Alcohol: A Biblical Case For Abstinance

[AlexdlT1611]

Hello TheSword,

 

I am new to this forum and posted my first new topic today.

 

You are not wrong at all on your primary point or your motive.

 

The ONLY Biblical exception to the promotion of abstinence from alcohol is in Proverbs 31:6-7:

 

Give strong drink unto him that is ready to perish, and wine unto those that be of heavy hearts.

Let him drink, and forget his poverty, and remember his misery no more.

 

By comparing Scripture with Scripture, we see that this exception applies ONLY to those who are terminally ill and are in unbearable pain. "Those with heavy hearts" does NOT refer to people who are mourning or otherwise sad or depressed.

 

Sadly, if you were to purchase booze for these people, you would be supporting the same booze industry that has contributed to too many needless deaths, heartbreaks, and ruined lives to count. This is the same booze industry that uses provocative imagery and advertisements to dupe "regular" people into thinking they can have great pleasure and "fun" by drinking their poison.

 

Those who choose to "modernize" their views on this subject are basing their thoughts, words, and opinions on their feelings/emotions rather than the Lord's Word or proven scientific facts, just like lost people do.

 

Keep standing strong for the Lord and the precious KJV!

 

In His service,

Alex

[Standing Firm In Christ]

The problem with your view of "oinos" is your failure to realize that there are two different classes of "oinos" in the Bible.  Fermented and non-fermented. 

Just supposing that the wine served at the wedding feast were alcoholic.  John 2 tells us that the guests had "well drunk" that wine that the governor provided.  In fact, they had drunk so much that they literally emptied the house of the supply of wine..

Now, every Jewish wedding feast lasted for days, and it was considered a disgrace for the bridegroom not to provide enough wine to last the entire time of the festivities.  Yet, the guests had drunk so much that they literally ran out of wine.

Imagine how bad that would look on the bridegroom if news got out.  Thankfully, Jesus was on the scene.  But wait!  If the guests had "well drunk" the wine that was provided to them to the point that there was no more, what would Jesus and His Disciples do?

Jesus had a solution.  He made more by turning water into wine. 

So, the picture we have is a bunch of people drinking more then their share of wine and Jesus providing more for them... 120 to 180 gallons more?

Jesus makes enough wine for those who had "well drunk" to get drunker?  Adding to their drunkenness?  Impossible!

Proverbs 23:21 For the drunkard and the glutton shall come to poverty: and drowsiness shall clothe a man with rags.

 

My Lord came to seek and to save that which was lost, not help them further down the road to destruction.  The wine Christ made was new.  It was not alcoholic in the least.

Ephesians 5 is speaking of an alcoholic wine.  And the reader is warned not to get drunk on it.  The best way to assure not getting drunk is to not partake of it at all.

Alcohol begins its deception from the very first sip of it.  Being absorbed into the bloodstream and traveling through the circulatory system of the body.  When it hits the brain, it kills brain cells. (perhaps this is why so many try to defend it today, it has killed the brain cells that cause them to know the full potential of its deceptive power until it is too late)  The more one drinks, the closer one becomes to being smashed. 

The wise king Solomon told his son not to look upon the wine when it was fermented.  And yet, so many blindly defend the drinking of alcohol. 

As Christians, we should be preaching against man putting that deadly drink to his lips, not giving his excuses to partake of it.

[AlexdlT1611]

Deuteronomy 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:

 

That word wine, yayin,is the same word that Noah drank and got drunk on.
 

Jeffrey,

 

Noah was a sinner as well. He was not God.

 

My brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons. - James 2:1

 

Furthermore, Deuteronomy 14:26 was describing Old Testament law that applied to the Israelites before Christ came. We are under New Testament law and most of us, as gentiles, were NEVER under Old Testament law.

 

Polygamy was also legal under Old Testament law. Care to defend that? Did not think so.

 

Please perform your due diligence before attempting to poke holes in the Lord's Word with unsubstantiated claims such as this one.

 

Thanks.

 

In His service,

Alex

[Standing Firm In Christ]

Excerpt from "Wine in the Bible and the Scriptural Case for Total Abstinence" by Leighton G. Campbell, pp. 91-93:

And thou shall 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. (Deuteronomy 14:26)

Those proponents of moderation with respect to intoxicating beverages might suggest that this text sanctions and encourages the drinking of beer and alcoholic wine. To be fair, it appears to be so, but this is not the case. In examining this passage we will learn that the book of Deuteronomy furnishes us with a perfect example of the following:

1. A correct understanding of the generic words which are
   used for "wine" and "strong drink" respectively.
2. A proper application of the law of context.
3. A complete understanding of God's view on the subject
   of drinking.

Now in returning to the text, we will see that the Bible itself conclusively refutes any suggestions whatsoever that this text endorses the use of alcoholic drinks.

We have already learnt in our studies that the words trans­lated "wine" (yayin) and "strong drink" (shekar) here are generic, and may refer to fresh grape juice and a sweet pleasant drink

 

more to come...

[Standing Firm In Christ]

...continued
 

which was unfermented. What kind of beverage is this verse referring to? Since it may be argued that this text can be inter­preted according to one's own particular bias. The answer is very simple. Deuteronomy 29:6 explains:

Ye have not eaten bread, neither have ye drunk wine or strong drink: that ye might know that I am the Lord your God.

Here this passage proves that the "wine" and "strong drink" in chapter 14:26, cannot be the same as that mentioned here! The inspired text later goes on to explain in no uncertain terms exactly what kind of wine the Jews did drink. It reads:

Butter of kine, and milk of sheep, with fat of lambs, and rams of the breed of Bashan, and goats, with the fat of kidneys of wheat; and thou didst drink the pure blood of the grape. (Deuteronomy 32:14)

Here Moses names among the many blessings of the Lord, pure fresh grape juice, known as "the blood of the grape," which was highly esteemed. We will now take a look at some comments on this. Adam Clarke's Commentary states:

  Red wine, or the pure juice of whatever colour, expressed from the grapes, without any adulteration or mixture with water: blood here is synonymous with juice. This intimates that their vines should be of the best kind, and their wine in abundance, and of the most delicious flavour.  

The Reverend B. Parsons also gives an interesting explanation:

Red was considered the best juice; pure, that which was unfermented and unmixed; thick that which had been boiled or spissated; or, rather, that the juice was very thick, saccharine, or sirupy. The text, therefore, means thou didst drink the purest, the sweetest, and the richest blood, or juice, of the grape.

We thus learn from examination of these three passages (Deut. 14:26; 29:6; 32:14) that the children of Israel in their

 

 

more to come...

[Standing Firm In Christ]

...continued

wilderness wanderings were blessed with the most finest and nutritious delicacies from God. They did not eat bread as part of their regular diet, but were blessed with manna (Deut. 8:3,16; 29:6). They did not drink intoxicating wine (Deut. 29:6), but pure fresh grape juice (Deut. 14:26; 32:14). Neither did they drink other strong intoxicating drinks (Deut. 29:6) but drank the sweet, unfermented and pleasant juice of other fruits (Deut. 14:26).

We also learn that God approved of unfermented drinks of health giving character, these were highly esteemed among the Jews. We also learn a vital and valuable lesson that the original words used for "wine" and "strong drink" may refer to an intoxi­cating substance as well as a non-intoxicating one, and that these must be judged in context.

Most good scholars understand that the word usually translated "wine" (yayin) refers to unfermented as well as fer­mented wine. An example of this is The Bible Knowledge Commentary, which states the following concerning its use in Deuteronomy 14:26:

The Hebrew word for "wine" is yayin, which sometimes means an intoxicating beverage and other times means a nonintoxicating drink.

Few however, realize that the same applies to "strong drink" (shekar) Its permissible use in Deut. 14:26, and the statement later in 29:6, that the Jews never drank it or wine, is not a con­tradiction, but is a confirmation which declares without a shadow of a doubt that "strong drink" (shekar) and "wine" (yayin) referred to a fermented juice as well as an unfermented one, depending on the context.

 

 

END

[Left the Bldg]

I don't drink alcohol so this doesn't apply to me but I am curious still whether the wine in the Bible is fermented or unfermented.

 

In Judaism they use the Torah which are the first five books of Moses.  Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy. They drink fermented wine in their celebrations.  Are they interpreting the OT scriptures incorrectly?

 

Just an observation.

[Left the Bldg]

DEPART FROM ME, I NEVER KNEW YOU!

 

I don't think I'd go that far...otherwise Noah would have been lost.

[Standing Firm In Christ]

If a man dies drunk, that man has revealed his true fruit.

And we know no drunkard will inherit the kingdom of God

[Left the Bldg]

If a man dies drunk, that man has revealed his true fruit.

And we know no drunkard will inherit the kingdom of God

Neither will gluttons but it doesn't stop some Christians from inhaling big macs, donuts or any other harmful fatty, high cholesterol and chemically induced foods that can cause obesity and potentially clog arteries and cause certain forms of cancers.

[Left the Bldg]

I'm not condoning drinking or getting drunk but there needs to be consistencies.

[Left the Bldg]

If a man dies drunk, that man has revealed his true fruit.

And we know no drunkard will inherit the kingdom of God

Or maybe his death is the consequence of his choices and weaknesses.  Who are you or anybody else on this forum given the right to say who goes to hell? 

[Standing Firm In Christ]

It shows the man trusted the bottle to remedy his problems than God.

Funny, I can't find a verse in the Bible that says "Cast all your cares on the alcohol."

[Standing Firm In Christ]

The Bible tells us not to be stumblingblocks. 

Sadly, many don't even realize that they are stumblingblocks when they justify alcohol. 

How many will see a "Christian" drinking a beer, or buying a beer, and think it is OK to drink and become drunkards?  We don't know the number.  But it does happen.

How many have heard a "Christian" say "You can drink, but don't get drunk" and then become a drunkard because the "one drink" took control of their mind?  Again, we don't know the number.  But it does happen.

Sorry Laura, but when you defend alcohol as you do, you are not doing the Lord's work.

[Left the Bldg]

It shows the man trusted the bottle to remedy his problems than God.

Funny, I can't find a verse in the Bible that says "Cast all your cares on the alcohol."

I don't see any Biblical verses that say "cast your cares on over consumption of food" either.