What Does The Bible Say About Drinking Alcohol? - 2023, Información de la cerveza

I used to drink too much. To be honest, I was a drunk. The Lord saved me from unbelief and addiction at the age of 21. I am now 37 and have been sober for almost 16 years. The Lord is good. For many years, my position on alcohol was simple: alcohol is not always bad, but it is never good.

However, I realize now that my thinking was not entirely based on Scripture.
I knew the Bible’s warnings against alcohol, but I didn’t see any value in drinking.
Since then, I’ve had to adjust my thinking on alcohol to align with Scripture.
Here is a biblical framework for thinking through this topic.
Drinking Alcohol is Not a Sin Contrary to what many Christians have grown up hearing, it is not a sin to drink alcohol.

Scripture nowhere condemns or prohibits consuming moderate levels of alcohol. Case in point—Jesus drank wine. The religious leaders accused our Lord of being a drunkard. “The Son of Man has come eating and drinking, and you say, ‘Look at him! A glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!'” (Luke 7:34).

Of course, Jesus never got drunk, but he did drink wine.
We all know he made water into wine at a party, and it would have been customary for him to enjoy a drink with his friends (John 2:1-11).
It was also tradition for Jews to drink wine at the yearly Passover meal, in which Jesus routinely participated.

He also instituted the Lord’s Supper with bread and wine (Luke 22:14-20). It’s clear that drinking is not a sin; otherwise, Jesus would not have done it. Drinking Alcohol Can be a Blessing The Bible doesn’t present drinking in moderation as merely neutral; it is also depicted as a blessing.

The Psalmist says that in addition to the many earthly blessings God bestows, the Lord gives “wine to gladden the heart of man” (Psalm 104:15).
Friends enjoying a meal together may choose to enhance their gathering by sharing drinks.
Alcohol can encourage relaxation, happiness, and laughter.
These are all blessings from God (see also Eccl.9:7, Isaiah 55:1-3, Amos 9:14).

Alcohol can also be used for medicinal purposes. “Give strong drink to the one who is perishing, and wine to those in bitter distress.” (Proverbs 31:61, 1 Tim.5:23). Today, we use even stronger medications, but in the past, it was alcohol that provided relief from pain.

This, too, is a blessing from God.
In a broken world full of pain, the Lord has provided help in our times of suffering.
Finally, the Lord promised that in the New Heavens and New Earth, there will be wine when we feast with God Himself.
On this mountain the Lord of hosts will make for all peoples a feast of rich food, a feast of well-aged wine, of rich food full of marrow, of aged wine well refined.” (Isaiah 25:6).

The Lord will share a drink with us in heaven. Drunkenness is a Sin Drinking is not a sin, and it is often a God-given blessing. However, Scripture’s overwhelming testimony is that drinking alcohol can be spiritually dangerous. Christians are allowed by God to drink alcohol, but we are forbidden to get drunk.

And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit.” (Ephesians 5:18; also see Proverbs 20:1, 23:20, Isaiah 5:22). This is a command from the Spirit-inspired apostle. Christians, “do not get drunk.” To get drunk, then, is a sin. Christians who drink alcohol may raise a question here.

“What does it mean to be drunk?” It’s a fair question. In most states, the blood alcohol content (BAC) limit for driving a vehicle is,08 (at this point, you are considered legally impaired). Body weight, how much one drinks, and the amount of time between drinks will determine your BAC.

For example, according to some research, a male weighing 200 lbs. can consume one 12 oz beer and only reach a level of,02 BAC. Our bodies metabolize alcohol over time, and our BAC will drop,015% every hour from our last drink. ( Source ) Additionally, many would argue that even though,08 is the legal standard for intoxication, that doesn’t necessarily meet the Bible’s definition of drunkenness.

The positive command Paul gives to believers in contrast to drunkenness is that we should be “filled with the Spirit” (Eph.5:18). The issue, then, is about control. We must be controlled by the Spirit and not alcohol. So then, drunkenness, in Paul’s mind, at least means we have lost control.

I suspect most believers would say that 1-2 drinks would not cause them to lose control.
All this to say, what qualifies as being drunk varies from person to person.
The command is easy: do not get drunk.
Defining drunkenness, on the other hand, is not as simple.
My pastoral counsel would be to err on the side of caution.

Use discretion and be wise with alcohol. Like sex, it can be wonderful, but if it is not contained and appropriately used, it can also be deadly. The measurements above are a helpful guide. Suppose we define drunkenness according to the dictionary, In that case, it means “having the faculties impaired by alcohol” and reaching “a level of alcohol in the blood that exceeds a maximum prescribed by law.” Paul’s counsel here is helpful.

‘All things are lawful for me,’ but not all things are helpful. ‘All things are lawful for me,’ but I will not be enslaved by anything.” (1 Cor.6:12). The Dangers of Alcohol I’d be willing to bet my last dollar that everyone reading this article has been impacted by addiction in one way or another. Either you have struggled with substance abuse, or someone you know (and probably love) has struggled.

It’s an epidemic in our country, and alcohol is at the heart of it. This is why Scripture warns against the dangers of drunkenness. Several categories must be established here.

Drunkenness ruins lives. “Be not among drunkards or among gluttonous eaters of meat, for the drunkard and the glutton will come to poverty, and slumber will clothe them with rags.” (Proverbs 23:20-21). God’s judgment is on the drunkard. “Woe (a pronouncement of judgment) to those who rise early in the morning, that they may run after strong drink, who tarry late into the evening as wine inflames them!” (Isaiah 5:11, 22) Drunkards cannot serve in church leadership. Elders must be “sober mindedand not a drunkard.” Likewise, deacons cannot be “addicted to much wine” (1 Tim.3:2-3, 8, also see Prov.31:4-5). Drunkards are considered unbelievers in the Bible. “For the time that is past suffices for doing what the Gentiles want to do, living in sensuality, passions, drunkenness, orgies, drinking parties, and lawless idolatry” (1 Peter 4:3; also see Romans 13:13, Luke 21:34, Isaiah 28:1). Godliness is characterized by sober-mindedness. “Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves to much wine.” (Titus 2:3). Drunkards will not inherit the Kingdom of God. Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.” (1 Cor.6:9-10, also see Gal.5:19-21).

What’s Our Motive for Drinking? Christians are called to live every part of their lives to the glory of God, and that includes both eating and drinking: “So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” (1 Cor.10:31). If our drinking alcohol helps us in appreciating a pleasure God created, especially in fellowship with others, it can be a blessing.

Yet, if our reason for drinking is to become drunk, seek temporary escape from difficulties, or conform to the practice of others against our conscience, we are drinking to our own peril. Some Christians may also have been guilty of flaunting their freedom in defiance of the convictions of other believers or with no regard for the temptations of others to drunkenness (1 Cor.8:8-13).

As with any action we take, we must ensure it demonstrates both our love for the Lord and for others. God created alcohol, and in many places, the Bible describes it a God-given gift and blessing. But like all things the Lord has given, we must use it with wisdom and caution.

Unfortunately, because we are sinners, we tend to turn God’s good gifts into idolatry and sin. Alcohol is no exception. In fact, it stands out as one of Scripture’s major themes regarding warnings and judgment against a particular kind of sin. Drunkenness, therefore, is forbidden, and for good reason. The drunkard’s life is dishonoring to God and destructive to oneself, family, and friends.

Worst of all, a drunkard is a slave to alcohol and demonstrates a heart where the Holy Spirit does not reside. As Scripture says, such a person will not go to heaven. Note: This article and our many resources are made available for free through the generous support of others. Brandon is the Associate Pastor of The Journey Church in Lebanon, TN and leads the TJC RE:GENERATION ministry for the church. Brandon is married to Sherrie and has a daugher, Emma. Recent Articles:

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Contents

0.1 What does the Bible say about drinking and partying?
0.2 What does the Bible say about wine and strong drink?

1 Was the wine in the Bible alcoholic?
- - 1.0.1 Is drinking a mortal sin?
- 1.1 Is alcohol forbidden in the Bible?
  - 1.1.1 Does the Bible say drinking alcohol is a sin?
  - 1.1.2 Is it forbidden to eat pork in the Bible?
2 Does Bible say not to eat pork?
3 Is beer in the Bible?
- - 3.0.1 What sin is alcohol?
4 Can Christians eat pork?
5 What does the Bible say about wild parties?
- - 5.0.1 What does God say about night time?

What does the Bible say about drinking and partying?

Dear Faculty, Why are Christians against drinking, smoking and partying? Sincerely, Theophilus Dear Theophilus, we are just coming off the holiday season where many partook of festivities that may or may not have included libations and other behaviors typically considered unsavory by Christians.

For that reason, this post may be a couple of weeks too late! However, I am not naïve to the opportunities and temptations college students face each week. So, I may not be too late after all! The way one typically answers this question is to go to a series of Bible verses about drunkenness or our bodies being “temples of the Holy Spirit” to outline some boundaries for the Christian life.

I would like to take a slightly different track. First, I would like to emphasize the goods we are to pursue as opposed to trying to outline the evils we should avoid. That is, I would like to focus on the “Thou shall’s” to make sense of any “Thou shall not’s.” If we focus only on the prohibitions of certain behaviors without understanding their relationship to the good, then they often feel arbitrary and unpersuasive and God feels more like the cosmic killjoy keeping us from all the pleasures of life.

The fact is that the Bible does not prohibit celebration.
Neither does it make a wholesale prohibition of wine or other strong drink (see as examples Deut.14:26 and John 4).
If Jesus’ first miracle is to turn water into wine, it is very difficult to call for complete abstinence from alcoholic drink.
In my mind, the key to understanding these do’s and don’ts is through the lens of the Apostle Paul’s advice, “So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31).

What are the goods to pursue? The Bible does present drunkenness as something to avoid and resist. Why? Because drunkenness opposes the goods of sober-mindedness, alertness, and freedom. The Proverbs equates addiction to strong drinks with folly that destroys lives as opposed to the wisdom that gives life.

Alcohol can become a master demanding obedience. The Christian is to have a new mind not mastered by appetites and passions. Rather, there is a freedom from our appetites and passions to walk in a new manner governed by wisdom, truth and the pursuit of God’s glory. Some illustrations may help.C.S. Lewis, J.R.R.

Tolkien and the Inklings gathered at the local pub with a beer, laughing while they share the ideas they are thinking, the stories they are writing and genuinely enjoying their Christian friendship is a very different picture than students binge drinking until they are passed out on a bathroom floor.

A celebratory drink for a friend’s new job is very different than the man losing his job because he cannot keep sober.
Having a drink as a joyful celebration of God’s gifts is very different than a drink to numb the pain or medicate our anxieties.
Theophilus, this is brief, but I wanted to present what Christians are for to understand some of the things they may be against.

Temptation is much easier to overcome when you are convinced of a good to pursue as opposed to merely told of pleasures to avoid. Christians are for joy. They are for a clear mind. They are for a free will. They are for the enjoyment of life as gift of God’s grace in a way that enhances life and does not diminish it.

I hope this helps! Interested in having a question answered by Dear Theophilus writers? Send them all to [email protected] with “Dear Theophilus” in the subject line. You can learn more about GCU’s College of Theology by visiting our website or clicking the Request More Information button. The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author’s and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Grand Canyon University.

Any sources cited were accurate as of the publish date.

What does the Bible say about wine and strong drink?

Prov.31 –

It is not for kings, O Lemuel, it is not for kings to drink wine; nor for princes strong drink : Give strong drink unto him that is ready to perish, and wine unto those that be of heavy hearts.

Was the wine in the Bible alcoholic?

Charles L. Quarles | July 22, 2021 – By Dr. Charles L. Quarles Unfortunately, many Christians know little about the ancient Mediterranean world. When they read the New Testament, they naturally imagine that things there and then must have been very much like they are here and now. Famous Christian art provides many examples of such anachronisms.

Artists of previous centuries often depicted biblical figures wearing the fashions and using the technology of the artist’s own time rather than those of the actual biblical world (see Gerbrand van den Eeckhout’s painting, “Vision of Cornelius the Centurion” or Rembrandt’s “The Prodigal Son in the Brothel”).

We may unknowingly commit similar anachronisms when we read the New Testament. One such anachronism relates to modern Christian views of alcohol. The New Testament clearly prohibits drunkenness (Eph.5:18) and even insists that drunkenness is inconsistent with an authentic Christian lifestyle (1 Cor.6:9-11).

However, other texts show that the New Testament authors approved the use of wine in moderation (1 Tim.3:3, 8; 5:23; Titus 2:3). Today’s readers reasonably conclude that the Bible approves of the use of all modern alcoholic beverages in moderation today. The unstated assumption of this argument is that modern alcoholic beverages are very similar to biblical wine.

It turns out that the assumption is really a presumption. New Testament wine (by which I mean the wine ordinarily consumed in the New Testament world) was significantly different from many modern alcoholic beverages. How was this wine different? First, ancient beverages did not contain distilled alcohol like modern alcoholic beverages often do.

Distillation was invented by Arab alchemists in the 8 th century long after the New Testament era. The strongest alcoholic beverage that was accessible to the New Testament authors and their original readers was natural wine that had an alcoholic content of 11-12 percent (before dilution). Second, ancient wine was normally diluted.

Even ancient pagans considered drinking wine full strength to be a barbaric practice. They typically diluted wine with large amounts of water before the wine was consumed. Ancient wine was stored undiluted in large jars called amphorae, Before it was consumed, it was poured into large bowls called kraters where it was mixed with snow or water before being poured into cups (called kylix ).

The ratio of wine to water varied.
However, the ancients were virtually unanimous that a dilution rate of at least two parts water to one part wine was necessary.
Anacreon called unmixed wine “a Scythian draught.” Scythians ranked with primitive cannibals as the most barbaric of peoples.
Archippus said those who drank wine half and half were “wretches.” Mnesitheus of Athens wrote that to those “who mix and drink it moderately, it gives good cheer; but if you overstep the bounds, it brings violence.

Mix it half and half, and you get madness; unmixed bodily collapse.” One of the most helpful discussions of dilution rates appears in a work by Athenaus of Naucratis called Deipnosophistae (Banquet of the Learned; c. AD 228). Athenaus mentions several different dilution rates that he culled from ancient works.

Ancient Writer	Water:Wine
Homer	20:1
Pliny	8:1
Aristophanes	2 or 3:1
Euenos	3:1
Hesiod	3:1
Alexis	4:1
Diocles	2:1
Ion	3:1
Nichochares	5:2
Anacreon	2:1

The alcohol content was negligible by modern standards. The Old Testament Apocrypha also documents the practice of diluting wine with water.2 Maccabees 15:39 states, “It is harmful to drink wine alone, or again, to drink water alone, while wine mixed with water is sweet and delicious and enhances one’s enjoyment.” A careful study of the Mishnah and Talmuds shows that the normal dilution rate among the Jews was 3 parts water to 1 part wine.B.

Shabbath 77a says that wine that does not mix well with three parts water is not true wine.B. Pesahim 108b states that the wine consumed during Passover was 3:1 wine. This was very likely the commonly accepted dilution rate among Jews of the NT era as well. This dilution rate reduces the alcohol content of New Testament wine to 2.75 to 3.0 percent.

Although Federal law in the US classifies a beverage with 0.5 percent or more alcohol by volume as an alcoholic beverage, state laws may differ. In some states, a beverage with the weak alcohol content of New Testament wine is not even considered an alcoholic beverage.

According to Title 67 of the Mississippi Code, “wine containing five percent (5%) or less of alcohol by weight” shall not be considered an alcoholic beverage.
To answer the question we posed earlier, was New Testament wine alcoholic? Certainly, it was fermented and had a modest alcohol content.
But the alcohol content was negligible by modern standards.

Editor’s Note: In a future article, we will compare New Testament wine to modern alcoholic beverages. We will seek to determine if the approval of New Testament wine in moderation provides ethical justification for the consumption of significantly stronger alcoholic beverages today. Charles L. Quarles is Research Professor of New Testament and Biblical Theology and Charles Page Chair of Biblical Theology at SEBTS. He has served at SEBTS since 2013. His current research focuses on the Gospel of Matthew, New Testament textual criticism, and the biblical theology of the work of Christ.

Is drinking a mortal sin?

What St. Thomas Aquinas Says – To show just how foreign drunkenness is to the Christian way of life, we need only to look to the Angelic Doctor, St. Thomas Aquinas, in his Summa Theologiae, One of the questions in the Summa that he writes on is very direct.

He asks ” Is drunkenness a sin? ” The way that the Summa is set up involves St.
Thomas writing an “objection” to the questions, typically three or four objections.
Following the objections, St.
Thomas answers, “On the Contrary”, refuting those same objections, and then goes into greater detail as to why the objections are wrong.

Take a look at the second objection to this question on drunkenness: “Every sin is voluntary, But no man wishes to be drunk, since no man wishes to be deprived of the use of reason. Therefore drunkenness is not a sin.” (ST II-II, Q 150, A 1, arg 2) Did you catch that? Even the objector, who does not see drunkenness as a sin, cannot fathom how any man would wish to be drunk.

How far have we fallen in our own time and place where many of our peers absolutely do wish to be drunk so that they actually can be deprived of their reason! St. Thomas replies that one may become drunk without sinning, for instance, when they are unaware that the beverage they are drinking is very strong.

You might be interested: How Does Alcohol Affect The Stomach?

However, he also points out that “drunkenness may result from inordinate concupiscence and use of wine: in this way it is accounted a sin, and is comprised under gluttony”. Many of us are aware that gluttony, the inordinate desire to continue to gorge ourselves, can be a deadly sin.

This doesn’t apply only to eating, but clearly drinking as well.
The next question St.
Thomas asks is a logical one, ” Is drunkenness a mortal sin?” He answers: “The sin of drunkenness, as stated in the foregoing Article, consists in the immoderate use and concupiscence of wine t may happen that a man is well aware that the drink is immoderate and intoxicating, and yet he would rather be drunk than abstain from drink.

Such a man is a drunkard properly speaking “On this way drunkenness is a mortal sin, because then a man willingly and knowingly deprives himself of the use of reason, whereby he performs virtuous deeds and avoids sin, and thus he sins mortally by running the risk of falling into sin.

Is alcohol forbidden in the Bible?

However, I realize now that my thinking was not entirely based on Scripture.
I knew the Bible’s warnings against alcohol, but I didn’t see any value in drinking.
Since then, I’ve had to adjust my thinking on alcohol to align with Scripture.
Here is a biblical framework for thinking through this topic.
Drinking Alcohol is Not a Sin Contrary to what many Christians have grown up hearing, it is not a sin to drink alcohol.

Of course, Jesus never got drunk, but he did drink wine. We all know he made water into wine at a party, and it would have been customary for him to enjoy a drink with his friends (John 2:1-11). It was also tradition for Jews to drink wine at the yearly Passover meal, in which Jesus routinely participated.

The Psalmist says that in addition to the many earthly blessings God bestows, the Lord gives “wine to gladden the heart of man” (Psalm 104:15).
Friends enjoying a meal together may choose to enhance their gathering by sharing drinks.
Alcohol can encourage relaxation, happiness, and laughter.
These are all blessings from God (see also Eccl.9:7, Isaiah 55:1-3, Amos 9:14).

This, too, is a blessing from God.
In a broken world full of pain, the Lord has provided help in our times of suffering.
Finally, the Lord promised that in the New Heavens and New Earth, there will be wine when we feast with God Himself.
On this mountain the Lord of hosts will make for all peoples a feast of rich food, a feast of well-aged wine, of rich food full of marrow, of aged wine well refined.” (Isaiah 25:6).

“And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit.” (Ephesians 5:18; also see Proverbs 20:1, 23:20, Isaiah 5:22). This is a command from the Spirit-inspired apostle. Christians, “do not get drunk.” To get drunk, then, is a sin. Christians who drink alcohol may raise a question here.

For example, according to some research, a male weighing 200 lbs.
Can consume one 12 oz beer and only reach a level of,02 BAC.
Our bodies metabolize alcohol over time, and our BAC will drop,015% every hour from our last drink.
Source ) Additionally, many would argue that even though,08 is the legal standard for intoxication, that doesn’t necessarily meet the Bible’s definition of drunkenness.

I suspect most believers would say that 1-2 drinks would not cause them to lose control.
All this to say, what qualifies as being drunk varies from person to person.
The command is easy: do not get drunk.
Defining drunkenness, on the other hand, is not as simple.
My pastoral counsel would be to err on the side of caution.

‘All things are lawful for me,’ but not all things are helpful.
All things are lawful for me,’ but I will not be enslaved by anything.” (1 Cor.6:12).
The Dangers of Alcohol I’d be willing to bet my last dollar that everyone reading this article has been impacted by addiction in one way or another.
Either you have struggled with substance abuse, or someone you know (and probably love) has struggled.

It’s an epidemic in our country, and alcohol is at the heart of it. This is why Scripture warns against the dangers of drunkenness. Several categories must be established here.

Yet, if our reason for drinking is to become drunk, seek temporary escape from difficulties, or conform to the practice of others against our conscience, we are drinking to our own peril.
Some Christians may also have been guilty of flaunting their freedom in defiance of the convictions of other believers or with no regard for the temptations of others to drunkenness (1 Cor.8:8-13).

Unfortunately, because we are sinners, we tend to turn God’s good gifts into idolatry and sin.
Alcohol is no exception.
In fact, it stands out as one of Scripture’s major themes regarding warnings and judgment against a particular kind of sin.
Drunkenness, therefore, is forbidden, and for good reason.
The drunkard’s life is dishonoring to God and destructive to oneself, family, and friends.

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Does the Bible say drinking alcohol is a sin?

Drunkenness – Easton’s Bible Dictionary says, “The sin of drunkenness, must have been not uncommon in the olden times, for it is mentioned either metaphorically or literally more than seventy times in the Bible,” though some suggest it was a “vice of the wealthy rather than of the poor.” Biblical interpreters generally agree that the Hebrew and Christian scriptures condemn ordinary drunkenness as a serious spiritual and moral failing in passages such as these (all from the New International Version ):

Proverbs 23:20 f: “Do not mix with winebibbers, or gluttonous eaters of meat, for drunkards and gluttons become poor, and drowsiness clothes them in rags.”
Isaiah 5:11 f: “Woe to those who rise early in the morning to run after their drinks, who stay up late at night till they are inflamed with wine. They have harps and lyres at their banquets, tambourines and flutes and wine, but they have no regard for the deeds of the L ORD, no respect for the work of his hands.”
Galatians 5:19–21 : “The acts of the sinful nature are obvious:, drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.”
Ephesians 5:18 : “Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit.”

The consequences of the drunkenness of Noah and Lot “were intended to serve as examples of the dangers and repulsiveness of intemperance.” The title character in the Book of Judith uses the drunkenness of the Assyrian general Holofernes to behead him in a heroic victory for the Jewish people and an embarrassing defeat for the general, who had schemed to seduce Judith.

One of the original sections of 1 Esdras describes a debate among three courtiers of Darius I of Persia over whether wine, the king, or women (but above all the truth) is the strongest.
The argument for wine does not prevail in the contest, but it provides a vivid description of the ancients’ view of the power wine can wield in excessive quantity.

A disputed but important passage is Proverbs 31:4–7, Some Christians assert that alcohol was prohibited to kings at all times, while most interpreters contend that only its abuse is in view here. Some argue that the latter instructions regarding the perishing should be understood as sarcasm when compared with the preceding verses, while others contend the beer and wine are intended as a cordial to raise the spirits of the perishing, while some suggest that the Bible is here authorizing alcohol as an anesthetic,

Is it forbidden to eat pork in the Bible?

Indeed, in the Hebrew Bible, eating pork is not only unclean, it is treated as disgusting and horrific. The book of Isaiah associates it with death, idolatry, and sin (65:4; 66:3).

Does Bible say not to eat pork?

Is Eating Pork Unclean? By Bailey Cadman Occasionally sincere Bible-believers will ask us whether the Bible does not say that pork is unclean, and therefore question whether Christians ought to eat it. “Now that’s a good question,” as my brother-minister R.C.

Sproul says. So let’s go to the Bible and ask, “is eating pork unclean?” One of the early names we considered for our ranch was “Thousand Hills Ranch.” The idea is from Psalm 50:10—”For every beast of the forest is Mine, and the cattle on a thousand hills ” (NKJ). What a beautiful truth that is! The cattle on a thousand hills belong to God, not anyone else.

He created them and they are His. And not only the cattle on a thousand hills, but all the cattle on all the hills in all the world belong to the Lord God. And not only all the cattle are His, but so are all the horses and chickens and sheep and goats and all the pigs.

They are His, too! And since all animals (as well as all plants, of course) belong to God, we human beings have the privilege to eat them only because God has given us that privilege, And, as we look closely into the Bible, we see that God did indeed give mankind the privilege of eating food—which belongs to God.

And so, when God created man, He said to him—”See, I have given you every herb that yields seed which is on the face of all the earth, and every tree whose fruit yields seed: to you it shall be for food ” (Genesis 1:29). But, you may ask, I see that God did not give mankind permission to eat meat only plants.

Maybe we’re supposed to be vegetarians! But let’s not be too hasty. It was only after Noah’s flood that God gave men the privilege of eating flesh. To Noah and his descendants God said, ” Every moving thing that lives shall be food for you. I have given you all things, even as the green herbs” (Genesis 9:3).

And so, from Noah on, mankind, the godly as well as the ungodly, were given God’s permission to eat flesh, that is, meat and fish and so on. And not just some kinds of flesh. God said, ” every moving thing that lives all things,” no animals excluded.

And so Noah and Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and the Twelve Patriarchs, along with all other people, enjoyed eating cattle and sheep and goats and pork! Imagine that! Abraham eating pork! It was only hundreds of years later, during the life of Moses, that God took back permission from the Jews to eat certain kinds of animals,

You can read about those Jewish ceremonial laws of clean and unclean foods especially in Deuteronomy 14 and Leviticus 11, along with many, many other ceremonial restrictions. It is only in Leviticus 11:7 that eating pork is forbidden to God’s people for the very first time —” and the swine, though it divides the hoof, having cloven hooves, yet does not chew the cud, is unclean to you.” This is where and when pork in all its forms (including ham, bacon, sausage, etc.) was declared unclean, as well as, for example, rabbit, along with all seafood which lacks fins or scales, like shrimp, lobster, crab, clams, etc.

Jews were to consider all these foods unclean and to totally abstain from them. All of these ceremonial laws were given to govern the lives of all Jews. For how long? Until God would say otherwise. God did indeed say otherwise. When Jesus, the Son of God, walked this earth, He Himself declared that the clean/unclean food laws of the Old Testament were now abolished by God.

You can read about it, for example, in Mark 7:18-19, where Jesus tells His disciples, “Do you not understand that whatever goes into the man from outside cannot defile him; because it does not go into his heart, but into his stomach, and is eliminated?” ( Thus He declared all foods clean,)” (NAS).

That “all foods” have been declared clean by Jesus’ saving ministry is made even clearer to the Apostle Peter in the Acts of the Apostles.
You may recall that puzzling event when Peter is on a housetop praying and falls into a trance and sees a vision of a great sheet filled with ” all kinds of four-footed animals of the earth, wild beasts, creeping things (!), and birds of the air” (Acts 10:12).

“All kinds” of animals were included—clean as well as unclean. Then God startled Peter, who had always been scrupulously kosher. God commanded Peter to “kill and eat” (Acts 10:13). To use my own translation of Peter’s response, the sometimes rambunctious Apostle answers, “No way, Lord! I’m kosher!” (See verse 14).

Peter is reminding God that, since the time of Moses and the ceremonial laws given at Mt.
Sinai, it has been a sin for Jews to eat anything which God had declared to be unclean.
As if God needed reminding.
So then God somewhat sharply puts Peter in his place—” What God has declared clean you must not call common” (Acts 10:15).

And so that is the answer to our original question—Is Eating Pork Unclean? The answer is still the same as the one given to Peter so long ago. What God has declared clean let no man call unclean. And so pork is clean, It has occasionally been maintained that God sent this vision as a kind of symbolic representation of the fact that God was calling Gentiles as well as Jews to be Christians, cleansing them by the blood of Christ.

That is true, of course, but the reason that is so is because Gentile foods, including pork, have been declared clean by God Himself, And, in addition, God DID say, “kill and eat,” He was not talking directly about Gentile, but about pigs! In Christ the ceremonial laws of the Old Testament have come to an end—no more sacrifices, no more Levitical priesthood, no more cleanliness laws.

Those “dividing walls” (see Ephesians 2:14-16), separating Jews and Gentiles, have been torn down in Christ and His once-for-all sacrifice. As the writer of Hebrews points out over and over again, why would you keep the ceremonial shadows of Christ, when the Reality has come? And so, Peter and all Christians, have, in Christ, received freedom from the ceremonial laws imposed on the Jews until Messiah should come.

“What God has declared clean you must not call common” (Acts 10:15).Pork is one of those “foods which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth” (1Timothy 4:3).When we Christians finally sit down at table with Abraham, pork may well be on the menu!

: Is Eating Pork Unclean?

What does Proverbs 31 say about drinking?

Proverbs 31:4-5 — Beer, Wine, Kings & Rulers It is not for kings, O Lemuel— not for kings to drink wine, not for rulers to crave beer, lest they drink and forget what the law decrees, and deprive all the oppressed of their rights. These verses are part of a longer message in this chapter to King Lemuel from his mother (:1-9).

Wine” from grapes or some other summer fruit (date or pomegranate) and “beer” made from barley are the intoxicants spoken of here.
Corn liquor was unknown in the Biblical world.
While there are a number of general warnings in Proverbs against alcohol intoxication for everyone (see 20:1; 23:29-35), here it is directed specifically to “kings” and “ruler.” When leaders drink alcohol they might begin to “forget what the law decrees” which may well “deprive all the oppressed of their rights.” Of course, any of us can make very poor decisions while under-the-influence which may lead to disastrous consequences to others or ourselves.

You might be interested: How Long Does A Copper Moonshine Still Last?

So we all have the responsibility to not let this happen in our lives. But King Lemuel’s mother points out here the special responsibilities of leadership. Leaders have been given the special privilege of leading and serving others. Their position and role in life is to be for the overall greater good, and alcohol just doesn’t contribute much toward that end.

What kind of wine was drank in the Bible?

Story highlights – The Bible is full of references to wine, but it doesn’t say what kind Archaeology is helping to identify the grapes used to make wine in Jesus’ day “We are talking about grapes that were here for thousands of years,” one winemaker says Jerusalem CNN — The Bible is full of references to wine: Noah gets drunk on it after the flood.

Jesus turns water into wine. It is praised in Ecclesiastes and reviled in Proverbs. Yet nowhere in Scripture is the type of wine identified – until now. A small but growing number of wineries in Israel and the West Bank are trying to recreate the wine of the Bible, combining ancient grape varietals with modern science to identify and produce the wine consumed thousands of years ago in the Holy Land.

“People are very enthusiastic about drinking a wine that King David had on his table, or for the same matter, Jesus or any other biblical figure,” says Eliyashiv Drori, who started a boutique winery near his home in a West Bank settlement. “They all grew here, they all lived here, and they all ate and drank wine here.” Drori, a wine researcher at the Samaria Regional R & D Center at Ariel University, examines preserved grapeseeds found in archaeological digs to identify the types of grapes used to make wine.

He says there were different varieties of wine in biblical times: red and white, dry and sweet.
But he says they likely didn’t make wine from specific grapes, such as modern-day cabernet sauvignon and merlot.
His research has identified 120 varieties of grapes unique to the region, of which about 20 are suitable for making wine.

“For me, reconnecting to that is actually reconnecting to our roots, to our history, to the way of life of our ancestors. That’s a big thing for me,” Drori says. Winemaking was strictly limited in the Holy Land for hundreds of years under the Ottoman Empire.

The grapes that survived were table grapes, but not all table grapes make good wine. When Baron Edmond de Rothschild restarted Israel’s wine industry in the 1880s, he did so with grapes imported from France. Today, Israel’s 300 or so wineries produce 36 million bottles of wine. Winemakers say imported grapes will only take the wine industry so far.

Indigenous grapes bring new marketing potential to local winemakers. Recanati Winery in northern Israel has started making wine from marawi grapes, The winery makes 1 million bottles of wine a year. So far, only 2,500 bottles are marawi, but the owners hope the new old wine takes off.

This marawi is our own unique, indigenous species that’s been grown in Israel for hundreds of years.
This is our chance to bring something new to the world and to show the world that we are innovative and we have tradition in this industry,” says Recanati winemaker Gil Shatsberg.
Recanati’s bottle has English, Hebrew, and Arabic on the label as a way of acknowledging the different people behind the wine.

“Since the grape is Arabic origin and the grower is Palestinian, we gave respect for everybody,” says Recanati CEO Noam Yacoby. In the valley between Bethlehem and Jerusalem, the cities that mark the beginning of Christ’s life and the end, Cremisan Winery was the first to make wine using only grapes indigenous to the region, starting in 2008.

It uses grapes such as dabouki, hamdani, jandali and baladi.
These are not well-known types of wine, but Cremisan hopes that will change.
In the highly competitive wine market, offering a unique product can make a major difference.
To stay strong in the market, you need unique wines such as these,” says Ziad Bitar, sales manager for Cremisan.

“We are talking about grapes that were here for thousands of years. We weren’t here, but we can imagine that they drank this type of wine.” His winemaker, Fadi Batarseh, chimes in: “And we hope that Jesus is happy with our wine!”

Why is alcohol called spirits?

Origins of the Term “Spirits” – Alchemy and distillation date back to the earliest times when the word “spirits” was first used. Alcohol was once thought to have mystical properties that could turn common metals into gold. This magical essence, which was believed to be the substance’s life force, was referred to as having a “spirit.” Whiskey, gin, and vodka are just a few examples of refined alcoholic beverages that have come to be referred to as “spirits” over time. These drinks were thought to hold both the spirit or life force that gave them their power as well as the essence of the plant or grain from which they were derived.

Why did Paul tell Timothy to drink wine?

There is a blessing in the juice of the grape. Many Christian advocates of drinking alcoholic wine point to a verse in 1 Timothy. Paul says, ” Drink no longer water, but use a little wine for thy stomach’s sake and thine often infirmities ” (1 Tim 5:23).

What did Paul mean when he instructed Timothy to take “a little wine” for thy stomach’s sake? It’s obvious that Paul was not advocating social drinking in this passage. He clearly states, “Drink no longer water, ” (Anyone who has traveled in the Middle East knows the difficulty of getting pure, unpolluted water), but use a little wine for thy stomach’s sake and thine often infirmities.

Whatever kind of wine Paul was talking about (fermented or unfermented), it is exceedingly plain that the purpose of his counsel to Timothy was due to his stomach ailments. Paul’s counsel related to a medicinal use, not a social enjoyment. What kind of wine was Paul recommending? Would the apostle encourage the moderate us of a drink which Proverbs 23:31 says “Look not upon the wine when it is red, ” a drink which brings “woe sorrow, babbling, and wounds” (Proverbs 23:29).

A drink which is deceptive (Proverbs 20:1), a drink which perverts the judgment causing tine eyes to behold strange women and thine heart to utter strange things (Proverbs 23:32-33). Certainly not! The Bible uses the word wine to refer to both an alcoholic fermented beverage as well as unfermented grape juice.

According to Isaiah 65:8, the new wine is found in a cluster and there is blessing in it. This is obviously the unfermented, freshly squeezed juice of the grape. Referring to the communion wine served, Jesus told His disciples that He would not participate in the service again until He “drank it new with them in the Father’s kingdom” (Matt.26:29).

The communion wine representing Christ’s pure, undefiled Blood must be unfermented since fermentation is a sign of sin. In 1 Timothy 5:23, Paul encourages Timothy to use a little wine or grape products for his stomach’s sake. Unfermented grape juice has healthful properties for the body. Indeed there is blessing in the freshly squeezed juice of the grape.

The Bible tells us in 1 Peter 5:8, ” Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour,” The advice is to be SOBER. When you are not sharp and have all your wits about you Satan can tempt and deceive you.

A recent health article on CNN.com states in part, The latest studies show you can get all the same benefits from grape juice as you can from wine. The reason purple grape juice contains the same powerful disease-fighting antioxidants, called flavonoids, that are believed to give wine many of its heart-friendly benefits.

The flavonoids in grape juice, like those in wine, have been shown to prevent the oxidation of so called bad cholesterol LDLs, or low density lipoproteins that leads to formation of plaque in artery walls. It goes to tell us that the alcohol found in wine is actually harmful to you, University of Wisconsin researcher John Folts, Ph.D.

Says, “with grape juice, you can drink enough to get the benefit without worrying about becoming intoxicated.” What’s more, alcoholic drinks don’t seem to improve the function of cells in blood vessel linings the way grape juice does. And alcohol generates free radicals unstable oxygen molecules that can actually cause damage to blood vessel tissues dampening any of the benefits that red wines antioxidants may offer.

The word ‘grape juice’ first appeared in Webster’s Dictionary in 1896. In ancient literature wine had the dual meaning of fermented or unfermented grape juice. Aristotle wrote of a sweet grape beverage he called wine: “It has not the effect of wine, for it does not intoxicate like ordinary wine.” Marcus Cato describes “wine still hanging on the grapes.” Since wine could be fermented or unfermented, the translators of the King James Version of the Bible did not always specify which meaning the Hebrew yayin or Greek oinos had in a text.

We can’t assume that just because the Bible says ‘wine’ that it is referring to the fermented type.
As prudent Bible students we must sort out the context.
In John 10:10 in part says, ” I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly,” God says, In using alcohol we participate in destroying not only our own life but often the lives of others.

We must live for God and seek to honor Him in all that we do. ” Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God ” (1 Corinthians 10:31). It is impossible to drink alcohol to the glory of God. Despite the prevailing view that the Bible supports the moderate use of alcohol, we have seen that God has set a standard of total abstinence for Christians.

What are the 3 mortal sins in the Bible?

In AD 385, Pacian of Barcelona, in his Sermon Exhorting to Penance, gives contempt of God, murder, and fornication as examples of ‘mortal’ or ‘capital sins.’

What are the 4 mortal sins?

Examples of mortal sins include murder, adultery, blasphemy, and idolatry. Some extreme instances of these sins, such as violence against the pope, can even result in ex-communication from the church which is a severe punishment that excludes a person from the sacraments and other aspects of the faith.

Can sins get drunk?

The Sims 4 (Video Game 2014) – IMDb

Mild With The Sims 4 Get Famous, celebrities consuming enough bar beverages (bar Water, Mineral Water, Creme-Cola and other non-alcoholic beverages) may gain the “Juice Enthusiast” quirk, provided a free quirk slot has been unlocked. This quirk, being similar to the alcohol addiction, presses the sim to continue consuming bar beverages at a regular interval, providing a negative buff if not remedied. This quirk cannot be treated in normal circumstances. With the Sims 4 City Living, sims may smoke the water pipe ingame, which emits water bubbles. Improper use of the water pipe however makes the sim dazed. Sims can go to a bar With the Sims 4 Eco Lifestyle, sims may produce (partially alcoholic) beverages from the “Juice Fizzing” Machine, which includes Fizzy Juice, Seltzer, Kombucha and Honey Mead. Drinking too much Kombucha results in the sim getting dazed. The Sims 4: Discover University reintroduces Juice Pong (the Sims-equivalent of Beer Pong), and Juice Kegs, which allows the sims to do a keg stand (Sims with the Bro Trait are more likely to succeed) Sims can purchase a home bar and can learn the mixology skill. Though the bottles are not specifically detailed, it can be assumed that they are alcoholic. Sims can get dazed (which is the equivalent to drunk) by too much drinks and coffee.

: The Sims 4 (Video Game 2014) – IMDb

Can Christians drink coffee?

Christians and coffee have a long and storied history, from the Reformation to the church basement coffee hour. Wherever two or more are gathered in the name of God, you can usually also find an urn of mediocre brew and a stack of Styrofoam cups. The trajectory of coffee drinking in America, from a shared and slow activity to a personal and quick transaction, mirrors the trajectory of evangelical Christianity.

Lent is almost over, and many Christians will rejoice that they can once again get their regular coffee fix. But most of us would never give it up in the first place. Coffee fuels many of us—54 percent of American adults drink it on a daily basis, It gets us through the worst days, gives us a reason to get out of bed and restores us to the angels of our better nature.

If that sounds a little religious, it’s no coincidence. Coffee is an acceptable vice. Unlike alcohol, which many evangelicals either abstain from or approach warily, coffee has been enthusiastically embraced. On other hand, some Christians give yoga the stink eye because of its Hindu origins.

Coffee, whose first widespread religious use was as an aid to keep Muslim Sufis awake for midnight prayer, has faced no such exclusion. In fact, during his tenure, Pope Clement VIII is reported to have said, “Why, this Satan’s drink is so delicious that it would be a pity to let the infidels have exclusive use of it.

We shall fool Satan by baptizing it and making it a truly Christian beverage.” Thus the Christian marriage to coffee was born, and remade several times over throughout history—from the late 17th century, when the clergy observed that coffee consumption was having a sobering effect on the normally beer-swilling Brits, to the current-day evangelical love affair with the beans.

Drinking bouts in 17th-century Europe usually ended only when participants blacked out, according to Wolfgang Schivelbusch’s ” Tastes of Paradise,” Caffeine is chemically addictive like alcohol, but its rewards are much more productive and beneficial.
Coffee makes a man more reasonable, better able to concentrate and hardworking.

No wonder people might see it going hand in hand with the Protestant work ethic. Although craft beer has become a bit more acceptable in evangelical circles, it would still be regarded with surprise if someone were to say they loved “wine and Jesus” in the same way people talk about coffee and Jesus.

It might feel a bit naughty for evangelicals to talk about any addictions, but if they flip that idea on its head and talk about being “addicted” to Jesus, then anything addictive and non-harmful can be cast in a positive light.
Jars of Clay, the popular Christian rock band, wrote an ode to coffee on their 1997 album “Much Afraid:” “I have this craving/Justifies behaving/I really need some of that/Ooo, good coffee/Strong coffee.” Coffee was—and still is, in many parts of the world—a communal ritual, something that brought people together while beans roasted over the fire, while someone ground the roasted beans with a mortar and pestle, while the boiling water was poured over the ground beans once, the cup drained, once more, three times in total.

You can get pourover coffee now in almost any city in America, but what you’re getting is one cup, maybe some morning chatter, and an invitation to step out of line while you wait. It’s kind of like evangelicalism—there is a gospel (coffee or Jesus, choose your poison), a decision to move forward, and sometimes-shallow conversation.

Plus, you mostly go through it on your own. Coffee and religion has also been the subject of adoration on social media. If you search for the phrase “coffee and Jesus” on Twitter, you will get a whole lot ( mostly white ) of people sharing pictures of their Bible and their morning cup of joe. The reliance on coffee in social media gives evangelicals a common touchpoint with their secular friends and followers.

“You may not love Jesus, but almost everyone loves coffee,” the logic goes, and, indeed, that sentiment is responsible for scores of Christian coffee houses across America. Places like Red Rock Cafe in Mountain View, Calif., whose motto–”Caffeine, Culture, and Community”–reveals its Christian roots.

The cafe was started by a local church and functions as a non-profit, but you’d be hard-pressed to know any of that unless you dug deep into its Web site. Nonbelievers may not be likely to step into a sanctuary on Sunday mornings, but who doesn’t want to go to a coffee shop? And Red Rock isn’t handing tracts out with your latte; it’s just a place that serves good coffee and gives some of their money back to the community.

Red Rock serves as one of the places where coffee culture and Christian culture meet in a way that does no harm. The most immediate thing that a Christian sharing her love of coffee and Jesus wants to communicate, though, is that she is talking with a personal God in much the same way she would talk with a friend.

Intimacy is the assertion behind every tweet about a quiet time: It’s just me and my pal Jesus, sitting together at my kitchen table, connecting over what we want the day to look like. To evangelicals, posting a picture of their Bible and a cup of coffee isn’t too different from Instagramming a photo of them out to dinner with their best friend.

It’s the way life is shared from one party to another. Posting a coffee “gram” does the nice work of placing something very concrete (a cup of hot coffee) with something pretty abstract (the second person of the Trinity whose life, death, and resurrection two millennia ago still somehow mysteriously shapes our lives).

We may not be able to hear from Jesus in the way that his disciples could, but we can still begin our days behaving as if he is right next to us, the reasoning goes.
Coffee has seen Christianity through a Reformation, modernity and postmodernity, through boring Sunday sermons and lively evening revivals.

Now it takes its place on the kitchen table, next to the Bible—close enough to be in the same frame. Laura Turner is a writer and editor living in San Francisco. Interested in more articles about religion? Read more from Acts of Faith :

Is beer in the Bible?

Should Christians Drink Alcohol? “Here are your keys,” muttered the secretary when I arrived to pick up the keys to my office at Aberdeen University, where I would be studying for my doctorate in theology. “It looks like you’re in The Old Brewery.” Intrigued by the name, I later found out that it reflected the building’s original function.

Aberdeen was founded in the 15th century and used to train monks for ministry.
In the brewery, monks brewed vast quantities of Scottish ale, which was served by the liter at mealtimes.
And here I was, a post-fundamentalist Ph.D.
Student studying the Scriptures in a malted sanctuary where late medieval Bible college students once clapped mugs together in an act of worship.

Throughout Christian history, alcohol was rarely a taboo as it is in some circles today. John Calvin had a stipend of 250 gallons of wine per year written into his church contract. Martin Luther’s wife was a famed brewer of beer, which certainly won Martin’s heart.

And the Guinness family created their renowned Irish Stout as an act of worship to Jesus.
From Bordeaux to Berlin, wine and beer have always been part of church tradition.
But what was once considered the nectar of heaven was later condemned as the devil’s libation.
Moderation not Abstinence Even though some Christians advocate for the total abstinence of alcohol as a moral mandate for all believers, the Bible never requires all believers to abstain from alcohol.

It condemns drunkenness and being enslaved to wine (Ephesians 5:18; Titus 2:3), but it never says that tee-totaling is the better way to obey God. In fact, the Bible never says that abstaining from alcohol is the wisest way to avoid getting drunk. Think about it.

Alcoholism has been rampant through every age, but the Bible never says that all believers should therefore refrain from drinking.
If Christians want to forbid all alcohol consumption to avoid drunkenness, then to be consistent, they should also avoid making a lot of money to guard against the crushing sin of materialism and the misuse of wealth.

What About our Testimony? I sometimes hear that when Christians drink, it ruins their testimony. But quite honestly, I’ve never understood this line of thinking. It’s one thing if you’ve struggled with alcoholism or are ministering in a Muslim country, but for the most part, most non-Christians I know are turned off by the arbitrary dos and don’ts created by modern Christians.

I’m not convinced that if my unbelieving neighbor sees me slipping into a pub, I will lose much traction to my Gospel witness.
In many cases, the Gospel will shine brighter when you break down wrong assumptions about Christianity by having a beer with your neighbor.
When we strip away all the man-made clutter that dims the Gospel, the full glory of Jesus shines much brighter.

You might be interested: What Time Can You Buy Alcohol At Jewel On Sunday?

A good chunk of the dying world that’s rejected Christianity hasn’t said no to Jesus, but no to a pharisaical version of Him. Some people have been turned off by the Gospel because they’ve thought that becoming a Christ-follower meant giving up having a beer with your friends after work.

If this is the “good news” we preach, then the true beauty of a crucified and risen King will become covered in the fog of a man-made, pharisaical “don’t drink” gospel. AA didn’t hang on a cross for your sins and abstaining from alcohol won’t give you resurrection life. Any Christianese, man-made, unbiblical footnotes to the gospel are actually a distraction and offense to the Gospel.

Lower Alcohol Content? Now, some say that wine in the Bible was nothing more than grape juice and therefore neither Jesus nor the Biblical writers advocated drinking alcohol. Others say that wine was so diluted that it hardly contained any alcohol. But neither of these views can be substantiated by what the Scriptures actually say.

If wine was really unfermented grape juice, then why did Paul warn the Ephesians: “Do not get drunk with grape juice, which is debauchery, but be filled by the Spirit?” This doesn’t make sense.
It is true that wine back then probably had a lower ABV than today’s stuff.
But whatever the alcohol content, people were quite able to get smashed by drinking too much of it (Proverbs 20:1; Isaiah 5:11).

Still, the Bible never says not to drink it. There’s another alcoholic beverage mentioned in the Bible called “strong drink. The Hebrew word for “strong drink,” shakar, refers to fermented barley, which is why some translations call it “beer.” Shakar had an ABV of around 6-12 percent, similar to a Belgium Tripel Ale or a Double IPA.

Like all alcoholic beverages, the Bible prohibits abusing beer (Isaiah 5:11; 28:7; Proverbs 20:1; 31:4). But in moderation, drinking beer was encouraged (Proverbs 31:6). In fact, Deuteronomy 14:26 actually commands Israelites to use some of their tithe money to buy some beers and celebrate before the Lord.

(Ever hear that verse being read as the ushers are passing the plates?) They were also commanded to offer up two liters of beer to God six days a week and even more on the Sabbath (see Numbers 28:7-10). This is why the absence of beer (and wine) was an outcome of God’s judgment on the nation.

Wine as a Blessing But the Bible goes further than admitting that drinking is simply allowed. Throughout Scripture, the production and consumption of beer and wine are often connected to the covenant promises of God. Under the old covenant, wine is a blessing (Deut 7:13; 11:14) and the absence of wine a curse (28:39, 51).

When Israel looked to the future, God promises to flood them wine flowing from the mountaintops (Amos 9:14; Joel 3:18) and vats brimming with fresh wine (Joel 2:19, 24). Jesus signals the beginning of such blessings by creating an over-abundance (150 gallons) of wine at Cana (John 2:1-10).

And on the eve of his death, He sanctified a cup of wine as “the new covenant in my blood” (Luke 22:14-23).
When Christ comes back, He’ll prepare “well-aged wine” (Isaiah 25:6)—the stuff I only notice on the top shelf but can never afford—and for theological reasons it will be served, as at Cana, in abundance.

Although a good beer and rich wine are blessings from God, they should be consumed with caution. There’s a growing tendency, however, among some younger evangelicals to celebrate their freedom without discipline. These young, restless, and slightly inebriated libertines are doing some great things for the Kingdom.

They’re feeding the poor, living in community and planting authentic churches—or missional communities—all to the glory of God. Yes, God cares about the poor; He also cares about your sobriety. Enjoying alcohol in moderation takes discipline, and many beer drinkers, I hate to say it, aren’t known for their discipline.

A good glass of beer can be celebratory; it doesn’t belong in the hands of an undisciplined 16-year-old playing video games in his mom’s basement. Belgium ale is strong and complex. Savor it, sanctify it, and let it meditate on your palate. Give glory to God, not just to your thirst, when enjoying the blessings that flow from Eden.

Drunkenness may not be at the top of God’s list of most heinous sins; neither should it be tossed aside as a relic of American fundamentalism. Drinking alcohol without celebrating the Cross and Kingdom is theologically anemic. Abusing alcohol mocks the blood of Christ and scoffs at God’s holiness. But moderate, intentional, celebratory and reflective drinking of wine and beer, which contemplates the crucified and risen King and anticipates our future glory, is rooted in the grace that poured from Christ’s veins on Calvary.

I originally wrote this post for in 2014. : Should Christians Drink Alcohol?

What sin is alcohol?

Early Church – The Apostolic Fathers make very little reference to wine. Clement of Rome (died 100) said: “Seeing, therefore, that we are the portion of the Holy One, let us do all those things which pertain to holiness, avoiding all evil-speaking, all abominable and impure embraces, together with all drunkenness, seeking after change, all abominable lusts, detestable adultery, and execrable pride.” The earliest references from the Church Fathers make it clear that the early Church used in the Eucharist wine—which was customarily mixed with water.

The Didache, an early Christian treatise which is generally accepted to be from the late 1st century, instructs Christians to give a portion of their wine in support of a true prophet or, if they have no prophet resident with them, to the poor. Clement of Alexandria (died c.215) wrote in a chapter about drinking that he admired the young and the old who “abstain wholly from drink,” who adopt an austere life and “flee as far as possible from wine, shunning it as they would the danger of fire.” He strongly warned youth to “flee as far as possible” from it so as not to inflame their “wild impulses.” He said Christ did not teach affected by it.”.the soul itself is wisest and best when dry.” He also said wine is an appropriate symbol of Jesus’ blood.

He noted taking a little wine as medicine is acceptable—lest it make the health worse. Even those who are “moored by reason and time” (such that they are not as much tempted by drunkenness after a day’s work), he still encouraged to mix “as much water as possible” in with the wine to inhibit inebriation.

For at all hours, let them keep their “reason unwavering, their memory active, and their body unmoved and unshaken by wine.” Tertullian (died 220) insisted clergy must be sober in church, citing the biblical non-drinking precedent: “the Lord said to Aaron: ‘Wine and spirituous liquor shall ye not drink, thou and thy son after thee, whenever ye shall enter the tabernacle, or ascend unto the sacrificial altar; and ye shall not die.’ So true is it, that such as shall have ministered in the Church, being not sober, shall ‘die.’ Thus, too, in recent times He upbraids Israel: ‘And ye used to give my sanctified ones wine to drink.’ ” Some early Christian leaders focused on the strength and attributes of wines.

They taught that two types of wine should be distinguished: wine causing joyousness and that causing gluttony (intoxicating and non-intoxicating). The hermit John of Egypt (died 395) said: “.if there is any sharp wine I excommunicate it, but I drink the good.” Gregory of Nyssa (died 395) made the same distinction between types of wine, “not that wine which produces drunkenness, plots against the senses, and destroys the body, but such as gladdens the heart, the wine which the Prophet recommends”.

Rule XXIV: “No one of the priesthood, from presbyters to deacons, and so on in the ecclesiastical order to subdeacons, readers, singers, exorcists, door-keepers, or any of the class of the Ascetics, ought to enter a tavern.”
Rule LV: “NEITHER members of the priesthood nor of the clergy, nor yet laymen, may club together for drinking entertainments.”

However, Basil the Great (died 379) repudiated the views of some dualistic heretics who abhorred marriage, rejected wine, and called God’s creation “polluted” and who substituted water for wine in the Eucharist. A minority of Christians abstained totally from alcoholic beverages.

Monica of Hippo (died 387) eagerly kept the strict rule of total abstinence, which her bishop Ambrose required. She had never let herself drink much at all, not even “more than one little cup of wine, diluted according to her own temperate palate, which, out of courtesy, she would taste.” But now she willingly drank none at all.

Augustine cited a reason for her bishop’s rule: “even to those who would use it with moderation, lest thereby an occasion of excess might be given to such as were drunken.” Ambrose of course expected leaders and deacons to practice the same rule too.

He cited Paul’s instructions to them about alcohol in 1 Timothy 3:2-4 and 3:8-10, and commented: “We note how much is required of us. The minister of the Lord should abstain from wine, so that he may be upheld by the good witness not only of the faithful but also by those who are without.” Likewise, he said: “Let a widow, then, be temperate, pure in the first place from wine, that she may be pure from adultery.

He will tempt you in vain, if wine tempts you not.” John Chrysostom (died 407) said: “they who do not drink take no thought of the drunken.” So Chrysostom insisted deacons cannot taste wine at all in his homily on 1 Timothy 3:8-10: “The discretion of the blessed Paul is observable.

When he would exhort the Deacons to avoid excess in wine, he does not say, ‘Be not drunken,’ but ‘not’ even ‘given to much wine.’ A proper caution; for if those who served in the Temple did not taste wine at all, much more should not these, For wine produces disorder of mind, and where it does not cause drunkenness, it destroys the energies and relaxes the firmness of the soul.” Of course he was aware that not all wines were intoxicating; they had opposite effects and were not all alike.

His homily on 1 Timothy 5:23 shows he was not as certain heretics and immature Christians who even “blame the fruit given them by God” when saying there should be no wine. He emphasized the goodness of God’s creation and adjured: “Let there be no drunkenness; for wine is the work of God, but drunkenness is the work of the devil.

Wine makes not drunkenness; but intemperance produces it. Do not accuse that which is the workmanship of God, but accuse the madness of a fellow mortal.” The virtue of temperance passed from Greek philosophy into Christian ethics and became one of the four cardinal virtues under St. Ambrose and St. Augustine,

Drunkenness, on the other hand, is considered a manifestation of gluttony, one of the seven deadly sins as compiled by Gregory the Great in the 6th century.

Can Christians eat pork?

In Abrahamic religions, eating pig flesh is clearly forbidden by Jewish (kashrut), Islamic (haram) and Adventist (kosher animals) dietary laws. Although Christianity is also an Abrahamic religion, most of its adherents do not follow these aspects of Mosaic law and are permitted to consume pork.

How bad is drinking alcohol?

Long-Term Health Risks – Over time, excessive alcohol use can lead to the development of chronic diseases and other serious problems including:

High blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, liver disease, and digestive problems.6,16
of the breast, mouth, throat, esophagus, voice box, liver, colon, and rectum.6,17
Weakening of the immune system, increasing the chances of getting sick.6,16
Learning and memory problems, including dementia and poor school performance.6,18
Mental health problems, including depression and anxiety.6,19
Social problems, including family problems, job-related problems, and unemployment.6,20,21
Alcohol use disorders, or alcohol dependence.5

By not drinking too much, you can reduce the risk of these short- and long-term health risks.

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: Alcohol Use and Your Health

Can Christians get tattoos?

Christianity – Some Christians take issue with tattooing, upholding the Hebrew prohibition. The Hebrew prohibition is based on interpreting Leviticus 19:28—”Ye shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor print any marks upon you”—so as to prohibit tattoos.

Interpretations of the passage vary, however. Some believe that it refers specifically to, and exclusively prohibits, an ancient form of self-mutilation during mourning (as discussed in the Judaism section ). Under this interpretation, tattooing is permitted to Jews and Christians. Another interpretation is that it refers only to the tattooing of ink with ashes of deceased family.

Others hold that the prohibition of Leviticus 19:28, regardless of its interpretation, is not binding upon Christians—just as prohibitions like “nor shall there come upon you a garment of cloth made of two kinds of stuff” (Leviticus 19:19) are not binding—because it is part of the Jewish ceremonial law, binding only upon the Jewish people (see New Covenant § Christian view ).

Why did Jesus go to parties?

Ask Pastor Adrienne: Jesus at a cocktail party Q: Dear Pastor, How would Jesus handle an invitation to a holiday cocktail party? A: I’m assuming you mean, would Jesus attend a holiday cocktail party? Yes. Would he go places where alcohol was served? Absolutely, yes. Would he imbibe? Before I answer that. and before my readers write me off as a heathen-heretic (if they haven’t already). let’s look at some scripture and see if we can’t find answers from the man himself. In the Bible’s book of Matthew, Jesus was preaching to a crowd of religious hypocrites. Angrily he said, “John the Baptist did not go around eating and drinking, and you said, ‘That man has a demon in him!’ But the Son of Man goes around eating and drinking, and you say, ‘That man eats and drinks too much! He is even a friend of tax collectors and sinners.’ Yet Wisdom is shown to be right by what it does” (Matthew 11:19, CEV). Christ was pointing out their misguided assessment of the Christian leaders God had sent to them, namely himself and John the Baptist. He remarks that his cousin John never socialized or drank alcohol at all, yet still couldn’t live up to their standards of so-called righteousness. Jesus then speaks of himself as one who attends dinner parties and enjoys adult beverages, yet these religious zealots condemn even the Messiah and called him a glutton and a drunk whether or not it was true. In my view, the point Jesus was making wasn’t the sanctioning of social drinking and revelry. It was that no matter what, the people bound by demonic religious spirits and systems will always condemn the freedoms found in Christ. They condemned Jesus constantly until they finally justified their killing of him. John the Baptist was martyred as well. The lesson? Religion is a killer. Jesus Christ sets the captives free. If scoffers maintain that Jesus would not have set foot in places where heavy drinking was happening, we cannot ignore the truth that reveals the exact opposite: Jesus attended a wedding reception with so much alcohol on the menu, the maître dꞌ had certain vats of it planned to be served in stages! In other words, they served the good stuff first. then when everyone had had a few (and potentially couldn’t tell the difference between a robust Cabernet and Boone’s Farm). they snuck in the ripple. Read the account of the Wedding of Cana in the Book of John, chapter two and review what transpired. Jesus was not only present at the equivalent of a cocktail party, he created the substance of their joy: “Every man serves the good wine first, and when the people have drunk freely, then he serves the poorer wine; but you have kept the good wine until now.” This beginning of His signs Jesus did in Cana of Galilee, and manifested His glory, and His disciples believed in Him” (John 2:10, 11, NASB). Jesus initiated Communion using the symbols of bread and wine because those items were every-day staples on the dinner tables of the ancient world. Wine was nearly as common as water, and since wine was fermented, it was often dispensed like medicine: “No longer drink water exclusively, but use a little wine for the sake of your stomach and your frequent ailments” (1 Timothy 5:23). Jesus sanctified the bread and wine because they were easy icons to remember him by – and clearly not a forbidden substance for himself or the Apostles. The question of whether or not Jesus would join you in a toast at your holiday party must be couched in the context of our day, just like the wine and bread was set in his. Jesus loved people; people were drawn to him; so he spent much of his time being entertained and socializing. Today, as always, Jesus would enjoy the fellowship of a holiday event because being near his beloved is always his highest priority. Would he raise a glass and toast to your health, family and future? What do you think? Adrienne Greene pastors two Christian churches in southeastern Indiana. Do you have a question or comment for Pastor Adrienne? Please send your inquiries to [email protected] or P.O. Box 214, Harrison, OH 45030. : Ask Pastor Adrienne: Jesus at a cocktail party

Why is alcohol called spirits Bible?

What does the Bible say about wild parties?

Galatians 5:21-23 envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God. But the Holy Spirit produ | New Living Translation (NLT) | Download The Bible App Now YouVersion uses cookies to personalize your experience.

What does God say about night time?

Psalm 33:8 – You can rest without worry or fear—all night—because while you rest God is watching over you. He is mighty and powerful, and he works all things for good for those who love him. If you put your faith in Jesus, that’s you! Tonight, center your heart and mind on the Word of God in Psalm 33:8, “Let all the earth fear the Lord; let all the people of the world revere him.” As you relax into this promise, feel you everyday worries fade away, as you drift off to sleep.

Gaspar Aparicio