Alcohol and the Church
#2 Hot Potato the church won’t Touch
Ephesians 5:18
We live in strange times. Our nation has declared war on drugs, and our president even appointed a drug Czar. However, the most widely used, and equally destructive drug alcohol is still legal. The Country has also declared war on the tobacco industry. You won’t see tobacco ads on television anymore, but beer ads seem to multiply. And you can’t smoke in public places anymore, but you can drink in many public places. With tobacco usually the only person you harm is yourself, and maybe those close to you with second hand smoke. But many innocent people have been harmed or killed by people under the influence of alcohol. The other strange thing is that in the past the church has lead the way in the fight against all kinds of drugs and alcohol, even when few were following. As they did in the days of prohibition. However, now you would be more likely to hear a warning about the dangers of alcohol, drugs and tobacco from the government (the Surgeon general’s warning) or the alcohol and tobacco industry themselves. (Drink Responsibly commercials) The church has been strangely silent in recent years preferring to be politically tolerant.
Drunkenness is considered an evil in most of the world’s major religious traditions, and Islam has for centuries forbidden even the moderate use of fermented drink. In the West, however, efforts to ban the consumption of alcohol have been a relatively recent phenomenon. Their origin can be traced to the apparently rapid spread of the technology of distillation and of alcohol abuse in 18th-century Europe, which alarmed those concerned with public health and morals.
Many people believed a close relationship existed between drunkenness and the rising incidence of crime, poverty, and violence, concluding that the only way to protect society from this threat was to abolish the “drunkard-making business.” The first state prohibition law, passed in Maine in 1851, prohibited the manufacture and sale of “spiritous or intoxicating liquors” not intended for medical or mechanical purposes, and 13 of the 31 states had such laws by 1855.
By 1900, millions of men and women were beginning to share this hostility toward the saloon and to regard it as the most dangerous social institution then threatening the family.
The Prohibition era began in 1920, following the ratification of the 18th Amendment to the Constitution of the United States in 1919. The amendment banned the sale or manufacture of alcoholic beverages. Here, government agents dump alcohol confiscated from bootleggers. Prohibition ended in 1933 when the 18th Amendment was repealed. Microsoft Encarta Ency. 2001
I The Bible Always Condemns Drunkenness
Isaiah 5:11
Doom to those who get up early and start drinking booze before breakfast, Who stay up all hours of the night drinking themselves into a stupor. (The message)
1Cor 6:9-10 Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders
10. nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.
1 Peter 4:3
You’ve already put in your time in that God-ignorant way of life, partying night after night, a drunken and profligate life. Now it’s time to be done with it for good.(the message)
1 Thess. 5:6-8 (The Message) So let’s not sleepwalk through life like those others. Let’s keep our eyes open and be smart. [7] People sleep at night and get drunk at night. [8] But not us! Since we’re creatures of Day, let’s act like it. Walk out into the daylight sober, dressed up in faith, love, and the hope of salvation.
1 Cor 5:11 But now I am writing you that you must not associate with anyone who calls himself a brother but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or a slanderer, a drunkard or a swindler. With such a man do not even eat.
Eph 5:18 Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit.
Gal. 5:19-20 The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; 20. idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21. and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.
Romans 13:13 Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy.
II If Jesus drank Wine, can we?
-much is made of the fact that Jesus drank wine in contrast to John Matthew 11:18,19, and he turned water into wine at the marriage of Cana of Galilee.
A. The real question should be: Is Today’s Wine the Same as that in Bible Times?
-naturally fermented wine has an alcoholic content of from 9 - 11% (unmixed)
-Distillation of alcohol was first mentioned in history in the 900’s ad. The process produces various types of gins, brandies, whiskeys, and liquor’s, with an alcoholic content from 40-80 % or 80 - 160 proof.
-The strongest wine normally drunk was mixed at least with three parts water to one of wine (up to 20 -1), its alcohol content would have been in a range no higher than 2.2-2.75 %- well below the 3.2 % that today is considered necessary to classify a beverage as alcoholic.
*To get drunk with mixed wine would have required consuming a large quantity -as suggested in other NT passages. “Addicted to wine” 1 Tim 3:3; Titus 1:7. The Greek word paroinos literally means “at, or beside, wine,” and carries the idea of sitting beside the wine cup for an extended period of time.
McArthur p237 Ephesians
B. Wine was considered a vital part of normal life in Palestine, because the water was not very good to drink. This is why moderation is promoted, and not prohibited. 1 Tim. 3:3 Bishops, “not given to drunkenness,”
1 Timothy 3:8 Deacons “Deacons, likewise, are to be men worthy of respect, sincere, not indulging in much wine”
C. It was used for Medical purposes in Bible Times also.
Proverbs 31:6 for a dying man (offered to Jesus on the cross)
“ Give strong drink unto him that is ready to perish, and wine unto those that be of heavy hearts.”
-Luke 10:34 The Good Samaritan “He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine.”
-1 Timothy 5:23 “Stop drinking only water, and use a little wine because of your stomach and your frequent illnesses."
-Some of today’s medicine’s still have alcohol in it. (NyQuil)
- It was the only medicine of the day ( one of few)
So you can see why despite the many warnings about the dangers of wine, the drinking of it is not totally forbidden in Scripture and is, in fact, sometimes even commended.
MacArthur p234 Ephesians Commentary
III The Dangers of Drinking Alcohol
a. Moral Consequences
1. It causes you to do things you wouldn’t do while sober (Ex. Lot Gen. 19:30-38)
2. It causes fights and quarrels Prov. 23:29 Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has strife? Who has complaints? Who has needless bruises? Who has bloodshot eyes? 30. Those who linger over wine, who go to sample bowls of mixed wine
3. It causes you to forget your marriage covenant Prov.23:33
Thine eyes shall behold strange women, and thine heart shall utter perverse things. KJV
4. It causes you to say things you shouldn’t Pro 23:33 “tongue loosens”
“ and thine heart shall utter perverse things.”
5. It is addictive 23:35a
35. "They hit me," you will say, "but I’m not hurt! They beat me, but I don’t feel it! When will I wake up so I can find another drink?"
6. It causes you to forget the law and pervert justice Prov. 31:1-5
"It is not for kings, O Lemuel-- not for kings to drink wine, not for rulers to crave beer,
5. lest they drink and forget what the law decrees, and deprive all the oppressed of their rights.
7. It causes poverty Prov. 23:21 “for drunkards and gluttons become poor,”
B. Economic Consequences
The following statistics should be interpreted as indicators of the economic loss which follows the use of alcohol. For every $1 collected in revenue from the alcohol industry, $8 is spent on alcohol-related problems.
The 1998 estimate of the overall economic cost of alcohol abuse was $185 billion. More than 70 percent of this was attributed to lost productivity, $134.2 billion (which included illness, $87.6 billion; premature death, $36.5 billion; and crime, $10.1 billion). Other costs included health care expenditures, $26.3 billion ($7.5 billion for treatment for abuse and $18.9 billion for treatment of adverse medical consequences). Remaining expenses were property and administrative costs of vehicle crashes, $15.7 billion and criminal justice system, $6.3 billion. This economic cost is equal to about $683 yearly for every man, woman, and child in the United States.
C. Health Consequences
Alcohol affects every organ of the body.
``Alcohol affects immune, endocrine, and reproductive functions. Various cancers associated with drinking include cancers of the lip, oral cavity, pharynx, larynx, esophagus, stomach, colon, rectum, tongue, lung, pancreas, and liver. Other diseases include chronic gastritis, hepatitis, hypertension, and coronary heart disease . . . More of our current college students will die of cirrhosis of the liver than will get doctorates in Business Management, and Communications combined." --Dr. Antonio Novello, Former U. S. Surgeon General
Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) is the leading known cause of birth defects with accompanying mental retardation. These defects are entirely preventable when pregnant women do not drink. It has been calculated that over the lifetime of the FAS individual, care will amount to $1.4 million.
The ``French Paradox" of a decade ago attributed a low rate of heart disease to daily wine consumption. This has now been denied. More recent research has suggested that lowering of coronary heart disease risk may result from the effects of beverage ingredients other than the alcohol itself. There is no consensus to say that alcohol consumption in moderation is protective.
D. Social Consequences
Alcoholism is the third leading cause of death in this country after heart disease and cancer.
Alcoholism may be defined as occurring when an individual’s drinking frequently interferes with work, social life, family life, or health. There are an estimated 11.2 million adults who exhibit signs of alcoholism and an additional 7.2 million who abuse alcohol, which means roughly one out of ten adults are affected. There are 4.7 million teen alcoholics.
Chemical dependency among older adults is a growing problem. A government report stated that up to 17 percent of adults, 60 or older, have a problem with alcohol abuse. Over one-third of these developed the problem after reaching the age of 60. Factors involved include: grief over the loss of a spouse or friend, loss of a job through retirement, loss of one’s home, or dislocation of the family.
Four in ten Americans have been affected by drinking in the family. One in every three families is affected by alcohol. Health care costs for children of alcoholics are 32 percent greater than for children of non-alcoholics.
In 1999, 30 percent of traffic crash deaths and about 50 percent of crash injuries were alcohol-related. Alcohol consumption, even at low levels, has a negative impact on driving skills so the AMA is calling for 0.04 blood alcohol level as the illegal level for driving.
Unintentional deaths per year (30,000) are attributed to alcohol. In addition, 50 percent of homicides and 25 to 33 percent of suicides involve alcohol. For both nonfatal unintentional injuries and non-fatal intentional injuries including assault, spouse abuse, child molestation, sexual assault, rape, and attempted suicide, 25 to 50 percent of the incidents are alcohol-related
``Alcohol is closely linked with virtually every negative aspect of society; suicide, violent crime, birth defects, industrial accidents, domestic and sexual abuse, homelessness, death, and disease. It is the No.1 drug problem for people from all walks of life. It is No. 1 among whites, African Americans, and Hispanics, and it’s No. 1 among poor people and rich people, men and women, and young and old people alike." Hazelden News
Alcohol is currently used by more Americans than any other drug. About 350 die daily from alcohol-related problems while about 15 to 30 die daily from health effects of illegal drug use.
A member of Alcoholics Anonymous once sent columnist Ann Landers the following:
1. We drank for happiness and became unhappy.
We drank for joy and became miserable.
We drank for sociability and became argumentative.
We drank for sophistication and became obnoxious.
We drank for friendship and made enemies.
We drank for sleep and awakened without rest.
We drank for strength and felt weak.
We drank "medicinally" and acquired health problems.
We drank for relaxation and got the shakes.
We drank for bravery and became afraid.
We drank for confidence and became doubtful.
We drank to make conversation easier and slurred our speech.
We drank to feel heavenly and ended up feeling like hell.
We drank to forget and were forever haunted.
We drank for freedom and became slaves.
We drank to erase problems and saw them multiply.
We drank to cope with life and invited death.
Bits & Pieces, May, 1990, p. 18.
IV Reasons Why Abstinence is the Best Choice
In light of the many warnings about drinking wine, yet the bible does not forbid it and even commends it in certain circumstances, how can a believer know? Some Questions can answer.
Wesleyan Position SUBSTANCE ABUSE
1. We believe that the body is the temple (dwelling place) of the Holy Spirit.
Wesleyans have traditionally stood against all substance abuse such as the use of tobacco, alcohol and other drugs. While we understand the biological and psychological nature of addictions, we affirm that God’s grace is powerful enough to deliver any seeking believer from slavery to any of these substances. Furthermore, we believe that the sale and trafficking of tobacco, alcohol and other non-medicinal drugs is a social evil which is draining and corrupting to society, and thus we believe that the best position is to practice total abstinence, protesting both the legal and illegal trade of such substances. (1996 General Conference)
.
Alcoholic Beverages
Alcoholism has become the fourth major health problem in North American . . . and much of the world, exceeded only by mental illness, heart disease and cancer. The Wesleyan Church maintains its historic stand of total abstinence.
Answers to these questions will make it clear
1. Is it the same as the wine in the bible? No (see above)
2. Is it necessary?
-In Bible times good water was seldom available, and when it was mixed with wine the alcohol content made it safer because of the antiseptic effects of the alcohol. It actually purified the water much like chlorine does today in city water systems.
-Nor is drinking necessary in order to prevent embarrassing or offending friends, acquaintances, or business associates. Few care if you are drinking a coke.
3. Is it the best choice?
-since drinking wine is not specifically and totally forbidden in the Scripture, and because it is not necessary for believers in most parts of the world today, the drinking of it is a matter of choice. The next question is therefore, Is it the best choice.
-Throughout history God has given higher standards for those is positions of greater responsibility.
-The priests were commanded not to drink any wine while ministering (maybe totally) Lev 10:9
-Kings also pro 31:4-5
-the Nazirite vow from 30 days to a lifetime forbid it Num. 6:2-4 Samuel, Samson, & John the Baptist for life. Samson’s mother by direct command of the angel (Judges 13:4)
-In Jeremiah’s days the entire clan of the Rechabites had taken vow not to drink , and remained faithful to it. Because of it God had Jeremiah set them up as a standard of righteous living. Jer.13:1-19
-NT leaders in Titus and Timothy given strict instructions on wine.
-It is not the best choice for many reasons. -if you start you may not stop, you may have genetic weakness towards it,
4. Is it habit forming?
Christians are to be free. In 1Cor. 6:12 Paul spoke about questionable things like alcohol.
-There is always a danger of addiction. If you think its not visit a detox unit.
We must not only avoid sin, but avoid the potential for sin if we can.
-Even if it is not habit forming for us, it may cause others to whom it is to become addicted.
5. Is it potentially Destructive?
*Roughly one half of all fatal highway accidents--which average between 50,000 and 55,000 year after year--involve alcohol. Each year, alcohol on the highways results in physical injuries to 125,000 people.
Alcohol is involved in fifteen thousand homicides and suicides annually, twenty thousand accidental deaths, plus one-half of all auto accidents and the additional twenty-five thousand deaths they cause. Even 40 percent of the pedestrians who are killed have been drinking.
ALCOHOL AND RAPE WHAT’S THE CONNECTION
In San Francisco a study of 578 rape victims who had urine tests found 68% had either alcohol, marijuanna, cocaine, or tranquilizers in their system.
6. Will it offend other Christians?
-Our self centered culture doesn’t seem to care. But the Bible says 1 Cor 8:4, 7-9, 11)
-A Christian who himself is perfectly able to drink in moderation is not able to guarantee that his example will not cause a weaker fellow Christian to try drinking and become addicted. And it may be your child.
If there’s an alcoholic parent in the family, there’s a 50 percent chance one of the children will become an alcoholic. If there are two alcoholic parents, it’s an 85 percent chance.
Romans 14:15 (We say I didn’t make him drink -it was his choice) the bible says different.
If your brother is distressed because of what you eat, you are no longer acting in love. Do not by your eating destroy your brother for whom Christ died
7. Will it Harm my Christian Testimony?
-Most people in our culture don’t associate Christians with drinking. There are some churches who use alcohol as communion drink. What if a former alcoholic comes and drinks it, and falls off the wagon if you will. Was that wise? Most unsaved people expect Christians not to drink.
8. Where is the line between moderation and intoxication? (What is God’s level?)
The Juggler
A juggler, driving to his next performance, is stopped by the police. “What are those machetes doing in your car?” asks the cop.
“I juggle them in my act.”
“Oh, yeah?” says the doubtful cop. “Let’s see you do it.” The juggler gets out and starts tossing and catching the knives. Another man driving by slows down to watch.
“Wow,” says the passer-by. “I’m glad I quit drinking. Look at the test they’re giving now!”
-It is different for everyone to a degree -the line is blurry
-Law enforcement say a blood alcohol level of Impairs you from driving a vehicle.
-Drunkenness is a sin that will keep you out of heaven how close do you want to go?
9. Is it Right?
-in light of all we have heard you need to ask “Is it right for me to drink at all?”
-Go back through the questions 1-8
A man once said to John MacArthur , “I have a beer with the boys sometimes. Is that wrong?” John said “What do you think about it?” “Well, I don’t think it’s wrong, he said, but it bothers me.” John said, “Do you like being bothered?” “No, I don’t, he said. “You know how to stop being bothered don’t you?” He said, “Yes, stop drinking.”
(Ephesians commentary, p. 243)
