I have often heard it said by some Christian groups that God forbids alchohol in the Bible. One of the problems they have is the fact that Jesus turned water into wine. They often attempt to get out of this by saying that Jesus only turned water into "good wine" or "new wine" which is really just grape juice. I find two Scriptural problems with this:
First, in the text where Jesus turns water into wine (John 2:1-11), the master of the banquet is amazed because the wine Jesus made is the "best wine" and that is traditionally brought out first, and then the "cheaper wine" is brought out later "after the guests have had to much too drink" so that the guests won't realize they're drinking cheap wine. If the best wine is only grape juice and not fermented wine, what good would it do to bring out the cheap wine later? The people would be completely sober and complain. I suppose that one could say, "The people would not be thirsty anymore and would not need anything to drink because they are full of tasty grape juice." But in a society where weddings lasted days, it seems rather odd that people would not get thirsty again, drink the cheap wine, get fermented drink while expecting grape juice and then complain.
If that is not enough, the Bible itself states rather clearly that it is not "new wine" which is "good wine" at all, but, like any winemaker knows, it is "aged wine" which is the "choice wine."
The Bible says this very clearly in Isaiah 25:6, where the Lord is proclaiming through Isaiah what the salvation of the Lord will be like. Isaiah says, "On this mountain the Lord Almighty will prepare a feast of rich food for all peoples, a banquet of AGED wine--the best of meats and the FINEST of wines." It would seem impossible to twist this verse and make it say that the "good wine" is really just grape juice. Aged grape juice will ferment and there is little getting around it. If it is to be fine wine, it is better to control the fermenting, but that is beside the point. My question is:
Are there Christians out there who have a different interpretation of these verses? Are there those out there who agree with my hermenuetic? And, perhaps this is my real question, can a Christian choose not to drink wine without making it a mandate for all other Christians also?
Peace to those who seek Christ,
First, in the text where Jesus turns water into wine (John 2:1-11), the master of the banquet is amazed because the wine Jesus made is the "best wine" and that is traditionally brought out first, and then the "cheaper wine" is brought out later "after the guests have had to much too drink" so that the guests won't realize they're drinking cheap wine. If the best wine is only grape juice and not fermented wine, what good would it do to bring out the cheap wine later? The people would be completely sober and complain. I suppose that one could say, "The people would not be thirsty anymore and would not need anything to drink because they are full of tasty grape juice." But in a society where weddings lasted days, it seems rather odd that people would not get thirsty again, drink the cheap wine, get fermented drink while expecting grape juice and then complain.
If that is not enough, the Bible itself states rather clearly that it is not "new wine" which is "good wine" at all, but, like any winemaker knows, it is "aged wine" which is the "choice wine."
The Bible says this very clearly in Isaiah 25:6, where the Lord is proclaiming through Isaiah what the salvation of the Lord will be like. Isaiah says, "On this mountain the Lord Almighty will prepare a feast of rich food for all peoples, a banquet of AGED wine--the best of meats and the FINEST of wines." It would seem impossible to twist this verse and make it say that the "good wine" is really just grape juice. Aged grape juice will ferment and there is little getting around it. If it is to be fine wine, it is better to control the fermenting, but that is beside the point. My question is:
Are there Christians out there who have a different interpretation of these verses? Are there those out there who agree with my hermenuetic? And, perhaps this is my real question, can a Christian choose not to drink wine without making it a mandate for all other Christians also?
Peace to those who seek Christ,
