Today we're gonna talk about social drinking. I know it's something that comes to mind a lot, especially this time of year. There is a trend that's kind of rising in our country and around the world, as well, where people are participating in something they call dry January. This is where they're gonna see, they're curious maybe about the benefits of living a lifestyle without alcohol. And so for 31 days, for a month, they'll set that aside and, you know, that that is a good thing. Certainly, of course. But, we're calling for total abstinence year-round, 365 days a year.
But these dry January challenges encourage people to at least put it aside for a month. You know, in 2021 about 15% of US adults that were polled claim that they participated in dry January. And in 2022, 19% participated, and it's expected that this year, 22% of US adults will participate in this. And so it is a rising trend. It's a popular thing.
Headlines Concerning Dry January
I did a Google search on dry January recently. And some of the headlines that came up were interesting.
This has become so popular that alcoholic beverage companies are starting to produce non-alcoholic versions of their drinks. Some have been around for a long time, but others are starting to get involved in that because they're losing money in dry January, and so they're trying to replace that with something else.
- Why not drinking is the hottest thing in drinking.
- How a dry January could help your health.
- One from England, One in seven Brits plan to take part in dry January 2023.
- Dry January wine-loving French Learning to. Non-alcoholic concoctions.
- Sober curious movement picks up speed in 2023.
And so these trends really, they're good, but they don't go far enough. God's word commands complete abstinence from social drinking.
And so we're gonna begin today by looking at some of the terms and, and we're gonna go over these, kind of very brief. Because really what I want to get into is some arguments that people make to try to support social drinking, and I want to get to those, but let's look at the terms of course.
Defining Words about Drinking Alcohol in the Bible
The word wine in the Old Testament is, the Hebrew word yayin. And in the New Testament is the Greek word oinas. Both in both Greek and Hebrew, these terms are generic. They can refer to either fermented or unfermented juice of the grape. And the term is sometimes used even in the Old Testament as the juice that's still in the fruit. The context will tell you which kind is meant. And so that's important that we understand that.
We have a similar concept. The word, cider, especially down in the south, cider is a popular beverage. Cider can be alcoholic cider or non-alcoholic cider. They're both called cider. Sometimes one is referred to as a hard cider and the other one is just referred to as cider. But those are generic. Cider is a generic term. It just depends upon the context in which it's used. The same in the Bible.
Another common word that we'll find translated in the Bible is - strong drink. You know, in the Old Testament the Hebrew word there refers to a strong drink, an intoxicating drink, fermented or intoxicating. And so basically it is an alcoholic beverage that is not wine. And the same is true of the word in the New Testament translated strong drink. It's not wine, but it's something else that is alcoholic, something else that is fermented. And so things like beer or distilled spirits would probably fall under this category. That word of course is always referred to as something that is alcoholic.
Other important words that we need to understand are the terms; drunkenness, or drunken, drunk. This comes from the Greek word methúō - to be drunk with wine. It's used for being intoxicated.
- Matthew 24:49
- Acts 2:15
- 1 Thessalonians 5:7
So this word means to be drunk. It means to be intoxicated. I don't know of any Christian that says that it's okay to be drunk, or okay to be intoxicated. The last word there 1 Thessalonians 5:7, is a derivative of the word methúō, but the word here is methuskō. And this is important that we understand the dictionary definition of the word methuskō means to make drunk or to grow drunk. It is an inceptive verb marking the process or the state expressed in methuskō to become intoxicated. And so, the process of becoming intoxicated Paul equates that to being drunk already. And so once you have begun the process of becoming drunk, you are already there. You are already drunk as far as the Bible is concerned.
And then, another term we need to understand is the word sober.
- 1 Peter 5:8
And now this is also in the imperative mood. An imperative mood implies that this is a command. We are commanded to be sober.
The word translated as be sober is a Greek word, nḗphō, which means to be sober, to be calm and collected in spirit, to be temperate, dispassionate circumspect. Vine's Dictionary says, to be free from the influence of intoxicants.
And so we are to be sober, we're commanded to be free from the influence of intoxicants, to be sober. It also just means to be in your right mind. Not necessarily free from alcoholic influence, but maybe drug influence or the influence of improper thinking. There are a lot of things involved in being sober, but one cannot be sober if their mind is altered chemically in one way or another.
- 1 Timothy 3:2
Here is the word sober, the Greek word here is sōphrōn. Which means to be of a sound mind, to be sane in one's senses, curbing, one's desires and impulses, self-controlled and temperance.
And so to be sober is to be in one's right mind, to be free from things that would cloud our judgment and prevent us from thinking clearly. You know, one cannot be said to be sober when he is under even the slightest influence of alcohol.
- 1 Peter 1:13
I love that term, gird up the loins of your mind. You know, it refers to those that wore those long flowing robes. If you're about to do some heavy work, you're going out to work in the field or you're going into battle, you'd hike those skirts up, you'd tie a belt around it too, to get it up there, and you're ready for hard work.
He says, gird up the loins of your mind. Get your mind ready for spiritual warfare. And he says, be sober, just like he said in 1 Peter 5:8. Because we have an enemy who is out to get us and we've got to be prepared, and we've got to be ready to face him. We've gotta be in our right mind.
- 1 Peter 5:8
"Let us not sleep as do others, but let us watch and be sober for they that sleep, sleep in the night and they that be drunken or drunken in the night. But let us who were of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love and for a helmet, the hope of salvation." — 1 Thessalonians 5:6-8
There's a lot more that we could get into on this. And if you're interested in more of this and doing some study on your own, I recommend a book by WD Jeffcoat called The Bible and Social Drinking. It goes into great detail on a lot more than we have time to do here today.
I wanted just to set down here what the Bible says about drinking, about being sober and defining the terms. So that we can have a general idea of where we're going from here.
Defending Against Arguments People Make for Social Drinking
These justifications, it is amazing to me. I just wonder why people can't just go to the Bible to ascertain what God's word says on anything, and then change their thinking and their lives accordingly. That's what we're called upon to do. That's what the Bible provides for us.
But so many people will simply try to find some kind of justification for what they want to do in God's word. You know, you can twist God's word to say just about anything you want it to say. There are those who do this, and they produce many excuses and justifications for social drinking.
1) The Drink but Don't Get Drunk Argument
Some say the Bible doesn't say you can't drink, it just says you can't get drunk. So they say a person can drink with God's approval as long as they don't get drunk. I don't know any Christian who claims that it's okay for people to go out and get hammered and get drunk and things like that. They say, well, you know, as long as you don't get drunk, it's okay to drink.
But I have a question. At what point does one become drunk?
Remember the Bible defines, to be drunk, as the process of becoming drunk. And so at what point does one become drunk and how can one know how much they can drink before becoming drunk?
I'm speaking from experience here. I hate to admit it, but it is true. I have had experiences in the past where I have drunk to the point of complete intoxication. I've drunk to the point where I passed out for about 16 hours. And so, I know this from experience and there's a point where you are what people would consider drunk. But how do you know how much you can drink to get there? You know, in my mind, the only way to know our limit in something like that is to exceed the limit. Then perhaps next time knowing your limit, you're not going to go past it. But the problem with this line of thinking is that the only way to drink without sinning is to first commit the sin of drunkenness in order to learn your limitations.
And of course, there are a lot of other things that are involved in that. The process by which one becomes intoxicated is condemned in scripture. And so, as soon as we take that first drink, we have begun the process.
"There is a general sequence of events which commonly occurs when a sober person begins to drink alcoholic beverages. These events are expressions of the degree to which a person has lost control over his speech, emotional expression, and motor behavior. " — Dr. Donald L. Garard, WD Jeffcoat
You know the Bible clearly condemns drinking alcohol simply for pleasure. Whether one becomes fully impaired or even slightly impaired, the Christian must abstain from this.
2) The Alcohol for Medicinal Use Argument
- 1 Timothy 5:23
And so you say, the Bible commands, complete abstinence from abstinence, from alcohol, and one will say, well, you know, Timothy was told to drink wine.
But notice the reason for which Timothy was told to drink wine for thy stomach's sake and thine oft infirmities.
There is a medicinal property to alcohol that is beneficial. It has the side effect of making one intoxicated, but to some degree, it also has the effect of a medicinal purpose, of medical use. And so if you were to take commonly used drugs, if you were to take codeine, you can get a little bit goofy, but it also does have that benefit of making the pain go away. And so it has a limited purpose, is what I'm trying to get at. Paul told Timothy, you know, because of your stomach's sake, because of your infirmities, take a little. A little wine is okay.
And so some will say, well, if it is okay to do that, then it's okay to drink wine for any reason. You know, you're jumping from one thing to the next, you're jumping to a conclusion. And so it is limited to medical use, medicinal use, and notice it's a little wine, not a lot, a little bit.
Now, if a purely medical use and the dose is truly one's motivation, then it's wouldn't be sinful to use that. Some of the best cough medicines in the past have included alcohol in them. And some have been released with a different version that doesn't have the alcohol in, it doesn't work as well as it did before. They had to take the alcohol out because people were going into pharmacies and breaking in and stealing the cough medicine to drink. If it is truly for medicinal use, if that's really our motivation, then it wouldn't be sinful.
Keep these three things in mind when considering whether to use alcohol medicinally.
1) The Bible tells us to examine ourselves and our motives, 2 Corinthians 13:5.
2) Alcohol is addictive. You know, one can become addicted to painkillers of any type.
One can become addicted to alcohol. According to the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependency 17.6 million or one in 12, Americans suffer from alcohol dependence or chronic alcohol abuse. It is a fact that also that some people are more predisposed to alcohol addiction than others, and so really the best not to drink anything at all, even medicinally.
There are alternatives that don't include alcohol, which in some cases work just as effectively.
3) I think we need to consider our influence on others who might see us purchasing alcohol for medicinal use.
- Matthew 5:16
The legal and properly prescribed use of drugs and alcohol for medication is beneficial and it's not a sin to do so.
But this does not in any way justify drinking for purely pleasurable or social reasons.
3) In the Wedding at Cana Argument, Jesus turns water into wine.
- John 2:1-11
And so, folks will say, well, Jesus provided wine for this party and so therefore he approves of drinking alcohol. Now we need again to remember the biblical word, wine, the Greek word, oinos, is a general term generic.
And so we need to consider the entire context, not just the immediate context of John chapter two, but the broader context of the Bible itself needs to be considered. When we think about the Old Testament, Jesus lived and died under the Old Testament law. He was faithful to that law in every way, and that law condemned if he provided alcohol, he violate.
"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." — Habakkuk 2:15-16
Now this is, you know, some pretty graphic terms. But, he pronounced, whoa, on those that would provide alcohol for their neighbor to make them drunk. Now, Jesus, we know never sinned.
- 1 Peter 2:22
- Hebrews 4:15
These verses are false IF Jesus provided alcohol to the guests of the wedding feast. Jesus, though he did not sin here, nor did he tempt others to sin.
- James 1:13
And we know that the fullness of Godhead dwelled in Christ fully. Christ is God. God does not tempt people to commit sin. And so we can know assuredly that Jesus did not turn the water into alcohol.
Now some will say that the immediate context kind of gives the impression that Jesus did provide alcoholic wine.
You know, the governor of the feast, again, notice what he said.
- John 2:10
First of all, the word drunk here is not the same word, that we looked at before. This word is just the idea of having consumed a beverage of some kind. And so, they assume that well drunk refers to the guests being inebriated because they were completely drunk. That's what some say. But this does not consider the possibility that well drunk refers to the quantity they had consumed rather than the effect that it had on them. And so they have drunk it all.
I kind of think it this way, if I've got a two-liter bottle of Dr. Pepper and we drink all of that, well, generally speaking, you're gonna break out, you know, the Dr. Thunder from Walmart after people have already drunk the diet the regular Dr. Pepper. Maybe they won't notice the difference. But here, he says, you saved the good stuff for last. You know, you fed everybody Dr. Thunder now you brought out Dr. Pepper, which is about as good as anything you could. We have an argument in my house about that.
But, anyway, they were well drunk because they had drunk a lot of the grape juice. They consumed enough grape juice that their sense of taste had become dull. The governor of the feast was simply noting the unusual circumstance in which the host had brought up the superior quality after the lesser quality had been consumed.
4) The Qualifications for Elders and Deacons Argument
There's another argument out there, about the qualification of elders and deacons.
- 1 Timothy 3:2, 3, 8-11
And so, an elder is not given to wine, and a deacon is not given to much wine. And some say, well, you know, these words appear to be self-evident. Why put the word much if it did not serve a purpose and therefore meant nothing? Some say, well, you know, an elder can't drink any wine at all, but a deacon can't drink much wine as long as he doesn't drink much wine.
"Neither this nor any other context establishes a distinction between the amount of alcoholic beverages elders and deacons are allowed to drink." — Brother Doug McCleish
- 1 Timothy 3:2
Not given to wine, the American standard, by the way, translates this, not a brawler, is from the Greek word paroinos, which means to be alongside of wine, in the sense of lingering or tarrying with it. The American Standard places the secondary, meaning brawler in the text because one who drinks often becomes quarrelsome and pugilistic.
Not given a much wine in reference to deacons is a totally different expression, more so in the Greek than in the English, referring to the hold or the addiction, which wine has on those who freely imbibe it. The two passages represent two different ways of issuing warnings about the dangers and evils of drinking wine. It is passing strange that some profess to see a justification for drinking in two passages, which warn men of the evils of the same thing.
You know, uh, some will say, well, you know, the reason why is that elders are held to a higher standard than other Christians because they have an important office. But you know, when the comparison is made between the qualifications of elders and the qualifications of faithful Christians, and I use qualification in quotes here, it becomes clear that elders are not held to a higher standard of conduct. Everything that is bound upon the elders in other places is bound upon other Christians where they apply.
And so to be sure elders have a greater responsibility and condemnation if they do not fulfill their responsibility, but a higher standard, regarding their conduct, they do not have. There is no standard applied to the elders that is not also applied to all Christians. Deacons and all other Christians are not held to a lesser standard. That would make two standards and that would make God a respecter of persons.
- Titus 2:3
Here the aged women are to possess the qualities of not being given to much wine, just like the deacons. It uses the exact same phrase. The idea of not given to much wine is not applied to anyone if you use this logic, anyone other than deacons and old ladies. Deacons and old ladies are the only ones allowed to drink according to this logic.
Also, we need to remember that the condemnation of an excessive something does not automatically condone a lesser degree of the same thing.
- James 1:21
- 1 Peter 4:4
And so does this condone a moderate amount of naughtiness or a tad of riot in the life of a Christian? Of course, it doesn't. The excess is condemned simply as a point of emphasis.
5) The Argument that Jesus was Accused of being a Winebibber
And, uh, finally there is an argument that was brought to my attention. It really kind of disturbed me. In fact, it kind of made me mad. Basically, this argument goes like this, the Pharisees accused Jesus of being a winebibber. And some will say, well, they only made that accusation because they saw him drink alcohol when he ate with the sinners of the publicans. One person stated, it seems reasonable to me that they claimed he was a winebibber because they had seen him drink.
You know this last statement there was made to me by a member of the church, a Christian who says that the Pharisees accused Jesus of being a winebibber and a glutton because they had seen him do it.
You imagine the gall of that to accuse our Savior of that, and I told him I would be concerned with my position if I found myself agreeing to any degree with the Pharisees concerning their false accusations against Jesus and his disciples. On what evidence did the Pharisees base this false accusation? Was it because they had seen him drink wine or simply did they see him go in with the publicans and the sinners and eat meals? You know, it was a false accusation.
They wanted to seek a reason to kill Jesus. They wanted to accuse him of a crime that was punishable by death so they could murder him. They made up these accusations.
- Matthew 9:10-11
- Luke 5:29-30
Now, one cannot assume that Jesus drank alcohol from the fact that he ate with publicans and sinners. Furthermore, they coupled that accusation of being a winebibber with that of being a glutton. And also they said, you know, he was possessed by the devil. Now a glutton overindulges in eating and drinking is strongly associated with it, with things like banqueting and riots.
- 1 Peter 4:3-4
- Philippians 3:19
You know, gluttony was an offense for which one could be stoned to death.
- Deuteronomy 20:20-21
Remember, they're seeking a reason to kill Jesus. They make a false accusation against him. You know, we see it later, you know, at his so-called trial where they make false accusations and they pay people to lie about Jesus. These are not people that are trying to uphold the law. These are people that are trying to murder a man and find justification to do so.
You know, he was falsely slandered and accused of many other things, such as casting out demons by the power of Satan and being possessed by a demon. Were any of these things based upon fact? Absolutely not.
Can we judge our Lord and his actions based upon false accusations of those that vowed themselves as his enemies? Absolutely not!
To make this argument, to me, it's someone who tries to make the argument, they're really trying to justify doing what they want to do, which is to drink alcohol. These show the lengths to which some of them will go to justify this behavior.
They will look for anything that seems to be a loophole in God's injunction against drinking alcohol. You know, they think, well, if medicinal use is okay, then then I can use it in any way I want. They say, if Jesus did it, then we can do it. If deacons are not to have much wine, then anyone can have a little, except for elders.
And so, they so strongly want to engage in social drinking, that they will attempt to drag the very Savior who suffered and died on the cross for them through the proverbial mud and sully his flawless reputation to justify themselves before men and God. You know, I would not want to be them and stand before the Almighty God in judgment to answer for that blasphemy.
Now, what we've said here about alcohol really applies to anything that is mind-altering. You know, mushrooms, certain types of hallucinogenic, mushrooms, drugs of any sort. All of this stuff really applies to the recreational use of those things and abuse of those things. The consumption of any intoxicant merely for the sensation it produces is a sinful misuse of that substance.
- 1 Peter 2:11
Drinking alcohol for social or pleasurable reasons is just wrong. It is a sin. It's a sin that leads to, they talk about, you know, marijuana, the gateway drug, the gateway drug is alcohol. For most people, their first experience with some kind of drug is alcohol. It is the alcohol that leads to other things. It's one of those things that if you imbibe in it one time and think, okay, maybe I'll never do it again. Do you imbibe again? And pretty soon your conscience becomes seared, and maybe you become physically and emotionally, chemically dependent upon that substance, something that will dominate and destroy your life.
The best thing to do is stay away from it completely.
- Proverbs 23:30-32
Alcohol is a dangerous substance. Stay away from it.
Our Lord came and he lived a perfect life alive in which he did no sin. He did not drink alcohol. He did not provide alcohol. He did not in any way condone the drinking of alcoholic beverages. He lived a perfect life so that He could die a perfect sacrifice, a perfect sacrifice for your sins and mine.
Right now, the Bible makes it clear that all have sinned and come short of the glory of God, [Romans 3:23] and the only way to have our sins washed away is by the blood of Jesus Christ. If you have not obeyed the gospel of Jesus Christ by believing and confessing your belief, repenting of your sins, and being baptized to wash away your sins, we urge you to do so.
If you're a Christian who has not been faithful to God, we urge you to come back to Him.
If we can help you to obey Christ we ask you to contact us.
