What Does the Bible Have to Say about Alcohol? by Shawn Honey

Transcription

1 What Does the Bible Have to Say about Alcohol? by Shawn Honey Introduction Evangelicals have a, shall we say, odd history when it comes to alcohol. In my research, I learned of John White, a Puritan minister in Dorchester, England in the early 17 th century, who was anxious to provide relief for the poor of the city who had been devastated by a recent fire. He did what any good Puritan would have done with the large surplus of parish funds received by his benevolent congregation he helped build a brewery. The proceeds from the brewery would then go to house and educate the poor within his parish. Fast forward to America in the 21 st century. With the legacy of the Temperance Movement of the 19 th century and the Prohibition Era of the 20 th century, there are some evangelical denominations today that make opposition to the consumption of alcohol one of their defining characteristics. At the same time, there are other evangelical traditions that would align themselves with the more classic approach taken by the Puritans of England and by other churches stemming from the Protestant Reformation. In our current state of ecclesial cross-pollination, it is very likely in any given evangelical setting to find some folks coming out of a tradition that practices abstinence from alcohol and others coming out of a tradition where alcohol use is, more or less, a non-issue. The question Iʼd like to ask is simply this: How do we handle alcohol in the church in light of Scripture? In answering this question, I feel it is necessary to communicate upfront that I do not believe that alcohol use is something that is condemned by Scripture. Part of this paper will be aimed at demonstrating that by looking at a handful of biblical texts. At the same time, I want to address an issue that often arises in conjunction with the discovery by some of this particular truth (that Scripture does not forbid the use of alcohol). Often those who discover for the first time that they are free to drink alcohol in light of Godʼs word can end up using that freedom in a way that is hurtful to their brothers and sisters in Christ. That is the kind of thing that Scripture frowns upon just as much, as we will see, as it frowns upon the abuse of alcohol. As for the layout of this paper, I want to look first at the positive things Scripture has to say about alcohol. Second, I want to look at the warnings Scripture gives about alcohol. Finally, I want to look at how we as believers living out our faith in the context of the church body can carve out a healthy way forward with regard to alcohol use. * 1. Positive Statements About Alcohol in Scripture [7] Go, eat your bread with joy, and drink your wine with a merry heart, for God has already approved what you do. (Ecclesiastes 9:7) * This paper will not delve into technical discussions about the actual alcohol content of the various alcoholic beverages mentioned in Scripture. Although it may be granted that the alcohol content of a typical wine in biblical times may have been somewhat less than it is today (due to the ancient custom of mixing some water into wine), one cannot get around the fact that in both cases the alcoholic beverages had alcohol and therefore could produce the same effects (albeit in different quantities depending on the dilution of the alcoholic drink).

2 2 So begins a portion of positive commendable behaviors in the book of Ecclesiastes. As bread (a staple in most diets) is commended, so is wine. Elsewhere in Scripture, bread and wine are also showcased together as gifts from God himself. Take these words from Psalm : [14] You cause the grass to grow for the livestock and plants for man to cultivate, that he may bring forth food from the earth [15] and wine to gladden the heart of man, oil to make his face shine and bread to strengthen man's heart. Elsewhere still, the drinking of wine along with the provision of safe cities and fruit-bearing gardens are offered by God as signs of his favor to a restored people: [14] I will restore the fortunes of my people Israel, and they shall rebuild the ruined cities and inhabit them; they shall plant vineyards and drink their wine, and they shall make gardens and eat their fruit. (Amos 9:14) In Isaiah, wine is equated with nothing less than the tasting of Godʼs gracious favor to fallen people: [55:1] Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and he who has no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. (Isaiah 55:1) And then, of course, we have the very first miracle that Jesus performed, itself a sign of the gracious favor that God was showing to his people through his Son. Jesus took six gallon containers filled with water and transformed the water into wine. The master of the feast commented, Everyone serves the good wine first, and when people have drunk freely, then the poor wine. But you have kept the good wine until now (John 2:10). Some comments When we look at these passages together, several comments are in order. First and most obviously (and as has already been pointed out), alcohol is a gift from God. * We see this most clearly in Psalm 104:15 and Amos 9:14. Second, alcoholic drinks are a picture of Godʼs favor. This is seen in the verses just cited as well as in Isaiah 55:1 and John 2. A few words * Although only wine itself is specifically mentioned in the verses cited, it is not a leap to analogize from wine to alcohol in general. Wine is, after all, only one type of fermented beverage from something naturally occurring in creation. Beer and liquors, for example, are simply fermented from other products of creation and so can be included under what the Scripture says specifically about wine.

3 3 may be needed to flesh this idea out. Godʼs favor brings us, among other things, great joy and deep-seated peace. Godʼs favor is a tremendous comfort. And alcohol, in its effects, is a picture of this favor, which ties in closely to our third point: God has given us alcohol to make our hearts glad. Considering the second and third point together, we should keep a lot in mind. It is inescapable that according to Scripture God gave wine to gladden the hearts of men (Psalm 104:15) and that we are to drink our wine with merry hearts (Ecclesiastes 9:7). Just as bread builds up our strength and oil refreshes our face (at least for those who used oil this way in the ancient world), so wine gladdens our hearts. We all probably know the feeling that is produced from having eaten a well-cooked and well-crafted meal. We know the feeling of the return of vitality that results from a pleasantly full stomach. Likewise, many of us know the pleasantness that can result from consuming alcohol the relaxation and cheerfulness that alcohol can bring about. Well, both of these things (good food and good drink) are gifts from God and are meant to show us what his grace is like. His graces brings life. His grace brings comfort. His grace puts us at ease. His grace makes us glad. God has given us within his good creation reflections that show us continually what his perfectly giving favor is like. Among those reflections are food and alcohol. As we will see in moment, both of these reflections (among others) can be abused. Just as food can be abused through overeating, so alcohol can be abused through over-consumption. Likewise, grace itself can be abused if we treat it as a license to live in disobedience to God. Further, there is the abuse of looking to created things instead of to God for the peace and fulfillment that come only from him (whether that is through comfort eating or alcohol abuse, for example). But none of this takes away from the fact that alcohol is a gift from God, a picture of his favor and a thing that produces the God-honoring effect of a glad heart. 2. Warnings About Alcohol in Scripture [20:1] Wine is a mocker, strong drink a brawler, and whoever is led astray by it is not wise. (Proverbs 20:1 ESV) Wine here is compared with a mocker someone who, in the common usage of Proverbs, speaks foolishly and insolently. Strong drink is compared with someone who likes to quarrel or fight. When we think about the typical stereotype of someone who is drunk, these two things readily come to mind: someone who canʼt hold his tongue and someone who lashes out in combative anger. If you google the phrase Wine is a mocker, you will quickly see that this lone phrase settles the case for many when it comes to the Scriptural view of alcohol that it is simply offlimits to Christians. This swift pronouncement, however, never deals with the positive assessment of alcohol in Scripture (some of which we looked at above), and it fails to take into account the last half of Proverbs 20:1, the portion that says, and whoever is led astray by it is not wise. This seems to be a reference to overindulgence. I have yet to meet someone who after a sip of alcohol immediately starts running his or her mouth and then gets anxious to pummel someone. But someone who is led astray by alcohol into the realm of a loss of selfcontrol can easily succumb to this type of behavior.

4 4 So we should take this verse in context but also feel its full force. Alcohol is potentially very dangerous and damaging (so are things like love, too). Wisdom cautions us not to be led astray by it. An even greater caution about alcohol comes later in Proverbs: [29] Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has strife? Who has complaining? Who has wounds without cause? Who has redness of eyes? [30] Those who tarry long over wine; those who go to try mixed wine. [31] Do not look at wine when it is red, when it sparkles in the cup and goes down smoothly. [32] In the end it bites like a serpent and stings like an adder. [33] Your eyes will see strange things, and your heart utter perverse things. [34] You will be like one who lies down in the midst of the sea, like one who lies on the top of a mast. [35] They struck me, you will say, but I was not hurt; they beat me, but I did not feel it. When shall I awake? I must have another drink. (Proverbs 23:29-35 ESV) These verses almost need no comment, they are so vivid in their description. The abuse of alcohol brings a whole host of mental and physical maladies (29-30). Alcohol can be very deceptive. Enticing at first, it can later be like venom and can bring about all the typical, physical effects of drunkenness (31-33), making you behave dangerously (on par with trying to make a bed in the ocean or on the top of a shipʼs mast) (34). It can lead to fighting as well, as we saw also in Proverbs 20:1. Only a fool would want to revisit these effects again (35). There are other passages of Scripture we could look at that give various warnings about alcohol, but only one more should be sufficient. [18] And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, (Ephesians 5:18 ESV) The apostle Paul here is drawing a contrast between the influence of the Spirit and the influence of alcohol, but before we deal with this specific contrast and the details of this verse, letʼs delve a little into Paulʼs understanding of the role of the Spirit. In Paulʼs theology the Spirit (as in the Holy Spirit) is frequently contrasted with the flesh. Flesh for Paul is not simply our physicality (as though Paul is contrasting the materiality of flesh with the immateriality of Spirit); rather, flesh is code for anything within us (physical, emotional, spiritual etc.) that would incline us toward sin. In Galatians 5:19-21 Paul lists among the works of the flesh sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies and things like these. He contrasts these with fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness [and] self-

5 5 control. For Paul, as we walk by/are filled with the Spirit, we are made able to put away the works of the flesh and bear the fruit that the Spirit produces. Now back to Ephesians 5:18. As we walk through the verse, Paul gives a clear prohibition against getting drunk: And do not get drunk with wine. Now some folks might feel inclined to nitpick regarding what constitutes drunkenness and whether there might actually be a difference between being sinfully drunk and unsinfully drunk. Although I myself appreciate the subtle nuances that are crucial in any theological or ethical discussion, I think we can safely rule out the idea that there is any kind of distinction between being sinfully vs. unsinfully drunk. Drunkenness in and of itself is contrasted with being filled with the Spirit, which seems to rule out the idea that someone can be drunk and still in that instance be walking in accordance with the Spiritʼs direction. Put another way, the Spirit does not lead anyone to get drunk. But what exactly does it mean to be drunk? As we saw above, God has told us expressly in his word that he has given us wine to make our hearts glad (Psalm 104:15). As I mentioned in commenting on this verse, those of us who have drunk alcohol before can testify to this effect. Alcohol creates a cheerfulness and a pleasant relaxation. But obviously, at some point a line can be crossed from looseness and comfort to a loss of self-control. And that is just what being drunk means: being under the effects of alcohol such that you are no longer in control of what you are thinking, doing or saying. * A close look at Ephesians 5:18 bears this out. In this verse being drunk is virtually equated with debauchery. Debauchery is a word most people donʼt know the meaning of (or even the pronunciation of [Itʼs pronounced dih-bawch-uh-ree]). In short, it means an excessive indulgence in sensuality. In Spiritual terms (notice the capital S, as in Holy Spirit), being drunk would be the point at which alcohol is inclining you in mind, body or speech away from the Spirit and into the indulgence of the flesh (remembering our discussion of flesh above). And so Paul can contrast getting drunk with being filled with the Spirit. Not simply because being drunk is itself a work of the flesh (See Galatians 5:19-21) but because being drunk means you are under the control of something other than the Spirit. And for Paul if youʼre not under the direction of the Spirit, youʼre under the direction of the flesh, which is not a good state to be in. As Peter wrote,...whatever overcomes a person, to that he is enslaved (2 Peter 2:19 ESV). If we are the servants of God and walking by the Spirit, we cannot allow ourselves to be the servants of being drunk. 3. A Way Forward So, while Scripture does not in any way prohibit the use of alcohol and, in fact, commends it as a picture of Godʼs favor and as a gift that makes us glad, Scripture also warns us about the abuse of alcohol and its potential dangers. So then how do we live this out in the church? In applying this, I want to consider three different types of people: First, those who come from a background where alcohol was forbidden; second, those who come from a background where alcohol was abused; and third, those who come from a background where alcohol use was, more or less, practiced within biblical bounds. * It is arguable that this line has been crossed as soon as someone starts to have that buzzed feeling. Also, others who are present are often better assessors than the person drinking of whether or not that person has crossed the line into drunkenness. This is one way that alcohol can be treated responsibly in community.

6 6 First, for those who come from a teetotaler background, keep this in mind: There is nothing in Scripture that says you must consume alcohol. There are plenty of other pictures of Godʼs grace in his good creation; you arenʼt missing out on anything essential by continuing to abstain from alcohol. Keep this mind, too, though: You cannot condemn your brothers and sisters who do consume alcohol within biblical limits. Paul wrote in Romans 14:3, Let not the one who eats despise the one who abstains, and let no the one who abstains pass judgment on the one who eats, for God has welcomed him (ESV). The immediate application of Paulʼs words had to do with those who could not in good conscience eat food purchased in the market place because it had previously been devoted to a pagan god. But by analogy we could use the same verse with regard to alcohol use. The conscience of some would be scandalized by drinking alcohol, but they cannot bind the conscience of others to also abstain from alcohol, especially in light of the fact that there is absolutely no blanket, biblical prohibition of alcohol. So if you choose not to drink, do so to the Lord, but donʼt bind the conscience of others where God himself does not bind it. And if you choose to drink, donʼt overdo it. Donʼt be like the kid who finally learns heʼs allowed to play in the ocean and ends up getting sucked in by the undertow. As disturbing as the image might be, Scripture doesnʼt mince words when it comes to describing the effects of the abuse of alcohol. Walk by the Spirit and you will not indulge the desires of the flesh. Second, for those who come from a background where alcohol was abused, perhaps you yourself abused alcohol at some point in the past. If thatʼs the case, the Scriptural cautions against alcohol that we looked at above need to be heavily considered. We cannot think that simply in light of our repentance of past struggles, all those struggles have simply been removed. If you do choose to consume alcohol, be particularly mindful of those past struggles (and let someone else know about them, too). If you find that by the power of the Spirit you can enjoy alcohol biblically, then great. If you find that it continues to be a struggle to avoid overindulging, it would be best to abstain (at least for a season). Perhaps, too, you should consider whether alcohol use is a psychological addiction that the Spirit is calling you to break. All of that has to happen in the context of Christian community, of course; none of us walk in the Spirit alone, after all. Or perhaps in your background it was a family member who abused alcohol. Perhaps for you the thought of drinking alcohol yourself or of being around others who do is just too much to handle. In this case Scripture calls for a great deal of charity which means, as weʼll see in a moment, your brothers and sisters owe a great deal of charity to you. Third, for those who come from a more neutral background, much of whatʼs been said already applies to you. There is nothing in Scripture that mandates alcohol use for yourself or for others. If you enjoy alcohol, do so to the Lord. If your brother or sister does not drink alcohol, God says you cannot despise them (Romans 14:3). And perhaps, most importantly, keep in mind these words: [20] Do not, for the sake of food, destroy the work of God. Everything is indeed clean, but it is wrong for anyone to make another stumble by what he eats. [21] It is good not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything that causes your brother to stumble. (Romans 14:20-21 ESV) If your fellow Christian (abstainer or someone from a background where alcohol was abused) is scandalized by your drinking alcohol, then Scripture advises that you not drink alcohol around that person. All that we do, we are called to do in order to build up others, remembering that the kingdom of God is more important than matters of food and drink:

7 7 [15] For if your brother is grieved by what you eat, you are no longer walking in love. By what you eat, do not destroy the one for whom Christ died. [16] So do not let what you regard as good be spoken of as evil. [17] For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. [18] Whoever thus serves Christ is acceptable to God and approved by men. [19] So then let us pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding. (Romans 14:15-19 ESV) Conclusion Scripture provides wonderful images of the blessings of alcohol and at the same time screams jarring warnings about its abuse. How we live in light of this duality in the community of our fellow believers is worth giving our attention to and changing our behavior around. Scripture envisions a body of believers that can house (in the same house) those who would prefer to abstain from alcohol and those who want to enjoy it in light of Scripture. Walking in love with one another, spurring one another on to walk by the Holy Spirit, and calling one another to greater Christ-likeness in all aspects of our lives are our goals with regard to alcohol use and everything else. In short, it would be best to sum up our call with the words of Scripture itself as we navigate the spectrum on alcohol use: [31] So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. (1 Corinthians 10:31 ESV) Shawn Honey