Alcohol And The Christian

Introduction:

1.                  The Subject of Alcohol and the Christian is a difficult one to study because it is fraught with so much emotion.

2.                  What are some of the arguments you have heard justifying the use of alcohol?

 

3.                  Let’s begin by consider some statistics concerning alcohol.

Discussion:

I.                   The mind numbing truth.

A.                Some Basic facts

·        Nearly 14 million people are alcoholics or have significant problems due to their use of alcohol

B.                 “The ugly side of alcohol: facts

·        Nearly 14 million people are alcoholics or have significant problems due to their use of alcohol.

·        75 million more people have direct exposure to alcoholics in their own families. And roughly one in five adults lived with an alcoholic as a child.

·        There are more than 6 million children trapped in homes with an untreated alcoholic -- homes in which they are often physically, sexually or emotionally abused.

·        Alcohol contributes to the death of more than 100,000 people every year.

·        One in eight American adult drinkers is alcoholic or experiences problems due to the use of alcohol.

·        People who abuse alcohol have about twice the rate of admission to hospitals.

·        $166 billion is spent every year in the treatment of alcohol-related medical problems.

·        More than 10,000 babies are born every year with intellectual disabilities associated with fetal alcohol syndrome” (Source: syndicated medical columnist, Dr. Allen Douma, http://broadcast.webpoint.com/wpix/alcohol/ alcohol_facts.htm)

C.                Alcohol is America's #1 drug.

D.                Alcohol's grim toll--according to the Detroit Free Press:

·        Every 20^th alcoholic is a pre-teen

·        Alcohol damages 100% of the body's organs.

·        America sees alcohol used or advertised on television every 6 seconds.

·        40% of all hospital admissions is alcohol related.

·        50% of all traffic fatalities involve alcohol.

·        20% of all divorces are caused by alcoholism.

·        33% of all Michigan suicides involve alcohol.

·        64% of all murders in America are committed under the influence of alcohol

·        60%  of all child abuse involves alcohol.

·        1000%?--Alcoholics outnumber drug addicts 10 to 1.

E.                 According To Harvard nutritionists Jean Mayer the grain used in distilling alcohol would feed 20 million starving people each year.

F. The Cost

   

Updated cost estimates for 1992 and inflation- and population-adjusted costs of alcohol and drug abuse for 1995 [in billions of current-year dollars].
Category	Alcohol		Drugs
	1992	1995	1992	1995
Specialty alcohol & drug services	5.6	6.7	4.4	5.3
Medical consequences	13.2	15.8	5.5	6.6
Lost earnings – premature death	31.3	34.9	14.6	16.2
Lost earnings – illness	69.2	77.1	15.7	17.5
Lost earnings – crime/victims	6.5	7.2	39.2	43.8
Crashes, fires, criminal  justice, etc.	22.2	24.7	18.3	20.4
Total	148.0	166.5	97.6	109.8
Source: National Institute on Drug Abuse and the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. THE ECONOMIC COSTS OF ALCOHOL AND DRUG ABUSE IN THE UNITED STATES, 1992.  Analysis by the Lewin Group, Harwood, H.; Fountain, D.; and Livermore, G. Bethesda, MD: DHHS, NIH, NIH Publication No. 98-4327 (September 1998) Note: Components may not sum to totals because of rounding.

                                 

G.                What other problems are you aware of that are caused by  alcohol?

 

H.                Surely we can recognize that alcohol is a dangerous drug.

II.                The Bible and the thirteen words translated "wine."

A.                In the ancient world, the word "wine" did not automatically indicate the presence of alcohol

B.                 Hebrew words:

1.                  YAYIN, is found 141 time in the OT. It is a generic word for the product of the grape vine. Context determines whether it is alcoholic or nonalcoholic.

2.                  SHAKAR world renowned Bible Scholar Norman L. Geisler, Professor of Systematic Theology, Dallas Theological Seminary writes, “The Bible says much about strong drink. For example, the priests were to avoid strong drink (Lev 10:8–9). And Solomon wrote, “Wine is a mocker, strong drink a brawler” (Prov 20:1). God is opposed to someone using strong drink because it brings deception and turbulence into his life. Rulers should not take strong drink, for it distorts their ability to think clearly and to judge clearly. Strong drink is not for kings lest they pervert justice (Prov 31:4–5). Isaiah wrote, “Woe to those who rise early in the morning that they may pursue strong drink” (Isa 5:11). This writer had an uncle who was drunk every day before noon his entire adult life. At about age forty he died of liver disease. He experienced the truth of Isaiah 24:9, “Strong drink is bitter to those who drink it.” It may seem sweet to begin with, but it will be bitter in the end. It was the false prophet who said, “I will prophesy for you plenty of wine and beer” (Mic 2:11, NIV). God is opposed to using strong drink as a beverage. The Hebrew word for “strong drink” i is used 23 times and refers to an intoxicating drink made from barley, pomegranates, dates, apples, or honey.

C.                Greek words:

1.                  GLEUKOS, is found in Acts 2:13. It means sweet wine.  The word was used in sarcasm against the Apostles joking that they were so crazy that they had gotten drunk on grape juice.

2.                  OINOS, is found 33 times in the NT.  It is a generic word that refers to the juice of the grape vine. The context determines whether it refers to alcoholic wine or not.

D.                The fact that the juice in the grape was often called oinos proves that it can refer to non-alcoholic juice.

1.                  Anacreon (500 B.C.) said, "Only males tread the grapes, setting free wine (oinos)." –   This is clearly non-alcoholic since it has not yet had time to ferment.

2.                  Varro spoke of "gathering wine."

3.                  Cato referred to, "hanging wine."

4.                   spoke of, "unintoxicating wine."

5.                  Celus said "Gather the berries of the myrtle, and from them express wine."

6.                  Ovid, "And scarce can the grapes contain the wine they have within." – it is impossible for grapes to have alcoholic wine within them on the vine because fermentation is an anaerobic process (can only take place where there is not oxygen).

7.                  Ibycus, "And newborn clusters teem with wine, beneath the shadowy foliage of the vine."

E.                 Oinos can exist on three states.

1.                  New, fresh, or sweet.

2.                  Fermented but non-alcoholic – vinegar.

3.                  Fermented and alcoholic.

F.                 The ancients had several ways of preserving grape juice.

1.                  fermentation.

2.                  Boiling it down to a molasses like consistency to be reconstituted later with water.

3.                  Filtering out the gluten.

4.                  Sealing out the oxygen and storing it in cold water or burying it in the ground.

III.             The wine of New Testament Times (quoted from Dr. Norman Geisler).

Is Wine Today Like New Testament Wine? Many wine-drinking Christians today mistakenly assume that what the New Testament meant by wine is identical to wine used today. This, however, is false. In fact today’s wine is by biblical definitions “strong drink,” and hence is forbidden in the Bible! What the Bible frequently meant by wine was basically purified water. Stein researched wine-drinking in the ancient world, in Jewish sources, and in the Bible.7 He pointed out that wine in Homer’s day was twenty parts water and one part wine (Odyssey 9.208–9). Pliny referred to wine as eight parts water and one part wine (Natural History 14.6–54). According to Aristophanes, it was stronger: three parts water and two parts wine. Other classical Greek writers spoke of other mixtures: Euenos—three parts water, one part wine; Hesiod—three to one, water to wine; Alexis—four to one: Diocles and Anacreon—two to one: and Ion—three to one. The average was about three or four parts of water to one part of wine. Sometimes in the ancient world one part water would be mixed with one part wine; this was considered strong wine. And anyone who drank wine unmixed was looked on as a Scythian, a barbarian. That means the Greeks would say today, “You Americans are barbarians—drinking straight wine.” For example, Athenaeus quoted Mnesitheus of Athens as saying, “in daily intercourse, to those who drink it moderately it gives good cheer; but if you overstep the bounds it brings BSac—V139 #553—Jan 82—51 violence. Mix it half and half and you get madness; unmixed—bodily collapse.”8 Here is a pagan saying, “Half and half is madness, and unmixed wine brings death.” Stein also observes that “in several instances in the Old Testament a distinction is made between ‘wine’ and ‘strong drink’“ (e.g., Lev 10:8–9). Strong drink is one thing, wine is another thing. The same distinction is made in Deuteronomy 14:26; 29:6 ; Judges 13:4; and elsewhere. According to the Talmud the “wine” used in the Passover meal was three parts water and one part wine (cf. 2 Macc 15:39).9 It may also be that the wine Jesus miraculously provided at the wedding in Cana (John 2:1–11) was a similar drink, that is, wine mixed with water. The word oi\no" (“wine”) refers sometimes to fermented grape juice (e.g., Eph 5:18) and sometimes to fresh, not fully fermented grape juice (e.g., Rev 19:15). Furthermore, in ancient times not many beverages were safe to drink. Stein indicates that in the ancient world water could be made safe in one of several ways. It could be boiled, but this was tedious and costly. Or it could be filtered, but this was not a safe method. Or some wine could be put in the water to kill the germs—one part wine with three or four parts water. Wine today has a much higher level of alcohol than wine in the New Testament. In fact in New Testament times one would need to drink twenty-two glasses of wine in order to consume the large amount of alcohol in two martinis today. Stein humorously notes, “In other words, it is possible to become intoxicated from wine mixed with three parts water, but one’s drinking would probably affect the bladder long before the mind.”10 Though fermented wine was drunk in Bible times and though the Bible approved of wine-drinking, one needs to remember that the alcoholic content was much less than that of wine today. What is used today is not the wine of the New Testament! Therefore Christians ought not drink wine, beer, or other alcoholic beverages for they are actually “strong drink” and are forbidden in Scripture. Even ancient pagans did not drink what some Christians drink today!   7 7. See the excellent article by Robert H. Stein, “Wine-Drinking in New Testament Times,” Christianity Today, June 20, l975, pp. 9-11. 8 8. Ibid., p. 9. 9 9. The reference in Isaiah 1:22 to diluted wine as bad should be taken not as a proof that Jews did not mix wine (see 2 Macc 15:39), but as a metaphor of spiritual adulteration (cf. Isa 1:21). 10 10. Stein, “Wine-Drinking in New Testament Times,” p. 11

 

IV.            What the Bible Says about the abuse of alcohol

A.                The Old Testament – Deut. 21:20-21; Isa. 28:1,7-8; Prov. 20:1; 23:29-32.

B.                 The New Testament – Gal 5:19-21; 1 Cor. 5:11; 6:10.

V.               Is the moderate use of Alcohol Sinful?

A.                The Case of Noah: Compare Genesis 6:9 to Genesis 9:20-23.

1.                  Can an argument against social drinking be made from this passage?

B.                 Question: Does the Bible say thou shalt not drink?

C.                Question: Can the Bible prohibit certain behavior in certain situations without issuing a specific, blanket restriction?

 

D.                Question: Can you give examples dealing with other issues?

 

 

 

 

E.                 Question: What principle/s from 1 Cor. 6:12-13 would impact our view of Alcohol  today?

 

 

F.                 Question:  How does 1 Cor. 6:19-20 effect the subject?

 

 

G.                Question: How does effect this subject?

 

 

H.                Question:  Read Romans 14:21; 1 Cor. 9:19-23; 10:24,31-33 and comment on these verses relative to the use of alcohol.

 

 

VI.            Does the fact that Jesus turned the water into wine justify social drinking in moderation?

A.                The word translated wine here is oinos. The Context must determine if it is alcoholic.

B.                 The Phrase, "best wine" does not necessarily imply alcoholic wine (John 2:10).

C.           Plutarch, and Horace state that the best wine was that which was harmless or innocent. Pliny said good wine is that which has had its strength broken by the filter.

D.                The common drink of ancient Orientals and Romans was not alcoholic wine. It was the juice of the wine mixed with water (hot or cold) and sometimes mixed with spices (Valerius Maximus, Book II. 1,5; VI. 3; Alulus Gellius Book X. 23; Pliny XIV. 13).

E.                 Robert Stein published an article ["Wine-Drinking in New Testament Times," Christianity Today (June 20, 1975): pp. 923-925]. It documents the facts from Jewish literature and Greek writers about the wine of Jesus' day.

F.                 It was lower in alcohol than today's drinks. It was usually mixed with water in a ratio of from two to twenty parts water to one part wine.

G.                People who drink wine without mixing it at least a one to one ratio were considered barbarians who delighted in "Strong Drink.

H.                Drinking such wines, one would have had kidney or bladder problems long before drunkenness set in.

I.                   Often wine was mixed with the water because the water was unsafe.

J.                   Jewish weddings normally lasted about a week. The amount of wine made by Jesus was about 150 gallons. Is this an argument for moderation?

K.                Remember that to use this passage to justify drinking one must be able to prove the oinos was alcoholic.

VII.         Do Paul's instructions to Timothy justify social drinking (1 Tim. 5:23)?

A.                Note that It was not normal for Timothy to drink wine. He had to be told to do so.

B.                 It was to be a little wine for illness.

C.                Canadian Studies done in the 80's demonstrated that wine was beneficial for some stomach ailments and that grape juice was even more beneficial.

D.                Prov. 31:6-7.

E.                 Should the Christian self prescribe alcohol for illness or depression?

VIII.      Do Paul's instructions concerning Elders and Deacons indicate that deacons can drink but Elders cannot (1 Tim. 3:3,8)?

A.                The word translated "vigilant" (KJV) and "temperate" (NKJV, NIV & NAS) in 1 Tim. 3:2&8 literally means, "Not holding wine" (Kittle, V. 4, p. 939)

B.                 Not "given to wine" Literally means  not near, around or holding wine.

C.                NOTE that translators have shied away from literal translation of many of the words dealing with alcohol such as this one and the word vigilant.  When in doubt the safe course is the literal translation. The fact that many translators drank alcohol and may have tinted their translating spectacles.

D.                Even if one opts for the more figurative translations of these words, as an excuse for drinking elders, one must still admit that Solomon said not to even "look" at wine that is fermented (Proverbs 23:31).

IX.            Personal Summary.

A.                Summarize your thoughts on the Bible, the Christian and Alcohol