Quote:
Originally Posted by Debau
(cf. john 2:10 "well drunk".)
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John 2:10 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.
This is the "ruler of the feast" speaking as to the custom of holding back the worse wine (which would be newer, not older); it does not say the men were intoxicated, which was my point. This verse doesn't help the case that wine means grape juice, unless the ruler of the feast couldn't tell the difference between grape juice and alcoholic wine. Or are you are saying the Lord made grape juice that tasted like alcoholic wine? To what end?
It is not as if this is the only passage that is relevant here. Romans 14 is much more important since it is Paul speaking directly to our conduct:
Romans 14:21-23 It is good neither to eat flesh, nor to drink wine, nor any thing whereby thy brother stumbleth, or is offended, or is made weak. Hast thou faith? have it to thyself before God. Happy is he that condemneth not himself in that thing which he alloweth. And he that doubteth is damned if he eat, because he eateth not of faith: for whatsoever is not of faith is sin.
It would strain credulity to call wine "grape juice" in this passage since there is nothing offensive to someone about drinking grape juice. Moreover this passage tells us how our conduct should be regarding this very issue. Adding rules about consuming wine goes beyond what Paul teaches here and is therefore legalism.