According to the bible, what does it say about smoking?

Question

Do you think it's a sin? What a some verses to back up your opinion? : )

Answer 1

Only if jelly doughnuts and Snicker’s bars are too. There is no verse in the Bible that says, “Thou shalt not smoke”.

There is no Biblical support to say to a person, “Smoking is a sin.” It isn’t.

But just because we can do something, doesn’t mean we should. “ ‘Everything is permissible’ – but not everything is beneficial. ‘Everything is permissible’ – but not everything is constructive. Nobody should seek his own good, but the good of others” (I Corinthians 10:23-24).

Paul says in the same letter, “Everything is permissible for me – but I will not be mastered by anything. Food for the stomach and the stomach for food – but God will destroy them both….Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have received from god? You are not your own, you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body” (I Corinthians 6:12-13, 19-20). We should take care of our bodies. That’s clear. But how do we go about it? We must be very careful about telling others what to do about their health. This is between them in the Lord. We could all do better. Taking care of our bodies can apply to diet, exercise, getting the right amount of rest or even taking our vitamins.

yes, we know that smoking is harmful. But “let he who is without sin cast the first stone” on this one. Any one of us who overeats, doesn’t exercise or otherwise does unhealthy things doesn’t have much room to talk.

I think that Paul’s teaching on Christian Liberty in the very same letter to the Corinthians helps us a great deal with this issue. (See I Corinthians 10:23-33) The Christians at Corinth were fighting over whether it was sinful to eat meat sacrificed to idols. Paul, in essence, said, “You’re both right.” Everything was created by God, so there’s nothing wrong with eating meat sacrificed to idols. But to the person who believes it’s wrong, it’s wrong for them. And Paul warns against exercising freedom to eat meat sacrificed to idols in front of someone who is offended by it. Just because you can do something doesn’t mean you should, especially if it will cause a fellow believer to stumble.

What you decide to do on this issue is between you, your family and the Lord. But whatever we do we should consider carefully these instructions. “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. Do not cause anyone to stumble…even as I try to please everybody in every way. For I am not seeking my own good but the good of many, so that they may be saved” (I Corinthians 10:31-33).

Answer 2

it doesn't address smoking specifically, but there are two points that can be applied to smoking:

first is that the bible is clear that we should not become addicted to things because they will distract us from God and from our Biblical priorities.

Second the Bible says that the body of a believer is a temple for the Holy Spirit. You wouldn't go into God's house and paint graffiti on the walls, so you shouldn't abuse your body (temple of the Holy Spirit) with the harmful effects of smoking.

I would say that smoking is not necessarily a sin, but I think God would want to you stop smoking when you become a Christian as a way of saying you can rely on God and you no longer need the "buzz" you get from smoking.

Sorry I can't reference exact verses (I'm on lunch at work and don't have a bible handy)

Answer 3

By itself it is not a sin... it is dangerous however because it is addictive and once you are hooked your attitude and actions may be sinful in order to continue in your habbit. So while in itself it is not sinful to smoke or to drink alcohol, if it gains control over you then it will drive you to sin. From a spiritual perspective my recommendation is to do things in measure so that you are not hooked on it... nothing wrong with having a glass of wine with dinner or smoking a cigaret. If you however are drunk or need a pack a day to stay in the zone, not only do you have a physical issue but it will invevitably cause you to sin (a spiritual health issue)... thus in these cases it is best to abandon it all together... without self discipline it is better never to smoke or drink then to fall into sin.

Answer 4

Not a thing. Is it a sin? It can be, it depends on why you are smoking. If you are smoking in conflict to you beliefs, that's called a sin of conscience. Paul talks about that:
Romans 14
1 Accept him whose faith is weak, without passing judgment on disputable matters. 2 One man's faith allows him to eat everything, but another man, whose faith is weak, eats only vegetables. 3 The man who eats everything must not look down on him who does not, and the man who does not eat everything must not condemn the man who does, for God has accepted him. 4 Who are you to judge someone else's servant? To his own master he stands or falls. And he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand.

I would say that there is more there on all of that the key is this verse also in Romans 14:
Romans 14:14
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.

So it kinda goes against the "Christian Clean and Godly Life" thinking, doesn't it! lol

EDIT:
About Romans 12 having to do with your first answerer:
It has nothing to do with what that woman is saying! You have to read Romans 11 to get the context of that verse.

EDIT AGAIN:
1 Corinthians 3 is not in context either. 1 Corinthians 6 can be construed as an anti smoking verse, but not the prior two verses used by her. We HAVE to STAY in context!!!

Romans 14:14 can be referred to when dealing with that verse in 1 Corinthians 6:17.

Answer 5

The Bible does not mention tobacco by name instead it simply says your body is the temple of God and not to defile it. most people assume that something like smoking, drugs, etc... things that destroy the body fall under that statement.

In I Corinthians 6:19-20, the Apostle Paul wrote to Christians, "Know you not that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit which is in you, which you have of God, and you are not your own? For you were bought with a price: Therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit which are God's". Much modern evidence shows smoking to be a health hazard to the extend that each package of cigarettes must, by law, bear this message, "Warning: the Surgeon General has determined that cigarette smoking is dangerous to your health". Obviously, something dangerous to the health cannot possibly enhance, or build up, the body. Smoking is contrary to healthful practices and acts to weaken or destroy the body which is the temple of the Holy Spirit.

Answer 6

Tobacco had not been discovered at the time the Bible was being written. But because Jesus classes it as a drug He does not want you to smoke. I used to smoke when I first became a Christian, but after a year or so Jesus asked me to pack up. I told Him I had not the will power to do it and if He wanted me to pack it up He had better do it. From the next morning I never had another cigarette and I never had any withdrawal symptoms.

Answer 7

The Bible say to take care of the temple.. that is your body. Smoking is know for fact that it is harmful to your body. You and you alone with God need to decide if it is a sin. I would say yes but remember that it is I who is saying so.

Answer 8

The Bible only speaks to our bodies being a temple, and we should treat it as such. So smoking, drugs, drinking, swimming in polluted water, standing on your head too long,and other unhealthy things to do are all perhaps in the same category as far as the Bible is concerned.

Answer 9

I think it is a sin, but to each his own.
1 Corinthians verse 6 says, " 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?

Answer 10

All these bible quotes supposedly banning smoking - and not one of them actually mentions it! This is hardly surprising as people in that part of the world didn't smoke in those days.

No - smoking is not a sin, just daft.