{"id":32400,"date":"2012-04-03T12:17:00","date_gmt":"2012-04-03T17:17:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/?p=32400"},"modified":"2021-02-21T12:20:33","modified_gmt":"2021-02-21T18:20:33","slug":"why-is-the-qualification-for-deacons-not-given-to-much-wine","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/why-is-the-qualification-for-deacons-not-given-to-much-wine\/","title":{"rendered":"Why is the qualification for deacons “not given to much wine?”"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\t

Question:<\/h2>\n

I scanned through the topics on your website about drinking<\/a>, but I still have a question about I Timothy 3:8. I’m not trying to argue that drinking is OK or trying to reword the Scripture to allow it. I do like a beer with a meal on occasion, but I don’t support alcoholism and drunkenness in any way. I don’t want anything in my life holding me or my family back from the reward of heaven. In I Timothy 3, requirements for elders and deacons are outlined. I found it interesting that deacons are told to be “not given to much wine.” I know this wouldn’t be a reference to grape juice because it would make participation in the Lord’s supper impossible for elders who are told to be “not given to wine” in Titus 1:7 (KJV). You may have answered this question already on your website and I may have overlooked it. I’d like to know your thoughts on the meaning of these verses and why they are worded this way. Knowledge of the original Hebrew might shed light on it for me, but I’m not familiar with it.<\/p>\n\t

Answer:<\/h2>\n

The article “New Testament Beverages<\/a>” gives the details of most of the Greek terms in the New Testament.<\/p>\n

In regards to the qualifications of deacons, the phrase is “not given to much wine<\/em>” in the New King James Version. In Greek, it is me oino pollo prosechontas<\/em>. “Given” is too mild of a translation for\u00a0prosechontas<\/em>. The word means: paying attention, giving heed to, guarding, watching, devoting oneself to, or attached to. Being addicted to much wine, as it is translated in the New American Standard Bible, or indulging in much wine, as translated in the New International Version, better captures the meaning. A deacon is not to be a man with whom alcohol plays a dominant role in his life.<\/p>\n

However, it would be a mistake to assume this is permission for casual use. We can only take it for what is said: an addict cannot be a deacon. For anything thing else, we must look at other passages of the Bible to see how much, if any alcohol, was tolerated in a Christian’s life.<\/p>\n

The Greek phrase\u00a0me paraoinon<\/em>\u00a0found in I Timothy 3:3 and Titus 1:7 is discussed at the end of\u00a0New Testament Beverages<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Question: I scanned through the topics on your website about drinking, but I still have a question about I Timothy 3:8. I’m not trying to argue that drinking is OK or trying to reword the Scripture to allow it. I do like a beer with a meal on occasion, but I don’t support alcoholism and…<\/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_seo_schema_type":"","footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[20],"tags":[371,1568],"class_list":["post-32400","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-answer","tag-alcohol","tag-deacons"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":86675,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/much-wine\/","url_meta":{"origin":32400,"position":0},"title":"Much Wine?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"April 17, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"by Tracy Dugger In giving the qualifications of elders, the Holy Spirit inspired Paul to write that an elder is not to be, \"\u2026given to wine\u2026\" (I Timothy 3:3). Then in I Timothy 3:6, Paul stated of deacons, \"Likewise must the deacons be grave, not double tongued, not given to\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":20514,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/what-about-deacons-not-being-given-to-much-wine-doesnt-this-allow-for-a-casual-drink\/","url_meta":{"origin":32400,"position":1},"title":"What about deacons not being given to much wine, doesn’t this allow for a casual drink?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"October 19, 2009","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: I really appreciated your \"New Testament Beverages.\" However, how does one answer the question relating to deacons must not be given to much wine? This seems to allow for a casual drink. If this was merely grape juice, should we not ask prospective deacons how much grape juice they\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":41456,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/elders-deacons-timothy-and-wine\/","url_meta":{"origin":32400,"position":2},"title":"Elders, Deacons, Timothy, and Wine","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"January 5, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"by Dave Miller, Ph.D. via Apologetics Press Paul's instructions pertaining to the qualifications of elders and deacons have created misunderstandings regarding the use of alcoholic beverages. Elders are not to be \"given to wine\" (I Timothy 3:3), while deacons are not to be \"given to much wine\" (I Timothy 3:8).\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":2007,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/what-happens-if-an-elders-wife-dies\/","url_meta":{"origin":32400,"position":3},"title":"What happens if an elder’s wife dies?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"December 26, 2004","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: If a man is qualified to serve as an elder but his wife dies before he is installed, can he still become an elder? If an elder's wife dies may he continue to serve? Answer: In looking for qualified men to be elders, we put so much emphasis on\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":9489,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/should-the-current-eldership-select-additional-elders\/","url_meta":{"origin":32400,"position":4},"title":"Should the current eldership select additional elders?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"April 20, 2007","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Is it scripturally correct for elders to choose another elder and have him installed by an outside evangelist? The process I'm speaking of was one where two elders announced to a group of the members that the elders would be \"selecting\" the new elder(s) and deacon(s). Shouldn't the \"selection\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":51404,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/does-i-timothy-311-refer-to-both-elders-and-deacons-wives\/","url_meta":{"origin":32400,"position":5},"title":"Does I Timothy 3:11 refer to both elders and deacons’ wives?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"September 15, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: In I Timothy 3:11, where it says \"Likewise their wives,\" do you think the word \"their\" means both elder and deacons wives? Or is this word a specific reference to deacons' wives? I ask this because in context this verse falls under the qualification of a deacon. 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