Why do you say that the wine at the marriage feast in Cana was grape juice?<\/a>“<\/p>\nSo let’s look at your first two questions. When Jesus instituted the Lord’s Supper, he stated, “But I say to you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in My Father’s kingdom<\/em>” (Matthew 26:29). Most of the time in the New Testament, when a product of grapes is mentioned, the word\u00a0oinos<\/em>\u00a0is used.\u00a0Oinos<\/em> is a generic Greek word for anything made from grapes, including alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages. Only the context allows us to distinguish between the types of beverages being discussed. Yet here, Jesus specifically says gennema ampelos<\/em>, “fruit of the vine.” This places the emphasis on the juice from grapes and thus is most likely referring to unfermented juice.<\/p>\nNext, we note that the Lord’s Supper was instituted during the Passover. The Passover occurs during the Feast of Unleavened Bread. During this feast, all leavening and anything made with leavening are removed from the house. “Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread. On the first day you shall remove leaven from your houses. For whoever eats leavened bread from the first day until the seventh day, that person shall be cut off from Israel<\/em>” (Exodus 12:15). Alcoholic wine is made by yeast (leavening) being left in or added to grape juice and allowing it to ferment. Fermented juice (wine) would not be allowed in the keeping of the Feast of Unleavened Bread. Thus, we conclude that the fruit of vine drunk by Jesus and the disciples during the Last Supper was non-alcoholic. This then also explains why a different phrase was used to describe the drink than what was typically used. The emphasis is that it was juice and not fermented.<\/p>\nNext, we learn from Paul that leavening is a symbol representing sin. “Your glorying is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump? Therefore purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, since you truly are unleavened. For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us<\/em>” (I Corinthians 5:6-7). While the emphasis is on the bread in this passage, the point remains the same. The memorial feast is to remind us that Jesus is our Passover. That is why we use unleavened bread; it reminds us that Jesus lived without sin (Hebrews 4:15) and that we, too, should live without sin. For the same reason, we should not use fermented grape juice as it contains leaven.<\/p>\nFinally, there is a subtle point people tend to overlook. “No longer drink only water, but use a little wine for your stomach’s sake and your frequent infirmities<\/em>” (I Timothy 5:23). Paul had to urge Timothy to use a little alcoholic wine for medicine. Up until this point, Timothy avoided all alcoholic beverages, which, if such were included in the Lord’s Supper, would include that as well. But being a Christian, Timothy obviously would have partaken in the Lord’s Supper, which implies that Christians were using non-alcoholic juice in the keeping of the feast.<\/p>\nIs using fermented juice to keep the Lord’s Supper a sin? Let me ask: Is it a sin to use raised bread to keep the Lord’s Supper? I think the answer to both is “yes” because it violates the symbolism Jesus established for his memorial meal.<\/p>\n\t
Response:<\/h2>\n
Thanks a lot for explaining to me all concerning wine and the Bible. It is very clear that Jesus did not drink fermented wine and also the Lord’s Supper must be celebrated using non-fermented wine. I will read and study the articles you have mentioned.<\/p>\n
I am going to explain to the other members of the church of Christ your clear explanation about this matter.<\/p>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[20],"tags":[371,146],"class_list":["post-18280","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-answer","tag-alcohol","tag-lords-supper"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":27384,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wasnt-wine-used-during-the-lords-supper\/","url_meta":{"origin":18280,"position":0},"title":"Wasn’t wine used during the Lord’s Supper?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"May 12, 2011","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: I was thankful for the short piece on\u00a0Jesus not having long hair\u00a0and not being handsome. I wanted to correct you, though, in your interpretation of the commandment to observe Passover in Luke. It was wine, not grape juice. Nowhere can you find the Greek words written by Luke or\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":22449,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/was-timothy-a-nazirite\/","url_meta":{"origin":18280,"position":1},"title":"Was Timothy a Nazirite?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"May 16, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Was Timothy a Nazirite? It appeared that he was reluctant to take the wine ( grape juice) so I know that if he was a Nazirite he would not take even grapes or grape juice for medicine. I was told that it had to be alcohol because he could\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":18504,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/arent-the-translators-accurate-enough-so-we-dont-have-to-look-at-the-definitions-of-greek-words-for-alcohol\/","url_meta":{"origin":18280,"position":2},"title":"Aren’t the translators accurate enough so we don’t have to look at the definitions of Greek words for alcohol?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"April 23, 2009","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: I have been studying about wine in the Bible. I am convinced that we should not be using fermented wine.\u00a0However, 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\u00a0oinos\u00a0with\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":23592,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/do-you-have-sources-showing-that-oinos-and-yayin-can-mean-both-fermented-and-unfermented-drinks\/","url_meta":{"origin":18280,"position":3},"title":"Do you have sources showing that oinos and yayin can mean both fermented and unfermented drinks?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"May 24, 2010","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Our Baptist church is considering the elimination of the statement in the church covenant that states, \u201cdo not use or sell any alcoholic beverage\u201d. Obviously, this is to condone moderate drinking.\u00a0 The basis for this is Romans 14:21.\u00a0 The pastor has a lexicon that shows all wine as written\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":2687,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/does-acts-213-15-infer-that-christians-drank-fermented-wine\/","url_meta":{"origin":18280,"position":4},"title":"Does Acts 2:13-15 infer that Christians drank fermented wine?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"March 26, 2005","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: There are lots of inferences in the Bible that Christians used fermented wine.\u00a0Acts 2:13-15\u00a0is 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\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":9095,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wouldnt-wine-need-to-be-fortified-in-order-to-be-used-as-starter-fluid\/","url_meta":{"origin":18280,"position":5},"title":"Wouldn’t wine need to be fortified in order to be used as starter fluid?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"March 22, 2007","format":false,"excerpt":"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:\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18280","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=18280"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18280\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=18280"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=18280"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=18280"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}