Is Drinking Alcohol a Sin?

You are taking Colossians 2:16 out of context. The context is the freedom we have in Christ, free from the Jewish traditions. Dont judge by eat or drink means dont let anyone judge you from outward or worldly things. It seems that you are isolating a phrase as an excuse NOT to make your body the temple of the Holy Spirit.

 

Strange, then, because I used to think just like you. It's only when I began to read Scritpture for what it SAYS and not what others say it says, did the Holy Spirit reveal to me the error of my ways. I pray he does the same to you, but your heart seems to be a pretty hard one to break.

 

That's not what it is saying at all. The church was filled with judaizers...those who held to tradition of man, something the SBC is trying to push with this abstinence policy. I posted a link of all 247 verses in the Bible dealing with wine and "other strong drink". There is no one verse used to make an excuse for defiling the Temple. That is a strawman. If abstinence is what God wants from you, as with John The Baptist, fine. Don't push your personal convictions on the rest when Scripture clearly not only doesn't state it's sin, but encourages it, and clearly shows Jesus drinking and making it.

 

as stated before, Jesus did not make, nor did He drink alcoholic wine. If He had, He would not be the sacrifice that was needed to pay for the sins of the world.

He was, and is and always will be the King of kings. He would not have drank alcoholic wine lest it pervert His judgment.

Quit slandering the Savior.

 

1O REASONS WHY THE WINE JESUS MADE COULD NOT HAVE BEEN ALCOHOLIC

1. The vast quantity created (between 120 and 180 gallons).

This amount of intoxicating wine would have turned the wedding feast into a drunken brawl. Scholars who try to overcome this by suggesting that not all the water was turned into wine, but only that which was drawn off, only complicate things. For did not Christ know all things? He would know exactly how many people would drink one cup. Why then did He not have the attendants fill only one pot? Or even two pots, etc.? No, the miracle was divine wisdom and providence in action. Christ's abundant wisdom and providence made it obvious that such an amount could not have been intoxicating, thereby protecting His flawless reputation.




2. Christ's sinlessness and moral perfection.

Jesus Himself said in John 8:46:
Which of you convinceth me of sin?

In other words, no one was able to convict or find Him guilty of the slightest sin. Thus He declares His sinless and moral perfection. Those scholars, who talk about Christ's impeccability (perfection) and almost in the same breath declare that He was a drinker and an advocate of alcoholic wine, are totally in error. Concerning Christ's character, Hendrickson states:

Today's radical theologian is inconsistant when on
the one hand he loudly proclaims the moral
perfection of Jesus; yet on the other hand rejects
His majestic claims! If Jesus is sinless, His claims
should be accepted. Any other course is positively
wicked.

Although this statement refers to rejecting Jesus as God, declaring that He was a drinker and that He made intoxicating wine is not far from this dangerous stance.
Even Jesus' enemies realized that drinking was sin and call Him a winebibber (wine drinker, Matt. 11:19; Luke 7:34) and what is even more amazing, people who profess to be Christians accuse Him of the same thing!
Many sinners, some of whom have been misinformed by Christians on this issue, also realize that drinking is sin and object to Jesus' claims on those grounds. R.A. Torrey explains this point:

A stock objection against the Bible, and not only
against the Bible but against Jesus Christ Himself, is
is found in the story of Jesus turning the water into
wine at the marriage festival at Cana of Galilee as
recorded in John 2:1-11.

Unfortunately, this kind of view only comes from those who do not really understand who Jesus is. An even sadder point is that many Christians do more to hinder unbelievers from coming to Christ by misrepresenting His character when it comes to the drink issue.

We will now look at some New Testament Scripture passages, which reaffirm Jesus' sinlessness and perfection, in the light of which makes it inconceivable that our Lord could have drank or created alcoholic beverages. These read:

1 John 3:5 5 And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin.
1 Peter 2:22 22 Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth:
2 Corinthians 5:21 21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might
be made the righteousness of God in him.
Hebrews 7:26 26 For such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled,
separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens;

In the light of these Biblical facts, it is plain that those who suggest that Jesus drank or created alcoholic wine have a very dim conception of His holiness indeed.

3. Man’s Sinfulness John 4:24, 25 states:
John 4:24-25 24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in
truth. 25 The woman saith unto him, I know that Messias cometh, which is
called Christ: when he is come, he will tell us all things.

Jesus also stated:
John 3:19 …men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.

These passages alone tell us that Jesus would not have bowed to the sinful desires of men by creating intoxicating wine. As the Scripture states, Jesus knew what was in man, that is, He knew their sinful hearts and evil desires. They indeed loved darkness rather than light.
Those commentators of the Bible therefore, who state such arguments such as, “temperance” is one of the qualities mentioned under the fruit of the Spirit. Or that the guests at the wedding feast, which Christ attended at Cana of Galilee, were a select and holy band of people, who would therefore not drink too much, is not a valid reason for explaining away why Christ would not have created intoxicating wine. Since all were sinners.
Such an act of making alcoholic wine would not have produced faith in Him as the glorious Son of God. Instead it would have merely identified Him as another sinful man with the usual sinful desires for finding pleasure in evil things.

4. Temptation
In Matthew 6:13, Jesus states:

Matthew 6:13 13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil…

Christ would not therefore have tempted men to become drunkards, which would mean exclusion from the kingdom of God in which He Himself proclaimed.

5. Christ would have approved of social drinking.
Pubs, bars, etc., would therefore be the accepted thing amongst Christians if the wine Christ made was alcoholic as some insist. Christ could also be held responsible to a large extent for the problem of alcoholism today, as the Encyclopedia Britannica points out:

First in the realm of health, the most serious and detrimental effect is alcoholism. Although
drinking itself is hardly ever regarded as the sufficient cause of alcoholism, this disease could
not arise without the use of alcohol.

...to be continued.
​

 

...continued from previous post


6. It was and is in the nature of Christ to do good. The Apostle Peter stated in Acts 10:38:

Acts 10:38 38 How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power:
who went about doing good…
Albert Barnes explains this principle in the light of Jesus’ first miracle:
Jesus delighted to do good. In the very beginning of His ministry He worked a miracle to show His benevolence. This was the appropriate commencement of a life in which He was to go about doing good. He seized every opportunity of doing it; and at a marriage feast, as well as among the sick and poor, He showed the character of which He always sustained – that of a benefactor of mankind. An argument cannot be drawn from this instance in favor of intemperate drinking. There is no evidence that any who were present on that occasion drank too freely. Nor can an argument be drawn from this case in favour even of drinking wine, such as we have. The common wine of Judea was the pure juice of the grape, without any mixture of alcohol, and was harmless. It was the common drink of the people, and it did not tend to produce intoxication.

Again, after consideration of these facts, it is inconceivable from a Biblical perspective, to suggest that our Lord would have created an alcoholic substance which is not good but is harmful to the body. Also, Jesus the Great Physician and Creator of our bodies, who knows all things, designed our bodies to reject alcohol (in any quantity) because of its destructive potential. He therefore would not have bestowed upon men something which He is in infinite knowledge, purposely designed our complex bodies to reject. The Encyclopedia Britannica bears this out:

The body begins to dispose of alcohol immediately after it is absorbed.

This scientific fact is borne out by the Spirit inspired writer of 1 Samuel 25:37 when referring to Nabal’s complete recovery from drunkenness:

1 Samuel 25:37 37 But it came to pass in the morning, when the wine was gone out of Nabal, and his wife had told him these things, that his heart died within him, and he became as a stone.

Again, after consideration of the facts, can we accuse our Lord and Creator of ignorance?

7. Christ Himself warned against drunkenness and of drinking, and drinking with drunkards.
Matthew 24:45-51 45 Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season? 46 Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing. 47 Verily I say unto you, That he shall make him ruler over all his goods. 48 But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming; 49 And shall begin to smite his fellowservants, and to eat and drink with the drunken; 50 The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of, 51 And shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Luke 12:45-46 45 But and if that servant say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming; and shall begin to beat the menservants and maidens, and to eat and drink, and to be drunken; 46 The lord of that servant will come in a day when he looketh not for him, and at an hour when he is not aware, and will cut him in sunder, and will appoint him his portion with the unbelievers.

8. Christ Himself denied that He was a wine drinker (winebibber).
When accused of this vice, Jesus stated, …But wisdom is justified of her children. (Matthew 11:18,19; Luke 7:33,34). A paraphrase of this statement would read:


I am not a glutton neither am I a wine drinker, or a lover of evil deeds of tax collectors and sinners, and this fact will be justly declared by those who are my true children.

Today, those who are His true children will follow His example …that we might be partakers of His Holiness. (Hebrews 12:10b).

9. The Old Testament condemned drinking as well as drunkenness. (Proverbs 20:1; 23:31-35)
Since Christ was well versed in the Old Testament and did not contradict its teachings, the truth of His abstinence from alcoholic wine is firmly established.

10. He would have violated His own laws of Creation.
Speaking of Christ, Colossians 1:16, states:

Colossians 1:16 16 For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:

Jesus as Lord and Creator, made all things perfect as Genesis 1:31 plainly states:

Genesis 1:31 And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good….

Alcohol is developed by fermentation, a product of decay and death. It therefore could not have been created by our Lord, whose actions were totally consistent with the nature of God and Holy Scripture. The wine He created could only be the fruit of the vine which was not rotten and dead as is the case with fermented wine, but wholesome and fresh. Just like all the other fruits He produces on the trees yearly through His providence, which reflects His love for man.

It is sincerely hoped that after consideration of the facts that we have examined, that we grasp the seriousness of any allegations which may suggest that Jesus drank or made intoxicating or alcoholic wine.

It is also hoped that any doubts that the reader may have had in this area has been answered, as we have thoroughly looked at this subject from a Scriptural perspective.

Irrespective of any difficulties which may remain, there are still no excuses which can be drawn from Jesus’ first miracle to justify the use of alcoholic drinks. However, there are always those who do not want to understand the clear teachings of the Bible on this subject, and will not accept any truth which commands total abstinence from strong drinks, irrespective of how clear and Biblical it may be. We will therefore conclude this section with a wise quote from Albert Barnes’ Bible Commentary, which states:

No man shall adduce this instance in favour of drinking wine, unless he can prove that the wine made in the ‘water-pots’ of Cana was just like the wine he proposes to drink. The Saviour’s example may be always pleaded – JUST AS IT WAS – but it is a matter of obvious and simple justice that we should find out exactly what the example was before we plead it.

taken from Leighton G. Campbell's book, "Wine in the Bible and the Scriptural Case for Total Abstinence" pp. 160 - 166

 

This is circular reasoning. You start with the assumption that it is sin, and then interpret what Jesus did or did not do based on that assumption.

 

And that this is 227 posts, and the fifth time around this year, as I was told earlier.

I've stated my case -- will never change the judgmental mind of others. Moving on.

 

No, I do not interpret what is sin. The Holy Spirit reveals to me what is sin, no interpretation by me needed.

The Word of God tells us in John 16 that the Spirit will convict. Problem is many are so blinded by their own fleshly desires and notions that they cannot see the truth.

1 Corinthians 2:14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

 

Therefore anyone who disagrees with you must not be interpreting by the Holy Spirit. This is pride and arrogance at its finest.

 

Since the Scripture backs my stance on alcohol, and the Spirit confirms it, I submit to you that it is not pride and arrogance on my part at all.

The pride and arrogance is on the behalf of those who want to make Jesus Christ someone who condones drinking that which His Word clearly states otherwise. The pride and arrogance is on the behalf of those who are blinded by their own fleshly desires and will not hear what the Spirit is saying, nor obey the Word of God.

 

standingfirm.....my goodness, everything you have said has a primary assumption that just isn't true. that assumption? that alcohol is sin. you may have had some bad experiences, as many have. or its probably because you are from a generation that is pretty legalistic, focusing on your actions, formulas, etc. and not on setting your mind and heart on things above. your actions and formulas are diddly if your heart and mind aren't set on things above. and if you are setting these things on what is above, than your actions will not have immoral or sinful motives behind them (like drinking for drunkenness). stop enforcing legalism. jesus condemned it.

 

i just noticed that your denomination is listed as indepentent fundamental baptist.....that answers it.

 

Obeying the Word of God is not legalism. Stop advocating liberalism, God's condemns it.

 

So's mine -- so your assumption is incorrect.

 

define liberalism for me. i probably know exactly what you'll say, and it has nothing to do with what i'm doing. you keep saying "god condemns it" and "its against Christ's word". but you fail to show that alcohol is sin. because its not. I'm telling you, man, you're going to need to recognize that this culture will challenge what your generation/culture has TRADITIONALLY focused on as being sin. you are being legalistic. scripture does not advocate legalism. and please don't respond again with "the bible condemns it", because you are talking about alcohol...but in reality the bible condemns drunkenness. nobody is telling you that you are wrong in your decision to abstain, but you've got to understand that your generations' traditions probably don't apply to what is absolute truth.

 

There's your problem, dan,

Allowing the culture to change your beliefs on the matter of alcohol in the life of a believer instead of the Word of God

 

The Word of God abideth forever.

Proverbs 23:31 tells us not to have experience with fermented beverages. Not even to consider it.

Your argument of culture change is just plain ridiculous.

It was sin back in Solomon's day to partake of alcoholic beverage, it is still sin today

Seek ye out the old path and walk therein.

 

thats not true....actually i'm trying to point out that your culture is what has you so hardcore against it. in fact, many of the great theologians that many christians learn from not only drank alcohol....but smoked cigars and pipes (oh the horror!). so culturally.....things have swayed back and forth as to what is TRADITIONALLY acceptable and not. anything not according to the TRADITIONS you hold dear (which there is nothing wrong with them, by the way, only when they are turned into doctrines) is automatically liberalism????? yeah right, when the NIV came out, that was liberalism too. i can share with you my views on things, they don't line up with liberalism. but for the sake of this discussion....its important to recognize that we come from different cultures, different things are acceptable, and its tricky to understand what is sin, and what is legalism. its tricky because many times people hold anything against their TRADITIONS as sin. you never proved alcohol was sin, only drunkenness, which i agree.