Alcohol: A Biblical Case For Abstinance

[Standing Firm In Christ]

Psalms 104:14-15 He causeth the grass to grow for the cattle, and herb for the service of man: that he may bring forth food out of the earth; And wine that maketh glad the heart of man, and oil to make his face to shine, and bread which strengtheneth man's heart.

From "Wine in the Bible and the Scriptural Case for Total Abstinence" by Leighton G. Campbell; p.105

wine that maketh glad the heart of man. (Psalm 104:15)
Here it is obvious that the wine referred to here was fresh unfermented grape juice. Since the passage states that it is God that graciously bestows it upon man as a blessing for his health. Unfortunately, there are those who would grossly misinterpret this passage by saying that the gladness mentioned in the text was the stupor that was derived from drunkenness. Such an interpre­tation is utter nonsense.


It is only a matter of common sense that the virtuous quali­ties mentioned above for health, happiness, and vigor is not derived from alcoholic wine. Such wine does not exhilarate the heart and brighten the countenance, but dullens the perception and damages health.

Wine which sustains. (Genesis 27:37)

Wine which is blessed by God. (Deuteronomy 7:13)

Good wine. (John 2:10)

We have learnt a valuable lesson from the terminology employed in the various above, texts that there were undoubtedly two kinds of wine in use in Bible times. Intoxicating (alcoholic) and non-intoxicating (non-alcoholic). Understanding these prin­ciples is an excellent method of determining the nature of the wine the Bible is speaking of in any particular given context.

[Arbo]

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

And we know no drunkard will inherit the kingdom of God

 

I guess some need to worry about having a coronary at the buffet line then. 

[Jeffrey]

 

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

 

i asked you not to quote books from another mans perspective but look at Scripture, I could pull up from Luther and Calvin, who are alot smarter than us

Wine/oinos=grape juice doesnt hold water in the light of Scripture

Luke 5:29  And Levi made him a great feast in his own house: and there was a great company of publicans and of others that sat down with them.

30 But their scribes and Pharisees murmured against his disciples, saying, Why do ye eat and drink with publicans and sinners?

31 And Jesus answering said unto them, They that are whole need not a physician; but they that are sick.

32 I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.

33 And they said unto him, Why do the disciples of John fast often, and make prayers, and likewise the disciples of the Pharisees; but thine eat and drink?

34 And he said unto them, Can ye make the children of the bridechamber fast, while the bridegroom is with them?

35 But the days will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken away from them, and then shall they fast in those days.

36 And he spake also a parable unto them; No man putteth a piece of a new garment upon an old; if otherwise, then both the new maketh a rent, and the piece that was taken out of the new agreeth not with the old.

37 And no man putteth new wine into old bottles; else the new wine will burst the bottles, and be spilled, and the bottles shall perish.

38 But new wine must be put into new bottles; and both are preserved.

39 No man also having drunk old wine straightway desireth new: for he saith, The old is better.

 

Grape juice would ferment very quickly with nothing to persevere it thus the expansion process of fermentation would burst the wine skins. My Grandparent made their own wine, being from Portugal and I know they would burst bottles ion occasion.

 Alexd1611,Paul wrote to the Corinthians and told them to stop getting drunk, but he never told them to stop drinking. its funny, that he called the Corinthian church brothers and sisters, but yet questions the validity of the Galatian church that was trying to keep they Law. Wine was customary on the Old and New testament time in Scripture, so the concept was not foreign to them.

[Standing Firm In Christ]

If they are riotous eaters of flesh, then yes.

[Standing Firm In Christ]

Sorry, Jeffrey, but your wineskins argument is debunked by the text itself. Both the new wine and the wineskins are preserved. Preserved... Kept from spoiling.

[Jeffrey]

I'm not defending alcohol at all.  I've seen what alcoholism has done to people from anywhere to broken homes and health problems and death.  I know people that drink an occasional glass of wine or a wine cooler at bbq's and they don't get drunk or become alcoholics...that's all.  Don't drink but don't condemn someone to hell who may have a problem.  Our church has a program called reformers anonymous.  They have compassion for people who struggle with addictions and it's not just alcohol. Where is your compassion?

Therein lies the issue; self control. It is called temperance in the the book of Galatians As I stated many people drink alcohol and never get drunk.

[Standing Firm In Christ]

There were methods recorded in the firsts century of preserving wines so they would not ferment. My wife and I successfully imitated one of those methods and kept the resulting wine for two years without it fermenting in the least.

[Jeffrey]

Sorry, Jeffrey, but your wineskins argument is debunked by the text itself. Both the new wine and the wineskins are preserved. Preserved... Kept from spoiling.

Actually it proves it. it is natural for it to ferment, very quickly I may add, especially in that climate.

also why did the Pharisees get upset at the disciples for drinking grape juice then or get upset that Jesus drank wine and called Him a drunken and glutton?

[Standing Firm In Christ]

They only think they are not drunk. In reality, they are.

[Jeffrey]

There were methods recorded in the firsts century of preserving wines so they would not ferment. My wife and I successfully imitated one of those methods and kept the resulting wine for two years without it fermenting in the least.

So you drank it? how did you know the content? did you press your own grapes? or use grape juice?

 

i have to get ready for work, more tonight

[Standing Firm In Christ]

The Pharisees falsely accused, as you also do.

[Standing Firm In Christ]

We pressed our own grapes.

[DaveW]

There is the issue of the marriage at Cana - I can not believe that Jesus would have assisted in promoting sin by providing alcohol to those who were already drunken (if you accept that as the meaning of the passage).

It would seem that to be party to the promotion of drunkenness would be a sinful pursuit, and our Lord did no sin.

That would suggest that to ascribe alcoholic wine as that which the Lord provided would be wrong.

[Standing Firm In Christ]

Kind of hypocritical for Jeffrey not to want other people's comments on the Scripture, yet he himself comments on the Scripture.

There is no difference in me quoting my friend Leighton's comments on Scripture, and Jeffrey making comments on Scripture.

[Standing Firm In Christ]

And it is clear his comments are biased toward justification toward that which the Word says not to look upon.