Can The Christian Drink ANY Alcoholic Beverages?

First, Christians should strive to have the resolve of Daniel:

"But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king’s delicacies, nor with the wine which he drank; therefore he requested of the chief of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself" (Dan. 1:8)

It is sad that often the Old Testament dignitaries who didn't have the perfect law of liberty put to shame those of us in the kingdom of Christ who are supposed to be greater than John the Baptist (Matt. 11:11)! Second, there was a lot of wine that was consumed which was not alcoholic and the scriptures pronounce such drink as a blessing (Deut. 7:13; 11:14; Prov. 3:10; Eccl. 9:7; Jn. 2). When the Scriptures discuss intoxicating drink, they relentlessly condemned such (Gen. 9:21; 19:32; Prov. 20:1; 21:17; 23:30ff; 31:4; Is. 5:11, 22; 28:7; Hos. 4:11; Eph. 5:18; 1 Pet.4:3).

Here are what some of those verses above say about intoxicating drink:

"Wine is a mocker, Strong drink is a brawler, And whoever is led astray by it is not wise" (Prov. 20:1)
"Harlotry, wine, and new wine enslave the heart" (Hos. 4:11)
"For we have spent enough of our past lifetime in doing the will of the Gentiles––when we walked in lewdness, lusts, drunkenness, revelries, drinking parties, and abominable idolatries. 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" (1 Pet. 4:3, 4)

Note the three differnent levels of drinking that are mentioned here. Drunkeness is not all that is condemned. "Revelries" (a half/drunk man) and a drinking party (social drink) are all equally condemned as something that a Christian should not "run" with others in.

The wine that is praised is pure but the wine of our day is mixed with alcohol and other intoxicants.
Today's wine would be considered "strong drink" in Bible days. To further show that wine was often referred to as a nonalcoholic beverage consider that it is simply defined as "the blood of the grapes" (Deut. 32:14). Likewise, Isaiah says,

"Thus says the LORD: "As the new wine is found in the cluster, And one says, ‘Do not destroy it, For a blessing is in it,’ So will I do for My servants’ sake, That I may not destroy them all" (Is. 65:8).

Such a verse begs this simple question, "How is fermented 'wine' is in the grape cluster?" Such is not possible! Note that this proves the point that wine without alcohol is a blessing. When it become intoxicating, it is a curse and stings like a viper.

What about Paul's command to Timothy in 1 Timothy 5:23?

"No longer drink only water, but use a little wine for your stomach’s sake and your frequent infirmities."

Does divine permission for taking wine here as a medicine allow taking alcohol for recreational reasons? God forbid. Does taking hydrocodone for pain relief in surgery allow one to take opium for recreational purposes? God forbid! But what is implicitly taught from Timothy's example? The fact that Paul had to tell Timothy to drink wine, shows that Timothy's manner was to not drink it. It was only because he had an illness that a "little" wine would help. Thus, even for a medical reason, Paul only allows a "little" wine. People try to misconstrue this verse to justify their drinking much wine!

Some think that men had no way of preserving wine in Bible days. Such is not true. There were several ways of preserving grape juice. The issue is not whether wine fermented then. It did. But people could preserve it in various ways. They could boil it down to a thick concentrated state like molasses and then later mix and dilute it with water. Another way would be sealing out the oxygen and storing it in cool water or in a hole (see http://www.wcofc.org/sermons/alcohol_and_the_christian.htm).

From the same page referred to above, Dr. Norman Geisler remarks:

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Is Wine Today Like New Testament Wine?

Many wine-drinking Christians today mistakenly assume that what the New Testament meant by wine is identical to wine used today. This, however, is false. In fact today’s wine is by biblical definitions “strong drink,” and hence is forbidden in the Bible! What the Bible frequently meant by wine was basically purified water.

Stein researched wine-drinking in the ancient world, in Jewish sources, and in the Bible.⁷ He pointed out that wine in Homer’s day was twenty parts water and one part wine (Odyssey 9.208–9). Pliny referred to wine as eight parts water and one part wine (Natural History 14.6–54). According to Aristophanes, it was stronger: three parts water and two parts wine. Other classical Greek writers spoke of other mixtures: Euenos—three parts water, one part wine; Hesiod—three to one, water to wine; Alexis—four to one: Diocles and Anacreon—two to one: and Ion—three to one. The average was about three or four parts of water to one part of wine.

Sometimes in the ancient world one part water would be mixed with one part wine; this was considered strong wine. And anyone who drank wine unmixed was looked on as a Scythian, a barbarian. That means the Greeks would say today, “You Americans are barbarians—drinking straight wine.”

For example, Athenaeus quoted Mnesitheus of Athens as saying, “in daily intercourse, to those who drink it moderately it gives good cheer; but if you overstep the bounds it brings violence. Mix it half and half and you get madness; unmixed—bodily collapse.”⁸ Here is a pagan saying, “Half and half is madness, and unmixed wine brings death.”

Stein also observes that “in several instances in the Old Testament a distinction is made between ‘wine’ and ‘strong drink’“ (e.g., Lev 10:8–9). Strong drink is one thing, wine is another thing. The same distinction is made in Deuteronomy 14:26; 29:6 ; Judges 13:4; and elsewhere. According to the Talmud the “wine” used in the Passover meal was three parts water and one part wine (cf. 2 Macc 15:39).⁹

It may also be that the wine Jesus miraculously provided at the wedding in Cana (John 2:1–11) was a similar drink, that is, wine mixed with water. The word oi\no" (“wine”) refers sometimes to fermented grape juice (e.g., Eph 5:18) and sometimes to fresh, not fully fermented grape juice (e.g., Rev 19:15).

Furthermore, in ancient times not many beverages were safe to drink. Stein indicates that in the ancient world water could be made safe in one of several ways. It could be boiled, but this was tedious and costly. Or it could be filtered, but this was not a safe method. Or some wine could be put in the water to kill the germs—one part wine with three or four parts water.

Wine today has a much higher level of alcohol than wine in the New Testament. In fact in New Testament times one would need to drink twenty-two glasses of wine in order to consume the large amount of alcohol in two martinis today. Stein humorously notes, “In other words, it is possible to become intoxicated from wine mixed with three parts water, but one’s drinking would probably affect the bladder long before the mind.”¹⁰

Though fermented wine was drunk in Bible times and though the Bible approved of wine-drinking, one needs to remember that the alcoholic content was much less than that of wine today. What is used today is not the wine of the New Testament! Therefore Christians ought not drink wine, beer, or other alcoholic beverages for they are actually “strong drink” and are forbidden in Scripture. Even ancient pagans did not drink what some Christians drink today!

⁷7. See the excellent article by Robert H. Stein, “Wine-Drinking in New Testament Times,” Christianity Today, June 20, l975, pp. 9-11.

⁸8. Ibid., p. 9.

⁹9. The reference in Isaiah 1:22 to diluted wine as bad should be taken not as a proof that Jews did not mix wine (see 2 Macc 15:39), but as a metaphor of spiritual adulteration (cf. Isa 1:21).

¹⁰10. Stein, “Wine-Drinking in New Testament Times,” p. 11

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As for 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."

It seems odd for some to run to this passage to justify drinking wine when it says that it is good to not drink wine nor do anything which would make your brother stumble? How can we run to a passage that forbids doing some act and say that very passage gives a license for it? Is that rightly dividing the word of God? I know that we can eat meat because there is a passage that says we can (1 Tim. 4:1-5). I would ask those who run to this passage to justify drinking intoxicating drink if they are trying to make me stumble by pressing their view unwarranted position? I would also reaffirm the context of Romans 14 and show that it is dealing with things that do not matter or are doubtful, not doctrinal (14:1, 2). I continue to affirm that drinking alcohol is not something that is doubtful but sinful (1 Pet. 4:3; Prov. 21:1; 23:30ff) and then note that the "wine" of today, is stronger than any "strong drink" back then.

As for Jesus drinking intoxicating drink? Where's the proof? It was certainly not in Cana or our Lord would have made enough for a very large drinking party as he made 150 -200 gal. of wine and and would rival most drinking parties of of the wicked today (see Jn. 2:1ff). This wedding party would clearly have been a violation of 1 Pet. 4:3 if it were alcoholic wine. The fact that some called Jesus a winebibber doesn't afford any proof that he drank alcohol anymore than their charge that he was a glutton or that John the baptizer was filled with a demon:

33 "For John the Baptist came neither eating bread nor drinking wine, and you say, ‘He has a demon.’
34 "The Son of Man has come eating and drinking, and you say, ‘Look, a glutton and a winebibber, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’
35 "But wisdom is justified by all her children." (Lk. 7)

Some people will read into one's life whatever they want to be there. That is what they did with Jesus and John. The accusation is not proof, it is an accusation! Yet, it is no less of a sin to read into the Bible whatever you want in there! We are joining the enemies of Christ when we charge the Lord as one who sipped alcohol when he simply drank innocent wine!

Steven J. Wallace