For reasons that are admittedly understandable, alcohol is a needlessly controversial issue in the Christian faith. For some, it's almost a non-issue. Sadly, too many Christians think it's perfectly ok to get drunk. These people will get quite upset if you suggest otherwise. On the flip side, particularly in Western culture, there are those who suggest to even touch a drop of alcohol at any time is a grievous sin, with some even believing it's a sign of false faith. In this article, I want to address the latter view, and show that while it is definitely a sin to get drunk, there is no sin in drinking in moderation.
Implicit evidence
The first evidence that alcohol is permissible is that, first of all, it is never explicitly forbidden, even where you would think it should be. You will search in vain for "thou shalt not consume alcohol". What you will find is "don't be given to much wine". 1 Timothy 3:8 and Titus 2:3 both command certain Christians not to be given to "much" wine, whereas if wine was a particular problem, it would be easy to just say "not given to wine".
Of course, throughout scripture, we do see warnings about drunkenness. Drunkards literally will not inherit the Kingdom of God unless they repent (1 Corinthians 6:10), and we are commanded not to be drunk with wine, in which there is excess, but to be filled with the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 5:18). Drunkenness is undoubtedly a sin. Nevertheless, drunkenness is not a guarantee when you drink. Drinking in moderation, staying within your own limits, does not cause drunkenness. The sin in this regard is more along the lines of having too much of a good thing.
Unlike God, nothing on this earth is perfect. Even the good things we can have are problematic in large amounts. Rest is good, laziness leads to condemnation. Food is good, gluttony is sin. Marriage is honorable and the bed undefiled, but sexual immorality is an abomination. Money is useful, wealth corrupts. The list could continue for 10 times the length of this article, but the point is just because too much alcohol, which leads to drunkenness, is bad, does not mean alcohol itself is bad.
Wine in the Old Testament
In fact, scripture says as much. Far from being silent on the issue, the Bible has high praise for alcohol. In Psalm 104:14-15, for example, we read "He causeth the grass to grow for the cattle, and herb for the service of man: that he may bring forth food out of the earth; And wine that maketh glad the heart of man, and oil to make his face to shine, and bread which strengtheneth man's heart." Wine is listed among the good things God provides for man, with the express purpose of making our hearts glad.
Furthermore, Proverbs 9:1-6 tells us "Wisdom hath builded her house, she hath hewn out her seven pillars: She hath killed her beasts; she hath mingled her wine; she hath also furnished her table. She hath sent forth her maidens: she crieth upon the highest places of the city, Whoso is simple, let him turn in hither: as for him that wanteth understanding, she saith to him, Come, eat of my bread, and drink of the wine which I have mingled. Forsake the foolish, and live; and go in the way of understanding."
In or world, wisdom is the most precious thing you can seek besides the Lord Himself. It's not mere knowledge, but an ability to properly apply it to life, leading to good morals, and even the natural good rewards thereof. Those who live wisely may, by God's design, still suffer in many ways. After all, one of the few drawbacks of being "good" is that evil will do whatever it takes to exterminate you, and it doesn't fight fair. Nevertheless, wisdom is a good thing that generally leads to more good things. Here we see wisdom being parabolically presented as a great woman with a stable house, and rather bountiful feast. This feast includes wine.
Now, if you're going to personify wisdom in poetic fashion, you're not likely to do present it as a foul temptress. "Wisdom saith come, smoketh my freshly wrapped marijuana, I grew it myself". It's just not logical to associate wisdom with something truly bad. Yet, here, wisdom says "come drink of the wine I've mingled".
So, clearly, alcohol is seen as a blessing from God, and can even be associated quite comfortably with wisdom without seeming out of place. This ties in quite nicely with passages like Deuteronomy 14:22-26, which reads "Thou shalt truly tithe all the increase of thy seed, that the field bringeth forth year by year. And thou shalt eat before the Lord thy God, in the place which he shall choose to place his name there, the tithe of thy corn, of thy wine, and of thine oil, and the firstlings of thy herds and of thy flocks; that thou mayest learn to fear the Lord thy God always. And if the way be too long for thee, so that thou art not able to carry it; or if the place be too far from thee, which the Lord thy God shall choose to set his name there, when the Lord thy God hath blessed thee: Then shalt thou turn it into money, and bind up the money in thine hand, and shalt go unto the place which the Lord thy God shall choose: And thou shalt bestow that money for whatsoever thy soul lusteth after, for oxen, or for sheep, or for wine, or for strong drink, or for whatsoever thy soul desireth: and thou shalt eat there before the Lord thy God, and thou shalt rejoice, thou, and thine household,"
Of course, this passage isn't designed to say "yeah, go drink some booze", but it does present wine or strong drink as an entirely valid option. "whatsoever thy soul lusteth after". If you just want some beef, fine, you don't have to have wine. But if your soul lusts after wine or strong drink, you buy that, you drink it before the Lord, and you and your household will rejoice at this feast. Now, obviously, unclean animals aren't included. Do you think a pig would be acceptable? Of course not. The Jews were to regard pigs as abominations. Well, you don't see pigs on that list there. Oxen? Sheep? Good. But no pigs. Yet, wine and strong drink are right there, plain as the nose on your face. How can the Lord, who can neither be tempted to sin, nor does He tempt anyone (James 1:13-14) tell His covenant people "if your soul lusteth after strong drink, buy it, drink it before me, and rejoice"? Simple: Because strong drink is not sin.
Jesus' first miracle
Further evidence of this, and perhaps a far stronger example, is Jesus' first, and probably most famous miracle. Mary and Jesus are invited to a wedding that runs out of wine prematurely, so Mary comes to Jesus, informs Him they've run out of win, and tells the servants "do what He tells you". So Jesus tells them to fill 6 stone jars with water, which they do, then says take it to the chief servant, which they do, and boom, it's the best wine they've tasted. "When the ruler of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and knew not whence it was: (but the servants which drew the water knew;) the governor of the feast called the bridegroom, And saith unto him, Every man at the beginning doth set forth good wine; and when men have well drunk, then that which is worse: but thou hast kept the good wine until now." (John 2:9-10).
Now, God's mercies, quite frankly, are unfathomable. He sent His Son to bear our sins on a cross just so we wouldn't have to perish in Hell, so suffice to say He's quite happy to save us from the consequences of our sin, at least to a certain degree. Not that He won't give us a clip round the ear in order to correct us (for God disciplines whom He loves, Hebrews 12:6), but He might protect us from the consequences of even our greatest iniquities. Suffice to say, however, He will never help us sin. Do you imagine Jesus would have turned a fork into a dagger for a thief? Would He have turned a sausage into a condom for an adulterer? Would He have turned a straw into a needle for a heroin addict? Yet, here we have Jesus providing wine for a wedding, and it's the best wine.
Jesus drank
Those who are firmly against alcohol will argue that the wine Jesus provided wasn't alcoholic. There are several problems with this, starting with the fact there is literally no evidence. There's no evidence from the text that this is the case (and in fact the text suggests the opposite). There's no historical evidence that Jews had any aversion to alcohol, much less that they would serve non-alcoholic wine from best to worst at weddings. There's not no evidence for this claim other than the assumption that Jesus is somehow against alcohol.
But the greatest clue that this isn't the case comes from the fact that Jesus not only drank, but did so often enough that He was accused of being a winebibber. In Matthew 11:18-19, we read "For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, He hath a devil. The Son of man came eating and drinking, and they say, Behold a man gluttonous, and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners. But wisdom is justified of her children." Luke 7:33-34 gives us the same account: "For John the Baptist came neither eating bread nor drinking wine; and ye say, He hath a devil. The Son of man is come eating and drinking; and ye say, Behold a gluttonous man, and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners!"
Now notice, in both accounts, this is Jesus speaking. Here, He contrasts His drinking habits with John the Baptist's. John famously lived off locusts and honey (Matthew 3:4; Mark 1:6), so no alcohol for him. But Jesus not only drank, He was so known for it, He was accused of being a winebibber!
Now, obviously, Jesus wasn't a winebibber. He knew, and kept within His limits. He's the perfect man, knowing no sin from His birth until even now. But here we have Him admitting "I came drinking and you call me a winebibber". Notice, He doesn't say "I came drinking, but it's not even alcoholic you numpties!" In fact, that would be silly. If it wasn't alcoholic, don't you think the Jews would have known right away?
To really illustrate the absurdity of the premise, consider the image to the right. Believe it or not, that's actually just apple juice. Why is it frothy? Because it has a calcium pill in it. I like to use apple juice to disguise the taste of supplements or medication simply because it's the only drink I find effective at doing so. Yet, my pastor didn't even blink when he saw me drinking it. It's apple juice. People know what apple juice looks like, people know it's a common drink, and heck, most customers at that café probably know it's on the menu. Lager, not so much. So even if someone jokes about how it's a bit early for drinking, it's easy to convince them "no, I just have a supplement pill in it".
In the same way, the people in Jesus' time, while their theological wisdom was certainly questionable, could almost certainly tell the difference between wine and grape juice. It is unfathomable that they'd mistake Jesus for a winebibber, even intentionally, if He never touched a drop, and it's beyond ridiculous that Jesus would basically say "hey, John doesn't drink, but I do" if He didn't. Jesus' confession that He drank, and the fact He was accused of being a winebibber for it, only makes sense if He drank actual wine.
[Post publication note: One verse I could have included, and in hindsight probably should have, is Isaiah 1:22, which says "Thy silver is become dross, thy wine mixed with water:" In context, God is listing a number of ways in which Israel has gone astray, with this verse being sandwiched between murderers living in the city (v21), and thieves, rebels, and bribers being considered friends (v23). In other words, watered down wine is considered a bad thing.]
Christian liberty explicitly covers alcohol
Furthermore, the New Testament affirms that we have the right to do likewise. This isn't Jesus exercising some kind of divine privilege (although Matthew 3:15 strongly suggests He never had any such ideas anyway), but rather, we can follow His example. It is worth mentioning, at this point, that it is entirely permissible not to drink alcohol. It seems strange to say it, but you'll understand what I mean in a moment.
See, beginning with Romans 14, we see an interesting issue described colloquially as Christian Liberty. Christian Liberty is the idea that there are some issues on which Christians can afford to differ in our moral convictions. This leads to a distinction between what Paul calls "stronger" and "weaker" brethren. Stronger brethren are inherently more libertarian. They are more likely to celebrate certain seasons, eat certain foods, and, yes, drink certain drinks. Weaker brethren, by contrast, are more likely to be offended by things that are otherwise permissible. Paul's message to both is to effectively cease with petty squabbles over these issues and receive each other (Romans 14:1), but he does clarify that although nothing he describes is inherently sinful (which does include drink, v17, 21), it can become sinful if it does not come from faith (v23). Therefore, those who are against alcohol are 100% free to remain against alcohol, but only for the Lord.
The problem comes when it isn't the Lord it's done for. Even a stronger brother can ironically be weak if his strength does not come from faith. When you drink, why are you drinking? Are you giving thanks to God for this great blessing, or are you just one more lover of worldly pleasure living for yourself? If the former, great. You are literally doing nothing wrong. Furthermore, if it is truly about the Lord and not yourself, you will have no problem respecting the boundaries of others, to the extent of foregoing your liberties for sake of the weaker brethren.
Nevertheless, Paul has this to say: "Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days: Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ. Let no man beguile you of your reward in a voluntary humility and worshipping of angels, intruding into those things which he hath not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind, And not holding the Head, from which all the body by joints and bands having nourishment ministered, and knit together, increaseth with the increase of God. Wherefore if ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, are ye subject to ordinances, (Touch not; taste not; handle not; Which all are to perish with the using;) after the commandments and doctrines of men? Which things have indeed a shew of wisdom in will worship, and humility, and neglecting of the body: not in any honour to the satisfying of the flesh." (Colossians 2:16-23) "Who art thou that judgest another man's servant? to his own master he standeth or falleth. Yea, he shall be holden up: for God is able to make him stand." (Romans 14:4).
What we see here is that God, and God alone, has the right to judge His servants. Us? Paul scolds the false piety of those who make up ascetical traditions and bind them upon the faithful. Let no one judge you in drink, it's a shadow of things to come. Don't let anyone beguile you of your reward with their fleshly minds. They're bringing these ordinances, "don't touch, don't taste, don't handle", but these are the commandments of men. These look like worship and humility, but they're of no value in curbing self-indulgence.
Unfortunately, this is the mentality of many preachers today. They do judge the faithful with regard to their drink, they do command "taste not", all in the name of appearing pious and curbing self-indulgence. But my simple message to such preachers is this: You will incur a judgement for this (James 3:1). It is not your job to conceal, and certainly not to alter the word of God. You do not get to lie about liberty, even if you don't trust them to use it properly. The responsibility to use it properly is on them. Your job is to learn and preach it.
Wine for the perishing
A final point I want to squeeze in is that regardless of what the normal rules are, scripture does indicate a particularly unfortunate exception. In Proverbs 31:6-7, we read "Give strong drink unto him that is ready to perish, and wine unto those that be of heavy hearts. Let him drink, and forget his poverty, and remember his misery no more."
One way or another, we all have to leave this world. Sometimes, it is a peaceful exit. You go to sleep one night in your old age, and wake up in the presence of the Lord. Others are not so lucky, and this could include you. Some people die slowly of mortal wounds, or painful disease. At that point, the need to be sober minded seems to diminish. Thinks which are ordinarily best avoided seem to be recommended here, for no other reason than mercy. "This man is dying, so give him a drink so he forgets his misery". It makes perfect sense.
Conclusion
And so I must contend that the idea that alcohol is impermissible, while popular among many Christians (particularly, it seems, those of the Baptism persuasion), is wrong. Scripture certainly contains many warnings about alcohol abuse, but there is nothing biblically wrong with drinking in moderation. There are no statements telling us that alcohol is wrong, even when you would expect to see such condemnations. The blessing of alcohol is taken for granted in analogies for wisdom, and it is further explicitly stated as a good thing given to us by God. Explicit permission to drink is given in both Old and New Testaments, and Jesus Himself drank. All attempts to explain these away are ad hoc, attempting to conform scripture to tradition, rather than using scripture to form our opinions. Therefore, preachers who oppose alcohol in all scenarios are mishandling the scriptures, and are in need of immediate repentance, for Paul tells us that even believers may suffer loss of reward (1 Corinthians 3:10-15). As Christians, we are fully allowed to reject alcohol, and in the majority of cases, it may even be wise to do so, but scripture is very clear that those "stronger brethren", to whom the strength of faith has been given, are entirely capable of giving thanks to the Lord for the blessing of strong drink, and they are glorifying Him every time they do so.