Alcohol and the Christian

Why should Christians refrain from any alcoholic beverage?
By David Cox
[CP03] v1 © 2006 www.folletosytratados.com
This brochure can be photocopied and printed freely

This is a booklet about the truth of alcohol in the Bible, and the biblical position for the Christian.

Some people make the argument that they drank alcohol in the Bible, so it’s good that we drink alcohol just like them today. Until some make the claim that they drink alcohol the same “as Jesus took,” as they drank at the Lord’s Supper. “This booklet clarifies mistakes that come out around this. Alcohol is a substance that harms the body and spirit of man, and God is clearly opposed to it in the Bible. We start with that “wine” refers to any product of the vineyard, alcoholic or not. It is understood that he is an alcoholic when there is excess, or influence of alcohol, and in the Bible it is very difficult to separate which “wine” is alcoholic and which is not.

“Who used wine at the Lord’s Supper”

The passages here are mainly the following, Matthew 26:26-30; Mark 14:22-25; Luke 22:17-20, 1 Corinthians 11:23-29. Study all these passages carefully and we see that you never use the word “wine” but “cup.” As today, a glass can contain soda, water, milk, or even cloves or sweets. You don’t know anything about the content for a “cup.”

The Jews celebrated Easter in a different way, and the point in it is that the form represented something spiritual. In the salvation of the Jews from the angel of death, specific instructions were given for the preparation of the items they were going to eat. The point was purity and haste. The meat was roasted, not boiled. The loaves were unleavened by haste, and because leaven is a symbol in the Bible of something not holy, (forbidden in offerings to God Lev. 2: 9). In Exodus 12 he does not mention the drink, but this was probably because they did not use the vineyard product to represent the blood of Jesus Christ, but the blood of the lamb they killed to smear the lintel and the two posts (Exodus 12:22; Hebrews 12: 28; 12:24). In later celebrations (as God commanded) they used grape products. Although God does not give specific data about the drink, but we see that the bread is raised by the yeast process (bacteria that grows, dies, and sponges the bread) just like the yeast process used to produce alcohol in beer and the wine.

“That Jesus and others drank alcohol”

Likewise, we do not see that Jesus or the rest of his disciples drank wine. It was the custom of the time to drink wine, but even in this, it is nothing the same as today. The production of alcoholic beverages changed dramatically with the discovery and use of the liquor distillation process. Although distillation was used from 3000 a. C. by the Chinese, and 2000 a. C. by the Egyptians, it was used for perfumes and medicines in these times. It was a secret that was not disclosed. It was not until the Arabs in 600 AD. C. that began to be used in the production of a stronger alcoholic beverage than wine or beer. Wine and beer produce an alcohol content of 3-4% without distillation. The custom in the use of the ancient world was to even reduce it with 4 to 20 equal parts of water, which reduces its alcoholic content even more. This lowered mixture was taken at meals making even less ((Doctors warn us that alcohol with nothing in the stomach is the most harmful. The body drinks alcohol as a toxic, a poison, and tries to metabolize it when it enters. It takes an hour for four ounces of whiskey. There is no way to speed it up. Food mixed with alcohol lowers the entry into the blood, not allowing its maximum effect.)) the effect of alcohol.

Proverbs 23:29 Who will the woe be for? Who is the pain for? Who do you resent? Who are the complaints for? For whom are wounds in vain? Who has redness of eyes? 30 For those who stop a lot in wine, For those who are looking for mistura. 31 Do not look at wine when it reds, When its color shines in the glass. It enters softly; 32 But finally as a snake he will bite, and as a asp he will give pain.

In ancient times, “drunks” did not lower their wine to drink it strong and feel the effect of alcohol. Today we do not talk about 3-4% alcohol reduced to 1% up to .20% but 30% up to 100% alcohol. With a drink of this, it is currently more alcohol than a person in biblical times ingests in a week or more. For the body to absorb alcohol, it needs time to do so. By its concentration, it hurts the body. If it was reduced so much with water, and if it was little ingested, it also had minimal effect.

“Jesus made wine at the wedding in Cana”

First, we don’t know what kind of “wine” he made, so discussing it is baseless. Second, in the ancient world, the best of the vine was very sweet, not very alcoholic. The lack of sugar and sweet products caused the preference for sweet grape juice. This was also called “wine.” In addition, alcohol itself is not a sin, it is what one does with alcohol that is sin. But neither is it to give permission for something.

“That Paul recommended alcohol to Timothy”

1 Timothy 5:23 Do not drink water anymore, but use some wine because of your stomach and your frequent illnesses.

Taking this verse in context (a medicine) does not present us with difficulties. There are medicines that need to be dissolved in alcohol or another substance to enter the body. Paul’s recommendation to Timothy was to use alcohol (in small quantities) to disinfect water so that he does not get sick. It is not a permit to drink and get drunk, but to take care of your health.

The Affection of Alcohol in the Body

1 Corinthians 6:19 Or do you ignore that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, which is in you, which you have of God, and that you are not yours? 20 Because you have been bought by price; glorify, then, God in your body and in your spirit, which are of God.

To understand this well, we have to start with the detail that as Christians we should not do harmful things to our body that is the temple of the Holy Spirit.

James 4:5 Or do you think the Scripture says in vain: The Spirit that he has made dwell in us longs for us jealously?

Alcohol destroys our body and spirit. Alcohol is an irritant to the human body that removes the functions of the body (the organs), and that is why it is common for drunks to vomit, stop breathing, or suddenly have heart attacks. Although it looks liquid, alcohol causes deep dehydration in the body (causing more thirst). Alcohol enters all parts of the body immediately. Daniel 1 introduces us to young believers who refused to drink alcohol for harming their greeting. Cancer and other liver problems are consequences of alcohol. Alcohol enters the brain freely and causes a lack of oxygen causing the death of many brain cells. Alcohol highly alters the brain, and worst of all is that it depresses the part of making decisions and affects moral judgment. Therefore, bad men seek to take their girls to a canteen to lower their defenses with alcohol. It is very common to drink alcohol (or drugs) before a violation, homicide, theft, or other violation of the law. Those who try to commit suicide use alcohol to help them “have courage.” All this is a drug to help them do what they know they should not do, and to “suppress their conscience.” Are we going to take this kind of substance by being good Christians? Being under the influence is currently lowering the spiritual defenses. Is this good or bad?

Prohibitions against alcohol

Proverbs 20:1 Wine is a mocker, troublemaker cider, and anyone who errs for them is not wise.

Always since there was alcohol, it has been alcohol abuse. The Bible clearly warns us of the dangers with alcohol. In the form of medicine (with measure) it is possible to use alcohol (in medicines such as for coughs) without prejudice. As directed by your doctor, this is not bad. But when you drink enough alcohol to “be under your influence,” you are already wrong. Drinking 3% alcohol lowered with another 20 parts of water with food is difficult to feel the effects. To have a beer, he was wrong.

Ephesians 5:18 Do not get drunk with wine, in which there is dissolution …

“Dissolution” comes from the word “not saved.” Being under the influence of alcohol is the behavior of an unconverted person, it is never acceptable to a Christian. Galatians 5:21 and 1 Corinthians 6:10, for example, place the drunk (someone under the influence) or people who practice such things as people who “will not inherit the kingdom of God.”

God’s prohibition is to avoid being under the influence of alcohol. There is no specific measure or quantity. Each person is different, and there are still big differences by weight, being male-female, and being athletes against sedimentary people. Even in the life of the same individual, alcohol can produce different consequences for being sick or healthy, or for being under medication. The point here is that God forbids us to drink to feel the effect of alcohol, whatever amount. If this is the case, and if many abuse this substance, and if it is easy to cultivate the taste and taste for alcohol, it is better that we do not start by never taking anything, or even trying to supposedly copy what they did in the Bible.

The Christian’s Testimony

1 Corinthians 8:9 But see that this freedom of yours does not become a stumbling block for the weak. 13 Therefore, if the food is my brother’s chance to fall, I will never eat meat, so as not to stumble my brother.

As Christians we should not cause others to fall into sin by seeing and following what we do. In the matter of alcohol, it is no different. Perhaps one is very careful of just using alcohol for cooking (where all the alcohol supposedly evaporates) but where one buys alcohol, they don’t know this. They think you’re going to get drunk (being under the influence) like any other. This presents an impossibility for the Christian. It is impossible to buy, get, or have it at home without staining your testimony. There is always someone who sees you, even your children, and because of this, the Christian should never buy it, use it, or lend it to alcohol. Matthew 18: 6; Romans 14:13.

Why do people drink?

We must say that drinking alcohol is a drug to remedy life’s problems. Alcohol helps them forget their problems but never solves these problems. Many times alcoholism becomes an addiction because people do not know or do not want to deal with their problems in the light of God’s Word. To turn to God is to get away from alcoholism. Alcohol does not improve any situation.

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