As a believer with 38 years of full-time ministry and 3 degrees on the subject, I’ve heard most of the pros and cons. Culturally, if its original use was to preserve the value of grapes throughout the off-season, then with all our modern abilities to preserve grapes, we don’t need it anymore. Grape juice, anyone?

As a practical matter, I have seen evidence that even a little (social drinking-type) of alcohol consumption kills of a small number of brain cells. Now, I have enough trouble getting my brain cells to do what I want without discouraging them by killing off some of them!  Plus, I don’t want the empty calories.

As a former drinker who actually likes the stuff, I have learned to like other “stuff” that’s actually good for you. My body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, so I need to look out for what’s best for it.

“be not drunk..”
“the drunkard and the glutton shall come to poverty…”
“…[don't eat with a drunkard]”

They all say “don’t be drunk,” none of them say “don’t drink alcohol.”
Why are you so blind, and put this retarded interpretation on scriptures?

First off let me say that the reason alcohol has been considered a “sin” by the religious is because they didn’t want to talk about the end result and not the heart of the matter. Alcoholic’s and drunkards are sinners not because of the alcohol itself, it’s only because they do not know Jesus! Period.

The argument for ruining your testimony, jeopardizing your career, or causing a brother too stumble seems to be the only one sided argument that Southern Baptists use when regarding alcohol. Some will even go to the links of arguing that the wine of Jesus’ day was not fermented or it was watered down (which is completely false and a complete lie…you can’t twist Scripture into something that you believe and is borderline heresy).

Alcohol isn’t something that I indulge in as a means to selfish pleasures. It’s an beverage that I drink responsibly like the first church did for communion, celebration, weddings and for health (all found in Scripture). Scripture also goes to great lengths to warn of drunkenness which proves (as well as many other scriptures) that wine was very much fermented. I could even show you Scriptures and arguments where Christ and Paul encourage alcohol and celebrated and worshiped with it. Now does this mean that everyone should drink? No. Just like not everyone should own a gun…let’s face it there are some idiots that would shoot themselves and everyone around them if you gave them a gun because they don’t know JESUS.

When Paul talks of “causing your brother to stumble” you must read that in it’s context. Paul had his work cut out for him trying to play referee between the Jewish Christ followers and the Gentile Christ followers. AND STILL TODAY WE ARE FIGHTING THE SAME STUPID ARGUMENTS THAT HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH FURTHERING THE KINGDOM. Paul spoke of meat and Southern Baptist’s are quick to replace the word “meat” with “alcohol” to argue their point. If you read further into Paul’s readings he says those that don’t eat meat because of their fear of stumbling or breaking tradition are the WEAKER Christ followers. And he said that eating and drinking has nothing to do with the Gospel of Christ.

If I was so worried about causing a brother to stumble, I would never leave the house. Because more than drinking we cause our brothers in Christ and non believers to stumble. Couple of examples.

Money – The most talked about sin/warning in Scripture. Take any mega church in the Southern Baptist bible beltway and they will be the first to label alcohol a sin and go to great lengths to include the abstinence of alcohol in church covenants, BUT at the same time operate a church budget in DEBT by borrowing more money to build the next building as a means to grow membership. Again, this is not scriptural and borderline heresy. Therefore let’s pick alcohol and label it sin (again not found in scripture) and then go on to teach our church membership about borrowing money from the master and being a slave…David Platt’s example of the American Dream church.

Food – Hello??? Paul spoke specifically about meat when referencing “causing your brother to stumble” and it blows my mind how those in the Southern Church’s (esp. SB) IMMEDIATELY TRANSLATE TO ALCOHOL. Look around most churches in America and greater than 60% are OBESE. Obesity is a sin, but look in their church covenant and there is nothing said about food…

Yes, I know what your thinking. Over eating doesn’t cause car accidence and the terrible beatings that grandmother endured by her alcoholic, abusive father…I can’t imagine how horrific that was. Alcohol does have great responsibility but so does the care of a gun or the financial responsibility a man burdens for his family or church and their flock. My great grandfather’s problem wasn’t the alcohol…he didn’t know JESUS!

People need JESUS!!!!! And while I’m on the subject let me say something sharing your faith with those who are non-believers and drunkards. You can’t tell someone that drinking a beer is a sin and that if you quit you will find favor in Jesus and he will save you…that is heresy. There is nothing we can do to earn God’s favor. The heart must change first and the behavior will follow. Help that neighbor that doesn’t know Jesus and who is a drunkard by first not labeling them anything and second carry their cross with them. Pray for them, love them where they are at and for goodness sake DO NOT INVITE THEM TO YOUR CUSHON PEW AT CHURCH. Corporate worship on Sunday morning is a time for celebration for CHRIST FOLLOWERS. It is a time to take communion with fellow believers, pray, worship, celebrate the life of Christ, repent and recharge your batteries to go back into the world the other 6 days of the week and share the Gospel. Let non-believers see Jesus for who is in you before they ever walk into a church building.

Leave this tired old debate alone. Focus on Kingdom things. Follow Christ. Follow Scripture. Let the Holy Spirit guide us every day in this fallen world that needs Jesus.

Enough said, but I will leave you with this interesting article on Alcohol and Christians.

Negative Bible References to Wine
Those who preach that alcohol and Christians don’t mix often quote verses which display a negative — or at least apparently so — reference toward wine. One of the primary ones is Proverbs 20:1 which states,

“Wine is a mocker, strong drink is a brawler, and whoever is led astray by it is not wise.” (Proverbs 20:1, NKJV)

There are certainly problems attached to over-indulgence. The admonition here is that one not be deceived by wine and use it too much. This applies to almost anything. Should honey also be eliminated from a Christian’s diet? The approach taken by those who attempt to use Proverbs 20:1 to indicate that drinking wine is a sin would require a similar teaching about honey as well from its mention along a similar vein in Proverbs 25:27:

“It is not good to eat much honey;” (Proverbs 25:27, NKJV)

This attitude is absurd and the intent of each of the verses is expressing a problem resulting from going too far with either product. The same applies to another section of Proverbs the 23rd chapter which again condemns drunkenness and alcoholism, but in no way prohibits or even discourages the moderate use of wine:

“Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has contentions? Who has complaints? Who has wounds without cause? Who has redness of eyes? Those who linger long at the wine, those who go in search of mixed wine. Do not look on the wine when it is red, when it sparkles in the cup, when it swirls around smoothly; At the last it bites like a serpent, and stings like a viper.” (Proverbs 23:29-32, NKJV)

The “red” wine that swirls around smoothly” is wine that is still fermenting. One should not “look” upon it to lust after and drink it (compare Matthew 5:28 which would make it a sin for anyone to even look at a woman were this argument valid) as doing so before it is fully fermented can cause violent illness and even death. The completed product is not involved here whatsoever.

The references to the “wine of the wrath of God,” and “the wine of the fierceness of His wrath,” and “the wine of her fornication” (Revelation 14:10, 16:19, 17:2, and similar references) merely use wine as a pictorial vehicle. They in no way condemn the moderate use of wine any more than similar word pictures condemn other things. If such “unfavorable” references of this type constituted such a message, a Christian would then sin by: wearing a cloak (1Thessalonians 2:5, 1Peter 2:6), drinking water (Numbers 19:9, 13, 20-21; 1Kings 22:27; 2Chronicles 18:26; Jeremiah 8:14, 9:15, 23:15), using an oven or heat or fire (Deuteronomy 29:24, 32:22; Psalms 21:9; Jeremiah 15:14, 17:14; Ezekiel 22:31, 38:19), eating bread (Deuteronomy 16:3; 1 Kings 22:27; 2 Chronicles 18:26; Proverbs 4:17, 20:17, 31:27; Isaiah 30:20), or take a shower (Ezekiel 13:13)! Just how ridiculous this line of thinking is becomes obvious when applied elsewhere!

POSITIVE Bible References to Wine
The positive scriptures and commands which require fermented wine balance and bring into perspective the negative references. These include:

God made wine possible to help man REJOICE!:

“Bless the Lord, O my soul! O Lord my God, You are very great . . . And (God makes) WINE that makes glad the heart of man, . . .” (Psalm 104:1, 15, NKJV)

Wine can help the depressed and those near death to cope:

“Give STRONG DRINK to him who is perishing, and WINE to those who are bitter of heart. Let him drink and forget his poverty, and remember his misery no more.” (Proverbs 31:6-7, NKJV)
Jesus’ very FIRST miracle was making water into WINE at a wedding:

“On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. Now both Jesus and His disciples were invited to the wedding. And when they ran out of wine, the mother of Jesus said to Him, “They have no WINE.”

“Jesus said to her, “Woman, what does your concern have to do with Me? My hour has not yet come.” His mother said to the servants, “Whatever He says to you, do it.”

“Now there were set there six waterpots of stone, according to the manner of purification of the Jews, containing twenty or thirty gallons apiece. Jesus said to them, “Fill the waterpots with water.” And they filled them up to the brim. And He said to them, “Draw some out now, and take it to the master of the feast.” And they took it. When the master of the feast had tasted the water that was made WINE, and did not know where it came from (but the servants who had drawn the water knew), the master of the feast called the bridegroom. And he said to him, ‘Every man at the beginning sets out the GOOD WINE, and when the guests have well drunk, then the inferior. You have kept the GOOD WINE until now!’ ” (John 2:1-10, NKJV, emphasis throughout)

Apostle Paul tells Timothy to drink WINE for its health benefits:
“No longer drink only water, but use a little WINE for your stomach’s sake and your frequent infirmities.” (1Timothy 5:23, NKJV)

Melchizedek, priest of God, brought WINE to Abram (Abraham):
“Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and WINE; he was the priest of God Most High. And he blessed him and said: “Blessed be Abram of God Most High, possessor of heaven and earth;” (Genesis 14:18-19, NKJV)

God offers man FREE WINE:
“‘Ho! Everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; And you who have no money, come, buy and eat. Yes, come, buy WINE and milk without money and without price.’ ” (Isaiah 55:1, NKJV)

God will soon prepare a feast for His people which includes WINES:
“And in this mountain the Lord of hosts will make for all people a feast of choice pieces, a feast of WINES on the lees, of fat things full of marrow, of well-refined WINES on the lees.” (Isaiah 25:6, NKJV)

It is interesting to note that those who espouse total abstinence conveniently make all of the positive references to wine relate to grape juice and claim that all of the negative ones display fermented wine. In every case the words are the same, but somehow they think that they may supply a different meaning on those words to suit their own goals.

BALANCE is the Key to Drinking
The proper relationship between alcohol and Christians is really quite plain. It is merely a matter of moderation. As Paul told Timothy, “Drink no longer water, but use a little wine . . . .” When he wrote to the Ephesians he specified, “And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess . . . .” He said to not get drunk, but he did not say to totally abstain from wine. What is absent is just as important as what is present. “Let your moderation be known unto all men” (Philippians 4:5). Christians and alcohol can mix and, when celebrating Christ’s death, wine is an integral and even vital ingredient. Paul again makes this point clear in 1Corinthians 11:20-29 by outlining the aspects of the Passover service and making special mention of the proper spirit of this solemn celebration and admonishing against overeating and drunkenness. And again you DO NOT get drunk from drinking grape juice, making the use of wine (as Christ obviously did) an OBLIGATORY part of the service. Abstinence is NOT taught by the Bible, but neither is drunkenness. Moderation is the key.

Health Benefits of Wine
In addition to the mentioned amenities of wine in the Bible another benefit is only hinted at. Wine has curative value as well, as implied in Luke 10:34 and 1 Timothy 5:23. Dr. Salvatore P. Lucia, professor of medicine at the University of California School of Medicine, wrote,

“Wine is the most ancient dietary beverage and the most important medicinal agent in continuous use throughout the history of mankind . . . . Actually, few other substances available to man have been as widely recommended for their curative powers as have wines” (Wine as Food and Medicine; pp. 5, 58).
Dr. Henry A. Rowe, M.D., has stated that a moderate amount of wine taken with a meal improves digestion and helps build up the blood. The Pasadena Medical Society says,

“Taken intelligently and with discretion, alcohol (in wine and other drinks) can prolong life expectancy . . . . However, even temporary excess or prolonged over-drinking can lead to disaster.”
Wine and other alcoholic beverages have their place and have been provided for us BY GOD to utilize intelligently for our benefit.

Recently we just moved to a community where drinking is huge…even social drinking. This is an issue that we have to face in our church…..and we are church planting which makes it even harder. A lot of people in our church drink…some are leaders….some are not.

I’ve had a few conversations with leaders that drink and came to me to tell me that they went too far and got drunk and even apologized to me. I told them that they didn’t have to apologize to me that they needed to apologize to God if they felt like they have sinned. I don’t want others to think that I am better than them because I don’t drink. That’s not the reason why I don’t drink.

I still find it hard to see “Christians” with a beer in their hand because of what I have been taught…however I also know that if we were in France that this would be part of their culture. It’s part of the culture here and I”m in Canada.

I personally will not drink for several reasons. I don’t want others to see me and stumble. You never know what the person watching you might have been through in their lives. Maybe they were an alcoholic that changed their lives around and became a Christian…and then seeing you drinking caused them to think that it’s ok for Christians to drink and therefore they start drinking again. I realize this is a weak example….but it is one.

Another reason I don’t drink is cause I get so easily addicted to things. I don’t need something like this to hinder me and others….and 3) I don’t like the stuff..lol.

Also to reply to another comment…it doesn’t matter whether you are in leadership or not. Everybody is watching everybody else….it’s been like that way since we were kids. So the arguement shouldn’t be whether or not a church leader should be seen drinking in public…it should be whether any Christian should be seen drinking in public. We are all supposed to be like Christ….and we are all supposed to be equal…so whether a Christian leader or not…everybody should be included in this argument. Everybody is in a glass house.

I like the comment that Robin below mentioned. Our focus shouldn’t be on drinking…or smoking…or overeating…. We came from a church before where people were so upset that this one guy was smoking that they couldn’t see beyond his addiction of it. meanwhile he became a Christian after he had been smoking for 10 years…it’s not that easy to quit. He was a growing Christian but people couldn’t see that and they treated him rotten…wouldn’t let him be in leadership of anything. So how could he learn to use the gifts that God gave him because God’s children couldn’t see beyond his addiction?

I like the quote: The biggest cause of atheism in our world today is Christians who acknowledge God with their lips then walk out the door and deny Him by their lives. That is what an unbelieving world simply finds unbelievable.” It’s so true. Half of the time “Christians” can seem perfect when they are in their church bubble but when they leave that church bubble they are some of the biggest hypocrites the world has ever seen

Shouldn’t we be more concerned about that than whether or not somebody is drinking?

Habakkuk 2:15 – “Woe unto him that giveth his neighbour drink, that puttest thy bottle to him, and makest him drunken also…”

Ephesians 5:18 – “And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit.”

Proverbs 23:20-21 – “Be not among winebibbers; among riotous eaters of flesh: For the drunkard and the glutton shall come to poverty…”

1 Corinthians 5:11 – “But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one no not to eat.”

NOBODY should drink alcoholic drinks.