Lessons #205 and 206
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+ 1. It is best to use this note after you have listened to the lessons because there are +
+ comments given in the actual exposition not in the note. +
+ 2. The Bible abbreviations are as follows: CEV =Contemporary English version, +
+ CEB = Common English Bible, ESV= English Standard Version, +
+ GWT = God’s Word Translation, ISV = International Standard Version, +
+ NAB=New English Bible, NASB= New American Standard Bible, +
+ NEB= New English Bible, NET = New English Translation, +
+ NLT = New Living Translations NJB = New Jerusalem Bible, +
+ NJV = New Jewish Bible, TEV = Today’s English Version. +
+ 3. Notes have not been edited for grammatical errors. +
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Living wisely involves the filling of the Spirit (Eph 5:18-21)
18 Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit. 19 Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, 20 always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. 21 Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.
There is a sense that the apostle progressively deals with the message of living wisely. He began by telling us that living wisely is the opposite of living unwisely. Of course, living wisely results in using every opportunity that the Lord affords the believer to do that which is good or that which glorifies the Lord. Then he proceeded to tell us that living wisely involves understanding of God’s will which certainly requires that a believer be knowledgeable in the word of God since it is primarily through the word of God that we know God’s will. Understanding God’s will, as we have indicated, is not merely an intellectual exercise but that which results in right lifestyle. This being case, it is not surprising that the apostle at last gives us the ultimate in living wisely which is to be filled of the Holy Spirit. We say that this is the ultimate meaning of what it means to live wisely because there can be nothing more important in living the life of a Christian than to be filled of the Holy Spirit. This truth is implied in the qualifications the apostles gave to the early church in Jerusalem by which to select the seven men to serve them. These men in addition to having good reputation are to be those who are full of the Spirit and full of wisdom, as we read in Acts 6:3:
Brothers, choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will turn this responsibility over to them
The instruction choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom is more literally select from among you seven men well spoken of, full of the Spirit and wisdom. The phrase well spoken of could be translated of good reputation. Nevertheless, it is clear that the men that are to be chosen are those full of the Spirit and full of wisdom. So, there could be no greater description of a believer than to say that such a person is full of the Spirit and full of wisdom. It is for this reason we assert that the ultimate in living wisely is to be filled of the Spirit as required in the passage we are considering.
The apostle did not immediately get to the command concerning being filled with the Spirit; instead, he began with an aspect of living unwisely. In effect, the apostle is still concerned with contrasting living wisely with that of living unwisely in keeping with the phrase not as unwise but as wise he introduced in the beginning of the section that is concerned with living wisely, that is, in verse 15 of this fifth chapter of Ephesians. Therefore, to ensure we do not forget the apostle certainly means that living wisely is the opposite of living unwisely, he began his ultimate instruction regarding living wisely with a prohibition that in effect defines what it means to living unwisely with an example.
A person indicates that he or she lives unwisely if the person is enslaved to wine and so the apostle gives the prohibition do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery in Ephesians 5:18. This instruction is quite often misunderstood or misapplied by many Christians that they fail to recognize what the instruction is. Of course, as we expound this prohibition, let me be clear that my intention is not endorse or prohibit anyone from drinking wine but simply to interpret the instruction honestly and in keeping with the Scripture without any reference to my personal preference. Personally, I could speak like the Apostle Paul when he wrote regarding sex and marriage in that he stated his personal preference in such matter in 1 Corinthians 7:7:
I wish that all men were as I am. But each man has his own gift from God; one has this gift, another has that.
The clause as I am is taken by some as a reference to self-control of the sexual life both outside of and within marriage. This is possible but because the context is concerned with marital state, therefore, it is probably that the apostle was referring to the power to remain celibate, freedom from sexual need, which he sees as his gift. Regardless of how one interprets what the apostle states, the point we want to make is that the apostle did not impose his personal preference with respect to marriage on the Corinthians. By this same token, I do not want to impose my personal preference with respect to wine which is total abstinence as many also have but to interpret the instruction of the Holy Spirit in such a way to be truthful to the Scripture. I mean that some of you have been brought up in a background where you have been led to think that to drink wine is a sin. But is this true? The answer, of course, is no! This answer is supported by the instruction of the Holy Spirit through the Apostle in the command do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. But before we examine this particular command, it will be beneficial to examine what the Bible has to say about wine since some quarters of the Christian faith demonize it.
Doctrine of wine
We should begin our consideration of what the Scripture says about wine by recognizing that the overwhelming use of wine in the Scripture is in a literal sense. We say this because in few instances in the Scripture wine is used figuratively both positively and negatively. Positively, wine is used for quenching of spiritual thirst as in the invitation of God through Prophet Isaiah in Isaiah 55:1:
“Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost.
Wine as used in this passage is most certainly in a figurative sense for blessings from God both spiritually and physically but with greater emphasis on the spiritual rejuvenation. Negatively, wine is used to convey God’s wrath and judgment, as in Jeremiah 25:15–16:
15 This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, said to me: “Take from my hand this cup filled with the wine of my wrath and make all the nations to whom I send you drink it. 16 When they drink it, they will stagger and go mad because of the sword I will send among them.”
Wine is used negatively to portray the suffering and death of Jesus Christ on the cross for our benefit in Matthew 26:27–28:
27 Then he took the cup, gave thanks and offered it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. 28 This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.
The word “wine” does not appear in this passage but that is implied in the word cup since there are four cups of wine drank during the Passover festivity so cup stands here for wine but Jesus used the word cup instead of wine probably because He wanted to reference His coming suffering and death on the cross that He mentioned in Matthew 20:22:
“You don’t know what you are asking,” Jesus said to them. “Can you drink the cup I am going to drink?” “We can,” they answered.
Furthermore, it is negatively that wine is used figuratively to describe the moral decadence of the Great Babylon in Revelation 18:3:
For all the nations have drunk the maddening wine of her adulteries. The kings of the earth committed adultery with her, and the merchants of the earth grew rich from her excessive luxuries.”
These figurative usages of wine notwithstanding, as we have indicated, the mention of wine in the Scripture is predominantly in its literal sense. Even then, the literal use of wine can also convey God’s judgment so that when there is no wine, for example, that becomes an evidence of God’s judgment as, it is used in Isaiah 24:6–7:
6Therefore a curse consumes the earth; its people must bear their guilt. Therefore earth’s inhabitants are burned up, and very few are left. 7The new wine dries up and the vine withers; all the merrymakers groan.
Wine in a literal sense is used to describe God’s blessing in Deuteronomy 7:13:
He will love you and bless you and increase your numbers. He will bless the fruit of your womb, the crops of your land—your grain, new wine and oil—the calves of your herds and the lambs of your flocks in the land that he swore to your forefathers to give you.
With these few comments on the figurative and literal usages of wine in the Scripture, we proceed to consider what the Scripture says about wine by considering specific points that summarize the information available in the Scripture with respect to wine. This we will do by considering four major points.
First Point: The Scripture does not say the drinking of wine is a sin.
There are several ways to underscore this point. First, the Scripture reveals that wine is given by God for the enjoyment of people on the planet. Thus, Isaac is said to enjoy wine with his food in Genesis 27:25:
Then he said, “My son, bring me some of your game to eat, so that I may give you my blessing.”
Jacob brought it to him and he ate; and he brought some wine and he drank.
Second, God approves of drinking of wine. His approval is evident first in the instruction that consists of purchase of wine as part of the items to be enjoyed in the celebration of a specific tithe in Deuteronomy 14:26:
Use the silver to buy whatever you like: cattle, sheep, wine or other fermented drink, or anything you wish. Then you and your household shall eat there in the presence of the Lord your God and rejoice.
In addition to this instruction to Israel regarding wine, there is also a personal recommendation to drink wine as part of what God approves or favors in Ecclesiastes 9:7:
Go, eat your food with gladness, and drink your wine with a joyful heart, for it is now that God favors what you do.
The clause for it is now that God favors what you do is more literally for God already has approved your deeds. This sentence indicates the reason you should enjoy food and wine is because God is pleased with those who enjoy His blessings as it is His will for His creatures to enjoy His provisions for them on this planet with gratitude to Him. If drinking of wine is a sin then God contradicted Himself in that He encouraged Israel or the individual to drink wine or fermented drink. But God cannot contradict Himself and so we have to deduce that drinking wine is not a sin. God’s approval of drinking of wine is further evident in the fact that Jesus turned water into wine for people in the marriage ceremony to drink, as we read in John 2:7–11:
7 Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water”; so they filled them to the brim. 8 Then he told them, “Now draw some out and take it to the master of the banquet.” They did so, 9 and the master of the banquet tasted the water that had been turned into wine. He did not realize where it had come from, though the servants who had drawn the water knew. Then he called the bridegroom aside 10 and said, “Everyone brings out the choice wine first and then the cheaper wine after the guests have had too much to drink; but you have saved the best till now.” 11 This, the first of his miraculous signs, Jesus performed at Cana in Galilee. He thus revealed his glory, and his disciples put their faith in him.
Some of those who are eager to defend the position that drinking of wine is a sin interpret wine here as some form of soft drink or juice. But such an interpretation would have been laughable except that it really denies the miracle of Jesus in turning water into wine. Soft drinks do not contain any alcohol but wine does and so the miracle of Jesus involves creation of carbon that is part of the chemical composition of wine. By the way, Jesus’ intention in this miracle of turning water to wine is not really for it to be used either to support drinking of wine or to prohibit it. Nonetheless, if drinking wine is a sin, Jesus would not have turned water into wine. That aside, His primary purpose is to use this miracle to convey who He is that indicates His creative power as that is the point of verse 11, especially the sentence He thus revealed his glory, and his disciples put their faith in him. Jesus revealed His glory in the sense that the miracle was one way to reveal one aspect of His nature which is His omnipotence that was displayed in the original creation of the universe. As we said turning water into wine is a miracle that involves the act of creation in that Jesus used an existing material, as in creation of the body of man, to create wine. The point we are stressing is that Jesus turned water into wine and not into soft drink as some claim. There is also the fact that the word “wine” is translated from a Greek word (oinos) that means “wine” as fermented juice of the grape in contrast to another Greek word (trux) that is used for unfermented grape juice. Furthermore, such interpretation ignores the fact that wine was part of the meal of the Hebrew people, especially, during celebration or special occasion. It is for this reason that Jesus Christ Himself drank wine, according to Matthew 11:18–19:
18 For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon.’ 19 The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and “sinners.” ’ But wisdom is proved right by her actions.”
It is true that “wine” is not mentioned in this passage but there can be no doubt that drinking in this passage refers to wine for the simple reason that Christ would not have been charged of being a drunkard if He never drank wine. No one is described as a drunkard for consuming a lot of juice or soft drinks although the person may be sugar high. So, it should be clear that Jesus turned water into wine. There is one more evidence of God’s approval of wine. It is the instruction of the Holy Spirit through the Apostle Paul to Timothy in 1 Timothy 5:23:
Stop drinking only water, and use a little wine because of your stomach and your frequent illnesses.
We will return to this passage later but for now our interest is on the fact that the Holy Spirit directed the apostle to issue this advice to Timothy. If drinking of wine is a sin then the Holy Spirit would have been encouraging Timothy to sin but that is not the case so that it should be clear that drinking wine is not a sin. Third, drinking of wine is not a sin because the Scripture speaks of wine in favorable terms. It indicates that wine can bring pleasure and gladness to life in
Psalm 104:15:
wine that gladdens the heart of man, oil to make his face shine, and bread that sustains his heart.
The same positive effect of wine is restated in Ecclesiastes 10:19:
A feast is made for laughter, and wine makes life merry, but money is the answer for everything.
These facts we have supplied should convince you that drinking wine is not a sin, to say otherwise is to be unscriptural.
Second Point: The Scripture indicates that irresponsible use of wine can be destructive.
We should admit that everything God made is beautiful at the time of creation but that sin ruined everything including us humans. The Holy Spirit through Solomon makes this point first in Ecclesiastes 3:11:
He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end.
and then in Ecclesiastes 7:29:
This only have I found: God made mankind upright, but men have gone in search of many schemes.”
The implication of these two passages in Ecclesiastes is that everything God made at the beginning is beautiful but presence of sin ruined everything and so humans have the tendency of abusing everything God created for our enjoyment. Take for example, God created sex to be enjoyed in marriage relationship but sin causes humans to abuse it through premarital and extra marital affairs. Wine, we have seen, is certainly one of the provisions of God for humans to enjoy but the presence of sin means that people are capable of abusing wine with disastrous consequences. Drinking wine, as we have noted, is not a sin in and of itself but abuse of it leads to sin of drunkenness that the Scripture condemns as one of the manifestations of sinfulness in Galatians 5:19–21:
19 The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; 20 idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21 and envy; 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.
Drunkenness certainly affects a person’s behavior. It is because of drunkenness that Noah exposed himself, as indicated in Genesis 9:20–21:
20 Noah, a man of the soil, proceeded to plant a vineyard. 21 When he drank some of its wine, he became drunk and lay uncovered inside his tent.
An effect of drunkenness is sexual exploitation. This is the case with Lot who was exploited by his daughters to become involved in incest without realizing it until later. This sexual exploitation of Lot that is due to drunkenness is described in Genesis 19:30–38:
30 Lot and his two daughters left Zoar and settled in the mountains, for he was afraid to stay in Zoar. He and his two daughters lived in a cave. 31 One day the older daughter said to the younger, “Our father is old, and there is no man around here to lie with us, as is the custom all over the earth. 32 Let’s get our father to drink wine and then lie with him and preserve our family line through our father.” 33 That night they got their father to drink wine, and the older daughter went in and lay with him. He was not aware of it when she lay down or when she got up. 34 The next day the older daughter said to the younger, “Last night I lay with my father. Let’s get him to drink wine again tonight, and you go in and lie with him so we can preserve our family line through our father.” 35 So they got their father to drink wine that night also, and the younger daughter went and lay with him. Again he was not aware of it when she lay down or when she got up. 36 So both of Lot’s daughters became pregnant by their father. 37 The older daughter had a son, and she named him Moab; he is the father of the Moabites of today. 38 The younger daughter also had a son, and she named him Ben-Ammi; he is the father of the Ammonites of today.
Lot’s daughters had a noble goal of continuing their family line but they went about it the wrong way that involved incest. There is no doubt that Lot would not ordinarily have been involved in incest without being drunk as that was the reason his daughters got him drunk. Incest is clearly against God’s word as indicated in its prohibition in Leviticus 18 but consider a sample prohibition in Leviticus 18:6–8:
6 “‘No one is to approach any close relative to have sexual relations. I am the Lord. 7 “‘Do not dishonor your father by having sexual relations with your mother. She is your mother; do not have relations with her. 8 “‘Do not have sexual relations with your father’s wife; that would dishonor your father.
As deplorable as incest is, the truth is that it still occurs today even of the type that Lot was involved. However, such deplorable incest quite often occurs under drunken state of those involved. Drunkenness or excessive drinking not only leads to sexual sin it can render a person argumentative and ready to fight and so shows such a person to be unwise or stupid, according to Proverbs 20:1:
Wine is a mocker and beer a brawler; whoever is led astray by them is not wise.
Another negative effect of excessive drinking or drunkenness is the potential to render a person poor. It is this that is mentioned in Proverbs 21:17:
He who loves pleasure will become poor; whoever loves wine and oil will never be rich.
This poverty that can come through excessive drinking is further stated in Proverbs 23:19–21:
19Listen, my son, and be wise, and keep your heart on the right path. 20Do not join those who drink too much wine or gorge themselves on meat, 21for drunkards and gluttons become poor, and drowsiness clothes them in rags.
Another negative effect of excessive drinking or drunkenness consists of pain, despair, unnecessary suffering both physically and emotionally, as conveyed in Proverbs 23:29–35:
29Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has strife? Who has complaints? Who has needless bruises? Who has bloodshot eyes? 30 Those who linger over wine, who go to sample bowls of mixed wine. 31 Do not gaze at wine when it is red, when it sparkles in the cup, when it goes down smoothly! 32In the end it bites like a snake and poisons like a viper. 33Your eyes will see strange sights and your mind imagine confusing things. 34You will be like one sleeping on the high seas, lying on top of the rigging. 35“They hit me,” you will say, “but I’m not hurt! They beat me, but I don’t feel it! When will I wake up so I can find another drink?”
The effects described here apply to drug addicts. Still another effect of excessive drinking or drunkenness is the dulling of a person’s judgment and so could result in neglecting one’s duty. This effect is especially detrimental in carrying out of justice or in making decisions that affect others who are under a person in authority. It is because of the detrimental effect of excessive use of wine that King Lemuel was cautioned about excessive use of wine in Proverbs 31:4–5:
4“It is not for kings, O Lemuel—not for kings to drink wine, not for rulers to crave beer, 5lest they drink and forget what the law decrees, and deprive all the oppressed of their rights.
The advice in this passage does not seem to mean that kings should abstain from drinking of wine instead the sense is that of forming the habit of drinking so that they become inebriated or intoxicated. It is when a person in authority is drunk that such a person becomes incapable of delivering justice to those under the person’s authority since the moral judgment of the one with authority becomes impaired. In effect, excessive use of wine should be avoided by those in leadership position of any kind but it is particularly important in those who are spiritual leaders of congregations. It is because of this that the Holy Spirit through the Apostle Paul stipulates that overseers or pastors of local churches should not be those who are given to much drinking of wine, as we read in 1 Timothy 3:3:
not given to drunkenness, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money.
We can understand this requirement since a pastor who gets drunk or stays drunk could not possibly be under the filling of the Holy Spirit to permit a serious study of the word of God and so he will be incapable of true spiritual leadership of the congregation.
Third Point: The Scripture indicates that wine may be used for medicinal purposes.
Wine is to bring pleasure to people in general but there is a singular recommendation in the Scripture for wine to be used as a kind of sedative for those who are suffering bodily pain and mental distress. It is this recommendation that is given in Proverbs 31:6-7:
6 Give beer to those who are perishing, wine to those who are in anguish; 7 let them drink and forget their poverty and remember their misery no more.
This instruction is a temporary solution to a person who is in pain and suffering. It may be equivalent to medicating people who are dying from a terminal disease to help them bear their pain. Of course, some people become sedated when they lose their loved ones in order for them to be able to cope. But if a believer were spiritually matured it would be unnecessary for such a remedy, for his strength should come from the ministry of the Holy Spirit and application of God’s word. So, those who are sedated to help them cope with problems of this life are either unbelievers or believers who have no truth in their souls. This is why I believe that for a believer to be taking an antidepressant medication is a sign of spiritual failure. Nonetheless, the point remains that wine can be used for sedative purposes to help some individuals. Another medical use of wine that is given in the Scripture is that of the instruction of the Holy Spirit through the Apostle Paul to Timothy in the passage we cited previously, that is, 1 Timothy 5:23:
Stop drinking only water, and use a little wine because of your stomach and your frequent illnesses.
Wine the apostle meant here is fermented juice with a lower alcohol content than some of the strong drinks of today. Strong drinks with high alcohol content was practically unknown in the ancient world, that is, that what is called liquor or strong drink today, namely whisky, gin, etc., and wine with twenty percent of alcohol was unknown in Bible times. For it was only after the Arabs discovered the distillation process in the Middle Ages that men began to produce drinks with high alcohol content. The word ‘alcohol’ is from an Arabic word ‘alkuhul – powered antimony.’ In any case, we know that there was wine and beer in the ancient world, but their alcohol content is smaller than the wines and beers of today. In the time the apostle issued this instruction, it was recognized that wine was effective as a tonic and as an antidote to the effects of impure water. Thus, the instruction of the apostle to Timothy was concerned with medicinal benefit of wine. The instruction to Timothy suggests that he probably did not drink wine at all. This should not be that surprising because his father was a Greek. From ancient documents, we know that Greek boys were not permitted under any circumstances to drink wine until they were eighteen years of age. Even after that, they were supposed to drink quite moderately until the age of thirty when it is believed that that men could now handle wine wisely. Actually, it was at the age of forty years that young men might attend feasts where wine is served perhaps in excess. The Greeks believed that Bacchus (goddess of wine) has bestowed wine upon men as a remedy against the austerity of old age. Even then the Greek watered down their wine. From Athenaeus[1] we learn that the Greeks often mingled their wine with water; sometimes one part of wine to two of water; three parts of water to one of wine; and at other times three parts of water to two of wine. It is stated that among the Locrians, according to the laws of Zaleucus, if anyone was found to have drunk unmixed wine, unless prescribed by a physician, he was punished with death. So, the use of wine for medicinal purposes was known in the ancient world. The implication is that what the Holy Spirit instructed Paul to write to Timothy about medicinal use of wine is not intended to encourage or discourage anyone from drinking wine. It is simply an instruction to consider wine as having medicinal value.
Fourth Point: The Scripture indicates that abstinence from wine is necessary under certain situations and recommended under others.
Wine, as we have indicated, is God’s blessing to humans and it is God’s intention for humans to enjoy it as also conveyed in the recommendation of the Scripture in Ecclesiastes 3:13:
That everyone may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all his toil—this is the gift of God.
This being the case, it would be a contradiction for God to command all humans to abstain from wine. Nonetheless, the Scripture indicates that there are two situations in which abstinence from wine is required both of a group or an individual. A first situation involves ministering in the Tent of Meeting by the priests. The Lord issued specific instruction that the priests were not to drink wine before they went to the Tent of Meeting in Leviticus 10:9:
“You and your sons are not to drink wine or other fermented drink whenever you go into the Tent of Meeting, or you will die. This is a lasting ordinance for the generations to come.
This requirement is again reiterated by Prophet Ezekiel in Ezekiel 44:21:
No priest is to drink wine when he enters the inner court.
A second situation involves Nazirite vow of separation to God, which is partly voluntary and partly mandatory. We say it is partly voluntary because it is not required that everyone should take the Nazarite vow, as indicated in Numbers 6:1–4:
1The Lord said to Moses, 2 “Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘If a man or woman wants to make a special vow, a vow of separation to the Lord as a Nazirite, 3 he must abstain from wine and other fermented drink and must not drink vinegar made from wine or from other fermented drink. He must not drink grape juice or eat grapes or raisins. 4 As long as he is a Nazirite, he must not eat anything that comes from the grapevine, not even the seeds or skins.
It is true that the word “wants” of verse 2 does not appear in the Hebrew text since the clause If a man or woman wants to make a special vow is more literally When a man or a woman takes a special vow but the sense of the clause is that no one is forced into taking the vow. However, if a person decides to take the Nazarite vow then the individual must abstain from wine the entire period of the vow as a Nazarite. The point is that the Nazarite vow is usually voluntary but there are examples where such a vow is not voluntary on the part of the participant. This was the case with Samson whom God chose to be a Nazarite all his life and therefore who was to keep to the terms of being such that involves abstinence from wine and not shaving of one’s head. This is clear from the instruction given to her mother who was to abstain from use of wine during her pregnancy as she narrated to her husband, as we read in Judges 13:7:
But he said to me, ‘You will conceive and give birth to a son. Now then, drink no wine or other fermented drink and do not eat anything unclean, because the boy will be a Nazirite of God from birth until the day of his death.’”
Samson being chosen by God as a Nazarite implied that abstinence from wine was imposed on him by the Lord because the Lord chose him for a specific function of deliverance of Israel from the hands of the Philistines, as He stated in Judges 13:5:
because you will conceive and give birth to a son. No razor may be used on his head, because the boy is to be a Nazirite, set apart to God from birth, and he will begin the deliverance of Israel from the hands of the Philistines.”
Samson is not alone in the requirement of abstinence from wine since John the Baptist was also required by the Lord to abstain from wine, according to Luke 1:11–15:
11 Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right side of the altar of incense. 12 When Zechariah saw him, he was startled and was gripped with fear. 13 But the angel said to him: “Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to give him the name John. 14 He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth, 15 for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He is never to take wine or other fermented drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even from birth.
These two examples are unique in that the Lord chose them for specific function and so He commanded them to abstain from use of wine. This means that we cannot use their examples to impose on people to abstain from wine as a general rule since that is not God’s intention.
Be that as it may, we contend that abstinence from wine is not mandated for everyone in the Scripture. This notwithstanding, it is perfectly correct for an individual to decide to abstain from the use of wine all his or her life because of the person’s spiritual conviction. In other words, there is nothing wrong with a person deciding not to drink wine because the individual is convinced that for him or her that that is the best course of action to ensure that the individual does not fall prey to the harmful consequences of wine. We have an example of this kind of decision in the Scripture where a man, Jonadab, probably because he was convinced that to avoid the corrupting influence of the Canaanite fertility cults it would be better not to drink wine. He also probably believed that agricultural and settled life was contrary to the Lord’s will. Because of his convictions, he not only abstained from wine but he commanded his descendants to do likewise, as recorded in Jeremiah 35:5–10:
5 Then I set bowls full of wine and some cups before the men of the Recabite family and said to them, “Drink some wine.” 6 But they replied, “We do not drink wine, because our forefather Jonadab son of Recab gave us this command: ‘Neither you nor your descendants must ever drink wine. 7 Also you must never build houses, sow seed or plant vineyards; you must never have any of these things, but must always live in tents. Then you will live a long time in the land where you are nomads.’ 8 We have obeyed everything our forefather Jonadab son of Recab commanded us. Neither we nor our wives nor our sons and daughters have ever drunk wine 9 or built houses to live in or had vineyards, fields or crops. 10 We have lived in tents and have fully obeyed everything our forefather Jonadab commanded us.
The Recabites provide a good example of descendants of a man who followed their forefather’s footsteps for total abstinence from wine for life but it is also the case that a person may abstain from wine for a period of time in order to illustrate spiritual truth. This was the case with Daniel and the three Jewish young men who abstained from wine and rich diet of the king of Babylon because they wanted to show that they are different and worshiped the true God. Their abstinence from wine for a temporary period is mentioned in Daniel 1:8–12:
8 But Daniel resolved not to defile himself with the royal food and wine, and he asked the chief official for permission not to defile himself this way. 9 Now God had caused the official to show favor and sympathy to Daniel, 10 but the official told Daniel, “I am afraid of my lord the king, who has assigned your food and drink. Why should he see you looking worse than the other young men your age? The king would then have my head because of you.” 11 Daniel then said to the guard whom the chief official had appointed over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah, 12 “Please test your servants for ten days: Give us nothing but vegetables to eat and water to drink.
Anyway, we should emphasize that the Scripture nowhere forbids drinking and so if anyone forbids others from drinking wine such a person has become a false teacher of the type the Holy Spirit warned through the Apostle Paul that will forbid people enjoying what God created that is declared to be good in 1 Timothy 4:4:
For everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving,
Wine is included in the sentence everything God created is good. Therefore, no one should teach otherwise. However, if a person chooses to drink then he should, like every other thing he eats, do so with thanksgiving to God. There are those who can drink with strong will over their minds that they would never drink beyond certain threshold while there are those who would not know when to stop. Hence, if a person is in doubt if he could drink and still be under control, then the best approach is simply to avoid the use of alcohol for enjoyment except, as contained in various medications. This notwithstanding, if there is a rule that can be laid down with the use of wine, it is that every believer should use sound judgment to ensure that drinking of wine does not affect his or her spiritual life. Furthermore, that such an activity should not cause problem for another believer. In effect, we are saying that you should not drink if that is going to cause a serious spiritual problem for others in keeping with what the Holy Spirit conveys through the Apostle Paul in several ways in the Scripture. The apostle indicates that it is better not to drink wine or eat anything that will cause another believer to stumble in the faith, as we read in Romans 14:21:
It is better not to eat meat or drink wine or to do anything else that will cause your brother to fall.
While dealing with the matter of the believer’s freedom to do whatever he or she desires that is not sinful, the apostle laid the same principle that love for our fellow believer should govern even our eating of food. Thus, he puts the principle in terms of his not eating anything that will cause spiritual problem for a fellow believer, as we read in 1 Corinthians 8:13:
Therefore, if what I eat causes my brother to fall into sin, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause him to fall.
and in 1 Corinthians 10:23:
“Everything is permissible”—but not everything is beneficial. “Everything is permissible”—but not everything is constructive.
In all, it may be wise for most believers to abstain from wine because of the possibility of abuse of it. Those who do should not look down on those who do not in keeping with the instruction of the Scripture in Romans 14:3:
The man who eats everything must not look down on him who does not, and the man who does not eat everything must not condemn the man who does, for God has accepted him.
If you drink and never get drunk or drinking never impairs your judgment then you should not allow others to make you feel that you are a second class believer because you decide to enjoy the blessings of wine. In effect, you should apply to yourself the instruction of Colossians 2:16:
Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day.
This ends our consideration of the doctrine of wine. In our next study we will continue with prohibition against its abuse as it relates to the filling of the Holy Spirit.