(photo courtesy Google Images)
Have you ever looked in the back of a Baptist Hymnal and read the Church Covenant. I did the other day and I couldn’t help but notice that there was a verse that said as members of the Church we should abstain from the sale and use of intoxicating beverages.
According to Christianpost.com, 3 percent of Southern Baptist senior pastors drink alcohol compared to 29 percent of lay people. Among non-Southern Baptists, 25 percent of clergy consume alcohol while 42 percent of laity do so.
Baptist and other Christian men alike fail to follow this piece of moral advice. In fact I heard of an incident at a Church, where a member of the deacon board was using the church’s money to buy liquor for his night club.
Standing near the door of the church, as the members were arriving for a meeting to vote her husband off the deacon board, was the deacon’s wife, with the slow precision of a gunslinger loading bullets one by one into her gun.
After the votes where counted, only the pastor and his wife had voted against the deacon.
What does The Bible say about Drinking Alcohol?
In John (Jn2:11), it mentions a miracle at Cana where Jesus turned water into wine. In Accordance with Jewish custom, they were drinking real wine. A
Feast is made for laughter, and wine makes merry” (Ecclesiastes 10:19)
Early Baptist drank moderate amounts of beer, wine and hard liquor. Elijah Craig, a Kentucky Baptist minister, founded the Baptist-related Georgetown College has been credited with inventing bourbon. The debate over whether the Last Supper drink was fermented, and whether churches observing the memorial meal should use wine or grape juice, has been a point of contention in the church for decades.
What The Bible says about Drunkenness.
Many Christian’s point to Romans (Ro 14: 21) “It’s not right to …drink wine or do anything that makes your brother stumble.” For Christians, drinking is a disgusting personal habit that destroys lives, families and your body that is supposed to be the temple of God. Only cancer and heart disease claim more lives than alcohol each year.
The sin of drunkenness wasn’t uncommon in the biblical times either, it is mentioned more than seventy times in The Bible. The consequences of drunkenness in the story about Noah (Gen 9:8-14) and Lot (Gen 19:30-38) were intended to serve as examples of the dangers from alcohol.
Galatians(5:19-21) declares that drunkenness will keep you from entering the pearly gates.
6 comments:
I think you've raised a good question that I think many people wrestle with.
In my religion we are encouraged to follow what is called "The Word of Wisdom" - in a nutshell it teaches us to abstain from anything that is harmful, damaging or addictive to the mind and body. I believe our body is a gift from God and should be treated with respect. I don't claim to have all the answers, but as for myself I know my life is better off not to ever touch that which would negatively affect my mind and intellect. God bless you, my friend.
Alicia Rawlins
Very wise thinking.There is a verse in bible which says not to drink wine.Not only in christianity
every religion does not allow its followers to drink wine.Drinking alcohol has become common eventhough everyone knows that this habit is harmful to health.So it is good to avoid drinking alcohols.
_____
Paul allan.
http://www.christian-drug-rehab.org
Paul, I respectfully disagree. We should abstain from gossiping, but it is commonly heard in our churches. Personally, I find more harm in gossiping about a neighbor than I do in having a single glass of wine with a meal. Jesus drank wine (not grape juice). At the same time I believe that some people should NEVER touch alcohol. God make us all different ....... we all have our different strenghts and weaknesses. The problem is that some people are not "wise in their drinking and drink to excess." That is their weakness and they must gain control of it or risk separation from God. On the other hand, someone who has complete control over this area of having a drink of wine, has no fear of moral decline in my opinion. The key is their relationship with Christ. If having alcohol interferes with that, then you should avoid it. If it doesn't, then I see no harm. Most people are very selective in using certain verses that only support THEIR views on drinking while ignoring the many other verses that actually points favoritely towards the "fruit of the vine." Too many Christians today are quick to judge or condemn fellow brothers if they touch a glass of wine, even if it's done in complete moderation. As the old verse says, "judge not lest ye be judged." Christ promised to his Disciples to not drink of the fruit of the vine until He returns in glory. It's my strongest desire to share in that glass of wine with Him. Are you going to ask for tea?
Based on a thorough examination of the Greek texts, the author of "Wine in the Bible: A Biblical Study on the Use of Alocoholic Beverages" provides interesting evidence that Jesus and the apostles never drank alcoholic wine, nor did they ever approve of alcohol in any form. This would mean that Christians have no scriptural support for drinking any alcoholic drinks, even in moderation.
Get more information at this site:
http://www.biblicalperspectives.
com/books/wine_in_the_bible/1.html
Hi jc3,
You're referring to a book by Samuele Bacchiocchi, a very controversal Seventh Day Adventist writer whose views are questioned quite often by many. I suggest you investigate Mr. Bacchiocchi a little further. Here's a link to some fairly accurate information on wine in the Bible. It is from the Christian Churches of God of which I am not a member, but even they understand that moderation is the key to drinking wine.
http://www.ccg.org/english/s/p188.html
I tried to locate an excellent response to Mr. Bacchiocchi's book on wine from a fine Christian Pastor who almost point by point disputed many of the views in the book and showed how Bacchiocchi twisted historical facts to fit his views. This Christian Pastor also stated that he himself never touched alcohol and didn't ever plan to, but he did not believe the Word of God should be twisted or changed, so he expertly challenged Bacchiocchi's book, "Wine In The Bible, A Biblical Study on the use of Alcolohic Beverages." This is not a good book to go by.
Randy, lots of books tend to misrepresent facts.
That is why I choose to use the Bible as my primary resource for daily living.
Common knowledge often overlooks the spiritual perspective to situations.
Physically, it may seem that one little drink is harmless. Spiritually it opens the door to an unsatiable craving for more alchol.
Proverbs 20:1 says that "wine is a mocker and beer a brawler: whoever is led astray by them is not wise.
That's why only wise Christians obey this scriptural principle.
Post a Comment