Three
blessings that are part of God's promises to Israel as part of coming
into the promised land.
Psalm
104:15 New King James Version
Oil to
make his face shine,
And bread which strengthens
man’s heart.
And wine that makes
glad the heart of man,
I
would like to focus here on wine: because it gets the
most attention today and not good attention in the Christian world.
There is and has been for many years a misconception that drinking
wine or alcohol of any kind is sin. The bible is clear
that Drunkenness is a sin it leads to Debauchery. But wine
is a blessing from the Lord and was meant to be enjoyed.
Genesis
27:28-29
Of
the dew of heaven,
Of
the fatness of the earth, And plenty of grain and wine.
Let
peoples serve you,And nations bow down to you. Be master over your
brethren,And let your mother’s sons bow down to you.
Cursed be everyone who curses you,And
blessed be those who bless you!”
One
definition from Websters Dictionary defines Debauchery as
"extreme and unreasonable involvement in physical
pleasures" I like this one because it does not limit to one
act or behavior and it is how people who abuse alcohol today behave.
Many of us who have lived in the world before finding the Lord and
have indulged in the act of getting drunk can also tell multiple
stories of themselves or others getting stupid and just doing off the
wall things when drunk. Some can't even remember what they did but
were the brunt of jokes by friends after the fact. People also tend
to indulge in other pleasures from sex to drugs while drunk. Driving
while drunk has been the worst stupid decision one can make
under the influence of strong drink. It is just plain disastrous.
Many people have made this awful choice and had really bad
results, but at the time they felt perfectly normal to drive.
Many women can tell you they have experienced Lewd behavior while men
indulged in a drunken escapade. The definition of Lewd is
"Sexual in an offensive or rude way." Most women can recall
a drunk guy saying some uninvited and unacceptable things to them
that were sexual in nature in their lifetime..
Ephesians
5:18 (ESV)18 And do not get drunk with
wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the
Spirit,
Many
of the ideas from the scriptures that Christians have
against drinking have to do with the Title of Nazirite . Numbers
Chapter 6
Numbers
6:1-4 (NKJV)
The
Law of the Nazirite
6:1 Then
the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “Speak
to the children of Israel, and say to them: ‘When either a man or
woman consecrates an offering to take the vow of a Nazirite, to
separate himself to the Lord,3 he shall separate
himself from wine and similar drink; he shall drink
neither vinegar made from wine nor vinegar made from similar drink;
neither shall he drink any grape juice, nor eat fresh grapes or
raisins.4 All the days of his separation he shall eat
nothing that is produced by the grapevine, from seed to
skin.(https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Numbers+6)
There
are many other ways that a Nazirite has to take part in order to be
considered clean and set apart to God. Non of which a Christian would
say today is necessary to be set apart to holiness to God. They
wouldn't say shave your head which is also a requirement of the
Nazarite or don't eat raisins. But they seem to
have attracted drinking wine to this as a necessity.
They use the fact that we in Christ are all called to be a Holy
priesthood. All of the Nazirites vows of consecration are also for a
time period. They end with a sacrifice and then it is over.
Then
they use the fact that the apostle Paul became a Nazirite and
said this in Romans 12:1-2 (NKJV)
12 I
beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you
present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God,which
is your reasonable service. 2 And do not be
conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your
mind, that you may prove what is that good and
acceptable and perfect will of God.
They
say this is a perpetual vow. They use that we are supposed
to be a holy priesthood to also say this about us yet the High priest
of Melchizedek gave wine to Abraham to drink. Genesis 14:18
In
combination the two scriptures have made a very strong case for the
don't drink don't touch any alcoholic beverage doctrine. An argument
that most people just take at face value, and in a society where
alcoholism is such a problem they just agree that all drinking must
be all bad. They also use the verse "Wine is a mocker"(Proverbs
20:1) to help make a point. They just overlook all the
positive scriptures about wine.
So
let's look at why Paul took the vow of a Nazirite.
Paul
too the vow of a Nazirite because he was ordered to do so: In Acts
21:18-26, James the first Christian Bishop of Jerusalem requested
that St. Paul, as a sign of good faith and solidarity with his Jewish
brethren, sponsor 4 Nazarites who had completed their
vow period: "So the next day Paul took the men along
and was purified with them, and he visited the Temple to give notice
of the time when the period of purification would be over and
the offering would have to be presented on behalf of each of them."
Paul in obedience to James submitted to a Old Covenant ritual which
no longer had any real meaning in the New Covenant of Jesus Christ
for every Christian had now been consecrated to accepting a lifetime
vow of service in the royal priesthood of believers who received the
sacrament of baptism in the name of Jesus Christ.
The Latin word sacramentum is translated as "oath".
In the Sacraments we swear our oath of consecrated service to the
Most Holy Trinity and claim that one perfect sacrifice that is ours
for all time and eternity. In the Book of Hebrews, St. Paul
writes:
Hebrews
10:8-10 (ESV)
8 “You
have neither desired nor taken pleasure in sacrifices and
offerings and burnt offerings and sin offerings” (these are offered
according to the law), 9 then he added, “Behold,
I have come to do your will.” He does away with the first in order
to establish the second. 10 And by that will we
have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus
Christ once for all.
We
don't need to be a Nazarite to be set apart to Christ we just need to
believe in Christ and accept his sacrifice for our salvation. That is
more then enough.
I
Look at it this way the bible says that "The Love of money is
the root of all evil." It does not say that the money itself is
evil. The wine and the drinking of it is not a sin but too much wine
leads to drunkenness and that is a sin and that sin leads
you to do stupid things, other sinful things and can lead to
alcoholism which is a serious problem.
http://www.niaaa.nih.gov/alcohol-health/overview-alcohol-consumption/alcohol-facts-and-statistics
The
Nazirite/Nazarite vow is taken by individuals who
have voluntarily dedicated themselves to God. The
vow is a decision, action and desire on the part of people whose
desire is to yield themselves to God completely. By definition, the
Hebrew word nazir, simply means “to be separated or
consecrated.” The Nazirite vow, which appears in Numbers
6:1-21, has five features. It is voluntary, can be done by either
men or women, has a specific time frame, has specific requirements
and restrictions, and at its conclusion a sacrifice is offered.
Paul
did do this with four people who did it when ordered by the Bishop
but it concluded with a sacrifice and was over for Paul as well as
the four others who took the vow. There are some in the bible that
took a lifetime vow. 1. Samuel 2. Samson. and 3.
John the baptist in the new testament.
So
if I want to fast wine for a brief time I see nothing wrong with it.
If I want to fast all meat or just drink water eat vegetables
(commonly known as the Daniel fast) as a way of getting closer
to God and separating myself to God;while getting healthier I see
nothing wrong with that. But if I have a glass of wine occasionally
with my dinner or a beer at a BBQ I see nothing wrong with that
either. As Long as I don't sin against God by drinking too much and
getting drunk then I'm Happy and secure. Paul also said never to let
anyone judge you in what you eat or drink, Everyone to his own
conviction, and do all to the glory of God.
Colossians
2:16-17 Amplified Bible (AMP)
16 Therefore
let no one sit in judgment on you in matters of food and drink, or
with regard to a feast day or a New Moon or a Sabbath.
17 Such
[things] are only the shadow of things that are to come, and they
have only a symbolic value. But the reality (the substance, the solid
fact of what is foreshadowed, the body of it) belongs to Christ.
Paul
also believed that it was okay to use wine for medicinal purposes.
1
Timothy 5:23 (NKJV)23 No longer drink only water,
but use a little wine for your stomach’s sake and your frequent
infirmities.
(Colossians
2:20-2)New King James Version (NKJV)
20 Therefore, if
you died with Christ from the basic principles of the world, why,
as though living in the world, do you subject
yourselves to regulations— 21 “Do not touch, do
not taste, do not handle,” 22 which all concern
things which perish with the using—according to the commandments
and doctrines of men? 23 These things indeed have an
appearance of wisdom in self-imposed religion, false humility,
and neglect of the body, but are of no value against
the indulgence of the flesh.
Two
points can be made here: (1) Christians tend to compile rules and
regulations that go beyond what is written; and (2) when such grey
zones are considered evil, those who do not abide by such rules are
often viewed as ‘the weaker brother.’ In reality, the
weaker brother in scripture is the one who has too many scruples, not
too few (https://bible.org/article/bible-and-alcohol)
Paul
says that the Christian that does revel in his freedom in Christ is
the stronger person. He understands the gift of God's grace more.
This understanding is no license to judge a weaker
person in their understanding and is not a license to drink
so freely that we get drunk and sin. There is a fine line. In
the end Love is the most important thing we should consider our
weaker brethren and not drink in front of them. We should
take this example from the world. Many of them if they have a friend
who is in AA will not drink in front of them so not to tempt them.
If the world can understand this we Christians should. As well
the person in AA understands that his convictions on alcohol are not
universal and applicable to his friends who still drink. Christians
can learn from this. You wouldn't eat cake or offer cake to a
diabetic would you?
Now
let's look at Jesus' view on wine. To see if these rules for
Christianity are founded. In (Luke
7:33-34),
Jesus said, “For John the Baptist has come eating no bread
and drinking
no wine,
and you say, ‘He has a demon.’ The Son of Man has come eating and
drinking,
and you say, ‘Look at him! A glutton and a
drunkard,
a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’” (emphasis added). In
verse 33 Jesus is making a contrast between John the Baptist’s
“drinking no wine” and His own practice. Jesus goes on to say the
religious leaders accused Him (falsely) of being a drunkard. Jesus
was never a drunkard, any more than He was a glutton. He lived a
completely sinless life (1
Peter 2:);
however Luke 7
strongly
suggests that Jesus did indeed partake of alcoholic wine
The
Passover celebration would also have commonly included fermented
wine. The Scriptures use the term “fruit of the vine” (Matt.
26:27-29; Mark 14:23-25; Luke 22:17-18). Of course, Christ
participated in drinking from the Passover cup (Mark 14:23).
Some
take the words Fruit of the vine to mean ‘grape juice.’ If this
were so, then why would there be prohibitions against drunkenness?
One cannot get drunk on grape juice. Further, Jesus’ first miracle
was changing the water into wine at the wedding of Cana in Galilee.
He made between 120 and 180 gallons of wine! Even if this had been
grape juice, it would soon turn to wine because the hot weather and
the fermentation process would immediately begin. But it most
certainly was not grape juice: the head waiter in (John
2:10) said,
“Every man sets out the good wine first, then after the guests have
drunk freely, the poor wine. But you have kept the good wine until
now.” The verb translated ‘drunk
freely’
is almost always used of getting
drunk (and
is so translated in the NRSV here). In the least, the people at this
wedding feast, if not drunk, would certainly be drinking alcohol
fairly freely (if not, this verb means something here that is nowhere
else attested ). And this makes perfect sense in the context:
The reason why a man brings out the poorer wine later is because the
good wine has numbed the senses a bit. Grape juice would hardly mask
anything. Note also (Acts
2:13)—”they
are full of sweet wine”—an inaccurate comment made about the
apostles when they began speaking in tongues, as though this
explained their unusual behavior. The point is: If they were full of
grape juice would this comment even have made any sense at all? That
would be like saying, “Well, they’re all acting strange and silly
because they have had too much orange juice this morning!”
https://bible.org/article/bible-and-alcohol
Grape
Juice wasn't invented in Jesus' time the way we know it today. It
wasn't until Thomas Bramwell Welch invented
the pasteurization process
for the prevention of the fermentation of
grape juice. In Nazareth, bethlehem, or even Jerusalem the
Humidity by noon is about 68 percent. The Temperature in May can
reach 76 to 89 degrees. Grape juice that was pressed in the morning
at sun up can be already fermenting by Lunch.
http://www.weather.com/weather/tenday/l/Jerusalem+Israel+ISXX0010
Christians
who do not commit to a principle of total abstinence should follow a
guideline that would represent both discernment and Christian freedom
by allowing limited use, now and then, within the context of family,
friendship, and Etiquette.
http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2000/april3/little-wine-for-soul-is-social-drinking-ok.html?start=2
All
Christians would agree drunkenness is sinful, and Christ Himself
warns against it (Luke
12:45).
However, a biblical view of wine is that it is given as something to
delight in (Psalm
104:14-15).
There are plenty of warnings against alcohol abuse, in texts
like (Proverbs
20:1),
because sinful men are more likely to abuse wine than to use it in
moderation. Those who try to use Jesus’ probable use of wine to
excuse their drunkenness should heed the warning in (Luke
12:45) Christians
who want to keep a biblical view of drinking wine should drink in
moderation, exercise self control and in right
company.http://www.gotquestions.org/did-Jesus-drink-wine.html#ixzz3bHTiTLB8
Conclusion: As
I did this study I felt freedom well up in me. I happen to Love wine
it is a great compliment to food just like dessert after a
meal and a cup of coffee is. I believe it's time to take the scales
off the eyes of many who have lived under this condemning doctrine. I
get that many people in this world use alcohol as a drug and so
people are wary about it's use in Christian circles. We need to be
sensitive to people who have suffered with alcoholism. But
we can still drink occasionally and socially without
the stigma of being a evil sinner. We can enjoy a beer at a BBQ
without feeling pressured when we are amongst our
close friends and family. We should be able to have that freedom and
blessing without guilt. Though in mixed company we should
be careful (full of care), walk in love because we may be
amongst someone who does have a serious problem with
the consumption of alcohol. Because the bible says to walk in
Love, Love should come first. I hope this article at the least has
shed some light on this subject, most of all I hope it has set some
people free Amen! I mostly hope that unsaved people will read this
and come to Christ. I hope they no longer feel a weight of judgment
hanging over them from the Church because of their enjoyment of wine
and like drinks, but will feel as long as they drink responsibly they
can be free to worship Christ without guilt. Amen!
I
have read many sources for this article and I will site them again
even though I did within the context of my post. They were great
articles and should be read if your not convinced and need more info.
http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2000/april3/little-wine-for-soul-is-social-drinking-ok.html
http://www.gotquestions.org/did-Jesus-drink-wine.html
https://bible.org/article/bible-and-alcohol
http://www.gotquestions.org/Nazirite-vow.html
http://www.agapebiblestudy.com/documents/The%20Nazirite%20Vow.htm
and
the Bible in NKJV, AMP, and NRSV, .
for
those Christians who are strictly KJV readers I have another teaching
for you on another day.
