This is the second part of my argument, Specific instances of alcohol use permitted in the bible.
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The Author’s Argument
Specific Instances of Alcohol Use Permitted in the Bible
Psalm 104 recounts the splendor and majesty of God. The psalmist is blessing God for all the great wonders and works He has done for the earth and its creatures. God established the Earth upon its foundations (v. 5). He causes the grass to grow for the cattle (v. 14a). He made the moon for the seasons (v. 19). The psalmist also blesses God for the fact that He causes vegetation to grow for man “so that he may bring forth food from the earth and wine (yayin) which makes man’s heart glad” (v. 14b-15a). Obviously the use of wine is permitted by God and is seen as a blessing by the psalmist.
John 2 recounts the story of Jesus turning six pots containing water into wine. The headwaiter (or the master of the feast – NKJ) tested the wine and noticed that it was good wine, as opposed to the poorer wine that would normally be served at that stage of the feast, that is, when the party-goers were drunk. If they served the good wine until the party-goers were drunk, it is easily deduced that the good wine is fermented wine, not unfermented grape juice. If this is true, then Jesus must have turned the water into fermented wine; which He could have done easily regardless of fermentation time, since this is a miracle and He is God. As a former lost person, I have been inebriated on more than one occasion. There was never a time when I was inebriated that I could not distinguish between things that tasted good and things that tasted bad. To say that the headwaiter was not inebriated because he noticed the wine was good wine is a failure in experiential logic. But as any drunkard knows, if he is already drunk, he stops caring about what he drinks; as long as it helps keep his “buzz” – which is consistent with the headwaiter’s terminology.
In 1 Timothy 3, Paul gives clear ordinances for the overseer and deacon regarding their lifestyle. An overseer is not to be a drunkard (or given to strong drink) and a deacon is not to be “given to much wine (oinos).” From this biblical evidence, it must be concluded that overseers and deacons are permitted to drink some wine.
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Wine & Strong Drink – Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7, Part 8, Part 9, Part 10, Conclusion