Ángel
Manuel Rodríguez
I
have not found in the Bible any explicit prohibition against the consumption
of wine. Where is the biblical support for the church's position?
To
answer your question thoroughly requires more space than I have available
here. What makes a short answer difficult is that there are a significant
number of biblical texts to consider, and
at times the texts move from what appears to be acceptance of wine consumption,
to moderate use of it, to rejection.
Your
question requires a careful study of the biblical terminology for wine,
the different contexts in which it is used, and the meaning of that information
for us today. I will point only in a general way to the biblical teaching
on this subject.
1.
Comments on the Terminology: The Old Testament employs three main
words to refer to wine. The first is shekar, which is usually
translated "strong drink," but is now acknowledged, based
on the use of the same root in other ancient languages, to refer to what
we know as beer. It was definitely intoxicating (Isa. 28:7, 8; 29:9),
and most probably made from grains. Most of the biblical references denounce
or forbid its use (Lev. 10:9; 1 Sam. 1:15; Prov. 20:1; Isa. 5:11). Nevertheless,
there is a peculiar and unique case that suggests that it was not necessarily
wrong for an Israelite to drink beer (Deut. 14:26).
The
second term, tirosh, is used to designate "new wine," grape juice
(Judges 9:13; Isa. 65:8), the fresh must in the hollow of the winepress
(Hosea 9:2; Micah 6:15; Joel 2:24; Prov. 3:10).
Only one passage seems to indicate that it was intoxicating (Hosea 4:11),
but the use of two words for wine in that text suggests that the intoxicating
effect was the result of mixing "old" fermented wine with "new" unfermented
wine.
The
third word used for wine in the Bible is yayin, fermented grape
juice (Gen. 9:21; Isa. 28:7). But again, there are several cases in which
it could be referring to unfermented grape juice as it came from the winepress
(Isa. 16:10; Jer. 48:33). The Greek version of the Old Testament uses
the same Greek word, oinos, to render both Hebrew terms tirosh
and yayin; and oinos is the term for "wine" found
in the New Testament. The use of that term in the Old Testament suggests
that in the New Testament oinos does not necessarily designate
fermented grape juice.
2.
Use of Wine in the Bible: Wine (yayin) was often part of
the daily diet of the people of Israel (Gen. 14:18; Judges 19:19), and
was also offered to God as a drink offering (Ex. 29:40). In a land where
water was scarce, the juice of the grape was very important and widely
used. That same type of wine was commonly associated with joy (Ps. 104:15),
but its ingestion could lead to
immoral behavior (Isa. 5:11, 12), drunkenness (Prov. 20:1), vomiting (Isa.
28:7, 8), addiction, and hallucinations (Prov. 23:33-35). Its use was
forbidden among priests (Lev. 10:9) and Nazirites (Num. 6:1-4), and not
recommended for kings and rulers (Prov. 31:4). In some cases wine
seems to have had a medicinal function (2 Sam. 16:2; Luke 10:34; 1 Tim.
5:23). The soldiers at the foot of the cross tried to alleviate Jesus'
pain by offering Him wine mixed with myrrh (Mark 15:23).
3.
Implications for Believers: Wine was obviously used among the Israelites,
and its consumption had beneficial as well as damaging effects. Not every
reference to wine in the Bible automatically indicates a fermented drink.
Each passage must be studied by itself. Many have concluded that the Bible
does not teach abstinence from wine, but a moderate use of it. But we
must consider the Bible's strong language against the use of wine.
The
Bible points to abstinence as a better and more excellent way. Proverbs
23:31, 32 does not simply discourage the use of fermented wine, but counsels
the individual to stay away from it: "Do not gaze at wine when it is red,
when it sparkles in the cup, when it goes down smoothly! In the end it
bites like a snake and poisons like a viper" (NIV). It is that biblical
ideal that Adventists support and promote in a world in which the damaging
effects of alcoholism are painfully well known.
4/12/01
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