Is WINE wrong to drink from a Christian and biblical point of view?

Matthew 11:18-19 “For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, He hath a devil.  The Son of man came eating and drinking, and they say, Behold a man gluttonous, and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners. But wisdom is justified of her children.”

Jesus was speaking how the hypocritical Pharisees were not satisfied at all who God sent to the people.  John came neither drinking nor eating and they condemned him and then Jesus came eating and drinking and they also condemned him.  The Pharisees like many religious people today wanted control and the final say-so over people.  Problem is, God didn’t ask for man’s advice or opinion.

What did Jesus say about the Pharisees?  He said they were hypocrites that appeared holy, clean and righteous on the outside but are dead men’s bones and unclean.

Matthew 23:27 “Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness.”
 

"You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you: "'These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men'" (Matt 15:7-9).

Why did the Pharisees say (gossip-slander-backbite) that Jesus was a winebibber?  They said this because they heard about his first miracle of turning water into wine.  If it would have been grape-juice then there would have been no gossip. 

If Jesus even drank some of the wine at the wedding that he supernaturally created who are we to question the Son of God.  He would not have gotten drunk and it would have been the best naturally fermented grape juice anyone has ever tasted.

Most likely the Pharisees also took the scripture in Proverbs 23:20 against Jesus misusing and misinterpreting it.  Proverbs 23:20 “Be not among winebibbers; among riotous eaters of flesh:”

What is naturally fermented wine? It is fruits such as grapes, blueberries, lemons, etc… that naturally contain simple sugars that break down after setting in a container aging most likely in water.  The longer it ages the better or finer it becomes. The sugar molecules break down naturally into alcohol.  This kind of alcohol does not contain ethanol, which is found in alcoholic beverages. There is nothing added to this type of alcohol to enhance its potency and make it lethal. However, cane sugar can be added as a sweetener and this may enhance the alcohol content to some degree.

Fermentation is a natural process by yeast bacteria in the absence of air that changes sugar to alcohol. Man has controlled this process since Noah (Gen. 9:21) to produce intoxicating beverages. In the Old Testament, fermented juice was described by several words, but the two most common, yayin and tirosh, are translated into the Greek language of the Septuagint as oinos – Truth Magazine

The Bible says that God gave wine to make men glad (Psalm 104:15). Why have some people turned this blessing of God into a curse? The answer is that many people do not follow God’s instructions.

A blessing of wine was prophesied as a heritage to the chosen people in Genesis 27:28: “May God give you heaven’s dew and earth’s richness — an abundance of grain and new wine [tirosh].” The Hebrew word tirosh, meaning “new wine,” is used in 38 places in the Old Testament. People sometimes conclude that this word means grape juice, or fresh-pressed juice of the vine. However, Hosea 4:11 states: “Old wine [yayin] and new wine [tirosh] take away their understanding.” Grape juice could not have this effect. Tirosh is an intoxicating wine if used in excess. – Grace Communion International

Jesus’ first miracle was to change water into wine (oinos). Some people who preach total abstinence claim that this miracle was to turn water into grape juice. Imagine if you can a Jewish wedding banquet where everyone drank only grape juice! (The ancients did not have refrigeration or any other method of preventing grape juice from fermenting.) On this occasion, Christ turned six jars of 20 or 30 gallons each into wine (oinos). This was no small miracle. This wine was of the finest quality — “You have saved the best till now” (John 2:10). At wedding feasts, the hosts normally started with the best wine, and they would bring out lesser-quality wines later.

Jesus gave a parable involving the fermenting process of oinos in Matthew 9:17. At that time, instead of having metal or glass bottles to enclose wine, the skins of animals were used. The fermentation of the wine could burst an old skin, but it would not break a new stretchable skin.

Another proof that oinos is fermented wine is the fact that the apostle Paul said, “Do not get drunk on wine [oinos]” (Ephesians 5:18). Paul did not mean to avoid getting drunk on grape juice! Paul instructed Timothy, “Stop drinking only water, and use a little wine [oinos] because of your stomach and your frequent illnesses” (1 Timothy 5:23). He said to use only a little wine, not a whole lot. The purpose of this wine was Timothy’s frequent stomach ailments; small amounts of wine can help some stomach problems. – Grace Communion International

Let's take a close look at 1 Corinthians 11:17-34:  Paul came in to find all the men together at the church possibly trying to take part in the Lord's supper.  Paul tells the men that they were not taking part correctly, because they were coming together but separated doing everything out of order.  Some were hungry and some were drunken on the wine.  Paul showed them how to perform the Lord's Supper correctly and told them that they should eat their own food and drink (wine) at home in private especially so they would not offend a weak brother.

I don’t drink alcohol, but I may would try some natural wine (fermented grape juice). Apostle Paul did tell Timothy this:

1 Timothy 5:23 “Drink no longer water, but use a little wine for thy stomach's sake and thine often infirmities.”

Plain grape juice doesn’t kill infirmities and does not have the properties to kill germs or bacteria but alcohol does.

I have tried alcohol and beer before a very long time ago and did not like the taste and was always afraid of losing self-control that could cause embarrassment and harm to myself or others.

In 2008 I tried some pure natural homemade blue-berry wine (naturally fermented) that someone in my wife's family made and it was okay but kind of bitter.

Naturally fermented wine is between 10 percent and 14 percent alcohol, but once again does not contain ethanol.

How many of you would compare yourself to Noah?  He was a righteous man in God’s eyes.  The bible says that Noah planted a vineyard, drank wine and he got so drunk (not on grape juice) that he lay naked in his tent.  Here is the scripture:

Genesis 9:20-21 “And Noah began to be an husbandman, and he planted a vineyard: And he drank of the wine (yayin), and was drunken; and he was uncovered within his tent.”

GOD also commanded the Levitical priests to include in the sacrifices a portion of wine (yayin) as a drink offering in this scripture:

Exodus 29:40 “And with the one lamb a tenth deal of flour mingled with the fourth part of an hin of beaten oil; and the fourth part of an hin of wine (yayin) for a drink offering.”

There are certainly more scriptures and examples that I could post, but here is the point.  These scriptures make it clear that there can be a right and a wrong use of wine (fermented grape-juice).  It also does a Christian good to learn a little Hebrew/Jewish especially when trying to interpret the Word of God, namely the Old Testament.  There is another Jewish word for alcohol used for the term “strong drink.”  That word is shekar.  This would be a much more potent kind of alcohol or rather strong drink.

The Holy Bible teaches against drunkenness but does not teach against having vineyards or making/producing/selling natural wine.  The Holy Bible mentions wine and vineyards quite a lot.  There is however a line drawn for priests, deacons, teachers of the Word, preachers and evangelist.  They are not to ever have strong drink, but in 1 Timothy 3:8 the bible says that a deacon is to not be given too much wine.  It doesn’t say given no wine, but just not too much (moderation).

Once again, natural wine is fermented grape juice.  Even if fermented grape juice is the juice pressed out at first if it sits for a little time the sugars will begin to break down into natural alcohol. We have to realize that over 2,000 years ago wine was certainly not viewed or seen the same as in society today.  Today wine (alcohol), especially beer and hard liquor, is intentionally enhanced (made lethal) as well as commercialized for partying, having a good time and drunkenness which can ultimately lead to sin, foolishness and death. 

Jewish weddings (even in New Testament times) traditionally are also known for having wine or rather breaking out the best wine for the wedding.  In the Greek text of the New Testament the word for wine is oinos.  Did Jesus turn water into oinos (wine not grape juice)?  The answer to that is yes (John 2:1-10).  The term oinos also means fermented grape juice, which is wine with natural low alcohol content.

This primary reason why is because wine and the use of it in the Holy Bible is completely misunderstood.  It could also offend a weak brother in Christ.  Apostle Paul tackles this subject and here is the scripture:

Romans 14:21 “It is good neither to eat flesh, nor to drink wine, nor any thing whereby thy brother stumbleth, or is offended, or is made weak.”

The implication is that there’s nothing wrong with the wine in itself, only if it offends a weak brother or if it is used for drunkenness (addiction).

Christians and truthfully all people have to be wise about the use of alcohol. Proverbs 20:1 “Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging: and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise.”

Here is my final point:

For many years Christianity and even society has held certain things up as a standard of sin:  Drinking, smoking, dipping, cursing, rock-n-roll and gambling.  The problem is that none of these things are weightier matters of the law.  Let me just point out that there is a difference in types of sin as well as consequences. 

If you believe drinking natural wine in moderation (not getting drunk) is more sinful than gossiping you are sadly mistaking.  In the book of “Proverbs 6:16-19” which list six things that God hates: gossip, slander, backbiting are some of the things listed that God really despises.  Drinking fermented grape-juice (natural wine) is not even a sin nor condemned in the Holy Bible but encouraged for its healing use.

Even casting lots, gambling or betting is not mentioned as a specific sin either in the Holy Bible, but it is foolish.  Do you gamble to get more money?  Then you could fall under the sin of “the love of money” which is the root of all evil. 

You see, these things can lead to sin.  That is why you must not do things in front of a weaker or even new Christian (or for the whole world to see on TV) because it can cause a stumbling block for others and hinder your own witness.  The bible doesn’t even specifically pinpoint the use of tobacco.  This is one of the reasons why Christians have to ask God for wisdom. 

God did create tobacco leaves, but mankind certainly has abused its purpose (creation) and this goes the same for wine (alcohol).

I don’t smoke or gamble either, but let’s also keep in mind that God judges man’s heart and intentions only so even if  the outward appearance could appear wrong in man’s eyes it may not in God’s (1 Samuel 16:7 and John 7:24).

Many of these things can fall under doubtful disputations from the book of Romans.

Romans 14:21-22 “It is good neither to eat flesh, nor to drink wine, nor any thing whereby thy brother stumbleth, or is offended, or is made weak. Hast thou faith? have it to thyself before God. Happy is he that condemneth not himself in that thing which he alloweth.”

Christians should study and understand what the Holy Bible considers a sin or just considers something to be foolish or a shame.  Short hair on a woman in the bible is frowned upon and long hair on a man is a shame but these are not sins.

You will never win others to Christ by beating them over the head with the bible.  When Jesus walked on this earth in the flesh he hung out with sinners and publicans and was criticized for it.  His purpose was to save, impact, change, restore and heal every person (sinner) he came in contact with.

As I mentioned in my writing some things that people believe are sin actually are not. For example, some Christians believe that long hair on a man is a sin, but it isn't. It was only considered a shame. Some Christians believe that if a woman wears pants it is a sin, but it isn't. God doesn't judge the outward appearance.

Now more specifically on weightier sins: These are sins that have greater impact and consequences than others. Adultery destroys multiple lives, families as well as faith and a person's witness especially if they are a Christian. This sin of adultery would have more weight behind it than telling someone you had a Ferrari when you actually didn't but instead you had a fiat. Sin is sin, but weightier sins bring more consequences and destruction.

 

The Ten Commandments as well as other weightier sins are what God is specifically concerned with and here are those sins:

1 Corinthians 6:9-10 “Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.”

Galatians 5:19-21 “ Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.”

Ephesians 5:3-5 “But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints; Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks. For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.”

John 3:16 “ For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

Acts 3:19 “Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord.”

Luke 24:47 “And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.”

Acts 2:38 “Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.”

 

John 14:6 “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”

BELIEVE in JESUS he is real.  HE is the only God (Son of God-God manifest in the flesh) who came to earth to be like us and die for us.  There are many religions but true and pure Christianity in Jesus Christ is not a religion but a relationship, experience and revelation.

This blog contains some writings that are copyrighted from my old self-published book called Drawing a Line in the Sand.  The new more professionally written version is contained within my new manuscript called "Drawing a Line in the Sand Revisited".  I did not have a topic or chapter in my old self published book on subject of wine but it may be added.

By Daniel Staneart