is it a sin to drink alcohol?

[baptistgirl21]

I went to church last night at a different church and was a little confused about alcohol because jesus drank. well I asked the preacher and he said it was not a sin to drink and that it was only a sin to get drunk. well I went to call my preacher at my church and he said that it was a sin to drink and that jesus didn't drink real alcohol. well I looked at a bible verse and it said "do not get drunk off wine, for that is debauchery. but be filled with the spirit" that was English standard version. another one said for us not to drink. so I'm confused. jesus said to drink and not get drunk but then he says for us not to drink. and plus, a preacher told me it wasn't a sin. and I listen to a lot of Christian bands and one of my favorite is called the almost and they all drink beer. another one of my favorites is these hearts. they drink beer too. and the devil wears prada. they drink too. and I think the lead singer of skillet does too. so what's up? is it a sin? I was raised and taught that it was a sin but obviously i'm getting proved wrong.

 

[Bluelion]

Its not a sin to drink I am not even sure it is a sin to get drunk however it is unwise to get drunk, because getting drunk leads to sinning wildly in almost all cases. Jesus drank yes He drank real wine, but did not get drunk. It is ok to have a beer or two that will not get you drunk for most people, but drinking 8 or more not smart.

 

[dogs4thewin]

No, only getting drunk is a sin. We know Jesus drank and we know it was real wine; because that is the ONLY way to get the grapes from spoiling from harvest to passover. Remember, they did not have freezers like we do today and in that climate of the middle-east they fruit would not have been drinkable at all had it NOT be alcoholic.

 

[Willie T]

is it a sin to drink alcohol?

No, it's not. Jesus made more than 900 bottles of wine for His first miracle... and you can be fairly certain He and His whole family and disciples sampled some.

 

[contango]

I would say it's not sinful for the reasons listed above.

Some people who say it is like to use circular reasoning that's effectively little more than a verbose form of "alcohol is sinful, Jesus never sinned, therefore Jesus turned the water into grape juice because alcohol is sinful, therefore alcohol is sinful".

Some others fall back on lines like "we are not to be like the world, the world drinks, therefore we shouldn't drink". But the world also breathes, uses the internet, drives cars and so on, and the person posting this kind of line typically picks and chooses which "worldly" things we are allowed to do based on what they personally consider acceptable.

Still others rely on a rather curious interpretation of Prov 20:1 and Eph 5:18.

Some people conclude that alcohol is sinful based on a detailed word study of the various words and practises. Personally I disagree with them.

Why not ask your pastor why he believes alcohol is sinful?

 

[cardoctor]

You sir, have found some of the remains of the temperance movement.

The temperance movement demonized alcohol and drunkenness, the outlook being that it was a devil drink that turned honest men into sinners. This movement initially didn't claim biblical back up but because so much of the rallying around this notion happened in and around the church it eventually developed dogmatic weight in the protestant churches. This all culminated in the prohibition laws.

Eventually the fad ended, the laws were repealed and the movement died off but some still retain this handed down belief and a few still assign it biblical force. It is, in my experience, rare to to find a well studied man who still assigns this belief the force of a commandment but they are out there.

The bible certainly condemns drunkenness but the idea that the bible's wines were diluted is very often supported with a manuscript (whose name escapes me) retained by a number of monistaries. It dates back over a thousand years and it describes how one ought to dilute ones wine for maximum economy while still purifying one's water. However, this manuscript was still written nearly a thousand years after Christ and is born of poverty, not tradition. In fact, in Isaiah one of the terrible things Isaiah forecasts, right next to bald women and failed crops, is diluted wine with water. It is meant to be an indicator of extreme poverty.

It sounds to me, like your pastor handed you this theology either as a move not to cause problems in the church or because it was handed down to him and he never examined it closely. Neither reason strikes me a sufficient cause to try to put words into the mouth of an almighty, vengeful God

 

[SeventhValley]

Jesus drank wine...period. The communion wine was most likely watered down table wine more akin to a cheap wine cooler. But the important thing was the sharing of the food and drink with one another not the alcohol content.

 

[SeventhValley]

You sir, have found some of the remains of the temperance movement.

The temperance movement demonized alcohol and drunkenness, the outlook being that it was a devil drink that turned honest men into sinners. This movement initially didn't claim biblical back up but because so much of the rallying around this notion happened in and around the church it eventually developed dogmatic weight in the protestant churches. This all culminated in the prohibition laws.

Eventually the fad ended, the laws were repealed and the movement died off but some still retain this handed down belief and a few still assign it biblical force. It is, in my experience, rare to to find a well studied man who still assigns this belief the force of a commandment but they are out there.

The bible certainly condemns drunkenness but the idea that the bible's wines were diluted is very often supported with a manuscript (whose name escapes me) retained by a number of monistaries. It dates back over a thousand years and it describes how one ought to dilute ones wine for maximum economy while still purifying one's water. However, this manuscript was still written nearly a thousand years after Christ and is born of poverty, not tradition. In fact, in Isaiah one of the terrible things Isaiah forecasts, right next to bald women and failed crops, is diluted wine with water. It is meant to be an indicator of extreme poverty.

It sounds to me, like your pastor handed you this theology either as a move not to cause problems in the church or because it was handed down to him and he never examined it closely. Neither reason strikes me a sufficient cause to try to put words into the mouth of an almighty, vengeful God

This

 

[Bella Vita]

No just to get drunk or drink with people who have drinking problems.

 

[RDKirk]

The temperance movement demonized alcohol and drunkenness, the outlook being that it was a devil drink that turned honest men into sinners. This movement initially didn't claim biblical back up but because so much of the rallying around this notion happened in and around the church it eventually developed dogmatic weight in the protestant churches. This all culminated in the prohibition laws.

Eventually the fad ended, the laws were repealed and the movement died off but some still retain this handed down belief and a few still assign it biblical force. It is, in my experience, rare to to find a well studied man who still assigns this belief the force of a commandment but they are out there.

The temperance movement (originally known as the "Women's Temperance Movement" was not primarily religious in origin. A good many--if not most--husbands in the latter 1800s had a favorite hobby of getting drunk and beating their wives. That was what put women into the streets and into taverns with hatchets.

It happened to dovetail with an overall Christian evangelical mood of the nation that had scored a major victory over slavery and was looking at the time for further outlet. The latter 1800s was when the US actually became "religious," resulting in such things as humane penitentiaries (rather than "prisons) and the Progressive Movement in general (yes, that had Christian roots).

The Progressives took up the Temperance Movement toward the turn of the century, along with the Women's Suffrage moment. The first result of Women's Suffrage was Prohibition.

The bible certainly condemns drunkenness but the idea that the bible's wines were diluted is very often supported with a manuscript (whose name escapes me) retained by a number of monistaries. It dates back over a thousand years and it describes how one ought to dilute ones wine for maximum economy while still purifying one's water. However, this manuscript was still written nearly a thousand years after Christ and is born of poverty, not tradition. In fact, in Isaiah one of the terrible things Isaiah forecasts, right next to bald women and failed crops, is diluted wine with water. It is meant to be an indicator of extreme poverty.

Justin Martyr, in defense before Caesar against charges that the Christians held weekly drunken orgies, testified in the mid-2nd century that the Church cut its wine with water during love feasts. It's likely that Paul's advice to Timothy was that he mix wine with his water, that being known to purify water.

But I'm not arguing that Christians did not drink wine or that it's a sin to do so. I agree with all the prior posters on that point. I'm just making some clarifications.

 

[Alithis]

I went to church last night at a different church and was a little confused about alcohol because jesus drank. well I asked the preacher and he said it was not a sin to drink and that it was only a sin to get drunk. well I went to call my preacher at my church and he said that it was a sin to drink and that jesus didn't drink real alcohol. well I looked at a bible verse and it said "do not get drunk off wine, for that is debauchery. but be filled with the spirit" that was English standard version. another one said for us not to drink. so I'm confused. jesus said to drink and not get drunk but then he says for us not to drink. and plus, a preacher told me it wasn't a sin. and I listen to a lot of Christian bands and one of my favorite is called the almost and they all drink beer. another one of my favorites is these hearts. they drink beer too. and the devil wears prada. they drink too. and I think the lead singer of skillet does too. so what's up? is it a sin? I was raised and taught that it was a sin but obviously i'm getting proved wrong.

if you feel the lord speaking to your heart and telling you personally not to drink --then at that time "to you" it would become sin / .. not sin because it is alcohol but sin because your not obeying the lord who is speaking to you .

 

[Willie T]

if you feel the lord speaking to your heart and telling you personally not to drink --then at that time "to you" it would become sin / .. not sin because it is alcohol but sin because your not obeying the lord who is speaking to you .

A good answer... Well worth heeding.

 

[cardoctor]

I certainly agree. If God has convicted YOU on this matter than without doubt you need to go with the conviction God has placed on you. I was speaking from a academic prosepctive

 

[Wearecommandedtojudge]

In English we have the word wine, jelly, jam, and juice ect. ect.

In the Greek from what I have been told if it came from the grape it could be called wine. Greek and Hebrew have far fewer words then the English language. Considering that drunkenness is a sin do you think that Jesus would have made such a large amount of alcoholic wine for people who had finished off so much wine?

I don't think drinking alcohol is a sin but I think drunkenness is. Furthermore drunkenness is very dangerous and destructive. Many people try to say Jesus drank wine to justify a drinking problem and there are those that say that God said every green herb is to be for our meat to justify a drug problem.

 

[cardoctor]

Also RDkirk:

You are quite right I did not mean to cast the temperance movement as originally religious or so short lived but upon re reading I can see my point was poorly stated. thank you for the correction.

I had not read that Justin Martyr gave such a defense but am glad of the new information

As for Timothy being instructed to cut his wine with water I understood this to be both a safey precaution born of poverty. this outlook falls well inline with the content of the wine mixing document.

 

[Alithis]

Also RDkirk:

You are quite right I did not mean to cast the temperance movement as originally religious or so short lived but upon re reading I can see my point was poorly stated. thank you for the correction.

I had not read that Justin Martyr gave such a defense but am glad of the new information

As for Timothy being instructed to cut his wine with water I understood this to be both a safey precaution born of poverty. this outlook falls well inline with the content of the wine mixing document.

i need to go back and read what your on about lol .. but i was under the impression that wine water mix was a common practice in many countries where the water quality was dubious

 

[now faith]

No just to get drunk or drink with people who have drinking problems.

Problem is you don't know your drunk until your drunk,and by that time you forget your drunk

Keep drinking until your krunk!

 

[Bella Vita]

Problem is you don't know your drunk until your drunk,and by that time you forget your drunk

Keep drinking until your krunk!

That is not true. I have drank socially at birthdays, weddings, a glass of wine with dinner. I drink one or two and I am done. I am an adult, and I know my limit. Bottom line drinking socially is not a sin. Alcohol was used for social events and festival in the Bible all the time.

 

[Alithis]

That is not true. I have drank socially at birthdays, weddings, a glass of wine with dinner. I drink one or two and I am done. I am an adult, and I know my limit. Bottom line drinking socially is not a sin. Alcohol was used for social events and festival in the Bible all the time.

unless the lord is telling you -personally to abstain - then to you personally it becomes a sin .not because it is alcohol but because you are not obeying the Holy Spirit

i feel this a strong enough point o repeat over and over and over lol

this does not apply to sexual immorality ,drinking/eating blood ,things strangled or food offerd to idols -thank you for listening

 

[Bluelion]

unless the lord is telling you -personally to abstain - then to you personally it becomes a sin .not because it is alcohol but because you are not obeying the Holy Spirit

i feel this a strong enough point o repeat over and over and over lol

this does not apply to sexual immorality ,drinking/eating blood ,things strangled or food offerd to idols -thank you for listening

well the lord Has let me know He does not want me drinking However i don't care if others do as long as God is ok with it so am i. John the Baptist was not to drink and never did. Your answer is right it depends on the Lord.