{"id":47317,"date":"2015-02-08T16:19:00","date_gmt":"2015-02-08T22:19:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/?p=47317"},"modified":"2022-05-08T16:22:36","modified_gmt":"2022-05-08T21:22:36","slug":"i-peter-43-and-social-drinking","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/i-peter-43-and-social-drinking\/","title":{"rendered":"I Peter 4:3 and ‘Social Drinking’"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\tby Ron Halbrook
\n(edited for length)
\nSearching The Scriptures, June 1973\n

Three words are used in\u00a0I Peter 4:3 which have a bearing on modern drinking practices. All three words describe the lifestyle of the old man, dead in sin – living “in the flesh to the lusts of men.<\/em>” Peter pleads with those who are alive “to the will of God<\/em>” to leave buried in the shameful past such practices as the OINOPHLUGIA, KOMOS, and POTOS.<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. OINOPHLUGIA. The KJV translates this as “excess of wine.” The word METHE (drunkenness, Galatians 5:21) refers to habitual intoxication, deep drinking, and drunken bouts. No one respects the down-and-out drunk, the sickening wino. Such extreme indulgence and debauchery is universally a shame. The gutter drunk “may induce permanent mischief on the body” by his habitual, senseless excesses. The body, mind, and soul are deadened and finally destroyed. But, “excess of wine” (OINOPHLUGIA) while indicating intoxication, “marks a step in advance of METHE.” In other words, it is a level of drinking that is less than that indicated by habitual “drunkenness” (METHE). The fatal debauch of Alexander the Great, for instance, is signified by OINOPHLUGIA in ancient records.<\/li>\n
  2. KOMOS. This word appears as “revelings” in KJV. There is a descent or digression in the strength of our three words. There is a level of drinking in KOMOS which is distinguishable from “excess of wine.” The one who practices OINOPHLUGIA staggers, stumbles, or even sleeps in his stupor. If he swings his fist, he is the one likely to get hurt. If he drives, he is more dangerous to himself than to others; he will likely drive right up a tree, but other drivers can see him a mile away and get out of the way. But the one who practices KOMOS is a “live wire.” He is intoxicated, but not so debauched as to miss all the fun. “He’s flying high.” KOMOS combines intoxication with merrymaking. It suggests shouting, singing, dancing, and generally stirring wanton desires with merry companions – all with the help of intoxicants. “Take one down, pass it around, 49 bottles of beer on the wall,” and the songs go on. “Wine, women, and song” is the modern way of saying KOMOS. Where do we go from here? What’s the next level down?<\/li>\n
  3. POTOS. This word is translated as “banquetings,” which is obscure to the modern reader. Or, worse, he may confuse this word with our practice of a social meal with speakers, awards, or entertainment. Today’s English Version and the New American Standard translates POTOS as “drinking parties”; be careful not to read that “drunken parties,” which would be KOMOS. Rotherham has “drinking bouts” – not necessarily drunken bouts. The New English Bible says “tippling” – drinking, especially continuously in small amounts. Literally, POTOS is “a drinking,” without reference to the amount. The verb form is POTTZO, “to give to drink,” without regard to the amount (as Matthew 10:42\u00a0– “give to drink… a cup of cold water<\/em>“). R. C. Trench says concerning POTOS, “not of necessity excessive” (Synonyms of the N. T., p. 211). He further explains that POTOS is related to words of excess in that it gives “opportunity for excess.” This, then, is the cocktail party drinking, sipping the wine, “having a few drinks with the boys,” social drinking.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Rather than excusing our sins, let us cease from them (I Peter 4). Let us put off the old man and put on the new man (Colossians 3). “Ye are the salt of the earth. … Ye are the light of the world<\/em>” (Matthew 6). Let us live so as to bring men to Christ and glory to God.<\/p>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    by Ron Halbrook (edited for length) Searching The Scriptures, June 1973 Three words are used in\u00a0I Peter 4:3 which have a bearing on modern drinking practices. All three words describe the lifestyle of the old man, dead in sin – living “in the flesh to the lusts of men.” Peter pleads with those who are…<\/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,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[27],"tags":[371,944],"class_list":["post-47317","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-article","tag-alcohol","tag-i-peter"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":2618,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/do-the-words-carousing-or-reveling-condemn-social-drinking\/","url_meta":{"origin":47317,"position":0},"title":"Do the words “carousing” or “reveling” condemn social drinking?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"March 5, 2005","format":false,"excerpt":"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\u00a0I Peter 4:3\u00a0with him, suggesting that \"tippling\"\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":62293,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/drinking\/","url_meta":{"origin":47317,"position":1},"title":"Drinking","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"August 22, 2004","format":false,"excerpt":"by Jeffrey W. Hamilton I.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Drunkenness is an old problem among men \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0A.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0The earliest record is Genesis 9:21 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a01.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Noah was acquainted with the effects of wine - Matt 24:38 II.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0The effects of alcohol \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0A.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Prov 20:1 - It deceives the mind. \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0B.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Isa. 28:1-3,7-8 - It causes errors in judgement \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0C.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Hab 2:15 -\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Sermon"","block_context":{"text":"Sermon","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/sermon\/"},"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":47317,"position":2},"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":59880,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/suddenly-sour-grapes\/","url_meta":{"origin":47317,"position":3},"title":"Suddenly Sour Grapes","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"March 13, 2006","format":false,"excerpt":"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\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":68364,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/when-the-guests-are-drunk\/","url_meta":{"origin":47317,"position":4},"title":"When the Guests are Drunk?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"June 15, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"by Terry Wane Benton Does John 2:10 say and mean \"when the guests are drunk\" as the NET so renders, or does the verse have a different connotation? My Interlinear renders this \"have well drunk,\" which is a far different meaning than \"are drunk.\" The interlinear rendering means only that\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":1679,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/new-testament-beverages\/","url_meta":{"origin":47317,"position":5},"title":"New Testament Beverages","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"August 1, 2004","format":false,"excerpt":"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\u00a0which is directly equivalent to the\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":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/47317","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=47317"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/47317\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=47317"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=47317"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=47317"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}