To drink or not to drink - that is the question.
It’s a question that has influenced everything from restaurant choices to the communion at church.
Today, we are going to think about how should we view the consumption of alcohol in Christianity.
The Different Views
The general idea of what these views are should be pretty self-explanatory, but I will show you what the Biblical support is for both of these views and then explain how I personally interpret and apply this information.
“It Is Fine to Drink Some Wine”
Simply put: Jesus drank, so why can’t I?
This is the foundational argument for this view, and there’s no real debate to this claim. Jesus and other godly figures did, in fact, drink.
In the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke, Jesus institutes the Lord’s Supper, which is centered around bread and, you guessed it, wine - an alcoholic beverage.
“Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, ‘Drink from it, all of you. For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.’”
— Matthew 26:27-28 NKJV (Similar references: Mark 14:24 and Luke 22:20)
There is no way to disguise it. Jesus said that in remembrance of Him, the disciples should partake in bread and wine to remember His body that was broken and His blood that was spilled.
This is not the only time Jesus works with wine. Remember the famous story of the water turned to wine (John 2:1-12)? Yeah, it would be pretty strange for Jesus to provide wine to all those people if He did not want them to drink it.
This is not as well known, but Paul actually encourages Timothy to drink wine for his health issues.
“No longer drink only water, but use a little wine for your stomach’s sake and your frequent infirmities.”
— 1 Timothy 5:23 NKJV
According to this view, drinking should not be something debated about within the church. It is obviously permitted by God.
“I Don’t Think We Should Drink”
Interestingly enough, this view shares a lot of the same beliefs as the opposite view above. From personal experience, most people, regardless of their drinking habits, will agree that Jesus and the disciples drank, and the Bible never says you are not allowed to drink.
The real difference between the views is based on conviction and temptation.
See, drinking, while being permitted by the Bible, can be a very slippery slope for a lot of people. Many people are concerned that once they start drinking they will not be able to stop.
The Bible actually talks a lot about how the temptations of drinking can lead to drunkenness and addiction:
“Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is. And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit…”
— Ephesians 5:17-18 NKJV
Nice and simple. If you don’t drink, you can’t get drunk. If you don’t get drunk, your relationship with God won’t be hindered by any means of alcohol.
Paul talks to the Corinthians about this issue of being subject to drinking and how it even ruined the celebration of the Lord’s Supper:
“Therefore when you come together in one place, it is not to eat the Lord’s Supper. For in eating, each one takes his own supper ahead of others; and one is hungry and another is drunk.”
— 1 Corinthians 11:20-22 NKJV
Interesting. Even at a gathering of Christian brothers, drinking was still a stumbling block for some of the people there. The Lord’s Supper was not being used for remembrance of Jesus - it was being used as an opportunity for gluttony and drunkenness.
Unsurprisingly, Proverbs (the wisdom book) has somethings to say about drinking as well:
“For the drunkard and the glutton will come to poverty, And drowsiness will clothe a man with rags.”
— Proverbs 23:21 NKJV
“Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has contentions? Who has complaints? Who has wounds without cause? Who has redness of eyes? those who linger long at the wine, those who go in search of mixed wine.”
— Proverbs 23:29-33 NKJV
Conclusion
Personally, I associate myself with the second view.
I know that the Bible does not say you should not drink. In fact, in certain scenarios it is supported by Jesus and Paul to have a little wine.
The issue for me is the addiction.
For example, if I befriended a lot of people that were extremely rough, tough, and far from Jesus, I would like to think that I would be able to reflect Jesus to them without picking up their bad habits.
But let’s be honest. If I am constantly hanging out with a certain group of people all the time, I will most likely pick up some of their negative traits over time - not intentionally, but gradually.
I see drinking the same way.
While drinking in itself is not a negative thing when done in moderation, it could be something I get addicted to - not intentionally, but gradually.
I do not want to shoot you down or call you a sinner if you do drink, but I do want to express my thoughts honestly: I believe that even if you have the self-control to not drink too much, you should try to refrain for the sake of your fellow brothers and sisters.
Paul actually talks about an issue similar to this drinking problem:
“Therefore let us not judge one another anymore, but rather resolve this, not to put a stumbling block or a cause to fall in our brother’s way. I know and am convinced by the Lord Jesus that there is nothing unclean of itself; but to him who considers anything to be unclean, to him it is unclean. Yet if your brother is grieved because of your food, you are no longer walking in love. Do not destroy with your food the one for whom Christ died.”
— Romans 14:13-15 NKJV
Just as a basic rundown for this passage, there is some confusion and conviction happening within the church. Foods that were once unclean (non-kosher foods like pork) are now made clean because of Jesus.
However, there are some people that don’t feel comfortable with this new freedom. They still see it as wrong to be eating this food.
So what does Paul say? He says to not eat the “unclean” food if your brother is not comfortable with it. Even though you know good and well that you have every right to eat that food, you should not make your brother stumble because of it.
This is the logic I hold when it comes to drinking. Even though there is nothing wrong with a little drinking, I would encourage to refrain because it is a stumbling block for many people.
So if you go to a restaurant with a friend of yours who is not comfortable drinking, but you are, for their sake I would ask you to hold off.
This post is not to tell you that you are a sinner, saint, drunkard, someone with self-control, a strong Christian, or a weak Christian. My hope for this post is that you understand that addiction is real, stumbling blocks are common, and we as Christians should try our best to eliminate those risks.