Over the years, we have received several variations of this question, and the proper use of wine as taught in the Bible.  Let’s look at this again.

It is written in John, chapter two, that the Lord and His disciples were invited to a wedding.  In those days, a wedding feast could go on for several days.  During the course of this wedding feast, they ran out of wine.  We read in John 2:6-10, “And there were set there six waterpots of stone, after the manner of the purifying of the Jews, containing two or three firkins apiece. Jesus saith unto them, Fill the waterpots with water. And they filled them up to the brim. And he saith unto them, Draw out now, and bear unto the governor of the feast. And they bare it. 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.”  It is important to note that the Greek word for wine is “oinos” and always refers to an intoxicating drink.  Some have said this was NEW WINE and was not intoxicating.  However, we read of the effect of new wine in Acts 2:1-13.  On the day of Pentecost, the believers there began to “began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.” (Verse 4).  This amazed those who witnessed this behavior, and they began to speculate about what was going on.  We read in verse 13, “Others mocking said, These men are full of NEW WINE.”  The language used here shows that new wine was intoxicating.

The topic of drinking alcoholic beverages is hotly contested in different circles.  Some demand complete abstinence from any beer, wine, or liquor.  They refer to verses like Proverbs 23:31-32 which says, “Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth his colour in the cup, when it moveth itself aright. At the last it biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like an adder.”  Here, the thought is that one should not desire the wine when it is the most potent…someone who waits for the wine to reach its greatest time of alcohol potency, then drink to become drunk. Solomon warns them not to, “tarry long at the wine.”  (Proverbs 23:30), which refers to someone who lingers long into the night and continues to drink. 

The Lord Jesus evidently drank wine as we read in 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!”  The Lord was addressing those who had rejected Him, exposing their hatred and hypocrisy.  They criticized the Lord for drinking wine, although it was common practice.  They even criticized Him for making friends out of Publicans and sinners…those who truly needed Him. 

Let’s look at a warning against drinking too much.  We read in Ephesians 5:18, “And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit.”  We see here that wine is not forbidden, but drinking excessively is strictly forbidden.  Some may have a conscience against drinking any alcoholic beverage at all…and that is fine.  Scripture does not instruct us to drink, but if we do drink alcohol, we must limit our intake and stop drinking before it makes us drunk.  One who is filled with alcohol will be controlled by it.  The Lord wants us to be controlled by the Holy Spirit by being filled with Him.

Drinking socially is not condemned in the scriptures.  We read in Ecclesiastes 9:7, “Go thy way, eat thy bread with joy, and drink thy wine with a merry heart; for God now accepteth thy works.”  Psalm 104:14-15 speaks of the blessings of the Lord.  That says, “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.” 

So, while we are not forbidden to drink alcohol, we are instructed to limit our drinking so that we do not become drunk.  That is forbidden. There are known advantages to drinking wine for medical purposes (1 Timothy 5:23).  However, there are those who can easily become addicted to alcohol, so they should abstain completely for their own health’s sake.  (CC)  (670.2)