Should Christians Consume Alcohol?

There has been a centuries long debate on Christian alcohol consumption. Many things have been written on the subject, but I do not trust most sources. I will do what I believe needs to be done. I will go verse by verse and categorize “wine” into six categories, positive, negative, and neutral verses dealing with consumption vs. non-consumption. I am categorizing them based on whether they are CLEAR examples of consumption or not. There are verses where wine is brought and poured out for sacrifice, so we cannot assume that someone merely bringing wine to gathering leads to consumption. If it is unclear, I will merely put it in the “non-consumption – neutral” category to keep it as fair as I can.

The Negative category includes verses that have a clear link between “wine” and something negative.

The Positive category includes verses that have a clear link between “wine” and something positive.

Because it is a slog to go through, I will post my findings before the actual verse list.

FINDINGS

“Wine” occurs 231 times in the King James Bible, so the numbers should match up if I did my work correctly.

Here are the totals:

CONSUMPTION – Positive (20)

NON-CONSUMPTION – Positive (22)

CONSUMPTION – Negative (73)

NON-CONSUMPTION – Negative (9)

CONSUMPTION – Neutral (39)

NON-CONSUMPTION – Neutral (68)

Total Positive = 42

Total Negative = 82

Total Neutral = 107

That equals 131, so it looks like every verse is accounted for! So, what does that mean? Contrary to the pro-drinking crowd, the vast majority of verses on “wine” are actually neutral. Even if you add up the Positive AND Neutral verses regarding consumption, you’d have 59, which still falls woefully short of the Negative consumption group’s 73.

Of the 131 times “wine” is found in the Bible, it is linked with “strong drink” 43 times – which is STILL more than the 42 Positive uses.

Thus, anyone who claims that “the Bible is positive on alcohol” is not being objective with the data, even if you want to add up all the Positive verses – and I was being generous with what constituted Positive.

NEW WINE

The Bible CLEARLY makes a distinction for “new wine” (which is defined by Isaiah 65:8 as “found in the cluster”), though, one could easily make an argument that just because wine is not labeled as “new wine,” does not mean it is not new wine.

Thus, I would caution against the automatic assumption that any wine not labeled as “new” in the Bible being fermented/alcoholic wine.

Pro-alcohol supporters will cite the wedding of Cana, where Jesus turned water into “wine.”

JESUS TURNS WATER INTO WINE

Was it alcoholic? Going back to Genesis 49:11, wine is the “blood of grapes.” Wine is a “type” of blood.

When Mary asked Jesus to make wine, he said “mine hour is not yet come.” This was a reference to Christ spilling his BLOOD.

The “blood of grapes” can be used to clean or purify clothes (Gen 49:11) Christ’s BLOOD was pure of imperfection, thus the water he turned into WINE was also pure. It was NEW wine, for fermented wine is blemished by definition, and the Lamb is unblemished (Hebrews 9:14). It was non-alcoholic and you could not get drunk from it, even though it did not specifically say, “new wine” in John.

EXCEPTIONS DO NOT DISPROVE THE RULE

Another foolish argument I’ve heard is, “if God made an exception one time, it is not a sin.” They would argue the Positive verses here negate the Negative, as if the exceptions disprove the rule – which I doubt they would argue in many, if any, other cases.

God said, “thou shalt not kill,” then commanded the Israelites to wipe out entire civilizations as they warred on the nations in the Promised Land. Does that give us free reign to just go out and start murdering people in the streets? Of course not.

God told the Israelites to not touch lepers and send them out of the camp, but Jesus put his hands on the eyes of lepers. Did that mean touching the unclean was now legal under the Law (before it was fulfilled on the cross, of course)? No. Of course not.

IF IT IS NATURAL, WE CAN ENJOY IT

I even heard the insane argument that “wine is God’s creation, so we should be free to enjoy it.”

Does that apply to marijuana? Cocaine? “Magic” mushrooms? Poison berries? Poison ivy, oak, or sumac? Give me a break.

DRINKING WINE IS NOT A SIN, DRUNKENNESS IS

“Do not drink wine nor strong drink, thou, nor thy sons with thee, when ye go into the tabernacle of the congregation, lest ye die: it shall be a statute for ever throughout your generations: and that ye may put difference between holy and unholy, and between unclean and clean;” Leviticus 10:9-10

Priests couldn’t drink wine in the temple. They were to “put difference between clean and unclean.”

Alcoholic (fermented) wine is unclean by definition.

“But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:” 1 Peter 2:9

We Christians are a “royal priesthood.”

“Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.” 1 Corinthians 3:16-17

We are priests and our bodies are temples. God said that priests cannot drink wine in the temple.

Therefore, we Christians cannot drink fermented wine. It is unclean. It is not holy.

WHAT IS DRUNKENNESS?

The State would tell you it is a blood alcohol content around 0.08% in most cases. That is “legally intoxicated.”

But anyone who has ever studied this subject knows that each and every one of us has a different tolerance to alcohol. There are many factors, such as age, size, weight, genetics, and a whole host of other things.

No one knows if they are drunk until they are drunk (and even then, lots of people don’t realize it).

Furthermore, these guys want to define drunkenness by either 1. What the State says or 2. What you (or they) say. There is absolutely no fear of God’s definition, which is undefined. One might argue that anything that is not sober, is drunk. That is very much possibly one drink for most people.

So, these guys would have you risk sinning (getting drunk) in order to find out how much you can consume before getting drunk. That’s like watching a woman undress to test how many articles of clothing she has to remove before you start lusting after her. Imagine using the same argument for watching pornography. “I can watch it so long as I don’t lust.”

It is utter foolishness!

ABSTAINING FROM ALL APPEARANCE OF EVIL

This is 1 Thess. 5:22. We are not to abstain from evil (though many modern “Bible” versions say just that), the KING James Bible warns about the very APPEARANCE of evil.

Now, the secular world has the market cornered on booze. The statistics are not great.

Over 178,000 people die annually from problems related to excessive drinking.

Over 11,000 people die annually from alcohol-impaired drivers.

About half of all sexual assaults are associated with alcohol consumption.

Forty to 60% of domestic violence cases around the world involve alcohol – and studies show that only one drink is necessary to increase risk.

That is the world in which we live. Even one drink can lead to some of the worst outcomes imaginable.

Yet, pro-drinking “Christians” would try to convince you that it is not a sin to just have a glass of wine with dinner – despite the increased risk of domestic violence and sexual assault the very moment your sobriety is impaired.

Would it not be much more wise to abstain from drinking, just for the mere association of the APPEARANCE of evil?

ALL HAVE SINNED . . .

The problem here is that human beings are sinners, and we all want to make excuses for our sins so that we can continue to participate in them. I have made similar excuses for several sins in my life. I tried to talk myself (and others) into a mindset that “if it’s not explicit in the Bible, it’s a gray area.”

That is one of the dumbest things I’ve ever tried to convince myself of. It’s just as dumb when the pro-alcohol crowd does it.

I am merely a sinner for whom Christ died. I accepted His free gift of grace found in believing the Gospel of His death, burial, and resurrection with my whole heart. I have not stopped sinning entirely, and I fight my flesh daily. However, I have conquered more temptations than I would have ever thought possible because I continually grow in my understanding of the Bible and the Holy Ghost helps me apply it to my life.

Please, share this with your friends and family. Let them know that it is NOT okay to drink alcohol and risk all the dangerous side effects that come with it. If they already consume it, let them know that the Lord Jesus Christ can remove that burden from them. I know dozens of people at this point who have given up the bottle for many of the reasons listed above.

There is help in your Bible and out there in a good church. You just have to go looking.

THE “WINE” LIST

CONSUMPTION – Positive

1. Num. 6:20 (End of Nazarite vow)
2. Deut. 14:23 (as a tithe)
3. Jdg. 9:13 (cheereth God and man)
4. 2 Sam. 16:2 (as refreshment)
5. 1 Chr. 16:3 (celebration)
6. Psalm 104:15 (maketh glad the heart)
7. Prov. 31:6 (give to the dying and depressed)
8. Ecc. 9:7 (merry heart)
9. Ecc. 10:19 (merry)
10. SoS 5:1 (drink abundantly)
11. SoS 7:9 (mouth like the best wine)
12. SoS 8:2 (“spiced wine of the juice of my pomegranate”)
13. Isaiah 56:12 (more abundant day)
14. Amos 9:14 (flourishing during captivity)
15. Zech 9:15 (part of military victory)
16. Zech 9:17 (NEW wine makes maids cheerful)
17. Zech 10:7 (rejoice)
18. John 2:10 (good wine)
19. John 2:10 (good wine)
20. 1 Tim. 5:23 (medicine)

CONSUMPTION – Negative

1. Gen. 9:21 (first mention – drunken, and “uncovered”)
2. Gen. 9:24 (sexual sin)
3. Gen. 19:32 (sexual sin)
4. Gen. 19:33 (sexual sin)
5. Gen. 19:34 (sexual sin)
6. Gen. 19:35 (sexual sin)
7. Lev. 10:9 (priests do not drink within temple)
8. Num. 6:3 (Nazarite vow)
9. Num. 6:3 (Nazarite vow)
10. Deut. 12:17 (not within the gates)
11. Deut. 28:39 (part of curse for disobedience)
12. Deut. 29:6 (“that ye might know that I am the LORD your God”)
13. Deut. 32:33 (poison of dragons)
14. Deut. 32:38 (heathen drank drink offerings)
15. Jdg. 13:4 (pregnant)
16. Jdg. 13:7 (Nazarite vow)
17. Jdg. 13:14 (pregnant)
18. 1 Sam. 25:37 (used to get Nabal drunk)
19. 2 Sam. 13:28 (to get Amnon drunk and kill him)
20. Psalm 75:8 (poured out, the wicked drink the dregs)
21. Prov. 4:17 (wine of violence)
22. Prov. 20:1 (wine is a mocker)
23. Prov. 21:17 (he that loveth wine…shall not be rich)
24. Prov. 23:30 (who hath woe, sorrow, contentions, babbling, wounds without cause? V. 29)
25. Prov. 23:30 (seek mixed wine – see above)
26. Prov. 23:31 (Look NOT)
27. Prov. 31:3 (not for kings)
28. Ecc. 2:3 (vanity)
29. Isaiah 5:11 (inflamed by)
30. Isaiah 5:22 (woe unto them that are mighty to drink wine)
31. Isaiah 22:13 (ironic – eat and drink for tomorrow we die)
32. Isaiah 24:9 (not drink with a song)
33. Isaiah 24:11 (crying for wine…joy is darkened)
34. Isaiah 28:1 (crown of pride…overcome with wine)
35. Isaiah 28:7 (erred through it)
36. Isaiah 28:7 (erred and swallowed up)
37. Isaiah 49:26 (oppressed, drunken)
38. Jer. 23:9 (overcome by it)
39. Jer. 25:15 (“wine cup of this fury”)
40. Jer. 51:7 (Babylon made nations mad)
41. Eze. 44:21 (priests not drink in inner court)
42. Dan. 1:8 (Daniel rejected to not be defiled)
43. Dan. 5:4 (drank while worshiping idols)
44. Dan. 5:23 (lifted up against the Lord)
45. Hosea 4:11 (whoredom)
46. Hosea 4:11 (NEW wine take away the heart)
47. Hosea 7:5 (made sick)
48. Joel 1:5 (drunkards)
49. Joel 1:5 (NEW wine cuts “off from your mouth”)
50. Amos 2:8 (wine of the condemned)
51. Amos 2:12 (gave to Nazarites, which they weren’t supposed to drink)
52. Amos 5:11 (shall NOT drink wine of the poor)
53. Amos 6:6 (“woe to them” – v. 1 – drink from bowls, but are not grieved)
54. Micah 2:11 (falsehood, lying)
55. Micah 6:15 (shalt not drink)
56. Hab. 2:5 (transgresseth by it)
57. Zep. 1:13 (not drink)
58. Hag. 2:12 (it unholy to even touch)
59. Mark 15:23 (Christ rejects it for vinegar)
60. Luke 1:15 (John the Nazarite)
61. Luke 7:33 (John didn’t drink, but was accused of having a devil)
62. Romans 14:21 (good…to not drink wine if it makes your brother stumble)
63. Eph. 5:18 (be not drunk with it)
64. 1 Tim. 3:3 (Bishops “not given to wine”)
65. 1 Tim. 3:8 (Deacons “not given to much wine”)
66. Titus 1:7 (Bishops “not given to wine”)
67. Titus 2:3 (aged women “not given to much wine”)
68. 1 Peter 4:3 (excess of wine)
69. Rev. 14:8 (“wine of the wrath of her fornication”)
70. Rev. 14:10 (“wine of the wrath of God”)
71. Rev. 16:19 (“wine of the fierceness of His wrath”)
72. Rev. 17:2 (“wine of her fornication”)
73. Rev. 18:3 (“wine of the wrath of her fornication”)

CONSUMPTION – Neutral

1. Gen. 27:25 (drank with dinner)
2. Gen. 49:12 (drank by Judah)
3. Jdg. 19:19 (for a sinful Levite and his concubine)
4. 1 Sam. 1:14 (false accusation)
5. 1 Sam. 1:15 (response to false accusation)
6. 2 Sam. 6:19 (a gift from David)
7. Neh. 2:1 (before Artaxerxes)
8. Neh. 2:1 (given to Artaxerxes)
9. Est. 1:7 (drank at a party)
10. Est. 1:10 (“merry” aka, drunk)
11. Est. 5:6 (“banquet of wine”)
12. Est. 7:2 (“banquet of wine”)
13. Est. 7:7 (“banquet of wine”)
14. Est. 7:8 (“banquet of wine”)
15. Job 1:13 (at a party)
16. Job 1:18 (at a party when killed)
17. Psalm 60:3 (“wine of astonishment”)
18. Psalm 78:65 (the Lord shouts “like a mighty man that shouteth by reason of wine)
19. Isaiah 5:12 (in feasts)
20. Isaiah 29:9 (drunken, but not with wine)
21. Isaiah 51:21 (drunken, but not with wine)
22. Isaiah 62:8 (son of the stranger shall not drink)
23. Jer. 35:2 (given to Rechabites)
24. Jer. 35:5 (given to Rechabites)
25. Jer. 35:5 (given to Rechabites)
26. Jer. 35:6 (rejected by Rechabites)
27. Jer. 35:6 (rejected by Rechabites)
28. Jer. 35:8 (rejected by Rechabites)
29. Jer. 35:14 (rejected by Rechabites)
30. Dan. 1:5 (given by the king)
31. Dan. 1:16 (taken by the king)
32. Dan. 5:1 (drank by the king)
33. Dan. 5:2 (drank by the king)
34. Dan. 10:3 (fasting)
35. Luke 5:39 (no man drinking old wine desires NEW)
36. John 2:3 (wanted wine)
37. John 2:3 (had no wine)
38. John 2:9 (ruler tasted)
39. Acts 2:13 (false accusation of NEW wine)

NON-CONSUMPTION – Positive

1. Ex. 29:40 (drink offering – poured out, per Gen. 35:14)
2. Lev. 23:13 (drink offering)
3. Num. 15:5 (drink offering)
4. Num. 15:7 (drink offering)
5. Num. 15:10 (drink offering)
6. Num. 18:12 (drink offering)
7. Num. 28:7 (drink offering)
8. Num. 28:14 (drink offering)
9. Deut 7:13 (blessed with flocks and harvest)
10. 1 Chr. 12:40 (joy)
11. 2 Chr. 31:5 (tithe)
12. Ezra 6:9 (offering)
13. Neh. 10:39 (NEW wine offering)
14. Neh. 13:5 (NEW wine offering)
15. Neh. 13:12 (NEW wine tithe)
16. Prov. 3:10 (blessed increase of NEW wine)
17. Isaiah 65:8 (NEW wine is blessed)
18. Jer. 31:12 (“goodness” crop)
19. Joel 2:19 (crop sent by the LORD)
20. Joel 3:18 (NEW wine sent by the LORD)
21. Amos 9:13 (crop of “sweet wine”)
22. Luke 10:34 (topical medicine)

NON-CONSUMPTION – Negative

1. Isaiah 24:7 (NEW wine mourneth)
2. Lam. 2:12 (wounded, swooned, soul poured out)
3. Hosea 3:1 (given to other gods)
4. Hosea 4:11 (crop, rebellion)
5. Hosea 9:2 (NEW wine fails)
6. Hosea 9:4 (NOT offer wine offerings)
7. Joel 1:10 (NEW wine is dried up)
8. Joel 3:3 (traded for a girl)
9. Hag. 1:11 (drought upon NEW wine)

NON-CONSUMPTION – Neutral

1. Gen. 14:18 (wine brough to a gathering)
2. Gen. 27:28 (given by God)
3. Gen. 27:37 (given by Isaac)
4. Gen. 49:11 (washed garments)
5. Deut. 11:14 (harvest)
6. Deut. 14:26 (sell it)
7. Deut. 16:13 (harvest)
8. Deut. 18:4 (gift)
9. Deut. 28:51 (part of judgment)
10. Deut. 33:28 (crop)
11. Jos. 9:4 (part of a package)
12. Jos. 9:13 (part of a package)
13. 1 Sam. 1:24 (brought by Hannah)
14. 1 Sam. 10:3 (carried)
15. 1 Sam. 16:20 (gift)
16. 1 Sam. 25:18 (gift)
17. 2 Sam. 16:1 (gift)
18. 2 Kings 18:32 (crop)
19. 1 Chr. 9:29 (sanctuary vessels)
20. 1 Chr. 27:27 (wine cellars)
21. 2 Chr. 2:10 (gift)
22. 2 Chr. 2:15 (gift)
23. 2 Chr. 11:11 (store)
24. 2 Chr. 32:28 (store)
25. Ezra 7:22 (gift)
26. Neh. 5:11 (crop)
27. Neh. 5:15 (crop)
28. Neh. 5:18 (store)
29. Neh. 10:37 (offering)
30. Neh. 13:15 (treading presses)
31. Neh. 13:15 (sold)
32. Job 32:19 (metaphor)
33. Psalm 4:7 (crop)
34. Prov. 9:2 (wisdom mingled wine)
35. Prov. 9:5 (wisdom mingled wine)
36. SoS 1:2 (love is better than)
37. SoS 1:4 (love more than)
38. SoS 4:10 (love better than)
39. Isaiah 1:22 (mixed with water)
40. Isaiah 16:10 (no wine in presses)
41. Isaiah 27:2 (vineyard)
42. Isaiah 36:17 (crop)
43. Isaiah 55:1 (purchased)
44. Jer. 13:12 (bottle filled)
45. Jer. 13:12 (bottle filled)
46. Jer. 40:10 (crop)
47. Jer. 40:12 (harvest)
48. Jer. 48:33 (winepress)
49. Eze. 27:18 (sold)
50. Hosea 2:8 (good gift used for bad purposes)
51. Hosea 2:9 (taking back the gift)
52. Hosea 2:22 (crop)
53. Hosea 14:7 (scent)
54. Joel 2:24 (crop)
55. Micah 6:15 (anointed)
56. Matt. 9:17 (NEW wine not in old bottle)
57. Matt. 9:17 (bottle breaks and loses wine)
58. Matt. 9:17 (NEW wine in NEW bottle)
59. Mark 2:22 (NEW wine not in old bottle)
60. Mark 2:22 (NEW wine breaks bottle)
61. Mark 2:22 (wine spills)
62. Mark 2:22 (NEW wine in NEW bottle)
63. Luke 5:37 (NEW wine not in old bottle)
64. Luke 5:37 (bottle breaks and loses wine))
65. Luke 5:38 (NEW wine in NEW bottle)
66. John 4:46 (reference to Cana)
67. Rev. 6:6 (as currency)
68. Rev. 18:13 (as currency)