I think it is because you can drink sociably and stay sober-minded. I also believe Jesus does not frown on drinking sociably, because Jesus would never do anything to "entrap" us into committing a sin.
The reason I believe this is because Jesus turned water into "very good" wine. If He frowned on drinking alcohol...He would not have done that...he would not have placed those people in a position to "sin".
I also believe Jesus drank some "wine" and passed it around to His Apostles (at The Lord's Supper -- Last Supper).
I do not believe that the wine you refer to was in anyway alcohilic, but simply grape juice. Being drunken is sin and I dont believe you think Jesus would make alcohol which would entice people to get drunk. Any time we drink alcoholic beverages it is almost always to get a buzz or to be friends with people we should probably not be. I want true holiness back in the church. Modern day preaching is just not cutting it and that is why "Christians think this is ok." Many people are going to say on that great day Lord, Lord and yet he will say depart from me you worker of iniquity.
Drinking wine is not a sin, nor is drinking beer or any alcoholic beverage. Drunkenness and allowing our behaviour to be ruled by alcohol is. We are told to avoid being drunk but not to avoid drinking. Drinking wine and being drunk with wine are two different things. Wine is wine and grape juice is grape juice. In every case of the use of the word wine in the OT it is refering to an intoxicant. Therefore, Jesus was making an intoxicant for the wedding. If it had been grape juice people wouldn't have been getting drunk on it and it wouldn't matter which was the better and when it was served. Also those in the priesthood would not have been instructed to abstain from it.
You have to remember that the original purpose of making wine was to preserve the juice. What's more, I think that if drinking wine is a sin I would doubt that it would be something so many of the Churches of the past would engage in making and God would not have included it in the Feasts.
Gen 14:18 And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he was the priest of the most high God.
Gen 27:28 Therefore God give thee of the dew of heaven, and the fatness of the earth, and plenty of corn and wine:
Lev 10:8 And the LORD spoke unto Aaron, saying,
Lev 10:9 Do not drink wine nor strong drink, thou, nor thy sons with thee, when ye go into the tabernacle of the congregation, lest ye die: it shall be a statute forever throughout your generations: This is a command given specifically to Aaron because he was the high priest and he was the symbol of holiness to the people and was to show them the difference between clean and unclean. This command did not apply to all the people of Israel.
Wine was even one of the sacrifices to be made. Lev 23:13 And the meat offering thereof shall be two tenth deals of fine flour mingled with oil, an offering made by fire unto the LORD for a sweet savor: and the drink offering thereof shall be of wine, the fourth part of a hin.
Numbers 6:3 sets the standards for Nazarites and they were also to abstain from drinking wine or strong drink for the period of time that they were under the vow of a Nazarite. (usually lasted about 30 days. Samson was a Nazarite all his life. Paul took this vow twice as recorded in Acts)
The use of the word sober in the NT somtimes means to be discreet and other times it means to be of a sound mind. The idea is that we pay attention to what is going on around us. We are to use discretion in how we think and behave. As we know this is not easy to do when we are drunk. However, there are enough references to the use of wine in the Scriptures to deduce that it is not a sin to drink any alcoholic drinks but if we drink we are to do so moderately.
Your reference to "Many people are going to say on that great day Lord, Lord and yet he will say depart from me you worker of iniquity. " really has nothing to do with Christians who drink. It has to do with those who would say they are a Believer but they have no fruit that is evidence of it. These are people who never had a relationship with Him. He never knew them. They aren't wine drinking Believers.
I don't think that drinking is a sin unless you allow yourself to be drunk on wine/beer/other alcoholic beverage.
BUT...I don't drink. I know it would hurt my testimony with other believers and some non-believers, and I want to avoid that. Also, I have somewhat of an addictive personality, and I'm afraid that once I gave in to the temptation to drink, I would be unable to stop.
How can Christians drink socially? All things are lawful but not all things edify. 1 Cor. 10:23
Thunder has done a good job of listing some of the verses regarding wine. However we need to look at the difference in modern English and Old Testament Hebrew also the lack of modern refrigeration. How long would it take fresh grape juice to become wine? They stored the fresh juice in "new wine skins" (animal stomachs) so that when it began to ferment the skin could expand.
The Hebrew old testament translation mentions "yayin" 134 times (wine). Other fruit juices were sometimes mixed with it as in Song of Solomon 8:2. The next term is "tiyrosh" (little if any alcohol) which means fresh or new wine and is mentioned 38 times. The word for strong drink, "shekar" is found 23 times.
In the New Testament the term "oinos" is used 29 times and refers to any drink that comes from grapes including fermented and non-fermented juice. "Gluekos" is sweet juice (new wine) that is pressed from grapes and can contain enough alcohol to cause intoxication, Acts 2:13.
With out bottled water the people of this era also mixed the water with wine. Some of the Jewish sources I found mention ratios of 3:1 and 4:1. Our modern yeast and fermentation and brewing methods have been perfected to yield high alcohol contents around 14% or more, beer between 3% and 9%. A bag of fermented juice in the New Testament might have a content of .25% to 1.75%. Then mix it with water to sanitize.
The bible does say Jesus made "good" wine for the wedding. It sounds to me that he made fresh juice and not something that rode across the desert on the back of a donkey. Besides, I'm the alcoholic and the sinner. My Savior is not a stumbling block, but the cornerstone.
With over 200 listings for wine in the bible we can find pros and cons to support different points of view. However be cautious not to approach scripture looking to justify a course of action. To drink or not to drink is an opportunity to show our Lord biblical discernment.
I agree with you whereowhere. Drinking will lead to drunkeness. The saying Lord Lord does refer to people who think that they are saved and call themselves Christians. That is why they say Lord Lord if they did not think He was their Lord they would not call Him so. Many people believe in Jesus, but have no heart to obey Him. This will be the saddest day in God's heart when he has to say depart you worker of iniquity. I just guess I wat everyone to go to heaven and the way some people believe and preach just is not cutting it anymore.
I think you and I are on the same page. For almost 20 years I let "wine and new wine enslave my heart" Hosea 4:11. My profile says I drink 1 or 2 on occasion because I like a glass of wine with a big steak; I also like a cold beer after working in the yard on a hot day. The problem is I like these too much, 1 or 2 can easily become 6 or 12.
The question you have posed, "How can christians drink socially?" can only be answered by individuals for individuals. We are commanded to do everything to the glory of God. How does drinking socially glorify Him? It�s not my place to say that it doesn't.
Does 1 or 2 deny self or make provisions for the flesh? How does my choice to have 1 or 2 affect my brothers and sisters in Christ? Am I a stumbling block for them? The questions are serious and the struggles are real.
Jesus warns the 7 churches in Rev. that He knows our works. We are not allowed to interpret biblical issues the way we want. Ignorance will not be an excuse either. I don't condone drinking nor do I condemn those that do. I pray.
The stumbling block for the Jews, was that of religiosity. They were so caught up in the law that they could not see the true meaning behind the law. When I read posts like these, condemning brothers and sisters who have a glass of wine at dinner, it saddens me. Man should never judge the actions of another.. there is one acuser of the brethen, we all know what his name is. If drinking wine causes you to sin, don't drink. If the spirit convicts you about drinking wine, don't drink. If the spirit convicts you about drinking around others who may or may not struggle with such things, don't drink around them. If the spirit of God does not convict you on these matters, have a glass of wine, and thank God for his provisions. But by all means, do not judge one another! There is one judge, he alone stands pure enough to judge the actions of man kind. I fear for those who try to stand in his seat.
Colosians 2:15 'Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day.'
Read Romans 14 And if you think it is saying don't drink wine because it may cause others to stumble, I hope you are not eating meat.. because that too has proven to be a stumbling block for many who think it is wrong. Remember, the same standard you use against your brother will be used against you.
Not one of us is more worthy of heaven than the next. We have all fallen short. It is by grace that we are saved, not because we don't drink wine. Let us love each other, deal with our own sin, and let God determine the sins of others and rather or not they will enter into heaven.
