Jesus & Alcohol

 

Question: Did Jesus view alcohol as a forbidden substance that should be avoided?

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Overview

 

Alcohol featured prominently in the life and ministry of Jesus in the following ways.​

 

• Jesus provided alcohol for others.​

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• Jesus consumed alcohol.​

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• Jesus used alcohol illustratively.​

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• Jesus established a ritual among his disciples that used alcohol.​

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• Jesus warned against drunkenness.

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The Apostolic Church also permitted alcohol but warned against its overconsumption.

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Jesus & Alcohol

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The following is an overview of Jesus and alcohol.

 

Jesus Provided Alcohol​: The first public miracle of Jesus was the transformation of water into wine (John 2:1-11). It was brought to the attention of Jesus while attending a wedding with his mother and several of his disciples in Cana of Galilee that the wine provided by the host had run out prematurely. Jesus responded by miraculously turning large quantities of water into wine so the wedding celebrations could continue.

 

Jesus Consumed Alcohol​: Jesus acknowledged that he drank alcohol and noted the false accusation that he was a drunkard (Matthew 11:16-19 & Luke 7:31-35). Following the imprisonment of John the Baptist by Herod Antipas, John sent his disciples to inquire about the identity of Jesus. Jesus addressed those present at the close of these inquiries and spoke about himself and John. He compared their different lifestyles and stated that neither seemed to please their critics. John was extremely austere and separated himself from society by eating little food and consuming no alcohol. However, the enemies of John accused him of being demon-possessed. Jesus freely mixed in society and ate and drank. However, the enemies of Jesus accused him of being a glutton and a drunkard.

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Jesus Used Alcohol Illustratively​: Jesus used alcohol to illustrate the difference between his teachings and those of contemporary Judaism (Matthew 9:14-17, Mark 2:18-22 & Luke 5:33-39). Using the culturally familiar process involved in the production of wine (which necessitated storage in fresh containers because of fermentation), Jesus said that his teachings cannot be received within the confines of rigid and traditional Judaism (the wrongful way that Judaism was being interpreted and applied). The teachings of Jesus are like new wine that must be placed in fresh containers.

 

Jesus Established A Ritual That Used Alcohol: Jesus distributed bread and wine among his followers and instructed them to eat and drink in remembrance of his sacrificial body and blood (Matthew 26:26-29, Mark 14:22-25 & Luke 22:17-20).

 

Jesus Warned Against Drunkenness​: Jesus spoke critically about drunkenness and associated it with sin and being unprepared for his return (Matthew 24:45-51, Luke 12:42-46 & 21:34-36).

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​The Apostolic Church & Alcohol

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The following are examples of the Apostolic Church permitting alcohol but warning against drunkenness.

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• The Apostle Paul identified drunkenness as one of the many deeds of darkness and warned the Christians in Rome to avoid it (Romans 13:11-14).

 

• The Apostle Paul instructed the Corinthians not to associate or eat with a drunkard who claims to be a Christian (1 Corinthians 5:9-11). He also said that God’s kingdom will not be inherited by drunkards and that this behaviour belonged to their former way of life before they received God’s salvation in Christ (1 Corinthians 6:9-11). The Apostle Paul further reprimanded the Corinthians because some were getting drunk during their meetings (1 Corinthians 11:17-22).

 

• The Apostle Paul identified drunkenness as one of the several acts of the flesh and warned the Christians in Galatia to avoid it (Galatians 5:19-21).

 

• The Apostle Paul instructed the Ephesians not to get drunk on wine because it leads to debauchery (Ephesians 5:15-20).

 

• The Apostle Paul instructed Timothy not to select Christians for leadership who are drunkards or who drink too much wine (1 Timothy 3:1-10). He also instructed Timothy to drink small quantities of wine to assist with a stomach ailment or repetitive illness that Timothy was suffering from (1 Timothy 5:23).

 

• The Apostle Paul instructed Titus not to select Christians for leadership who are drunkards (Titus 1:5-9). He also instructed Titus to teach older women not to get addicted to wine (Titus 2:3).

 

• The Apostle Peter identified drunkenness as one of the many evil desires of humanity and warned the Christians in Asia Minor to avoid it (1 Peter 4:1-5).

 

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​Bible Passages

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Matthew 9:14-17

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(14) Then John’s disciples came and asked him, “How is it that we and the Pharisees fast often, but your disciples do not fast?”

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(15) Jesus answered, “How can the guests of the bridegroom mourn while he is with them? The time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them; then they will fast. (16) No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment, for the patch will pull away from the garment, making the tear worse. (17) Neither do people pour new wine into old wineskins. If they do, the skins will burst; the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined. No, they pour new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved.”

 

Matthew 11:16-19

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(16) To what can I compare this generation? They are like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling out to others: (17) “We played the pipe for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not mourn.” (18) For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, “He has a demon.” (19) The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, “Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.” But wisdom is proved right by her deeds.​​

 

Matthew 24:45-51

 

(45) Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom the master has put in charge of the servants in his household to give them their food at the proper time? (46) It will be good for that servant whose master finds him doing so when he returns. (47) Truly I tell you, he will put him in charge of all his possessions. (48) But suppose that servant is wicked and says to himself, “My master is staying away a long time,” (49) and he then begins to beat his fellow servants and to eat and drink with drunkards. (50) The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he is not aware of. (51) He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

 

Matthew 26:26-29

 

(26) While they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take and eat; this is my body.”

 

(27) Then he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. (28) This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. (29) I tell you, I will not drink from this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.”

 

Mark 2:18-22

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(18) Now John’s disciples and the Pharisees were fasting. Some people came and asked Jesus, “How is it that John’s disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees are fasting, but yours are not?”

 

(19) Jesus answered, “How can the guests of the bridegroom fast while he is with them? They cannot, so long as they have him with them. (20) But the time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them, and on that day they will fast. (21) No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment. Otherwise, the new piece will pull away from the old, making the tear worse. (22) And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the wine will burst the skins, and both the wine and the wineskins will be ruined. No, they pour new wine into new wineskins.”

 

Mark 14:22-25

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(22) While they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take it; this is my body.”

 

(23) Then he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, and they all drank from it. (24) “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many,” he said to them. (25) “Truly I tell you, I will not drink again from the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God.”

 

Luke 5:33-39

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(33) They said to him, “John’s disciples often fast and pray, and so do the disciples of the Pharisees, but yours go on eating and drinking.”

 

(34) Jesus answered, “Can you make the friends of the bridegroom fast while he is with them? (35) But the time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them; in those days they will fast.”

 

(36) He told them this parable: “No one tears a piece out of a new garment to patch an old one. Otherwise, they will have torn the new garment, and the patch from the new will not match the old. (37) And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the new wine will burst the skins; the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined. (38) No, new wine must be poured into new wineskins. (39) And no one after drinking old wine wants the new, for they say, ‘The old is better.’”

 

Luke 7:31-35

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(31) Jesus went on to say, “To what, then, can I compare the people of this generation? What are they like? (32) They are like children sitting in the marketplace and calling out to each other: ‘We played the pipe for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not cry.’ (33) For John the Baptist came neither eating bread nor drinking wine, and you say, ‘He has a demon.’ (34) The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and you say, ‘Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.’ (35) But wisdom is proved right by all her children.”

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Luke 12:42-46

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(42) The Lord answered, “Who then is the faithful and wise manager, whom the master puts in charge of his servants to give them their food allowance at the proper time? (43) It will be good for that servant whom the master finds doing so when he returns. (44) Truly I tell you, he will put him in charge of all his possessions. (45) But suppose the servant says to himself, ‘My master is taking a long time in coming,’ and he then begins to beat the other servants, both men and women, and to eat and drink and get drunk. (46) The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he is not aware of. He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the unbelievers.

 

Luke 21:34-36

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(34) Be careful, or your hearts will be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness and the anxieties of life, and that day will close on you suddenly like a trap. (35) For it will come on all those who live on the face of the whole earth. (36) Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man.

 

Luke 22:17-20

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(17) After taking the cup, he gave thanks and said, “Take this and divide it among you. (18) For I tell you I will not drink again from the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.”

 

(19) And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.”

 

(20) In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.​

 

John 2:1-11

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(1) On the third day a wedding took place at Cana in Galilee. Jesus’ mother was there, (2) and Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. (3) When the wine was gone, Jesus’ mother said to him, “They have no more wine.”

 

(4) “Woman, why do you involve me?” Jesus replied. “My hour has not yet come.”

 

(5) His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.”

 

(6) Nearby stood six stone water jars, the kind used by the Jews for ceremonial washing, each holding from twenty to thirty gallons.

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(7) Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water”; so they filled them to the brim.

 

(8) Then he told them, “Now draw some out and take it to the master of the banquet.”

 

They did so, (9) and the master of the banquet tasted the water that had been turned into wine. He did not realise where it had come from, though the servants who had drawn the water knew. Then he called the bridegroom aside (10) and said, “Everyone brings out the choice wine first and then the cheaper wine after the guests have had too much to drink; but you have saved the best till now.”

 

(11) What Jesus did here in Cana of Galilee was the first of the signs through which he revealed his glory; and his disciples believed in him.

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Romans 13:11-14

 

(11) And do this, understanding the present time: The hour has already come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. (12) The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armour of light. (13) Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy. (14) Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the flesh.​

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​1 Corinthians 5:9-11

 

(9) I wrote to you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people - (10) not at all meaning the people of this world who are immoral, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters. In that case you would have to leave this world. (11) But now I am writing to you that you must not associate with anyone who claims to be a brother or sister but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or slanderer, a drunkard or swindler. Do not even eat with such people.

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1 Corinthians 6:9-11

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(9) Or do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men (10) nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. (11) And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.

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1 Corinthians 11:17-22

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(17) In the following directives I have no praise for you, for your meetings do more harm than good. (18) In the first place, I hear that when you come together as a church, there are divisions among you, and to some extent I believe it. (19) No doubt there have to be differences among you to show which of you have God’s approval. (20) So then, when you come together, it is not the Lord’s Supper you eat, (21) for when you are eating, some of you go ahead with your own private suppers. As a result, one person remains hungry and another gets drunk. (22) Don’t you have homes to eat and drink in? Or do you despise the church of God by humiliating those who have nothing? What shall I say to you? Shall I praise you? Certainly not in this matter!

 

Galatians 5:19-21

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(19) The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; (20) idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions (21) and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.

 

Ephesians 5:15-20

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(15) Be very careful, then, how you live - not as unwise but as wise, (16) making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. (17) Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. (18) Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit, (19) speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, (20) always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

 

1 Timothy 3:1-10

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(1) Here is a trustworthy saying: Whoever aspires to be an overseer desires a noble task. (2) Now the overseer is to be above reproach, faithful to his wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, (3) not given to drunkenness, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. (4) He must manage his own family well and see that his children obey him, and he must do so in a manner worthy of full respect. (5) (If anyone does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of God’s church?) (6) He must not be a recent convert, or he may become conceited and fall under the same judgment as the devil. (7) He must also have a good reputation with outsiders, so that he will not fall into disgrace and into the devil’s trap.

 

(8) In the same way, deacons are to be worthy of respect, sincere, not indulging in much wine, and not pursuing dishonest gain. (9) They must keep hold of the deep truths of the faith with a clear conscience. (10) They must first be tested; and then if there is nothing against them, let them serve as deacons.

 

1 Timothy 5:23

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(23) Stop drinking only water, and use a little wine because of your stomach and your frequent illnesses.

 

Titus 1:5-9

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(5) The reason I left you in Crete was that you might put in order what was left unfinished and appoint elders in every town, as I directed you. (6) An elder must be blameless, faithful to his wife, a man whose children believe and are not open to the charge of being wild and disobedient. (7) Since an overseer manages God’s household, he must be blameless - not overbearing, not quick-tempered, not given to drunkenness, not violent, not pursuing dishonest gain. (8) Rather, he must be hospitable, one who loves what is good, who is self-controlled, upright, holy and disciplined. (9) He must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it.

 

Titus 2:3

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(3) Likewise, teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live, not to be slanderers or addicted to much wine, but to teach what is good.

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1 Peter 4:1-5

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(1) Therefore, since Christ suffered in his body, arm yourselves also with the same attitude, because whoever suffers in the body is done with sin. (2) As a result, they do not live the rest of their earthly lives for evil human desires, but rather for the will of God. (3) For you have spent enough time in the past doing what pagans choose to do - living in debauchery, lust, drunkenness, orgies, carousing and detestable idolatry. (4) They are surprised that you do not join them in their reckless, wild living, and they heap abuse on you. (5) But they will have to give account to him who is ready to judge the living and the dead.

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