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Does the Bible Condemn
the Use of Alcohol?
Dear
Larry Wilson:
My
girlfriend and I are having a conflict over the
use of a “little” alcohol. I believe
the Bible permits the use of a little alcohol.
After all, Jesus turned water into wine at
a wedding feast. (John 2:9) She disagrees. She
believes the wine at the wedding feast was not
alcoholic, but she cannot prove this. She says
the Bible does not approve the use of alcohol
except for medical reasons. Please help me
resolve this thorny issue. Here are three texts
that keep us from resolving this issue into a
“yes” or “no.” (1) 1 Timothy
5:23: “Stop drinking only water, and use
a little wine because of your stomach and your
frequent illnesses.” (2) Deuteronomy
14:26: “Use the silver to buy whatever
you like: cattle, sheep, wine or other fermented
drink, or anything you wish. Then you and your
household shall eat in the presence of the Lord
your God and rejoice.” (3) Ephesians
5:18: “Do not get drunk on wine, which
leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the
Spirit.”
Sincerely,
James
________________________________________________________
Hello
James:
Thank
you for the e-mail. I am happy to learn that the
Bible is important to you and your girlfriend.
Much has been written on this topic and I cannot
present every aspect of this subject in this
short response. However, I will try to give you a
summery statement. First, I want you to know that
I agree with your girlfriend. Paul did encourage
Timothy to use a “little alcohol” for
his illnesses because it was widely known in
ancient times that alcohol had medicinal value,
but Paul also told the believers in Ephesians
that Christians are not to get drunk on wine.
Some Christians see some wiggle room in Ephesians
5:18 arguing that they can drink a “little”
without getting drunk.
To
those who use this argument, consider this: In
the United States, a person is determined to be
legally impaired with a Blood Alcohol
Concentration (BAC) of .08%. This means that if
are a female weighing approximately 100 pounds,
impairment from wine begins with 4 oz. drink and
your BAC exceeds .08% after a second drink. So,
for a woman this size, two 4 oz. drinks of wine
makes you legally impaired. If you are a male
weighing approximately 180 pounds, impairment
begins with the second drink and your BAC exceeds
.08% after a third drink. So, three drinks make
you legally impaired. (One drink is 1.4 oz. of 80
proof liquor, 12 oz. of beer, or 4oz. of table
wine.) For what it’s worth, commercial
drivers are limited to a BAC of only .04%. This
is half of the .08 % BAC permitted for
non-commercial drivers! It does not take very
much alcohol to legally impair a person.
God’s
Generous Forbearance
When
God delivered Israel out of Egyptian bondage, He
permitted the Jews to us “a little alcohol”
at special occasions. For example, speaking of
their compulsory attendance at three annual
feasts that would be held in various places, God
said, “[If you live a great distance from
the place of the festival, convert the title of
your harvest into silver for the trip and when
you get to the place I have designated] Use
the silver to buy whatever you like: cattle,
sheep, wine or other fermented drink, or anything
else you wish. Then you and your household shall
eat there in the presence of the Lord your God
and rejoice.” (Deuteronomy 14:26,
insertion mine) Some people use this verse
inappropriately to justify the use of alcohol.
When God delivered Israel from slavery in Egypt,
He permitted Israel to keep slaves (Leviticus
25:44), permitted men to have multiple wives
(Deuteronomy 17:17 – in fact, the sons of
Jacob originated from four women. See Genesis
29:23, 29:30, 30:4,30:9.), and permitted divorce
for reasons other than adultery (Deuteronomy 24:1
-4). When Israel first came out of Egyptian
bondage, God permitted Israel to do things that
were not ideal. Israel was a backward nation
consisting of poorly educated slaves with a lot
of bad habits and customs. Initially, God dealt
patiently with Israel’s illiteracy and
degeneracy, but over time, it was God’s
intention to transform the nation of Israel into
a great nation with a high degree of literacy, a
marvelous theocracy, a judiciary system that was
second to none, and the highest living standards.
God did everything He could to transform Israel
into a great nation that would be the envy of all
nations. Tragically, Israel could not stay away
from repetitious bouts of apostasy and ruin.
When
Jesus was on Earth, He noted Israel’s
corporate failure in a conversation about
divorce. “Jesus replied, ‘Moses
permitted you to divorce your wives because your
hearts were hard. But it was not this way from
the beginning [of marriage]. I tell you
that anyone who divorces his wife, except for
marital unfaithfulness, and marries another woman
commits adultery.’” (Matthew
19:8,9, insertion mine) This verse clearly
reveals what was permissible at the time of Moses
was not ideal. I am sure that if God had imposed
His ideals on Israel at the time of the Exodus,
no one would have wanted to leave Egypt. As
terrible as Pharaoh and his taskmasters were,
Israel’s carnal nature, with its degenerate
passions and appetites, was rather content in
Egypt. This explains why after leaving Egypt,
many of the Hebrews wanted to return. (Exodus
16:3, Numbers 11:4-6)
Leading by
Example
To get
the nation of Israel going in the right
direction, God started with Israel’s
leaders. For example, those who were called to
serve God as priests were forbidden to use
alcohol. “You [Aaron, as High Priest]
and your sons are not to drink wine or other
fermented drink whenever you go into the Tent of
Meeting, or you will die [I will kill you].
This is a lasting ordinance for the generations
to come. You must distinguish between the holy
and the common, between the unclean and the clean
[and you cannot do this when your reasoning is
impaired], and you must teach the Israelites
all the decrees the Lord has given them through
Moses [and how you can teach others and
demonstrate the holy ways of the Lord if you are
impaired with alcohol?]” (Leviticus
10:9-11, insertions mine) You may recall how
Aaron’s sons, Nadab and Abihu, entered the
Tent of Meeting while in an inebriated state.
They used unholy fire in an atonement service and
upon seeing their impudence God killed them.
(Leviticus 10:1,2) The point here is
that alcohol interferes with reason and
self-control. Stupid choices always produce
painful consequences.
Wine is a
Mocker
When
people drink, more often than not, they say
things and do things they regret later on –
sometimes for a lifetime. Solomon noticed this
phenomenon. He wrote, “Wine is a mocker
[it will make a fool out of you], strong drink
is raging [intoxication is maddening –
it leads to abuse, conflict, and assault]: and
whosoever is deceived [by a mind numbing
intoxication] thereby is not wise.” (Proverbs
20:1, insertions mine)
The
Bible records an incident after the flood when
Noah got drunk and took off his clothes. Almost
always, nudity, sexual immorality, and drinking
go together. “Noah, a man of the soil,
proceeded to plant a vineyard. When he drank some
of its wine, he became drunk and lay uncovered
[stoned and naked] inside his tent. Ham, the
father of Canaan, [accidentally] his
father’s nakedness and told his two brothers
outside. But Shem and Japheth took a garment and
laid it across their shoulders, and then they
walked in backward and covered their father’s
nakedness. Their faces were turned the other way
so that they would not see their father’s
nakedness. When Noah awoke from the wine
[stupor] and found out what his youngest son
had done to him, he said, ‘Cursed be [my
grandson] Canaan! The lowest of slaves will he
be to his brothers.’” (Genesis
9:20-25, insertions mine) Wine caused Noah to
lose his dignity. The great patriarch who built
the ark and “saved the world” was
highly embarrassed after he learned that he had
been naked and he cursed his grandson for
Ham’s offense! It was considered a most
grievous offense in ancient times for a patriarch
or tribal king to be seen naked. (Note: Noah may
have cursed his grandson because he may have been
responsible for guarding his grandfather’s
tent. Contrary to what some have claimed, there
is no evidence that Noah’s curse had any
effect on Canaan. This curse did not originate
from God or through God. Noah was indignant that
his nakedness had been exposed, and in reality,
he should have cursed himself for getting drunk.)
If You Really
Want to Draw Near to God
Throughout
human history, there are times when people desire
divine intervention. These moments are usually
characterized by a desperate situation of some
kind that would have a fatal or catastrophic
outcome. Historically, the pagans would petition
their gods by bringing expensive gifts to the
temple of their god. Of course, the priests were
delighted to receive these expensive gifts and
they assured the worshipers that their petition
would be heard.
However,
God gave the Jews a very different approach. If
someone wanted to petition God or seek His favor,
they could temporarily become a “Nazirite.”
Everyone partaking in a Nazirite vow belonged to
a “tribe” which was temporarily, but
wholeheartedly dedicated to the service and will
of God. “[Moses] Speak to the Israelites
and say to them: ‘If a man or woman wants to
make a special vow, a vow of separation to the
Lord as a Nazirite, he must abstain from wine and
other fermented drink and must not drink vinegar
made from wine or from other fermented drink. He
must not drink grape juice or eat grapes or
raisons [because of the possibility of
fermentation].’” (Numbers 6:2,3,
insertion mine) A Nazirite vow could last for
days or weeks, depending upon the desire of the
petitioner. During this time, the petitioner
sometimes fasted while devoting much time to
prayer, study, and meditation. If a person wished
to draw near to God by becoming a Nazirite, God
required a clear mind. Hence, the use of grapes
or anything fermented was forbidden!
The Wedding
Miracle
As
soon as a grape is crushed and the juice makes
contact with the air, fermentation begins.
Depending on the type of grape, the storage
temperature, the yeast involved, and other
factors, pure grape juice can deteriorate into an
awful tasting liquid a week or two because of
fermentation. Making a good tasting wine or
vinegar is not a casual endeavor. The process
involves separating the grape skins, adding the
right type of yeast to the juice just at the
right time, and then aging the wine in specially
prepared containers. The process is lengthy and
it involves considerable effort and attention. I
mention these facts because Jesus instantly
turned 150 gallons of water into wine at a
wedding party in Cana of Galilee. (John 2) When
the master of the banquet tasted the wine that
Jesus made, he was astonished at its quality! (He
did not know that the wine was the result of a
miracle when he made the remark to the
bridegroom: “… Everyone brings out
the choice wine [the most expensive wine] first
and then the cheaper wine after the guests have
had too much to drink; but you have saved the
best till now.” (John 2:10, insertions
mine) It is clear from these remarks that alcohol
was served at some Jewish weddings in Christ’s
time because the master of the banquet mentions
cheaper wines were usually served after the
guests “has to much to drink.”
Three
points should be considered: First, nonalcoholic
grape juice was not readily available in Bible
times unless it was harvest time. Grape juice
begins fermenting as soon as it is expressed from
the grape; so grape juice quickly acquires some
level of alcoholic content depending on how it is
treated. Second, the Jews often served alcohol at
weddings in Bible times. (Many Jews still
do this today.) A fine wine today will have an
alcoholic content ranging from 12% to 17% and I
assume the same would hold true in Bible times.
So, depending on the weight of a person, two or
three 4 oz. drinks of “fine wine” would
render a person legally impaired. Third, there
has been much debate through the centuries on
whether the miracle wine produced by Jesus was pure
grape juice or a fine wine having
alcoholic content.
Personally,
I think there is a fourth choice. I am persuaded
that Jesus created an exquisite wine that was
free of alcohol. Nonalcoholic wine has been
around for a long time, although it never has
been very popular. My reason for believing Jesus
created nonalcoholic wine is simple. A miracle is
a miracle. Instantly, 150 gallons of ordinary
water became a “better tasting wine.”
The technology that Jesus used to make this wine
does not exist. His wine has not been replicated.
It was not manmade. This wine came from God.
Knowing the ministry and mission of Jesus as we
now do, I do not think He would give the wedding
guests an intoxicating beverage. We know what
happened when Noah got drunk, we know what
Solomon says about wine, we know what God
required of His priests, we know that Paul told
the Ephesians not to get drunk on wine, and we
know what God required in the Nazirite vow.
Therefore, it is incongruous to think that Jesus
created a wine that would people drunk. The
Author of Life came to draw sinners to God. If
the manna in the desert was the food of angels,
perhaps the wine created at the wedding was a
sample of what angels drink!
James,
there is one more aspect to this topic that I
hope you will consider. The use of alcohol for
recreational purposes has created nine million
alcoholics and another nine million people with
chronic drinking problems. Additive substances
have compelling power over human beings and this
is why the use of alcohol and tobacco (and other
addictive substances) is regulated by our
government. The Bible does not explicitly address
the use of addictive substances because God gave
mankind the ability to reason from cause to
effect. For example, a person can argue that the
Bible does not condemn cigarette smoking, the use
of marijuana, cocaine, or methamphetamine and
they would be technically correct. This
silence does not support the recreational use of
these substances! God had given us the ability to
reason and it does not take a great deal of
research to see the harmful effects of these
drugs. The facts are crystal clear. Once a person
begins experimenting with additive drugs, the
likelihood of addition is so great and the
addition is so permanent that there is no such
thing as moderation after the addition begins.
Any
argument used to support the recreational use of
alcohol can be used for recreational smoking. Consider
the addictive nature of cigarette smoking for a
moment. Most people begin smoking before they
turn 18. Today, some 82,000,000 people in the USA
are addicted to cigarettes. Of course, nicotine
does not impair the brain like alcohol, yet
according to the Center for Disease Control,
almost a half million people die prematurely each
year from smoke-related diseases. (The life span
of smokers is reduced by an average of 15 years.)
Given the addictive nature of smoking (one in
four is addicted) and the harmful effects on
health that follow, what position should a
Christian take on smoking? Should we take the
position of approval as long as smoking is done
in moderation because the Bible does not
explicitly condemn the habit? Of course not!
As I
wrote earlier, 18 million people are either
addicted to alcohol or they have a chronic
drinking problem. If each person belongs to a
family of four, the number of people affected by
the demon of alcohol approaches 70 million! Even
more, about 100,000 deaths are associated with
alcohol in the USA each year; 5% of all deaths
from diseases of the circulatory system are
attributed to alcohol; 15% of all deaths from
diseases of the respiratory system are attributed
to alcohol; 30% of all deaths from accidents
caused by fire and flames are attributed to
alcohol; 30% of all accidental drowning are
attributed to alcohol; 30% of all suicides are
attributed to alcohol; 40% of all deaths due to
accidental falls are attributed to alcohol; 45%
of all deaths in automobile accidents are
attributed to alcohol; and 60% of all homicides
are attributed to alcohol. Given these stats on
alcohol, should Christians take the position that
recreational drinking is OK? No!
James,
the facts tell us that the recreational use of any
addictive substance is foolish for two reasons.
First, 82 million smokers and 18 million drinkers
prove how easy it is to become addicted. Science
now knows that a single cigarette, drink,
snort of cocaine or meth rock can produce a
life-long addict. Second, Christians should
be clear and unequivocal about anything that has
an addictive potential. Total abstinence from
these substances, just like the total abstinence
from premarital sex, aligns the divine wisdom and
the Word of God. Anything that impairs our
ability to resist temptation should be treated
with contempt. The devil is a roaring lion, and
he works every angle to bring people down into
the pit of hopelessness or at least, life-long
regret. Alcohol causes people to do things they
would not ordinarily do. Alcohol is a demon in a
bottle, if it conquers you – your life and
the lives of those who love you will be full of
suffering and heartache. Being spiritual
impaired is far worse than being legally
impaired.
Jesus
came to Earth to show us how to live, how to love
God and each other, and how to overcome sin. Even
though He was tempted in all points as we are,
Jesus did not sin and neither would He want us to
impair the power and the work of the Holy Spirit
in our hearts and minds with a substance that
causes us to diminish the seriousness of sin. “So
whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do
it all for the glory of God.”
(1
Corinthians 10:31)
Your
girlfriend is correct! Seems to me, she has a
good head on her shoulders.
I hope
this helps!
Larry
Wilson
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