Thread: Luke 12: 46
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Old 05-02-2009, 12:50 PM
Winman Winman is offline
 
Join Date: Dec 2008
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Well, this will probably cause a big uproar, but I do not believe the scriptures absolutely forbid all drinking. Now that said, the scriptures clearly condemn drunkenness.

Luke 7:34 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!

Matt 11:19 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.

Now here the Lord Jesus himself said he came eating and drinking. Now, if he had only drank water, I hardly think people would have had reason to call him a winebibber. Our modern term for winebibber is a "wino" or "drunk".

And Jesus first miracle was to make wine. Now, I have heard many pastors preach this was new wine, but I do not believe that's what the scriptures say. Read careful and see my remarks after. This is the wedding feast in John chapter 2.

John 2:7 Jesus saith unto them, Fill the waterpots with water. And they filled them up to the brim. 8 And he saith unto them, Draw out now, and bear unto the governor of the feast. And they bare it. 9 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, 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.

First, notice that the word "good wine" is used, not "new wine". Now stop and think about this for a moment, what makes wine "good"?? The answer is AGE. Everybody knows including non-drinkers that the more wine ages, the better it gets. People pay very high prices for old, aged wines. So this "good" wine has fermented and is absolutely alcoholic.

And this was what was so remarkable about this wine, not that Jesus has just made it from water, but that it also had the characteristics of very old, aged wine, that would be much better than new wine.

So, I don't know if the Lord drank wine, it seems to go against the grain of everything preachers and pastors have always taught. But the scriptures themselves seem to clearly say that Jesus did drink wine. That said, Jesus never sinned, so we know for absolute certain that he did not get intoxicated.

Now, I know this goes against what everybody has always been taught, but I try to read the Bible as for what it says, not what men teach.

And we know in 1 Corinthians that people in the church were drinking alcoholic wine, because they became drunk.

1 Cor 11:21 For in eating every one taketh before other his own supper: and one is hungry, and another is drunken. 22 What? have ye not houses to eat and to drink in? or despise ye the church of God, and shame them that have not? What shall I say to you? shall I praise you in this? I praise you not.

Now, pay careful attention here. We know they were drinking alcoholic wine because they were drunken.

But the next verse (22) is even more significant. Look at Paul's response. Paul said "What? have ye not houses to eat and to drink in?"

Now, this is significant. If it was absolutely forbidden for Christians to drink alcoholic beverages, then certainly Paul would have condemned it right here. Paul could have said right here that Christians can never drink wine or other alcoholic beverages. But he does not. He was in effect saying, if you want to drink excessively, you can always do that at home, but you should never eat like a glutton or drink to drunkenness in the church.

And then we have the qualifications for deacons.

1 Tim 3:8 Likewise must the deacons be grave, not doubletongued, not given to much wine, not greedy of filthy lucre;

Now, this verse does not forbid a deacon to drink wine, it forbids a deacon to drink MUCH wine. That is to be drunken or a winebibber.

Now, I know this will offend many, but I try to understand the scriptures for what they truly say, not what men teach, even if that person is a great and sincere preacher or pastor.

I do not write this to condone drinking alcoholic beverages, I think every person is better off not drinking. But I do not think we should condemn a person for having a glass of wine with dinner, I think the scriptures allow very moderate drinking.

Last edited by Winman; 05-02-2009 at 12:57 PM.