Social Drinking -- part 3

Unfortunately, many who claim to be Christians endorse or participate in social drinking. By this we mean the recreational use of alcohol in limited quantities. In defense of their position, they often refer to Jesus and the wedding feast in Cana in John 2. (This argument has no merit and we dealt with it in our March 18, 2001 article.)

Another passage is Paul's admonition to Timothy in 1 Timothy 5:23 which reads, "No longer drink only water, but use a little wine for your stomach's sake, and your frequent infirmities" (NKJV). Proponents of social drinking manage to find much in this text which simply isn't there, primarily the use of alcoholic wine. We have already shown that the context must determine the type of wine (oinos) intended by the author. What advantage would alcoholic wine have in settling the stomach over non-alcoholic? It is likely that Paul here refers to non-alcoholic wine/juice, as it probably would have been boiled to eliminate impurities and destroy the fermenting agents. Second, the word translated "use" is from the Greek chraomai which means "take" or "make use of." It is not the word for "drink" which might imply much use, but rather a word that we might use in reference to taking medicine, something used sparingly and only as needed.Third, note Paul's introductory phrase, "No longer drink only water." This implies Timothy completely abstained from drinking any type of beverage made from the grape. This would be consistent with the practice of God's servants dating back to the days of the priests (Lev 10:9-10) and the Nazarites (Num 6). Finally, the text does not encourage the use of alcohol in social settings. There is a specific purpose for the use of this wine, "for your stomach's sake and for your frequent infirmities." Paul here enjoins the use of wine for medicinal use. The phrase makes this perfectly clear. Any attempt to read into this text the use of alcoholic beverages in social settings only shows the bias of the disputant.

Another passage commonly misused to promote social drinking among Christians is found in the qualifications of deacons. In 1 Timothy 3:8, the Bible says a deacon must be "not given to much wine." The argument hinges on the word "much," as if Paul was saying, 'a little wine is acceptable, but not a lot.' However, the tenor and thrust of the Scriptures holds the recreational use of alcohol as inconsistent with holy living. Consider the following scriptural descriptions of the influence of alcoholic beverages:

"Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging: and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise"Proverbs 20:1; Who hath woe? who hath sorrow? who hath contentions? who hath babbling? who hath wounds without cause? who hath redness of eyes? They that tarry long at the wine; they that go to seek mixed wine. 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"Proverbs 23:29-32; "But they also have erred through wine, and through strong drink are out of the way; the priest and the prophet have erred through strong drink, they are swallowed up of wine, they are out of the way through strong drink; they err in vision, they stumble in judgment. For all tables are full of vomit and filthiness, so that there is no place clean" Isaiah 28:7-8.

Next week, a final look at what the Bible says about soberness and social drinking. TC