To Wine Or Not To Wine!

My wife and I will on occasion while out at dinner or an evening at home enjoy a glass of wine or an alcoholic beverage. I was wondering if you could give me some insight as to what the bibles position is about alcohol??

thank you,

Jon Meyer

I had to check out the references of some bible historians to complete this question and got differing answers and received no help there. I sometimes get a kick out of some scholars who quote the scriptures without rightly dividing the Word. It could be that this is one of the most argued points in the scriptures. Not one of the ones I referenced went to the original translations and here especially, it doesn’t hurt to reference the Hebrew & Greek. My references are the Strongs Concordance & the Davis Dictionary of the Bible.

• Yayin = [Hebrew] Intoxicating Fermented Wine
• Killayown = [Hebrew] Dealing with Consumption of Wine “fermented or unfermented”.
• Oinophlugia = [Greek] Drunkenness

Proverbs 20:1 Wine (yayin) is a mocker, strong drink is raging: and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise.

Proverbs 23:30 They that tarry long at the wine; they that go to seek mixed wine (yayin). 23:31: Look not thou upon the wine (yayin) when it is red, when it giveth his colour in the cup, when it moveth itself aright. 23:32: At the last it biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like an adder.

Habakkuk 2:15 Woe unto him that giveth his neighbour drink, that puttest thy bottle to him, and makest him drunken also, that thou mayest look on their nakedness! Thou art filled with shame for glory: drink thou also, and let thy foreskin be uncovered: the cup of the Lord’s right hand shall be turned unto thee, and shameful spewing shall be on thy glory. (referencing the word yayin)

Mark15:23 And they gave him to drink wine (killayown) mingled with myrrh: but he received it not. “medicinal”

John 2:3 And when they wanted wine (killayown), the mother of Jesus saith unto him, They have no wine (killayown). 2:4 Jesus saith unto her, Woman, what have I to do with thee? mine hour is not yet come. 2:5 His mother saith unto the servants, Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it. 2:6 And there were set there six waterpots of stone, after the manner of the purifying of the Jews, containing two or three firkins apiece. 2:7 Jesus saith unto them, Fill the waterpots with water. And they filled them up to the brim. 2:8 And he saith unto them, Draw out now, and bear unto the governor of the feast. And they bare it. 2:9 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, 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. “unfermented, not refering to the word (yayin)”

Ephesians 5:18 And be not drunk with wine (killayown), wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;

1st Timothy 5:23 Drink no longer water, but use a little wine (killayown) for thy stomach’s sake and thine often infirmities. “medicinal”

1st Peter 4:3: For the time past of our life may suffice us to have wrought the will of the Gentiles, when we walked in lasciviousness, lusts, excess of wine (oinophlugia), revellings, banquetings, and abominable idolatries:

What is the Bibles position on alcohol or strong drink? There isn’t a command not to drink in the scriptures that I can find. As for me as a pastor, I’m not to be given to wine. (1 Timothy 3:3) And if you drink it to access, it’ll make a fool out of you. Just sayin!