Are Christians allowed to drink wine?

[Red Gold]

Are Christians allowed to drink alcohol-containing grape-juice = wine?

Some think that Christians are not allowed to drink wine.

And that when the Bible speaks of wine, the Bible speaks of non-alcoholic grape juice.

What do you think?

 

[Red Gold]

And a plea:

In case that this thread is not in the right section, could a Moderator then shift it to a correct section?

 

[St_Worm2]

Hello @Red Gold, the Bible tells us that we are not to become intoxicated, even mildly .. e.g. Ephesians 5:18, that we are to always be sensitive to/aware of others and their needs before our own .. e.g. 1 Corinthians 10:23-24, and that all we do in this life is to be done for God's glory (and again, for the benefit of others before ourselves) .. 1 Corinthians 10:31-33; Philippians 2:3-4.

So yes, we can drink wine, but as believers, there are certain things that create limitations for us that we will always want to consider/need to be aware of if we choose to do so.

God bless you!!

--David

1 Corinthians 10
31 Whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do ~all~ to the glory of God.
32 Give no offense [give no occasion for stumbling] either to Jews or to Greeks or to the church of God;
33 just as I also please all men in all things, not seeking my own profit but the profit of the many, so that they may be saved.
​

 

[St_Worm2]

I should also point out that becoming intoxicated is a sin that should hardly be taken lightly.

For instance,

1 Corinthians 6
9 Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals,
10 nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God.

Galatians 5
19 Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality,
20 idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions,
21 envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
​

--David

 

[Red Gold]

Hello @Red Gold, the Bible tells us that we are not to become intoxicated, even mildly .. e.g. Ephesians 5:18, that we are to always be sensitive to/aware of others and their needs before our own .. e.g. 1 Corinthians 10:23-24, and that all we do in this life is to be done for God's glory (and again, for the benefit of others before ourselves) .. 1 Corinthians 10:31-33; Philippians 2:3-4.

So yes, we can drink wine, but as believers, there are certain things that create limitations for us that we will always want to consider/need to be aware of if we choose to do so.

God bless you!!

--David

1 Corinthians 10
31 Whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do ~all~ to the glory of God.
32 Give no offense [give no occasion for stumbling] either to Jews or to Greeks or to the church of God;
33 just as I also please all men in all things, not seeking my own profit but the profit of the many, so that they may be saved.
​

Did Jesus know all this?

 

[Red Gold]

I should also point out that becoming intoxicated is a sin that should hardly be taken lightly.

I keep reading: sin ... sin .... sin ...

But the Bible is full of praise for the good wine.

 

[Red Gold]

Can somebody say a good word for the good wine, that gladdens the heart of man?

 

[Unqualified]

Most of the praise for wine is in the OT. It is not forbidden in NT. Paul said to Timothy, take a little wine for your much infirmities. Jesus drank wine but did not get drunk. One glass will gladden your heart, but not in front of somebody who has a problem with it.

 

[St_Worm2]

Hello again @Red Gold, please consider again what I wrote in my last two posts (as your replies to what I actually wrote/meant seem hyperbolic, at best). I wrote what I did for the purpose of having a discussion (not to support one side or the other), to point out for consideration what the Bible has to say about this topic (BTW, I include myself as someone who needs to do so as well, to consider ~all~ that the Bible has to say about drinking, that is, as I have chosen to drink various kinds of alcohol several times since becoming a believer, and I may choose to do so again).

While the Bible never forbids drinking alcohol, it does tell us that there are a number of things that we need to be aware of (and therefore consider) before we choose to imbibe (particularly as believers).

Finally, I think that it should be noted that wine in the 1st Century was normally HIGHLY diluted (normally 4 parts water to 1 part wine, at least) as the alcohol in it was used to kill the bacteria that was in the water back then. So, drinking diluted wine was safer than drinking water alone (it was, in point of fact, used as a remedy for certain GI tract ailments in the 1st Century .. cf 1 Timothy 5:23)

I should also point out that those who drank wine (back then) that was not diluted with water (at least 4 parts to 1, if memory serves) were considered to be drunkards for doing so.

--David
.

 

[Red Gold]

Sometimes I dilute my wine with mineral water.
A mixture of wine and mineral water is called a "Schorle" in German.

 

[Red Gold]

Are Christians allowed to drink wine?

So far 7 out of 7 say: yes

 

[St_Worm2]

Sometimes I dilute my wine with mineral water.
A mixture of wine and mineral water is called a "Schorle" in German.

Interesting! Thanks

I have never diluted beer or wine before drinking it, though I have certainly done so with harder alcoholic beverages.

--David
p.s. - we (here is the States) refer to Schorles as "Spritzers" (though our spritzers are typically freshly made, rather than bottled or canned, they are still the same thing, wine mixed with some kind of mineral/carbonated water).

 

[Red Gold]

Interesting! Thanks

You are welcome!

And there are two ways to do it:

wine + mineral water = a sour Schorle
wine + lemonade = a sweet Schorle

 

[St_Worm2]

- I don't know how it is in Germany, but "spritzers" seem to be far more popular with ladies here in the States (in fact, I can't say that I've ever seen a guy order or drink one, though I'm sure that they do .. I can hardly consider myself an expert source on this however as I haven't gone to bars or clubs, just to drink, for more than 35 years now).

BTW, you live in a TRULY beautiful country, what I've seen of it anyway. I love the little walled town called Rothenburg, in particular, as well the Black Forest region (where much of my family hails from).

--David

 

[LightLoveHope]

Are Christians allowed to drink alcohol-containing grape-juice = wine?

Some think that Christians are not allowed to drink wine.

And that when the Bible speaks of wine, the Bible speaks of non-alcoholic grape juice.

What do you think?

In ancient Israel having fruit juice for a short time in a hot climate, it will go off.
The best preservation is drying, making into jams or fermenting.

So the idea that alcohol is evil is absurd, it helps purify and keep drinks.
The jews at passover use alcoholic wine, and Jesus at the wedding made alcoholic wine.

There has always been a problem with drunkards

This son of ours is stubborn and rebellious. He will not obey us. He is a profligate and a drunkard."
Then all the men of his town shall stone him to death.
Deuteronomy 21:20-21

The problem is with excessive drink not alcohol.

God bless you

 

[Sheila Davis]

Are Christians allowed to drink alcohol-containing grape-juice = wine?

Some think that Christians are not allowed to drink wine.

And that when the Bible speaks of wine, the Bible speaks of non-alcoholic grape juice.

What do you think?

Bible does not say it is a sin to drink wine or strong drink it says it is a foolish be a drunkard.
Bible Gateway passage: Proverbs 20:1-23 - King James Version

The Pharisees and Sadducees called Jesus a winebibber
LUKE 7:34 KJV "The Son of man is come eating and drinking; and ye say, Behold a gluttonous man, and a winebibber, a..."

Drunkardness which is daily drinking to the point of intoxication not only is foolish as written in Proverbs but is a sin
Bible Gateway passage: Galatians 5:21 - King James Version

From I my point of view - if I go to work and come in and want a cold beer or a glass of wine there is nothing wrong with it but if I continue to drink beer or wine or anything else stronger to a point of intoxication, and do so daily, it becomes a problem, it becomes a sin.
There are many churches teach you're not supposed to drink any type of alcoholic beverages at any time and serve grape juice for communion, and tells you that they didn't have strong drink back in those days they didn't ferment - big untruth.
And there are some churches that serve real wine - grape wine - for communion.
I'm not a drinker don't really like the taste of alcohol, if I drank some beer, less than a can my head is woozy for at least 10 minutes. Plus I use real wine - grape wine - in my personal communion - maybe about three tablespoons.

 

[Red Gold]

- I don't know how it is in Germany, but "spritzers" seem to be far more popular with ladies here in the States (in fact, I can't say that I've ever seen a guy order or drink one, though I'm sure that they do ..

Well, "connaisseurs" of wine look down on people who water down their wine. To them I say: "I am not watering down wine - I am improving the water by adding some wine to it!"

Just as Saint Paul advised Saint Timothy.
So Saint Paul could be seen as the Patron Saint of the Spritzer or the Schorle!

 

[revybub]

Being a gluten in general is a sin. To much of anything really.That said. This isn't the easiest thing to say how much is to much. Everyone has a different level of of which is to much. At what point does one become druken.

I should also point out that becoming intoxicated is a sin that should hardly be taken lightly.

For instance,

1 Corinthians 6
9 Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals,
10 nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God.

Galatians 5
19 Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality,
20 idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions,
21 envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
​

--David

 

[Red Gold]

BTW, you live in a TRULY beautiful country, what I've seen of it anyway. I love the little walled town called Rothenburg, in particular, as well the Black Forest region (where much of my family hails from).

Btw: I was born in Baden-Baden, right in the Black Forest.
In the former Grand Duchy of Baden, also famous for good wine and good food.
And all my ancestors were wine growers in the region of Baden-Baden.
Where a fine Riesling and a fine Spätburgunder (Pinot noir) and a fine Gewürztraminer grows.

So you may understand that I am in favour of Christians enjoying wine.
And I say: "Wine is not there for getting drunk, it is there for enjoing its fine taste!"

 

[Red Gold]

The problem is with excessive drink not alcohol.
God bless you

I second that!
God bless you.