Some
biblical principles on wine and strong drink
1) The Bible does not condemn wine or strong drink, nor does it forbid God’s people to use them. It specifically says that God provided them for us to enjoy for his glory.
Wine that makes glad the heart of man (Psalm 104:15).
He will also bless the fruit of thy womb, and the fruit of thy land, thy corn, and thy wine (Deut. 7:13, 11:14, 14:26, 28:39).
And the vine said unto them, Should I leave my wine, which cheers God and man, and go to be promoted over the trees (Judges 9:13)?
So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine… Give strong drink unto him that is ready to perish, and wine unto those that are of heavy hearts. Let him drink, and forget his poverty, and remember his misery no more (Proverbs 3:10, 31:6,7).
And the sons of the stranger shall not drink thy wine, for the which you have labored (Isaiah 62:8).
2) Wine was used in the worship of God.
And the fourth part of a hin of wine for a drink offering (Exodus 29:40).
And the drink offering thereof shall be of wine, the fourth part of a hin (Leviticus 23:13, Numbers 15: 5,7,10; 28:14).
3) In scripture, there is no such distinction as unfermented and fermented wine. Of the 140 times YAYIN (Hebrew for wine) is used, in no instance can it be shown to mean unfermented wine, Genesis 9:21, Deuteronomy 14:26.
4) TIROSH (Hebrew for new wine) also cannot mean unfermented grape juice.
Genesis 27:28
Number 18:12
Deuteronomy 7:13, 11:14
Proverbs 3:9,10
Hosea 4:11
Deuteronomy 14:23
5) SHEKAR (Hebrew for strong drink) is forbidden to priests but only while on duty (Lev. 10:9) and to Nazarites under oath (Num. 6:3), but it was sanctioned for God’s people, Deut. 14:26. It could also be intoxicating when abused, 1 Sam. 1:15, Prov. 20:1.
6) ASIS (Hebrew for sweet wine) had alcoholic content also (Isaiah 49:26) yet it was also a blessing from God, Joel 3:17,18; Amos 9:13.
7) Therefore, fermented wine, even in its strongest form is lawful for the people of God.
8) Jesus could enjoy wine drinking.
The Son of man is come eating and drinking; and ye say, Behold a gluttonous man, and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners (Luke 7:34).
And said unto him, Every man at the beginning does set forth good wine; and when men have well drunk, then that which is worse: but you have kept the good wine until now. This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee, and manifested forth his glory; and his disciples believed on him (John 2:1-11).
And on one occasion commanded it.
Jesus drank of the fruit of the vine with his disciples and says he will drink in again in his Kingdom (Matthew 26:29f).
Paul condemns the Corinthians for abusing the Lord’s Supper by eating too much and getting drunk (1 Cor. 11:20-25).
OINOS (Greek for wine) means fermented grape juice of alcoholic content. For proof, see its use in the Septuagint.
9) The Apostles only condemned drunkenness and debauchery, 1 Cor. 5:11, 6:10, Eph. 5:18, Gal. 5:21, which was fully in accord with Deut. 21:20,21; Prov. 23:19-21.
10) The Apostles did not forbid or condemn the wise use of wine and strong drink, 1 Cor. 6:12, 10:23, 1 Cor. 11:21, 22; 1 Tim 3:3. Paul even recommended its use, 1 Timothy 5:23.
11) The Apostles condemned those who sought to impose total abstinence upon the conscience, 1 Tim. 4:1-4; Col. 2:20-33. “To treat wine as the cause of sin…is to deny the real teaching of Scripture concerning the depravity of man. It is, in effect, to say that there is fault in the handiwork of God. There is no greater need in the Church today than to reject this doctrine of devils (1 Tim. 4:1-4)!”-G.I. Williamson
In enjoying God’s gifts and our Christian freedoms, consideration of our weaker brothers must be more important to us than the enjoyment of our privileges, Romans 14:21.
1) Note in Romans 14, the weaker brother is the one who is bound to total abstinence and the stronger brother is the one who can enjoy all God’s good gifts, such as wine, to his Glory, 1 Cor. 10:31.
2) The passage does not imply that we cannot do anything that our brothers dislike or that they consider sin, but that we must not act against his conscience. We are not to adopt his rule of conscience as our own.
3) If the required total abstinence doctrine is true, it would also give grounds for total abstinence of marriage, since some weaker brothers in the early Church considered the marriage state sinful, 1 Tim. 4:3. Paul considers the one whose conscience forbids him to enjoy wine or marriage as one whose conscience is seared, 1 Tim. 4:25, and who impugns the handiwork of God, 1 Tim. 4:3,4. Also, those who impose their conscience on the conscience of others usurp the authority of Christ, Rom. 14:22.
4) Wine or food does not defile anyone because Jesus said all defilement comes from man’s sinful heart, Mark 7:15. Man-made rules are wrong and God alone is the Lord of the conscience, James 4:12, Rom. 14:4.
For a more thorough and Biblical exposition of this subject, read G.I. Williamson’s book “Wine in the Bible and the Church.”
1) The Bible does not condemn wine or strong drink, nor does it forbid God’s people to use them. It specifically says that God provided them for us to enjoy for his glory.
Wine that makes glad the heart of man (Psalm 104:15).
He will also bless the fruit of thy womb, and the fruit of thy land, thy corn, and thy wine (Deut. 7:13, 11:14, 14:26, 28:39).
And the vine said unto them, Should I leave my wine, which cheers God and man, and go to be promoted over the trees (Judges 9:13)?
So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine… Give strong drink unto him that is ready to perish, and wine unto those that are of heavy hearts. Let him drink, and forget his poverty, and remember his misery no more (Proverbs 3:10, 31:6,7).
And the sons of the stranger shall not drink thy wine, for the which you have labored (Isaiah 62:8).
2) Wine was used in the worship of God.
And the fourth part of a hin of wine for a drink offering (Exodus 29:40).
And the drink offering thereof shall be of wine, the fourth part of a hin (Leviticus 23:13, Numbers 15: 5,7,10; 28:14).
3) In scripture, there is no such distinction as unfermented and fermented wine. Of the 140 times YAYIN (Hebrew for wine) is used, in no instance can it be shown to mean unfermented wine, Genesis 9:21, Deuteronomy 14:26.
4) TIROSH (Hebrew for new wine) also cannot mean unfermented grape juice.
Genesis 27:28
Number 18:12
Deuteronomy 7:13, 11:14
Proverbs 3:9,10
Hosea 4:11
Deuteronomy 14:23
5) SHEKAR (Hebrew for strong drink) is forbidden to priests but only while on duty (Lev. 10:9) and to Nazarites under oath (Num. 6:3), but it was sanctioned for God’s people, Deut. 14:26. It could also be intoxicating when abused, 1 Sam. 1:15, Prov. 20:1.
6) ASIS (Hebrew for sweet wine) had alcoholic content also (Isaiah 49:26) yet it was also a blessing from God, Joel 3:17,18; Amos 9:13.
7) Therefore, fermented wine, even in its strongest form is lawful for the people of God.
8) Jesus could enjoy wine drinking.
The Son of man is come eating and drinking; and ye say, Behold a gluttonous man, and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners (Luke 7:34).
And said unto him, Every man at the beginning does set forth good wine; and when men have well drunk, then that which is worse: but you have kept the good wine until now. This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee, and manifested forth his glory; and his disciples believed on him (John 2:1-11).
And on one occasion commanded it.
Jesus drank of the fruit of the vine with his disciples and says he will drink in again in his Kingdom (Matthew 26:29f).
Paul condemns the Corinthians for abusing the Lord’s Supper by eating too much and getting drunk (1 Cor. 11:20-25).
OINOS (Greek for wine) means fermented grape juice of alcoholic content. For proof, see its use in the Septuagint.
9) The Apostles only condemned drunkenness and debauchery, 1 Cor. 5:11, 6:10, Eph. 5:18, Gal. 5:21, which was fully in accord with Deut. 21:20,21; Prov. 23:19-21.
10) The Apostles did not forbid or condemn the wise use of wine and strong drink, 1 Cor. 6:12, 10:23, 1 Cor. 11:21, 22; 1 Tim 3:3. Paul even recommended its use, 1 Timothy 5:23.
11) The Apostles condemned those who sought to impose total abstinence upon the conscience, 1 Tim. 4:1-4; Col. 2:20-33. “To treat wine as the cause of sin…is to deny the real teaching of Scripture concerning the depravity of man. It is, in effect, to say that there is fault in the handiwork of God. There is no greater need in the Church today than to reject this doctrine of devils (1 Tim. 4:1-4)!”-G.I. Williamson
In enjoying God’s gifts and our Christian freedoms, consideration of our weaker brothers must be more important to us than the enjoyment of our privileges, Romans 14:21.
1) Note in Romans 14, the weaker brother is the one who is bound to total abstinence and the stronger brother is the one who can enjoy all God’s good gifts, such as wine, to his Glory, 1 Cor. 10:31.
2) The passage does not imply that we cannot do anything that our brothers dislike or that they consider sin, but that we must not act against his conscience. We are not to adopt his rule of conscience as our own.
3) If the required total abstinence doctrine is true, it would also give grounds for total abstinence of marriage, since some weaker brothers in the early Church considered the marriage state sinful, 1 Tim. 4:3. Paul considers the one whose conscience forbids him to enjoy wine or marriage as one whose conscience is seared, 1 Tim. 4:25, and who impugns the handiwork of God, 1 Tim. 4:3,4. Also, those who impose their conscience on the conscience of others usurp the authority of Christ, Rom. 14:22.
4) Wine or food does not defile anyone because Jesus said all defilement comes from man’s sinful heart, Mark 7:15. Man-made rules are wrong and God alone is the Lord of the conscience, James 4:12, Rom. 14:4.
For a more thorough and Biblical exposition of this subject, read G.I. Williamson’s book “Wine in the Bible and the Church.”
