Alcohol in the Bible

Alerting @EnterLight.

Whatever Jesus drank, my guess would be it was not strong:

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

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

It wasn't even safe to drink water, so it was often mixed with wine. And yes, Jesus partook.

Carl asked: Can we discuss the matter of whether scripture supports abstaining from alcohol altogether?

Luke 1:15 says, "he [John the Baptizer] will be great in the sight of the Lord. He must never drink wine or strong drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even before his birth.

Judges 13:7 says this to Samson's mother, "So now, do not drink wine or beer and do not eat any food that will make you ritually unclean. For the child will be dedicated to God from birth till the day he dies."

So in these two instances scripture supports abstaining from alcohol altogether. But there are too many other places where alcohol is consumed, for example, the wedding at Cana and the "last supper" Passover meal, for it to be banned.

So in my humble opinion, one may abstain from alcohol if one chooses, especially if the person has a tendency to sin due to alcohol.

Carl Emerson said:

Was wine in biblical days not 'fortified' therefore less potent than modern wines?

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Fortified wine

Fortified wine is a wine to which a distilled spirit, usually brandy, has been added. In the course of some centuries, winemakers have developed many different styles of fortified wine, including port, sherry, madeira, Marsala, Commandaria wine, and the aromatised wine vermouth.

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Most modern wines do not fall into this category.

Also there is a lot of mention of drunkenness in the Bible -- including calling it sinful. One example of the effects of alcohol in Jesus' time: Acts 2:15, where Peter says, "In spite of what you think, these men are not drunk, for it is only nine o’clock in the morning."

Wikipedia says wine was the second largest agricultural product in Ancient Israel, behind olive oil. The wines tended to be 3-6% alcohol, which is weak by today's standards, and to be extremely bitter and vinegary by today's standards.

I personally don't see any biblical issue. I drink wine in careful moderation and never give it a second thought.

Drunkenness and all that flows from it? Yes, that would be an issue. It would impair my Christian witness and be damaging to my body.

Apart from that, I assume the fermentation process is something God built into creation for us to enjoy. Surely Jesus turning the water into high-quality wine at Cana after the guests had consumed the lesser-quality wine tells us something? Yes, the incident has spiritual symbolism, but the fact remains that the "best wine" was the chosen symbol.

I'm sure it was alcoholic wine. There was no fresh grape juice at the Last Supper. But, "a little wine" is a big difference from being drunk. Wine was also expensive (even more than now), so most people wouldn't have just chugged a whole bottle. A small cup was probably all they had, and it may have been mixed with water and spices, reducing the alcohol content.

Proverbs 31:1-7 indicates that it depends on circumstances.

1 Timothy 5:23 reinforces it further.

pescador said:

Carl asked: Can we discuss the matter of whether scripture supports abstaining from alcohol altogether?

Luke 1:15 says, "he [John the Baptizer] will be great in the sight of the Lord. He must never drink wine or strong drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even before his birth.

Judges 13:7 says this to Samson's mother, "So now, do not drink wine or beer and do not eat any food that will make you ritually unclean. For the child will be dedicated to God from birth till the day he dies."

So in these two instances scripture supports abstaining from alcohol altogether. But there are too many other places where alcohol is consumed, for example, the wedding at Cana and the "last supper" Passover meal, for it to be banned.

So in my humble opinion, one may from alcohol if one chooses, especially if the person has a tendency to sin due to alcohol.

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Yes John and Samson were both Nazerites (vows from birth)...

Believers were getting drunk at the Lord's supper. that was why many were sick or even died.

Therefore when you come together in one place, it is not to eat the Lord’s Supper. For in eating, each one takes his own supper ahead of others; and one is hungry and another is drunk.

But also The Bible states this about Jesus.

The Son of Man has come eating and drinking, and you say, ‘Look, a glutton and a winebibber, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’

one of the most sobering verses in the bible for me is that "drunkards will not inherit the kingdom of heaven". That is a very serious truth,, that sobered me up.

My mother was an alcoholic and passed from sclerosis of the liver. I was 13. I pledged to never drink. Never have. I have nothing against those who do... unless their intoxication harms others.

Carl Emerson said:

Can we discuss the matter of whether scripture supports abstaining from alcohol altogether.

Did Jesus turn water into wine for a wedding when some were likely already under intoxication.

Did Jesus drink wine with the disciples during the last supper.

Does an examination of the Greek text support these claims.

Was wine fermented in biblical times.

Was wine in biblical days not 'fortified' therefore less potent than modern wines?

Can addiction to wine be cured rather than controlled.

It will be great if we can get the balance between sensitivity toward those struggling with this, and also process the hard facts from scripture in a gracious manner.

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Before getting mired in the chemistry of the wine, we should consider that the Bible is not concerned about the wine it is concerned about the person and how the person elects to use the wine and how that affects the conduct of the person.

Carl Emerson said:

Yes a mentor of mine with twice the brain concluded that the wine of the day was 'unfortified' i.e. low alcohol.

But we know it must have been fermented othewise the old wineskins would not build up pressure and break.

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This is what I have heard repeatedly, that the alcoholic drinks back then were less alcoholic than they are nowadays.

I do not believe the Bible gives a flat ban on alcoholic consumption. However, it does give strong warnings against drunkenness. Considering that, and the fact that these strong warnings were given at a time when it was much harder to get drunk (due to the drinks being less alcoholic and more expensive), I believe the message we should take is to drink only in moderation at most, and that for many abstaining entirely would be preferable.

My own understanding is that the Bible does not prohibit the drinking of alcohol but it does warn against its misuse.

I don't think there is anything wrong with alcohol as long as people drink sensibly and responsibly.

If someone has a problem with alcohol then it is much better to leave it alone. There are plenty of things to enjoy in this life that do not revolve around drinking.

pescador said:

Also there is a lot of mention of drunkenness in the Bible -
- including calling it sinful.

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I agree

One example of the effects of alcohol in Jesus' time: Acts 2:15, where Peter says, "In spite of what you think, these men are not drunk, for it is only nine o’clock in the morning."

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Bad example

11Cretes and Arabians, we do hear them speak in our tongues
the wonderful works of God.
13Others mocking said, These men are full of new wine.

They where accused of being drunk with new wine, But Peter said

15For these are not drunken, as ye suppose, seeing it is but the third hour of the day.

16But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel;
17And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God,
I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh:
And your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
And your young men shall see visions,
And your old men shall dream dreams:

18And on my servants and on my handmaidens
I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy:

Not drunk with wine, but filled with the power of the Holy Spirit.

Carl Emerson said:

Can we discuss the matter of whether scripture supports abstaining from alcohol altogether.

Did Jesus turn water into wine for a wedding when some were likely already under intoxication.

Did Jesus drink wine with the disciples during the last supper.

Does an examination of the Greek text support these claims.

Was wine fermented in biblical times.

Was wine in biblical days not 'fortified' therefore less potent than modern wines?

Can addiction to wine be cured rather than controlled.

It will be great if we can get the balance between sensitivity toward those struggling with this, and also process the hard facts from scripture in a gracious manner.

Click to expand...

There are a number of warnings about alcohol in the OT. It was for sure fermented. Noah did not pass out because of grape juice! In the NT, it tells us not to get drunk. Elders should not be addicted to much wine, neither should older women or any other Christian. This implies that it is possible to be a Christian yet have an alcohol problem. References include 1 Timothy 2:3, 3:3, 3:8 and Titus 1:7. There are others.

Alcohol is insidious. It promises relief from problems while creating many more. I was psychologically dependent on alcohol before I was saved. The highlight of my life was an all day drinking session on the weekend. That was all I could afford at the time. I came near death from alcohol poisoning. It shook me to the core and was at least a part of the reason that I was got saved soon after.

After I was saved, the alcohol problem remained. I thought that I could control it. No, it still controlled me. I quit completely for two years. Then I had a glass of wine with a meal. I could leave it at that. Previously, that would have led to a binge session.

I very rarely imbibe. I see no benefit and I hate the fuzzy feeling when the alcohol kicks in. I was still in the Navy when I quit drinking. I was shocked at the behaviour of those who were heavy drinkers. I thought to myself, "Did I behave as foolishly?" Answer, yes. That just reinforced my desire to be free.