WINKING AT DRINKING
Does the Bible
Support Drinking
Alcohol as a Beverage?
Support of Alcohol?
 Some passages are cited in an attempt
to support the use of alcohol.
 We will examine some of these
passages.
 Our goal is to see if the Bible supports
the use of alcohol as a beverage.
John 2:1-5
1On
the third day there was a wedding in Cana
of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there.
2Now both Jesus and His disciples were
invited to the wedding. 3And when they ran out
of wine, the mother of Jesus said to Him,
“They have no wine.”
4Jesus said to her, “Woman, what does your
concern have to do with Me? My hour has not
yet come.”
5His mother said to the servants, “Whatever He
says to you, do it.”
John 2:6-8
6Now
there were set there six waterpots of
stone, according to the manner of purification
of the Jews, containing twenty or thirty gallons
apiece. 7Jesus said to them, “Fill the waterpots
with water.” And they filled them up to the brim.
8And He said to them, “Draw some out now,
and take it to the master of the feast.” And they
took it.
John 2:9-10
9When
the master of the feast had tasted the
water that was made wine, and did not know
where it came from (but the servants who had
drawn the water knew), the master of the feast
called the bridegroom. 10And he said to him,
“Every man at the beginning sets out the good
wine, and when the guests have well drunk,
then the inferior. You have kept the good wine
until now!”
Support of Alcohol?
John 2:1-10
 It is argued that Jesus made intoxicating
wine.
 Jesus, thus, approved drinking in
moderation.
Support of Alcohol?
John 2:1-10
 If this was intoxicating wine, Jesus
would have been guilty of sin.
 Habakkuk 2:15 – “Woe to him who
gives drink to his neighbor.”
Support of Alcohol?
John 2:1-10
 The phrase “well drunk” (methusthosin)
has reference to being full, not drunk.
 Psalm 23:5 – “You prepare a table
before me in the presence of my
enemies; You anoint my head with oil;
My cup runs over.”
Support of Alcohol?
John 2:1-10
 The phrase “well drunk” (methusthosin)
has reference to being full, not drunk.
 Ephesians 5:18 – “And do not be drunk
with wine, in which is dissipation; but be
filled with the Spirit,”
Support of Alcohol?
John 2:1-10
 Some think that “good wine” means
intoxicating wine.
 They regarded unfermented wine as of
higher quality than any other.
 Reason: It took care to prevent
fermentation.
Support of Alcohol?
John 2:1-10
Pliny, Plutarch, and Horace all mention
that the best wine was that which was
“destitute of spirit.”
Support of Alcohol?
Luke 7:31-32
31
And the Lord said, “To what then shall I liken the
men of this generation, and what are they like?
32They are like children sitting in the marketplace
and calling to one another, saying:
‘We played the flute for you,
And you did not dance;
We mourned to you,
And you did not weep.’
Support of Alcohol?
Luke 7:33-35
33For
John the Baptist came neither eating bread nor
drinking wine, and you say, ‘He has a demon.
34The Son of Man has come eating and drinking,
and you say, ‘Look, a glutton and a winebibber, a
friend of tax collectors and sinners!’
35But wisdom is justified by all her children.”
Support of Alcohol?
Luke 7:31-35
 Enemies of Jesus accused Him of being
a winebibber.
 They also accused Him of being a
glutton.
 They also charged John of having a
demon.
Support of Alcohol?
Luke 7:31-35
 Do you believe these other charges?
 These are trumped up charges by His
enemies.
 Even to admit that Jesus drank “wine”
does not prove alcohol consumption.
Support of Alcohol?
Luke 7:31-35
 The charge is one of contrast with John.
 John was under a Nazarite vow.
 Nazarites could not eat any grape
product in any form – raisins, fresh
grapes, juice, or fermented.
Support of Alcohol?
Numbers 6:1-4
the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 2“Speak to
the children of Israel, and say to them: ‘When either a
man or woman consecrates an offering to take the
vow of a Nazirite, to separate himself to the LORD,
3he shall separate himself from wine and similar
drink; he shall drink neither vinegar made from wine
nor vinegar made from similar drink; neither shall he
drink any grape juice, nor eat fresh grapes or raisins.
4All the days of his separation he shall eat nothing
that is produced by the grapevine, from seed to skin.
1Then
Support of Alcohol?
Acts 2:13
 Others mocking said, “They are full of new
wine.”
 Not “drunk” but “full”.
 Not alcoholic wine but “new wine” (gleukos –
grape juice).
 See study of John 2.
Support of Alcohol?
Acts 2:13
 Peter did not argue – “We are not
drunk.”
 All knew this was not the charge.
 He argued – “It is too early in the day to
be full.”
Support of Alcohol?
Colossians 2:16
 So let no one judge you in food or in
drink, or regarding a festival or a new
moon or sabbaths,
 We must not judge another about what
they eat or drink.
 Matthew 7:1 - “Judge not, that you be
not judged.
Support of Alcohol?
Colossians 2:16
 We must not judge another’s –
 Eternal
destiny
 Motives
 Intention
of heart
 We cannot write the rules for others.
Support of Alcohol?
1 Timothy 3:8
 Likewise deacons must be reverent, not
double-tongued, not given to much
wine, not greedy for money,
 Some see a difference in “much wine”
and “no wine” for elders.
Support of Alcohol?
1 Timothy 3:8
 In both Hebrew and Greek the use is
different than in English.
 Here are some examples to study -
Support of Alcohol?
1 Timothy 3:8
 Ecclesiastes 7:17 - Do not be overly
wicked, Nor be foolish:
 Is
it OK to be a “little” wicked?
 James 1:21 - Therefore lay aside all
filthiness and overflow of wickedness,
 Is
a less amount of wickedness approved?
Support of Alcohol?
1 Timothy 3:8
 1 Peter 4:4 - In regard to these, they
think it strange that you do not run with
them in the same flood of dissipation,
speaking evil of you.
 Does
God approve of dissipation (excess)
if it is less than a “flood”?
Support of Alcohol?
1 Timothy 5:23
 No longer drink only water, but use a
little wine for your stomach’s sake and
your frequent infirmities.
 Is
Timothy commanded to drink wine?
 Is
this “wine” alcoholic?
 Is
this a beverage or medicine?
Support of Alcohol?
1 Timothy 5:23
 Use of this passage is grasping for 2
reasons:
 Medicinal – not as a beverage
 Intoxicating – most likely not
Support of Alcohol?
1 Timothy 5:23
 Pliny stated that wines most adapted to
the sick were wines that had their forces
broken by the strainer.
 Pliny, Columella, and Philo all stated
that wines which were destitute of
strength were exceedingly useful to the
body.
WINKING AT DRINKING
Does the Bible
Prohibit Drinking
Alcohol as a Beverage?
Prohibitions Against
Drunkenness vs. Drinking
 Ephesians 5:18 - And do not be drunk with
wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with
the Spirit,
 Galatians 5:21 - envy, murders, drunkenness,
revelries, and the like; of which I tell you
beforehand, just as I also told you in time
past, that those who practice such things will
not inherit the kingdom of God.
Prohibitions Against
Drunkenness vs. Drinking
 The Bible condemns drunkenness!
 Most people condemn “drunkenness”
but not drinking alcohol as a beverage.
 American Medical Association – “There
is no minimum blood alcohol which can
be set at which there will be absolutely
no effect.”
Prohibitions Against
Drunkenness vs. Drinking
 The word “drunkenness” (Greek –
methuo) is used in Ephesians 5:18.
 And do not be drunk with wine, in which
is dissipation; but be filled with the
Spirit.
 W. E. Vine – “To make drunk, or grow
drunk, marking the process of the state
expressed, to become intoxicated”
Prohibitions Against
Drunkenness vs. Drinking
 Young & Haynes – “To begin to be
softened”
 E. W. Bullinger – “To grow drunk”
 Thayer – “To get drunk, to become
intoxicated”
Prohibitions Against
Drunkenness vs. Drinking
 Why does God condemn drunkenness?
 What is the “sin” in being intoxicated?
 Why is this a sin which would prevent
one from entering heaven?
 Think with me for a minute:
Prohibitions Against
Drunkenness vs. Drinking
 What is worse? What would God
condemn?
drinks – passed out
 11 drinks – vomit
 10 drinks – stumble, stagger
 9 drinks – loosen up, inhibitions gone
 12
Prohibitions Against
Drunkenness vs. Drinking
 What is worse? What would God
condemn?
drinks – speech slurred
 6 drinks – vision distorted
 4 drinks – life of party, happy, silly
 1 drink – begin to lose judgment and
morals are impaired
8
Prohibitions Against
Drunkenness vs. Drinking
 I have never met a person who claims
to drink socially who has never admitted
getting a “buzz”.
 Is there such a person who drinks
socially, but never gets drunk?
 Does such a creature really exist?
Prohibitions Against
Influence on Others
 Romans 14:21 - It is good neither to eat meat
nor drink wine nor do anything by which your
brother stumbles or is offended or is made
weak.
 Is there any debate that some are led into
drunkenness, alcoholism, and other sins, by
our example?
 Is there any question about the negative
influence upon others if an elder or preacher
drinks?
WINKING AT DRINKING
What About
Social Drinking?
Serious Questions
 Is the sin drinking or being drunk?
 Does the place matter – home, tavern,
wedding reception?
 What is the sin involved with alcohol?
 Does 1 Timothy 5:23 approve social
drinking?
Serious Questions
 1 Timothy 5:23
 Think about this:
 If
Timothy were already drinking alcohol as
a beverage, socially, with every meal, it
would not be necessary to urge him to take
some more.
 You cannot straddle the fence here.
Serious Questions
 John 2:1-10
 Did Jesus make intoxicating wine?
 Jesus could not violate Habakkuk 2:15.
 Habakkuk 2:15 – “Woe to him who gives drink to
his neighbor, Pressing him to your bottle, Even to
make him drunk, That you may look on his
nakedness!
 Is Jesus sinless?
 Hebrews 4:15 - For we do not have a High Priest
who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but
was in all points tempted as we are, yet without
sin.
Serious Questions
 People did drink fresh grape juice in
Jesus’ time.
 The better wine has less alcohol.
 The best wine had no alcohol
 The wine Jesus made was the best of
the feast.
Serious Questions
 What was the purpose of miracles?
 Produce faith through reason
 Alcohol causes a lack of ability to reason
 John 20:30-31 - And truly Jesus did many
other signs in the presence of His disciples,
which are not written in this book; but these
are written that you may believe that Jesus is
the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing
you may have life in His name.
Serious Questions
 What about the “wineskins” of Matthew
9:17?
 Nor do they put new wine into old
wineskins, or else the wineskins break,
the wine is spilled, and the wineskins
are ruined. But they put new wine into
new wineskins, and both are
preserved.”
Serious Questions
 What about the “wineskins” of Matthew
9:17?
 Jim McGuiggan, The Bible, the Saint,
and the Liquor Industry, pages 113-114
 The
reason for the new skins was to
AVOID the dregs in the old skin which
would cause fermentation.
Serious Questions
 What about the “wineskins” of Matthew
9:17?
 No skin (new or old) could stand the
pressure of fermentation.
 1 cubic inch of sugar transformed into
carbonic gas expands 40 times.
 Grape juice was put into wineskins to
prevent fermentation.
Serious Questions
 Why were Nadab and Abihu struck dead?
 Leviticus 10:8-11 - Then the LORD spoke to
Aaron, saying: 9“Do not drink wine or
intoxicating drink, you, nor your sons with
you, when you go into the tabernacle of
meeting, lest you die. It shall be a statute
forever throughout your generations, 10that
you may distinguish between holy and unholy,
and between unclean and clean, 11and that
you may teach the children of Israel all the
statutes which the LORD has spoken to them
by the hand of Moses.”
Serious Questions
 Why were Nadab and Abihu struck
dead?
 God’s definition of “drunk”  Not:
thick tongue, blurred vision,
staggering, or passed out
 But: breakdown of judgment, no restraint,
lack of reason, loss of moral sense
Serious Questions
 What is “temperance”?
 2 Peter 1:6 – to knowledge self-control,
to self-control perseverance, to
perseverance godliness
 Temperance (self-control) is a Biblical
requirement
Serious Questions
 What is “temperance”?
 Acts 24:25 - Now as he reasoned about
righteousness, self-control, and the
judgment to come, Felix was afraid and
answered, “Go away for now; when I
have a convenient time I will call for
you.”
 Titus 2:2 – that the older men be sober,
reverent, temperate, sound if faith, in
love, in patience
Serious Questions
 What is “temperance”?
 Galatians 5:23 - gentleness, self-
control. Against such there is no law.
 1 Corinthians 6:19 - Or do you not know
that your body is the temple of the Holy
Spirit who is in you, whom you have
from God, and you are not your own?
Serious Questions
 What is “temperance”?
 1 Corinthians 3:16-17 - Do you not
know that you are the temple of God
and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?
17If anyone defiles the temple of God,
God will destroy him. For the temple of
God is holy, which temple you are.
Conclusions:
 Having weighed the evidence, I am
convinced that the Bible teaches that
drunkenness is a matter of degree.
 And that it continues to worsen with
each subsequent drink.
 MADD (Mother Against Drunk Driving) –
“When you have drunk one drink, you
are one drink drunk.”
Conclusions:
 Alcohol as a drug has its uses and
benefits
 Alcohol as a beverage is abused and
does harm
 Alcohol as a beverage:
 Deprives
 Destroys
 Deceives
 Damns
those who flirt with it
Conclusions:
Proverbs 20:1 –
Wine is a mocker, strong drink
is a brawler, and whoever is
led astray by it is not wise.