The Churches of Christ claims to be a restoration movement. Yet not when it comes to wine at the Lord's Supper. Why?
Almost every Bible commentary and almost every theologian agrees that the terms for "wine" in the original languages refer to fermented that is alcoholic grape juice. There is no indication otherwise, except for those who wish to read their prejudice into the Bible.
Until pasteurization and refrigeration, there was no method of preserving grape juice other than allowing it to ferment. Certainly, alcoholism was a problem in ancient times and the Bible contains a number of warnings against excessive drinking.
The Word Temperance
In Galatians 5:23 the word temperance does not mean a methyphobia (fear of alcohol). A modern translation of the Bible will use the word self-control in Galatians 5, because that's what the original Greek meant, self-control not abstinence.
Wine or Grape Juice
Some people believe that the wine described in the Bible was unfermented grape juice. But this is a misunderstanding of history and science. Until pasteurization and refrigeration, fresh squeezed grape juice always fermented within a very few days.
Jesus’ First Miracle
Jesus’ first recorded miracle was at a wedding in Cana (John 2), where he turned water into wine.
"A feast is made for laughter, and wine makes merry" (Ecclesiastes 10:19). The wedding at Cana in Galilee, where Jesus turned water into wine, was a feast. There is absolutely no logical reason, no indication in Scripture or historical context demonstrating that this was grape juice.
The Last Supper
Jesus passed around a cup of wine to His disciples. It is not logical to claim that this was merely grape juice. Passover is in the northern hemisphere's Spring, six months after the grape harvest. There was no refrigeration and pasteurization had not yet been invented. This had to be fermented wine.
The expression "fruit of the vine," was "employed by the Jews from time immemorial for the wine partaken of on sacred occasions, as at the Passover and on the evening of the Sabbath” (The New Westminster Dictionary of the Bible).
A Blessing in Measure
The real reason that some ban alcohol for all Christians today is not the result of good theology, a thorough study of ancient history or even linguistic analysis of biblical Greek and Hebrew. It first arose around 1830 during the temperance movement in Britain, which at first encouraged abstinence from distilled spirits but not beer.
If used moderately, alcohol was designed by God to be a blessing in the body of a normally healthy person. It cheers God and men (Judges 9:13), gladdens the heart (Psalms 104:15), gladdens life (Exodus 10:19), makes the heart exult (Zechariah 10:7), cheers up those who are depressed (Proverbs 31:6). Wine is to be imbibed with a cheerful heart (Ecclesiastes 9:7). It makes life merry (Ecclesiastes 10:19).
A Curse if Abused
Yet, like most things in life, alcohol can be abused. The Bible does not condemn moderate consumption of alcohol, but does strongly warn against drunkenness (Proverbs 20:1). Those who linger too long or keep mixing their drinks are promised woe (Proverbs 23:29-32), as are those who drink all day and night (Isaiah 5:11).
Sometimes it may be good to avoid eating certain foods or drinking alcohol when it may cause someone to stumble (Romans 14:21). We could apply this principle to friends who may be alcoholics, teetotalers, overeaters, vegetarians or are on a diet. Some apply this only to alcohol and not to foods, and so avoid drinking alcohol at all or in public, which is inconsistent because the verse also speaks about foods. The choice is yours.
The writer to the Romans is not making a religious rule about alcohol or even food, but teaching the importance of not offending. Yet at times Jesus purposely offended the Pharisees to wake them up. Curiously enough, usually those who are most offended by Christians drinking are other Christians. We all have the tendency to create lists of rules that are not Christian essentials. That was also a problem with a sect 2,000 years ago called Pharisees. Instead, we need to focus on the nuts and bolts of Christianity.
May Leaders Drink?
What about church leaders? Doesn't 1 Timothy 3:3; 5:23 say that an elder should not be a drunkard? Yes, it does. It does not say he must be a teetotaler. By implication then this "allows moderate use of alcoholic beverages" for church leaders (Walter L. Liefeld, NIV Application Commentary, 1999, Zondervan, p. 120). Paul confirms this by encouraging Timothy to take "a little wine" (1 Timothy 5:23). Some church leaders have had the odd occasion when they were relaxing at home only to be called away on a crisis where they needed a clear head. As a result of similar experiences, some church leaders are careful not to drink much if any alcohol when on call. That is a personal choice made in wisdom and not a legalistic rule.
Honesty Check
Teetotalers must be honest in admitting that there is no direct Scriptural statement banning moderate consumption of alcohol and that taken collectively, the Scriptures allow either total abstinence from alcohol or moderation. Teetotalers must also admit that the Passover wine Jesus took at his Last Supper could not have been grape juice, because it was 6 months after the grape harvest, and there was neither refrigeration nor pasteurization.
Moderate drinkers must admit that their freedom can at times be a stumbling block to the weak and that because there is no clear line between moderation and excess, they ought to avoid even the appearance of overindulgence. Drunkards must admit that the Scriptures clearly define drunkenness as wrong (Romans 13:13; Galatians 5:21) and that no drunkard will inherit the kingdom of heaven (1 Corinthians 6:10).
Conclusion
Jesus came to do away with a religion of touch not, taste not. There is no biblical ground for bigotry against Christians who drink moderately. Jesus miraculously made wine for a wedding, drank wine at the Last Supper and died at the hands of people who loved Pharisaic lists of religious rules. Let's do away with our Christianized Talmud of do's and don'ts and make our rules the ones that Jesus plainly taught.
It is a non-essential whether Christians drink alcohol in moderation or are teetotalers. That is a matter of personal choice. Either way it does not make someone a better or worse Christian than another. The only essentials here are that Christians avoid the sin of drunkenness and use wisdom if they do choose to drink a little alcohol.
Finally, we must admit that we cannot claim to be a restoration movement, when we refuse to restore wine to the Lord's table.
Almost every Bible commentary and almost every theologian agrees that the terms for "wine" in the original languages refer to fermented that is alcoholic grape juice. There is no indication otherwise, except for those who wish to read their prejudice into the Bible.
Until pasteurization and refrigeration, there was no method of preserving grape juice other than allowing it to ferment. Certainly, alcoholism was a problem in ancient times and the Bible contains a number of warnings against excessive drinking.
The Word Temperance
In Galatians 5:23 the word temperance does not mean a methyphobia (fear of alcohol). A modern translation of the Bible will use the word self-control in Galatians 5, because that's what the original Greek meant, self-control not abstinence.
Wine or Grape Juice
Some people believe that the wine described in the Bible was unfermented grape juice. But this is a misunderstanding of history and science. Until pasteurization and refrigeration, fresh squeezed grape juice always fermented within a very few days.
Jesus’ First Miracle
Jesus’ first recorded miracle was at a wedding in Cana (John 2), where he turned water into wine.
"A feast is made for laughter, and wine makes merry" (Ecclesiastes 10:19). The wedding at Cana in Galilee, where Jesus turned water into wine, was a feast. There is absolutely no logical reason, no indication in Scripture or historical context demonstrating that this was grape juice.
The Last Supper
Jesus passed around a cup of wine to His disciples. It is not logical to claim that this was merely grape juice. Passover is in the northern hemisphere's Spring, six months after the grape harvest. There was no refrigeration and pasteurization had not yet been invented. This had to be fermented wine.
The expression "fruit of the vine," was "employed by the Jews from time immemorial for the wine partaken of on sacred occasions, as at the Passover and on the evening of the Sabbath” (The New Westminster Dictionary of the Bible).
A Blessing in Measure
The real reason that some ban alcohol for all Christians today is not the result of good theology, a thorough study of ancient history or even linguistic analysis of biblical Greek and Hebrew. It first arose around 1830 during the temperance movement in Britain, which at first encouraged abstinence from distilled spirits but not beer.
If used moderately, alcohol was designed by God to be a blessing in the body of a normally healthy person. It cheers God and men (Judges 9:13), gladdens the heart (Psalms 104:15), gladdens life (Exodus 10:19), makes the heart exult (Zechariah 10:7), cheers up those who are depressed (Proverbs 31:6). Wine is to be imbibed with a cheerful heart (Ecclesiastes 9:7). It makes life merry (Ecclesiastes 10:19).
A Curse if Abused
Yet, like most things in life, alcohol can be abused. The Bible does not condemn moderate consumption of alcohol, but does strongly warn against drunkenness (Proverbs 20:1). Those who linger too long or keep mixing their drinks are promised woe (Proverbs 23:29-32), as are those who drink all day and night (Isaiah 5:11).
Sometimes it may be good to avoid eating certain foods or drinking alcohol when it may cause someone to stumble (Romans 14:21). We could apply this principle to friends who may be alcoholics, teetotalers, overeaters, vegetarians or are on a diet. Some apply this only to alcohol and not to foods, and so avoid drinking alcohol at all or in public, which is inconsistent because the verse also speaks about foods. The choice is yours.
The writer to the Romans is not making a religious rule about alcohol or even food, but teaching the importance of not offending. Yet at times Jesus purposely offended the Pharisees to wake them up. Curiously enough, usually those who are most offended by Christians drinking are other Christians. We all have the tendency to create lists of rules that are not Christian essentials. That was also a problem with a sect 2,000 years ago called Pharisees. Instead, we need to focus on the nuts and bolts of Christianity.
May Leaders Drink?
What about church leaders? Doesn't 1 Timothy 3:3; 5:23 say that an elder should not be a drunkard? Yes, it does. It does not say he must be a teetotaler. By implication then this "allows moderate use of alcoholic beverages" for church leaders (Walter L. Liefeld, NIV Application Commentary, 1999, Zondervan, p. 120). Paul confirms this by encouraging Timothy to take "a little wine" (1 Timothy 5:23). Some church leaders have had the odd occasion when they were relaxing at home only to be called away on a crisis where they needed a clear head. As a result of similar experiences, some church leaders are careful not to drink much if any alcohol when on call. That is a personal choice made in wisdom and not a legalistic rule.
Honesty Check
Teetotalers must be honest in admitting that there is no direct Scriptural statement banning moderate consumption of alcohol and that taken collectively, the Scriptures allow either total abstinence from alcohol or moderation. Teetotalers must also admit that the Passover wine Jesus took at his Last Supper could not have been grape juice, because it was 6 months after the grape harvest, and there was neither refrigeration nor pasteurization.
Moderate drinkers must admit that their freedom can at times be a stumbling block to the weak and that because there is no clear line between moderation and excess, they ought to avoid even the appearance of overindulgence. Drunkards must admit that the Scriptures clearly define drunkenness as wrong (Romans 13:13; Galatians 5:21) and that no drunkard will inherit the kingdom of heaven (1 Corinthians 6:10).
Conclusion
Jesus came to do away with a religion of touch not, taste not. There is no biblical ground for bigotry against Christians who drink moderately. Jesus miraculously made wine for a wedding, drank wine at the Last Supper and died at the hands of people who loved Pharisaic lists of religious rules. Let's do away with our Christianized Talmud of do's and don'ts and make our rules the ones that Jesus plainly taught.
It is a non-essential whether Christians drink alcohol in moderation or are teetotalers. That is a matter of personal choice. Either way it does not make someone a better or worse Christian than another. The only essentials here are that Christians avoid the sin of drunkenness and use wisdom if they do choose to drink a little alcohol.
Finally, we must admit that we cannot claim to be a restoration movement, when we refuse to restore wine to the Lord's table.
