Ask the Pastor

By Pastor Scott Denham of Harvest Fellowship, Shambaugh, IA
Clarinda Herald Journal Publication Date : 08/02/06

Under the Influence

Pastor Scott,

"How do you weigh in on Biblical drink alcohol content? . . . I believe the water was contaminated in Bible times so alcohol drinking was, and maybe still is, a health drink [and was sometimes] diluted 50-50 with well water in Bible times. . ."

            I think the more pressing question here is this: "Is it OK for Christians to drink?" It's not an easy question to answer, for our wine-drinking Messiah and the lack of a New Testament prohibition complicate the issue.

            What the New Testament makes crystal-clear is that the Christian should not to be under the influence of alcohol, but rather under the influence of the Holy Spirit (Eph 5:18). A person under the influence of alcohol will do things they would never do otherwise--often bringing shame and injury to others or themselves. About them, we say, "That's the liquor speaking," or "He's not himself when he's drinking." In the same way, a person under the influence of the Spirit of God is able to live a supernatural life that can only be explained by the presence of something, or rather, Someone, else--the Holy Spirit who has become the dominant influence in that believer's life.

            As to what precisely Jesus and his disciples drank, time and culture hamper our understanding. We do know there was a table wine, a party wine, and strong drink. Table wine is the primary drink mentioned in the gospels, fermented just enough to kill the impurities and intestinal worms--some say about 2% alcoholic content, as compared to today's alcohol, ranging from 8 to 95%. In any case, we never see Jesus or his disciples intoxicated.

            That Jesus and his disciples were never drunk should come as no surprise. After all, the Scriptures strongly condemn drunkenness. Proverbs provides many insightful warnings against drunkenness, alerting the reader to the dangers of excessive drinking.

            Then there are the cultural implications to consider. The Bible exhorts us to not do anything that might stumble a fellow believer nor to tarnish our reputation as a follower of Christ. Though scripturally permissible, within the limits previously discussed, should an American Christian drink?

If Jesus' disciples drank, then obviously some Christians DO drink, no matter what the culture may say. Today, we no longer need to drink for health reasons, and since alcohol is regularly and easily abused, is associated with traffic injuries, fatalities, domestic violence, health problems, alcoholism, crime, and physical abuse--to name a few--then the wisest course of action would be to forego drinking altogether.

            Bringing these factors together, I am convinced that Christians in our culture should never drink. Besides, drink and the culture of drinking are only shallow substitutes of man's true longings for peace, joy, and enjoyable social relationships. Why go for the imitation when God offers the real?

--Pastor Scott (www.askpastorscott.com)