Out there: Biblical prohibition of alcohol

Out of all the “Out there” beliefs I’ve looked at so far, this one is by far the biggest head-scratcher.  It is the belief that the Bible prohibits the consumption of alcohol.

I was rather blind-sided when I first came across this belief, initially not knowing what to say because it is rather equivalent to hearing somebody say that the moon is made out of cheese.

Here is a statement I recently saw:

“The Bible says alcoholic drink is evil. It is not just the amount one drinks that makes drinking a sin. God condemns the drink itself: ‘Wine is a mocker and beer a brawler; whoever is led astray by them is not wise'”

– Proverbs 20:1

Huh.  Well, firstly, that passage doesn’t condemn alcohol outright, it just states that those who are “led astray” by it are not wise.  This is hardly shocking stuff – I’ve witnessed enough nonsense spoken through an excess of wine and enough pointless fights started through beer-induced stupidity to know this to be true.

However, aside from trying to make this passage say something it doesn’t, Scripture presents many other problems with such an assertion.  When Paul told Timothy to take wine for his stomach, was he telling him to ingest something morally evil (1 Timothy 5:23)? Should deacons only “moderately” indulge in this immorality (1 Timothy 3:8)? When Jesus transformed water into wine did he lead everyone at the wedding into sin (John 2:1-11)?

Drinking Problems

I’ve heard people try and say that, in the original Biblical languages, what is being referred to is grape juice rather than alcohol. However, a brief look at the context of some passages presents clear problems with this statement…

Problem #1: Jesus clearly transformed water into wine (John 2:1-11), not grape juice since…

(a) …wine was what was traditionally served at weddings

(b) …we are told that Jesus produced the “best wine” – I can hardly see he’s praising fine grape juice!

(c) …the point is made that they would serve the best wine first so when it was replaced by a wine of inferior quality, they wouldn’t notice the difference

Problem #2: Wine has always been used in passover meals and seders, as is attested by contemporary practising Jews

Problem #3: The Early Church used wine in the Eucharist

Problem #4: There’s no historical evidence. What is the earliest date that could be given belief in the theory that Jesus and his disciples were alcohol-free?

Problem #5: Is it possible to be “addicted” to grape juice? (Titus 2:3)

Problem #6: Would grape juice help you forget your misery? (Proverbs 31:6)

Problem #7: Can you indulge in too much grape juice? (1 Timothy 3:8)

Problem #7: In what way is grape juice “strong drink”? (Deuteronomy 14:25–26)

Problem #8: How many teetotalers do you know who have been charged with being a drunkard? (Matthew 11:18-19)

As you can see, in order to say that the Bible prohibits all consumption of alcohol one would first have surmount quite a few challenges!

The article Out there: Biblical prohibition of alcohol first appeared on RestlessPilgrim.net