"Looking at Scripture references at face value"

Alcohol…

In America it could be considered one of the most driving forces behind crime and sorrow today.  About ten million or so American adults are alcoholics.  Every year the effects of alcohol and the interrelated incidents cause at least $40 billion a year in the United States alone. 

This is no new issue in our nation.  People saw alcohol as such a problem that temperance movements in the early 1900’s saw it legally prohibited. 

The question I seek to answer isn’t whether or not alcohol is a problem in our nation, but rather, do the Holy Scriptures teach the prohibition of alcohol.

Many Christian denominations (most noteworthy and stereotypical: the Baptists), teach that any consumption of alcohol is sinful.  Others teach that any sort of drunkenness is sinful (IE: tipsy, a little buzzed) and some others say that tipsy isn’t sinful, but being totally sloshed and impaired is.  Others teach that habitual drunkenness is sinful.  But generally, the ones who make the biggest deal about it are those who say that any consumption of alcohol is sinful. 

I oppose this view of total abstinence upon the principle that alcohol is evil and its consumption sinful.  The issue of drunkenness will be dealt with later.

Looking at the Scriptures, we can note that they are not by any means silent when alcohol (particularly wine) is concerned.  (There are apprx. 247 references).  And since wine is generally the drink of choice among Biblical Jews (and even most modern-day Jews) we’re going to mainly concern ourselves with it.  Now with help from an article (and chart) by Chet Day, I’ve found some interesting facts about the Scriptures and wine and ‘strong drink’.

Let’s look first briefly at some negative passages concerning wine and ‘strong drink’:

OLD TESTAMENT

Proverbs 20:1—“Wine is a mocker, strong drink a brawler, And whoever is intoxicated by it is not wise” (NASB Prov 21:17 heavy drinking and gluttony condemned; 1 Sam 1:14; Isa 5:11, 22; 28:1 (drunkenness is condemned); 28:7; 29:9; 56:12; Jer 23:9; 51:7; Joel 3:3.

NEW TESTAMENT Eph 5:18 (“do not get drunk with wine”); 1 Tim 3:3, 8; Titus 1:7 ([elders and deacons ought not be] “addicted to wine or strong drink”); Titus 2:3 (older women, who would serve as role models to the younger ones, must not be addicted to wine).

Now upon looking at these verses (which I encourage you to actually look up and read in full contexts) it appears that it’s not the wine that is condemned but rather the drunkenness or habitual drunkenness (addiction). 

 Now there are more passages that concern wine and other alcohol that reflect a more positive light.

OLD TESTAMENT

Genesis 14:18 Melchizedek, an ‘anointed one’ offers wine to Abram; Nehemiah 2:1 The King drinks of wine. Nehemiah tests the wine for poison. Esther 5:6; 7:1-2 Esther drinks wine with the king; Job 1:13 Job and his family partake of wine; Daniel 10:3 shows that drinking wine after fasting is a BLESSING.

NEW TESTAMENT

 Lord Christ’s parables even had much to do with wine and wine-culture (cf. Matt 9:17; 21:33; even John 15 refers to God our Father as a vinedresser.)  Paul tells Timothy to drink some wine for his ‘stomach’s sake’ and not just water (1 Tim 5:23).

ALSO

Deut 14:26 “And you may spend the money for whatever your heart desires, for oxen, or sheep, or wine, or strong drink, or whatever your heart desires; and there you shall eat in the presence of the LORD your God and rejoice, you and your household” (NASB). Psalm 4:7; Psalm 104:14-15 shows God as the creator of wine that “makes a man’s heart glad” ; (Hos 2:8)(Prov 3:10); love is compared to wine repeatedly in the Song of Songs, as though good wine were similarly sweet (1:2, 4; 4:10; 7:9).

The Lord prepares a banquet with “well-aged wines... and fine, well-aged wines” for his people (Isa 25:6) And pasteurizing grape juice to keep it from fermenting wasn’t invented until Welch tried it… long after Biblical times.  Are we going to be drinking age-old grape juice at the Lord’s table?  By no means!

Also, why would Lord Christ have instituted such a sacrament as to partake of wine and unleaven bread if wine was forbidden?  How do you think that the church in Corinth got drunk from the sacrament?  Grape juice?  What about the day of Pentecost when the apostles, speaking in tongues, were accused of being drunk with “sweet wine”?  What about the false accusation that our Lord Christ was a drunkard?  He probably would have had to partaken in some such drinking to have the sly and crafty Pharisees create such a lie.

ALSO

The lack of wine is viewed as a judgment from God (Jer 48:33; Lam 2:12; Hos 2:9; Joel 1:10; Hag 2:16); And its abundance a provision is view as a blessing (Gen 27:28; Deut 7:13; 11:14; Joel 2:19, 24; 3:18; Amos 9:13-14). Cf. also Isa 55:1; Jer 31:12; Zech 9:17.

Now I think that a look at Scripture makes it clear that alcohol consumption is not forbidden. It does certainly warn against its abuse.  In my next post, I will address other related issues that are cited among reasons that Christians should abstain from consuming alcohol.  But I’m going to let this sink in and let it be up for discussion and debate.  I’m sure the other issues will arise soon within the reply threads.