why do christians say that Jesus didnt make wine he made grape juice?

Question

DO they not understand the logical fallacies of this ignorant statement?

2000 years ago there were no refrigerators, therefore *grape juice* would spoil real fast. also, why was Jesus accused of being drunk if it was just grape juice?

Answer 1

That's a lie we tell to support legalism and in trying to control others drinking habits.

The truth is, he made real alcoholic wine that is not a sin to drink.

Alcohol is not a sin, excess is. I hate legalism.

Answer 2

I'm a Christian and this has always been my argument as well. Why would the Bible tell us not to be "drunk with new wine" if wine was just grape juice and incapable of making us drunk? The first miracle of Jesus was turning water into wine. Since He knew no sin I'm sure it wasn't a sin to then drink it. I think the churches try to promote this because many people have addictive personalities and are likely to become alcoholic. For those people it would be better never to try it. For someone like me who enjoys a margarita with a meal on a rare occasion I personally see nothing wrong with it. The Bible says to "work out your own salvation with fear & trembling." Since I am not convicted of drinking & I don't drink to get drunk it's not wrong for me. For someone else it may be.

Answer 3

The passages related to the miracle at the wedding at Cana use the Greek word "oinos" (wine) instead of "oinos neos" (new wine, also known as grape juice). Jesus definately made fermented wine at the wedding. I'm not sure why some Christians assert He made juice instead of wine. Ignorance of basic Greek, I guess.

Jesus was accused of being a "winebibber" because He regularly ate and drank with sinners so He could evangelize. We know He drank fermented wine because the Greek word "oinos" (not "oinos neos") was also used in these references.

The ancient Jews did make and drink "oinos neos," grape juice, although it can also describe very lightly fermented grape juice. This would be ingested right away and any remaining juice was given to be fermented into wine.

Answer 4

I do not know, but, his first miracle was the changing of water into wine. And I consider myself a Christian. Maybe it's because some religious organizations believe that alcohol should not be consumed at all. Although Jesus and his disciples did drink wine this was a common practice in the mid-east. Even today wine is consummed at meals, because water is usually contaminated. What Jesus and his disciples did do was drink in moderation, not to get drunk, but as a part of the meal.

Answer 5

I am a Christian and I know that Jesus made Wine and not juice. Says so right in the Bible. Every Christian I know, I know many, would also say wine. Where exactly did you hear this?

Also, not only did he turn water into wine, he also drank wine as did the disciples. It isn't a sin to drink. The sin is when you let it control you.

Answer 6

I am an Atheist and that doesn't seem like an accurate statement. I have never heard Christians say it was grape juice. They drink grape Juice during communion because they don't want to drink wine. They never say it was grape juice and if someone has said that it was tell them they are dumb.

Answer 7

i've never heard a Christian state that. However, if they read thier Bibles, the story of water into wine is clearly mentioned in John 2:6-10.

"grape juice was not developed until the nineteenth century, it’s hardly possible that the wine mentioned in the Bible was actually grape juice."
http://www.americanvision.org/osafarchive/june2005.asp

Answer 8

This is part of a pretty wide-spread attempt to make Christianity a faith of restraint and strict, culturally-based values. In order to do this, they have to come up with some pretty odd and convoluted interpretations, this being one of them.

Your very valid logic aside, there's the issue of culture to be addressed. Unfermented juice was almost never served (for the reasons you mentioned), and was generally viewed as undesirable in most of the pre-Fridgedair world. Jesus, rather than the austere figure many paint him to be, was often accused of being a party animal (and responded with "The kingdom is coming! What's not to celebrate?").

I'm with Lewis on this one: those looking for a tea-tottler faith would be better off with Mohammad.

Answer 9

It's pretty ignorant, that's for sure. The Greek is clear. The Greek word is Oenos (wine). It's pretty clear.

There was not grape juice that did not begin almost immediately into wine before Dr. Welch invented it in the late 1800's.

Answer 10

I'm a Christian, and I've never heard that one before. Whoever told you that is pretty ignorant, would be my guess.
Jesus was accused of being a "winebibber" because He ate and drank with people who were openly sinners...such as prostitutes, and tax collectors.
Amazingly enough, after an encounter with Him, these people generally cleaned up their act. I love the story of Zaccharius, the short tax collector who climbed up into a tree to see Jesus...he wound up giving back all the money he had stolen, and Jesus said "Salvation has come to this house"....
Cool...

Answer 11

Only some denominations say it was grape juice as an excuse to tell people it's a sin to drink. I know the Church of Christ is one group that believes this. Drinking wine is allowed, but not in excess.

May God Bless you.