use of wine by Christians

The Use of Wine by Christians

By Otis Gatewood
July 7, 1955, Gospel Advocate

Since we have been in Germany, the question of the use of wine by Christians has been a matter of discussion on several occasions. I have been asked a number of times to speak on the subject, and last summer during our European lectureship I was challenged to debate the issue. I have never pushed the discussion of this matter, but when the issue is raised and pressed upon me I stand ready at all times to do my best to give the teaching of the Bible.

Those who are in favor of the use of wine by Christians jump to an immediate and false conclusion that all wine mentioned in the Bible is intoxicating. They thus try to justify the use of intoxicating drinks today for Christians. But the word wine is used in the Scriptures in many different ways. The Popular and Critical Bible Encyclopedia, Vol. II, p. 1724, says, "No fewer than thirteen distinct Hebrew and Greek terms are translated by the word wine." Some of the Hebrew words are: awsees, sobeh, kehmer, chamra, mehsek, shaykawr, teeroshe, shehmawreem, asheeshaw, khomets, yeqeb, yahyin, tirosch. Some of the Greek words are: oinos, lenos, gluekos, oinophlugia, paroinos. The above words have the following meanings: tred down, to drink freely, sour, vinegar, fruitful, boil up, ferment, mixture, honey, syrup, flagon, sweet drink, must, vintage, vine, vat, trough, wine sucker, one alongside wine, cake, grape juice, grape, lees, etc. The three most frequently used words for wine in the Bible are: yahyin, tirosch, and oinos. The Hebrew word yahyin and the Greek word oinos are used interchangeably. Those two words occur about one hundred forty-one times in the Bible. They do not always have the same meaning. The use of the word determines its meaning.

The vine and the tree are referred to by the word yahyin (wine). In Numbers 6:4 the statement is made: "All the days of his separation shall he eat nothing that is made of the vine tree" (yahyin). Judges 9:13 says, "And the vine said unto them, Should I leave my wine (yahyin), which cheereth God and man, and go to be promoted over the trees?" No one could conclude that the tree and the vine were intoxicating, but they are referred to by the Hebrew word yahyin (wine).

The firstfruits of the harvest are referred to as wine. Numbers 18:12 says, "All the best of the oil, and all the best of the wine, and of the wheat, the firstfruits of them which they shall offer unto the Lord, them have I given thee. And whatsoever is first ripe in the land (the firstfruits when it is first ripe are referred to as wine), which they shall bring unto the Lord, shall be thine; every one that is clean in thine house shall eat it." Nehemiah 10:37 says, "And that we should bring the firstfruits of our dough, and our offerings, and the fruit of all manner of trees, of wine and of oil..."

Joel 1:10 speaks of the wine that is dried up in the fields. Who could possibly conclude that grapes which are dried up in the fields while they were still on the vine are intoxicating?

The cluster of the grape is referred to as wine (yahyin). Isaiah 65:8 says, "Thus saith the Lord, As the new wine is found in the cluster, and one saith, Destroy it not; for a blessing is in it." Who would say that the juice of the grape when it is still in the cluster is intoxicating? And yet it is called wine (yahyin).

That which is gathered is referred to as wine. Jeremiah 40:10 says, "But...gather ye wine, and summer fruits." Isaiah 62:9 says, "But they that have gathered it shall eat it, and praise the Lord; and they that have brought it together shall drink it in the courts of my holiness." Who would argue that the grape when it is gathered is intoxicating? And yet, that which is gathered is called wine.

Amos 9:13 says that grapes are treaded, and yet, Isaiah 16:10 says that the treaders tread out wine. Joel 2:24 speaks of the vats in which the grapes have been trodden as overflowing with wine. Genesis 49:11 and Deuteronomy 32:14 refers to that which comes out of the grape as the pure blood of the grape. Genesis 40:11 says, "And Pharaoh's cup was in my hand: and I took the grapes, and pressed them into Pharaoh's cup." Josephus used the Hebrew word yahyin in referring to this scripture.

From these scriptures we see that the following things are referred to as wine:

1.    The vine and the tree.
2.    The firstfruits which are first ripe.
3.    The cluster of the grape.
4.    The grape that is gathered.
5.    Grapes dried up in the field from lack of moisture.
6.    Grapes that are trodden.
7.    The pure blood of the grape.
8.    The juice that is pressed from the grape into the cup.

Here are at least eight different descriptions of wine that we know definitely to be un-intoxicating.

Christ also spoke of a wine that was not yet fermented when he said that new wine is not placed in the old wineskins lest they break. But he said that old wine is placed in the old wineskins. (Matthew 9:17; Mark 2:22; Luke 5:37, 38). In the old wine fermentation had already ceased so there was no danger of breaking the old wineskins which were already hard. But the new wine was placed into the new flexible wineskins so that when fermentation took place the new wineskins would stretch. Thus the wine in the new skins had not yet fermented and was, therefore, non-intoxicating.

From all this evidence we can definitely see that all wine spoken of in God's word is not intoxicating. Therefore those who have relied on the Scriptures to try to prove that it is right to drink intoxicating wine are faced with the burden of proof. They must prove that the New Testament scriptures usually cited to uphold their particular theory refer to intoxicating wine. Here are a few scriptures usually used to try to support their false theory.

"Drink no longer water, but use a little wine for thy stomach's sake and thine often infirmities." (1 Timothy 5:23). This scripture does not say to drink wine for the appetite's sake and only because Timothy might have liked it, but it was to be used only because of his infirmities. It was to be used only as a medicine. But it should be noted that it took the authority of an apostle to convince Timothy that he should use it even as a medicine. This proves that up to this time Timothy did not drink even "a little." And even after Paul wrote him, he was to use only "a little" as a medicine. Timothy was not instructed to drink for the pleasure of his appetite or as a social drink with his friends. If Timothy had been a "social drinker," Paul would not have given him such instructions else Timothy could have answered, "What do you mean 'a little' - I drink with my friends all along."

It should be noted that Paul did not tell Timothy to "drink" a little wine. He only said "use" a little wine. The Good Samaritan "used" wine to heal the man who had been robbed and beaten. When wine is "used" as a medicine, it must not therefore necessarily be drunk.

Christ's turning water to wine at the marriage of Cana (John 2:1-11) is often misused by winebibbers to try to justify their practice. But again, the burden of proof rests on their shoulders. We have already proved that the Bible speaks of non-intoxicating wine. Hence before they have proved their point they must present conclusive proof that the wine Christ made was intoxicating. This they cannot do, but an effort is made to do so. The argument is made that the "good wine" Christ made must have been intoxicating or it would not have been described as "good". But this argument cannot stand in the light of examination. The American Encyclopedia, p. 388, says, "Wine drawn off before pressing is called 'free run' and is better than 'press wine.'" Pliny, Plutarch, and Horace mention that the best wine was that which was harmless or innocent. Pliny says "good wine" is that which was destitute of spirit. "Good wine," therefore, does not mean that it was stronger. It is rather presumed to be milder or entirely lacking of fermentation. It should be observed that the kind of wine being served at the marriage of Cana was the kind that even after the people had "drunk freely" they could still tell the difference between "good wine" and that which was worse. If the wine at the marriage feast had been intoxicating, they could not have told the difference after they had "drunk freely" for they would have already been drunk. There is absolutely no indication that anyone at the marriage of Cana was drunk or that they were drinking intoxicating wine.

"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." (Matthew 11:18, 19). The argument is made from this scripture that Christ drank intoxicating wine. But this also is an assumption that cannot be proved. Christ was only repeating what the people were saying about him. But just because they said that about him does not mean it was true. If you admit that the charge of being a winebibber is true, then you must also admit that Christ was a glutton for he was charged with being both. I don't believe that Christ was a glutton, neither do I believe him to be a winebibber. Christ came eating and drinking - it is true, but eating and drinking what? There is no proof whatsoever that he was drinking intoxicating wine. It does not say what he was drinking. There is only an inference, but the inference is not that he drank intoxicating wine.

Elders were not to be given to wine. (1 Timothy 3:3; Titus 1:7). But the Greek word used here is paroinos which means that they were not to even sit alongside of those who drank wine. This is a similar exhortation to that given in Psalm 1:1 which says, "Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful." Paroinos means the elders are not to sit with or associate with those who sit alongside of wine. The word para before oinos means besides or alongside of.

Deacons are told in 1 Timothy 3:8 not to be given to much wine. but the Greek word oinos which is often translated the same as yahyin, which often means grapes or grape juice, is used here. The argument is made that Paul would not have told the deacons not to drink much grape juice. But such an exhortation is not uncommon. The law governing the Nazarite was "All the days of his separation shall he eat nothing that is made of the vine tree." (Numbers 6:4). It was said concerning John the Baptist, "For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink..." (Luke 1:15).

The argument is made that Christ used intoxicating wine when he instituted the Lord's supper. But this is also mere presumption. It cannot be proved. The scripture says "fruit of the vine" and there is no indication whatsoever that it was intoxicating.

But the answer that is made is that the "fruit of the vine" must have been intoxicating for there was no way to preserve unfermented wine in those days. But fire and cooking and boiling were all known in the time of the Old Testament. Even as early as the days of Cain and Abel fire is mentioned. They knew how to cook. Bottles are mentioned many times it the Bible. (Joshua 9:4; Genesis 21:14; Jeremiah 19:1; etc.) So it was possible to cook and bottle and thus preserve the wine in an unfermented state even in those early days.

It is true that intoxicating wine is spoken of numbers of times in the Bible, but we are warned in no uncertain terms what it will do. Listen to these warnings: INTOXICATING WINE...

1. Defiles
Daniel 1:8: "And Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king's meat, nor with wine, which he drank."

2. Causes nakedness
Genesis 9:20, 21: "And Noah began to be an husbandman, and planted a vineyard: and he drank of the wine, and was drunken; and he was uncovered within his tent."

3. Makes one unaware of sexual relations.
Genesis 19:30-35: "Come, let us make our father drink wine, and we will lie with him, that we may preserve seed of our father. And they made their father drink wine that night: and the firstborn went in, and lay with her father; and he perceived not when she lay down, nor when she arose."

4. Makes one unclean or unholy or incapable to judge.
Leviticus 10:8-10: "And the Lord spake unto Aaron, saying, 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 a difference between holy and unholy, and between clean and unclean."

5. Mocker, deceiver
Proverbs 20:1: "Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging; and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise."

6. Makes us forget the law and pervert judgment.
Proverbs 31:4: "It is not for kings, O Lemuel, it is not for kings to drink wine; nor for princes strong drink: lest they drink, and forget the law, and pervert the judgment..."

7. Brings woe, sorrow, babblings, wounds without cause.
Proverbs 23:29: "Who hath woe? who hath sorrow? who hath contentions? who hath babbling? who hath wounds without cause? who hath redness of the eyes? They that tarry long at the wine, they that go to seek mixed wine."

8. Bites like a serpent, stingeth like an adder.
Proverbs 23:31, 32: "Look not thou upon wine when it is red, when it giveth his color in the cup, when it moveth itself aright. At last it biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like an adder."

9. Not for kings and princes.
Proverbs 31:4: "It is not for kings, O Lemuel, it is not for kings to drink wine; nor for princes strong drink: lest they drink, and forget the law, and pervert the judgment..."

10. Woe to those who giveth his neighbor drink.
Habakkuk 2:15: "Woe unto him that giveth his neighbor drink, that putteth thy bottle to him, and maketh him drunken also..."

11. Be not among winebibbers.
Proverbs 23:20 "Be not among winebibbers; among riotous eaters of flesh."

12. Compared with whoredom and takes away the heart.
Hosea 4:11: "Whoredom and wine and new wine take away the heart."

13. Priest and prophet err in vision and judgment through wine.
Isaiah 28:7: "But they also have erred through wine, and through strong drink are out of the way; the priest and the prophet have erred through strong drink, they are swallowed up of wine, they are out of the way through strong drink; they err in vision, they stumble in judgment."

In addition to the above warnings we should constantly bear in mind the bad example we set in drinking wine. It offends and weakens others. Even in Germany where many people drink wine with their meals, there are many who oppose it seriously and a Christian would have no influence over them if he drank even a little wine. Even if I were to drink only one swallow of wine and someone smelled my breath, he would not know but that I had drunk much. Even those in Germany who urge you to drink socially with them, do not respect a Christian for doing so. If you refuse, you do not offend them if you do so in the right manner. You gain far greater respect from them by refusing than you do if you drink with them.

These scriptures should always be borne in mind:

1. Romans 14:21: "It is good neither to eat flesh, nor to drink wine, nor anything whereby thy brother stumbleth, or is offended, or is made weak."

2. 1 Corinthians 6:12: "All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any."

3. 1 Corinthians 10:23, 24: "All things are lawful for me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but all things edify not. Let no man seek his own, but every man another's good."