Prove what the Bible has to say about drinking alcohol.?

Question

There are many opinions about alcohol, but what does the Bible really say? Abstinence? Moderation? Only for medical purposes? Keep in mind that while the word used in the Bible is wine, it doesn't always denote alcoholic wine. You must use the context and original language to determine the true meaning, and even then some instances are still inconclusive. I'm looking for well thought out answers and not just opinions or regurgitation.

Please consider the context of the use of wine in your answers. Would Jesus have turned water into wine at Cana for the people the become "well drunk" as the text says? Come now, think, think. I'm looking for well thought out answers.

Answer 1

Chrsitians should not drink

"And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit."Ephesians 5:18

That is an either, or statement you can't have both. The Bible mentions two people who were filled with the Spirit - Samson and John, and god told their parents they should not drink alcohol because He wanted to fill them with His Spirit.

Wine is a mocker strong drink is raging and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise. Proverbs 20:1

With all the things that you can drink, things that are good for you like water, orange juice, apple juice etc. Why would anyone choose the one that has no nutritional value and its only purpose is to lower your inhibitions making you more susceptible to sin.

How many times have people said "I never would have done that if I wasn't drunk." Or "I can't believe I said that". How manymarriages have been destroyed because someone drank something and made a bad choice.

We are at war with the Devil we need to be vigilant. Why would you partake of something that you KNOW will lower your resistance to evil? The Devil is smarter than we are, WHY would you give him another advantage by consuming something that decreases your ability to fight him.

Some people say "Well it’s ok to drink... as long as it is in moderation" or "as long you don't get drunk."
Then why drink alcohol at all, unless to get drunk? Why not Drink water juice or soda? The only reason to consume alcohol is to alter your mental status.

Othe people say "Jesus made wine at the wedding"

1) Read the story, they ran out of wine, meaning they were drinking and drinking and finally drank all the wine John 2:10. Then Jesus makes more wine. How is that moderation? According to alcohol supporters Jesus is encouraging people to drink to excess.
2) The man in charge of the wedding feast called the wine Jesus made GOOD wine. The word he used for good is the Greek word kalos meaning morally benifiting and virtuous. No one can argue that alcohol makes you more virtous or more moral.
The Wine was UNFERMENTED Wine

"Jesus used Wine(alcohol) at the Passover."
1)Yeast is a symbol of sin in the Bible, how could that be affiliated with Jesus pure blood which takes away sin?
2)Fermentation is the process of something decaying (a symbol of death). That is a poor example for the blood of Christ which gives life

"Christ's enemies said he was a drunkard how could they say this if Jesus never dank? So obviously He drank wine"
They also lied and said that Jesus was demon possesed. They said He cast out demons by the Devil. Are we really going to go by what His enemies said.


Even if the Bible did not speak out against Alcohol let's look at the facts

Annual health care expenditures for alcohol-related problems amount to $22.5 Billion. The total cost of alcohol problems is $175.9 Billion a year (compared to $114.2 billion for other drug problems and $137 billion for smoking).

Alcohol-related car crashes are the number one killer of teens. Alcohol use is also associated with homicides, suicides, and drownings-the next three leading causes of death among youth.

EVEN AT LOW DOSES, alcohol significantly impairs the judgment and coordination required to drive a car or operate machinery safely. Low to moderate doses of alcohol can also increase the incidence of a variety of aggressive acts, including domestic violence and child abuse.

An estimated 310,000 persons were injured in crashes each year where police reported that alcohol was present. That’s an average of one person injured approximately every 2 minutes.

4 in 10 violent victimizations involve use of alcohol.

About 183,000 rapes and sexual assaults involve alcohol use by the offender, as do just over 197,000 robberies, about 661,000 aggravated assaults, and nearly 1.7 million simple assaults.


How can a Christian support this industry


"But you are a chosen people, a ROYAL PRIESTHOOD, a holy nation, a peculiar people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light." 1 Peter 2:9

We are a nation of Kings and Priests

"It is not for kings, O Lemuel, it is not for kings to drink wine; nor for princes strong drink" 31:4

Why? Because you make bad choices

Leviticus 10:8-11 says that Priests are not to drink when entering the presence of the Lord in the temple.

Why? Because they might do something to profane the Lord. How much less should we drink who claim to have the Lord IN OUR HEARTS, and who claim that our bodies are the temple of the Living God.


Wine in the Bible
Old Testament

"yayin" -- It is a general term for grape beverages and includes all classes of wine, non-alcoholic or alcoholic; unfermented, in the process of fermentation and fermented. (Proverbs 31:4) The context will show whether it is alcoholic wine or not. Yayin, when used properly was always diluted with water.

"shekar" -- It is the word for strong drink, unmixed wine. The 1901 edition of THE JEWISH ENCYCLOPEDIA says, "Yakin, wine, is to be distinguished from Shekar, or strong drink. The former is diluted with water; the later is undiluted." Shekar was not diluted with water." (see Numbers 28:7)

"Tirosh" -- This word refers to fresh grape juice. It is referred to often as new wine or sweet wine. (see Proverbs 3:10; Deuteronomy 7:13)

NEW TESTAMENT GREEK WORDS FOR WINE
"oinos" is the counterpart to the Old Testament word yayin. It is a general term for grape beverages and includes all classes of wine, non-alcoholic or alcoholic; fermented or unfermented. The context has to be used to determine whether the drink was intoxicating or not. (Luke 10:34; Ephesians 5:18). Oinos, when used properly was always diluted with water.

"sikera" is the counterpart to the Old Testament word shekar. It is the word for strong drink, unmixed wine. (Luke 1:15)

"gleukos" is the counterpart to the Old Testament word tirosh. Dr. Paul Dixon says "It refers to fresh wine, a new wine" or freshly squeezed grape juice.

Norman Geisler, former Dean of Liberty Center for Christian Scholarship, Liberty University, has written: "Many wine drinking Christians today mistakenly assume that what the New Testament meant by wine is identical to wine used today. This, however, is false. In fact, today’s wine is by Biblical definition strong drink, and hence forbidden by the Bible. What the Bible frequently meant by wine was basically purified water," purified by adding some alcoholic wine. The Holman Bible dictionary says, wine was also used as a medicine and disinfectant.

Geisler goes on to say, "Therefore, Christians ought not to drink wine, beer, or other alcoholic beverages for they are actually strong drink forbidden in Scripture. EVEN ANCIENT PAGANS DID NOT DRINK WHAT SOME CHRISTIANS DRINK TODAY."

All alcoholic beverages used in our culture fall under the biblical classification of STRONG DRINK and are therefore forbidden. The least ratio of water to wine mixture used in Bible times was 3 parts water to 1 wine. That produced a sub-alcoholic drink that was 2.5% to 2.75% alcohol. Normally, the ratio was even higher, up to 20 to 1. Their is NO BIBLICAL SUPPORT FOR CHRISTIANS DRINKING THE ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES OF OUR DAY! What early believers drank was sub-alcoholic by today’s standards. Pastors and deacons were cautioned to steer around even the sub-alcoholic stuff (I Timothy 3:3 & 8).


Chrsitians should not drink

Answer 2

At the marrige feast at Cana, JC turned water into wine, not grape juice. Surely if a glass or two of wine are OK for Christ, they are OK for anyone else. There is a legal problem with drinking under age and your parents would not be too pleased if you arrived home drunk. You should also not drink if you are driving. Apart from that there is no Biblical restriction on alcohol. If your legal drinking age is 21 you must be in a very conservative country. In most of the world the drinking age is 18 as is the voting age. Some countries allow alcohol younger than 18.

Answer 3

In the New Testament, Jesus, his apostles, and his mother were at the wedding in Cana. There was no more wine and Jesus turned the water into the best wine anyone had ever had. Read below:

John 2:1-11
On the third day a wedding took place at Cana in Galilee. Jesus' mother was there, 2and Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. 3When the wine was gone, Jesus' mother said to him, "They have no more wine."
4"Dear woman, why do you involve me?" Jesus replied, "My time has not yet come."
5His mother said to the servants, "Do whatever he tells you."
6Nearby stood six stone water jars, the kind used by the Jews for ceremonial washing, each holding from twenty to thirty gallons. (two to three metretes, probably about 75 to 115 liters)
7Jesus said to the servants, "Fill the jars with water"; so they filled them to the brim.
8Then he told them, "Now draw some out and take it to the master of the banquet."
They did so,
9and the master of the banquet tasted the water that had been turned into wine. He did not realize where it had come from, though the servants who had drawn the water knew. Then he called the bridegroom aside
10and said, "Everyone brings out the choice wine first and then the cheaper wine after the guests have had too much to drink; but you have saved the best till now."
11This, the first of his miraculous signs, Jesus performed in Cana of Galilee. He thus revealed his glory, and his disciples put their faith in him.

Answer 4

Matt. 26:27,29; Mark 14:23,25; Luke 22:17-18; 1 Cor. 11:25-27 - Jesus instituted the Eucharist using wine and commanded us to "do this in remembrance of me." We know that Jesus instituted the Eucharist at the Jewish seder meal, which required the use of wine. Yet some Protestant churches forbid drinking wine. Such a prohibition is not based on the Scriptures.

Luke 7:33-34 - God the Son drank wine and was accused of being a drunk. Are those Protestant churches that forbid the drinking of wine doing the same?

John 2:1-11 - Jesus' first miracle was turning water into wine which was drunk at the wedding at Cana. Wine is a symbol of the life of the Church, in both the Eucharist and, here, the sanctification of the sacrament of marriage. Verse 10 also indicates that the people drank enough wine at the feast to the point that they might not have recognized good wine from bad wine. Yet Jesus creates for them more wine to drink.

1 Tim. 5:23 - Paul tells Timothy to drink not just water, but a little wine for the sake of his stomach and frequent ailments. If Paul under divine inspiration encourages the drinking of wine, why do some Protestant churches prohibit it?

Gen. 14:18 - Melchizedek offers a bread and wine sacrifice, and Jesus is the Priest in the same manner. Heb. 5:6,10; 6:20; 7:15,17.

Gen. 27:25 - Isaac brought Jacob wine, and he drank, with God's favor.

Neh. 8:10 - Nehemiah commands the faithful to drink sweet wine to celebrate the Lord and His holy day.

Psalm 104:15 - the Psalmist writes that "wine gladdens the heart of a man." God gave us the fruit of the vine to enjoy.

Ecclesiastes 9:7 - "drink your wine with a merry heart, for God approves what you do."

Wisdom 2:7 - "Let us take our fill of costly wine and perfumes!"

Sir. 31:25-28 - "Wine is like life if drunk in moderation." God created wine to make us glad, so we rejoice in heart, and have gladness of soul.

Sir. 40:20 - "Wine gladdens the heart."

Isaiah 25:6 - God will provide a feast of rich foods and choice wines.

Amos 9:14 - God declares that His people shall plant their vineyards and drink their wine.

Zech. 10:7 - God says that when He saves His people, their hearts shall be glad as with wine.

2 Mac. 15:39 - this verse also describes the pleasure of drinking wine. The point is that all God made is good, and we are called to enjoy His good gifts, including drinking wine, as long as we do so in moderation. And while we drink in moderation, the miracle that Jesus performed at the wedding feast at Cana suggests that we can have a second glass!

Answer 5

"Who has woe? Who has sorrow?
Who has contentions? Who has complaining?
Who has wounds without cause?
Who has redness of eyes?
Those who linger long over wine,
Those who go to taste mixed wine.
Do not look on the wine when it is red,
When it sparkles in the cup,
When it goes down smoothly;
At the last it bites like a serpent
And stings like a viper.
Your eyes will see strange things
And your mind will utter perverse things.
And you will be like one who lies down in the middle of the sea,
Or like one who lies down on the top of a mast.
"They struck me, but I did not become ill;
They beat me, but I did not know it
When shall I awake?
I will seek another drink." "
Proverbs 23:29-35

Millions of drunkards "prove" what the Bible has to say about the subject every day.

Answer 6

This is actually pretty simple. Paul spoke against drunkards ("shall not inherit the kingdom of God"). He did not speak against *drinking alcohol* at any time. There is no *prohibition* against drinking anywhere in the bible, as you can gather from reading the previous answers. *Drunkenness only* is prohibited.

Jim

Answer 7

AREN...my husband was an alcoholic whom eventually found the Lord...believe me, he found every scripture there was about drinking .... with him I had also gone to Alanon and AA meetings and I was surprised to learn all the levels and "kinds" of "alcoholics" there are... if you are asking, then I perceive that you or someone you know may have questions needing answered.

Go to gatewaybible.com and search for references of drink, strong drink, drunkards, etc.,. I myself do not have the scriptures, sorry.

Peace be with you :)

** Cindy is correct, overendulgence of anything is not good.
You have some really good answers up there, good luck! :)

Answer 8

Proverbs 20:1 Don't drink at all.

Answer 9

be not drunk, but instead be filled with the spirit.

The spirit desires what is contrary to the flesh. and the flesh desires what is contrary to the spirit.

Answer 10

God didn't realize man would outsmart him and "create" distilled spirits.