Typical Question

Wine (strong drink, alcohol or similar drink) in the Bible?

This search of the scriptures is not an effort to convince anyone to drink or not drink wine/alcohol.  Scripture interprets itself and anyone seeking God's will with any issue must personally search the scriptures and then, for conscience sake, make decisions for oneself in the matter. 

Please take note: "All humans have a natural tendency for self-deception: we pay much more attention to observations that reinforce our viewpoints than to those that may contradict them. We readily dismiss contradictory data and accept confirmation data with little scrutiny. Buy the very nature of this common human failure, the self-deceived are unaware that they have picked through a mountain of data to find the few observations that seem consistent with their preconceived notion of what is correct." (James W. Hugg, PhD)  So how do you avoid self-deception with Scripture, by reviewing and studying all relavent scripture to widen your view of Christs will for any specific issue.

So what is the Bible saying about wine?  There are 241 references of wine or similar drinks in the Bible - too many to list them all for you.  Of the 241 wine references, the oldest New Testament copy written in Greek has 36 uses of "wine" as follows (Source - New Strongs' Exhaustive Concordance of the King James Bible):

• Wine, the English definition is "an alcoholic drink made from fermented grape juice"

• 24 in English as "wine" = in the Greek is "oinos" = in Hebrew is "yayin" (as fermented)

• 8 in English as "new wine" = in the Greek is "neos oinos" = "new, youthful, young or fresh wine (as fermented)

• 1 in English as "new wine" = in the Greek is "gleukos" and akin to "glukus" meaning "highly intoxicating fermenting" wine

•  2 in English as "not given to wine = in Greek is "par-oinos" meaning "staying near" or "given to wine" (as fermented).

• 1 in English as "excess of wine" = in Greek is "oinophlugia" from "oinos" meaning "an overflfow or surplus of wine (as fermented)

• "fruit of the vine" = fruit (like grapes) of the vine, whole or as fruit juice

The following Old & New Testament examples will give you a reasonable summary of the use of "wine" "new wine" or "strong drink" in the Word of God. 

DRUNKENNESS (the Word of God gives many warnings):

Drunkenness brings dishonor to parents (Deuteronomy 21:20)

Some of God's warnings and commands on drunkenness;  Noah was drunk when Ham saw his nakedness (Sodom and Gomorrah were decedents of Ham's 4th son Canaan).  Lot was drunk when his own daughters raped him to have children.  God gave command to some of those that serve, not to drink.  Samson's mother was commanded not to drink wine while pregnant.  Proverbs teaches wine and strong drink can lead one astray, lovers of wine will not be rich, a drunkard will come to poverty, lingering long at the wine produces sorrow, heated arguments, complaints and their heart will utter perverse things-seeks another drink and not for kings or princes lest they pervert justice.  Ecclesiastes states blessed are you when your king is strong and not for drunkenness.  Isaiah states woe to those who follow intoxicating drink, who continue until night, till wine inflames them.  Ezekiel states that Israel's temple priests were commanded not to drink wine.  Daniel ate no pleasant food, meat or drank wine when receiving God's visions and prophecies.  Hosea teaches that immorality and wine go hand in hand.  Nahum says those drunken like drunkards who conspire against the Lord will be destroyed.  Habakkuk said woe to those who press his neighbor to drink and make drunk to expose them.  Matthew and Luke teaches God's servants to work for Him soberly and not to abuse his fellow servants or eat and drink with drunkards.  Luke taught that John the Baptist did not drink wine nor strong drink.  Paul in Romans teaches to pursue those things that edifies one another and it is evil and is sin for you to eat meat or drink wine when it offends or causes a weak brother to stumble.  Paul in 1 Cor. teaches us to practice the Lord's supper (communion using bread and cup) in remembrance of Him (Jesus Christ was [is] our high priest after the divine order of Melchizedek who brought Abram bread and wine (Hebrew "yayin" = wine as fermented)  (Gen 14:18 & Hebrews 7:13-17). 

Paul teaches in Galatians to walk according to the Spirit and fruits of God and not according to the desires of the flesh of which includes drunkenness and revelries.  Paul teaches in Ephesians 5:18 and 1 Thessalonians "but understand what the will of the Lord is. And do not be drunk with wine (Greek "oinos" = Hebrew "yayin" = wine as fermented).     Finally Paul teaches overseer's (bishop, pastor) are not  given to wine (Greek "paroinos" "para" staying near and "oinos" = wine as fermented) . 

9 Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, 10 nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God. 11 And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God.  12 All things are lawful for me, but all things are not helpful. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any. (1 Cor. 6:9-12)

12 . . . Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light. 13 Let us walk properly, as in the day, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, not in strife and envy. 14 But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts. (Romans 13:12-14)

34 “But take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that Day come on you unexpectedly. 35 For it will come as a snare on all those who dwell on the face of the whole earth. 36 Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man.” (Luke 21:34-36)

19 Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, 21 envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. (Gal. 5:19-21)

48 But if that evil servant says in his heart, ‘My master is delaying his coming,’ 49 and begins to beat his fellow servants, and to eat and drink with the drunkards, 50 the master of that servant will come on a day when he is not looking for him and at an hour that he is not aware of, 51 and will cut him in two and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites. There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. (Matt 24:48-51)

So as can be seen above God's children must not get drunk, they must not eat and drink with the drunkards and His chosen leaders must not drink wine (alcohol) at all.

FOR STOMACH & FREQUENT INFIRMITIES SAKE:

No longer drink only water, but use a little wine (Greek "oinos" = Hebrew "yayin" = wine as fermented) for your stomach’s sake and your frequent infirmities (physical or mental weakness). (1 Tim. 5:23)

give strong drink to him who is perishing (Proverbs 31:6)

CHRISTIAN COMMUNION

18 Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine (wa-yayin); he was the priest of God Most High. 19 And he blessed him (Abraham) . . . (Genesis 14:18-19) 17 Then He (Jesus priest of the Most High God) took the cup, and gave thanks, and said, “Take this and divide it among yourselves; 18 for I say to you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.” 19 And He took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” 20 Likewise He also took the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is shed for you. (Luke 22:17-20)

MEALS and SOCIAL EVENTS:

2 Now both Jesus and His disciples were invited to the wedding. 3 And when they ran out of wine (oinos), the mother of Jesus said to Him, “They have no wine. (oinos)”  . . . . 5 His mother said to the servants, “Whatever He says to you, do it.”  . . . . 7 Jesus said to them, “Fill the waterpots with water.” And they filled them up to the brim. 8 And He said to them, “Draw some out now, and take it to the master of the feast.” And they took it. 9 When the master of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine (oinos), and did not know where it came from (but the servants who had drawn the water knew), the master of the feast called the bridegroom. 10 And he said to him, “Every man at the beginning sets out the good wine (oinos), and when the guests have well drunk, then the inferior. You have kept the good wine (oinos) until now!” (John 2:2-10)

33 For John the Baptist came neither eating bread nor drinking wine, and you say, ‘He has a demon.’ 34 The Son of Man has come eating and drinking, and you say, ‘Look, a glutton and a winebibber ("oinopotes", drunkard, excessive wine-drinker), a friend of tax collectors and sinners! (Matt 11:19, Luke 7:33-34)

8 Likewise deacons must be reverent, not double-tongued, not given to much wine (oinos), not greedy for money, 9 holding the mystery of the faith with a pure conscience. (1 Tim 3:8-9)

1 This is a faithful saying: If a man desires the position of a bishop (overseer, elder, pastor), he desires a good work. 2 A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, temperate, sober-minded, of good behavior, hospitable, able to teach; 3 not given to wine (paraoinos), not violent, not greedy for money, but gentle, not quarrelsome, . . .  (1 Tim 3:1)

2 that the older men be sober, reverent, temperate, sound in faith, in love, in patience; 3 the older women likewise, that they be reverent in behavior, not slanderers, not given to much wine (oinos), teachers of good things (Titus 2:2-3)

. . . . they shall plant vineyards and drink the wine (yenam = wine in Hebrew) (during the 1000 year reign) (Amos 9:14)

. . . . and wine (weyayin = wine in Hebrew) that makes glad the heart of man (Psalm 104:15)

And you shall spend that money for whatever your heart desires: for oxen or sheep, for wine (ubayayin = Hebrew for wine) or similar drink (ubassekar = Hebrew for strong drink, intoxicating drink, fermented or intoxicating liquor), for whatever your heart desires; you shall eat there before the Lord your God, and you shall rejoice, you and your household. (Deuteronomy 14:26)

. . . . may God give you Of the dew of heaven, Of the fatness of the earth, And plenty of grain and wine (wetiros = Hebrew for wine, new wine or freshely pressed wine). (Gen 27:28)

After that the Nazirite may drink wine (yayin = wine).  (Numbers 6:20)

. . . . and as a drink offering you shall offer one-third of a hin of wine (weyayin = wine) as a sweet aroma to the Lord. (Numbers 15:7)

PRACTICAL & MEDICAL

We are not qualified to give medical advice only Biblical facts.  Finally, there may very well be practicle and/or medical reasons not to drink alcohol;  you may not like the taste & the feeling it gives you.  It may upset your stomach and/or give you heart burn.  You may not be able to consume in moderation.  It may interfer with your prescription or supplemental medications and vitamins and you may have a physical medical problem.  Of course, if you have an alcohol problem, then don't consume it and do NOT get drunk.

THE TEACHING OF CHRISTIAN LIBERTY

1  Receive one who is weak in the faith, but not to disputes over doubtful things. 2 For one believes he may eat all things, but he who is weak eats only vegetables. 3 Let not him who eats despise him who does not eat, and let not him who does not eat judge him who eats; for God has received him. 4 Who are you to judge another’s servant? To his own master he stands or falls. Indeed, he will be made to stand, for God is able to make him stand.

5 One person esteems one day above another; another esteems every day alike. Let each be fully convinced in his own mind. 6 He who observes the day, observes it to the Lord; and he who does not observe the day, to the Lord he does not observe it. He who eats, eats to the Lord, for he gives God thanks; and he who does not eat, to the Lord he does not eat, and gives God thanks. 7 For none of us lives to himself, and no one dies to himself. 8 For if we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. Therefore, whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s. 9 For to this end Christ died and rose and lived again, that He might be Lord of both the dead and the living. 10 But why do you judge your brother? Or why do you show contempt for your brother? For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. 11 For it is written:

“As I live, says the Lord, Every knee shall bow to Me, And every tongue shall confess to God.”

12 So then each of us shall give account of himself to God. 13 Therefore let us not judge one another anymore, but rather resolve this, not to put a stumbling block or a cause to fall in our brother’s way. (Rom 14:1-13)

CHRISTIAN LIBERTY v/s TO CAUSE AN OFFENSE

9 But beware lest somehow this liberty of yours become a stumbling block to those who are weak. 10 For if anyone sees you who have knowledge eating in an idol’s temple, will not the conscience of him who is weak be emboldened to eat those things offered to idols? 11 And because of your knowledge shall the weak brother perish, for whom Christ died? 12 But when you thus sin against the brethren, and wound their weak conscience, you sin against Christ. 13 Therefore, if food makes my brother stumble, I will never again eat meat, lest I make my brother stumble. (1 Cor 8:9-13)

You will find some who take Paul's statement to the Corinthians as proof that he now believed eating meat was somehow wrong. We will look at this statement of the Apostle and find out exactly what Paul had in mind and why. Paul is responding to a controversy among the brethren regarding meat sold in the butcher shops of the day.  1Co 8:13 Therefore, if food makes my brother stumble, I will never again eat meat, lest I make my brother stumble.

This verse can be clearly understood when we take it in context. Taking scripture out of context is a method for misleading yourself and others as to the true meaning of a Biblical statement. Paul is solving a problem regarding meat offered to idols. No doubt most of the meat in Corinth and Rome as well, was likely to have been offered to a pagan god prior to selling it to the butchers. The excess meat after a pagan ceremony was a great price deal in a city full of pagan temples.  1Co 8:1 Now concerning things offered to idols: We know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffs up, but love edifies. 2 And if anyone thinks that he knows anything, he knows nothing yet as he ought to know. 4 Therefore concerning the eating of things offered to idols, we know that an idol is nothing in the world, and that there is no other God but one.

Paul explains that the idol is nothing, it cannot effect the meat in any manner. Pagan gods are not a real force, it is all superstition. This knowledge, Paul explains, is known by the mature believers. However, knowledge is not as important as love. If you love your weaker brothers be sensitive to their unfounded fears. Those who grew up in these pagan superstitions all their lives could not divorce themselves emotionally from these deep feelings. For some, it would take years. Paul is saying be sensitive regarding eating meat in their presence. They would defile their consciences if they ate meat from a pagan ceremony.

Paul said he would go to extremes to protect the weak brethren, those new, and who just left paganism. Paul condemns the veteran believers for their flaunting of their knowledge.  (1 Co 10:24) Additional teaching from Paul states his same letter: 24 Let no one seek his own, but each one the others well-being. 25 Eat whatever is sold in the meat market, asking no questions for conscience' sake; 26 for "the earth is the LORD'S, and all its fullness."  Paul explains that the best policy is to eat the clean meat without asking any questions as to whether it had been used for pagan ceremonies. He told them you do not want to know because it is irrelevant. The idol is nothing and all the bounty of the earth including meats is from God. He further states that if someone says this meat is from a pagan god do not eat it; not because the meat is contaminated, but for the sake of the one who is making an issue of it. The strong brother does not want to appear to approve of that particular pagan god or goddess.

So, does the Apostle Paul's letter to gentiles teach us not to eat all or drink for fear of offense?  He is pointing out that consuming foods offered in worship to false idol gods can cause offense if observed by a those weak brothers.  The Apostle Paul is not teaching that he became a vegetarian and pays attention to where and of course who he is eating with.  In addition, he takes into consideration his role and influence as an Apostle of Christ.

CRITICS

There are some Christians that are understandably against alcohol, since they work so much to help people and families whose lives were destroyed by substance abuse or they were in a family with this problem.  They with out a doubt are responsible for helping many people to leave addiction.  Their work, using significant mental gymnastics and imagination to disprove the meaning of wine in the scripture, has no scriptural footing at all to stand on and they condemn saints who, like Jesus, his disciples, and the early Christians, drank wine moderately.  It is a sad attempt at biblical scholarship because they have limited understanding of the original Hebrew and Greek languages.  This is what is called eisegesis - a reader imposes his own ideas on the text and then scrambles to support the interpretation.  The Bible does admonish against drunkenness, but the idea that Jesus didn't drink wine is simply not supported by the text.  It is clear that the wine that Jesus made out of water was real wine.  If it wasn't, scripture would not have mentioned the possibility of the guest getting drunk on it.  In the same way, it is clear that the "wine" the early church used in communion was real wine with alcohol.  If it wasn't, the Apostle Paul to the Gentiles, would not have rebuked the Corinthians over some people getting drunk on the communion wine.  Getting drunk would not have been a possibility if it were simply non-alcoholic grape juice.

To call alcohol "the modern golden calf", "liquid pot", "unclean" and Christians who drink in moderation "sipping saints" with "pickled tounges" and "compromised Christians" is a unfortunate clever use of words.