Posts Tagged ‘alcohol’
Aren’t the translators accurate enough so we don’t have to look at the definitions of Greek words for alcohol?
Question: I have been studying about wine in the Bible. I am convinced that we should not be using fermented wine. However, I was asked some questions for which I don’t have a good answer. Why would the translators of the different versions of the Bible make a mistake when translating oinos with the word “wine,” such as…
Read MoreCan fermented grape juice (wine) be used in the Lord’s Supper?
Question: Please answer me with biblical texts the following questions or doubts I have: Which kind of wine (intoxicating fermented wine or non-fermented wine) should be used during Lord’s Supper celebration? Can we commit sin by using fermented or alcoholic wine during the Lord’s Supper celebration? It is alleged that Christ not only partook of…
Read MoreDid Jesus Make Alcoholic Wine?
by Greg Gwin It is discouraging, even disgusting, to hear some brethren continue to use the same old, worn-out arguments to defend “social drinking.” Is it not clear that their stubborn adherence to these discredited “proofs” is evidence of a rebellious heart? Jesus turns water to wine at a wedding feast – John 2:6-8 For…
Read MoreI don’t think you considered all the passages regarding the use of alcohol in the Old Testament
Question: Hello. After reading your information about wine and the comment about biblical definitions and applications being subjected to a person’s individual bias it seems somewhat misleading that you offered no comments at all about Deut. 14:26 and placed it under the heading that there were only two places where wine was shown in Scripture to…
Read MoreWhy do you say that the wine at the marriage feast in Cana was grape juice?
Question: I read your web site. Why do you tell Christians that the wine at the marriage feast at Cana was grape juice? Read my book. You don’t need to protect the Gospel from its own truth. The wine at the marriage feast at Cana contained alcohol and you cannot make it plain grape juice…
Read MoreShould a Christian eat with a non-Christian who is having alcohol with his meal?
Question: First, I want to thank you for explaining in a previous response about why social drinking is sinful. Now, I have for you a short scenario that’s based on that fact. A Christian gets invited to go eat at a steakhouse by his non-Christian work buddy. While ordering his meal, this buddy decides to get an…
Read MoreYour misuse of Leviticus 10:9 undermines your argument
Question: I don’t drink alcohol, and I’m not trying to justify drinking alcohol, but on your “Drinking in the Old Testament” page, you are misusing Leviticus 10:9 when you claim “The priests were not allowed to drink.” It only says they were not allowed to drink “when ye go into the tabernacle of the congregation.”…
Read MoreI ran into an argument that “every lexicon” defines oinos as a fermented drink. Do you have sources to disprove this?
Question: I really appreciate the work you do as a Gospel preacher and a brother in Christ. I am in the process of studying the subject of moderate drinking with a brother in Christ, and also for myself. I have no doubt the Bible condemns it and I agree with your work 100%. However, I have…
Read MoreIf gluttony and drinking are both sins, then isn’t abstaining from alcohol as ridiculous as abstaining from food?
Question: How would you answer the following argument: “Getting drunk is a sin, but gluttony is also a sin. Since the Bible doesn’t tell us at what point drunkenness or gluttony is sinful, it is up to us to determine how much is too much. To completely abstain from alcohol is as ridiculous as saying…
Read MoreThe Pride of the Drunkard
by Kent Heaton Basil said, “Drunkenness is the ruin of reason. It is premature old age. It is temporary death” (Homilies, c. 375). There are few things engaged in by men that are as self-defeating and destructive as drunkenness. Quite frankly it is stupid beyond reason. A radio commentator recently described a time he had…
Read MoreA Little Wine for Your Stomach’s Sake
by Bryan Matthew Dockens Paul advised Timothy, “No longer drink only water, but use a little wine for your stomach’s sake and your frequent infirmities” (I Timothy 5:23). “No longer drink only water …” By this statement, we learn that Timothy’s habit had been one of total abstinence from wine until instructed otherwise by the…
Read MoreAm I compromising by just drinking a glass of wine a few days each week?
Question: You see, I do drink wine on occasion, in moderation. I may have a glass of wine 2 or 3 evenings a week while cooking dinner, or I may go several days without drinking any. I do not drink beer or hard liquor. I do not drink and drive. And it is extremely rare…
Read MoreI Will Take Sickness Away from the Midst of You
by Bryan Matthew Dockens The Almighty told Israel, “So you shall serve the Lord your God, and He will bless your bread and your water. And I will take sickness away from the midst of you” (Exodus 23:25). Although the Old Testament has been done away with, having been replaced by the New Covenant, it…
Read MoreDrinking in the Old Testament
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2007/11/DrinkingInTheOldTestament2012.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton I. Consistently in the Scriptures, drunkenness is condemned A. I Cor 6:9-10 – A drunkard cannot inherit the kingdom of God B. Rom 13:13 – Carousing and drunkenness is improper behavior C. Few people argue that being down and out drunk is acceptable. We understand that it is wrong. D. The problem is how drunk…
Read MoreTell the truth, that Alcoholics Anonymous works
Question: I have been a sober member of AA for 13 years and I am a Christian. God has removed the desire to drink from me. That miracle is the strongest evidence in my life of a loving God. I am one of the millions of exceptions to your statement that “the desire never leaves.”…
Read MoreWouldn’t wine need to be fortified in order to be used as starter fluid?
Question: A question: if strong-drink was only 15% alcohol and below in biblical times, how was it used as a starter fluid? I believe you need much stronger alcohol to light a fire, no? Answer: From a recipe: As soon as the mushrooms are colored add the marsala wine. Caution: the Marsala wine is flammable…
Read MoreDoes the blessing of wine outweigh its dangers?
Question: Generally, the Bible condemns drunkenness (in a variety of places) but nowhere condemns wine or alcoholic beverages in total. In fact, the mild exhilaration that comes from moderate imbibing of wine is seen as a blessing of God in several Old Testament passages. Health advisor says alcohol impairs the nervous system and strains the…
Read MoreDoes it matter how long was Jesus’ hair?
Question: Interesting and thank you for the insight concerning the length of Jesus’ hair, though it does not seem necessary to teach it. It is true. We don’t know if he had long hair or not. How long would it have to be to be considered long anyway? The Bible doesn’t tell us if he had…
Read MoreThe Danger of Alcohol
by Steve Wallace via Truth Magazine Vol. XLIV: 3 p5 February 3, 2000 Alcohol is such an accepted part of American society and society in general that our title may strike some as odd. After all, so many popular, fashionable, and successful people are known to drink. Also, commercials, movies, advertisements, etc., picture drinking as something to…
Read MoreCan a woman, wearing a covering, work in a store selling alcohol?
Question: What about women who wear covering among the regular population? Is it a sin to let the woman who wears a covering to work in a store where they sell beer or things of the sort? I need to know if I am sinning if I do not wear a covering. It is hard…
Read MoreDo members of the church of Christ believe they are the only ones going to heaven?
Question: Does the church of Christ believe they’re the only ones going to heaven? My brother married someone that goes to a church that’s a hard-core church of Christ. He’s going nuts. He will hardly look at my family and argues all the time about baptism before salvation. He has given up on the family…
Read MoreThank you for explaining why social drinking is wrong
Question: I have been reading and re-reading the articles on your website that pertain to social drinking. I’ve been surprised at the lack of articles that exist (at least through a Google search) that really address the issue. Having been “raised in the church,” so to speak, I have always “known” that drinking is sinful,…
Read MoreWhat do I do about a husband that sinned at a bachelor’s party?
Question: What do you do when alcohol and a fully nude strip club at a bachelor party tempted your Christian husband and he gives in to both temptations? Not only was he a visitor at this club, but he and the other three gentlemen had a little personal dance as well. Being the wife of…
Read MoreSuddenly Sour Grapes
By J.S. Smith ”The government said Monday that a few drinks a day may not protect against strokes and heart attacks after all.” Oops! For years, scientists, doctors, and our government have been recommending that we all hop off the wagon and moderately belly up to the bar to enhance our health. Christians searching for…
Read MorePeople Change
by Donnie V. Rader via Guardian of Truth XL: No. 19, p. 6-7, October 3, 1996 When General Motors came out with the new aerodynamic style Chevy Caprice (1990) I said that I would never have one of those “ugly” things. When cellular phones started getting popular, I thought it was dumb to carry your phone with…
Read MoreDoesn’t Ephesians 5:18 imply that some use of alcohol is permitted?
Question: God wrote in Ephesians 5:18, “Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit.” When God tells us not to get speeding tickets, what is He inferring? Obviously, that driving is not a sin. When God tells us not to get drunk, what is He inferring? People who…
Read MoreWhat do I do with a 20-year-old who continues to lie?
Question: My 20-year-old daughter is a liar. Her pattern of lying has been consistently punished. She knows that she will get caught and punished. From a young age, she has been told that this is unacceptable behavior and the sin nature. She feels it is best to run the risk of getting caught. Her punishments…
Read MoreWhy shouldn’t people drink alcohol?
Question: Why shouldn’t people drink alcohol? Answer: See the article “New Testament Beverages” for details. The brief answer is that the New Testament allows Christians to use alcohol for medicinal purposes, but not for recreational purposes. Christians are to strive to be sober and watchful at all times.
Read MoreDoes Acts 2:13-15 infer that Christians drank fermented wine?
Question: There are lots of inferences in the Bible that Christians used fermented wine. Acts 2:13-15 is a case in point. Answer: “Others mocking said, “They are full of new wine.” But Peter, standing up with the eleven, raised his voice and said to them, “Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be…
Read MoreDoes Romans 14 give the liberty to drinking alcoholic beverages?
Question: If a person wants to have a glass of wine privately in their home, then don’t they have the liberty to do so by Romans 14? Answer: “Receive one who is weak in the faith, but not to disputes over doubtful things. For one believes he may eat all things, but he who is…
Read MoreDo the words “carousing” or “reveling” condemn social drinking?
Question: My preacher said that the words “carousing” and “reveling” are often misused today. Some have associated these words with social drinking. However, carousing and reveling refer to parties where drunkenness is either the goal or by-product of the party. I tried to discuss I Peter 4:3 with him, suggesting that “tippling” means drinking in any amount,…
Read MoreIsn’t a moderate drinker still sober?
Question: To say that taking a drink of alcohol means you are not completely sober (I Thessalonians 5:6-8) is wrong. By this reasoning, a moderate eater would be condemned as a glutton (Proverbs 23:20-21). Answer: The fault in this line of reasoning is that two different things are being paralleled. Gluttony is a sin of…
Read MoreDoesn’t the Bible indicate that God accepts alcohol?
Question: Doesn’t the Scriptures say that God accepts alcohol? It was used for blessings (Genesis 14:18; 27:28; Proverbs 3:10). He gave permission to use strong drink (Deuteronomy 14:26). It was used in the drink offering (Exodus 29:41). God made the grape, which would make the wine, which makes man’s hearts glad (Psalm 104:15). It is true that…
Read MoreSober-Minded in Every Sense of the Term
by David Diestelkamp via Think on These Things Researchers at the University of California San Diego reviewed 14 years of accident data and found that “A blood alcohol concentration of just 0.01 percent was associated with risky behaviors such as speeding.” Lead researcher, David P. Phillips, Ph.D. says, “For a 180-pound person, that translates to one glass…
Read MoreDrinking
by Jeffrey W. Hamilton I. Drunkenness is an old problem among men A. The earliest record is Genesis 9:21 1. Noah was acquainted with the effects of wine – Matt 24:38 II. The effects of alcohol A. Prov 20:1 – It deceives the mind. B. Isa. 28:1-3,7-8 – It causes errors in judgement C. Hab 2:15 – It lowers moral standards D. Prov…
Read MoreDid Paul sometimes drink wine?
Question: Paul said in Romans that he would eat no meat if it causes his brother to stumble or be offended. In the same context, he mentions wine a few verses later. I have concluded that he would neither eat meat or drink wine if it caused his brother to stumble or be offended. However,…
Read MoreWhat is wrong with drinking, so long as it is done in moderation?
Question: What’s wrong with drinking, so long as it is done in moderation? After all Jesus turned water into wine in John 2. The disciples were accused of being drunk in Acts 2, so alcohol must have been in use. Older women were only told not to be given to much wine in Titus 2:3 Paul…
Read MoreThe Use of Alcohol
by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Can a Christian drink? It is a question that comes up frequently. Earlier this century, the United States ended the sale of alcoholic beverages because of the perceived dangers of these drinks. The prohibition did not last, due to strong demand for access to liquor. However, the question remains: “Can a…
Read MoreNew Testament Beverages
by Jeffrey W. Hamilton One of the greatest difficulties in studying God’s stance on drinking is the bias translators have brought to the meaning of words used in the Bible in regards to drinking. The most common Greek word, which is translated “wine” is oinos which is directly equivalent to the Hebrew word yayin. (See “Old Testament…
Read MoreOld Testament Beverages
by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Throughout the Bible, drunkenness is consistently condemned. We understand that a drunkard cannot inherit the kingdom of God (I Corinthians 6:9-10). Paul warned that carousing and drunkenness are improper behaviors for Christians to engage in (Romans 13:13). The warnings are clear enough that few people argue that being down-and-out drunk is…
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