Category: Social Drinking

Full disclosure, I believe the Bible teaches that it is a sin to drink alcohol socially. I mean by that the use of alcohol in social situations such as dinners, banquets and parties, is a sinful use of alcohol. As such a Christian should not imbibe. I believe that an understanding of the English translations and the use of the term “wine” to translate the Greek and Hebrew supports my view. I believe that the Greek word (potos), used in 1 Peter 4:3 has reference to drinking socially (without respect to amount), and is condemned in that passage as sin.

However, I know that not all Christians agree with that assessment. So, I would like to take another tact to help explain the danger of drinking alcohol, or engaging in the use of other intoxicants.

There are two passages which help form the thought. The first is Proverbs 31:1-9, where King Lemuel’s mother taught him, “It is not for kings, O Lemuel, it is not for kings to drink wine, or for rulers to take strong drink…” The second is 1 Timothy 3:3, indicating that an overseer in the church is one who cannot be “given to wine…”

Continue reading “The Patternists: A Different Approach to Social Drinking” →

The phrase “not given to wine” appears twice in the New Testament, both times as a qualification for elder (1 Timothy 3:3; Titus 1:7). There are two words in the Greek (me — not), an expression of absolute denial; and (paroinos — given to wine), a combination word. The first part (par) indicates nearness to or in the vicinity of. The second part (oinos) references wine — in this case fermented wine.

The meaning is simple. An elder is not to be in the company of alcohol. It should not be his practice to be around, to linger, or to be consuming alcohol.

This is certainly good advice for every Christian. The use of intoxicants indicates a severe lack of spiritual maturity. As Peter indicated in first epistle, “For we have spent enough of our past lifetime in doing the will of the Gentiles—when we walked in lewdness, lusts, drunkenness, revelries, drinking parties, and abominable idolatries” (1 Peter 4:3). You will note that the illicit practices of the Gentiles that Peter calls for us to give up include interaction with alcohol to every degree, from drunkenness to social drinking (“drinking parties“).

Remember these words from a book of wisdom, “Do not look on the wine when it is red, when it sparkles in the cup, when it swirls around smoothly; 32 At the last it bites like a serpent, and stings like a viper” (Proverbs 23:31-32). The worldly act foolishly every day, imbibing in self-destructive intoxicants. The Christian needs to be wiser in his walk.

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The sermon examines the use of alcohol, seeking to answer from the scriptures whether it is sinful to drink what is commonly claimed to be moderate amounts of alcohol in a social setting.

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Pitfalls are traps set by Satan, that are not always immediately evident. Satan makes his enticements seem sometimes innocent, and always enticings. We must be on Guard, because:

• Strong Drink is a Pitfall
• Dancing is a Pitfall
• Evil Companionship is a Pitfall
• Fault Finding is a Pitfall

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The question of our title is similar to other questions that have been asked. Can a Christian be a lawyer? Or, can a Christian tend bar?

Those questions speak of the morality of the two occupations. While I believe that a Christian could certainly practice law, there are certain types of lawyers who seem, if they do their job successfully, to violate Christian morality.

However, when I ask the question, “Can a Christian be President?” I am not so concerned with the ethics of the job; rather, I am referring to the electability of a Christian. I am convinced that one who truly holds to the teachings of Jesus Christ would be considered an extremist, and would have no chance of being elected to the highest office in America.

Continue reading “In The News: Can A Christian Be President” →

Podcast Number 34

Social Drinking apologists sometimes point to the wedding feast at Cana (where Jesus turned the water into wine) as justification for social drinking. An examination of the context, as well as the greek word for wine show this argumentation to be without merit.

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“Wine is a mocker, Strong drink is a brawler, And whoever is led astray by it is not wise”
~ Proverbs 20:1

We live in a time where social drinking is considered acceptable by the worldly, and is even championed by some in the Lord’s church. There has been much said and written about the words used for wine in both the Hebrew and Greek language, but I have read little about the phrase “strong drink” found several times in the Old Testament, and once (with regard to John the Baptist) in the New Testament, in Luke (1:15).

The Hebrew word shekar, is found 24 times in the Old Testament (according to Strong’s Concordance), and is translated “strong drink” (22 times), “strong wine” (1 time), and “drunkards” (1 time). The word is defined by Genesius in his Hebrew Dictionary as “strong drink, intoxicating liquor, whether wine or intoxicating liquor like wine made from barley, or distilled from honey or dates.” Strong defines the term as “an intoxicant; i.e. intensely alcoholic liquor.

The root from which the term shekar derives, (shakar), means “to become tipsy; to be filled with drink abundantly; to become drunk” (Strong’s); and it shares it’s root with Hebrew terms shikkerown, the name of a town in Palestine which literally means drunkenness, and shikkarown, translated drunkenness.

Continue reading “Strong Drink” →