The Consumption Of Alcohol Has Always Been A Big Deal In The Church
Some people think that it is sin as it leads to drunkenness, something the Bible frowns upon and then, there is the opposing team.
This second group justify drinking by saying that Jesus Christ condoned it because He turned water to wine.
I think the only way to solve this by going back to the blueprint, the Word of God.
Here are five things the Bible says about drinking.
1. Romans 14:21 – “It is good neither to eat flesh, nor to “to drink wine, nor anything whereby thy brother stumbleth, or is offended, or is made weak.”
2. Proverbs 20:1 – “Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging: and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise.”
3. 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 “Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, 10 Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor DRUNKARDS, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.”
4. Romans 13:13 – “Let us walk honestly, as in the day not in rioting and drunkenness …”
5. Ephesians 5:18 — “And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess but be filled with the Spirit “
Does The Bible Say Not To Drink Alcohol
Is there a way to ethically consume alcohol without putting our faith in doubt? The Bible states, Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God, 1 Corinthians 10:31. The Bible mentions the consumption of wine on numerous occasions to be merry and joyful, but the Bible clarifies that being of a drunk heart or mind is not godly. 1 Corinthians also mentions, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor relievers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.
Believers must understand the seriousness of drinking to get drunk. The words in the Bible make it apparent that alcohol abuse will lead to making bad choices, poverty, and a lack of passion and desire. Staying sober-minded is more critical than constant self-pleasure since alcohol is seen as a temptation. The Bible does say not to get drunk, but is drinking a small amount of alcohol considered decent?
Iv Alcohol And The Bible: Two
Temperance theologians believed two fundamental things. One was that drinking wine was sinful. Second was that alcohol was evil.
However, there is a major problem. Jesus, himself, had both made and consumed wine. In addition, he had approved of its moderate use.
In short, these ideas are inconsistent. Jesus could not have been a sinful consumer of evil. Therefore, they formulated the two-wine doctrine. They thought it dealt with these otherwise inconsistent facts.
To be sure, the two-wine theory is simple. Whenever wine was used by Jesus or praised as a gift of God, it was really grape juice. Only when it caused drunkenness was it wine.
Thus, they interpret the Bible as asserting that grape juice is good and that drinking it is acceptable to God. But they argued that alcohol is bad. Therefore, drinking it is rejected.
A Problem
However, this reasoning appears to be incorrect for at least two reasons. First, neither the Hebrew nor Biblical Greek words for wine can be interpreted as referring to grape juice.4 Indeed, the same Hebrew and Greek word is used for the wine that Jesus drank and the wine that made Noah drunk.5
Second, grape juice quickly ferments into wine. Especially in the warm climate of the Mediterranean region without refrigeration. Nor did they have other modern methods of preservation.
During Prohibition in the U.S., temperance activists paid a scholar to rewrite the Bible omitting all references to alcohol beverages!
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Is Drinking Alcohol A Sin
Alcohol, in and of itself, is not inherently sinful. It’s a thing, and a thing cannot be a sin. What CAN become a sin is what we DO with the alcohol. Drunkenness and addiction to alcohol are definitely two things that a Christian must avoid. Then there’s the consideration we must have for our fellow believers and our example to the world as followers of Christ.
What Does The Bible Say About Alcohol
The Bible does not forbid drinking alcohol, but it does warn against dangers of drinking too much, engaging in immoral behavior, and other consequences of alcohol use. While the Bible recognizes that drinking in moderation can be enjoyable and even safe, it contains passages that advise against heavy drinking.
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We Desecrate The Holy Things
Our character got so drunk that he foolishly wanted to challenge God by profaning the holy utensils in his temple.
Something that neither his father nor his grandfather, although they had kept them in the temple of a pagan God as trophies of war, had never dared to do.
Treatment For Alcohol Use And Addiction
Treatment for heavy drinking or prolonged alcohol use may require tapering through detoxification. For this reason, and for the withdrawal period that comes after, inpatient rehab centers are the best options for treatment.
Inpatient rehab centers can provide the support you need to get your life back, and to get sober. Expert medical staff and encouragement in therapy and counseling will help you achieve success in healing.
If you have struggled with alcohol use for some time, and want a new, sober life, today could be the day that healing begins.
This page does not provide medical advice.
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We Fall Into Idolatry
The entire group of drunks in our story today collectively dedicated themselves to using the temple utensils to worship pagan gods.
In an analogous way, drinking also leads us to idolatry.
When Alcohol Isnt Sin
Sin is defined in the Bible as lawlessness or, as the J.B. Phillips translation puts it, Everyone who commits sin breaks Gods law, for that is what sin is, by definitiona breaking of Gods law . So we need to ask if God created a law forbidding the use of alcohol. If so, then we could easily conclude that drinking alcohol is a sin.
There are a handful of scriptures that some people believe do exactly that. Lets look at a few examples:
- Proverbs 20:1 says, Wine is a mocker, strong drink is a brawler, and whoever is led astray by it is not wise.
- 1 Timothy 3:8 says, Likewise deacons must be reverent, not double-tongued, not given to much wine.
- Isaiah 5:11 says, Woe to those who rise early in the morning, that they may follow intoxicating drink who continue until night, till wine inflames them!
A careful examination of these and other verses that may be used reveals a common theme: God clearly condemns the abuse of alcohol. Overindulgencelong-term or even just occasionalis forbidden by the Creator. However, we do not find a wholesale condemnation of any use of alcohol.
Jesus Christ warned men to be careful to avoid carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life . And Paul wrote that among the works of the flesh that men are to avoid is drunkenness . In both cases, the term drunkenness is used. It means excessive use of alcoholic products.
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What The Bible Says About Alcohol Abuse
This article was written and published by Faith in Recovery
In the Bible, you can read 1 Corinthians 6:19-20, Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies. God wants us to take care of our bodies. Addiction to drugs and alcohol depletes our physical body and renders our relationship with Him. If you or someone you love is struggling with excessive drinking, you may want to know what the Bible says about alcohol abuse.
So It Is Okay To Drink Alcohol
You still have to follow the laws, my friend, so underage drinking is NOT OK. ⺠However, when you are of legal drinking age, there is nothing in the Bible that forbids a Christian from drinking beer, wine, or any other drink containing alcohol. There are even verses that talk about alcohol in positive terms. For example, Ecclesiastes 9:7 says to “drink your wine with a merry heart.” Psalm 104:14-15 says that wine is a gift from God “that makes glad the heart of men.”
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What Does The Bible Say About Alcoholism
What does God think about those who can’t put down the bottle?
Alcoholism is defined as a chronic disease characterized by uncontrolled drinking and preoccupation with alcohol. Alcoholics aren’t able to drink casually or in moderation. Rather, they have a compulsive desire to pick up the bottle and depend on it to get through each day.
This is a constant, daily battle for alcoholics. While many of them do not want to continue drinking, they are unable to stop themselves. It can stem from places of depression, anxiety and other heartbreak.
What does God say to these types of people? While many of us understand that some alcohol in moderation is alright in God’s eyes, what does God have to say to the alcoholic that can’t put down the bottle?
Causing Another To Stumbleby Drinking Alcohol
Sometimes its not about whether its okay to drink. Instead, its about whether youre willing not to drink if someone else is offended or confused by it.
According to the Bible, we may choose to drink. But if theres a chance that someone else may stumble because of our choice, then we should choose to refrain.
It is a good thing not to eat meat, or drink wine, or do anything that makes your brother or sister stumble. Romans 14:21
The scriptures are clear that the welfare of others is more important than whether or not we decide to have a glass of wine. If someone else is offended by our drinking, we should abstain. If someone in our presence is battling an alcohol addiction, the choice should be clear. And if someone else is convicted that the Bible says drinking is wrong, we should yield to them.
Do nothing out of selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility consider others as more important than yourselves. Philippians 2:3
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What Does The Bible Say About Drinking
From the first book of the Old Testament onward, people who got drunk are condemned as examples of behavior to avoid. In every instance, a bad consequence resulted. Noah is the earliest mention , followed by Nabal, Uriah the Hittite, Elah, Ben-hadad, Belshazzar, and people in Corinth.
Verses that denounce drunkenness say it leads to other moral lapses, such as sexual immorality and laziness. Further, drunkenness clouds the mind and makes it impossible to worship God and act in a respectable manner:
Do not join those who drink too much wine or gorge themselves on meat, for drunkards and gluttons become poor, and drowsiness clothes them in rags.
At least six major denominations call for total abstinence from alcoholic beverages: the Southern Baptist Convention, Assemblies of God, Church of the Nazarene, United Methodist Church, United Pentecostal Church, and Seventh-day Adventists.
God Wants You To Consider Other People
Romans 14:21 says that we should not drink, if our drinking will tempt someone else to sin. So if you are of legal age, but your friends are not, drinking around them may be putting temptation in their way. Thats why some Christians who live around lots of alcoholics have decided to give alcohol up totally. Love is more important than beer!
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What Does The Bible Say About People Who Drink Alcohol
Today, while studying the bible, I was reviewing the story of an important man who made a serious mistake as a result of drinking alcohol and getting drunk.
After meditating a bit on the story, I thought it would be worth writing about what the bible says about people who drink alcohol, and the consequences that getting drunk brings to our lives.
Contenidos / Contents
Bible Story About Drinking Alcohol
The story with which I would like to illustrate the theme of what the Bible says about people who drink alcohol is the story of King Belshazzar, grandson of King Nebuchadnezzar.
During his reign, this king gave himself over to alcoholism and profligate life, instead of learning from his grandfathers mistakes.
Lets see what happened once:
King Belshazzar gave a grand banquet to a thousand members of the nobility, and drank wine with them until he was drunk.
As they toasted, Belshazzar had the gold and silver cups brought to him that Nebuchadnezzar, his father, had taken from the temple in Jerusalem.
And so it was done.
The cups were brought to him, and from them the king and his nobles drank, together with his wives and concubines.
Already drunk, they were full of praise to the gods of gold, silver, bronze, iron, wood and stone.
| Daniel 5: 1 4
After this event, a hand appeared in front of the king and wrote on the wall a message in a strange language which no one could decipher only Daniel, who had already been forgotten as a royal advisor.
It was a divine sentence in response to his unholy attitude that, in the midst of his drunkenness, he dared to dishonor God by profaning the utensils of his holy temple.
Ironically, this action was the straw that overflowed the cup of the Lords patience with him.
That same night Belshazzar, king of the Babylonians, was assassinated, and Darius the Persian seized the kingdom.
| Daniel 5 : 30
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To Relax Or Celebrate
Other scriptures encourage drinking to relax or celebrate. For instance, Ecclesiastes 9:7 reads, Go then, eat your bread in happiness and drink your wine with a cheerful heart, for God has already approved your works.
Similarly, Deuteronomy 14:26 reads, Spend the money for whatever you desireoxen 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.
Bible Verses On Alcoholism
Being drunk is considered a sin in the Bible, as noted in Isaiah 5:11 and Proverbs 23:2021 just to name a few. Proverbs 20:1 says, Wine is a mocker, strong drink a brawler, and whoever is intoxicated by it is not wise. As you have probably seen before, those who get too drunk lose their ability to control themselves effectively. Ephesians 5:18 further says, Do not be drunk with wine, but be filled with the Holy Spirit. As Christians, we should be letting the Holy Spirit and God control our each and every move. When we get drunk, we are letting the alcohol and addition control us rather than the Father. Being blacked out is never alright for the Christian, because we would no longer being “walking in the Spirit” .
As with any addiction, alcoholism is also a form of idolatry. Anything that gets in the way of your relationship with God is considered idolatry, which can even include things such as your phone and relationships. God has some strong words for those that worship false idols . Alcoholics rely on their drink to give them value, worth, and significance where we should be asking God to provide us with that confidence. Alcoholism is not a choice for many, but rather a disease. However the choice to not get help and not work towards getting clean and sober is going against what God wants for us. God holds us accountable for our choices, including trying to overcome the things that separate us from Him .
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Not All Wine In The Old Testament Is Wine
We must understand an important point. Just because someone is said to have been drinking wine does not mean they were necessarily drinking alcohol. Did you know that many of the Hebrew words translated, wine, do not necessarily imply an alcoholic beverage? We even read in passages such as Isaiah 65:8, the new wine is found in the cluster.
Obviously, today we would not say wine is found in a cluster of grapes. We would say juice is found in a cluster of grapes. In Hebrew, however, their words for wine were more generic, applying both to intoxicating and non-intoxicating beverages made from grapes. If you are interested in further study on the words used in the Old Testament for wine, consider these articles: Drinking in the Old Testament and, What About Social Drinking and the Old Testament by Wayne Jackson.
So, while there are many references to wine in the Old Testament, not all of the references are to alcohol. The only way to tell whether or not an intoxicating beverage is being referenced, is by the use of context clues. Do not make the mistake of assuming a drink is alcohol just because the word wine is used!