Wine or Grapejuice

Non-alcoholic wine. Because the leaven is gone but the evil of alcohol has also been removed.

1 Corinthians 5:7 Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us:

Proverbs 23:31 Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth his colour in the cup, when it moveth itself aright.

 

Either, so long as it is non-alcoholic. Otherwise, we fall into spitting out gnats and swallowing camels trying to make sure we fit some sort of addition to Scripture. Millard T. Erickson has a great section on the make-up of the elements in his "Christian Theology." You can find the abbreviated version in his "Introducing Christian Doctrine."

[ September 15, 2002, 10:28 PM: Message edited by: TomVols ]

 

Tom, I am curious why you would think the "non-alcoholic only" stipulation is not an addition to Scripture?

And, a question for you and/or DocCas (I guess I don't get out much) - is this non-alcholic wine a fermented grape juice with the alcohol removed by some process?

 

What is the context of you question? For communion? In the Bible? To give your boss on his birthday?

 

Good point, BrianT! I assumed the context was communion, but now that you mention it, I am not sure. Thanks.

 

Yes. The wine is fermented by the natural process then the alcohol is cold-filtered out. Alcohol molecules are quite large and are easily filtered.

 

It's symbolic. Either is fine.
It's like asking - crackers or unleavened bread?

 

I can think of only one time actually having wine instead of grapejuice so I guess I would be in the grapejuice camp.
BTW what do you do with Matt. 13:33 (cf.Luke 13:20) where the kingdom of God is compared unto leaven?

 

I would have to agree with Voice about this one. It is communion if it is something mystical. But, since we observe it in "rememberance of Me", I call it the Lord's Supper.

Out like catholic terminology.

 

So are you asking what others on this forum use, or what we think Christ and the apostles used?

 

Do you think that Leviticus 10:9 might apply here?

 

Sure, if you're a Levite.

 

I'm curious why you all object to the term communion. Is it a scriptural objection, or just because you think the word has been abused?

"The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ? (I Cor. 10:16)."

 

Sometimes I stay away from certain things because people have the wrong idea right away. For example:

Calvinism
Reformed
Dispensational
Covenant
Rapture
Inspiration/Preservation
Church
Spiritual Gifts

The list could go on. If you say those words among certain people, a fist fight could occur without even discussing what you mean.

Communion has been hijacked by catholics and protestant groups to mean something it doesn't. If I am among people who know me and what I mean, I don't have a problem with the word.

As far as the original question goes, I am against alchohol in any form. I believe the biblical position is total abstinence.

Out like bell-bottoms and horn-rimmed glasses.

 

Wine. It was what Jesus used when He instituted the Lord's Supper, contrary to what legalists would have you believe. Jesus really did turn the water into wine at that wedding in Cana.

For all of you Southern Baptists - the 1925 Baptist Faith & Message states that the elements of the Lord's Supper are bread and wine.

Rev. G

 

Rev. G, please avoid calling those who disagree with you names such as "legalist." It is demeaning and not very Christ-like. There is a very large body of expository evidence to suggest that the word "wine" is context driven and can be, and is, used to mean both alcoholic and non-alcoholic drink.

 

Oh sure. He must have had a concealed package of Kool-Aid he pulled that off with.