Foundation (God’s Word over Tradition)
The Bible is a very nuanced book. There are many things that the bible teaches to different audiences over the course of thousands of years. One teaching that Christians have had a lot of differing views on has been the topic of Alcohol.
To preface this conversation, I must first talk about how we should handle the teaching of Scripture. Oftentimes, we import our own teachings and beliefs onto the Word of God, which is called eisegesis. This is very common, which is why it’s so important for us to value the Truth of God’s Word above all. If the bible teaches one thing, but our tradition teaches another, the obvious thing to do would be to follow the Word of God.
The Bible is the Bible so let it speak for itself.
Jesus actually addressed this very thing in the Gospel according to Mark:
The Bible is the Bible so let it speak for itself.
Jesus actually addressed this very thing in the Gospel according to Mark:
Mark 7:1–23
Traditions and Commandments
Now when the Pharisees gathered to him, with some of the scribes who had come from Jerusalem, they saw that some of his disciples ate with hands that were defiled, that is, unwashed. (For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they wash their hands properly, holding to the tradition of the elders, and when they come from the marketplace, they do not eat unless they wash. And there are many other traditions that they observe, such as the washing of cups and pots and copper vessels and dining couches.) And the Pharisees and the scribes asked him, “Why do your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat with defiled hands?” And he said to them, “Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written,
“‘This people honors me with their lips,
but their heart is far from me;
in vain do they worship me,
teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’
You leave the commandment of God and hold to the tradition of men.”
And he said to them, “You have a fine way of rejecting the commandment of God in order to establish your tradition! For Moses said, ‘Honor your father and your mother’; and, ‘Whoever reviles father or mother must surely die.’ But you say, ‘If a man tells his father or his mother, “Whatever you would have gained from me is Corban”’ (that is, given to God)—then you no longer permit him to do anything for his father or mother, thus making void the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down. And many such things you do.”
What Defiles a Person
And he called the people to him again and said to them, “Hear me, all of you, and understand: There is nothing outside a person that by going into him can defile him, but the things that come out of a person are what defile him.” And when he had entered the house and left the people, his disciples asked him about the parable. And he said to them, “Then are you also without understanding? Do you not see that whatever goes into a person from outside cannot defile him, since it enters not his heart but his stomach, and is expelled?” (Thus he declared all foods clean.) And he said, “What comes out of a person is what defiles him. For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.”
Our priority when reading the bible should be to honor what the author is intending. We get into trouble when we try to justify teachings we hold to instead of reading what the Word plainly says. So I pray that we would all read the bible with a humble heart, imploring the Holy Spirit to help guide us and teach us, receptive to his will and his teaching.
These are some verses that deal with it:
Ephesians 5:18
And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit,
Proverbs 20:1
Wine is a mocker, strong drink a brawler,
and whoever is led astray by it is not wise. (ESV)
Here is a longer list of verses that condemn different kinds of addiction to alcohol:
Proverbs 21:17, Proverbs 23:21, Proverbs 31:4-7, Leviticus 10:9, Ezekiel 44:21, Ephesians 5:17-18, Hosea 4:11, 1 Corinthians 6:12, Habakkuk 2:15, Isaiah 5:11, Isaiah 5:22, Isaiah 28:7, Galatians 5:21, 1 Corinthians 6:10, Psalm 75:8, Luke 1:15, Titus 2, 1 Timothy 3.
It’s a very serious sin. Paul makes a pretty severe statement; to be drunk with wine is to not be filled with the Spirit. Drunkenness shouldn’t be taken lightly at all. It’s a very serious sin that damages our relationship with Jesus immediately and very severely.
And while drunkenness is a sin, we then shouldn’t move the line over and say that all alcohol drinking falls under that category. That would be dishonest to not allow the bible to speak for itself. Let’s see what else the bible says about alcohol.
There are several different words used for wine in the bible. One word used in the Hebrew is Tiros. This word means new wine, or sweet wine. You can find examples of that in Deuteronomy:
Deuteronomy 14:23–26
And before the LORD your God, in the place that he will choose, to make his name dwell there, you shall eat the tithe of your grain, of your wine, and of your oil, and the firstborn of your herd and flock, that you may learn to fear the LORD your God always. And if the way is too long for you, so that you are not able to carry the tithe, when the LORD your God blesses you, because the place is too far from you, which the LORD your God chooses, to set his name there, then you shall turn it into money and bind up the money in your hand and go to the place that the LORD your God chooses and spend the money for whatever you desire—oxen or sheep or wine or strong drink, whatever your appetite craves. And you shall eat there before the LORD your God and rejoice, you and your household. (ESV)
Here, the wine is used as an offering to God (tithe). It’s a tithe for the first of the year, around April or May, and the harvest for the wine was months before that. So while it could very well be a less alcoholic wine, it still is very much alcoholic.
Proverbs 3:7-10 uses the same word for wine, Tiros.
Proverbs 3:7–10
Be not wise in your own eyes;
fear the LORD, and turn away from evil.
It will be healing to your flesh
and refreshment to your bones.
Honor the LORD with your wealth
and with the firstfruits of all your produce;
then your barns will be filled with plenty,
and your vats will be bursting with wine. (ESV)
Again, this wine is a blessing from God. But Tiros isn’t the only word for wine in Hebrew. The other word for wine is Yayin. Unlike Tiros, it solely means wine, not a sweet wine, or even grape juice.
Numbers 15:7
And for the drink offering you shall offer a third of a hin of wine, a pleasing aroma to the LORD. (ESV)
If you read later down that passage of Deuteronomy 14, it clearly endorses strong drink as a thing you can enjoy as a feast before the LORD where it says:
“then you shall turn it into money and bind up the money in your hand and go to the place that the LORD your God chooses and spend the money for whatever you desire—oxen or sheep or wine or strong drink, whatever your appetite craves. And you shall eat there before the LORD your God and rejoice, you and your household.”
This wine was to be enjoyed before the Lord. To even further this point, the image of Christ in Genesis, Melchizedek, brought out wine as a sacrifice to the Lord.
Genesis 14:18-20
And Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. (He was priest of God Most High.) And he blessed him and said,
“Blessed be Abram by God Most High,
Possessor of heaven and earth;
and blessed be God Most High,
who has delivered your enemies into your hand!”
And Abram gave him a tenth of everything. (ESV)
Genesis 27:28
May God give you of the dew of heaven
and of the fatness of the earth
and plenty of grain and wine. (ESV)
In both of these passages in Genesis, the wine is a blessing given. It is very clearly wine, not simply sweet wine, or new wine. And in that last verse, Genesis 27:28, it says that God gave us wine. This same point is stated in Psalm 104:
Psalm 104:14–15
You cause the grass to grow for the livestock and plants for man to cultivate, that he may bring forth food from the earth and wine to gladden the heart of man, oil to make his face shine and bread to strengthen man's heart. (ESV)
This wine God created was given to gladden our hearts. Solomon speaks of this in Ecclesiastes:
Ecclesiastes 9:7–10
Enjoy Life with the One You Love
Go, eat your bread with joy, and drink your wine with a merry heart, for God has already approved what you do. Let your garments be always white. Let not oil be lacking on your head.
Enjoy life with the wife whom you love, all the days of your vain life that he has given you under the sun, because that is your portion in life and in your toil at which you toil under the sun. Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might, for there is no work or thought or knowledge or wisdom in Sheol, to which you are going.
It’s the same word for wine, Yayin, so there’s no confusion on what he means here. It clearly means wine, not grape juice or any other variation. And that’s it. “God has already approved what you do.” Drinking wine with gladness of heart, giving thanks to God is approved by God.
John 2:1–12
The Wedding at Cana
On the third day there was a wedding at Cana in Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. Jesus also was invited to the wedding with his disciples. When the wine ran out, the mother of Jesus said to him, “They have no wine.” And Jesus said to her, “Woman, what does this have to do with me? My hour has not yet come.” His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.”
Now there were six stone water jars there for the Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty or thirty gallons. Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water.” And they filled them up to the brim. And he said to them, “Now draw some out and take it to the master of the feast.” So they took it. When the master of the feast tasted the water now become wine, and did not know where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), the master of the feast called the bridegroom and said to him, “Everyone serves the good wine first, and when people have drunk freely, then the poor wine. But you have kept the good wine until now.” This, the first of his signs, Jesus did at Cana in Galilee, and manifested his glory. And his disciples believed in him.
After this he went down to Capernaum, with his mother and his brothers and his disciples, and they stayed there for a few days. (ESV)
The Greek word used here for wine is Oinos. This word simply used means wine, with no other assumptions attached to it unlike the Hebrew word tiros. So depending on the context, you can see what John meant by this word usage.
John 2:9–10
When the master of the feast tasted the water now become wine, and did not know where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), the master of the feast called the bridegroom and said to him, “Everyone serves the good wine first, and when people have drunk freely, then the poor wine. But you have kept the good wine until now.” (ESV)
In this section, the master of the feast says how the best wine was served after people had more to drink. It’s counter intuitive, but it clearly illustrates that they understood this wasn’t just grape juice, but alcoholic wine.
Wine is used as a metaphor a lot in the bible meaning very different things. The first is the most commonly known metaphor which is the blood of Christ, the image of the new covenant.
Mark 14:24–25
And he said to them, “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many. Truly, I say to you, I will not drink again of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God.” (ESV)
Isaiah even spoke of wine being used.
Isaiah 25:6
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. (ESV)
Paul even says the same about money. Often times, the verse is misquoted, but the verse says this about money:
1 Timothy 6:10
For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.
But before in Romans, he calls having wealth a blessing / gift from God:
Traditions and Commandments
Now when the Pharisees gathered to him, with some of the scribes who had come from Jerusalem, they saw that some of his disciples ate with hands that were defiled, that is, unwashed. (For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they wash their hands properly, holding to the tradition of the elders, and when they come from the marketplace, they do not eat unless they wash. And there are many other traditions that they observe, such as the washing of cups and pots and copper vessels and dining couches.) And the Pharisees and the scribes asked him, “Why do your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat with defiled hands?” And he said to them, “Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written,
“‘This people honors me with their lips,
but their heart is far from me;
in vain do they worship me,
teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’
You leave the commandment of God and hold to the tradition of men.”
And he said to them, “You have a fine way of rejecting the commandment of God in order to establish your tradition! For Moses said, ‘Honor your father and your mother’; and, ‘Whoever reviles father or mother must surely die.’ But you say, ‘If a man tells his father or his mother, “Whatever you would have gained from me is Corban”’ (that is, given to God)—then you no longer permit him to do anything for his father or mother, thus making void the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down. And many such things you do.”
What Defiles a Person
And he called the people to him again and said to them, “Hear me, all of you, and understand: There is nothing outside a person that by going into him can defile him, but the things that come out of a person are what defile him.” And when he had entered the house and left the people, his disciples asked him about the parable. And he said to them, “Then are you also without understanding? Do you not see that whatever goes into a person from outside cannot defile him, since it enters not his heart but his stomach, and is expelled?” (Thus he declared all foods clean.) And he said, “What comes out of a person is what defiles him. For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.”
Our priority when reading the bible should be to honor what the author is intending. We get into trouble when we try to justify teachings we hold to instead of reading what the Word plainly says. So I pray that we would all read the bible with a humble heart, imploring the Holy Spirit to help guide us and teach us, receptive to his will and his teaching.
Drunkenness vs Consuming Alcohol
When discussing the topic of alcohol, the conversation often revolves around a few different verses, where the author makes it clear to disparage drunkenness, as they should. Drunkards, as stated in the bible, won’t be allowed into heaven, but will be condemned.These are some verses that deal with it:
Ephesians 5:18
And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit,
Proverbs 20:1
Wine is a mocker, strong drink a brawler,
and whoever is led astray by it is not wise. (ESV)
Here is a longer list of verses that condemn different kinds of addiction to alcohol:
Proverbs 21:17, Proverbs 23:21, Proverbs 31:4-7, Leviticus 10:9, Ezekiel 44:21, Ephesians 5:17-18, Hosea 4:11, 1 Corinthians 6:12, Habakkuk 2:15, Isaiah 5:11, Isaiah 5:22, Isaiah 28:7, Galatians 5:21, 1 Corinthians 6:10, Psalm 75:8, Luke 1:15, Titus 2, 1 Timothy 3.
It’s a very serious sin. Paul makes a pretty severe statement; to be drunk with wine is to not be filled with the Spirit. Drunkenness shouldn’t be taken lightly at all. It’s a very serious sin that damages our relationship with Jesus immediately and very severely.
And while drunkenness is a sin, we then shouldn’t move the line over and say that all alcohol drinking falls under that category. That would be dishonest to not allow the bible to speak for itself. Let’s see what else the bible says about alcohol.
Verses Talking of Wine
In the bible, there are numerous verses that label wine specifically as a blessing from God. There’s no other way around it. God very clearly endorses wine as a blessing.There are several different words used for wine in the bible. One word used in the Hebrew is Tiros. This word means new wine, or sweet wine. You can find examples of that in Deuteronomy:
Deuteronomy 14:23–26
And before the LORD your God, in the place that he will choose, to make his name dwell there, you shall eat the tithe of your grain, of your wine, and of your oil, and the firstborn of your herd and flock, that you may learn to fear the LORD your God always. And if the way is too long for you, so that you are not able to carry the tithe, when the LORD your God blesses you, because the place is too far from you, which the LORD your God chooses, to set his name there, then you shall turn it into money and bind up the money in your hand and go to the place that the LORD your God chooses and spend the money for whatever you desire—oxen or sheep or wine or strong drink, whatever your appetite craves. And you shall eat there before the LORD your God and rejoice, you and your household. (ESV)
Here, the wine is used as an offering to God (tithe). It’s a tithe for the first of the year, around April or May, and the harvest for the wine was months before that. So while it could very well be a less alcoholic wine, it still is very much alcoholic.
Proverbs 3:7-10 uses the same word for wine, Tiros.
Proverbs 3:7–10
Be not wise in your own eyes;
fear the LORD, and turn away from evil.
It will be healing to your flesh
and refreshment to your bones.
Honor the LORD with your wealth
and with the firstfruits of all your produce;
then your barns will be filled with plenty,
and your vats will be bursting with wine. (ESV)
Again, this wine is a blessing from God. But Tiros isn’t the only word for wine in Hebrew. The other word for wine is Yayin. Unlike Tiros, it solely means wine, not a sweet wine, or even grape juice.
Numbers 15:7
And for the drink offering you shall offer a third of a hin of wine, a pleasing aroma to the LORD. (ESV)
If you read later down that passage of Deuteronomy 14, it clearly endorses strong drink as a thing you can enjoy as a feast before the LORD where it says:
“then you shall turn it into money and bind up the money in your hand and go to the place that the LORD your God chooses and spend the money for whatever you desire—oxen or sheep or wine or strong drink, whatever your appetite craves. And you shall eat there before the LORD your God and rejoice, you and your household.”
This wine was to be enjoyed before the Lord. To even further this point, the image of Christ in Genesis, Melchizedek, brought out wine as a sacrifice to the Lord.
Genesis 14:18-20
And Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. (He was priest of God Most High.) And he blessed him and said,
“Blessed be Abram by God Most High,
Possessor of heaven and earth;
and blessed be God Most High,
who has delivered your enemies into your hand!”
And Abram gave him a tenth of everything. (ESV)
Genesis 27:28
May God give you of the dew of heaven
and of the fatness of the earth
and plenty of grain and wine. (ESV)
In both of these passages in Genesis, the wine is a blessing given. It is very clearly wine, not simply sweet wine, or new wine. And in that last verse, Genesis 27:28, it says that God gave us wine. This same point is stated in Psalm 104:
Psalm 104:14–15
You cause the grass to grow for the livestock and plants for man to cultivate, that he may bring forth food from the earth and wine to gladden the heart of man, oil to make his face shine and bread to strengthen man's heart. (ESV)
This wine God created was given to gladden our hearts. Solomon speaks of this in Ecclesiastes:
Ecclesiastes 9:7–10
Enjoy Life with the One You Love
Go, eat your bread with joy, and drink your wine with a merry heart, for God has already approved what you do. Let your garments be always white. Let not oil be lacking on your head.
Enjoy life with the wife whom you love, all the days of your vain life that he has given you under the sun, because that is your portion in life and in your toil at which you toil under the sun. Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might, for there is no work or thought or knowledge or wisdom in Sheol, to which you are going.
It’s the same word for wine, Yayin, so there’s no confusion on what he means here. It clearly means wine, not grape juice or any other variation. And that’s it. “God has already approved what you do.” Drinking wine with gladness of heart, giving thanks to God is approved by God.
Jesus’ Ministry and Wine
Before, when I was strictly against alcohol consumption as a christian, people would always use this verse as a way to justify their own views. Although every drunk uses this to justify themselves, upon closer examination, it’s clear exactly what is being done here. If you read the passage fully, it makes it clear what kind of wine it is. Let’s go through it together.John 2:1–12
The Wedding at Cana
On the third day there was a wedding at Cana in Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. Jesus also was invited to the wedding with his disciples. When the wine ran out, the mother of Jesus said to him, “They have no wine.” And Jesus said to her, “Woman, what does this have to do with me? My hour has not yet come.” His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.”
Now there were six stone water jars there for the Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty or thirty gallons. Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water.” And they filled them up to the brim. And he said to them, “Now draw some out and take it to the master of the feast.” So they took it. When the master of the feast tasted the water now become wine, and did not know where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), the master of the feast called the bridegroom and said to him, “Everyone serves the good wine first, and when people have drunk freely, then the poor wine. But you have kept the good wine until now.” This, the first of his signs, Jesus did at Cana in Galilee, and manifested his glory. And his disciples believed in him.
After this he went down to Capernaum, with his mother and his brothers and his disciples, and they stayed there for a few days. (ESV)
The Greek word used here for wine is Oinos. This word simply used means wine, with no other assumptions attached to it unlike the Hebrew word tiros. So depending on the context, you can see what John meant by this word usage.
John 2:9–10
When the master of the feast tasted the water now become wine, and did not know where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), the master of the feast called the bridegroom and said to him, “Everyone serves the good wine first, and when people have drunk freely, then the poor wine. But you have kept the good wine until now.” (ESV)
In this section, the master of the feast says how the best wine was served after people had more to drink. It’s counter intuitive, but it clearly illustrates that they understood this wasn’t just grape juice, but alcoholic wine.
Wine is used as a metaphor a lot in the bible meaning very different things. The first is the most commonly known metaphor which is the blood of Christ, the image of the new covenant.
Mark 14:24–25
And he said to them, “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many. Truly, I say to you, I will not drink again of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God.” (ESV)
Isaiah even spoke of wine being used.
Isaiah 25:6
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. (ESV)
Wisdom
With all that said, we still must use wisdom, even with things God has given us as gifts. For example, though sex is a gift from God, we must use it in its proper contexts. If you remove the covering of God, you get all kinds of sin. Sex is meant to be enjoyed in marriage. There’s a whole book of the bible dedicated to it (songs of Solomon). God doesn’t shy away from this topic at all. It was the first commandment given to Adam and Eve. However, if you put it in a different context it becomes sin.Paul even says the same about money. Often times, the verse is misquoted, but the verse says this about money:
1 Timothy 6:10
For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.
But before in Romans, he calls having wealth a blessing / gift from God:
Romans 12:6–8
Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness. (ESV)
Later in Romans, Paul discusses how we should never let anything stand in the way of ministering to people. If something causes another believer to stumble, we should avoid it for the sake of that believer.
Romans 14:20–23
Do not, for the sake of food, destroy the work of God. Everything is indeed clean, but it is wrong for anyone to make another stumble by what he eats. It is good not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything that causes your brother to stumble. The faith that you have, keep between yourself and God. Blessed is the one who has no reason to pass judgment on himself for what he approves. But whoever has doubts is condemned if he eats, because the eating is not from faith. For whatever does not proceed from faith is sin. (ESV)
Though we are free to eat and drink all that God has created, we must exercise caution. Freedom isn’t a free pass to sin.
1 Corinthians 10:23–33
Do All to the Glory of God
“All things are lawful,” but not all things are helpful. “All things are lawful,” but not all things build up. Let no one seek his own good, but the good of his neighbor. Eat whatever is sold in the meat market without raising any question on the ground of conscience. For “the earth is the Lord's, and the fullness thereof.” If one of the unbelievers invites you to dinner and you are disposed to go, eat whatever is set before you without raising any question on the ground of conscience. But if someone says to you, “This has been offered in sacrifice,” then do not eat it, for the sake of the one who informed you, and for the sake of conscience—I do not mean your conscience, but his. For why should my liberty be determined by someone else's conscience? If I partake with thankfulness, why am I denounced because of that for which I give thanks?
So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. Give no offense to Jews or to Greeks or to the church of God, just as I try to please everyone in everything I do, not seeking my own advantage, but that of many, that they may be saved. (ESV)
Like I stated earlier, if we eat meat, or drink wine, and we give thanks to God, there should be no condemnation. God does however urge us to use discernment in regards to wine’s consumption. There is no shortage of passages warning of the consequences that come from drunkenness.
Titus 2:1–3
Teach Sound Doctrine
But as for you, teach what accords with sound doctrine. Older men are to be sober-minded, dignified, self-controlled, sound in faith, in love, and in steadfastness. Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves to much wine. They are to teach what is good, (ESV)
The key is not to be slaves to wine, or anything else.
“All foods and drinks that humans enjoy in this world are a result of God’s creative work, as recorded in Genesis 1 and 2. God made all plants, including the grapes that make wine, and He called such plants “good” (Genesis 1:11-13).
The Apostle Paul affirms this goodness of creation in 1 Timothy 4:3-4, when he says that some false teachers will “forbid marriage and require abstinence from foods that God created to be received with thanksgiving.” Forbidding certain foods and drinks is wrong because “everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving.”
As Garris stated, the imposing of strict dietary laws on others this side of the crucifixion is sinful. Jesus himself made this clear to Peter when he declared all food clean. You can read of that first in Mark 7, then in Acts 10 and Acts 11.
Yes, just as it’s a sin to have too much alcohol, it is also a sin to have too much food. Gluttony and Drunkenness are both grievous in the eyes of God.
Paul furthers this point on following the laws that were given to Israel, and we are no longer under them. He writes about this extensively in the book of Romans, which I highly recommend. Specifically in chapters 6 and 7.
Romans 6:14
For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace. (ESV)
Romans 7:6
But now we are released from the law, having died to that which held us captive, so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit and not in the old way of the written code. (ESV)
Paul also talks about this in his letter to the Galatians.
Galatians 2:15–21
Justified by Faith
We ourselves are Jews by birth and not Gentile sinners; yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified.
But if, in our endeavor to be justified in Christ, we too were found to be sinners, is Christ then a servant of sin? Certainly not! For if I rebuild what I tore down, I prove myself to be a transgressor. For through the law I died to the law, so that I might live to God. I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness were through the law, then Christ died for no purpose. (ESV)
This is the bottom line for this topic. The bible does not restrict the drinking of wine. There are verses that warn not to fall prey to the love of it, emphasizing the dire importance not to be drunk, but there are other verses that show it’s a blessing from God to drink and enjoy it as he created it to be enjoyed.
Allow the Holy Spirit to speak to you directly about whether or not you should drink it. For me personally, I am compelled by God not to drink it. But I can still have dinner with a friend who orders a beer and give thanks to God for all that we would consume that evening.
All we do should be to the Glory of God.
Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness. (ESV)
Later in Romans, Paul discusses how we should never let anything stand in the way of ministering to people. If something causes another believer to stumble, we should avoid it for the sake of that believer.
Romans 14:20–23
Do not, for the sake of food, destroy the work of God. Everything is indeed clean, but it is wrong for anyone to make another stumble by what he eats. It is good not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything that causes your brother to stumble. The faith that you have, keep between yourself and God. Blessed is the one who has no reason to pass judgment on himself for what he approves. But whoever has doubts is condemned if he eats, because the eating is not from faith. For whatever does not proceed from faith is sin. (ESV)
Though we are free to eat and drink all that God has created, we must exercise caution. Freedom isn’t a free pass to sin.
1 Corinthians 10:23–33
Do All to the Glory of God
“All things are lawful,” but not all things are helpful. “All things are lawful,” but not all things build up. Let no one seek his own good, but the good of his neighbor. Eat whatever is sold in the meat market without raising any question on the ground of conscience. For “the earth is the Lord's, and the fullness thereof.” If one of the unbelievers invites you to dinner and you are disposed to go, eat whatever is set before you without raising any question on the ground of conscience. But if someone says to you, “This has been offered in sacrifice,” then do not eat it, for the sake of the one who informed you, and for the sake of conscience—I do not mean your conscience, but his. For why should my liberty be determined by someone else's conscience? If I partake with thankfulness, why am I denounced because of that for which I give thanks?
So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. Give no offense to Jews or to Greeks or to the church of God, just as I try to please everyone in everything I do, not seeking my own advantage, but that of many, that they may be saved. (ESV)
Like I stated earlier, if we eat meat, or drink wine, and we give thanks to God, there should be no condemnation. God does however urge us to use discernment in regards to wine’s consumption. There is no shortage of passages warning of the consequences that come from drunkenness.
Titus 2:1–3
Teach Sound Doctrine
But as for you, teach what accords with sound doctrine. Older men are to be sober-minded, dignified, self-controlled, sound in faith, in love, and in steadfastness. Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves to much wine. They are to teach what is good, (ESV)
The key is not to be slaves to wine, or anything else.
Are certain foods or drinks off limits?
I think this quote by Zachary Garris summarizes the answer to the question perfectly;“All foods and drinks that humans enjoy in this world are a result of God’s creative work, as recorded in Genesis 1 and 2. God made all plants, including the grapes that make wine, and He called such plants “good” (Genesis 1:11-13).
The Apostle Paul affirms this goodness of creation in 1 Timothy 4:3-4, when he says that some false teachers will “forbid marriage and require abstinence from foods that God created to be received with thanksgiving.” Forbidding certain foods and drinks is wrong because “everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving.”
As Garris stated, the imposing of strict dietary laws on others this side of the crucifixion is sinful. Jesus himself made this clear to Peter when he declared all food clean. You can read of that first in Mark 7, then in Acts 10 and Acts 11.
Yes, just as it’s a sin to have too much alcohol, it is also a sin to have too much food. Gluttony and Drunkenness are both grievous in the eyes of God.
Paul furthers this point on following the laws that were given to Israel, and we are no longer under them. He writes about this extensively in the book of Romans, which I highly recommend. Specifically in chapters 6 and 7.
Romans 6:14
For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace. (ESV)
Romans 7:6
But now we are released from the law, having died to that which held us captive, so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit and not in the old way of the written code. (ESV)
Paul also talks about this in his letter to the Galatians.
Galatians 2:15–21
Justified by Faith
We ourselves are Jews by birth and not Gentile sinners; yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified.
But if, in our endeavor to be justified in Christ, we too were found to be sinners, is Christ then a servant of sin? Certainly not! For if I rebuild what I tore down, I prove myself to be a transgressor. For through the law I died to the law, so that I might live to God. I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness were through the law, then Christ died for no purpose. (ESV)
This is the bottom line for this topic. The bible does not restrict the drinking of wine. There are verses that warn not to fall prey to the love of it, emphasizing the dire importance not to be drunk, but there are other verses that show it’s a blessing from God to drink and enjoy it as he created it to be enjoyed.
Allow the Holy Spirit to speak to you directly about whether or not you should drink it. For me personally, I am compelled by God not to drink it. But I can still have dinner with a friend who orders a beer and give thanks to God for all that we would consume that evening.
All we do should be to the Glory of God.
Thank you so much for everyone who read this. If you have any questions about God or Jesus according to the bible, write a comment, and I'll try to respond to you!
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