very first account of wine AND the first revelation of what it does: Noah was DRUNKEN. And it is also stated that Noah was naked in his tent, with the implication that some sort of lewd behavior followed (vs.24). Concerning Noah’s nakedness, W.H. Griffith Thomas notes that “the Hebrew clearly indicates a deliberate act, and not a mere unconscious effect of drunkenness.”[v] This is quite unexpected behavior from Noah. Henry Morris observed that “Noah, having stood strong against the attacks of evil men for hundreds of years, remaining steadfast in the face of such opposition and discouragement as few men have ever faced, now let down his guard…”[vi] The very first mention of wine in the Bible tells us the story of an otherwise flawless life (as far as the record goes) – a hero of the faith (Heb. 11:7), deceived into immorality. And we are told exactly what it was that caused this saintly man to behave in such a lewd manner: wine!
Then we have the account of Lot’s daughters, who said, “Come, let us make our father drink wine, and we will lie with him.” Their plan was to preserve their seed by lying with their father and bearing children. They knew that their father would never consent to such a twisted plan if he were thinking clearly. But they also knew that they could get him to do what he would NOT normally do by giving him his fill of wine. (Gen. 19:30-38). Wine loosened up Lot enough to cause him to commit incest with his two daughters. Lot, a man whose righteous soul was vexed daily by the filthy and sexually impure lifestyles of the Sodomites, now finds himself committing sexual sin (II Pet. 2:7-8). What was the culprit? Wine.
Then there is the infamous story of David. In his attempt to cover up his sin of adultery and Bathsheba’s pregnancy, David tried to get Uriah to sleep with his wife. David was hoping that if Uriah lay with his wife, Uriah would believe that the child born was his own, rather than David’s. However, David ran into a roadblock, because Uriah, a man of principle, had resolved NOT to lie with his wife while his fellow soldiers were still engaged in the war (II Sam.11:11). David then planned to get Uriah drunk, for he believed that Uriah’s resolve would be WEAKENED by alcohol (vs.13). David knew HOW to lead a man to get interested in sex – by giving him a few drinks! Though his plan failed, the story reveals that David understood well what alcohol would do – it breaks down a man’s inhibitions, principles, and resolve. It stirs men and women up and loosens them up to engage in immorality.
Consider the words of Habakkuk: “Woe unto him that giveth his neighbour drink, that puttest thy bottle to him, and makest him drunken also, that thou mayest look on their nakedness” (Hab.2:15)! The men to whom this woe was addressed knew how to use wine for sexual purposes. They got someone drunk so that they could look on their nakedness – and “indulge in some evil wantonness.” [vii]
For centuries alcohol has been used to break down natural inhibitions for the purpose of sexual exploitation. This is nothing new. David knew what alcohol could do. Lot’s daughters knew too. Habakkuk also knew how alcohol affected people. Shakespeare knew. However, it seems that many modern Christians choose NOT to know. Many wish to remain willingly ignorant of alcohol’s powerful influence toward immorality. The writer of Proverbs makes the following warning: “Look not thou upon the wine when it is red.” The REASON he warns the young man not even to look at the wine is because “thine eyes shall behold strange women” (Prov.23:31a, 33a). In other words, wine causes the eyes to wander, breaks down inhibitions, and excites lust. Knowing how easily the flesh is stirred up to sexual impurity all by itself, why would a believer ever choose to drink that which breaks down holy inhibitions and loosens our moral resolve? Why?
[i] Alan R. Lan, Ph.D., Alcohol, Teenage Drinking, Chelsea House Publishers, New York, 1985, p.74.
[ii] Ibid.
[iii] The Encyclopedia of Psychological Disorders, Drowning our Sorrows, p. 42, Chelsea House Publishers, Philadelphia, 2000
[iv] Alan R. Lang, Ph.D., Alcohol, Teenage Drinking, Chelsea House Publishers, New York, 1985, p. 74.
[v] W.H. Griffith Thomas, Genesis, A Devotional Commentary, Eerdmans, Grand Rapids, p.95
[vi] The Genesis Record, Henry Morris, Baker Book House, Grand Rapids, p.233
[vii] Walvoord and Zuck, editors, Bible Knowledge Commentary on the Old Testament, Victor Books, Wheaton, 1985, p.1515.
7. Wine and Self Control
The fruit of the Spirit is temperance (Gal.5:22-23). Strong defines this term as “self-control, the virtue of one who masters his desires and passions, especially his sensual appetites.” The believer is commanded to keep SELF under the direct control of the Spirit of God. The believer is to be under the influence of God’s Holy Spirit at all times (Eph.5:18). If the believer is NOT under the influence of the Holy Spirit, then there is only one alternative: he is under the influence of his sinful fleshly nature (Gal.5:17). This is an either/or situation. There is no such thing as being ¾ controlled by the Spirit… or 50/50. There is no middle ground. At any given moment, either the Spirit controls the believer or the flesh does (Gal. 5:16). As Lewis Sperry Chafer wrote, “The divine method of dealing with the sin nature in the believer is by direct and unceasing control over that nature by the indwelling Spirit.”[i]
When Paul compares wine and Spirit filling in Ephesians 5:18, the subject is one of influence and control. The believer is COMMANDED to be (continually) filled with Christlike character by means of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit’s control will affect our walk (vs.8) and our talk (vs.19a). The same is true of wine. It too affects our walk (Isa.28:7) and our talk (Prov.23:33). Paul’s point is that the believer is NOT to be drunk with wine or under its influence. The Christian is to be continually under the influence of the Holy Spirit, and the EVIDENCE of this is complete control of one’s faculties. The fruit of Spirit’s filling is temperance (Gal. 5:23). The Theological Dictionary of the New Testament defines temperance as, “dominion over the self or something, with the nuances of steadfastness and self-control.”[ii] The eyes, tongue, hands, ears, heart, mind, and body of a believer are to be continually at the disposal of and under the influence of God and His indwelling Spirit. When that is not the case, sinful flesh is reigning (Rom. 6:16-20). The whole issue of walking with the Lord is ultimately a matter of control. The members of our body are either at the disposal of our sinful nature OR of God (Rom.6:9-14). God DEMANDS complete control of His children at all times.
The tongue is a good illustration of the need for the believer to have “control” over the members of his body. The tongue no man can tame (James 3:8), apart from the supernatural power of the indwelling Holy Spirit (Gal. 5:16-17). Yet, we are accountable for every idle word spoken. The Bible warns the young man that wine will cause him to “utter perverse things” (Prov. 23:33). Wine causes a man to lose control of his tongue – which is why there are so many barroom brawls. When the Holy Spirit is in control, there is temperance and even the untamable tongue is brought into submission. So why would a Christian want to drink that which he knows undermines self-control and causes him to utter perverse things?
In Ephesians 5:18, Paul alludes to the well-known fact that alcohol brings a person under its influence and takes control over his faculties. Alcohol (the liquid spirit) usurps control away from the Holy Spirit. This is exactly why David gave alcohol to Uriah – that the wine might take over his faculties and influence him to do that which he had resolved NOT to do. This is why Lot’s daughters gave Lot wine – so that he would no longer have control over his faculties.
Alcohol UNDERMINES self-control. Even in small amounts, alcohol exerts its influence. The amount needed to influence a person varies from individual to individual, but its influence on faculties begins sooner than most drinkers would like to admit. Its danger lies in the fact that its effects occur gradually and imperceptibly. Because it diminishes sound judgment (Isa.28:7), folks who are in the process of getting drunk often don’t believe that they are. They think they are in control of their faculties (and think they are able to drive, etc.), but they are not. Because of this, each year, nearly 20,000 people lose their lives in auto accidents where alcohol was involved – more than the number of our soldiers lost in the entire Vietnam War! Alcohol deceives (Prov.20:1).
The Bible does not outright FORBID wine altogether (with good reasons mentioned earlier), but the Bible does COMMAND sobriety. Of course it is sin to be sloppy drunk (Eph. 5:18), but it is also sin not to have complete control of one’s faculties. Consider the following passages in which sobriety is commanded:
Elders are to be sober (I Tim.3:2; Titus 1:8). Deacons’ wives are to be sober (I Tim.3:11). Older men are to be sober. (Titus 2:2) Older women are not to be given wine, but are to teach the younger women to be sober (Titus 2:3-4). Younger women are to be sober (Titus 2:4). Young men are to be sober (Titus 2:6). In fact, all believers (male or female, young or old) are to be sober minded (I Pet.1:13; 4:7; 5:8). In I Thess. 5:6, Paul writes that believers are to “watch and be sober.” D. Edmond Hiebert defines sober as “rational and self-possessed, in perfect control of all his senses.”[iii] Of course Paul is using the term “sober” in a figurative sense in that the Christian is to be watchful in ALL areas of his Christian life, including the sense of being free from intoxicants. The REASON Paul gives for sobriety is based upon who we are – our position in Christ as those who are “of the day” (vs.8). Those who are children of light are to walk as children of light (Eph.5:8) and are expected to maintain complete self-control at all times (Eph.5:18).
As believers, we are to be sober minded and to have complete control of our faculties because our adversary is just waiting for the right opportunity to strike (I Pet.5:8). He seeks to find us with our guards down, in a time when we are spiritually careless. He seeks to pounce upon us in a moment when our moral resolve is loosened and we have less than complete control of our faculties. In other words, after a few glasses of alcohol is a perfect time to strike! No wonder Peter warns, BE SOBER – because our adversary is seeking to find those who are inattentive spiritually, that he may devour them. In other words, we are to be aware, alert, watching, and in complete control of all of our faculties at ALL times. Anything that takes away from that alertness makes us susceptible to temptation and attack by our enemy. Even secular writers acknowledge that “alcohol lowers a person’s inhibitions – controls over thoughts, feeling, and behavior. This is why alcohol so often makes people act in uncharacteristic ways.”[iv] [Italics added]
It is no secret that alcohol makes a person LESS alert, CLOSER to temptation, and thus MORE likely to behave in a sinful or “uncharacteristic way.” The Christian should never seek that which would lead him INTO temptation but should do whatever it takes to stay AWAY from temptation! We know how temptation works (James 1:13-15). For a believer to choose that which he knows will stir up the lust of the flesh makes him doubly accountable (Rom.13:14; Matt 6:13) for the results. KNOWING that it stirs up impurity, the Christian who drinks alcohol for its ambiance is not unlike the man who reads Playboy for its artistic value, and thinks to himself, “I won’t be affected by it.” Who are we kidding?
The Bible COMMANDS us to be sober and FORBIDS us from getting drunk. What would ever motivate a believer to consume a beverage that he knows will take him away from being perfectly sober and gradually bring him closer and closer to a sinful condition? It is not as if we NEED wine today as was the case in ancient days. It is also quite unlikely that a believer today would mix his wine with from 3-10 parts water either. Why would a believer want to drink a strong drink that would cause him to inch closer to a condition which is clearly sinful? Isn’t safety the best policy? Isn’t it much more in harmony with Scripture to stay as far away from sin as we can?
Another issue to consider is: how drunk is drunk? Many claim that is acceptable to drink strong drink, as long we avoid getting drunk. But at what point does drinking become sin? The initial warm feeling? A little buzz? Slurred speech? One glass? Three glasses? Nine? Where does one draw the line? How does the drinker know when he is near the line? And when he starts feeling good and is getting dangerously near the line, is he then able to recognize the line and stop? Isn’t that a bit like skating on thin ice and HOPING one doesn’t fall in?
“All things are lawful, but I will not be brought under the power of any” (I Cor. 6:12b). Without question, alcohol can (and often does) become addictive. We have literally millions of alcoholics in America today. That was NOT the case in Bible times. Alcoholism was not nearly the problem in ancient times as it is today. Alcohol deceives multitudes in our day and age and brings them under its power (Prov.20:1). Not one drunkard on Skid Row envisioned himself ending up there when he had his first drink. Every drunk begins drinking assuming that he can handle it. This too is deception. The Bible WARNS us not to think that we can handle things that are spiritually dangerous (I Cor. 10:12). “Take heed lest ye fall” is God’s cry to His children. Thinking that we can “beat the odds” is not wisdom. It demonstrates a lack of understanding concerning just how vile and deceitful our fallen hearts really are (Jer. 17:9). It is a form of pride. To such men we might use the words of Obadiah to warn: The pride of thine heart hath deceived thee (vs.3).
Statistics state that one in ten drinkers become alcoholics. Norman Geisler[v] quoted one writer who asked the following question to Christiandrinkers: “How many people would fly if they knew that there was a chance of one in ten that the plane would crash?” The answer is obvious: nobody! And yet the chances of becoming an alcoholic are no better. We normally take good care of our bodies (Eph.5:29), and with good reason. No one wants their body to be destroyed in a plane crash. Would to God that believers had the same concern for their spiritual well being!
The Christian who is deceived by strong drink has ignored the warnings of Lady Wisdom crying out in the streets: “How long ye simples ones will ye love simplicity? And the scorners delight in their scorning, and fools hate knowledge (Prov. 1:22)? Lady wisdom is crying out to believers in our land today AGAINST social drinking, but is being ignored in many evangelical circles. Those who reject God’s wisdom, and continue thinking that they will not end up being STUNG by alcohol (Prov.23:32) are deceived (Prov.20:1), and those poor souls may soon discover that alcohol has ruined their lives and they are now UNABLE to reverse its effects, because many of the awful consequences of alcohol are irreversible. To those poor fools Lady wisdom (in tears) may have to lament:
“But ye have set at nought all my counsel, and would none of my reproof: I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh; When your fear cometh as desolation, and your destruction cometh as a whirlwind; when distress and anguish cometh upon you. Then shall they call upon me, but I will not answer; they shall seek me early, but they shall not find me: For that they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the LORD: They would none of my counsel: they despised all my reproof. Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own devices” (Prov. 1:25-31).
We would urge in the strongest means possible for Christian people to AVOID alcohol entirely. Listen to Lady Wisdom. She warns of alcohol’s BITE. She warns us that it DECEIVES and MOCKS. She warns us to stay away from winebibbers. She cries out for abstinence (Prov.20:1; 23:20-21; 23:29-35; 31:4-5). Don’t let her cries fall on deaf ears.
Peter also commands us to give all diligence to add to our faith… temperance – self control (II Pet.1:5-6). The only guarantee we have that we will not become an alcoholic is to never take that first drink.
[i] L.S. Chafer, He That Is Spiritual , Zondervan, Grand Rapids, 1967, p.128.
[ii] Gerhard Kittel, Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company
The Paternoster Press
[iii] D. Edmond Hiebert, The Thessalonian Epistles, Moody Press, Chicago, 1971, p.219.
[iv] Theresa Anne Booley, Alcohol and Your Liver, The Incredibly Disgusting Story, The Rosen Publishing Group, New York, 2000, p.11.
[v] Norman Geisler, A Christian Perspective on Wine Drinking, Bibliotecha Sacra, Vol. 139, #533 – Jan.1982. p.54.
8. Wine and the Heart
It is no secret that men turn to alcohol to fill an empty void in the heart. Men turn to alcohol to help numb the pain of life and to help assuage the inner longings of an empty and unsatisfied heart. Men turn to alcohol for help in their time of need because they are not able to face the difficulties of life alone. Men turn to alcohol for comfort (Southern Comfort!) when their hearts are broken. Men turn to alcohol when they are depressed. Men turn to alcohol for courage and boldness. Men turn to alcohol to feel accepted with the in-crowd. Men turn to alcohol as an escape from the world and its troubles. Men turn to alcohol as a crutch to lean on and hold them up… and keep them going. Men turn to alcohol when they are lonely and feel they don’t have a friend. Men turn to alcohol to “mask” their failures (when in reality, it only highlights them) and “hide” behind a drink. Men turn to alcohol because they see no purpose for life other than to “eat, DRINK, and be merry.” Men turn to alcohol to bring some joy into their sad heart. Men turn to alcohol because they suffer from the gnawing feeling deep in their soul because they have discovered that life “under the sun” is vain (Ecc. 1:8-10). Men turn to alcohol to cover up the awful feelings of remorse over their failures and the guilt of sin.
It is understandable when unsaved men turn to alcohol for such reasons. It is inexcusable for a Christian to do so. The unsaved man does not know the Lord, and thus struggles to deal with the issues of the heart the best he knows how. The void in their heart never goes away, and it is understandable when the lost seek refuge in a bottle. Alcohol becomes a substitute for Christ in the heart of a man who does not know the Lord. It is only Christ who is able to fill that void in a man’s life. Whether realized or not, all men NEED Christ. In his ignorance, man seeks to meet the need of his heart through a bottle.
Let’s review the reasons why men (and women!) turn to alcohol and compare that to what God offers to those who come to Christ.
- Men turn to alcohol for help in their time of need because they are not able to face the difficulties of life alone.
“Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need” (Heb.4:16). Christ offers grace and help in time of need to all who come to HIM. He gives what men need.
- Men turn to alcohol for comfort (Southern Comfort!) when their hearts are broken.
“Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; Who comforteth us in all our tribulation” (II Cor. 1:3-4a). Only God can provide true, lasting comfort to the heart of man. Seeking comfort elsewhere eventually leads to failure, disillusionment, and more misery.
- Men turn to alcohol when they are depressed.
“He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings. And he hath put a new song in my mouth” (Ps.40:2-3a). God alone can bring a soul out of the miry pit of depression and put joy in the heart.
- Men turn to alcohol for courage and boldness.
“For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind” (II Tim. 1:7).
- Men turn to alcohol to feel accepted with the in-crowd.
“To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved” (Eph. 1:6). Everyone needs to feel accepted. That need is fulfilled by coming to Christ and being accepted before God in Christ.
- Men turn to alcohol as an escape from the world and its unrest.
“Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matt. 11:29). Christ offers real rest of mind, heart, and soul to those who come to Him. This is not a temporary escape, but a permanent solution to a heart that is experiencing unrest. Jesus said, “These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). The world is full of troubles and trials. God is the answer—not a bottle. Christ has overcome the world and provides “good cheer”—not liquid cheer. The cheer Christ provides is a lasting solution to life’s problems.
- Men turn to alcohol as a crutch to lean on and hold them… and keep them going.
“Woe to them that go down to Egypt for help; and stay on horses, and trust in chariots, because they are many; and in horsemen, because they are very strong; but they look not unto the Holy One of Israel, neither seek the LORD!” (Isa. 31:1) Leaning on anyone or anything other Christ will prove to be futile. Christ alone is able to hold us up.
“Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness” (Isa. 41:10).
- Men turn to alcohol when they are lonely and feel they don’t have a friend.
“Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you” (John 15:14). Christ is a friend to poor vile sinners who come to Him in repentant faith.
- Men turn to alcohol because they see no purpose for life other than to “eat, DRINK, and be merry.”
“What advantageth it me, if the dead rise not? let us eat and drink; for to morrow we die” (I Cor. 15:32b). If this life is all there is, then drink up! But Christ DID rise from the dead (vs.19-20), proving that there is an afterlife, and that faith in Him is not in vain. The resurrection proves that sin and death have been defeated, and that a victorious life is possible (vs.55-58)! There is a reason to live.
- Men turn to alcohol to bring some joy into their sad heart.
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace…” (Gal. 5:22a). True joy is not found in a bottle, but in a Person. “Make me to hear joy and gladness; that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice” (Ps. 51:8). God is able to bring lasting joy to the repentant heart. “Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost” (Rom.15:13). True hope and joy is produced only through the power of the indwelling Holy Sprit.
- Men turn to alcohol because they suffer from the gnawing feeling deep in their soul because they have discovered that life “under the sun” is vain (Ecc. 1:8-10).
“And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst” (John 6:35). That gnawing and hungering of the soul can only be satisfied with Christ – the Bread of Life.
- Men turn to alcohol to cover up the awful feelings of guilt because of their sins and failures.
Whether realized or not, it is the guilt of sin that underlies so many of the other difficulties of life previously mentioned. Guilt can tear a man apart. Guilt can drive a man crazy. Guilt will gnaw away at the soul and result in unrest that doesn’t go away. Guilt can AND DOES – drive a man to drink! There is no feeling worse than guilt. Consider the words of David as he experienced the bitterness of guilt in his life because of his sin:
“O LORD, rebuke me not in thy wrath: neither chasten me in thy hot displeasure. 2 For thine arrows stick fast in me, and thy hand presseth me sore. 3 There is no soundness in my flesh because of thine anger; neither is there any rest in my bones because of my sin. 4 For mine iniquities are gone over mine head: as an heavy burden they are too heavy for me. 5 My wounds stink and are corrupt because of my foolishness. 6 I am troubled; I am bowed down greatly; I go mourning all the day long. 7 For my loins are filled with a loathsome disease: and there is no soundness in my flesh. 8 I am feeble and sore broken: I have roared by reason of the disquietness of my heart. 9 Lord, all my desire is before thee; and my groaning is not hid from thee. 10 My heart panteth, my strength faileth me: as for the light of mine eyes, it also is gone from me. 11 My lovers and my friends stand aloof from my sore; and my kinsmen stand afar off” (Psalm 38:1-11).
David was in agony of soul. The heavy burden of a guilty conscience was oppressive and became unbearable. It is under this unbearable pressure that men often turn to drink – to help alleviate the pain. However, God has designed the pain of guilt to cause us to turn to HIM for relief. God wants us to FACE our guilt and our sin. He wants us to CONFESS our sin, and He wants us to TRUST in Him for forgiveness. This is what David eventually did.
Consider David’s words of repentance: “For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me. 4 Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight.” (Ps. 51:3-4a). “Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. 8 Make me to hear joy and gladness; that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice” (Ps. 51:7-8). David knew that when he turned to God in faith and confessed his sin, his soul could then REST on God’s grace and once again experience God’s POWER in his life.
Some readers may be presently struggling with alcohol, and perhaps have NEVER come to Christ in faith. Before you can ever experience His help, grace, and power in your life, God has commanded you to BELIEVE on His Son, Jesus Christ. Christ died for your sins – every last one of them! The Father put all of YOUR sins on Christ on the cross, and there, Christ bore the full weight, guilt, and penalty of YOUR sins. “For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.” (II Cor. 5:21). “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Rom.5:8). “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on Him, the iniquity of us all” (Isa. 53:6).
God offers NEW LIFE to the sinner who acknowledges his sin and TRUSTS in His Son. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. 17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved” (John 3:16-17). Jesus came to save men from a vain, empty life (I Pet. 1:18), and offers in its place an ABUNDANT life – one worth living. “I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly” (John 10:10b). Apart from Christ there is nothing but eternal condemnation. In Christ, there is abundant LIFE!
Only the precious blood of Christ can alleviate the pain, guilt and condemnation of sin. If you are not saved, Christ is speaking to you: “Come unto Me all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matt. 11:29). Christ refuses no one who comes to Him in simple, childlike faith. Regardless of our past life of sin, Jesus said that he “that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out” (John 6:37b).
Getting back to our point—it is understandable for a lost man to turn to alcohol in his time of need for comfort, strength, courage, peace, boldness, joy. We sympathize with the unsaved man who turns to a bottle because he knows not how to deal with depression, discouragement, guilt, or the trials and pressures of life. But for a Christian to do so is nigh unto idolatry! It is a sinful departure from trusting in Christ (our Source of comfort, strength, etc.) to trusting in ANOTHER source. It is in essence a denial that Christ is sufficient. Such a believer has been deceived and is a fool (Prov.20:1). God is grieved when His children put their TRUST in another—He is a jealous God (Ex.34:14) who wants ALL of our love, devotion, affection, confidence, and TRUST. Do we (in demanding our right to a few drinks) provoke the Lord to jealousy (I Cor.10:22)? The believer who turns to alcohol as means of dealing with life’s problems will discover that he is leaning on a broken reed that will eventually pierce him mercilessly. Wine deceives because initially it brings a bit of comfort and relief, but in the end, it bites like a serpent (Prov.23:32). Christ offers more comfort than the serpent. He is all we need (Col.3:1-4).
9. Wine and the Body
The Bible tells us that the human body is fearfully and wonderfully made (Ps.139:14). The body takes in food and drink that is good for the body, and (according God’s design) works hard at rejecting that which is harmful. Consider the following words from the Encyclopedia of Psychological Disorders: “While the person is ingesting the alcohol, his or her body is simultaneously working hard to rid itself of the drug.” [i]Another source indicates that “alcohol is a toxin, or poison, to the body. The body tries to remove it quickly by increasing blood flow and blood pressure.”[ii] If drinking continues, the body has another way of dealing with the toxin: vomiting. “This is the stomach’s way of keeping poisonous amounts of alcohol from moving to other body parts.”[iii] Does the body created by God know something modern Christians don’t know?
Alcohol adversely affects the brain: “Alcohol impairs nearly every aspect of information processing, or cognitive skills by the brain.”[iv] Alcohol also affects the liver: “Alcohol is the most important cause of liver disease and death in the United States.” [v] Alcohol can cause three liver conditions, two of which are life threatening – fatty liver, alcoholic hepatitis, and cirrhosis. Theresa Anne Booley (a secular freelance writer and student at Harvard Medical School) acknowledged that “alcohol is a drug, just like cocaine and marijuana. Because many people drink alcohol, and because alcohol is legal, it is easy to think that alcohol is less dangerous than others drugs. That’s not true.”[vi]
Before choosing to drink alcohol (which is a toxin or poison to the body), the Christian should consider what the Bible says about his/her body. “What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s (I Cor. 6:19-20).”
[i] The Encyclopedia of Psychological Disorders, Drowning our Sorrows, Chelsea House Publishers, Philadelphia, 2000, p. 35,
[ii] Judy Monroe, Alcohol, Enslow Publishers, Inc, Springfield, 1994, p.22.
[iii] Ibid., p.27.
[iv] The Encyclopedia of Psychological Disorders, Drowning our Sorrows, Chelsea House Publishers, Philadelphia, 2000, p.42
[v] Ibid., p. 43.
[vi] Theresa Anne Booley, Alcohol and Your Liver, the Incredibly Disgusting Story, The Rosen Publishing Group, New York, 2000, p.7.
10. Wine and Its Evil Associates
Consider the following evils the BIBLE associates with wine and drunkenness:
- Sorrow and contention
“Who hath woe? who hath sorrow? who hath contentions? who hath babbling? who hath wounds without cause? who hath redness of eyes? They that tarry long at the wine; they that go to seek mixed wine.” (Prov. 23:29-30)
Madison Avenue likes to paint a rosy picture of alcohol use. The advertisements invariably display happy young men and women “tarrying long at the wine” laughing, having fun, and enjoying life. The ads give the impression that apart from alcohol, one really can’t experience JOY. Could you really enjoy a football game without a Budweiser? Could a social gathering be enjoyable without Jack Daniels? According to the advertisements, those who “tarry long at the wine” are happy people. That is NOT what the Bible says. Proverbs 23:29 states that those who tarry long at the wine have woes and sorrows. The Hebrew term translated woe means a “passionate cry of grief or despair.”[i] Lingering at the wine ultimately leads to grief and despair. It would be nearly impossible to gauge just how MUCH grief and despair have resulted from alcohol over the years. How does one calculate the grief of the spouse having to live with an alcoholic? How is the shame measured in making excuses for, hiding, covering up, and pretending? Consider the very real grief of the wife who has to live day in and day out with the extra burdens that are hers because of an alcoholic husband. Think of the grief and shame that the children of an alcoholic have to endure. While the TV presents a picture of happy people lingering at the wine – the Bible and reality paint a very different picture. Spending a few weeks in the home of an alcoholic would erase the “pretty face” of alcohol use Madison Avenue portrays.
The advertisements not only display happy people lingering at the wine, but they display happy people getting along with one another. Once again, the Bible and reality paint a different picture. The Bible says that they who linger long at the wine have contentions. This term is often translated “brawling” and speaks of fighting and strife. While fighting can occur anywhere, it can easily be demonstrated that alcohol greatly increases the likelihood of a fight or strife. I have yet to see an advertisement for Budweiser or Seagram’s Seven show a barroom brawl, complete with broken bottles, men bleeding, and then being hauled off to jail in handcuffs. I have yet to see an advertisement for alcohol portray a real life scene in a home where a drunken father comes home to create havoc in the lives of his wife and children and the contention it creates in the home. Hollywood and Madison Avenue associate alcohol with fun, happiness, and people enjoying one another’s company. The Bible associates alcohol use with sorrow and contention.
- Sickness
“Who hath woe? who hath sorrow? who hath contentions? who hath babbling? who hath wounds without cause? who hath redness of eyes? They that tarry long at the wine; they that go to seek mixed wine.” (Prov.23:29) Yea, thou shalt be as he that lieth down in the midst of the sea, or as he that lieth upon the top of a mast. (Prov.23:34)
Madison Avenue advertising companies like to associate alcohol with youth, strength, vitality, and beauty. The beer ads are full of young, muscular, healthy men with beautiful young women at their side. By watching the ads one might assume that alcohol keeps the body strong and fit. The opposite is true. The Bible associates alcohol with sickness and wounds. Binge drinking often results in “wounds” – from the fights, the falls, and the foolish behavior. It results in redness of eye. Alcohol causes a man to experience nausea (room spinning effect) as one who “lieth upon the top of a mast” out at sea (vs.34).
But the temporary sickness of overdrinking is by far overshadowed by the lifelong diseases and injuries so often caused by alcohol, such as alcoholic hepatitis, cirrhosis of the liver, swollen pancreas, Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome (complete memory loss), cardiomyopathy, and fetal alcohol syndrome. The long-term use of alcohol can have serious adverse affects (some life threatening) on the body.
- Perverse thoughts and utterances
“Thine eyes shall behold strange women, and thine heart shall utter perverse things.” (Prov.23:33)
The Scriptures make it clear that the believer is RESPONSIBLE for his thoughts and words. The believer is commanded to think (to purposely fill his mind) thoughts that are true, honest, just, pure, lovely, of good report, and full of virtue and praise (Phil. 4:8). The thoughts of the righteous are right (Prov. 12:5). God expects (demands!) that the thought life of the believer be right and pure in His sight. It is the believer’s personal responsibility to be “casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ” (II Cor. 10:5).
Failure to keep one’s mind pure is SIN. And yet we are warned in Scripture that alcohol CAUSES a man to think evil in his heart. Alcohol CAUSES the heart to lust and think impure thoughts. And from that evil heart, alcohol causes a man to utter perverse things.
Jesus said that out of the evil heart proceed evil thoughts (Matt. 15:19). The fallen heart of man doesn’t need a lot of encouragement to think unholy thoughts. It produces enough evil on its own. Why would a believer want to drink that which he KNOWS will excite evil thoughts? The thought of foolishness is SIN (Prov.24:9a). Have you ever listened to the conversation of someone under the influence? Their conversations are often foolish, shady, and sinful. The Bible says that neither “filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting which are not convenient” (fitting) are to be once named among the saints of God (Eph. 5:3-4). Drinking that which encourages foolish and filthy talk should be utterly abhorred by the believer who loves God and hates sin. God understands our thoughts afar off (Ps. 139:2). God also SEARCHES our thoughts (Ps.139:23). Our thoughts are not hidden from Him. Wicked thoughts are an abomination to the Lord (Prov. 15:26). God holds His children accountable for their thoughts, even if their minds are clouded by alcohol. Drinking is a choice.
The believer is also responsible for his speech. In fact, every idle word will come under Divine scrutiny (Matt. 12:36). “For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil” (Ecc. 12:14). We must give an account for every thought and every word. We know how untamable the tongue is even apart from intoxicants. Why drink that which we KNOW will cause us to say things we will regret later?
God has revealed this aspect of the effect of alcohol to us for a purpose. If we choose to drink it KNOWING these things, we are accountable for our thoughts and for our words. The man who CHOOSES to drink and drive and ends up killing a family of four is responsible for his actions – even if he passed out at the wheel. He knew what he was doing when he poured his drinks. He knew what he was doing when he got in the car. He is legally and morally responsible for his actions. So too is the believer who drinks responsible for his thoughts and words. God TOLD us what alcohol will do to our thought life and to our speech. If we choose to ignore His warning and drink anyway, we are responsible and will give an account to Him.
- Poverty
“Be not among winebibbers; among riotous eaters of flesh: For the drunkard and the glutton shall come to poverty: and drowsiness shall clothe a man with rags.” (Prov.23:20-21)
Another evil associate of alcohol is poverty and laziness. Believers are warned not to associate with winebibbers and drunkards. (It goes without saying that we should not BE one!) Those who become problem drinkers often end up poor. They become poor because they waste their money on alcohol and the foolish lifestyle that goes along with it. They become poor because they often lose their jobs and ruin their careers. Money that should have been spent paying the mortgage is often wasted on booze. Problem drinkers often spend the family food money on drink. Not only does the problem drinker become poor, but his family often suffers poverty because of his folly too.
Take a good look at the winos on Skid Row. Many of those poor fools at one time had lucrative careers, but now they are clothed in rags and begging for a quarter. Alcohol is no respecter of persons. It can bring a business executive or medical doctor to Skid Row just as easily as it can bring the poor boy brought up in the ghetto there. Every city in the country has countless living witnesses of the truth of this text: “the drunkard… shall come to poverty.”
- Lack of wisdom
“Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging: and whosoever is deceived there is not wise. (Prov.20:1)
Solomon states that anyone who is deceived by alcohol is not wise – in other words, a fool. Why is he a fool? Surely, if he was “deceived” it must not be his fault. He was tricked! How can we blame the one who is deceived? Solomon answers that question. He states right up front that alcohol IS a mocker. It is raging. God has revealed this truth and we now know it. Anyone who knows these things and is deceived by them anyway, is a fool! If construction workers are working on staging twenty floors up, and one is told that the end board is not safe, and a worker (who heard the warning but scoffed at it) steps on the loose board and falls to his death, he is a fool! He may have thought that it would hold him up, but it didn’t. He may have boasted that he was smarter than the one making the warning, but his fall proved that he wasn’t. He was TOLD of the danger and he still chose to stand on it. He is a fool – a dead fool! Solomon warns his readers that wine is a mocker and strong drink raging. Anyone who KNOWS this, ignores the warning, and is deceived (becomes a problem drinker) is not wise. He is a fool.
- Poor judgment
“But they also have erred through wine, and through strong drink are out of the way; the priest and the prophet have erred through strong drink, they are swallowed up of wine, they are out of the way through strong drink; they err in vision, they stumble in judgment.” (Isaiah 28:7)
“It is not for kings, O Lemuel, it is not for kings to drink wine; nor for princes strong drink: Lest they drink, and forget the law, and pervert the judgment of any of the afflicted.” (Prov.31:4-5)
Alcohol causes men to “stumble in judgment” and “pervert judgment.” God’s will for the believer is that he “abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment that (ye) may approve things that are excellent” (Phil. 1:10a). God’s plan for the believer is that he grow in wisdom and discernment (Heb. 5:14). The Christian life requires good judgment which is under the influence of the Holy Spirit. The spiritual man has discernment (I Cor. 2:15). When a man is under the influence of some other “spirit” his judgment is impaired. As a result, those who are influenced by alcohol often say and do very foolish things. Hence, there is the proverbial dance on the coffee table with the lampshade on the head. Some other choices and actions are not quite so “cute.” All too often poor judgment results in auto fatalities, drunken brawls, rapes, divorces, domestic violence, and tragedies of all stripes.
Prov. 31:4-5 states that kings and others who need to exercise sound judgment should not drink wine. The New Testament states that those in leadership positions in the local church are not to be given to wine. Such men are looked to for wisdom and often have to make important decisions. It is “not for them to drink wine.” It is acceptable for the one who is perishing to USE wine as a painkiller to NUMB his senses (Prov.31:6-7). But those who need their senses are not to drink wine. It is not for them.
Doesn’t it make sense for the believer to do whatever he can to AVOID poor judgment? It could be said that the choice to drink is in itself an act of poor judgment.
- Takes away understanding
“Whoredom and wine and new wine take away the heart.” (Hos.4:11)
Alcohol robs a man of his good sense and understanding. This passage implies that the man who at one time possessed understanding (heart) LOST what he had. Wine “took away” (seized; snatched away; took possession of) his understanding.
Matthew Henry’s comments on this verse as follows: “Their sensual pleasures have taken them off from their devotions and drowned all that is good in them… (it will) weaken and enfeeble them.”[ii] Alcohol affects one’s heart for God. It weakens and enfeebles moral sensibilities. Another commentator noted that wine and new wine “make a man devoid of spiritual understanding.”[iii] The use of alcohol takes away spiritual understanding and weakens a man. God’s desire is that the believer be strengthened with might in the inner man – not weakened (Eph. 3:16). God’s plan is that we increase in spiritual understanding – not decrease (Col.1:9-11). Since God warns us that wine can weaken us and take away our spiritual understanding, the sensible choice is to avoid it entirely.
- Lack of regard for the work of God
“Woe unto them that rise up early in the morning, that they may follow strong drink; that continue until night, till wine inflame them! And the harp, and the viol, the tabret, and pipe, and wine, are in their feasts: but they regard not the work of the LORD, neither consider the operation of His hands. (Isa.5:11-12)
In this context Isaiah speaks of those who “follow” strong drink. Here he describes the mindset of “party-goers” where alcohol flows freely: “they regard not the work of the Lord.” The Bible Knowledge Commentary notes that such folks care nothing for the deeds of the Lord. “Their lack of respect for the work of His hands meant they abused other people made in the image of God. Caring only for their own pleasures, they had no concern for the Lord or for others.”[iv] Those who are filled with the spirit of alcohol think of themselves and their own pleasure, but they do not regard the Lord – at least not in a reverent manner.
Psalm 105:5 states that we are commanded to “Remember His marvelous works that He hath done; His wonders, and the judgments of His mouth.” God warns us that those who follow strong drink do NOT regard His marvelous works. (Don’t forget – beer and wine, unless first mixed with between 3-10 parts water, is considered strong drink.)
- Lack of concern about the Lord’s coming
“And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares.” (Luke.21:34)
Of course it would be shameful to be found stone drunk at the Second Coming. Christ is also coming to rescue the church from the impending judgment which is to fall upon the earth during the Tribulation Period. Would you as a Christian feel comfortable before Him at His coming if you were found, perhaps not stone drunk, but just a bit tipsy? Note the warning the Lord gives. Surfeiting and drunkenness (excessive use of alcohol) and the cares of this life are the very tools the devil uses to cause men to be UNAWARE of spiritual realities: of Christ and His coming.
Alcohol takes away the heart, the understanding, our regard for the Lord, and takes away thoughts of His coming. Alcohol DULLS the senses and it dulls spiritual sensibilities. It is understandable why the unsaved would want to dull their senses and not think about spiritual realities. The unbeliever doesn’t WANT to think about the return of the Lord, for He is coming as their Judge. But it is beyond explanation why a believer would want to do anything that would lessen his awareness of the Lord’s imminent return. We should be “looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ” (Titus 2:13). Doesn’t it make good sense to avoid anything that would diminish our consciousness of our blessed hope?
- Forgetting God’s Law
“It is not for kings, O Lemuel, it is not for kings to drink wine; nor for princes strong drink: Lest they drink, and forget the law, and pervert the judgment of any of the afflicted.” (Prov.31:4-5)
A theme is developing in the previous passages. Alcohol changes the way a man THINKS. Consider what the previous passages have said about alcohol: it leads to perverse thoughts, poor judgment, a lack of wisdom, it takes away the understanding, it causes men to have no regard for the works of the Lord or His coming. Now Solomon tells us in Proverbs 31:4-5 that alcohol also causes a man to “forget the Law” or the Word of God.
Our problem is that we are not mindful enough of God’s Word. We ought to be seeking God’s help to be more mindful of it – to THINK on things above – to THINK on things that are pure and lovely – to MEDITATE day and night in His precious Word. The godly man is one whose “delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night” (Ps. 1:2). Our resolve ought to be like described in Psalm 119:16 – “I will delight myself in thy statutes: I will not forget thy word.” Alcohol causes men to forget God’s Word. It causes men to think on other things – usually related to pleasure or impurity. Choosing to drink alcohol is also choosing its known consequences: forgetting God’s Word. This is an extremely poor choice for a believer.
- Departing from the way of the Lord
“But they also have erred through wine, and through strong drink are out of the way; the priest and the prophet have erred through strong drink, they are swallowed up of wine, they are out of the way through strong drink; they err in vision, they stumble in judgment.” (Isa.28:7)
Question: What caused these men to err? Answer: Wine. Question: What caused them to go out of the way? Answer: Strong drink. Question: How did they stumble in judgment? Answer: Strong drink. God has raised and answered a lot of questions on the subject of alcohol in the Bible. That which causes men to go out of the way and causes men to err should be avoided. Wisdom demands that we ponder the path of our feet and make no provision for the flesh to lure us “out of the way.” Consider all the auto crashes on our highways caused by alcohol. In a physical sense, alcohol causes drunken drivers to swerve “out of the way” (the road) and hit a tree or an oncoming car. Consider the physical wreck and tragedy that follows. This illustrates well the many spiritual wrecks that alcohol produces. Far worse than a car going “out of the way” physically, is the fact that alcohol causes countless men to go “out of the way” spiritually!
- Bitterness
“They shall not drink wine with a song; strong drink shall be bitter to them that drink it.” (Isa.24:9)
“At last it biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like an adder.” (Prov.23:32)
Eighteen million American alcoholics are presently being “stung” by alcohol every day. The original sweetness of wine is gone for them. How many more millions have been stung indirectly (friends; family; co workers) could never be calculated. Wine may be sweet at first, but God says it becomes bitter to them that drink it.
The believer who gets bitten by alcohol has received ample warning in the Word. Drinking alcohol is a bit like “petting” a poisonous snake. One might be able to charm that snake for a while, but in the end, the snake wins. At last it biteth like a serpent and stingeth like an adder. People with good common sense avoid dogs that bite. When someone tells you that their dog bites, he is in effect telling you to “stay away!” If you wouldn’t play with a dog that bites, why play with a serpent that bites? There are literally hundreds of good drinks and juices available on the store shelves. There is no need for a believer to seek alcohol – not with all we know about it. Poisonous serpents don’t make good pets. They bite.
- Deception
“…Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.” (I Cor.6:9b-10)
“Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging: and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise.” (Prov.20:1)
These passages explain WHY it is so difficult to make the point that this paper seeks to make: alcohol deceives. It appears to be harmless and nice, when in reality it is a poisonous snake. This is ever the devil’s tactic. He himself appears as an angel of light, when in reality he is the prince of darkness (II Cor. 11:13-14). The devil is a master at making that which is spiritually dangerous appear innocuous and safe. He makes wolves appear to be sheep. He makes his false apostles appear to be apostles of Christ. He makes error look like truth. He makes a hideous sin look appealing and attractive. He can make the way that leads to destruction appear to be the way to eternal life. He can even make corrupt flesh look spiritual. He is the master counterfeiter.
It is no surprise that a master forger is able to make alcohol attractive to the believer. He makes it “seem so right.” (How can it be wrong if I feel so good?) However, we are also warned that “there is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death” (Prov. 14:12). It is fair to say that alcohol is such a “way.” Wine in the cup SEEMS so appealing. However, Solomon warns his readers not even to look at that outward appeal. “Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth his colour in the cup, when it moveth itself aright” (Prov.23:31). It is attractive, but we are not even to look, because the look leads to deception. Eve was deceived by a look (Gen. 3:6). Alcohol looks appealing BUT it bites like a serpent (vs.32). Therein lies the deception. It is NOT as it appears. Strong drink deceives those who drink it.
[i] Strongs, Hebrew # 188.
[ii] Matthew Henry, Matthew Henry’s Commentary, Fleming H. Revel Company, Old Tappan, p. 1143
[iii] Charles F. Pfeiffer, Edit., The Wycliffe Bible Commentary, Moody Press, Chicago, 1962, p.806
[iv] John A. Martin, Bible Knowledge Commentary of the Old Testament, Victor Books, Wheaton, 1985, p.1042
11. Wine and The Principles of Grace
God did not outright forbid wine in the Scriptures, and there were good reasons for that. In the days in which the Scriptures were written, wine was needed. It was needed as a disinfectant, a painkiller, and a water purifier. Besides, grape juice naturally fermented and there was no simple way of preventing it from happening. Thus, God did not forbid wine, but He DID give many warnings and regulations, as seen in the previous section. Even in the days when it was necessary to use wine, Solomon warned of its danger and states that it bites like a poisonous snake (Prov.23:32). Evidently Solomon believed that great caution needed to be employed when considering the subject of wine.
The Scriptures also give many principles of grace that serve as TESTS to discern if a practice is holy or unholy for all future generations of believers. The Bible writers had no way of knowing (apart from Divine revelation) that the process of distillation would be invented and would greatly increase the alcoholic content in drinks. Nor could they have known what a huge problem alcoholism would become in modern society. They could never have predicted such massive loss of life on our highways due to alcohol related auto accidents. They did not realize how it affected the liver and how addicting it would become to millions. Drugs and alcohol were not nearly the menaces in their society that they are in ours. Nevertheless, they knew enough to give Bible readers in future generations plenty of food for thought. Many principles were recorded for us in the New Testament designed to help believers in future generations make wise and holy decisions on issues wholly unknown and unknowable to the Bible writers. What they recorded is “all we need for life and godliness” (II Pet. 1:3). Ultimately, each believer must come to his/her own conclusions and convictions with respect to drinking strong drink based upon whether or not they pass the test of the principles of grace. It is the view of this author that strong drink does NOT pass the test.
Consider the following questions and Scripture passages. PROVE for yourself (put to the test) whether drinking alcohol is acceptable to the Lord or not (Eph. 5:10). Be honest.
- Can I do this in genuine faith?
Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind. (Rom.14:5)
And he that doubteth is damned if he eat, because he eateth not of faith: for whatsoever is not of faith is sin. (Rom.14:23)
Can the informed believer partake of alcohol in good conscience and in good faith – in spite of all the warnings and woes which God Himself has placed upon it? It is faith to drink a beverage that weakens moral resolve, helps remove healthy inhibitions, and causes the one drinking to “behold strange women” and “utter perverse things” (Prov.23:33)? Is that faith or is it presumption to say (in spite of God’s warnings), “I can handle it” (I Cor. 10:12).
Are you fully persuaded that it is pleasing to the Lord to drink a beverage that God has warned us about so often in His Word? God requires that the heart be FULLY persuaded. Have not the warnings from Scripture raised at least a shadow of doubt? If there is a shadow of doubt, the case is over, for whatsoever is not of faith is sin.
- Is this going to help or hinder me in the Christian life?
All things are lawful for me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but all things edify not. (I Cor.10:23)
Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain. And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. (I Cor.9:24-25)
Drinking alcohol is “lawful” in the sense that there is no specific law prohibiting it. Therefore, it must be judged according to the principles of grace in order to determine if it falls into the category of holy or unholy. If it does not help us “run the race”, then it is a hindrance… a weight to be rejected. The question is, does it edify? Will it help me run the race (live the Christian life)?
Briefly review the following Scriptures which speak of the effects of alcohol:
- Prov. 23:33 – Thine eyes shall behold strange women, and thine heart shall utter perverse things.
- Isa. 28:7 – But they also have erred through wine, and through strong drink are out of the way…
- Prov. 31:5 – Lest they drink, and forget the law, and pervert the judgment of any of the afflicted.
- Hos.4:11 – Whoredom and wine and new wine take away the heart.
- Luke 21:34 – And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares.
Can we honestly say that a beverage that causes us to forget God’s Word will HELP us live the Christian life? Knowing the evil effect of alcohol on our heart, our mind, and our will, can we honestly affirm it as good for our spiritual life?
- Will it bring me under its power?
All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any. (I Cor.6:12)
But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway. (I Cor.9:27)
Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall. (I Cor.10:12)
According to an Encarta encyclopedia article, nearly 15 million people in in the United States are problem drinkers. Statistically, men are three times more likely to than women to become alcoholics. And things are not improving. Over the past thirty years, alcohol consumption has nearly doubled in Japan. In Russia, 40 % of men and 17% of women are alcoholics!
The problem of alcohol addiction is FAR worse in modern societies than it ever was in Bible times. Can you say for sure that YOU will not become an alcoholic? Can you say for sure that alcohol will never take control of your life? You can if you choose not to take the first drink. Total abstinence is the very safest policy. It is the only guarantee that you will not become one of the millions whose lives are presently being ruined by alcohol. It is the only guarantee that you will have that your family will not be dragged through the horrors of living with an alcoholic. Since statistics tell us that one in ten drinkers becomes a problem drinker, your chances of becoming a problem drinker are quite high. The chance is ZERO if you choose not to drink.
Think of the choice in terms of John Bunyun’s wonderful allegory, Pilgrim’s Progress. Imagine young Christian coming to a fork in the road. The signpost to the left (Drinker’s Lane) promises all who enter lots of fun for the first few miles, but a one in ten chance of ending up captured and tortured by the Beast of Alcohol. The signpost on the right (Teetotaler’s Way) offers joy and freedom with no chance of being captured by the beast. Which way would Lady Wisdom suggest he take? (Read Proverbs 8)
Alcohol DOES bring men under its power. God has told us this clearly in His Word. Consider the words of Proverbs 23:35b. After describing how alcohol makes a man sick, causes contentions, sorrow, and wounds, causes him to sin with his eyes and his heart, the author then states the response of one who is under its control: “I will seek it yet again.” No matter how much grief and misery it causes for the one overpowered by it, the one under its grip will seek it again. He has no choice. He has been bitten by the serpent (captured by the beast) and is under its power. One who is under the influence of alcohol is NOT under the influence of the Holy Spirit (Eph. 5:18).
Will alcohol bring YOU under its power if you choose to drink? No one knows for sure, but your chances are not good of escaping this beast. Are you willing to take a one in ten chance of ruining your walk with the Lord? Would you pull the trigger on a loaded pistol pointed at your head if there were nine blanks and one real bullet? Would you play Russian Roulette with your Christian life?
- Are my motives pure?
For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another. (Gal.5:13)
As free, and not using your liberty for a cloke of maliciousness, but as the servants of God. (I Pet.2:16)
One of the most poignant questions to ask ourselves is “WHY do we want to drink?” Are we afraid of being different from the world? If so, our motives are wrong (Rom. 12:2; James 4:4). Is our love for the sensual pleasure (the taste and the euphoric feeling) more important to us than holiness? Are we willing to sacrifice personal holiness on the altar of personal pleasure? If so, our motives are wrong (II Tim.3:4-5). Do we drink so as not to offend our host, who offers us a drink? It is good to seek not to offend (I Cor. 10:32), but how would you respond if he offered you a cigarette? What would you do if he offered you a joint of marijuana? What do you do if your host starts telling off colored jokes? We should do all we can to avoid offending the unbeliever, but there are times when offence it is unavoidable. When a cigarette or a drink is offered, it is not necessary to make a scene over the issue or to be obnoxious about it. A simple, “No thank you” should suffice. When that occurs, most hosts will be extremely understanding and will not be offended. More often than not the concern about “offending the host” is but a smokescreen used by carnal believers to cover the fact that (deep down inside) they really WANT to drink and to be like everybody else. This is the essence of worldliness: “that we also may be like all the nations” (I Sam.8:20). The Lord knows our hearts.
Could it be that our real motive is that we are afraid to stand out in a crowd? Do we cave in to peer pressure? Is it the sensual delight and warm feeling alcohol brings that is our real motivator? Do we secretly love that loose feeling of being uninhibited and free from restraint? Is it a secret escape from the straight and narrow way?
Alcohol is a drug. It comes in liquid form and many love its taste. If it came in the form of a pill, or something to smoke, would we still choose to partake of this drug? If alcohol were a pill and God’s Word warned about the dangers of this pill repeatedly, (it makes you sick; it causes you to utter perverse things; it takes away the heart; etc.) would we still choose to take it? Why would a believer choose to drink? Ask yourself that question. Is my motive genuinely PURE before the Lord?
“For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do” (Heb. 4:12-13).
- Will this be a stumblingblock to my brother?
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. (Rom.14:13)
For meat destroy not the work of God. All things indeed are pure; but it is evil for that man who eateth with offence. It is good neither to eat flesh, nor to drink wine, nor any thing whereby thy brother stumbleth, or is offended, or is made weak. (Rom.14:20-21)
But take heed lest by any means this liberty of yours become a stumblingblock to them that are weak. (I Cor.8:9)
Wherefore, if meat make my brother to offend, I will eat no flesh while the world standeth, lest I make my brother to offend. (I Cor.8:13)
Give none offence, neither to the Jews, nor to the Gentiles, nor to the church of God: (I Cor.10:32)
OK – so you can drink socially and not become addicted. You say it does not adversely affect your life or your walk with the Lord. Of the one in ten drinkers who become problem drinkers, you escaped the bullet. What about the other nine? One of them will be hit by the bullet. It may be a young believer who sees you drink and hears how it has not adversely affected you – so he tries it. Can you guarantee that he will not be hit by the bullet? People are watching us as believers. Young believers are looking up to older believers for guidance and examples of “how to live the life” – and they will follow your lead. Your testimony as a believer has an effect on more people than you might think.
Alcohol (perhaps more than any other issue under the sun) has the effect of being a stumblingblock. Just suppose that you are able to drink wine as Jesus did (mixed with between 3-10 parts water – strong drink or unmixed wine was forbidden!) without adverse affects. If another believer who is not able to handle alcohol follows your lead and sins as a result, God holds YOU responsible in part for wounding their conscience (I Cor. 8:11-12). Liberty is a wonderful gift, but when the exercise of that liberty harms a brother in the Lord, it should laid aside (I Cor. 8:13).
Alcohol DOES cause countless men to stumble (literally and spiritually). It is the view of this author that alcohol does NOT pass this test. Even if you think you can handle it (II Cor. 10:12), it is a stumblingblock to countless others. We do not have the liberty to be a stumblingblock to our brothers (Rom. 14:13). Demanding one’s “rights” (knowing that it will be a stumblingblock to others) is immoral, selfish, arrogant, cruel, defiant, unloving, ungracious, and WRONG.
- Will this affect my testimony for Christ? What will others think of Christ by my action?
Let not then your good be evil spoken of. (Rom.14:16)
Provide things honest in the sight of all men. (Rom.12:17)
Providing for honest things, not only in the sight of the Lord, but also in the sight of men. (II Cor.8:21)
Abstain from all appearance of evil. (I Thess.5:22)
It is not just the conservative Christian who is a teetotaler. Not everyone in the world is a drinker. Many unbelievers have thoughtfully pondered the subject. While they have not viewed the subject from a spiritual perspective, many of the preceding questions have been asked by unsaved men from a moral perspective. (Can I drink in good conscience? Will my actions hurt others? Is it good for me to drink? Will it bring me under its power?) They have weighed the benefits against the risks. They have seen the damage that it has done. They have seen the car accidents on the highways. They are aware of how young people follow the examples of older folks. They know people whose lives were ruined. They are not willing to take the chance of becoming another “statistic.” Many of these unsaved folks have seen first hand the awful tragedy that follows in the wake of an alcoholic because they have a close family member who is “hooked”, or perhaps because one of their own children was killed by a drunk driver. The statistics of alcohol abuse only cover the tip of the iceberg. For every one statistic there are dozens of other friends, co-workers, family members, classmates, and spouses who have had to live with the ugly consequences of alcohol abuse. Many of these unsaved folks have learned to hate alcohol and have concluded that it is foolish to drink at all. Sometimes the “the children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light” (Luke 16:8).
There are many unsaved people who EXPECT that the one who claims the name of Christ will have the wisdom to draw the same conclusion. Many are shocked to see a Christian take a drink. Millions of unsaved folks expect the believer to abstain from strong drink.
Christians drinking strong drink (in an age when it is no longer necessary) blurs the line of demarcation between light and darkness, holy and unholy. At best it sends a confusing message; at worst it offends many gentiles (I Cor. 10:32). The world deserves a clearer witness than that. The believer’s testimony should be “blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world” (Phil. 2:15).
- Is this thing being done for God’s glory?
Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God. (I Cor.10:31)
Ultimately, this is what matters most. This gets down to motive once again. (See question #5) The overriding purpose in all we do as believers ought to be to bring glory and honor to the Lord Jesus Christ. This goal should have preeminence over all choices in life. Personal pleasure, taste, preferences, peer pressure, fear of man, desire to be accepted, and culture should all fade away into insignificance before the goal of bringing glory and honor of God.
Is God glorified by a believer being one of the guys and drinking beer to prove it, or by by the believer who is willing to be different and suffer reproach (James 4:4; Rom. 15:1-4)? Is God more glorified by self-indulgence or self-sacrifice (I Cor. 8:13)? Is God glorified by the believer demanding his right to drink or by the believer who is willing to lay aside the exercise of his rights for the good of others (Phil.2:4-11)?
- Would Jesus drink the strong drinks sold today? Would I feel comfortable drinking strong drink if He were standing next to me?
Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: (Phil.2:5)
Let every one of us please his neighbour for his good to edification. For even Christ pleased not himself; but, as it is written, The reproaches of them that reproached thee fell on me. (Rom.15:2-3)
Some would love to word the argument this way: “Would Jesus drink wine?” And they would quickly (but superficially) answer in a triumphant, “Yes He would and He did!” However, one should not confuse the strong drink that is drunk today with the wine mixed with between 3-10 parts water as drunk in Jewish society in Jesus’ day. It is not fair or honest to assume that what Jesus drank was the same beverage as is sold in liquor stores today. It was not. The beverage He drank was virtually a sub-alcoholic, water-wine mixture. He drank it out of necessity. He had no access to a supermarket with hundreds of beverages. The question (Would Jesus drink wine?) is misleading. The question should be worded, “Would Jesus drink strong drink?” Strong drink was NOT for kings (Prov.31:4-5) or for priests ministering in their sanctuary (Lev.10:8-9; Heb. 8:1-2). In light of all that the Scriptures say concerning strong drink, it is fair to conclude that Jesus (Prophet, Priest, and King) would avoid strong drink. It is not for kings, but for those who are perishing.
Could you in good conscience drink strong drink before the Lord KNOWING what the Bible says about strong drink?
- Will I have confidence giving an account of this action at the judgment seat of Christ?
But why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at nought thy brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. (Rom.14:10)
So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God. (Rom.14:12)
The thought of standing before the Lord to give account of everything done in our body (and to our body) is in a sense a two-edged sword. It will be a time of great rejoicing for that which was done for His glory UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF the Holy Spirit. But it will be a fearful thing to consider that a portion of our lives may be burned up as wood, hay, and stubble (I Cor. 3:11-17).
Consider BOTH possibilities in light of the Bema Seat: choosing to drink and choosing to abstain. Which choice makes you MOST confident before Christ? Would you be more confident choosing that which GUARANTEES safety (total abstinence) or by choosing that which gives us a one in ten chance of being brought under its power? Will you be more confident before Christ having made the choice that is risk free, or one that is risky? Will we be able to convince the Lord that we made the choice to drink because we concluded that it would be beneficial in running the race (Heb.12:1-2) and that it was spiritually edifying (I Cor. 10:23)? Will we be able to assure the Lord with certainty that our choice to drink strong drink did not become a stumblingblock to anyone in our circle of influence? Now is the time to think about these questions because one day “we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ” (I Cor. 14:10) and every one of us shall give account of himself to God” (Rom. 14:12). How much better is it to “have confidence, and not be ashamed before him” (I John 2:28b)!
Think on things above. Think in light of eternity. Think of Christ, His immanent return for His Bride, and our standing before Him to give account. These are the higher and nobler thoughts that should influence our decisions.
Every believer needs to examine these issues for him or her self. Put alcohol to the test. This author concludes that alcohol does not pass the test and that the right decision is total abstinence. To strong drink we cry out, “TEKEL!” “Thou art weighed in the balances, and art found wanting” (Dan. 5:27).
Some believers will attempt to ridicule the call for total abstinence by attempting to point out perceived inconsistencies. The argument is often presented along these lines: “Well, coffee is not good for you either. It’s addictive too. Are you suggesting that it’s wrong to drink coffee?” To answer that, consider the following:
- Is coffee really addictive in the sense that alcohol is?
- How many people become incapacitated and unable to go to work because they drink coffee?
- How many hospitals have “coffee wards” next to the detox units?
- How many auto accidents per year are attributed to coffee drinking?
- How many marriages are broken up because of excessive coffee drinking?
- What percentage of the homeless who are living in city parks are there because of drinking coffee? (How many because of alcohol?)
- How many wives and children are beaten because the husband has been out drinking coffee all night?
- Where do you think more fights break out on Friday nights, in the local Starbucks café or in the East Street Tequila Bar? (tavernfor our West Coast friends).
- How many cases of cirrhosis of the liver are attributed to coffee?
- How many men and women have lost their jobs and ruined their careers because they were chronic coffee drinkers?
- How many men and women end up sleeping on skid row in cardboard boxes in mid January in vomit soaked clothes because of coffee addiction?
- If the coffee “addict” doesn’t get his “fix” he may end up with an annoying headache. But the alcoholic who doesn’t get his drink is incapacitated, unable to function, could experience delirium tremens (drunken tremors), and may require weeks in a rehab.
- Is it really honest to compare coffee and alcohol this way? It can hardly be viewed as a “parallel” to alcohol (Prov.26:7).
12. Wine and Agape Love
Can the believer drink wine and strong drink KNOWING that his actions are a stumblingblock to others (I Cor.8:9)? We are literally surrounded by alcohol abusers, alcoholics, and people may well be on their way to becoming alcoholics. If alcohol consumption in twenty-first century America doesn’t fit the bill as a “stumblingblock” then what does? Knowing that one in every ten drinkers becomes a problem drinker, isn’t social drinking a bit like playing Russian roulette? Can we say with assurance, “Alcohol will not bring me (or those who follow my example) under its power” (I Cor. 10:12)?
The fundamentalist who believes that the principles found in the New Testament call for abstinence from strong drink, is often labeled narrow and unloving. That’s only half true. He may be narrow – but that’s not such a bad thing (Cf. Matt. 7:13-14). However, it is quite unfair and inaccurate to label him as unloving. In fact, the MOST IMPORTANT ARGUMENT for total abstinence from intoxicating beverages stems directly from the love of God!
First and foremost we should ask, “Is drinking alcohol an expression of God’s love?” Is it love to drink alcohol knowing that it might cause a brother (who is a recovering alcoholic) to follow your example and end up overpowered and on Skid Row once again (I Cor.8:9-13)? Is that love? Is it love to passively influence a young believer to follow your example of social drinking, knowing that he could become one of the 18 million problem drinkers in America? Love is expressed in a willingness to lay aside the exercise of our rights for the spiritual well being of others and the testimony of Christ. Love requires that we “Look not every man on his things, but every man also on the things of others. Let this mind be in you, which was in Christ Jesus…” (Phil. 2:4-5a). Love demands that we manifest this aspect of Christlikeness: looking out for the personal interests of others – even if it means sacrificing self (Phil. 2:5-8).
Isn’t it fair to conclude that love DEMANDS abstinence? This isn’t law. This isn’t legalism. This is God’s love being shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit (Rom.5:5). This is the marvelous grace of our loving Lord. This is the wonderful grace of Jesus. This is the mind of Christ (Phil.2:4-8) expressed in acts of love. This is the fruit of the Spirit. This is a manifestation of the indwelling LIFE and character of Christ in a yielded believer. This is not love in word or in tongue – this is love in deed and in truth. Manifesting this kind of Christlike, self-sacrificing love is well pleasing to God. To demand the right to drink strong drink regardless of its adverse effects on others is cold, selfish, and unloving. (Isn’t this an interesting twist? Fundamentalism giving the Evangelical world a lecture about being “unloving!”) Biblical love is not a warm and gushy feeling. Nor does love spinelessly embrace every foul-smelling practice under the banner of broadmindedness. Love is willing to make tough choices that involve genuine sacrifice of self for the good of another (cf. John 3:16).
The ever-indulgent flesh, on the other hand, demands its own way and seeks after that which pleases self, without regard for the spiritual well being others. True GRACE teaches us to DENY ungodliness and worldly lusts that we should live SOBERLY (Titus 2:12b).
The HEART of this issue is not law, but love. The purpose of this paper is NOT to frame the issue of social drinking in a context of “law,” but rather in one of LOVE. Because of the love of God and by the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, we urge believers to consider others. “It is good neither to eat flesh, nor to drink wine, nor any thing whereby thy brother stumbleth, or is offended, or is made weak” (Rom. 14:21).
“Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law. And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light. Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying. But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof” (Rom.13:10-14).
