Should we call wine-drinking sin?
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Note: This article was written by someone else. Enjoy!
We should warn about the evils of gluttony and lawlessness, but we should not call wine-drinking sin because it is not. I am not a drinker because I do not want to cause my brethern (or unbelievers) to stumble...
Romans 14:21, It is good neither to eat flesh, nor to drink wine, nor any thing whereby thy brother stumbleth, or is offended, or is made weak. (note how Paul uses meat-eating on the same level with wine-drinking)
Somewhere along the line teetotalers (people who refrain from any strong drink) have made society to believe that wine drinking is prohibited for Christians when the Bible says no such thing. Jesus drank wine and made wine and He certainly did not sin. That is the whole point of this article--JESUS DRANK WINE, THEREFORE WE CANNOT CALL IT SIN! HE IS HOLY AND RIGHTEOUS AND TRUE! Jesus was not drinking non-alcoholic "grapejuice" either. We'll review some scriptures in a moment.
I read the account of a Christian at a Jewish funeral who abruptly rejected a glass of ceremonial wine and quoted Bible verses to his host. This is wrong, pitiful and offensive. Jewish people have already been dogged enough by supposed "Christians". Why slap 'em in the face again about an issue which really is no issue? If you don't feel right drinking, then don't. But don't call it sin just because you don't do it. Jesus did it and He never sinned.
JESUS DRANK WINE
People tried to call the Lord Himself a winebibber because He partook of the fruit of the vine. Conversely, they said that John the Baptist had a devil because he didn't drink!
Luke 7:33-34 For John the Baptist came neither eating bread nor drinking wine; and ye say, He hath a devil. The Son of man is come eating and drinking; and ye say, Behold a gluttonous man, and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners! (note how Jesus uses eating and drinking on the same level)
JESUS MADE WINE FOR OTHERS
Jesus made wine at the marriage feast at Cana of Galilee when they ran out. We know from the comments of the governor that it was not "grapejuice". The men had well drunk (it does not say they were drunken) and the Lord provided more wine.
John 2:7-10 Jesus saith unto them, Fill the waterpots with water. And they filled them up to the brim.
And he saith unto them, Draw out now, and bear unto the governor of the feast. And they bare it.
When the ruler of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and knew not whence it was: (but the servants which drew the water knew;) the governor of the feast called the bridegroom,
And saith unto him, Every man at the beginning doth set forth good wine; and when men have well drunk, then that which is worse: but thou hast kept the good wine until now.
WINE USED IN NEW TESTAMENT CHURCHES
Wine was used in the Lord's supper in New Testament churches--and some folks were abusing it.
1 Corinthians 11:20-22 When ye come together therefore into one place, this is not to eat the Lord's supper.
For in eating every one taketh before other his own supper: and one is hungry, and another is drunken.
What? have ye not houses to eat and to drink in? or despise ye the church of God, and shame them that have not? What shall I say to you? shall I praise you in this? I praise you not.
DRUNKENESS IS SIN
Nowadays, we call people with alcohol problems, "alcoholics". The Bible calls 'em drunkards and this is sin!
I Corinthians 6:10 Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.
Ephesians 5:18 And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess...
Titus1:7 ...[bishop] not given to wine, no striker, not given to filthy lucre;
2:3 The aged women...not given to much wine... (see also I Timothy 3:3, 8)
1 Peter 4:3...we walked in... excess of wine, revellings, banquetings...
MEDICINAL PROPERTIES OF WINE
I recently saw an article which contends that wine has medicinal properties that can prevent heart attacks. Bible examples of its medicinal purposes are seen in:
Luke 10:34 And went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him.
I Timothy 5:23 Drink no longer water, but use a little wine for thy stomach's sake and thine often infirmities.
CONCLUSION
I understand that gluttony of wine has caused the downfall of many people--but so has gluttony of food! Any gluttony is sin, not just wine drinking. How many fat people do we see in church? How many tv-addicted people do we see in church? But ain't too many preachers talking about that!
Am I leading a crusade to put wine in church? No, by no means. The damage has been done and the culture has grown up around this deformity. What I am saying is that we should not call wine-drinking sin, for in doing so, we condemn ourselves by attributing sin to the Sinless Christ and by mocking what the Bible has clearly said about this gift that God has given to us.
All Old Testament References to Wine
Genesis
9:21 And he drank of the wine, and was drunken; and he was uncovered within his tent.
9:24 And Noah awoke from his wine, and knew what his younger son had done unto him.
14:18 And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he was the priest of the most high God.
19:32 Come, let us make our father drink wine, and we will lie with him, that we may preserve seed of our father.
19:33 And they made their father drink wine that night: and the firstborn went in, and lay with her father; and he perceived not when she lay down, nor when she arose.
19:34 And it came to pass on the morrow, that the firstborn said unto the younger, Behold, I lay yesternight with my father: let us make him drink wine this night also; and go thou in, and lie with him, that we may preserve seed of our father.
19:35 And they made their father drink wine that night also: and the younger arose, and lay with him; and he perceived not when she lay down, nor when she arose.
27:25 And he said, Bring it near to me, and I will eat of my son's venison, that my soul may bless thee. And he brought it near to him, and he did eat: and he brought him wine and he drank.
27:28 Therefore God give thee of the dew of heaven, and the fatness of the earth, and plenty of corn and wine:
27:37 And Isaac answered and said unto Esau, Behold, I have made him thy lord, and all his brethren have I given to him for servants; and with corn and wine have I sustained him: and what shall I do now unto thee, my son?
49:11 Binding his foal unto the vine, and his ass's colt unto the choice vine; he washed his garments in wine, and his clothes in the blood of grapes:
49:12 His eyes shall be red with wine, and his teeth white with milk.
Exodus
29:40 And with the one lamb a tenth deal of flour mingled with the fourth part of an hin of beaten oil; and the fourth part of an hin of wine for a drink offering.
Leviticus
10:9 Do not drink wine nor strong drink, thou, nor thy sons with thee, when ye go into the tabernacle of the congregation, lest ye die: it shall be a statute for ever throughout your generations:
23:13 And the meat offering thereof shall be two tenth deals of fine flour mingled with oil, an offering made by fire unto the LORD for a sweet savour: and the drink offering thereof shall be of wine, the fourth part of an hin.
Numbers
6:3 He shall separate himself from wine and strong drink, and shall drink no vinegar of wine, or vinegar of strong drink, neither shall he drink any liquor of grapes, nor eat moist grapes, or dried.
6:20 And the priest shall wave them for a wave offering before the LORD: this is holy for the priest, with the wave breast and heave shoulder: and after that the Nazarite may drink wine.
15:5 And the fourth part of an hin of wine for a drink offering shalt thou prepare with the burnt offering or sacrifice, for one lamb.
15:7 And for a drink offering thou shalt offer the third part of an hin of wine, for a sweet savour unto the LORD.
15:10 And thou shalt bring for a drink offering half an hin of wine, for an offering made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the LORD.
18:12 All the best of the oil, and all the best of the wine, and of the wheat, the firstfruits of them which they shall offer unto the LORD, them have I given
thee.
18:27 And this your heave offering shall be reckoned unto you, as though it were the corn of the threshingfloor, and as the fulness of the winepress.
18:30 Therefore thou shalt say unto them, When ye have heaved the best thereof from it, then it shall be counted unto the Levites as the increase of the threshingfloor, and as the increase of the winepress.
28:7 And the drink offering thereof shall be the fourth part of an hin for the one lamb: in the holy place shalt thou cause the strong wine to be poured unto the LORD for a drink offering.
28:14 And their drink offerings shall be half an hin of wine unto a bullock, and the third part of an hin unto a ram, and a fourth part of an hin unto a lamb: this is the burnt offering of every month throughout the months of the year.
Deuteronomy
7:13 And he will love thee, and bless thee, and multiply thee: he will also bless the fruit of thy womb, and the fruit of thy land, thy corn, and thy wine, and thine oil, the increase of thy kine, and the flocks of thy sheep, in the land which he sware unto thy fathers to give thee.
11:14 That I will give you the rain of your land in his due season, the first rain and the latter rain, that thou mayest gather in thy corn, and thy wine, and thine oil.
12:17 Thou mayest not eat within thy gates the tithe of thy corn, or of thy wine, or of thy oil, or the firstlings of thy herds or of thy flock, nor any of thy vows which thou vowest, nor thy freewill offerings, or heave offering of thine hand:
14:23 And thou shalt eat before the LORD thy God, in the place which he shall choose to place his name there, the tithe of thy corn, of thy wine, and of thine oil, and the firstlings of thy herds and of thy flocks; that thou mayest learn to fear the LORD thy God always.
14:26 And thou shalt bestow that money for whatsoever thy soul lusteth after, for oxen, or for sheep, or for wine, or for strong drink, or for whatsoever thy soul desireth: and thou shalt eat there before the LORD thy God, and thou shalt rejoice, thou, and thine household,
15:14 Thou shalt furnish him liberally out of thy flock, and out of thy floor, and out of thy winepress: of that wherewith the LORD thy God hath blessed thee thou shalt give unto him.
16:13 Thou shalt observe the feast of tabernacles seven days, after that thou hast gathered in thy corn and thy wine:
18:4 The firstfruit also of thy corn, of thy wine, and of thine oil, and the first of the fleece of thy sheep, shalt thou give him.
28:39 Thou shalt plant vineyards, and dress them, but shalt neither drink of the wine, nor gather the grapes; for the worms shall eat them.
28:51 And he shall eat the fruit of thy cattle, and the fruit of thy land, until thou be destroyed: which also shall not leave thee either corn, wine, or oil, or the increase of thy kine, or flocks of thy sheep, until he have destroyed thee.
29:6 Ye have not eaten bread, neither have ye drunk wine or strong drink: that ye might know that I am the LORD your God.
32:33 Their wine is the poison of dragons, and the cruel venom of asps.
32:38 Which did eat the fat of their sacrifices, and drank the wine of their drink offerings? let them rise up and help you, and be your protection.
33:28 Israel then shall dwell in safety alone: the fountain of Jacob shall be upon a land of corn and wine; also his heavens shall drop down dew.
Joshua
9:4 They did work wilily, and went and made as if they had been ambassadors, and took old sacks upon their asses, and wine bottles, old, and rent, and bound up;
9:13 And these bottles of wine, which we filled, were new; and, behold, they be rent: and these our garments and our shoes are become old by reason of the very long journey.
Judges
6:11 And there came an angel of the LORD, and sat under an oak which was in Ophrah, that pertained unto Joash the Abiezrite: and his son Gideon threshed wheat by the winepress, to hide it from the Midianites.
7:25 And they took two princes of the Midianites, Oreb and Zeeb; and they slew Oreb upon the rock Oreb, and Zeeb they slew at the winepress of Zeeb, and pursued Midian, and brought the heads of Oreb and Zeeb to Gideon on the other side Jordan.
9:13 And the vine said unto them, Should I leave my wine, which cheereth God and man, and go to be promoted over the trees?
13:4 Now therefore beware, I pray thee, and drink not wine nor strong drink, and eat not any unclean thing:
13:7 But he said unto me, Behold, thou shalt conceive, and bear a son; and now drink no wine nor strong drink, neither eat any unclean thing: for the child shall be a Nazarite to God from the womb to the day of his death. 13:14 She may not eat of any thing that cometh of the vine, neither let her drink wine or strong drink, nor eat any unclean thing: all that I commanded her let her observe.
19:19 Yet there is both straw and provender for our asses; and there is bread and wine also for me, and for thy handmaid, and for the young man which is with thy servants: there is no want of any thing.
