Article by: Kenneth J. Ester
Is Drinking Alcohol a Sin?
Is drinking alcohol actually a sin? What does God's Word really say about it?
Though a lot of churches preach against drinking alcohol, it is not actually against God to do so. One of the most common stances those churches like to take is that Jesus only drank juice. The wine He drank was not actually alcoholic. This is simply untrue and scripture proves it. When at a wedding in Galilee, they ran out of wine. Everyone knows of this miracle where Jesus turns the jugs of water into wine and then tells the servants to draw some out and take it to the Master of the Banquet. After tasting it, how did he react?
John 2:9-10 (NASB)
9 When the headwaiter tasted the water which had become wine, and did not know where it came from (but the servants who had drawn the water knew), the headwaiter *called the bridegroom, 10 and *said to him, “Every man serves the good wine first, and when the people have drunk freely, then he serves the poorer wine; but you have kept the good wine until now.”
The reason every man serves the good wine first is because once the guests had gotten drunk, they no longer noticed the poorer wine when it was served. Not only does this verse show that they were indeed drinking a strong wine, but it also shows that the water Jesus made was even stronger. If we are perfectly honest with ourselves, how many glasses of grape juice are you going to drink at a party? Enough that they would run out? The only way a banquet is going to run out of wine is if a lot of it is being consumed. The only way it will run out of wine is if it is in fact hard wine.
Matthew 11:18-19 (NASB)
18 For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon!’ 19 The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Behold, a gluttonous man and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ Yet wisdom is vindicated by her deeds.”
Just because someone accuses you of something, it does not mean it is true. That they accused Jesus of being a drunkard does not mean He was ever drunk. However, the only way they were even able to accuse Him of being a drunkard was if He was at least drinking strong wine. If He was only drinking juice, that would have been a ridiculous accusation.
Paul also once tells Timothy to stop drinking only water and to drink a little wine for his persistent stomach ailments.
1 Timothy 5:23 (NASB)
23 No longer drink water exclusively, but use a little wine for the sake of your stomach and your frequent ailments.
So it is not actually wrong to have strong drink. This is absolutely clear in the Bible because we know Jesus himself drank wine that could get one drunk. That leads us to another question.
Is it wrong to get drunk? The answer to that is yes. It is wrong to get drunk and there are several verses making that clear.
Ephesians 5:18 (NASB)
18 And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit,
Galatians 5:21 (NASB)
21 envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
Just to be clear, this does not say "those who do these things" but it says, "those who practice these things". There is a difference in those who do something wrong and those who practice it. Practicing something means to make a habit of it. To do it without care. To do it intentionally. In this verse, it is speaking of the sinners doing these things. The unsaved. Not the believer.
1 Peter 5:8 (NASB)
8 Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.
1 Timothy 3:8 (NASB)
8 Deacons likewise must be men of dignity, not double-tongued, or addicted to much wine or fond of sordid gain,
Romans 13:13 (NASB)
13 Let us behave properly as in the day, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual promiscuity and sensuality, not in strife and jealousy.
Titus 1:7 (NASB)
7 For the overseer must be above reproach as God’s steward, not self-willed, not quick-tempered, not addicted to wine, not pugnacious, not fond of sordid gain,
Even though it is not wrong according to scripture to drink, it is still clear that we are not to get drunk. We should keep a sober mind and always have our wits about us. However there are situations where it does become wrong for us to even drink alcohol.
Romans 14:21 (NASB)
21 It is good not to eat meat or to drink wine, or to do anything by which your brother stumbles.
If you drinking will have the results of causing your brother to stumble, then it is wrong to drink. If you have someone come over who once had a problem with drinking, then do not drink yourself. Your drinking could become a temptation that leads your brother in Christ to stumble. That would then be your fault.
Drinking is not wrong. Having a cold beer in the evening is not a sin. If you drink enough that you do not have your own wits about you, or if your drinking causes another to stumble, then it is a sin.
Though a lot of churches preach against drinking alcohol, it is not actually against God to do so. One of the most common stances those churches like to take is that Jesus only drank juice. The wine He drank was not actually alcoholic. This is simply untrue and scripture proves it. When at a wedding in Galilee, they ran out of wine. Everyone knows of this miracle where Jesus turns the jugs of water into wine and then tells the servants to draw some out and take it to the Master of the Banquet. After tasting it, how did he react?
John 2:9-10 (NASB)
9 When the headwaiter tasted the water which had become wine, and did not know where it came from (but the servants who had drawn the water knew), the headwaiter *called the bridegroom, 10 and *said to him, “Every man serves the good wine first, and when the people have drunk freely, then he serves the poorer wine; but you have kept the good wine until now.”
The reason every man serves the good wine first is because once the guests had gotten drunk, they no longer noticed the poorer wine when it was served. Not only does this verse show that they were indeed drinking a strong wine, but it also shows that the water Jesus made was even stronger. If we are perfectly honest with ourselves, how many glasses of grape juice are you going to drink at a party? Enough that they would run out? The only way a banquet is going to run out of wine is if a lot of it is being consumed. The only way it will run out of wine is if it is in fact hard wine.
Matthew 11:18-19 (NASB)
18 For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon!’ 19 The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Behold, a gluttonous man and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ Yet wisdom is vindicated by her deeds.”
Just because someone accuses you of something, it does not mean it is true. That they accused Jesus of being a drunkard does not mean He was ever drunk. However, the only way they were even able to accuse Him of being a drunkard was if He was at least drinking strong wine. If He was only drinking juice, that would have been a ridiculous accusation.
Paul also once tells Timothy to stop drinking only water and to drink a little wine for his persistent stomach ailments.
1 Timothy 5:23 (NASB)
23 No longer drink water exclusively, but use a little wine for the sake of your stomach and your frequent ailments.
So it is not actually wrong to have strong drink. This is absolutely clear in the Bible because we know Jesus himself drank wine that could get one drunk. That leads us to another question.
Is it wrong to get drunk? The answer to that is yes. It is wrong to get drunk and there are several verses making that clear.
Ephesians 5:18 (NASB)
18 And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit,
Galatians 5:21 (NASB)
21 envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
Just to be clear, this does not say "those who do these things" but it says, "those who practice these things". There is a difference in those who do something wrong and those who practice it. Practicing something means to make a habit of it. To do it without care. To do it intentionally. In this verse, it is speaking of the sinners doing these things. The unsaved. Not the believer.
1 Peter 5:8 (NASB)
8 Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.
1 Timothy 3:8 (NASB)
8 Deacons likewise must be men of dignity, not double-tongued, or addicted to much wine or fond of sordid gain,
Romans 13:13 (NASB)
13 Let us behave properly as in the day, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual promiscuity and sensuality, not in strife and jealousy.
Titus 1:7 (NASB)
7 For the overseer must be above reproach as God’s steward, not self-willed, not quick-tempered, not addicted to wine, not pugnacious, not fond of sordid gain,
Even though it is not wrong according to scripture to drink, it is still clear that we are not to get drunk. We should keep a sober mind and always have our wits about us. However there are situations where it does become wrong for us to even drink alcohol.
Romans 14:21 (NASB)
21 It is good not to eat meat or to drink wine, or to do anything by which your brother stumbles.
If you drinking will have the results of causing your brother to stumble, then it is wrong to drink. If you have someone come over who once had a problem with drinking, then do not drink yourself. Your drinking could become a temptation that leads your brother in Christ to stumble. That would then be your fault.
Drinking is not wrong. Having a cold beer in the evening is not a sin. If you drink enough that you do not have your own wits about you, or if your drinking causes another to stumble, then it is a sin.