Is this true that Jesus drank alcoholic wine as the lyrics, “Cause I heard Jesus, He drank wine”? Some question this. What kind of wine did Jesus drink? Did Jesus drink intoxicating amounts of wine?
The Definition of Biblical Wine
The word “wine” in the Bible is not always alcoholic or equivalent to modern wine. The Bible uses one Greek word for “wine” and “grape juice” which could mean alcoholic wine of varying amounts or non-alcoholic grape juice (1 Tim 3:8; Titus 2:3). The Hebrew word for “wine” is yayin and the Greek is oinos (MT; LXX). Biblical “wine” is grape juice that may or may not have fermented. However, the wine of today has considerably more alcohol than wine in the first century because of modified yeast. The Bible includes a number of examples of unfermented “wine”:
- “Wine” is the blood of the grape (Gen 49:11–12, Heb. yayin, Gr. oinos LXX; Deut 32:14, Heb. chemer; Gr. oinos LXX).
- The vineyard is the place of “red wine” (Isa 27:2, Heb. chemer).
- “Wine” refers to the grape juice from the grapes of the field (Deut 11:14; 2 Chr 31:5, Heb. tirosh; Gr. oinos LXX; Jer 40:10, 12, Heb. yayin; Gr. oinos LXX).
- Scripture describes “wine” that is in the grape (Isa 65:8, Heb. tirosh).
- The grape juice of the wine-press is “wine” (Prov 3:10, Heb. tirosh; Gr. oinos LXX; Isa 16:10; Jer 48:33, Heb. yayin; Gr. oinos LXX).
These references reveal that the word “wine” in Hebrew and Greek often refers to non-alcoholic grape juice in the Bible. Linguistics requires that one begin with the generic meaning and then determine other specific meanings of a word by its context and, or use.
In reading the Old Testament, Bible translations represent six different Hebrew words “wine” for which one word excludes alcohol. This word is asis meaning “sweet grape juice” or “new grape juice.” The word has no reference to alcohol, yet translators have interpreted it as “wine” to avoid interpreting the contexts with nuances and ambiguity. Therefore, the word “wine” does not necessarily mean alcoholic wine in the Bible.
The Bible does not appear to contain one positive statement about intoxicating wine or any such drink. The Bible does include positive words about generic “wine” that is grape juice (Gen 14:18; Num 15:5–10; Deut 14:26; Ps 104:15; Isa 55:1; Amos 9:14; John 2:1–11; 1 Tim 5:23). References to “strong drink” or “liquor” in the Bible refer to cider in biblical translations of sikera, σικερα, according to Danker and Gingrich’s Greek lexicon (cf. Deut 14:26; Luke 1:15; Wycliffe’s Bible).
Ancient Wine and Today’s Wine
In the Bible, alcoholic wine is not like wine today. The sugar of grape juice can only ferment to 3 or 4% alcohol with wild yeast — airborne yeast. For grape juice to exceed 4% alcohol, then the winemaker must add yeast. The yeast added to ancient wines produced between 4–11% alcohol. Alcohol kills these yeast cells and prevents levels of alcohol from exceeding ~10%. Today, wines average 12–20% alcohol due to modern fermentation by adding sulfur dioxide and Saccharomyces (a cultured GMO yeast) to a late harvest of ripened grapes with higher fructose (Winemaker Magazine, Wines & Vines, UC Davis, International Biblical Encyclopedia, “Alcohol in the Church,” Bible Wine). Today’s wine is not like biblical wine in regards to alcoholic content. Due to the later invention of distilling, strong drinks like liquor exceed 20% alcohol for which today’s wine is coming close to matching.
When reading the word “wine” in the Bible, the word may simply refer to grape juice or intoxicating wine not exceeding ~10% alcohol. The reader must interpret the word “wine” within its context to determine if it is alcoholic. However, biblical wine is certainly not like wine today.
Because of the use of the word “wine” in English Bibles, many presume that Jesus drank alcoholic wine. Jesus did not drink modern wine. The methods for fermenting highly-alcoholic wine had not yet been invented. Jesus’s opponents did accuse Him of being a “wine-drinker” from the Greek oinopoteis, because He came freely eating and also drinking grape juice unlike John the Baptist who restricted his eating and drinking (Matt 11:18–19; Luke 7:33–34). These antagonists appear to accuse Jesus of drinking alcoholic wine. However, when the reader considers the wedding that Jesus attended in Cana and Jesus’s institution of the Lord’s Supper, then His drinking of wine is not what many have presumed.
Water to Wine
What about Jesus turning water into wine? Upon reading John 2:1–11 in most English translations, many took the text as stating that Jesus turned water into intoxicating wine at the wedding in Cana, a small town in Galilee (John 2). These scriptures infer that the wedding guests “have well drunk” a large amount of oinos wine. The Greek word translated as “well drunk” is methuo meaning literally to fill or make full, and many times the word means “drunk” depending on the context. Translators correctly render methuo as “drunk” in contexts referring to drunkenness by drinking intoxicating wine or filling oneself with wine (Gingrich and Danker’s lexicon). John’s reference to the guests having “drunk well” and becoming full also implies that the wedding feast was relatively short especially if one takes this word in John 2:10 to mean that the guests were “drunk.”
In this case, Jesus either made more alcoholic wine for those who were drunk or He made more grape juice for those who would have their fill. Which is plausible: that Jesus created intoxicating wine for those who were drunk or that He made fresh “new wine,” grape juice, for those who had drunk well of the previous supply? If one interprets this passage as Jesus making alcoholic wine, then Jesus created more intoxicating wine for those who were already drunk or filled. If one perceives that the wedding guests were simply full of non-alcoholic wine, then Jesus made “new wine” with minimal to no alcohol.
Furthermore, “good wine” was limited late in winter and just before Passover when the wine had aged throughout the year (John 2:13). Jesus providing more aged and intoxicating wine would not have been an apparent miraculous sign. Jesus provided them with “good wine.” Was it “good wine” as though received from the grape press? The making of new wine would magnify Jesus’s sign because this was just before the Passover and before the first harvest of grapes. Therefore, Jesus’s production of fresh grape juice would have been an evident miraculous wonder of God.
The master of the feast depicted the situation that which the guests had filled themselves with wine from the meaning of “filled” of the Greek word methuo in John 2:9–10. A wedding feast may last a day and sometimes more (Alfred Edersheim, The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah). John depicted that many would have drunk well of the wine so the guests were full as implied by the Greek word methuo. Being filled with wine tells that this drinking of the wedding feast occurred in a short amount of time within a few hours. The guests would immediately drink the wine that Jesus made. If Jesus made alcoholic wine, Jesus would have made more intoxicating wine amounting to between 120 to 180 gallons of additional alcoholic wine. What would happen if three hundred guests “have well drunk” and then drank an additional 150 gallons of alcoholic wine? Jesus would have given each guest an additional 64 ounces of alcoholic wine. The average person would have drunk another 6–12 drinks of alcoholic wine if there were 300 guests. However, the abundance was part of the miracle like the 12 baskets of bread left over from feeding the 5,000. Maybe the wine was not meant to be consumed immediately.
Even considering a wedding party of a thousand guests who have well drunk, each person would have consumed about 19 ounces of wine. Presuming that this wine contained 10% alcohol because the scenario includes fermented wine and the guests drank it all in one day, Jesus would have aided a thousand people in binge drinking having intoxicated the guests with three additional drinks who were already intoxicated as indicated by the Greek methuo for having “well drunk.” For each guest to have had simply two more drinks, then the wedding would have had at least 1,600 attendees. Despite the number in attendance, Jesus would have presumably contributed a considerable amount of alcohol to those who were already filled with wine. For those proposing that Jesus made highly intoxicating wine like today’s wine, 16–24 ounces would intoxicate anyone at an alcoholic level of 12–15% according to the CDC. Either today’s intoxicating wine or first-century fermented wine appears to be an absurdity at this wedding.
To assume that Jesus made alcoholic wine is to assume that after everyone had drunk all the other wine, then Jesus made more intoxicating wine for all of those who had their fill. The scenario of Jesus producing alcoholic wine appears implausible and uncharacteristic of biblical commands to refrain from drunkenness. If Jesus did make a great amount of fermented wine, He would have aided the sin of drunkenness and excessive drinking and would have participated in a drinking party, which are all condemned by His disciple and apostle Peter in the Scriptures (1 Pet 4:3).
Wine and the Lord’s Supper
Did Jesus use alcoholic wine in the Lord’s Supper? What kind of wine would someone drink at a feast where yeast was thrown out? Many have assumed that Jesus drank wine because many churches have made alcoholic wine a part of the “Eucharist,” the Lord’s Supper. Did Jesus use highly alcoholic wine when He instituted the Lord’s Supper? First, the Scriptures never use the word “wine” in any of the four accounts of Jesus instituting the Lord’s Supper. Jesus mentioned the specific content of the cup containing “the fruit of the grapevine.” The passages about the Lord’s Supper make no reference to alcoholic wine. The Greek word for “wine” is never used in Scripture to describe any part of the Lord’s Supper.
Jesus instituted the Lord’s Supper during the Passover Feast. What kind of wine did the Jews use during Passover? Jesus used unleavened bread in the Passover because this is also the Feast of Unleavened Bread. Israel threw out all leaven by God’s command including the leavened bread (Exod 13:6–7). The throwing out of the yeast implies that Israel removed the grape juice fermented by the leavening of yeast. Fermented wine was not likely a part of the Passover taught by Moses. Furthermore, Jesus referred to the contents of the cup as “fruit of the grapevine” in the Lord’s Supper indicating minimal to no fermentation even from wild yeast. The intent of the cup of the Lord was not to intoxicate.
What about those who got drunk by drinking the Lord’s Supper? Getting drunk by bringing intoxicating wine to the Lord’s Supper does not mean that Jesus gave the disciples alcoholic wine in the Lord’s Supper. First Corinthians 11:21–22 depicts, “Therefore when you come together in one place, it is not to eat the Lord’s Supper. For in eating, each one takes his own supper ahead of others; and one is hungry and another is drunk [methuo]” (ESV). This passage also uses the Greek word methuo, which can mean drunk or filled (cf. John 2:10). Some ate the Lord’s Supper as a meal so that they were filled and those who drank were also filled not necessarily drunk. However, Paul could have been correcting such intoxication as well. If one assumes that these Christians became drunk in the assembly using the grape juice for the Lord’s Supper, then they must also presume that those drinking brought enough intoxicating wine to get drunk and intended to use such for the Lord’s Supper. The use of alcoholic wine implies that some of these Christians brought intoxicating wine for the church to drink together for the Lord’s Supper. They would also have decided to drink and get drunk from that wine in assembly rather than wait for others. Whether the wine was alcoholic or not, 1 Corinthians 11 neither condones alcoholic wine for the Lord’s Supper nor suggests that Jesus used alcoholic wine for His disciples to commune with Christ in remembrance of His sacrificial blood.
Warnings about Wine
Jesus warned against drunkenness and filling oneself with intoxicating drinks that trap people in this life (Luke 21:34). The Bible warns those who do drink, linger, and look at the cup (Prov 23:29–35; Rom 14:17–22). Christians can and should warn others about alcohol.
The apostle Paul revealed that those who continue in drunkenness will not inherit the kingdom of God (1 Cor 6:9–11; Gal 5:19–21). The Greek word translated “drunkenness” literally means “filling oneself” in Scripture (Eph 5:18–19; cf. Rom 13:13). Christ’s Spirit in Galatians 5:19–21 teaches that such “drunkenness” is a “work of the flesh” and “those who are doing such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.” Galatians 5 also condemned “wild parties” or “revelries” where any of the lists of sins like drunkenness would constitute a party as sinful and carnal. Paul also revealed in 1 Corinthians 6:10 that drunkards “will not inherit the kingdom of God.” Drunkenness and filling one’s body with intoxicants is a sin.
Filling oneself with alcohol is evil and compromises the sobriety of the Christian conscience and one’s heart (cf. Rom 2:14–15; 1 John 3:19–21). Christ’s words and those of His apostles and prophets urge all to avoid drunkenness, and so Christians should do likewise and warn others of drunkenness. Peter warned, “For the time that is past suffices for doing what the Nations want to do, living in sensuality, passions, drunkenness [lit. excessive drinking], orgies, drinking parties [lit. drinkings], and lawless idolatry” (1 Pet 4:3). The word for “drunkenness” in 1 Peter 4:3 is not the usual word for drunkenness, but the Greek word is oinophlugia made of two words oinos meaning “wine” and phlugia is “to do something in excess.” Excessive drinking is a sin. Furthermore, “drinking parties” is translated from the Greek word potos, which literally denotes occasions that people gather for the purpose of drinking.
The apostle Paul commanded Christians to remain sober and make no provision to become drunk on any level (1 Thess 5:8). Christ had no part with drunkenness and drinking parties, so His followers must not. According to Romans 14, Christians should not condemn their brother over a drink; although, every Christian has the scriptural example and the foresight to warn against its use and against looking at the cup (Prov 23:29–35; Rom 14:17–22). Solomon warned by the wisdom of God.
Do not look on the wine when it is red, When it sparkles in the cup, When it swirls around smoothly; At the last it bites like a serpent, And stings like a viper. Your eyes will see strange things, And your heart will utter perverse things. (Prov 23:31–33)
Therefore, “Wine is a mocker, Strong drink is a brawler, And whoever is led astray by it is not wise” (Prov 20:1). The assertions of positive statements about drinking alcohol in the Bible are private interpretations.
Conclusion
The wine that Jesus drank was not intoxicating. Alcoholic wine is not characteristic of Jesus or any godly behavior in the Bible. Jesus neither encouraged drunkenness nor drank intoxicating wine. No one can rightly reference Jesus to justify excessive drinking, drunkenness, and drinking events. The Bible neither promotes nor supports the drinking of intoxicants. God’s grace compels Christians no longer to continue in any excessive drinking of alcohol because they have been forgiven.
Let us walk properly as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, not in quarreling and jealousy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires. (Rom 13:13–14)
Bibliography
- Jeff Chorniak. “Wild Yeast: The Pros and Cons of Spontaneous Fermentation.” Winemakers Magazine. 2005. <http://winemakermag.com/758-wild-yeast-the-pros-and-cons-of-spontaneous-fermentation>.
- Jean L. Jacobson. “Upsides of Wild Fermentation.” Wine & Vines, 2012. <http://www.winesandvines.com/template.cfm?section=features&content=98687>.
- “Marking Red Table Wine.” University of California Davis, 2016. <http://wineserver.ucdavis.edu/pdf/HWM3.pdf>.
- James Orr, M.A., D.D. “Wine; Wine Press.” International Bible Encyclopedia, 1915. <http://www.studylight.org/encyclopedias/isb/view.cgi?n=9116>.
- “Alcohol in the Church.” 2016. <http://www.abidingplace.org/features/alcohol-in-the-church.html>.
- Kyle Pope. “Bible Wine.” Olsen Park church of Christ, 2013. <http://www.olsenpark.com/Sermons13/BibleWine.html>.
- Alfred Edersheim. The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah. Christian Classics Ethereal Library, 1883. <https://www.ccel.org/ccel/edersheim/lifetimes>.
Related posts:
“Reconsider the Biblical Concept of Drunkenness“
The Breath of God 
Food for thought. Is Jesus our high priest? Yes he is! We as his children are kings and priest. In the Old Testament the high priest were not allowed to partake of any fermented wine, if they did they died!!! Does it not stand to reason then that we as his children and we are kings and priest should also not partake of that which is spoken of in Proverbs, stating it is not for kings and priest to drink strong drink. Jesus came to fulfill the law perfectly would never have polluted his sinless blood with alcohol. Something that causes so much heartache, death, alcoholics in families, etc is not something in my opinion for Gods children to partake of. People justify what they want to do!!
“Does it not stand to reason then that we as his children and we are kings and priest should also not partake of that which is spoken of in Proverbs, stating it is not for kings and priest to drink strong drink.”
Good try. As usual, we have a case of someone using the Bible to prove something that isn’t there. Proverbs does not say anything about kings and priests being forbidden to drink strong drink. In fact, the word “priest” doesn’t even appear in proverbs.
Prov 31:4-5
Your right it doesn’t say the word priest but it does say kings!
Leviticus 10:9
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:
Choosing only part of the verse to make a point is not honest. They were forbidden to drink when they entered the tabernacle.
Darrell,
Thanks for pointing that out.
The technique P.L. Donahue used is a trick many Christians use to substantiate a personal position or opinion that has no biblical basis.
Gary
Some Christians would espouse an error in truth as long as the ends justifies the means. In this case since we are trying to keep people from becoming drunks its ok to promote a historical falsehood. Unfortunately the liberties of the faith are just as important as the prohibitions. Getting the two confused will result in warped grace and legalism which in turn produces self righteousness and bondage to pride. So drink up and be sure to reference
Deut 14:26
“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.”
Deut 14:26 is in the article. Those who practice drunkenness will not enter the kingdom of God (1 Cor 6:9–10; Gal 5:19–21).
Your response is why we need to present these scriptures. Reconsider.
Congratulations,
You fit in with all the others who insist on ignoring what a post actually says and inserting your own personal opinion. Deut. 14:26 says absolutely nothing about drunkenness, it talks about enjoying a glass of wine with God. But no, somehow you read drunkenness into the verse and reply with two passages that identify drunkenness as a sin, which it is. Stick to the subject Scott.
Markdeckard.
Good post!
Deut. 14:26 is just the tip of the iceberg. There are at least 138 more scriptural verses that proclaim wine and strong drink are a special blessing from God to his people, they gladden the heart of man, are extremely good, make his people radiant, those who use wine and strong drink will thrive and flourish and they bring joy to the heart. All this with the caveat that those who overindulge and become drunk are sinning.
Thanks
It’s good when it’s clear that God told every nazarine not to take any fermented drink, a nazarine, chosen, set apart to serve the Lord God. Hence every chosen of God shouldn’t take it. Thanks
I’m not quite sure what you are talking about. I didn’t find anything in my Bible about a Nazarine. There is, of course, a city called Nazareth from which Jesus originated. Those people were called Nazarenes. There is nothing within the covers of the Bible indicating God told any of them not to take any fermented drink. It’s not “clear” at all as you say in your post.
There is, however, a small group of people referred to as Nazirites who were set apart. God did tell these people not to drink wine or strong drink. He also told every Nazirite not to use vinegar, not to drink grape juice of any kind, not to eat grapes (fresh or dried, not even the seeds or skin), not to shave, not to go to funerals (be near a dead body). Hence,following your logic , “every chosen of God” shouldn’t do such things either.
Also Nazirites did not cut their hair. Samson, who never cut his hair, was a Nazirite. A Nazirite was/is one who has vowed, in particular a vow for holiness, for devotion.
Nazirites did not only eschew fermented grape juice; they did not consume any product of the grapevine.
A vow could be for any of the Nazirite vows or for all of them.
I am amazed at how many people writing treatises on Biblical wine forget they have refrigerators, which they did NOT in Biblical times. “Grape juiice”? Seriously.. for the first day or so it may indeed be such, but after a day it starts to ferment. Hence the mention in scripture about not putting “new wine” (grape juice) into old flasks or they would burst.
Fermentation would proceed until the grape sugars were all used up. About between 8 to 13 percent alcohol, depending on the grape. Most of the Israeli grapes were, in fact, quite sweet, such as the concorde. The grapes used for table wines were the lightest, however. I would think that “strong wine” refers to the concorde wines.
There is no in between, however. Grapes in the middle of fermentation have a lot of sludge, so either it would have to be immediately after harvest, as juice (new wine), or as fully completed wine. New wine was hard to come by, however, for the reaasons pointed out.
This is the bottom line about wine. 🙂
In the ancient classical world, some preserved wine in rivers and other cool places including basements. Some boiled the wine down.
As the facts in the above article, grape juice does not ferment beyond 3-4% without additional yeast.
Every reference that I have found outside this website has nonfortified wine as 8-17% ethanol. Only “nonalcoholic” dealcoholized wine has less than 0.5% (½%) ethanol just like “nonalcoholic” dealcoholized beer, near beer, has no more than 0.5% ethanol.
New wine was plentiful in Biblical times. And very alcoholic. That why we find the disciples in Acts 2:13 being accused of being drunk with new wine. This comes from the Hebrew Tirosh and Greek Gleukos and is also referred to as sweet wine. The two ingredients necessary for fermentation are found in the grape…albumen (yeast, also called leaven) and sugar. The fermentation process begins within six hours after the pressing process. It continues for up to six weeks. After a year, the vintage is still considered to be “new wine” because it is the newest wine available until the next vintage. In New Testament times, the vintage took place in September and celebrated with great rejoicing.
Bravoheys. You are spot on. This subject has been debated up and down and over and under during the past year or so. The overwhelming majority know the Bible teaches Christians should drink. There are a few, including the original author, who stubbornly cling to the unbiblical OPINION that drinking is a sin. They refuse to acknowledge the dozens and dozens of Scripture verses proving them wrong. The truth is self evident.
IMOPO (In My Own Personal Opinion) Christians avoid the appearance of what the unbelievers think is not “Christian” by avoiding all association with alcoholic beverages and, as I mentioned in another comment, brand names associated with alcoholic beverages. Seagram’s®, Jack Daniel’s®, others even though nonalcoholic products are produced by other companies that obtain licenses to use the alcoholic beverage brand names.
For everything we do, we should always be mindful of “does _______ contribute to the interests of the kingdom of God?” not, “what can I get away with and still go to heaven?”
The writer is economical with the truth. I for one, I believe when the Bible talks about wine it simply refers to fermented wine hence what is written in many areas.
The first scripture I want to refer to is ;
Proverbs 20:1
[1]WINE IS a mocker, strong drink a riotous brawler; and whoever is led astray by them is not wise. Now the question here is, are we talking about non-alcoholic wine or alcoholic wine. Can non-alcoholic one lead someone astray? At the very end of the day the bible just warns against being led astray by alcoholic wine. So it’s not a sin.
Secondly, We read scripture that Noah got drunk as a result of excessive wine drinking hence his behaviour. So what type of wine did Noah have? Of course it was alcoholic wine which he failed to have self-control on.
Thirdly, Samson was a Nazarine that was told never to take fermented or alcoholic wine. Why?
When the Bible talks about wine is a mocker beer is a brawler and whosoever is led astray by it is not wise. What type of wine is this?
Fourthly, When Paul was giving instructions to Timothy on the characteristics of leaders to choose why did he say ‘get those that don’t drink too much wine instead of telling him to get those that don’t drink? Why? Was God short of people to save him in church?Does it mean he was referring to non-alcoholic wine? If non-alcoholic wine doesn’t give problems why refer to it?
If Jesus drunk non-alcoholic wine as in Luke 7v33-35 why did they refer to him as a drunkard? Even if they were trying to be malicious with him, was there any sense in accusing someone to be a drunk yet he was taking sweet or non-fermented wine?
So what do we say? Drinking fermented wine is not a problem for as long as one exercises self-control on how much he/she takes in. If you become very foolish after taking a lot then reduce so that you are not led astray.
What do you make of this scripture?
Proverbs 23:20
[20]Do not associate with winebibbers ( heavy wine drinkers); be not among them nor among gluttonous eaters of meat. I believe that this scripture refers to alcoholic wine at the same time warning against hanging around with heavy drinkers. Meaning drinking fermented drinks is not forbidden but excessive drinking is the one forbidden.
In conclusion, Jesus too took fermented wine moderately. He had self-control over the intake.
Obese pastors cannot preach on gluttony. Though some may genuinely have physiological problems such as thyroid disorders, most just plain eat too much and eat too much of fattening foods.
Alcoholic beverages contribute to overweight, to obesity. Alcohol that is consumed faster than the liver can metabolize it is converted into fat.
So not only does drinking alcoholic beverages to excess cause drunkenness, it contributes to overweight. Both harm the “temple of the Spirit of God.”
In particular women before menopause should not touch alcoholic beverages. In modern times it has been learned that alcohol, especially methanol, of which a trace is present in alcoholic beverages, damages the ova (eggs) in a female’s ovaries. A woman’s ova are formed while she is in her own mother’s womb. They are her lifetime supply. Underweight babies, premature births, difficult births, miscarriages, birth defects, are caused by alcohol consumption. I have read of many instances of babies born to alcoholic and “moderate drinker” mothers coming out of their mothers’ wombs as alcoholics, who then go into the D.T.s (delirium tremens). The D.T.s can kill.
This is hands down the best article I have ever read on this topic! Well done!
Acts 15:28-29
“For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things: that you abstain from things offered to idols, from blood, from things strangled, and from sexual immorality. If you keep yourselves from these, you will do well.”
Someone made a fine point. Drunkards are denounced by the scriptures. Does that mean we can’t drink at all? Gluttony is also wrong. Does that mean you should not eat at all? A variety of sexual acts are wrong. Does that mean that you should have sex ever, even with your marriage partner? Sinful people abuse what is not inherently sinful. There is a thing called “degrees and limitations.” There is a thing called “moderation and self-control.” If you lack it then perhaps you shouldn’t participate in whatever it is and “pluck out your eye” so to speak as Jesus recommended at Mark 9:43-48. Does that mean everyone must blind themselves to everything? No. No everyone is the same or has the same weaknesses. We all have our own “straws and rafters.”
If the Holy Spirit had decided to add any further burden, alcohol could have easily been mentioned in the list in Acts of necessary things to abstain from. The necessary things were things already well known. It’s not like they were new commandments.
We can liberally dance around with the question of whether or not Jesus was referring to wine when it’s translated as “wine” in English. But then what of Mark 2:21-22?
“And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; otherwise the wine will burst the wineskins, and the wine will be destroyed—and the wineskins. Instead, new wine is poured into new wineskins.”
People in ancient times used the skin of a goat with its edges sewn up to make it watertight. When new wine was put in these skins, as it fermented, it would expand, stretching the wineskin. A brand new wineskin would be flexible and able to stretch but an old one that had already been stretched, could stretch no further. To put new wine into an old wineskin would only be asking for it to burst. Clearly, Jesus was speaking of the alcoholic type of wine that ferments when using the Greek word here. And clearly his illustration was familiar to his audience. Granted, that’s not to say that it can’t apply to both but clearly it is not exclusively used by Jesus or in the Christian Greek Scriptures to refer to only non-alcoholic “wine.”
Furthermore, your analysis of the wedding in Cana is deceptive because you leave out the rest of the account. John 2:9-10 says, “and the master of the banquet tasted the water that had been turned into wine. He did not know where it was from, but the servants who had drawn the water knew. Then he called the bridegroom aside and said, “Everyone serves the fine wine first, and then the cheap wine after the guests are drunk. But you have saved the fine wine until now!”
Could “drunk” mean full? Sure. But that does not make sense in scriptural or historical context. Why would you serve someone cheap grape juice when everyone is full? They’d still know it’s cheap because non-alcoholic drinks don’t dull the senses. However, anyone familiar with alcohol knows that after you have had enough alcohol you won’t detect the low quality of another drink as easily. That is why you would serve the good wine until everyone has had a few drinks and then serve the cheap stuff (even possibly watered down) at the end. It’s a simple premise. Additionally, according to Jewish wedding tradition, fermented wine was a staple commonly served at weddings. Therefore, if Jesus had provided only grape juice, the master of the feast would have complained. Instead, he said the wine was better than what was previously served.
Also, the assumption that Jesus would be wrong to provide wine is based on holding Jesus responsible for someone else’s actions. The scriptures are clear that we are ultimately held accountable for our own actions because we have free will. We can’t (like Adam and Eve) place the blame on someone else and hope to get a pass. The Jews at the feast were responsible adults and were still under the Law. They may be a little intoxicated but they should have the common sense to know their limits. Just because Jesus kindly provided more wine doesn’t mean that everyone was then required partake of it to an extreme until it was completely gone. Furthermore, (as weddings could last multiple days) some of it might have been used over the course of the week, which could also explain why he provided so much. Nowhere in the scriptures does it say “so they drink it all that night.”
In fact, even the master of the banquet’s comment doesn’t actually prove anyone was actually “drunk” to a dangerous level at that point. He’s just giving us a point of reference. But for all we know the newly weds didn’t have the money to provide the expected amount of wine for the amount of guest that showed up and (at the urging of his mother) Jesus helped them out. Likewise, with the likely very low alcohol content found in the wine, it not only would take a lot of wine to get immorally or immodestly drunk but the word used here (methuo) can be used in Greek to refer to intoxication in general. We know it’s used that way for a fact in the Christian Greek Scriptures as Acts 2:15 says, “These men are not drunk [methou] as you suppose. It is only the third hour of the day!” Clearly, Peter wasn’t referring to them being stuffed with grape juice.
Furthermore, context arises when referring to Luke 7:33-34, “For John the Baptist has come eating no bread and drinking no wine, and you say, ‘He has a demon.’ The Son of Man has come eating and drinking, and you say, ‘Look at him! A glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’” Why would Jesus make the parallels to John (who was basically designated by God as a special Nazarite) “drinking no wine,” the Son of Man “drinking,” and being thus called “a drunkard” if he was referring to grape juice? Obviously, Jesus was never a drunkard, just like he was not a glutton. He lived a completely sinless life. Hence, here it would seem that Jesus does not condemn drinking wine any more than He condemns eating bread. Again, it’s worth noting that sinful people abuse what is not inherently sinful. One could take from this that bread and wine are not sinful, but gluttony and drunkenness are. After all, Psalms 104:14-15 says of God, “You cause the grass to grow for the livestock and plants for man to cultivate, that he may bring forth food from the earth and wine to gladden the heart of man, moil to make his face shine and bread to strengthen man’s heart.”
Still not convinced? In the end, it is important to keep in mind with the wedding feast that their being “drunk” or moderately intoxicated and our modern version of being “wasted” are most likely miles apart as there was plenty of negative stigmas attached to such actions in Jewish society (such as being labeled a drunkard). There is plenty of historical evidence to suggest that Jews of that time not only drank wine and used wineskins to hold/ferment it, but also included it in their Passover celebrations. In fact, according to the Law (which was directly designed to codify sins and which Jesus fulfilled during his early ministry), intoxicating wine (the alcholic type) was NOT forbidden. At Leviticus 10:8,9 we see that there were some stipulations given to the Levites, “You and your sons are not to drink wine or other fermented drink whenever you go into the tent of meeting, or you will die. This is a lasting ordinance for the generations to come, so that you can distinguish between the holy and the common, between the unclean and the clean, and so you can teach the Israelites all the decrees the Lord has given them through Moses.” The Rechabites (a nomadic people group known for their strict rules to abstain from wine, from building houses, from sowing seed, and from planting vineyards) didn’t not drink wine and Nazarites also didn’t drink wine (including grape juice and raisins). However, we know that the Nazarite vow of John would not apply to Christ’s anointed disciples as we must consume grapes in some form when performing the commemoration of the Lord’s Supper and that Jesus himself most certainly consumed grape products as well.
What’s more, those were special stipulations. Personally, I would be wary of accusing God of an oversight after providing the Israelites such an extremely detailed Law Code. In fact, in the very detailed chapter 14 of Deuteronomy about what the Jews could and couldn’t eat according to the Law code (among other things), after commanding them on how to tithe verse 26 says about their spending, “And spend the money for whatever you desire—oxen or sheep or wine or strong drink, whatever your appetite craves. And you shall eat there before the Lord your God and rejoice, you and your household.” Even if we were to debate the word “wine” used in this scripture, the following reference to “strong drunk” unquestionable clears up whether or not God’s ancient people could buy, desire, or have alcoholic beverages.
Facts, verses, and assumptions aside, this all comes back to Romans 14. There Paul tells us:
“Accept him whose faith is weak, without passing judgment on his opinions. For one man has faith to eat all things, while another, who is weak, eats only vegetables. The one who eats everything must not belittle the one who does not, and the one who does not eat everything must not judge the one who does, for God has accepted him. Who are you to judge someone else’s servant? To his own master he stands or falls. And he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand.
One man regards a certain day above the others, while someone else considers every day alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. He who observes a special day does so to the Lord; he who eats does so to the Lord, for he gives thanks to God; and he who abstains does so to the Lord and gives thanks to God.
For none of us lives to himself alone, and none of us dies to himself alone. If we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord. For this reason Christ died and returned to life, so that He might be the Lord of both the dead and the living.
Why, then, do you judge your brother? Or why do you belittle your brother? For we will all stand before God’s judgment seat. It is written:
‘As surely as I live, says the Lord,
every knee will bow before Me;
every tongue will confess to God.’
So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God.
Therefore let us stop judging one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in your brother’s way.
I am convinced and fully persuaded in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself. But if anyone regards something as unclean, then for him it is unclean. If your brother is distressed by what you eat, you are no longer acting in love. Do not by your eating destroy your brother, for whom Christ died.
Do not allow what you consider good, then, to be spoken of as evil. For the kingdom of God is not a matter of EATING and DRINKING, but of righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit. For whoever serves Christ in this way is pleasing to God and approved by men.
So then, let us pursue what leads to peace and to mutual edification. Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food. All food is clean, but it is wrong for a man to let his eating be a stumbling block. It is better not to eat meat or DRINK WINE or to do anything to cause your brother to stumble.
Keep your belief ABOUT SUCH MATTERS between yourself and God. Blessed is the one who does not condemn himself by what he approves. But the one who has doubts is condemned if he eats, because his eating is not from faith; and everything that is not from faith is sin.”
Stumbling goes both ways. You can stumble someone who does not have doubts and isn’t over-indulging in eating or drinking by creating such doubts in an attempt to impose your conscience on them. If that happens but they persist in the action then they may no longer be eating or drinking from faith.
Likewise, if one who hasn’t solidified in their heart as to how they believe on the subject is peer pressured or convinced to follow your example of indulging in whatever it is but has doubts and is not doing so from faith, then they can, likewise, be stumbled. Reasons, understanding, and faith matter regarding the actions we take. Even when it comes to showing in the commanded Lord’s Supper told the brothers at 1 Corinthians 11:27-29, “Therefore, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. Each one must examine himself before he eats of the bread and drinks of the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without recognizing the body eats and drinks judgment on himself.”
Therefore, I recommend that all disciples of Christ abstain for the necessary things and the things that are listed regarding those that will not inherit God’s Kingdom (forms of selfishness and/or greed like Fornication, Adultery, Greed, Gluttony, Drunkards, Revelries, etc.). Be modest in your walking with God. If alcohol or wine makes you stumble, perhaps it is better that you don’t drink it at all. Show love and consideration towards your brothers by not eating or drinking or doing anything around them that might overtly tempt their personal weaknesses or cause stumble them into sin (whether their weakness be alcohol or donuts or questionable clothing or entertainment or whatever). Obviously, not everyone will have the same stumbling blocks so getting to know your fellow brothers in Christ is important in showing brotherly love. Also openly confessing your witnesses and us fostering an environment of love where we are respectful and considerate of each other when such are expressed (rather than judging one another with wicked judgments). Granted, we may have the right to do as we please, but please try to be loving and considerate.
And for those who have made up your mind and will not partake if not from faith, I commend you! All the more excellent because doing whatever it is around you will not make you stumble. You know where you personally stand. Only, be careful not to judge. And whether you eat or drink or abstain, do it for the Lord with thanksgiving as a part of your devotion and your worship.
Those that decide that wine is acceptable in moderation must be careful not to belittle the one who does not, and the one who does not drink it must not judge the one who does, for God has accepted us both. I’ve seen both sides of the argument. There is Biblical precedent that the Law code allowed it. But even more so, we know that the actual food restrictions that existed through the Law code have been abolished as well. (1 Timothy 4:1-3)
Whatever you do, friends and brothers, please assure it in your heart. Anything can become a sin if you believe it is a sin and still do it. It is a matter of intent to commit sin. Are you doing it to sin or have you assured to yourself with faith and through your relationship with God and your bond with the Holy Spirit that such actions or rejoicing is acceptable in the sight of God, when done with thanksgiving and modesty in the sight of our God and Father? Let each one of us flee from the grave sins that God does not want any part of in the Kingdom to come. And may the saving blood of Jesus Christ cover over our sins when we err as we are trying to please him but are imperfect. But all the more so, let us recognize that our Father will forgive us just as we forgive the sins of those who sin against us. Maybe faith in Jesus Christ be the uniting factor of all your actions as you pursue the righteousness leading to Christ.
Mark 7:14-20
Once again Jesus called the crowd to Him and said, “All of you, listen to Me and understand: Nothing that enters a man from the outside can defile him; but the things that come out of a man, these are what defile him.”
After Jesus had left the crowd and gone into the house, His disciples inquired about the parable.
“Are you still so dull?” He asked. “Do you not understand? Nothing that enters a man from the outside can defile him, because it does not enter his heart, but it goes into his stomach and then is eliminated.” (Thus all foods are clean.)
He continued: “What comes out of a man, that is what defiles him. For from within the hearts of men come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, wickedness, deceit, debauchery, envy, slander, arrogance, and foolishness. All these evils come from within, and these are what defile a man.”
Wow what a reply , to bad more people don’t think like you. FYI as a winemaker I think that in those times they still could have made wine with %10 Alcohol with wild yeast, the French have been doing it for hundreds of years.
Are you saying the French made wine of 10% alcohol with only airborne yeast and they did not add yeast?
Where your vineyard and winery?
It is more a function of sugar content of the grapes, higher sugar more alcohol . Yes today we have yeast that have been modified to tolerate higher alcohol but in the Old world yeast became adapted to different regions no reason not to think that the same was not true in J.C. Time on earth. Fresno CA.
Scott, the yeast isn’t airborne.. it’s a specific type of yeast that actually grows on the skin of the grape.
The drink used at the final Passover meal of Christ had to be wine. This took place in early spring. Grapes, wherein one could get fresh grape juice, would not have matured until late summer or early fall. There was NO way to preserve grape juice that long…the time between early fall and late spring. On it’s own it would have turned to wine albeit a weak wine, but wine nonetheless. To preserve it they would have either turned it to molasses OR wine. The idea in Christianity that the wine used for communion it was anything BUT wine didn’t arise until the late 1800’s with the advent of the temperance movement. In order to embrace this movement some churches began using grape juice from freshly squeezed grapes to have communion. But even this was problematic for the same reasons..some places had no fresh grapes and they still couldn’t store grape juice without it fermenting. Methodist member Thomas Welch discovered a method of pasteurizing grape juice and began selling it to churches sympathetic to the temperance movement. Thus was born Welch’s Grape Juice and the embrace of some churches to use grape juice instead of wine…something that had NEVER been done biblically or religiously before.
For passover women swept their houses to (symbolically) drive out all leaven (yeast) before baking the unleavened bread for the passover meal. Naturally no one could possibly remove every last yeast microorganism; it was symbolic of driving out all sin. Sin puffs up the heart of the sinner as yeast puffs up the bread.
We today bake unleavened bread or buy passover matzos from communion bread bakeries.