The Pursuit

Wine & Strong Drink - Part 11 - Conclusion

Thursday, April 10th, 2008 | Alcohol, bible, strong drink, wine | 2 Comments

This is my conclusion to my paper. I still have a lot of work to do to it, but I hope you enjoyed it so far. Let me know what you all thought about it.

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Conclusion

As any driver knows there are many road signs they need to be aware of. Of the many signs there are “Do Not Enter” signs and “Caution” signs. The “Do Not Enter” sign tells the driver that it he should not enter the roadway. The “Caution” sign tells the driver to know where he is, to stay alert, and to pay attention; all of these things so he can avoid any possible danger. This is the same attitude the bible takes concerning alcohol use. God has warned His creation over and over again about the misuse and abuse of alcohol. At the same time, God’s word claims that He has blessed His creation with wine and strong drink and both can be used to the glory of God, for rejoicing in God, and for edifying each other. To teach that the best solution to the alcohol problem is abstinence as a biblical principle falls short from the truth. 1 Timothy 4 touches very deeply on the topic of abstaining.

But the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons, by means of the hypocrisy of liars seared in their own conscience as with a branding iron, men who forbid marriage and advocate abstaining from foods which God has created to be gratefully shared in by those who believe and know the truth. For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with gratitude; for it is sanctified by means of the word of God and prayer.

– 1 Timothy 4:1-5

It has been show that wine is a food that God has created to be gratefully shared by those who believe and know the truth (i.e. Christians). As Romans 14 says, if a Christian decides to drink they should do it in the honor of God, if a Christian decides to abstain they too should do it in the honor of God. It would be equally an error to say that abstaining from alcohol is wrong, but clearly as Paul tells his readers in Romans 14, “Let not him who eats regard with contempt him who does not eat, and let not him who does not eat judge him who eats.” And by all means, if you are tempted to get drunk, abstain and pray that you may not enter into temptation, remembering that “God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, that you may be able to endure it” (1 Cor. 10:13).

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Wine & Strong Drink - Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7, Part 8, Part 9, Part 10

Wine & Strong Drink - Part 10

Tuesday, April 8th, 2008 | Alcohol, bible, strong drink, wine | No Comments

This is the third section of my argument, Specific instances of alcohol use commanded in the Bible.

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Specific Instances of Alcohol Use Commanded in the Bible

In Deuteronomy 14, God tells Moses what is proper to do with the tithe. In verse 23 he specifically commands to drink their new wine (tirosh) in the presence of the Lord. Later, in verses 22-26, God talks about people who are too far away to bring their tithe. He tells them to sell their tithe and to use the money to buy whatever they want, including wine (yayin) and strong drink (shekar), and to eat what they bought in the presence of the Lord and to rejoice. One cannot make the assertion that God is commanding the people to get drunk, but it cannot be denied that He is commanding them to drink wine and strong drink. Another command to use alcohol can be found in 1 Timothy 5 when Paul directs Timothy to stop drinking water and to drink wine (oinos) to help relieve his stomach and other ailments.

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Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7, Part 8, Part 9

Wine & Strong Drink - Part 9

Thursday, April 3rd, 2008 | Alcohol, bible, strong drink, wine | No Comments

This is the second part of my argument, Specific instances of alcohol use permitted in the bible.

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The Author’s Argument

Specific Instances of Alcohol Use Permitted in the Bible

Psalm 104 recounts the splendor and majesty of God. The psalmist is blessing God for all the great wonders and works He has done for the earth and its creatures. God established the Earth upon its foundations (v. 5). He causes the grass to grow for the cattle (v. 14a). He made the moon for the seasons (v. 19). The psalmist also blesses God for the fact that He causes vegetation to grow for man “so that he may bring forth food from the earth and wine (yayin) which makes man’s heart glad” (v. 14b-15a). Obviously the use of wine is permitted by God and is seen as a blessing by the psalmist.

John 2 recounts the story of Jesus turning six pots containing water into wine. The headwaiter (or the master of the feast – NKJ) tested the wine and noticed that it was good wine, as opposed to the poorer wine that would normally be served at that stage of the feast, that is, when the party-goers were drunk. If they served the good wine until the party-goers were drunk, it is easily deduced that the good wine is fermented wine, not unfermented grape juice. If this is true, then Jesus must have turned the water into fermented wine; which He could have done easily regardless of fermentation time, since this is a miracle and He is God. As a former lost person, I have been inebriated on more than one occasion. There was never a time when I was inebriated that I could not distinguish between things that tasted good and things that tasted bad. To say that the headwaiter was not inebriated because he noticed the wine was good wine is a failure in experiential logic. But as any drunkard knows, if he is already drunk, he stops caring about what he drinks; as long as it helps keep his “buzz” – which is consistent with the headwaiter’s terminology.

In 1 Timothy 3, Paul gives clear ordinances for the overseer and deacon regarding their lifestyle. An overseer is not to be a drunkard (or given to strong drink) and a deacon is not to be “given to much wine (oinos).” From this biblical evidence, it must be concluded that overseers and deacons are permitted to drink some wine.

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Wine & Strong Drink - Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7, Part 8

Wine & Strong Drink - Part 8

Tuesday, April 1st, 2008 | Alcohol, bible, strong drink, wine | 2 Comments

This section begins my argument concerning the use of Wine and Strong drink. It is broken into three parts. Specific instances of abstinence commanded in the Bible, specific instances of alcohol use permitted in the Bible, and specific instance of alcohol use commanded in the Bible. Hopefully you all find the biblical evidence as overwhelming and convincing as I did.

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The Author’s Argument

Specific Instances of abstinence commanded in the Bible

Numbers 6 is an obvious text where God commands those who take the Nazarite vow to abstain from wine and strong drink, as well as other things. This same text also fits in the permitted section of this argument because when the Nazarite has completed his vow time God permits them to drink wine. It could be argued that God commanded John the Baptist to abstain from alcohol (Luke 1:15) but this could be equally interpreted as a prophecy. In Jeremiah 35, the Rechabites were commanded by their father to abstain from alcohol, as well as other things – however this command was not from God, and they were commended for their obedience, not their abstinence.

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Wine & Strong Drink - Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7

Wine & Strong Drink - Part 7

Friday, March 28th, 2008 | Alcohol, bible, comic, comic strip, strong drink, wine | 2 Comments

Here is the fifth and sixth arguments from other people that I discuss in my paper. My next post will continue with my own argument.

Alcohol can be an Addictive, Mind-Altering Drug

John Piper has been cited as saying that abstinence is wise because alcohol can be addictive and mind-altering. This testimony is true; alcohol can be both addictive and mind-altering. Caffeine, television, shopping, and sex (etc.) can also be addictive and mind-altering. Granted few people have died from the alternatives, but there have been many lives wrecked from the misuse and abuse of each of them. The issue stems from the heart, the misuse of anything can be dangerous. The misuse or abuse of any activity, including Bible study, can result in sin. In the interest of piety, monks have often resorted to asceticism and flagellation, both of which are contrary to Scripture. Unfortunately, the desire to boycott alcohol is usually linked to the history of its abuse. By that reasoning Christians should also boycott firearms as well as anything else that has been abused or considered to be addictive.

Wine in the Bible is really Unfermented Grape Juice

There are some who believe that the wine described in the Bible is in reality non-alcoholic, unfermented grape juice. This idea is contrary to the majority of scriptural teachings concerning wine. The Old Testament usually links both wine (yayin) and strong drink (shekar) together, warning of their misuse (Prov. 20; 31; Isa. 5; 28; 56). In Genesis 9, Noah was “drunk on wine (yayin).” The “good wine” that Jesus made at the wedding feast was most likely alcoholic (discussed later: Specific Instances of Alcohol Use Permitted in the Bible). Paul warns that an overseer and deacon should not be “taken to much wine” (1 Tim. 3); inferring that too much wine is dangerous. Later, Paul recommends that Timothy drink wine for his stomach; obviously for medicinal purposes. Stein’s own research (discussed earlier) states that “the wine of the Bible was not unfermented grape juice” (Pg. 9).

Wine & Strong Drink - Part 6

Thursday, March 27th, 2008 | Alcohol, bible, comic, comic strip, strong drink, wine | No Comments

This is the fourth argument discussed in my paper.

Others’ Arguments

Moderation is the Cause of the Alcohol Problem

The late Adrian Rogers said, “Moderation is not the cure for the liquor problem. Moderation is the cause of the liquor problem.” Rogers was only half right, moderation is not the cure for the liquor problem; Jesus is the cure for the liquor problem. Logically speaking, if moderation was taking place there would not be a liquor problem. However, Rogers’ point is clear, “becoming an alcoholic does not begin with the last drink, it always begins with the first.” Although, if Rogers is correct and moderation is the cause of the alcohol problem this would contradict Stein’s research (mentioned previously).

Wine & Strong Drink - Part 5

Tuesday, March 25th, 2008 | Alcohol, bible, comic, comic strip, strong drink, wine | No Comments

This is the third argument that I have seen people use against wine and strong drink.

Others’ Arguments

Wine 2000 Years Ago was Different than it is Today

Some look to Robert Stein (Wine-Drinking in New Testament Times, Christianity Today, Volume 19, June 20, 1975, Pg. 9-11) for evidence that ancient wine was weaker than the wine of today. Stein claims that history and tradition teaches wine 2000 years ago was mixed 3 parts water with 1 part wine. He concludes saying, “to consume the amount of alcohol that is in two martinis by drinking wine containing three parts water to one part wine, one would have to drink over twenty-two glasses” (Pg. 11). By Stein’s own admission “it is possible to become intoxicated from wine mixed with three parts of water, but one’s drinking would probably affect the bladder long before it affected the mind” (Pg. 11). Stein has setup a straw man argument. If it is possible to get drunk on the ancient 3:1 wine then the amount of drinks it takes to get drunk is unnecessary information. The fact remains that people who drink 3:1 wine would still have to maintain proper care not to over indulge; otherwise they risk drunkenness. If Stein’s theory is correct this lends credence to wisdom of moderation, not abstinence.

Wine & Strong Drink - Part 4

Thursday, March 20th, 2008 | Alcohol, bible, comic, comic strip, strong drink, wine | No Comments

Here is the second argument that I see people use against wine and strong drink.

Others’ Arguments

Abstaining from Alcohol is Consistent with Biblical Principles

There are a number of texts and biblical ideas cited to prove that abstaining from alcohol is the best policy for a Christian. These texts and ideas include the principle of edification (1 Cor. 6:12; 10:23; 14:26), the principle of refusing that which enslaves (1 Cor. 6:12), and the ethic of love for believers and unbelievers (1 Cor. 8:13; 9:19-22; 10:32-33).

Edification is doing something that builds up another person, whether it is emotional, spiritual, or physical. The Bible teaches that edification is something believers should consistently be doing to one another. If partaking of wine is inconsistent with edification then it is clearly wrong. A few verses in the Old and New Testaments shed some light on this issue. In Deuteronomy 14, God commands those who are too far from the temple to sell their tithe and purchase whatever their heart desires, including wine (yayin) and strong drink (shekar), and that they should “eat there before the LORD your God and [they] shall rejoice.” The writer of the wisdom literature in Proverbs 31 states that one should give strong drink (shekar) to the perishing – obviously for medical/pain-relief reasons. In the same chapter and verse the writer states that one should give wine (yayin) to “him whose life is bitter” reasoning, “let him drink and forget his poverty and remember his trouble no more.” Since the same writer tells Lemuel in verse 4 that wine (yayin) is not for Kings and strong drink (shekar) is not for princes one can conclude that he is offering up truly wise and balanced advice, advice that can help in lifting up those who are perishing and those who have fallen on hard times. Jesus also partook from the “cup of the fruit of the vine” during the last supper, sharing wine with His apostles, something that will be shared again in the Father’s Kingdom (Matt. 26); obviously a promise not inconsistent with edification. In 1 Timothy 5 Paul tells Timothy to drink wine for his stomach ailments, in an attempt to help build up his brother in Christ during a sickness.

The principle of refusing that which enslaves is a hard principle to work out from Scripture. Mainly because the verse used above reads, “All things are lawful for me, but not all things are profitable. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be mastered by anything.” Looking closely at the context reveals that “not being mastered by anything” does not come by refusing things that enslave but by the power of the Holy Spirit dwelling inside of each believer. Furthermore Romans 6:22 assures the believer that they are free from sin and enslaved to God. The greek word for enslave (douloō) occurs 8 times in the New Testament. In most cases it refers to the Christian no longer being enslaved to sin and non-Christians being enslaved to sin. Titus 2:3 is the only time “douloō” is used in a negative Christian context, telling women that they should not be enslaved to “much wine (oinos).” Note it is “much wine” that enslaves, not “wine” or “little wine.”

The ethic of love for believers and unbelievers is obviously something that is taught in Scripture by command, by Jesus’ example, and by His numerous witnesses’ examples. A problem arises when appealing to the ethic of love. The problem is whether or not drinking wine hurts the believer’s witness among the lost and whether or not drinking wine offends our brothers and sisters in Christ. Unfortunately these questions cannot be directly answered from the Bible because they are cultural and personal.

In some parts of the United States if someone is drinking alcohol people will probably assume that they get drunk and that drunkenness is acceptable. Drunkenness is clearly condemned in the Bible by God and by His witnesses. Therefore drinking in America could hurt your witness which would go against the ethic of love. Although, Jesus drank wine in front of unbelievers, some of them assumed that He was a winebibber, but this did not stop Jesus from drinking in front of them, instead He corrected them by revealing their inconsistency (Luke 7).

The same cultural stigma of drinking being assumed as getting drunk can be found in the Christian Church. Christians have a duty not to offend their weaker brothers and sisters, so they should abstain from drinking if it offends them. There is also another principle that needs to be applied here; the principle of discipleship. If it is not wrong to drink wine than it is up to the stronger Christian to show his weaker brothers and sisters the truth about the differences in enjoying a glass of wine and getting drunk. This should always be done by using God’s word to teach, to refute, to correct, and to train in righteous (2 Tim 3:16). Discipleship, education, and discipline will help mature weaker brothers and sisters, as well as help reduce misdirected social standards.

Wine & Strong Drink - Part 3

Tuesday, March 18th, 2008 | Alcohol, bible, comic, comic strip, strong drink, wine | No Comments

Here is the third installment of my Wine & Strong Drink series. Hopefully you all are still interested. This begins the part of my paper where I discuss other people’s arguments. Once I broke them down I found them lacking. My paper has four common arguments for teaching abstinence as “God’s Ideal” or drinking as “sin”. Here is the first of those four.

Others’ Arguments

Abstaining from Alcohol is God’s Ideal

Some have argued that abstinence is God’s ideal, citing Numbers 6, Matthew 11, and Jeremiah 35. Taken separately and taken as a whole these texts fail to prove their argument. A look at each text, in context, is very helpful.

In Numbers 6, God lays out his plans for the Nazarite vow. A Nazarite would take a special vow; dedicating himself to the Lord for a specific amount of time. A Nazarite was to “abstain from wine and strong drink.” (Num. 6:2) Some people consider this to be God’s ideal. In 6:2-21 God gives other ordinances for a Nazarite. These ordinances include not drinking vinegar, not drinking juice, not eating any part of the grape, not cutting their hair, not going near a dead person, etc. It would be wrong to arbitrarily choose abstaining from wine and strong drink from this list of ordinance as God’s ideal. From a standpoint of logic, if the Nazarite vow is God’s ideal they are all His ideals. In 6:13-21 God lays out his plan for what a Nazarite should do when they fulfill their vow. Verse 20 states, that they may “drink wine (yayin).” God has clearly permitted the fulfilled-Nazarites to drink wine. The logical conclusion is that it is not a requirement for anyone, outside of this vow, to abstain from wine. It is also contrary to biblical principle that God desires some to act in this “ideal” manner (i.e. Nazarites) and not all, and even further, that after a period of time He would release them from their obligation to act in the ideal way even though they were perfectly able to keep the Nazarite vow. Jesus says that Christians are to “be perfect, as [their] heavenly Father is perfect” (Matt. 5:48).

According to Jesus, there had not been a man born of a woman greater than John the Baptist (Matt. 11). Truthfully there is little known about John the Baptist from the Bible. Some of what can be known is that he baptized Jesus (Matt. 3:13-16), he came in the spirit of Elijah (Matt. 11:14), and he was beheaded by Herod (Matt. 14:10). There is no hard evidence to support the idea that he had taken the Nazarite vow or that his life was intended to reflect a Nazarite’s life. In Luke 1, God tells Zacharias (John the Baptist’s father) that his son will drink no wine (oinos) or strong drink (sikera), which is either a command or a prophecy, not a voluntary vow. In Luke 7, Jesus is talking to the Pharisees about them saying that John the Baptist has a demon because he does not eat bread or drink wine (oinos). Jesus continues, saying that because He had come eating and drinking they called Him a glutton and a winebibber. Jesus obviously mentions this to show their inconsistency; they called John the Baptist demon possessed for not eating bread and not drinking wine and they called Jesus a glutton and winebibber for doing the opposite. This text serves another purpose for Christians; it proves that Jesus took part in wine. First, the opposite of “not eating bread and not drinking wine” is “eating bread and drinking wine.” Second, the obvious exaggeration of the Pharisees also proves that Jesus was drinking wine – they would not have called Him a winebibber if He was not drinking wine. Since Jesus was fully God the argument that abstaining from wine as God’s ideal simply falls apart with this evidence. Furthermore, Jesus was also fully man, so if God’s ideal only applies to man the argument still falls apart.

In Jeremiah 35 the reader learns that the Rechabites have been commanded by their father to abstain from alcohol. God commands Jeremiah to give them wine to drink. Jeremiah does so and they refuse, citing their father’s command. God then commends the Rechabites for their obedience to their father. It is incorrect to think that God is commending the Rechabites for their abstinence, because God says, “they have obeyed their father’s command. But I have spoken to you [Judah] again and again yet you have not listened to Me” (Jer. 35:13-14). The Rechabite’s father also commanded them not to build houses or sow seeds or plant vineyards. As with Numbers 6, it would be wrong to arbitrarily take the Rechabites abstinence of wine as God’s ideal, since building houses, sowing seeds, and planting vineyards are all within God’s permission, at the very least.

Abstaining from Alcohol is Consistent with Biblical Principles

There are a number of texts and biblical ideas cited to prove that abstaining from alcohol is the best policy for a Christian. These texts and ideas include the principle of edification (1 Cor. 6:12; 10:23; 14:26), the principle of refusing that which enslaves (1 Cor. 6:12), and the ethic of love for believers and unbelievers (1 Cor. 8:13; 9:19-22; 10:32-33).

Edification is doing something that builds up another person, whether it is emotional, spiritual, or physical. The Bible teaches that edification is something believers should consistently be doing to one another. If partaking of wine is inconsistent with edification then it is clearly wrong. A few verses in the Old and New Testaments shed some light on this issue. In Deuteronomy 14, God commands those who are too far from the temple to sell their tithe and purchase whatever their heart desires, including wine (yayin) and strong drink (shekar), and that they should “eat there before the LORD your God and [they] shall rejoice.” The writer of the wisdom literature in Proverbs 31 states that one should give strong drink (shekar) to the perishing – obviously for medical/pain-relief reasons. In the same chapter and verse the writer states that one should give wine (yayin) to “him whose life is bitter” reasoning, “let him drink and forget his poverty and remember his trouble no more.” Since the same writer tells Lemuel in verse 4 that wine (yayin) is not for Kings and strong drink (shekar) is not for princes one can conclude that he is offering up truly wise and balanced advice, advice that can help in lifting up those who are perishing and those who have fallen on hard times. Jesus also partook from the “cup of the fruit of the vine” during the last supper, sharing wine with His apostles, something that will be shared again in the Father’s Kingdom (Matt. 26); obviously a promise not inconsistent with edification. In 1 Timothy 5 Paul tells Timothy to drink wine for his stomach ailments, in an attempt to help build up his brother in Christ during a sickness.

The principle of refusing that which enslaves is a hard principle to work out from Scripture. Mainly because the verse used above reads, “All things are lawful for me, but not all things are profitable. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be mastered by anything.” Looking closely at the context reveals that “not being mastered by anything” does not come by refusing things that enslave but by the power of the Holy Spirit dwelling inside of each believer. Furthermore Romans 6:22 assures the believer that they are free from sin and enslaved to God. The greek word for enslave (douloō) occurs 8 times in the New Testament. In most cases it refers to the Christian no longer being enslaved to sin and non-Christians being enslaved to sin. Titus 2:3 is the only time “douloō” is used in a negative Christian context, telling women that they should not be enslaved to “much wine (oinos).” Note it is “much wine” that enslaves, not “wine” or “little wine.”

The ethic of love for believers and unbelievers is obviously something that is taught in Scripture by command, by Jesus’ example, and by His numerous witnesses’ examples. A problem arises when appealing to the ethic of love. The problem is whether or not drinking wine hurts the believer’s witness among the lost and whether or not drinking wine offends our brothers and sisters in Christ. Unfortunately these questions cannot be directly answered from the Bible because they are cultural and personal.

In some parts of the United States if someone is drinking alcohol people will probably assume that they get drunk and that drunkenness is acceptable. Drunkenness is clearly condemned in the Bible by God and by His witnesses. Therefore drinking in America could hurt your witness which would go against the ethic of love. Although, Jesus drank wine in front of unbelievers, some of them assumed that He was winebibber, but this did not stop Jesus from drinking in front of them, instead He corrected them by revealing their inconsistency (Luke 7).

The same cultural stigma of drinking being assumed as getting drunk can be found in the Christian Church. Christians have a duty not to offend their weaker brothers and sisters, so they should abstain from drinking if it offends them. There is also another principle that needs to be applied here; the principle of discipleship. If it is not wrong to drink wine than it is up to the stronger Christian to show his weaker brothers and sisters the truth about the differences in enjoying a glass of wine and getting drunk. This should always be done by using God’s word to teach, to refute, to correct, and to train in righteous (2 Tim 3:16). Discipleship, education, and discipline will help mature weaker brothers and sisters, as well as help reduce misdirected social standards.

Wine & Strong Drink - Part 1
Wine & Strong Drink - Part 2

Wine & Strong Drink - Part 2

Tuesday, March 4th, 2008 | Alcohol, bible, comic, comic strip, strong drink, wine | No Comments

This is the second section of my paper on Wine and Strong Drink in the bible. I wrote this paper over a year ago. It is not in its finished stage yet, but I wanted to share it all with you. Enjoy!

The Bible’s Attitude towards Wine and Strong Drink

On one hand, the Bible speaks to the dangers of drinking wine (Pro. 20; 21; 23; Joel 3; 1 Tim. 3; Titus 1, 2) as well as the dangers of drinking strong drink (Pro. 20; Isa. 5:11, 22). These dangers are always in the context of drinking too much wine or too much strong drink. On the other hand, biblical authors frequently use wine to symbolize blessings bestowed on mankind by the Lord (Deut 14; Psalm 104; Pro. 31; Ecc. 9; Isa. 25). Scripture even describes “strong drink” as a blessing on a few occasions (Deut. 14; Prov. 31). These blessings are usually in the context of God blessing His children or His children rejoicing in Him with drink.