( from the editor : given the sensitivity of the topic, we decline responsibility for the conclusions made in the article, and also warn that the opinion of the author of the article may not coincide with the opinion of the editors)
“Here are your keys,” the secretary muttered as I went to get my keys at the university office where I was preparing to defend my thesis in theology. - “It seems you got the Old Brewery.”
The title intrigued me. Later I realized that it comes from the old purpose of this building. Aberdeen was founded in the 15th century and was used to train monks for ministry. At the brewery, the monks produced significant quantities of Scottish ale, which they themselves then consumed in liters during meals. And here I am, a post-fundamentalist professor, a student of Scripture, in a malt monastery where in the Middle Ages Bible college students clapped their glasses in unison in glorifying God.
Throughout Christian history, alcohol was rarely banned as it is in certain circles today. John Calvin received 900 liters of wine annually under a church contract. Martin Luther's wife was a famous beer manufacturer, which undoubtedly softened the heart of the loving reformer. The Guinness family created their beer as a tribute to Jesus Christ. From Bordeaux to Berlin, wine and beer have always been part of the church tradition. But what was once considered the nectar of heaven was later somehow condemned as the devil's drink.
The Bible Always Condemns Drunkenness
The Bible has many sayings about drunkenness. And they are all negative. We cannot find a place where it would be said that people got drunk, had fun, and, supposedly, there is nothing reprehensible in this. On the contrary, drunkenness is always opposed to the spirit:
“And do not get drunk with wine, which causes debauchery; but be filled with the Spirit.”
Eph. 5:18
And this is not just a Christian or Jewish idea. It was also found in Canaan, as well as in many other Eastern cultural centers. An intoxicated person was seen as incapable of receiving God's grace.
Drunkenness is opposed to life in God, a person chooses either one or the other
And material life did not promise him anything good:
“Who's howling? who's moaning? who has quarrels? Who's in grief? who has wounds for no reason? who has purple eyes? Those who sit for a long time drinking wine, who come to look for seasoned wine.”
Prov. 23:29–30
The prophet Isaiah speaks about the same thing; he promises grief to drunkards:
“Woe to those who, from early morning, seek strong drinks and warm themselves with wine until late in the evening; and the harp and harp, the tambourine and the flute, and the wine at their feasts; but they do not consider the works of the Lord, and do not think about the work of His hands.”
Is. 5:11–12
And even not only drinking, but also the preparation of strong drinks, the prophet considers a harmful activity:
“Woe to those who are bold to drink wine and strong to make strong drink.”
Is. 5:22
The prophet Habakkuk warns that grief awaits not only drunkards, but also those who make others drunk.
Soldering others to death also does not lead to good, as the prophet Habakkuk reports:
“Woe to you, who serve your neighbor drink laced with your malice and make him drunk so that you can see his shame!”
Avv. 2:15
So what is this terrible grief? Probably in the destruction of human life. Here's what the Bible says about drunkenness:
“...your eyes will look at other people's wives, and your heart will speak debauchery, and you will be like one sleeping in the middle of the sea and like one sleeping at the top of a mast. And you will say: “They beat me, it didn’t hurt me; They pushed me, I didn’t feel it. When I wake up, I’ll look for the same thing again.”
Prov. 23:33–35
“Don’t look at the wine, how it turns red, how it sparkles in the cup, how it flows smoothly: later, like a snake, it will bite, and sting like an asp.”
Prov. 23:31-32
Does the Bible set limits on how much you can drink?
“Do not be enslaved by much wine” (Titus 2:3).
WHY IS IT IMPORTANT?
Every year, many families suffer because one or even both spouses abuse alcohol. This leads to many accidents such as injuries due to falls and road traffic accidents. Over time, alcohol addiction has a destructive effect on the brain, heart, liver and stomach.
WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS
Moderation in eating and drinking is an important requirement of God (Proverbs 23:20; 1 Timothy 3:2, 3, ). Lack of self-control results in God's disapproval. The Bible warns: “Wine is a mocker, strong drink is violent, and anyone who goes astray because of it is not wise” (Proverbs 20:1).
By leading the unwise astray, alcohol, for example, can push them towards immorality. Hosea 4:11 warns, “Old wine and new wine take away good intentions.” One man named John learned this the hard way. Having quarreled with his wife, he went to a hotel, got drunk and committed adultery. He later deeply regretted his actions and decided never to repeat them again. Alcohol abuse is dangerous physically, morally and spiritually. The Bible says that drunkards will not receive eternal life (1 Corinthians 6:9, 10).
Drunkenness is a sin, the Holy Scripture puts it on a par with serving idols and self-interest
We found out that drunkenness destroys a person’s material life. What about the spiritual? Everything is also unsatisfactory. Drunkenness is a sin, and it is listed among other sins:
“...not a drunkard, not a killer, not quarrelsome, not selfish, but quiet, peace-loving, not money-loving.”
1 Tim. 3:3
And this is not a joke, for drunkards will not inherit the Kingdom of God:
“...neither thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the Kingdom of God.”
1 Cor. 6:10
“...hatred, murder, drunkenness, disorderly conduct and the like. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do this will not inherit the Kingdom of God.”
Gal. 5:21
The Old Testament also speaks condemningly about drunkards:
“And they will say to the elders of their city: “This son of ours is violent and rebellious, he does not listen to our words, he is a spendthrift and a drunkard.”
Deut. 21:20
Drunkenness is the same idol that a sinful person can serve.
Drunkenness is another step away from God. This is the direction of one’s energy into an unfavorable sphere, and energy, as we know from ancient beliefs, is also a kind of religious sacrifice. That is why the Bible puts drunkenness on a par with idolatry:
“But I wrote to you not to associate with anyone who, while calling himself a brother, remains a fornicator, or a covetous, or an idolater, or a slanderer, or a drunkard, or a predator; You can’t even eat with someone like that.”
1 Cor. 5:11
This does not mean that somewhere out there there is a god or demon of wine that drunkards worship. But the behavior of a person is no different from someone who would swear allegiance to such a demon.
In the end, drunkenness becomes a new nature of a person, with it he replaces the usual and important things in life:
“For those who sleep sleep at night, and those who get drunk get drunk at night.”
1st Thessal. 5:7
We can come to God for help
Alcohol provides only temporary, false comfort. But God can quench our thirst, fill the void that nothing else can fill.
Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives, I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. (Holy Gospel of John 14:27)
God gives us what the world simply cannot give. Therefore, there is no point in looking in the world for consolation that only God can give.
But He said: what is impossible with men is possible with God. (Holy Gospel of Luke 18:27)
A person cannot get out of the slavery of sin on his own, but God can help him.
I pray that every person chained to the bondage of this sin will find freedom in Christ. God never gives up, but takes care of all our needs and always gives us the best. By turning to Him we will never be deceived.
Priests must not be partial to wine
While it is clear that the prohibitions against drunkenness apply to all people, the Bible emphasizes this prohibition for priests:
“Deacons must also be honest, not double-tongued, not addicted to wine, not greedy.”
1 Tim. 3:8
Are priests allowed to drink alcohol at all? Some Christian movements answer with an unequivocal “no,” because drunkenness is a mortal sin, so it is better not to take this path at all. In Russian Orthodoxy, other views prevail. They usually say something like: “drink, but don’t get drunk.”
In principle, the Bible allows both views to exist. There is no categorical prohibition, although it is useful for every Christian to think about whether he needs something in life that does not bring benefit. And this question is especially relevant for priests, who must act as a moral guide for others.
Smart approach
Although some Christians preach complete abstinence from alcohol for all believers, the Bible does not call for followers of Christ to abstain from intoxicating drinks. The Bible condemns drunkenness and drunken slavery (Ephesians 5:18, Titus 2:3), but never claims that drinking tea is a more godly activity. In fact, the Bible does not say that the best way to avoid drunkenness is to never touch alcohol. Think about it. Alcoholism has been a human problem throughout history, but the Bible does not force people to give up alcohol altogether.
If Christians, in order to combat drunkenness, want to prohibit all consumption of alcohol, then, being consistent, they should also give up making money in order to avoid the influence of materialism and the power of mammon.
All alcohol is harmful, beer too
What does the Bible say about other drinks? Can Christians drink other types of alcohol? Let’s say it’s clear that vodka and cognac are harmful to the soul and body. Is it a sin to drink beer?
Here the Bible tells us:
“Wine is mocking, strong drink is violent; and everyone who is carried away by them is foolish.”
Prov. 20:1
They make it clear to us that drinking alcohol, whatever you call it, is, to put it mildly, useless. The Bible expresses itself more harshly - only a foolish person would undertake this.
It would be strange to expect that a separate chapter from the Bible will appear for each alcoholic drink: here there is a ban on wine, here on beer, and then on vermouth, liqueur, etc. The Bible was written almost 30 centuries ago. It is clear that its authors were trying to convey a message. Formalism is not appropriate here.
We see that drinking alcohol has never been welcomed in religious life. True, wine came from the grapevine - an important food product and religious symbol, therefore the belief in its miraculous power was maintained, but in small doses and in a diluted form:
“From now on, drink more than just water, but use a little wine, for the sake of your stomach and your frequent illnesses.”
1 Tim. 5:23
The Bible emphasizes the importance of sobriety. About John the Baptist, first of all, it is said that he did not drink alcoholic beverages (Bartolome Esteban Murillo, “Saint John the Baptist in the Desert”)
But this only applied to wine. The attitude towards other alcoholic drinks is negative. This passage describes the righteous qualities of John the Baptist:
“For he will be great before the Lord; He will not drink wine or strong drink, and will be filled with the Holy Spirit from his mother’s womb.”
OK. 1:15
Blessed Theophylact of Bulgaria explains:
““Strikey” is the name given to everything that, not being made from grapes, can produce intoxication.”
That is, sobriety was such an important quality that it is used to emphasize the greatness of the prophet.
And in general, the righteous should remember how people lived before the times of degradation: they did not drink alcohol, did not eat meat, etc. This is an ideal of the Christian life that is rarely spoken of, but is spoken of in the Bible. The Apostle Paul calls us to this ideal:
“For the sake of food, do not destroy the work of God. Everything is pure, but it is bad for the person who eats because he is tempted. It is better not to eat meat, not to drink wine, and not to do anything that causes your brother to stumble, or to be offended, or to become weak.”
Rome. 14:20–21
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Alcohol as evidence
Sometimes I hear the opinion that Christians who drink are destroying the power of their testimony for Christ. To be honest, I don’t understand from what conclusions this conclusion follows. It's one thing if you are a witness to an alcoholic or minister in the Muslim world, but in most cases the non-believers I know personally lose interest in matters of faith when they hear our categorical "dos and don'ts" invented by modern believers. I can hardly be convinced that if my unbelieving neighbor sees me with a bottle of beer, he will never want to hear the Good News from my lips. In most cases, the Gospel is more readily accepted when we break the fabricated stereotypes about Christianity and invite our neighbor to share a bottle of cold beer with us.
When we let go of the man-made veils that hide the light of God's gospel, the full glory of Christ shines that much brighter. In many cases, what the lost world rejects is not Christ at all, but a paraphrase retold by His careless representatives. Some did not want to listen to the Gospel because they were convinced that following Christ was incompatible with a bottle of beer with co-workers on Fridays after work. If this is our “good news,” the real beauty of the gospel message is clouded by our man-made “never drink.” It was not the director of Alcoholics Anonymous who was crucified on the cross, and it is not abstinence from alcohol that gives us eternal life. Any man-made, unbiblical addition to the gospel actually interferes with and insults the true gospel.
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Book of Ecclesiastes
(Translation by RBO)
Ch. 2: 3 I decided to test my body with wine and, keeping wisdom in my heart, to give in to foolishness in order to see where people’s happiness lies - what is worth doing under heaven while they are alive.
Ch. 10:17 Happy are you, O country, whose king is from a noble family, and the nobles eat at the appointed hour - they are refreshed, but do not get drunk! 18 In the house of the lazy the ceiling will sag; where they don’t bother with their hands, the roof will leak. 19 Feasts are for joy, wine is for a merry life, and silver is the answer to all questions.
Book of Song of Solomon
Ch. 1: 1 Let him kiss me with the kiss of his lips! For your caresses are better than wine. 2 Because of the fragrance of your ointments, your name is like spilled ointment; that's why girls love you. 3 Draw me, we will run after you; - the king led me into his palace, - we will admire and rejoice in you, extol your caresses more than wine; they love you with dignity!
Ch. 2: 5 Strengthen me with wine, refresh me with apples, for I am faint with love.
Ch. 4:10 Oh, how sweet are your caresses, my sister, my bride! Oh, how much your caresses are better than wine, and the fragrance of your ointments is better than all aromas!
Ch. 5: 1 I came into my garden, my sister, my bride; I gathered my myrrh with my spices, I ate my honeycomb with my honey, I drank my wine with my milk. Eat, friends, drink and be satisfied, beloved!
Ch. 7: 2 Oh, how beautiful are your sandaled feet, O illustrious daughter! The rounding of your hips, like a necklace, is the work of a skilled artist; 3 Your belly is a round cup, in which the fragrant wine does not run dry; your belly is a heap of wheat, surrounded by lilies; your lips are like fine wine. It flows straight to my friend, delighting the lips of the weary.
Ch. 8: 1 Oh that you were my brother, who suckled my mother's breasts! Then, when I met you on the street, I would kiss you, and I would not be judged. 2 I would lead you, I would bring you to my mother’s house. You would teach me, and I would give you aromatic wine, the juice of my pomegranate apples.
Book of the Prophet Isaiah
(Translation by RBO)
Ch. 5: 9 I heard the Lord of Hosts swear: “Many houses will become desolate!” Big, beautiful houses will become deserted. 10 A vineyard of ten zemeds will yield only a bath of wine, and a homer of sown grain will yield no more than an ephah. 11 Woe to those who look for something to drink early in the morning and sit up late, fueling themselves with wine! 12 Lyres and harps, tambourines and flutes! The wine is flowing at these feasts! But they do not look at the works of the Lord; they do not look at what the Lord does. 22 Woe to those who are strong to drink wine, who are heroic to drink mash with seasonings!
Ch. 19:14 The Lord darkened their minds, and they completely led Egypt astray: now Egypt is like a drunken man, trampling on his own vomit.
Ch. 22:12 On that day the Sovereign, the Lord of Hosts, called you to weep, to weep, to shave your heads, to clothe yourself in sackcloth. 13 But you rejoice, rejoice, slaughter bulls and rams, eat meat and drink wine! “Tomorrow we will die - let’s eat and drink!” 14 The Lord of Hosts told me: “This sin will not be forgiven you, you will die!” Thus said the Lord, the Lord of Hosts.
Ch. 24: 6 Therefore a curse devours the earth: its inhabitants pay for their sin! Therefore, the inhabitants of the earth are disappearing, there are not many people left. 7 The wine has dried up, the vine has perished, those who rejoiced sigh heavily. 8 The merry tambourines fell silent, the rejoicing voices were not heard, the merry harps fell silent. 9 They no longer drink wine or sing songs - the hops seem bitter. 10 The city is extinct and deserted. All the houses are locked, you cannot enter them. 11 There are screams in the streets - there is no wine! The fun has faded, joy has left this country.
Ch. 24:17 Terror, pit and snare await you, inhabitant of the earth! 19 The earth splits, the earth shakes, the earth shakes! 20 Like a drunken man, the earth shook, it swayed like a guardhouse in a field. Her sin weighs heavily on her - she will fall and not get up!
Ch. 25: 6 On this mountain the Lord of Hosts will prepare a rich feast for all nations, with old wine! There will be rich, fatty dishes and old, strained wines. 7 On this mountain the Lord will destroy the veil that covers all nations, the veil that envelops all nations - 8 He will destroy death forever! Then the Sovereign Lord will wipe away tears from all faces, and throughout the whole earth He will deliver His people from shame. The Lord said this.
Ch. 28: 1 Woe to the crown of which the drunken sons of Ephraim are proud, to the withering flower, to the beauty and glory of Ephraim, to the flower raised above the fertile valley, whose inhabitants are overcome by wine! 2 Behold the mighty hero of the Lord, like rain and hail, like a destructive storm, like the raging waters of a flood! The crown of which the drunken sons of Ephraim are proud will be trampled underfoot by his hand! 7 ...Having drunk wine, they wander with an unsteady step, they wander in drunkenness - the priest and the prophet, drunk, wander with an unsteady step, the wine has clouded their minds! They wander drunk, their visions are wrong, their decisions are wrong. 8 All the tables are covered with vomit, there is no clean place left! 9 Who can such a person teach reason, to whom does he explain the message - to babies who have recently sucked milk, who have just been weaned? 10 “Tsav-tsav, tsav-tsav... Kav-kav, kav-kav... A little here, a little there...”
Ch. 29: 9 Be dumbfounded, numb, blind, become blind! They got drunk, but not from wine; they swayed, but not from hops. 10 The Lord has poured upon you a spirit of deep forgetfulness. Prophets, He has closed your eyes! Seers, He has veiled your heads!
Ch. 49:25 Thus says the Lord: “Yes, the captives will be taken away from the strong warrior, those who became the prey of the oppressor will be saved!” I myself will resist those who oppose you, I will save your sons! 26 I will feed your tormentors with their own flesh; they will drink their own blood and become drunk as with new wine. And all people will know that I am the Lord, your Savior, your Deliverer, the Mighty God of Jacob.
Ch. 51:17 Arise, arise, arise, O daughter of Jerusalem! Having accepted the cup of His wrath from the hand of the Lord, you drank it. You drank this cup to the dregs, a cup after which you won’t be able to stand on your feet. 18 Of all the sons she has given birth to, there is none to see her off. Of all the people she raised, there was no one to hold her arm. 19 Double misfortune has befallen you! Who will sympathize with you? Robbery and destruction, hunger and sword! Who will console you? 20 Your sons lie exhausted at all the crossroads, like chamois caught in a net. They have experienced the wrath of the Lord to the fullest - the voice of your God is terrible! 21 Listen, you destitute woman, drunk not from wine! 22 This is what your Sovereign, the Lord your God, says (He protects His people): “I will take away this cup from you, the cup that makes you unable to stand on your feet, the cup of My wrath; you will drink from it no more!”
Ch. 55: 1 Come then to the water, all you who are thirsty! You who have no silver, come, get food, eat! Come, get wine and milk, not for silver, for free!
Ch. 56:11 Greedy dogs, insatiable! They are shepherds devoid of understanding, each follows his own path, each only seeks his own benefit. 12 “Come, I’ll put out some wine, let’s get drunk! And we’ll spend tomorrow the same way, we’ll have a lot of fun!”
Ch. 62: 8 The Lord swears by His right hand, He swears by His mighty hand: “I will no longer give your bread to your enemies, no more will strangers drink the wine that you labored for!” 9 Those who gathered grain will eat bread and praise the Lord. Those who gathered grapes will drink wine in the courts of My Sanctuary.
Ch. 65:11 And you, those who have forsaken the Lord and forgotten My holy mountain, those who set the table for Gad, pour out the seasoned wine for Me, - 12 I will condemn you to death by the sword, bring you all to your knees and slaughter you! For I called, but you did not answer, I spoke, but you did not listen. You have done what is displeasing to Me, you have chosen what I do not desire.
Book of the Prophet Jeremiah
(Translation by RBO)
Ch. 13:12 Say this word to them: This is what the Lord God of Israel says: “Every jug is filled with wine.” They will answer you: “Don’t we know that every jug is filled with wine?” 13 Then tell them: Thus says the Lord: “All the inhabitants of this land, and the kings who sit on the throne of David, and the priests, and the prophets, and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, I will fill them all with drunken intoxication!” I will smash them, brother against brother, fathers against sons, says the Lord. “I will not spare them, I will not have mercy, I will not have mercy, I will destroy them!” 15 Listen, pay attention, do not be arrogant! For the Lord said it.
Ch. 23: 9 About the prophets. My heart is broken, my whole body is trembling! I became as if drunk, like a man overcome by wine, before the face of the Lord, because of His holy word!
Ch. 25:12 When seventy years have passed, I will punish the king of Babylon and his people, says the Lord, and the land of the Chaldeans for their crimes. I will make that land a desert forever. 13 I will do to that land everything that I foretold it, that is written in this book, that Jeremiah foretold about the nations. 14 For they too will become slaves to mighty nations, to great kings; I will repay them according to their actions, according to their deeds. 15 Thus the Lord, the God of Israel, said to me: “Take from My hand this cup of the wine of wrath, and give it to all the nations to whom I send you to drink.” 16 They will drink, they will sway, they will go mad before the sword that I send against them. 17 And I took the cup from the hand of the Lord and gave drink to all the nations to whom the Lord sent me: 27 And say to them: Thus says the Lord of Hosts, the God of Israel: “Drink, get drunk, vomit!” Fall down, do not rise up before the sword that I send against you! 28 And when they refuse to drink the cup that you give them with your hand, say to them: Thus says the Lord of Hosts: “You will, you will drink!” 29 If I send troubles to the city over which My name is proclaimed, will you really escape punishment? You will not escape punishment, for I am calling the sword against all the inhabitants of the earth, says the Lord of Hosts.
Ch. 31:11 The Lord ransomed Jacob, delivered him from an irresistible hand! 12 They will come and rejoice on Mount Zion, rejoicing in the Lord’s bounties—wheat, new wine and oil, cows and sheep. Their soul will become like a blooming garden, their suffering will end.
Ch. 35: 3 I called Jaazaniah the son of Jeremiah, the grandson of Habezziniah, his brothers and all the sons—the whole family of the Rechabites—4 and brought them to the House of the Lord, to the hall of the sons of Hanan the man of God, the son of Igdaliah. This hall is near the hall of the nobles, above the hall of Maaseia, the guardian of the threshold, the son of Shallum. 5 I placed jugs of wine and bowls before the Rechabites and said to them, “Drink the wine.” 6 But they answered: “We do not drink wine, for our ancestor Jonadab, the son of Rechab, commanded us: “Do not drink wine, neither you nor your children, forever!” 7 Do not build houses, do not sow grain, do not grow grapes, lest you have these things! Live in tents all your days, and you will live long in the land where you are strangers.” 8 We fulfill the commandments of our ancestor Jonadab the son of Rechab - everything that he commanded us: neither we, nor our wives, nor our sons, nor our daughters ever drank wine, 14 The words of Jonadab the son of Rechab are observed. He commanded his sons not to drink wine - and they still do not drink it, obeying the commandment of their ancestor. But you do not obey Me, although I told you, told you again and again!
Ch. 48:25 The horn of Moab is cut off, his arm is broken, says the Lord. - 26 Make him drunk, for he has exalted himself against the Lord! Let Moab spew, let him lie around drunk, let him become a laughing stock. 33 - The flowering garden - the land of Moab - will be deprived of joy and joy, I will leave their winepresses without wine! And no one will crush the grapes with a joyful cry - they will scream, but not with joy!
Ch. 51: 7 Babylon is a golden cup in the hands of the Lord. It intoxicated the whole earth, the peoples drank wine from it, and the peoples became mad. 8 But Babylon fell suddenly, shattered! Weep over him, bring him balm for his wounds - maybe he will be healed.
Ch. 51:37 Babylon will be a pile of stone, a haven of jackals, it will be doomed to horror and humiliation, there will be no inhabitants left in it. 38 They roar like lions, they roar like lion cubs. 39 But they will become hot, and I will give them something to drink, I will make them drunk, so that they will have fun, and then they will fall into an eternal sleep, from which they will not awaken, says the Lord. –
Ch. 51:56 The devastator is coming to Babylon, the Babylonian warriors will be taken captive, their bows will be broken, for the Lord is the God of reward, He will reward, He will repay! 57 “I will make his nobles and wise men, rulers, governors, and warriors drunk; they will fall into an eternal sleep from which they will not awaken,” says the King, whose name is the Lord of Hosts.
Book of Lamentations
(Translation by RBO)
Ch. 4:21 Rejoice, rejoice, O Daughter of Edom, who dwells in the land of Uz! But the cup will not escape you either! You will get drunk and reveal your shame!
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