Wine

this blog post is coming to you from the IPad, so be generous with typing issues. It tends to make unauthorized corrections that may or may not make sense.

In the past almost thirty years, I have been taught that wine in the Bible refers to two separate things--alcoholic beverage and fruit juice. Now, the story of Jesus at the wedding was always explained so that the beverage He made was fruit juice. honestly, that never made sense in context of the story, but like a good girl, I took it as I was told. Proverbs 20:1 was always an admonition not to use alcoholic beverages. I Timothy 3:8 was translated no drink. Why?

Proverbs doesn't say not to drink alcoholic beverages. It says not to be deceived into thinking that they are harmless. I Timothy doesn't say that a deacon should not drink, but that he shouldn't be given to "much" drink. The story at the wedding only makes sense if Jesus made an alcoholic beverage.

In other words, a glass of wine with dinner is not prohibited in Scripture. We are afraid of the power of wine and have responded in fear. If your church chooses to use only men who abstain, that's fine, but we cannot deny that the word "much" means something. Do not try to twist it into what it is not.

Does this mean I am going to begin drinking wine? In no way. That would be uncharitable of me since my husband is a recovering alcoholic. He has been sober since before I met him, but why would I be so unkind and bring that thing I which he may be weaker than we think into our home? Not to mention that I cannot take half a dose of Nyquil without feeling the effects of the alcohol; and perhaps I should mention that I hate the smell of the stuff.

So preach then of the dangers of alcohol, but do not preach that it is a sin. That is a dishonest handling of the Word of God.