Alcohol can be a divisive topic among Christians. There are many that have the opinion that it should be avoided at all costs, while others, believe that it is fine in moderation. While the casual drinking of alcohol is often misunderstood, Christians can agree that getting drunk is not something that we should do. The Bible plainly condemns drunkenness and calls it a work of the flesh (Gal. 5:21 – see lesson).
Every Christian should study and rightly divide all of God’s Word (2 Tim. 2:15, 3:16), and remember that words can have multiple meanings. A great example of this is repentance (see lesson). Repentance is one word with one spelling, and yet, has three distinct definitions. Context is vital to comprehension.
Definition of Wine
Wine has two definitions in the Bible: grape juice and alcohol.
Grape juice is often associated with children, but that is a relatively modern association. Historically, grape juice was a beverage that both the layman and royalty would drink. The Bible tells us that Pharaoh of Egypt drank grape juice:
"And in the vine were three branches: and it was as though it budded, and her blossoms shot forth; and the clusters thereof brought forth ripe grapes: And Pharaoh's cup was in my hand: and I took the grapes, and pressed them into Pharaoh's cup, and I gave the cup into Pharaoh's hand." - Genesis 40:10-11
We also learn that the Israelites consumed this same drink:
"Butter of kine, and milk of sheep, with fat of lambs, and rams of the breed of Bashan, and goats, with the fat of kidneys of wheat; and thou didst drink the pure blood of the grape." - Deuteronomy 32:14
Distinguishing Between Alcoholic and Non-alcoholic Wine
We refer to fermented grape juice as wine, however, the Bible uses this term for both fermented and unfermented grape juice. Rightly dividing is extremely important because this can be confusing.
An example of unfermented grape juice being referred to as wine can be found in Isaiah 65:8 where the prophet proclaimed, "thus saith the Lord, As the new wine is found in the cluster, and one saith, Destroy it not; for a blessing is in it: so will I do for my servants' sakes, that I may not destroy them all."
How do we know that this verse is referring to non-alcoholic wine?
Deuteronomy 32:14 stated that the Jews drank grape juice. A group of grapes is called a cluster and Isaiah stated that wine is found in the cluster. Hence wine can refer to non-alcoholic wine as well as alcoholic wine.
King Solomon mentioned wine in the book of Proverbs and it is clear that he was referring to alcohol:
"Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging: and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise." - Proverbs 20:1
"Who hath woe? who hath sorrow? who hath contentions? who hath babbling? who hath wounds without cause? who hath redness of eyes? They that tarry long at the wine; they that go to seek mixed wine. Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth his colour in the cup, when it moveth itself aright. At the last it biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like an adder. Thine eyes shall behold strange women, and thine heart shall utter perverse things. Yea, thou shalt be as he that lieth down in the midst of the sea, or as he that lieth upon the top of a mast. They have stricken me, shalt thou say, and I was not sick; they have beaten me, and I felt it not: when shall I awake? I will seek it yet again." - Proverbs 23:29-31
Paul was clearly referring to alcohol when he told the Ephesians, "and be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;" (Eph. 5:18).
Distinguishing between the two definitions of wine can be difficult at times and this has led to false doctrines being taught and Bible “contradictions”. If we remember that God’s Word will always interpret God’s Word, then we can understand each reference of wine.
God promised the Israelites many items within the Promised Land in the book of Deuteronomy:
"And thou shalt bestow that money for whatsoever thy soul lusteth after, for oxen, or for sheep, or for wine, or for strong drink, or for whatsoever thy soul desireth: and thou shalt eat there before the Lord thy God, and thou shalt rejoice, thou, and thine household…" - 14:26
The Lord promised both wine and strong drink (a reference to alcohol). This verse is commonly used to show that it is okay to drink alcohol in moderation. Elsewhere, God stated that the Israelites did not drink wine or strong drink:
"Ye have not eaten bread, neither have ye drunk wine or strong drink: that ye might know that I am the Lord your God." - Deuteronomy 29:6
If we look at Deuteronomy 14:26, 29:6, and 32:14 we either have a contradiction or evidence to support occasional drinking of alcohol. Removing this “contradiction” is simple. Wine, in verses 14:26 and 29:6, is referring to alcohol. This would mean that the Israelites drank unfermented wine (Deut. 32:14) only. Furthermore, the prophet Isaiah stated that the Israelites would drink wine around the Temple:
“The Lord hath sworn by his right hand, and by the arm of his strength, Surely I will no more give thy corn to be meat for thine enemies; and the sons of the stranger shall not drink thy wine, for the which thou hast laboured: But they that have gathered it shall eat it, and praise the Lord; and they that have brought it together shall drink it in the courts of my holiness." - 62:8-9
Does this mean that God allowed the Jews to drink alcohol if they didn’t get drunk? Look at Deuteronomy 14:26 carefully:
“… and thou shalt eat there before the Lord thy God, and thou shalt rejoice, thou, and thine household…"
Notice that only eating is mentioned. Another verse explains the purpose for God providing Israel with strong wine:
"And the drink offering thereof shall be the fourth part of an hin for the one lamb: in the holy place shalt thou cause the strong wine to be poured unto the Lord for a drink offering." - Numbers 28:7
The items listed in Deuteronomy 14:26 were items used in offerings (Ex. 20:24; Lev. 1:10; Num. 7:17, 23, 65, and 28:7). God Himself would give to the Israelites, so that they could offer sacrifices to Him out of their abundance (Deut. 28:1-8).
Did Jesus Drink Alcohol?
Jesus and his disciples drank wine at the Lord’s Supper:
"But I say unto you, I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine, until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father's kingdom." - Matthew 26:29
"Verily I say unto you, I will drink no more of the fruit of the vine, until that day that I drink it new in the kingdom of God." - Mark 14:25
"For I say unto you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine, until the kingdom of God shall come." - Luke 22:18
Jesus was also seen drinking wine by the Pharisees in the book of Luke:
“For John the Baptist came neither eating bread nor drinking wine; and ye say, He hath a devil. The Son of man is come eating and drinking; and ye say, Behold a gluttonous man, and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners!” - 7:33-34
Scripture with Scripture shows us that Jesus did not drink alcohol – it was grape juice and He drank it openly. The Bible states that Jesus Christ is our high priest (Heb. 2:17, 4:15), that He is holy (Rev. 15:4), and that He is without sin (2 Cor. 5:21; Heb. 4:15, 9:14; 1 Peter 2:22; 1 Jn. 3:5). This is important to understand because under the Mosaic Law which established the rules for the high priest, this individual was not allowed to drink alcohol:
"Do not drink wine nor strong drink, thou, nor thy sons with thee, when ye go into the tabernacle of the congregation, lest ye die: it shall be a statute for ever throughout your generations: And that ye may put difference between holy and unholy, and between unclean and clean;" - Leviticus 10:9-10
If Jesus drank alcohol, then He could not be our high priest. That means that He had sin and that He could not take away our sins. If our Lord drank alcohol, then we are still dead in our sins! Anyone teaching that Jesus Christ drank alcohol is teaching heresy!
Did Jesus Turn Water into Alcohol or Grape Juice?
"And there were set there six waterpots of stone, after the manner of the purifying of the Jews, containing two or three firkins apiece. Jesus saith unto them, Fill the waterpots with water. And they filled them up to the brim. And he saith unto them, Draw out now, and bear unto the governor of the feast. And they bare it. When the ruler of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and knew not whence it was: (but the servants which drew the water knew;) the governor of the feast called the bridegroom, And saith unto him, Every man at the beginning doth set forth good wine; and when men have well drunk, then that which is worse: but thou hast kept the good wine until now." - John 2:6-10
Another teaching is that Christ gave alcohol as his first miracle. The problem with this notion is that Jesus would have created an atmosphere for the guests to sin - which is condemned by God:
"Woe unto him that giveth his neighbour drink, that puttest thy bottle to him, and makest him drunken also, that thou mayest look on their nakedness!" - Habakkuk 2:15
John recorded that each of the six waterpots contained two or three firkins each. One firkin is approximately nine gallons. Each waterpot would hold somewhere between 18 and 27 gallons and there were six waterpots.
18 x 6 = 108
27 x 6 = 162
Jesus would have created between 108 and 162 gallons of alcohol. That is enough to get an entire army drunk! King Solomon mentioned that drunkenness leads to one-night stands, fighting, crude language, and passing out (Prov. 23:29-31) which are all sins.
Remember, this was a wedding feast (Jn. 2:1) with a ruler, governor, and servants (Jn. 2:9). This was not a small party. The wine that Jesus made was found to be delicious (Jn. 2:10). If Christ had turned the water into alcoholic wine, there would have been a lot of drunken men and women at this event - not exactly a holy miracle. Jesus turned the water into an exquisite grape juice.
Should a Christian Drink Alcohol Part 1?
“All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient…” from 1 Corinthians 6:12 is one of the passages that is used to give permission to Christians to drink alcoholic beverages. We should never take a single verse out of context, however, and must look at the surrounding verses:
“All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any. Meats for the belly, and the belly for meats: but God shall destroy both it and them. Now the body is not for fornication, but for the Lord; and the Lord for the body. And God hath both raised up the Lord, and will also raise up us by his own power. Know ye not that your bodies are the members of Christ? shall I then take the members of Christ, and make them the members of an harlot? God forbid. What? know ye not that he which is joined to an harlot is one body? for two, saith he, shall be one flesh. But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit. Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body. What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.” - 6:12-20
The context of this message from the Apostle Paul ties into his message from Galatians chapter five. Paul told the Galatians, “for, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another” (5:13). Just because we can do something does not mean we that should do something. Paul specifically mentioned fornication which is one of the warnings that King Soloman gave when speaking of the dangers of alcohol in Proverbs 23:29-31. Scripture will always interpret Scripture.
Should a Christian Drink Alcohol Part 2?
Another example of rightly dividing and looking at all Scripture can be found in 1 Timothy:
“A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach; Not given to wine, no striker, not greedy of filthy lucre; but patient, not a brawler, not covetous;” - 3:2-3
The context here is clearly alcohol. If Paul were referring to non-alcoholic wine, then a pastor would not be able to partake in Communion (see lesson). There is another “contradiction” in this same epistle. Near the conclusion Paul told Timothy:
“Drink no longer water, but use a little wine for thy stomach's sake and thine often infirmities." - 5:23
There are two possible conclusions that we can draw from this passage:
1) Paul was referring to grape juice. Grape juice contains plenty of Vitamin C which helps support the body’s immune system.
2) Alcohol can be used for medicinal purposes. Notice that Paul told Timothy to use a small amount of wine for his infirmities.
We should not use this passage to justify Christians consuming alcoholic beverages because this passage specifically refers to combating sickness. An example of this in modern times would be Nyquil. Nyquil contains 10% alcohol and other ingredients, so a person can rest and get over their sickness.
Both conclusions can be justified given the context of illness. Proverbs 31:4-7 addresses this specifically:
“It is not for kings, O Lemuel, it is not for kings to drink wine; nor for princes strong drink: Lest they drink, and forget the law, and pervert the judgment of any of the afflicted. Give strong drink unto him that is ready to perish, and wine unto those that be of heavy hearts. Let him drink, and forget his poverty, and remember his misery no more."
The second half of this verse is speaking of an individual that is dying. We must keep in mind that the book of Proverbs is an Old Testament Jewish book which means that alcohol was not permitted. With that in mind, we should rightly divide this passage to say:
“It is not for kings, O Lemuel, it is not for kings to drink wine (alcohol); nor for princes strong drink (alcohol): Lest they drink, and forget the law, and pervert the judgment of any of the afflicted. Give strong drink (alcohol) unto him that is ready to perish (a person on their deathbed), and wine (grape juice) unto those that be of heavy hearts. Let him drink, and forget his poverty, and remember his misery no more (referring back to the individual that is dying)."
This passage is not condoning drunkenness to ease suffering. Just as Nyquil contains alcohol to put a person to sleep, there were medicines used that produced a similar effect. What’s more, strong drink/alcohol was used as an antiseptic showing that it did have a purpose beyond drink offerings.
Alcohol is classified as a Central Nervous System depressant, meaning that it slows down brain functioning and neural activity. Alcohol does this by enhancing the effects of the neurotransmitter GABA.
Alcohol can depress the central nervous system so much that it results in impairment such as slurred speech, unsteady movement, disturbed perceptions, and an inability to react quickly. Mentally, alcohol reduces an individual’s ability to think rationally, lessens inhibitions, and distorts judgment.
God is most definitely not telling people to drink away their sorrows!
1 Timothy 3:3 states that a pastor cannot drink alcohol, but does that include medicinal purposes? Sometimes the Bible will give an absolute statement with exceptions that are stated directly, and other times, we must look at multiple passages and apply common sense. An example of the former can be found here:
“Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power. For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet. The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death. For he hath put all things under his feet. But when he saith all things are put under him, it is manifest that he is excepted, which did put all things under him. And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all.” - 1 Corinthians 15:24-28
The Bible says that all things will be subject to Jesus Christ. That is an absolute statement. However, the Apostle Paul clarifies that statement does not include God the Father being subjected to God the Son.
An example of an absolute statement without clarification can be found in Paul’s letter to the Ephesians:
“Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right. Honour thy father and mother; which is the first commandment with promise; That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth.” - 6:1-3
It is evident through both Scripture and common sense that children should not obey their parents if they are being told to do evil. No child should obey if they are told to lie, commit fornication, steal, etc.
The Bible tells us to be sober minded (1 Thess. 5:6, Titus 1:8, 1 Peter 1:13) and that is especially true for pastors. However, sometimes there are instances when we cannot fulfil this command for medical reasons. A person that had an operation will need to be medicated post-surgery for recovery. A person that is extremely sick requires medication, so that their body can heal. Narcotics that are necessary for pain relief prevent a person from being sober minded temporarily. We live in a fallen world where sickness and injury are a reality – and pastors are not immune that fact.
There is the possibility that pastors are forbidden from drinking alcohol including the kind found in medications such as Nyquil, however. If we look at the requirements for the offices of bishop and deacon, we will see that they are similar, but there is one notable difference:
“Likewise must the deacons be grave, not doubletongued, not given to much wine…” - 1 Timothy 3:8
The pastor is given the instruction of “not given to wine” and the deacon “not given to much wine”.
Again, we know that this wine cannot be referring to grape juice because that would be limiting fellowship with the brethren through Communion. It is possible that due to the position that a pastor holds, God does not want a pastor to be under the influence of medicine containing alcohol and for deacons to use medicinal alcohol as a last resort. Pastors are held to a higher standard than deacons.
Should a Christian Drink Alcohol Part 3?
Believers are not under the Law (Rom. 10:4). That does not mean that we should disregard the Old Testament though. The Apostle Paul said that we are to look at all of God’s Word (2 Tim. 3:16) to form sound doctrine. Do we disregard the doctrine of creation found in Genesis chapter 1 because it is an Old Testament book? Of course not. Another example is the importance of setting aside a day of rest i.e. the Sabbath. Under the Law, the Sabbath was Saturday. Under the New Testament, it is whichever day we choose (Col. 2:16). God Himself rested on the seventh day of creation (Gen. 2:2). The Sabbath is still important to God and a day of rest is needed for our mental and physical health; however, we are not required to stone anyone that does not keep a Sabbath (Ex. 31:14).
Other than for medicinal purposes and drink offerings under the Mosaic Law, the Bible does not speak of alcohol in a positive light. If we listen to the instructions of Isaiah and Paul (Is. 28:10; 2 Tim. 2:15, 3:16), then we can see how God views alcohol. That should be enough of a reason for believers to avoid this drink.