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 
Scott, thank you for addressing this question, but I think you are assuming certain questions when you attempt to answer a very simple one. Here is the simple answer to the simple question, “What kind of wine did Jesus drink?”
http://www.letusreason.org/Biblexp114.htm
http://gracethrufaith.com/ask-a-bible-teacher/did-jesus-drink-wine/
http://fallibleblogma.com/index.php/did-jesus-drink-alcohol/
God bless!
It is because of simple and erroneous answers that I did this study and posted my conclusions. I sound like you think that I am opposing all use of alcohol in this article.
You contradict your own argument. You assume wine in “modern alcohol levels” when referring to the miracle at Cana and then go on to say wine wasn’t that strong back then. Ignorance of Jewish culture compels you to assume that modern views on alcohol use via westernized religion deems all such use as sin. That is nonsense and NOT backed up by scripture. Only wishful religious thinking.
Why are you so compelled to prove Jesus was sinless. He already proved that. And Him choosing to make more BETTER quality WINE, not Welches grape juice, to celebrate a wedding which He himself used repeatedly as a metaphor for us and Him, is well within the character of Jesus. I submit you are correct that NO modern preacher would go buy wine today for a wedding when they believed the people had already drank to intoxication. But Jesus did! And that’s one more way religion puts a divide between God and man blinding us to His true character.
And BTW, many beers are barely over 3% alcohol. Do you still assume people can’t get drunk on modern beer? Let your determination to modify the truth by tainting it with modern religion be set aside.
Yes abuse of alcohol is a sin. But use is not.
Andrew, you are exactly correct. Religion is so afraid of freedom. Paul tells us to stand fast in the liberty of Christ and be not entangled again in law. Where the Spirit of the Lord is there is freedom!
Do you mean the Law of Moses and 10 commandments written and engraved on stones that is called the ministry of death (2 Cor. 3:7ff)?
Pure and undefiled religion is not afraid of freedom. Whatever you mean by religion?
This is true religion, “If anyone among you thinks he is religious, and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this one’s religion is useless. Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to oversee orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world” (Jas. 1:26-27).
Keep yourself unspotted from the world includes keeping from drunkenness (Gal. 5:19-21).
Regarding the use of alcohol, I agree with you, but you think you disagree with me. I was not condemning alcohol here in all uses. You presumed that.
You sound like you are saying that Jesus did make intoxicating wine for these people to get drunk. Is that right?
I did do an honest study and these are my conclusions that Jesus would not have provided that much intoxicating wine (20 proof) at this wedding. I doubt that He would have made 3% over 0% when as you point out would not matter much, but you have that point. Yet, if each person had only 16oz of 20 proof wine for 150 gallons, and if there were 1200 people there, the guests would have all had 3 drinks each and most everyone would have been intoxicated before Jesus made more wine, but then Jesus would have been pushing their limit toward alcohol poisoning with more. I just do not find this likely even if could really permit the idea of 1200 guests at this wedding. Imagine just 600 people or 300, and this idea of intoxicating wine does not make sense.
I enjoyed reading your article, however I feel that this argument is relatively weak. We are assuming that there were 1200 guests at the party and that each person had roughly 3 drinks apiece correct? At the end of your article, you stated that the wine drank at the Passover meal was diluted. It would stand to reason that most if not all wine back then was diluted. Weddings in this time often lasted days, sometimes weeks. My point is this, I find it hard to believe that 3 drinks of diluted alcoholic wine over the course of a couple days would be enough to make anyone “buzzed”, let alone intoxicated
The argument was considering that Jesus made wine like modern intoxicating wine. I will reconsider making that clearer. Thank you.
The wine did not last days. This was an evening was depicted in scriptures and started that day.
Also, each person have 6 drinks not just 3.
The wine IS Jesus’s Holy Blood, given to us at communion. We drink Jesus’s precious blood to save us, because He loves us. We have free will to abuse wine by getting drunk or by drinking it with meaning and appreciation. G-d gives us beautiful gifts to enjoy, its man who abuses the gifts and makes them ugly. G-d is love, and G-d loves us!
Good points.
G-d?
Yes, what a beautiful gift from heaven, to become one with Jesus. Don’t think of what it was at communion, (alcoholic wine or grape juice) think of what it turns into, Jesus’s precious blood. Praise the King of all Nations and His great love for us. Alleluia.
The Jewish faith has so much respect for the name of G-d, they spell it like this. The reason why is if His name was written on a piece of paper, dropped on the floor and someone would step on it, His name would be defiled. I’m a Christian, but the respect for His Holy name, impressed me. That’s why I write it like this now., because I respect His Holy name.
I might have replied to this before. Ex.: If you write down G-d’s name on paper and if His Holy name fell on the ground, it might be stepped on. G-d’s name is so Holy they were careful it would be respected. In the Bible the Jews were suppose to destroy all pagan gods, but always honor G-d.
Oh boy…all this human opinion commentary. Jesus is his wisdom knew there would be those legal eagles who preach don’t do this and don’t do that. Self appointed leaders who will lead the end time Church into apostasy. Jesus said, my yoke is easy and my burden is light. Let no one be your judge as to what you eat or what you drink or how you celebrate new moons or festivals. Don’t be a drunkard,a regular practicing drunk. Nothing you put into your body defiles the body ,it is what comes out of your body that defiles it. Any Elder who did not drink wine, beer and fermented drink would be denying the freedom that has been given by Jesus. Unless he had a personal weakness in that area. Otherwise all these things have been made clean under the new covenant. Enjoy, my yoke is easy.
Greetings. Per your post “This also included the throwing out of leavened grape-juice, intoxicating wine” I do not believe this to be true. Leaven in wine (yeast from grapes) is not part of the restriction. Wheat, rye, barley. oat and spelt are included in the leaven restriction. At Passover, fermented grapes are used, not grape juice. Thanks!
Okay, I hear you implying that instead of having to “remove the leaven from your houses”, then you can put it into grape juice and whatever you want as long as it is not in grain. I certainly can’t go along with this kind of reasoning.
I have a friend who thinks Jesus drank alcoholic wine too…. He just uses it as a cushion to soothe his conscious. People need to get real man! O lets all have a few drinks during fellowship before the service…. What a witness……
Amen and amen! I tell so many Christians this who support drinking, but they argue and do not believe me. God bless you!
Keep up the stand for truth. Thank you for the encouragement. May bless you!
Thank you for this informative article. I feel that so many Christians struggle to find their stance on drinking and to be honest one thing that a lot of you are forgetting aside from whether or not you can have a drink or not and not be sinning is 1 Corinthian 8 where it speaks of not causing your brother to stumble. When it comes to drinking a person should be aware-yes it may be okay to have one drink while out – but any one could assume you are “drinking” and therefore assume for them it is okay and not knowing it you just encouraged a person that may have a drinking problem ….. your Christian testimony is always at stake and the Bible says not to be of the world and drinking is one of those things that has those bad connotations . Why give anyone a reason to think. I don’t personally think you can justify 1 drink… just my opinion food for thought!
You make good points, Lauren. Considering the word “drinking”, one is drinking when having more than one drink. Now considering the CDC, those with a low body weight drinking 2 drinks are intoxicated and impaired including most women and some men, and those drinking 3 drinks are also “drinking” and all of these are intoxicated and impaired. Those drinking 4 drinks have 0.08 blood alcohol level, and cannot legally drive. It appears to me now that drinking is walking the line or justifying crossing over it.
This is an excerpt from a commentary I read. Could you tell me what you think about it? I have been praying about it, but I just don’t know the history and I have been searching for the answers. Thanks so much!
“Another point to remember is that back then people had no way of preserving juice. They had no preservatives or other modern processes to easily keep grape juice from fermenting. So once they harvested the grapes for the year and stored the juice in skins, the fermentation process naturally began. If you put juice in a container and leave it alone for a few months what do you get? Fermented, alcoholic wine. That’s what you get.
The passover feast occurred 6-7 months after the grape harvest. By then the grape juice was surely a nice shiraz, or a pinot (ok…I’m not sure how nice it was). So it would have been impossible to not have alcoholic wine for the passover and really for any occasion during the large part of any year.
And even in scripture the apostles themselves are mistakenly accused of being drunk on wine (Acts 2:13-15). First, this seems to infer that it’s not unreasonable to think the apostles may have been drinking alcoholic wine. And second, Peter responds to the accusers, not by saying that they didn’t drink alcohol or that it was bad. He responds by saying basically, “hey, we’re not drunk, it’s too early to be drinking wine.” The implication is obviously that the apostles did drink alcoholic wine, it was just too early in the day to have done so – and they certainly weren’t drunk.”
Manda,
I can recommend a little book called, “Bible Wines” by William Patton. This has good history on this matter. This is an old book (1871), but the history on this has not been enlightened anymore than then. You may find this for free online. You will find this among others support what I am stating.
Did their grape-juice (oinos) ferment? Yes, but it was not distilled like today. They did have ways to preserve their grape-juice, but not every did so or needed to. As presented above and in other articles, Jesus’ mention of “wineskins” shows that their grape-juice did ferment and expand via sugar (Matt. 9:17), but the sugar in wine does not ferment greater than 3% as cited and proved before. Yet, yeast must be added this “wine”, which feeds off its natural sugar. When I bake bread, I add sugar to the yeast to activate it. Anyways, the yeast is needed to get the grape-juice back in this time to be the equivalent of alcohol like ale is today around 10% alcohol (20 proof).
They could preserve their grape-juice back then. Olive oil was sometimes added in a small amount so that it separated from the grape-juice and rose to the top of the bottle (ceramic) thus sealing of the grape-juice from spoiling. Milk was done the same way to preserve it.
As noted in another article, yeast was thrown at the Passover including bread with yeast and also grape-juice, “wine” (Exo. 12:12-15, Deut. 16:1-4). These scriptures are adamant that leaven was not be in anyone’s house or they would be cut of from the people of Israel.
It is speculative to consider that the Apostles had been drinking any amount of alcohol in Acts 2; nevertheless, we know that they were not drunk then and commanded all others not to get drunk (1 Pet. 4:3, cf. 1 Cor. 6:9-10, Gal. 5:19-21). I do not consider them to be hypocrites. There is nothing to support the assertion of this commentary you provided.
My only instruction is as the scriptures say that we must not get drunk. Do this and you do God’s will. In this article, I have not fully addressed drinking being right or wrong. While I cannot judge the person who drinks 2 ounces of wine or half a can of beer, I also do not know of anyone who would drink like that. I find that the word drinking implies the practice of drinking more than one drink. According to the CDC, one drink gives puts a man under the influence and intoxicates the average woman, so that they should not drive. Therefore, I have personally concluded that “drinking” consists of drunkenness as condemned in scripture (Gal. 5:19-21, 1 Pet. 4:3).
Thank you for the comment. Further discussion is welcome. God bless you studies and keep praying.
Thanks so much! I really appreciate the information! God bless you as well.
YOU ARE RIGHT,THE APOSTLES WERE ACCUSED OF BEING DRUNK ON WINE!! AND THEY STILL ARE TODAY!! ARENT THEY????? THIS WAS A MOVEMENT OF THE HOLY GHOST,A MOVEMENT TO EMPOWER AND BAPTIZE THE APOSTLES BY FIRE!! THIS WAS A PURGING SENT FROM HEAVEN,IT MAY BE HARD FOR SOMEONE WHO HASNT RECIEVED THE BAPTIZM IN THE HOLY GHOST TO UNDERSTAND.
also, from the wisdom of Solomon: Wisdom 2:7 KJVA
Let us fill ourselves with costly wine and ointments: and let no flower of the spring pass by us
Sophia (that is Wisdom) hath builded her house, she hath hewn out her seven pillars: she hath emptied her breasts: she hath mingled her wine; she hath also furnished her table. She hath sent forth her maidens: she crieth upon the highest places of the city. Whoso made himself simple, let him turn in hither: as for him that wanteth understanding, she saith unto him, “Come eat of my bread, and drink of my wine which I have mingled, forsake the foolish, and live: and go in the way of understanding. He that reproveth a scorner getteth to himself shame; and he that rebuketh a wicked man getteth himself a blot. Reprove not a scorner, lest he hate thee: rebuke a wise man, and he will love thee. Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be yet wiser: teach a just man and he will increase in Gnosis. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: and the Gnosis of the holy is understanding.”
for a beter understanding of “Sophia” or “Gnosis” personally I really love the wisdom of solomon and also of Jesus of Sirach. Sometimes the wisdom of Jesus of Sirach is refered to as “Ben Sira”
If you don’t understand the reference to Elohim and Yahweh and their FATHER (Creator) yes, the creator of your creator is Sabboath, you can read more about creation here, from the earliest source I know of, if you have an older one I would enjoy it.
http://www.gnosis.org/naghamm/origin.html (Origins of the world)
http://www.gnosis.org/naghamm/apocjn.html (Apocrypha of John)
both of these are from the Nag Hammadi.
the wine that Jesus drank and advised us to drink, DAILY, was called Sophia (Wisdom).
christinity comes from coptic and gnosis beleifs.
see gnosis.org
earlychristianwritings.com
biblestudytools.com/apocrypha/kjva/
Christianity comes from Christ. You’re not really on subject in these promotions, but I’m curious. Do you consider Christ greater than all virtue? Is God great than love, less than love, or is He love?
The wisdom of Jesus of Sirach (Christ wrote the first 51 chapters while his grandson, the son of Sirach (also named Jesus finished off the last 2).
chapter 31:27 KJVA (meaning with Apocrypha)
Wine is as good as life to a man, if it be drunk moderately: what life is then to a man that is without wine? for it was made to make men glad.
From the Gospel of Thomas from the Nag Hammadi discovery:
(16) Jesus said, “Men think, perhaps, that it is peace which I have come to cast upon the world. They do not know that it is dissension which I have come to cast upon the earth: fire, sword, and war. For there will be five in a house: three will be against two, and two against three, the father against the son, and the son against the father. And they will stand solitary.”
yahweh/elohim.. christianity..
sabboath was the father of BOTH Elohim (Cain) and Yahweh (Abel)
Remember the Sabboath and kep it holy, remember?
you speak of a church that stands on and uses law, a church today has a business liscence, and a business is a “legal fictition”, todays church stands BEHIND and ON TOP of the LIE.
if I tell you the truth, I testify, or bear witness.
if I lie to you I attempt to “Control” your “Mind” with “Fictitions”
mind = mental
control = govern
governmental..
yes, God is LOVE, which is of FREEWILL
MIND CONTROL is of SLAVERY, think on it..
the truth is before your face
(5) Jesus said, “Recognize what is in your sight, and that which is hidden from you will become plain to you . For there is nothing hidden which will not become manifest.”
Very presumptuous. -> “you speak of a church that stands on and uses law, a church today has a business liscence, and a business is a “legal fictition”, todays church stands BEHIND and ON TOP of the LIE.”
The Church is not a business even legally nor are our congregations.
Yet, I thank for your reply. I’ve studied much of gnosticism and had yet to hear of someone professing Gnosis today.
no one professes gnosis, it just is.
gnosis is served by the All.
it is the wine of Sophia (wisdom)
Without gnosis, there is no religion in truth.
Solomon and Jesus wrote alot about it, that more than anything else.
(39) Jesus said, “The pharisees and the scribes have taken the keys of knowledge (gnosis) and hidden them. They themselves have not entered, nor have they allowed to enter those who wish to. You, however, be as wise as serpents and as innocent as doves.”
So even before he died, the gnosis was there.
Could it be it was there at the beginning of all things, for from it all things were created?
(28) Jesus said, “I took my place in the midst of the world, and I appeared to them in flesh. I found all of them intoxicated; I found none of them thirsty. And my soul became afflicted for the sons of men, because they are blind in their hearts and do not have sight; for empty they came into the world, and empty too they seek to leave the world. But for the moment they are intoxicated. When they shake off their wine, then they will repent.”
(47) Jesus said, “It is impossible for a man to mount two horses or to stretch two bows. And it is impossible for a servant to serve two masters; otherwise, he will honor the one and treat the other contemptuously. No man drinks old wine and immediately desires to drink new wine. And new wine is not put into old wineskins, lest they burst; nor is old wine put into a new wineskin, lest it spoil it. An old patch is not sewn onto a new garment, because a tear would result.”
we are the wine of God in ourselves, aging till maturity.
our very flesh is representative of sophia, our skin or “wineskin”
our bones are the outer fence of our mortal prison, we are a representation of the whole, inside out, yet none seem to understand.
(80) Jesus said, “He who has recognized the world has found the body, but he who has found the body is superior to the world.”
(113) His disciples said to him, “When will the kingdom come?”
“It will not come by waiting for it. It will not be a matter of saying ‘here it is’ or ‘there it is.’ Rather, the kingdom of the father is spread out upon the earth, and men do not see it.”
(2) Jesus says:
(1) “The one who seeks should not cease seeking until he finds.
(2) And when he finds, he will be dismayed.
(3) And when he is dismayed, he will be astonished.
(4) And he will be king over the All.”
(3) Jesus says:
(1) “If those who lead you say to you: ‘Look, the kingdom is in the sky!’
then the birds of the sky will precede you.
(2) If they say to you: ‘It is in the sea,’ then the fishes will precede you.
(3) Rather, the kingdom is inside of you, and outside of you.”
(4) “When you come to know yourselves, then you will be known,
and you will realize that you are the children of the living Father.
(5) But if you do not come to know yourselves, then you exist in poverty, and you are poverty.”
have you read the wisdom of solomon?
it talks much of righteousness, which causes God to send down his reward whilst we are here in the flesh, and that reward is the wine of Wisdom (Sophia). It is a really good read.
http://www.biblestudytools.com/kjva/wisdom/
and the writings of Jesus (51 chapters) and his grandson (last 2 chapters only)
http://www.biblestudytools.com/kjva/ben-sira/
a link to the bible I use myself:
I greatly enjoy the Nag Hammadi writings as well.
I also own a copy of Sophia Pistis, (which I don’t really find as great a connection in)
I am a homeless wanderer BTW, so if i don’t respond for a couple days you understand.
(58) Jesus said, “Blessed is the man who has suffered and found life.”
(69) Jesus said, “Blessed are they who have been persecuted within themselves. It is they who have truly come to know the father. Blessed are the hungry, for the belly of him who desires will be filled.”
God be with you.
have a nice day.
Where in the world did you get your information? You are preaching false hood. Wine is not juice. Even back in history wine is known as fermented juice….hince wine, not juice. there is a passage in Bible where it stated “drink a little bit for what ails you.” Way back in history water was known to cause people to get sick from pathogens growing in it. Wine was safe to drink because the alcohol killed off certain pathogens. Water and juice, alone, CAN NOT do this. In addition to say people could raise the alcohol content is to say they didnt know what sugar was. Simply adding sugar will raise the alcohol percentage. AND you need a higher content to get the wine sterile. A low percentage of alcohol will not ward off pathogen, but will cause it to go bad. Drunkness is not approved in the Bible and people were not condemn for drinking. It is possible to drink and not be an idiot. Where did I get my info….I’m a wine maker.
Hi Gibx,
I am not addressing drinking here or saying all wine is non-alcoholic in the Bible. I’m just saying that Jesus did not turn water into alcoholic wine. That is why I wrote this. Many are surprised by this. Many have been deceived in the past that the Bible permitted something. For example, “servants” have been mistranslated as “slaves” in English translations. Enslaving people is condemned (1 Tim. 1:10). The Bible says that these “slaves” can come and go as they want (Deut. 23:15-16). The same is true of the word translated “wine”. We often think of alcohol.
Look at these scriptures right here taken from the above article and decide for yourself. The grape juice from the grapes of the field is called “wine” (Deut. 11:14, 2 Chron. 31:5). How can that be? “Wine” is mentioned to be in the grape (Isa. 65:8). How can that be? The blood of the grape is called “wine” (Deut. 32:14). The vineyard is describe of consisting of “red wine” (Isa. 27:2). The grape juice of the wine-press is called “wine” too (Prov. 3:10). Biblical “wine” may be alcoholic or not at all. In reading the Old Testament, the Hebrew words that are translated “wine” are asis meaning “sweet grape juice” or “new grape juice” while another word, hemer, simply means “grape juice”, which have no reference to alcohol and yet are translated “wine”.
I’m willing to reconsider, but these scriptures are very decisive and so are the sources concerning wine fermentation. Take care.