I've been learning to not take things out of context when I read from the Bible, and how important it is to understand the author's original intent of writing everything they wrote, and to learn the historical context and the literary context of everything you read in the Bible.
I personally don't drink because 1) I don't like drinking, 2) I can't see how it honors God, 3) I want to be more like Jesus and I don't think Jesus drank (even though supposedly there are scriptures that say He did, I will have to look at those claims), and 4) I find it to be a poor example and it can be a stumbling block for people. Maybe someone would like to join me on this quest.
The most important thing here, is that I find out WWJD (What would Jesus do).
Yeah, it has become a cliche but its simplicity is profound.
<†3
::UPDATE::
So I was looking through my Bible dictionary for the meaning of wine and how it was used in the Bible, it still did not tell me that Jesus drank wine (biblical proof still pending for me) but here's what I found out:
Sometimes the juice from the grapes was served in an unfermented state, but generally it was bottled after fermentation. If the wine was to kept for some time, a substance was added to give it body (Is. 25:6). Consequently, the wine was always strained before it was served (Is. 25:6).
Wine was stored in either clay jars or wineskins, which were made by tying up the holes of skins taken from goats. Old wineskins could not be used a second time because the fermentation process would cause the old skins to burst and the wine would be lost (Matt. 9:17; Mark 2:22; Luke 5:36-38).
...Wine was a significant trade item in Palestine...
...Wine was also used in worship...
...Wine was also used as a common beverage, or drink, in Palestine...
Wine was also used as medicine. It was said to revive the faint (2 Sam. 16:2) and was suitable as a sedative for people in distress (Prov. 31:6). Mixed with a drug, it was used to ease suffering (Matt. 27:34; Mark 15:23). The Samaritan poured oil and wine on the wounds of the injured traveler (Luke 10:34). The apostle Paul charged Timothy, "No longer drink only water, but use a little wine for your stomach's sake" (1 Tim. 5:23).
The dangers of drunkenness are abundantly recorded in the Bible (Prov. 20:1; 23:29-35). Wine often enslaved the heart (Hos. 4:11). The prophets accused Israel of being overcome with wine (Is. 28:1), of drinking wine by bowlfuls (Amos 6:6), and of wanting prophets who spoke of wine (Mic. 2:11). While the use of wine continued in the New Testament times, Paul admonished his readers to be filled with the Holy Spirit than with wine (Eph. 5:18)."
Ultimately, I typed up everything I read from my Compact Bible Dictionary from the Nelson's Compact Series, written by Ronald Youngblood, F.F. Bruce & R.K. Harrison, so you can see that wine was definitely a part of the Jewish culture. It still did not tell me that Jesus actually drank wine, which someone left a comment with a reference from Luke insinuating that Jesus may have actually drank wine (further research to come). Nevertheless, getting drunk is a straight up No-No and what Paul said about being filled with the Holy Spirit rather than with wine is better because I LOVE being DRUNK off of the HOLY SPIRIT! (Ephesians 5:18).
Yeah, because I'm a dork like that.
::UPDATE::
CONCLUSION:
Yes, Jesus did drink wine but getting drunk is taught strongly against in what the canons (scriptures) say. =]
ONE glass of Red wine a day MAY be beneficial to our bodies. BUT drinking grape juice or eating grapes may do the body just as good. But whether one chooses to drink or not, then that is entirely up to that person. Our decision making comes from our own desires because you cannot force someone to do or not do something.
http://www.revolutionhealth.com/article
Other foods that contain some resveratrol include peanuts, blueberries and cranberries. It's not yet known how beneficial eating grapes or other foods might be compared with drinking red wine when it comes to promoting heart health. The amount of resveratrol in food and red wine can vary widely."
Page Summary
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mygodisavow : (no subject) [+5] - mygodisavow : (no subject) [+3]
- (Anonymous) : Did Jesus Drink Wine? [+17]
- (Anonymous) : benefits of wine [+1]
- (Anonymous) : Jesus did drink wine [+0]
- (Anonymous) : Did Jesus ever drink Wine [+1]
- (Anonymous) : He did drink wine [+0]
- (Anonymous) : wine [+0]
- (Anonymous) : I've pondered this same question for years. [+2]
- (Anonymous) : Resveratrol and cancer [+0]
Comments
Yeah, this was a recent revelation to me as well because I was talking to someone about it.
Jesus only turned water into wine, he never drank it!
I'll let you know what I find.
In the end i'm with you all the way. I think drinking is a terrible thing. Working in the restraunt you constantly see the pain it causes. Not to mention it messes up my family. I had this friend of mine who was so smart and Godly. Then she told me she had no problem going out and having a few "controled drinks" or getting a little tipsy. Honestly it made me cry.
Interesting thing I learned recently: unfermented wine. Pretty much wine without alcohol. But yeah I learned about how the wine back then was weak.
Interesting stuff...
Doesn't Jesus say in the last supper that the wine they were about to drink represented his blood?
(I asked Shaun and Maryann today about this topic, and this is what they told me.)
So it seems like He did drink because wine (I think red wine specifically) came to good use.
But beer, margaritas, other alcoholic beverages, etc.
Those are questionable. What do you think?
I think that Jesus cares about the reason for all the things we are doing.. If we drink because we want to get drunk, it is wrong..
But if we just take a drink or a beer, because it might be nice, just as we enjoy other "unhealthy" things in moderation...
And actually a lot of doctors had been doing some research and found out that ONE glass of redwine a day, might be healthy for your body:
http://www.revolutionhealth.com/articles/r
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.
31 Do not gaze at wine when it is red,
when it sparkles in the cup,
when it goes down smoothly!
32 In the end it bites like a snake
and poisons like a viper.
33 Your eyes will see strange sights
and your mind imagine confusing things.
34 You will be like one sleeping on the high seas,
lying on top of the rigging.
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?"
Something that puzzles me is, Why would Jesus drink wine at the passover when he wsa the passover lamb, During the passover yeast was prohibited: Exodus 12.17
17 "Celebrate the Feast of Unleavened Bread, because it was on this very day that I brought your divisions out of Egypt. Celebrate this day as a lasting ordinance for the generations to come. 18 In the first month you are to eat bread made without yeast, from the evening of the fourteenth day until the evening of the twenty-first day. 19 For seven days no yeast is to be found in your houses. And whoever eats anything with yeast in it must be cut off from the community of Israel, whether he is an alien or native-born. 20 Eat nothing made with yeast. Wherever you live, you must eat unleavened bread."
Why would Jesus drink wine thats made with yeast when it was passover? I believe he drank Grape Juice.
I personally abstain so that it does not become a snare to me...To God be the glory...
Abstinence of alcohol consumption only came on the scene in the 18th century with the Temperance Movement. Before that, alcohol was a part of cultures, especially in Jewish cultures all throughout history.
What about when the apostle Paul charged Timothy, "No longer drink only water, but use a little wine for your stomach's sake" (1 Tim. 5:23). Was the wine he told him to drink grape juice? I did write in my journal entry that grape juice may have the same benefit as red wine but in long term ways and not necessarily "for the stomach's sake", unless you can find legitimate sources that back up that grape juice can help with stomach aches.
Does alcohol contain yeast? I would like to know the details on that. And that verse from Exodus is talking more about yeast in bread. Yes, it says "whoever eats anything with yeast in it must be cut off from the community of Israel", but again, I would like to know the yeast content in alcohol.
I personally abstain as well, so don't get the wrong impression that I am pushing towards drinking. I just want to know if it was actual wine or was it just grape juice.
Are you just a random person or do I know you?
Where you from?
Wow that's cool.
I currently live in California, but I am from Las Vegas.
I like journaling and sometimes it is easier to type out my thoughts rather than writing them down.
How come you don't have one?
I go to college and I am majoring in Youth Ministry.
I also play tennis for my school so school and tennis are what take up a majority of life.
Have a good day today :-)
I don't think one can say that it was discovered by that particular date because i'm pretty sure Grape juice was around since waaaaaaaay back before Jesus' time. better methods of processing was definitely invented and discovered.
I saw this arcticle on the net http://www.learnthebible.org/doctrine_je
I think society will always differ about what is right and wrong concerning alcohol. And it can cause lengthy heated debates which is not so cool :-).(making enemies with fellow brothers and sisters in christ in the process) So I think it all comes down to a personal walk with Jesus. Romans 14,1- 23 sums the whole thing up. :-)
I just found out that grape juice was literally invented by Welch (Welch's Grape Juice), which was also invented in the 18th century.
So it would not make sense that Jesus turned water in grape juice.
Resveratrol questions answered (http://resveratrol.guruzazu.com/faq.php)
"But whereunto shall I liken this generation? It is like unto children sitting in the markets, and calling unto their fellows, And saying, We have piped unto you, and ye have not danced; we have mourned unto you, and ye have not lamented. For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, He hath a devil. The Son of man came eating and drinking, and they say, Behold a man gluttonous, and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners. But wisdom is justified of her children." (Matthew 11:16-19)
My 2 cents. Jim
I spent several years in the Middle East and although drinking is forbidden it is wide spread. Several of the construction workers would drink anything that would ferment. Garbage cans of two day old homemade brew was hailed as delicious. I am sure in ancient times that clean water was hard to find and many people believe everybody in Asia drank wine or beer because clean water was not available. You can find water if you want to, Moses did even in a rock. God destroyed the world and only found Noah and his family to be right with him. There was no laws at that time about drinking but Noah knew how to make and drink various alcoholic drinks. Some of his worst curses came from his involvement with alcohol if you have studied his life. As a simple God fearing man I believe one would be wise to abstain from wine and fermented drinks. I also believe we will find out in time that Jesus did not drink or manufacturer fermented alcoholic beverages. This is contrary to his teachings and character. He said that the unleavened bread was his body and the fruit of the vine was his blood shed for the remission of sin. Do you really think his blood would be contaminated with sin? Is the argument about wine and alcohol or doing God's will? Jesus said take this cup from me but not my will but yours. Is it so hard to give up doing our own will? We should die daily to self and be more like Jesus. Trust me he will be quite sober when he returns to judge drunks and nobody will be saying well you drank wine too. Thanks for letting me ramble. What are your thoughts from the Bible?
becoming drunk on new wine.
You are making the mistake of thinking wine is evil in and of itself.People drank wine thenand it was not considered a sin. You are looking at it in your own narrow view. I hardly think paul
would have told timothy to commit a sin. Alcohol in itself is not evil, can you make it so? Yes if you drink it until you are drunk. By the same token food can become a sin if we eat too much.
.. Here's what I've come up with. I like grape juice and can drink it liberally but I dislike the taste of wine, So I was really hoping my conclusion would be different and that I could just have a glass of juice instead.
.. The french paradox which you are probably familiar with shows that although the French eat fattier diets than our own. They are leaner, have few heart problems, Less clogged arteries, and all around better health. The French drink 1 small glass of wine per afternoon and evening meal.
.. Reservetol, which seems to have huge life extending properties as science is uncovering.
Is stable and plentiful in wine, especially wine grown in colder climates. Reservetol is unstable in grape juice & our common table grapes contain very little reservetol compared to wine grapes. So were not going to get Reservetol from juice or grapes. That was no problem for me I just decided to buy reservetol vitamin suppliment so I could still for go having to try to choke down wine.
.. Well my whole world got rocked and I finally realized that wine is what Jesus meant and what Jesus consumed and what we are to consume for a healty life. The longest lived cultures of our society drink Fermented Drinks. This is a common denominator in these cultures. Why, Probiotics. The pure unpasterized version of wine is chaulked full of probiotics and I think we all know the importants of probiotics. I'm researching the type of yeast used in that time to ferment wine so that the wine I will ultimately consume will have the same types of probiotics in it as Jesus consumed. I've found that apparently Kosher Wine consumed at Passover is supposed to be unpasterized. This means that it would still provide the probiotics.
.. If anyone can enlighten us as to the type of yeasts used to ferment wine in the time that Jesus walked on the earth, I would be greatful. (thinking of making my own) I believe there is some importance in the type of probiotic/yeast or Jesus would have just told us to eat Yogurt or pickles or Sour cream or sourcraut, Or any other fermented food with probiotics instead of emphasizing wine. So although I think were headed in the right direction we need more details.
.. So in conclusion, I will begin sipping a couple ounces of red wine with my evening meal as soon as I am able to obtain unpasterized wine.