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The Christian & Alcohol

Ephesians 5:18

A Needed Reality Check!• Over 10,000 deaths per year in the U.S. are

related to drinking and driving.• Alcohol is directly connected to violent crime.• Alcohol has a negative effect on the home and

personal life.• Alcohol has a net negative effect on health.

• Don’t let your reality check bounce!

Wine and Strong Drink.

• In the Bible, “wine" is used of the liquid product of the grape -- both fermented & unfermented. (Isaiah 16:10; 65:8; Mark 2:22)• Even when fermented, many wines contained low levels

of alcohol.

• The context helps us decide the meaning of “wine” in a given passage.

Wine and Strong Drink. • “Strong drink” is “an intoxicant, that is,

intensely alcoholic liquor” (Strong’s Dictionary)

• Its use is condemned or limited everywhere in the O.T. except as an offering or medicinally. (Lev. 10:9; Num 6:3; 28:7; Deut. 14:26; 29:6; Judges 13:4-14; 1 Samuel 1:15; Psa. 69:12; Pro. 20:1; 31:4-6; Isaiah 5:11, 22; 4:9; 28:7; 56:12; Micah 2:11)

• Ancient wine or strong drink contained less than 10% alcohol.

Wine and Strong Drink. “Strong drink” compared to modern drink.• Ancient strong drink was no more than 10% alcohol.

• “Strong drink denotes any inebriating drink with about 7–10 percent alcoholic content” (Waltke, NICOT, 2005)

• Modern wine has an alcohol content of 8% - 15%• Some wines have as high as 22% (e.g. Zinfandels).

• Popular beers are usually in the 4% to 6% range• A few are considerably higher.

• Hard liquors have 40-50% alcohol• Bourbon can have nearly 80% alcohol!

Virtually every sort of alcoholic beverage sold today would qualify as “strong drink” in Bible times.

Drinking Prohibited in 1 Peter 4:3 Three alcohol related sins:• Drunkenness (oinophlugia) • Revelries (komos).• Drinking parties (potos)• Also translated "banquetings," (KJV), or “carousing.” • Literally "a drinking" without reference to amount.

(cf. Matt. 10:42 "give to drink…a cup of cold water").

• R. C. Trench says, "not necessarily excessive," (Synonyms of the New Testament, p. 211).

Peter is urging us not to go back to a worldly lifestyle! (Hosea 4:11; 2 Peter 2:20)

Drinking Leads to Other Sins• Drunkenness & intoxication

(Ephesians 5:15-18; Galatians 5:21)• Even righteous people can be ensnared

(2 Peter 2:8; Genesis 19:30-36; 9:21)• Loss of self control (2 Peter 1:6; Titus 1:8;

Proverbs 23:29-35; Hosea 3:11)• When does impairment in spiritual skills occur?

Praying? Parenting? Decision making?

Defenders of Drinking say…• Jesus made wine (John 2:1-11)

• Did it contain alcohol? If so, how much?

• Timothy was told to take wine (1 Timothy 5:23)• How much? What was the purpose?

• Only an excess is prohibited (Titus 2:3; 1:7)• Prohibiting a lot does not necessarily permit a little! (James

1:21; 1 Peter 4:4)

• It’s ok as long as it doesn’t cause others to stumble (Romans 14:21)• It is good not to drink wine if it causes stumbling.

•Wine is a food created by God for man to enjoy. (1 Timothy 4:1-5; Col. 2:16-23)• We should respect God’s limits.

The Christian & AlcoholThen He said to the disciples, “It is impossible that no offenses should come, but woe to him through whom they do come! It would be for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea, than that he should offend one of these little ones.” (Luke 17:1-2)