The Christian church has long held a prohibitionist attitude with regard to drinking alcohol. There is a strong scriptural basis for this approach that teaches us that our bodies are the temple of the Lord and should be respected as such.
However, the Bible does not instruct us that believers should not consume wine. Conversely, the Bible makes several references to drinking wine in a positive context – including Holy Communion.
Let’s explore this idea further as I explain what the Bible actually says about drinking wine and dispell some myths commonly preached by uninformed clergy.
What is Wine?
Aside from modern techniques in agriculture, wine is not much different today than it was in biblical times. Wine is simply the juice of grapes that become alcoholic over time as the grapes ferment. Actually, wine can be made from many fruits, including apples, cranberries, plums, and even rice, but grapes are the most popular wine source by far.
Yeast is also important to the fermentation process. The yeast consumes the sugar in the grapes and converts it to ethanol, carbon dioxide, and heat. When the alcohol content reaches around 15%, the yeast dies naturally.
History of Wine
Throughout history, wine has been consumed for its intoxicating effects. But that doesn’t exclude it from being mentioned in the contents of the Holy Bible. In fact, history reveals that wine commonly consumed prior to the life of Jesus Christ.
The history of wine dates back thousands of years. The earliest known winery is the 6,100-year-old Areni-1 winery in Armenia. But it’s safe to assume that wine was commonplace long before that.
One of the earliest known traces of wine is from Georgia (c. 6000 BC), Iran (c. 5000 BC), and Sicily (c. 4000 BC) although there is evidence of a similar alcoholic drink being consumed earlier in China (c. 7000 BC). Knowledge of wine arrived in the Balkans by 4500 BC and was consumed and celebrated in ancient Greece, Thrace, and Rome.
Wine and Religion
Wine has a long history and an important role in various religions. Red wine was associated with blood by the ancient Egyptians and was used by both the Greek cult of Dionysus and the Romans in their Bacchanalia. Judaism also incorporates wine in the Kiddush and Christianity in the Eucharist.
Wine and Christianity
In the Christian faith, wine is used in a sacred rite called the Eucharist, which originates in the Gospel account of the Last Supper (Luke 22:19) describing Jesus sharing bread and wine with his disciples and commanding them to “do this in remembrance of me.” Beliefs about the nature of the Eucharist vary among denominations.
While many Christians consider the use of wine from the grape as essential for the validity of the sacrament, some Protestants also allow – or even demand – that pasteurized grape juice be used instead of wine.
Wine was used in Eucharistic rites by all Protestant groups until an alternative arose in the late 19th century when Thomas Bramwell Welch (Welch’s Grape Juice) applied new pasteurization techniques to stop the natural fermentation process of grape juice.
Some Christians who were part of the growing temperance movement pressed for a switch from wine to grape juice and the substitution spread quickly over much of the United States, as well as to other countries to a lesser degree. There remains an ongoing debate between some American Protestant denominations as to whether wine can and should be used for the Eucharist or allowed as an ordinary drink, with Catholics and some mainline Protestants allowing wine drinking in moderation, and some conservative Protestant groups opposing consumption of alcohol altogether.
What Does The Bible Actually Say?
If being a Christian means being “Christ-like” in our lives, we should look no further than Jesus Christ to inform our position on consuming wine. At the Last Supper, Jesus drank wine and shared it with the disciples. In John 2, Jesus and his mother attended a wedding and in one of the most highly referenced miracles in scripture, Jesus turned water into wine – not pasteurized grape juice.
Genesis 9 describes Noah, God’s chosen one, planting a vineyard after the great flood. Noah then harvested the grapes and made wine, which he drank until he passed out! And yet, the same chapter says that Noah was “blessed.”
Many Christian prohibitionists cite Proverbs 23:20 as their basis for teaching abstinence from wine, but a close reading of the text reveals that it does not instruct us not to consume wine. The scripture actually instructs us to not associate with those who drink too much because it makes them lazy and causes them to be poor.
Is Drinking Wine a Sin?
In a religious context, sin is an act of transgression against divine law. Obviously, drinking fermented grapes does not fit this description of sin because there is no divine law that forbids it.
As I noted, Jesus Christ himself shared wine on more than one occasion and the Bible declares that God “made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.” – 2 Corinthians 5:21
In Romans 8:3-4, Paul is careful to say that Jesus came in the likeness of sinful flesh, but condemned sin while in the flesh. The Bible attributes no sin to Jesus.
Bible Verses About Wine
Numbers 28:14
‘Their drink offerings shall be half a hin of wine for a bull and a third of a hin for the ram and a fourth of a hin for a lamb; this is the burnt offering of each month throughout the months of the year.
Deuteronomy 32:37-38
“And He will say, ‘Where are their gods, The rock in which they sought refuge? ‘Who ate the fat of their sacrifices, And drank the wine of their drink offering? Let them rise up and help you, Let them be your hiding place!
2 Chronicles 32:28
storehouses also for the produce of grain, wine and oil, pens for all kinds of cattle and sheepfolds for the flocks.
1 Samuel 1:24
Now when she had weaned him, she took him up with her, with a three-year-old bull and one ephah of flour and a jug of wine, and brought him to the house of the LORD in Shiloh, although the child was young.
Ezra 6:8-10
“Moreover, I issue a decree concerning what you are to do for these elders of Judah in the rebuilding of this house of God: the full cost is to be paid to these people from the royal treasury out of the taxes of the provinces beyond the River, and that without delay. “Whatever is needed, both young bulls, rams, and lambs for a burnt offering to the God of heaven, and wheat, salt, wine and anointing oil, as the priests in Jerusalem request, it is to be given to them daily without fail, that they may offer acceptable sacrifices to the God of heaven and pray for the life of the king and his sons.
1 Chronicles 9:29
Some of them also were appointed over the furniture and over all the utensils of the sanctuary and over the fine flour and the wine and the oil and the frankincense and the spices.
Nehemiah 13:12
All Judah then brought the tithe of the grain, wine and oil into the storehouses.
1 Chronicles 27:27
Shimei the Ramathite had charge of the vineyards; and Zabdi the Shiphmite had charge of the produce of the vineyards stored in the wine cellars.
Numbers 18:11-12
“This also is yours, the offering of their gift, even all the wave offerings of the sons of Israel; I have given them to you and to your sons and daughters with you as a perpetual allotment. Everyone of your household who is clean may eat it. “All the best of the fresh oil and all the best of the fresh wine and of the grain, the first fruits of those which they give to the LORD, I give them to you.
2 Chronicles 11:11-12
He also strengthened the fortresses and put officers in them and stores of food, oil and wine. He put shields and spears in every city and strengthened them greatly. So he held Judah and Benjamin.
Deuteronomy 12:17
“You are not allowed to eat within your gates the tithe of your grain or new wine or oil, or the firstborn of your herd or flock, or any of your votive offerings which you vow, or your freewill offerings, or the contribution of your hand.
Nehemiah 10:37-39
We will also bring the first of our dough, our contributions, the fruit of every tree, the new wine and the oil to the priests at the chambers of the house of our God, and the tithe of our ground to the Levites, for the Levites are they who receive the tithes in all the rural towns. The priest, the son of Aaron, shall be with the Levites when the Levites receive tithes, and the Levites shall bring up the tenth of the tithes to the house of our God, to the chambers of the storehouse. For the sons of Israel and the sons of Levi shall bring the contribution of the grain, the new wine and the oil to the chambers; there are the utensils of the sanctuary, the priests who are ministering, the gatekeepers and the singers Thus we will not neglect the house of our God.
Deuteronomy 14:23-26
“You shall eat in the presence of the LORD your God, at the place where He chooses to establish His name, the tithe of your grain, your new wine, your oil, and the firstborn of your herd and your flock, so that you may learn to fear the LORD your God always. “If the distance is so great for you that you are not able to bring the tithe, since the place where the LORD your God chooses to set His name is too far away from you when the LORD your God blesses you, then you shall exchange it for money, and bind the money in your hand and go to the place which the LORD your God chooses.
Genesis 40:1-13
Then it came about after these things, the cupbearer and the baker for the king of Egypt offended their lord, the king of Egypt. Pharaoh was furious with his two officials, the chief cupbearer and the chief baker. So he put them in confinement in the house of the captain of the bodyguard, in the jail, the same place where Joseph was imprisoned.
Deuteronomy 18:4-5
“You shall give him the first fruits of your grain, your new wine, and your oil, and the first shearing of your sheep. “For the LORD your God has chosen him and his sons from all your tribes, to stand and serve in the name of the LORD forever.
2 Chronicles 31:4-5
Also he commanded the people who lived in Jerusalem to give the portion due to the priests and the Levites, that they might devote themselves to the law of the LORD. As soon as the order spread, the sons of Israel provided in abundance the first fruits of grain, new wine, oil, honey and of all the produce of the field; and they brought in abundantly the tithe of all.
Joel 3:3
“They have also cast lots for My people, Traded a boy for a harlot And sold a girl for wine that they may drink.
Genesis 27:28
Now may God give you of the dew of heaven, And of the fatness of the earth, And an abundance of grain and new wine;
Revelation 18:11-13
“And the merchants of the earth weep and mourn over her, because no one buys their cargoes any more– cargoes of gold and silver and precious stones and pearls and fine linen and purple and silk and scarlet, and every kind of citron wood and every article of ivory and every article made from very costly wood and bronze and iron and marble, and cinnamon and spice and incense and perfume and frankincense and wine and olive oil and fine flour and wheat and cattle and sheep, and cargoes of horses and chariots and slaves and human lives.
Deuteronomy 7:13
“He will love you and bless you and multiply you; He will also bless the fruit of your womb and the fruit of your ground, your grain and your new wine and your oil, the increase of your herd and the young of your flock, in the land which He swore to your forefathers to give you.
John 2:1-11
On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there; and both Jesus and His disciples were invited to the wedding. When the wine ran out, the mother of Jesus said to Him, “They have no wine.”
Deuteronomy 11:13-14
“It shall come about, if you listen obediently to my commandments which I am commanding you today, to love the LORD your God and to serve Him with all your heart and all your soul, that He will give the rain for your land in its season, the early and late rain, that you may gather in your grain and your new wine and your oil.
Matthew 27:34
they gave Him wine to drink mixed with gall; and after tasting it, He was unwilling to drink.
Deuteronomy 33:28
“So Israel dwells in security, The fountain of Jacob secluded, In a land of grain and new wine; His heavens also drop down dew.
Mark 15:23
They tried to give Him wine mixed with myrrh; but He did not take it.
2 Kings 18:31-32
‘Do not listen to Hezekiah, for thus says the king of Assyria, “Make your peace with me and come out to me, and eat each of his vine and each of his fig tree and drink each of the waters of his own cistern, until I come and take you away to a land like your own land, a land of grain and new wine, a land of bread and vineyards, a land of olive trees and honey, that you may live and not die.” But do not listen to Hezekiah when he misleads you, saying, “The LORD will deliver us.”
Psalm 75:8
For a cup is in the hand of the LORD, and the wine foams; It is well mixed, and He pours out of this; Surely all the wicked of the earth must drain and drink down its dregs.
1 Chronicles 12:40
Moreover those who were near to them, even as far as Issachar and Zebulun and Naphtali, brought food on donkeys, camels, mules and on oxen, great quantities of flour cakes, fig cakes and bunches of raisins, wine, oil, oxen and sheep. There was joy indeed in Israel.
Genesis 49:11-12
“He ties his foal to the vine, And his donkey’s colt to the choice vine; He washes his garments in wine, And his robes in the blood of grapes. “His eyes are dull from wine, And his teeth white from milk.
Psalm 4:7
You have put gladness in my heart, More than when their grain and new wine abound.
Job 32:19
“Behold, my belly is like unvented wine, Like new wineskins it is about to burst.
Proverbs 3:9-10
Honor the LORD from your wealth And from the first of all your produce; So your barns will be filled with plenty And your vats will overflow with new wine.
Psalm 60:3
You have made Your people experience hardship; You have given us wine to drink that makes us stagger.
Jeremiah 31:12
“They will come and shout for joy on the height of Zion, And they will be radiant over the bounty of the LORD– Over the grain and the new wine and the oil, And over the young of the flock and the herd; And their life will be like a watered garden, And they will never languish again.
Psalm 78:65
Then the Lord awoke as if from sleep, Like a warrior overcome by wine.
Joel 2:18-24
Then the LORD will be zealous for His land And will have pity on His people. The LORD will answer and say to His people, “Behold, I am going to send you grain, new wine and oil, And you will be satisfied in full with them; And I will never again make you a reproach among the nations. “But I will remove the northern army far from you, And I will drive it into a parched and desolate land, And its vanguard into the eastern sea, And its rear guard into the western sea And its stench will arise and its foul smell will come up, For it has done great things.”
Proverbs 4:17
For they eat the bread of wickedness And drink the wine of violence.
Isaiah 55:1
“Ho! Every one who thirsts, come to the waters; And you who have no money come, buy and eat Come, buy wine and milk Without money and without cost.
Joel 3:18
And in that day The mountains will drip with sweet wine, And the hills will flow with milk, And all the brooks of Judah will flow with water; And a spring will go out from the house of the LORD To water the valley of Shittim.
Amos 9:13-14
“Behold, days are coming,” declares the LORD, “When the plowman will overtake the reaper And the treader of grapes him who sows seed; When the mountains will drip sweet wine And all the hills will be dissolved. “Also I will restore the captivity of My people Israel, And they will rebuild the ruined cities and live in them; They will also plant vineyards and drink their wine, And make gardens and eat their fruit.
Jeremiah 23:9
As for the prophets: My heart is broken within me, All my bones tremble; I have become like a drunken man, Even like a man overcome with wine, Because of the LORD And because of His holy words.
Jeremiah 48:33
“So gladness and joy are taken away From the fruitful field, even from the land of Moab And I have made the wine to cease from the wine presses; No one will tread them with shouting, The shouting will not be shouts of joy.
Jeremiah 25:15
For thus the LORD, the God of Israel, says to me, “Take this cup of the wine of wrath from My hand and cause all the nations to whom I send you to drink it.
Deuteronomy 28:38-51
“You shall bring out much seed to the field but you will gather in little, for the locust will consume it. “You shall plant and cultivate vineyards, but you will neither drink of the wine nor gather the grapes, for the worm will devour them. “You shall have olive trees throughout your territory but you will not anoint yourself with the oil, for your olives will drop off.
Jeremiah 48:11
“Moab has been at ease since his youth; He has also been undisturbed, like wine on its dregs, And he has not been emptied from vessel to vessel, Nor has he gone into exile. Therefore he retains his flavor, And his aroma has not changed.
Isaiah 24:7-9
The new wine mourns, The vine decays, All the merry-hearted sigh. The gaiety of tambourines ceases, The noise of revelers stops, The gaiety of the harp ceases. They do not drink wine with song; Strong drink is bitter to those who drink it.
Jeremiah 51:7
Babylon has been a golden cup in the hand of the LORD, Intoxicating all the earth The nations have drunk of her wine; Therefore the nations are going mad.
Joel 1:10
The field is ruined, The land mourns; For the grain is ruined, The new wine dries up, Fresh oil fails.
Revelation 14:8-10
And another angel, a second one, followed, saying, “Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great, she who has made all the nations drink of the wine of the passion of her immorality.” Then another angel, a third one, followed them, saying with a loud voice, “If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives a mark on his forehead or on his hand, he also will drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is mixed in full strength in the cup of His anger; and he will be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb.
Haggai 2:14-16
Then Haggai said, ” ‘So is this people. And so is this nation before Me,’ declares the LORD, ‘and so is every work of their hands; and what they offer there is unclean. ‘But now, do consider from this day onward: before one stone was placed on another in the temple of the LORD, from that time when one came to a grain heap of twenty measures, there would be only ten; and when one came to the wine vat to draw fifty measures, there would be only twenty.
Revelation 16:19
The great city was split into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell Babylon the great was remembered before God, to give her the cup of the wine of His fierce wrath.
1 Timothy 5:23
No longer drink water exclusively, but use a little wine for the sake of your stomach and your frequent ailments.
Revelation 17:1-2
Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and spoke with me, saying, “Come here, I will show you the judgment of the great harlot who sits on many waters, with whom the kings of the earth committed acts of immorality, and those who dwell on the earth were made drunk with the wine of her immorality.”
Genesis 14:17-18
Then after his return from the defeat of Chedorlaomer and the kings who were with him, the king of Sodom went out to meet him at the valley of Shaveh (that is, the King’s Valley). And Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine; now he was a priest of God Most High.
Revelation 18:3
“For all the nations have drunk of the wine of the passion of her immorality, and the kings of the earth have committed acts of immorality with her, and the merchants of the earth have become rich by the wealth of her sensuality.”
Judges 19:19
“Yet there is both straw and fodder for our donkeys, and also bread and wine for me, your maidservant, and the young man who is with your servants; there is no lack of anything.”
Luke 22:20
And in the same way He took the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup which is poured out for you is the new covenant in My blood.
Lamentations 2:12
They say to their mothers, “Where is grain and wine?” As they faint like a wounded man In the streets of the city, As their life is poured out On their mothers’ bosom.
Matthew 27:48
Immediately one of them ran, and taking a sponge, he filled it with sour wine and put it on a reed, and gave Him a drink.
Matthew 26:27-28
And when He had taken a cup and given thanks, He gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you; for this is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for forgiveness of sins.
Mark 15:36
Someone ran and filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on a reed, and gave Him a drink, saying, “Let us see whether Elijah will come to take Him down.”
Mark 14:23-24
And when He had taken a cup and given thanks, He gave it to them, and they all drank from it. And He said to them, “This is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many.
1 Corinthians 11:25-26
In the same way He took the cup also after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood; do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.” For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes.
Luke 23:36
The soldiers also mocked Him, coming up to Him, offering Him sour wine,
John 19:28-29
After this, Jesus, knowing that all things had already been accomplished, to fulfill the Scripture, said, “I am thirsty.” A jar full of sour wine was standing there; so they put a sponge full of the sour wine upon a branch of hyssop and brought it up to His mouth.
Genesis 27:25
So he said, “Bring it to me, and I will eat of my son’s game, that I may bless you.” And he brought it to him, and he ate; he also brought him wine and he drank.
Ruth 2:14
At mealtime Boaz said to her, “Come here, that you may eat of the bread and dip your piece of bread in the vinegar.” So she sat beside the reapers; and he served her roasted grain, and she ate and was satisfied and had some left.
Job 1:18-19
While he was still speaking, another also came and said, “Your sons and your daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother’s house, and behold, a great wind came from across the wilderness and struck the four corners of the house, and it fell on the young people and they died, and I alone have escaped to tell you.”
Proverbs 9:1-6
Wisdom has built her house, She has hewn out her seven pillars; She has prepared her food, she has mixed her wine; She has also set her table; She has sent out her maidens, she calls From the tops of the heights of the city:
Isaiah 22:13
Instead, there is gaiety and gladness, Killing of cattle and slaughtering of sheep, Eating of meat and drinking of wine: “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we may die.”
Isaiah 25:6
The LORD of hosts will prepare a lavish banquet for all peoples on this mountain; A banquet of aged wine, choice pieces with marrow, And refined, aged wine.
Judges 9:12-13
“Then the trees said to the vine, ‘You come, reign over us!’ “But the vine said to them, ‘Shall I leave my new wine, which cheers God and men, and go to wave over the trees?’
Psalm 104:14-15
He causes the grass to grow for the cattle, And vegetation for the labor of man, So that he may bring forth food from the earth, And wine which makes man’s heart glad, So that he may make his face glisten with oil, And food which sustains man’s heart.
Proverbs 20:1
Wine is a mocker, strong drink a brawler, And whoever is intoxicated by it is not wise.
Genesis 9:20-27
Then Noah began farming and planted a vineyard. He drank of the wine and became drunk, and uncovered himself inside his tent. Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father, and told his two brothers outside.
Genesis 19:30-38
Lot went up from Zoar, and stayed in the mountains, and his two daughters with him; for he was afraid to stay in Zoar; and he stayed in a cave, he and his two daughters. Then the firstborn said to the younger, “Our father is old, and there is not a man on earth to come in to us after the manner of the earth. “Come, let us make our father drink wine, and let us lie with him that we may preserve our family through our father.”
1 Samuel 1:13-15
As for Hannah, she was speaking in her heart, only her lips were moving, but her voice was not heard. So Eli thought she was drunk. Then Eli said to her, “How long will you make yourself drunk? Put away your wine from you.” But Hannah replied, “No, my lord, I am a woman oppressed in spirit; I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but I have poured out my soul before the LORD.
2 Samuel 13:28
Absalom commanded his servants, saying, “See now, when Amnon’s heart is merry with wine, and when I say to you, ‘Strike Amnon,’ then put him to death. Do not fear; have not I myself commanded you? Be courageous and be valiant.”
Isaiah 28:1
Woe to the proud crown of the drunkards of Ephraim, And to the fading flower of its glorious beauty, Which is at the head of the fertile valley Of those who are overcome with wine!
Hosea 7:3-5
With their wickedness they make the king glad, And the princes with their lies. They are all adulterers, Like an oven heated by the baker Who ceases to stir up the fire From the kneading of the dough until it is leavened. On the day of our king, the princes became sick with the heat of wine; He stretched out his hand with scoffers,
Joel 1:5
Awake, drunkards, and weep; And wail, all you wine drinkers, On account of the sweet wine That is cut off from your mouth.
Nahum 1:9-10
Whatever you devise against the LORD, He will make a complete end of it. Distress will not rise up twice. Like tangled thorns, And like those who are drunken with their drink, They are consumed As stubble completely withered.
Acts 2:1-21
When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. And suddenly there came from heaven a noise like a violent rushing wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. And there appeared to them tongues as of fire distributing themselves, and they rested on each one of them.
Ephesians 5:18
And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit,
Proverbs 21:17
He who loves pleasure will become a poor man; He who loves wine and oil will not become rich.
Proverbs 23:19-21
Listen, my son, and be wise, And direct your heart in the way. Do not be with heavy drinkers of wine, Or with gluttonous eaters of meat; For the heavy drinker and the glutton will come to poverty, And drowsiness will clothe one with rags.
Proverbs 31:4-7
It is not for kings, O Lemuel, It is not for kings to drink wine, Or for rulers to desire strong drink, For they will drink and forget what is decreed, And pervert the rights of all the afflicted. Give strong drink to him who is perishing, And wine to him whose life is bitter.
Isaiah 5:11-12
Woe to those who rise early in the morning that they may pursue strong drink, Who stay up late in the evening that wine may inflame them! Their banquets are accompanied by lyre and harp, by tambourine and flute, and by wine; But they do not pay attention to the deeds of the LORD, Nor do they consider the work of His hands.
Isaiah 56:12
“Come,” they say, “let us get wine, and let us drink heavily of strong drink; And tomorrow will be like today, only more so.”
Micah 2:11
“If a man walking after wind and falsehood Had told lies and said, ‘I will speak out to you concerning wine and liquor,’ He would be spokesman to this people.
Leviticus 10:9
“Do not drink wine or strong drink, neither you nor your sons with you, when you come into the tent of meeting, so that you will not die–it is a perpetual statute throughout your generations–
Numbers 6:1-21
Again the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them, ‘When a man or woman makes a special vow, the vow of a Nazirite, to dedicate himself to the LORD, he shall abstain from wine and strong drink; he shall drink no vinegar, whether made from wine or strong drink, nor shall he drink any grape juice nor eat fresh or dried grapes.
Judges 13:2-7
There was a certain man of Zorah, of the family of the Danites, whose name was Manoah; and his wife was barren and had borne no children. Then the angel of the LORD appeared to the woman and said to her, “Behold now, you are barren and have borne no children, but you shall conceive and give birth to a son. “Now therefore, be careful not to drink wine or strong drink, nor eat any unclean thing.
Jeremiah 35:1-19
The word which came to Jeremiah from the LORD in the days of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, saying, “Go to the house of the Rechabites and speak to them, and bring them into the house of the LORD, into one of the chambers, and give them wine to drink.” Then I took Jaazaniah the son of Jeremiah, son of Habazziniah, and his brothers and all his sons and the whole house of the Rechabites,
Ezekiel 44:21
“Nor shall any of the priests drink wine when they enter the inner court.
Daniel 1:3-16
Then the king ordered Ashpenaz, the chief of his officials, to bring in some of the sons of Israel, including some of the royal family and of the nobles, youths in whom was no defect, who were good-looking, showing intelligence in every branch of wisdom, endowed with understanding and discerning knowledge, and who had ability for serving in the king’s court; and he ordered him to teach them the literature and language of the Chaldeans. The king appointed for them a daily ration from the king’s choice food and from the wine which he drank, and appointed that they should be educated three years, at the end of which they were to enter the king’s personal service.
Daniel 10:1-3
In the third year of Cyrus king of Persia a message was revealed to Daniel, who was named Belteshazzar; and the message was true and one of great conflict, but he understood the message and had an understanding of the vision. In those days, I, Daniel, had been mourning for three entire weeks. I did not eat any tasty food, nor did meat or wine enter my mouth, nor did I use any ointment at all until the entire three weeks were completed.
Amos 2:11-12
“Then I raised up some of your sons to be prophets And some of your young men to be Nazirites. Is this not so, O sons of Israel?” declares the LORD. “But you made the Nazirites drink wine, And you commanded the prophets saying, ‘You shall not prophesy!’
Luke 1:11-17
And an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing to the right of the altar of incense. Zacharias was troubled when he saw the angel, and fear gripped him. But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zacharias, for your petition has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you will give him the name John.
Luke 7:33
“For John the Baptist has come eating no bread and drinking no wine, and you say, ‘He has a demon!’
Matthew 9:17
“Nor do people put new wine into old wineskins; otherwise the wineskins burst, and the wine pours out and the wineskins are ruined; but they put new wine into fresh wineskins, and both are preserved.”
Mark 2:22
“No one puts new wine into old wineskins; otherwise the wine will burst the skins, and the wine is lost and the skins as well; but one puts new wine into fresh wineskins.”
Conclusion
Your individual walk with Jesus Christ is personal and clearly different pastors, Bible scholars, and denominations are conflicted on the issue of wine consumption.
I recommend that you not only study the actual Bible text but go deeper and study the cultural context during the time that the text was written. Hopefully, this will guide your decision about whether to drink wine or not. But do not sit in judgment of those who may interpret the scriptures differently than you do.
What The Bible Really Says About Drinking Wine
The Christian church has long held a prohibitionist attitude with regard to drinking alcohol. There is a strong scriptural basis for this approach that teaches us that our bodies are the temple of the Lord and should be respected as such.
However, the Bible does not instruct us that believers should not consume wine. Conversely, the Bible makes several references to drinking wine in a positive context – including Holy Communion.
Let’s explore this idea further as I explain what the Bible actually says about drinking wine and dispell some myths commonly preached by uninformed clergy.
What is Wine?
Aside from modern techniques in agriculture, wine is not much different today than it was in biblical times. Wine is simply the juice of grapes that become alcoholic over time as the grapes ferment. Actually, wine can be made from many fruits, including apples, cranberries, plums, and even rice, but grapes are the most popular wine source by far.
Yeast is also important to the fermentation process. The yeast consumes the sugar in the grapes and converts it to ethanol, carbon dioxide, and heat. When the alcohol content reaches around 15%, the yeast dies naturally.
History of Wine
Throughout history, wine has been consumed for its intoxicating effects. But that doesn’t exclude it from being mentioned in the contents of the Holy Bible. In fact, history reveals that wine commonly consumed prior to the life of Jesus Christ.
The history of wine dates back thousands of years. The earliest known winery is the 6,100-year-old Areni-1 winery in Armenia. But it’s safe to assume that wine was commonplace long before that.
One of the earliest known traces of wine is from Georgia (c. 6000 BC), Iran (c. 5000 BC), and Sicily (c. 4000 BC) although there is evidence of a similar alcoholic drink being consumed earlier in China (c. 7000 BC). Knowledge of wine arrived in the Balkans by 4500 BC and was consumed and celebrated in ancient Greece, Thrace, and Rome.
Wine and Religion
Wine has a long history and an important role in various religions. Red wine was associated with blood by the ancient Egyptians and was used by both the Greek cult of Dionysus and the Romans in their Bacchanalia. Judaism also incorporates wine in the Kiddush and Christianity in the Eucharist.
Wine and Christianity
In the Christian faith, wine is used in a sacred rite called the Eucharist, which originates in the Gospel account of the Last Supper (Luke 22:19) describing Jesus sharing bread and wine with his disciples and commanding them to “do this in remembrance of me.” Beliefs about the nature of the Eucharist vary among denominations.
While many Christians consider the use of wine from the grape as essential for the validity of the sacrament, some Protestants also allow – or even demand – that pasteurized grape juice be used instead of wine.
Wine was used in Eucharistic rites by all Protestant groups until an alternative arose in the late 19th century when Thomas Bramwell Welch (Welch’s Grape Juice) applied new pasteurization techniques to stop the natural fermentation process of grape juice.
Some Christians who were part of the growing temperance movement pressed for a switch from wine to grape juice and the substitution spread quickly over much of the United States, as well as to other countries to a lesser degree. There remains an ongoing debate between some American Protestant denominations as to whether wine can and should be used for the Eucharist or allowed as an ordinary drink, with Catholics and some mainline Protestants allowing wine drinking in moderation, and some conservative Protestant groups opposing consumption of alcohol altogether.
What Does The Bible Actually Say?
If being a Christian means being “Christ-like” in our lives, we should look no further than Jesus Christ to inform our position on consuming wine. At the Last Supper, Jesus drank wine and shared it with the disciples. In John 2, Jesus and his mother attended a wedding and in one of the most highly referenced miracles in scripture, Jesus turned water into wine – not pasteurized grape juice.
Genesis 9 describes Noah, God’s chosen one, planting a vineyard after the great flood. Noah then harvested the grapes and made wine, which he drank until he passed out! And yet, the same chapter says that Noah was “blessed.”
Many Christian prohibitionists cite Proverbs 23:20 as their basis for teaching abstinence from wine, but a close reading of the text reveals that it does not instruct us not to consume wine. The scripture actually instructs us to not associate with those who drink too much because it makes them lazy and causes them to be poor.
Is Drinking Wine a Sin?
In a religious context, sin is an act of transgression against divine law. Obviously, drinking fermented grapes does not fit this description of sin because there is no divine law that forbids it.
As I noted, Jesus Christ himself shared wine on more than one occasion and the Bible declares that God “made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.” – 2 Corinthians 5:21
In Romans 8:3-4, Paul is careful to say that Jesus came in the likeness of sinful flesh, but condemned sin while in the flesh. The Bible attributes no sin to Jesus.
Bible Verses About Wine
Numbers 28:14
‘Their drink offerings shall be half a hin of wine for a bull and a third of a hin for the ram and a fourth of a hin for a lamb; this is the burnt offering of each month throughout the months of the year.
Deuteronomy 32:37-38
“And He will say, ‘Where are their gods, The rock in which they sought refuge? ‘Who ate the fat of their sacrifices, And drank the wine of their drink offering? Let them rise up and help you, Let them be your hiding place!
2 Chronicles 32:28
storehouses also for the produce of grain, wine and oil, pens for all kinds of cattle and sheepfolds for the flocks.
1 Samuel 1:24
Now when she had weaned him, she took him up with her, with a three-year-old bull and one ephah of flour and a jug of wine, and brought him to the house of the LORD in Shiloh, although the child was young.
Ezra 6:8-10
“Moreover, I issue a decree concerning what you are to do for these elders of Judah in the rebuilding of this house of God: the full cost is to be paid to these people from the royal treasury out of the taxes of the provinces beyond the River, and that without delay. “Whatever is needed, both young bulls, rams, and lambs for a burnt offering to the God of heaven, and wheat, salt, wine and anointing oil, as the priests in Jerusalem request, it is to be given to them daily without fail, that they may offer acceptable sacrifices to the God of heaven and pray for the life of the king and his sons.
1 Chronicles 9:29
Some of them also were appointed over the furniture and over all the utensils of the sanctuary and over the fine flour and the wine and the oil and the frankincense and the spices.
Nehemiah 13:12
All Judah then brought the tithe of the grain, wine and oil into the storehouses.
1 Chronicles 27:27
Shimei the Ramathite had charge of the vineyards; and Zabdi the Shiphmite had charge of the produce of the vineyards stored in the wine cellars.
Numbers 18:11-12
“This also is yours, the offering of their gift, even all the wave offerings of the sons of Israel; I have given them to you and to your sons and daughters with you as a perpetual allotment. Everyone of your household who is clean may eat it. “All the best of the fresh oil and all the best of the fresh wine and of the grain, the first fruits of those which they give to the LORD, I give them to you.
2 Chronicles 11:11-12
He also strengthened the fortresses and put officers in them and stores of food, oil and wine. He put shields and spears in every city and strengthened them greatly. So he held Judah and Benjamin.
Deuteronomy 12:17
“You are not allowed to eat within your gates the tithe of your grain or new wine or oil, or the firstborn of your herd or flock, or any of your votive offerings which you vow, or your freewill offerings, or the contribution of your hand.
Nehemiah 10:37-39
We will also bring the first of our dough, our contributions, the fruit of every tree, the new wine and the oil to the priests at the chambers of the house of our God, and the tithe of our ground to the Levites, for the Levites are they who receive the tithes in all the rural towns. The priest, the son of Aaron, shall be with the Levites when the Levites receive tithes, and the Levites shall bring up the tenth of the tithes to the house of our God, to the chambers of the storehouse. For the sons of Israel and the sons of Levi shall bring the contribution of the grain, the new wine and the oil to the chambers; there are the utensils of the sanctuary, the priests who are ministering, the gatekeepers and the singers Thus we will not neglect the house of our God.
Deuteronomy 14:23-26
“You shall eat in the presence of the LORD your God, at the place where He chooses to establish His name, the tithe of your grain, your new wine, your oil, and the firstborn of your herd and your flock, so that you may learn to fear the LORD your God always. “If the distance is so great for you that you are not able to bring the tithe, since the place where the LORD your God chooses to set His name is too far away from you when the LORD your God blesses you, then you shall exchange it for money, and bind the money in your hand and go to the place which the LORD your God chooses.
Genesis 40:1-13
Then it came about after these things, the cupbearer and the baker for the king of Egypt offended their lord, the king of Egypt. Pharaoh was furious with his two officials, the chief cupbearer and the chief baker. So he put them in confinement in the house of the captain of the bodyguard, in the jail, the same place where Joseph was imprisoned.
Deuteronomy 18:4-5
“You shall give him the first fruits of your grain, your new wine, and your oil, and the first shearing of your sheep. “For the LORD your God has chosen him and his sons from all your tribes, to stand and serve in the name of the LORD forever.
2 Chronicles 31:4-5
Also he commanded the people who lived in Jerusalem to give the portion due to the priests and the Levites, that they might devote themselves to the law of the LORD. As soon as the order spread, the sons of Israel provided in abundance the first fruits of grain, new wine, oil, honey and of all the produce of the field; and they brought in abundantly the tithe of all.
Joel 3:3
“They have also cast lots for My people, Traded a boy for a harlot And sold a girl for wine that they may drink.
Genesis 27:28
Now may God give you of the dew of heaven, And of the fatness of the earth, And an abundance of grain and new wine;
Revelation 18:11-13
“And the merchants of the earth weep and mourn over her, because no one buys their cargoes any more– cargoes of gold and silver and precious stones and pearls and fine linen and purple and silk and scarlet, and every kind of citron wood and every article of ivory and every article made from very costly wood and bronze and iron and marble, and cinnamon and spice and incense and perfume and frankincense and wine and olive oil and fine flour and wheat and cattle and sheep, and cargoes of horses and chariots and slaves and human lives.
Deuteronomy 7:13
“He will love you and bless you and multiply you; He will also bless the fruit of your womb and the fruit of your ground, your grain and your new wine and your oil, the increase of your herd and the young of your flock, in the land which He swore to your forefathers to give you.
John 2:1-11
On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there; and both Jesus and His disciples were invited to the wedding. When the wine ran out, the mother of Jesus said to Him, “They have no wine.”
Deuteronomy 11:13-14
“It shall come about, if you listen obediently to my commandments which I am commanding you today, to love the LORD your God and to serve Him with all your heart and all your soul, that He will give the rain for your land in its season, the early and late rain, that you may gather in your grain and your new wine and your oil.
Matthew 27:34
they gave Him wine to drink mixed with gall; and after tasting it, He was unwilling to drink.
Deuteronomy 33:28
“So Israel dwells in security, The fountain of Jacob secluded, In a land of grain and new wine; His heavens also drop down dew.
Mark 15:23
They tried to give Him wine mixed with myrrh; but He did not take it.
2 Kings 18:31-32
‘Do not listen to Hezekiah, for thus says the king of Assyria, “Make your peace with me and come out to me, and eat each of his vine and each of his fig tree and drink each of the waters of his own cistern, until I come and take you away to a land like your own land, a land of grain and new wine, a land of bread and vineyards, a land of olive trees and honey, that you may live and not die.” But do not listen to Hezekiah when he misleads you, saying, “The LORD will deliver us.”
Psalm 75:8
For a cup is in the hand of the LORD, and the wine foams; It is well mixed, and He pours out of this; Surely all the wicked of the earth must drain and drink down its dregs.
1 Chronicles 12:40
Moreover those who were near to them, even as far as Issachar and Zebulun and Naphtali, brought food on donkeys, camels, mules and on oxen, great quantities of flour cakes, fig cakes and bunches of raisins, wine, oil, oxen and sheep. There was joy indeed in Israel.
Genesis 49:11-12
“He ties his foal to the vine, And his donkey’s colt to the choice vine; He washes his garments in wine, And his robes in the blood of grapes. “His eyes are dull from wine, And his teeth white from milk.
Psalm 4:7
You have put gladness in my heart, More than when their grain and new wine abound.
Job 32:19
“Behold, my belly is like unvented wine, Like new wineskins it is about to burst.
Proverbs 3:9-10
Honor the LORD from your wealth And from the first of all your produce; So your barns will be filled with plenty And your vats will overflow with new wine.
Psalm 60:3
You have made Your people experience hardship; You have given us wine to drink that makes us stagger.
Jeremiah 31:12
“They will come and shout for joy on the height of Zion, And they will be radiant over the bounty of the LORD– Over the grain and the new wine and the oil, And over the young of the flock and the herd; And their life will be like a watered garden, And they will never languish again.
Psalm 78:65
Then the Lord awoke as if from sleep, Like a warrior overcome by wine.
Joel 2:18-24
Then the LORD will be zealous for His land And will have pity on His people. The LORD will answer and say to His people, “Behold, I am going to send you grain, new wine and oil, And you will be satisfied in full with them; And I will never again make you a reproach among the nations. “But I will remove the northern army far from you, And I will drive it into a parched and desolate land, And its vanguard into the eastern sea, And its rear guard into the western sea And its stench will arise and its foul smell will come up, For it has done great things.”
Proverbs 4:17
For they eat the bread of wickedness And drink the wine of violence.
Isaiah 55:1
“Ho! Every one who thirsts, come to the waters; And you who have no money come, buy and eat Come, buy wine and milk Without money and without cost.
Joel 3:18
And in that day The mountains will drip with sweet wine, And the hills will flow with milk, And all the brooks of Judah will flow with water; And a spring will go out from the house of the LORD To water the valley of Shittim.
Amos 9:13-14
“Behold, days are coming,” declares the LORD, “When the plowman will overtake the reaper And the treader of grapes him who sows seed; When the mountains will drip sweet wine And all the hills will be dissolved. “Also I will restore the captivity of My people Israel, And they will rebuild the ruined cities and live in them; They will also plant vineyards and drink their wine, And make gardens and eat their fruit.
Jeremiah 23:9
As for the prophets: My heart is broken within me, All my bones tremble; I have become like a drunken man, Even like a man overcome with wine, Because of the LORD And because of His holy words.
Jeremiah 48:33
“So gladness and joy are taken away From the fruitful field, even from the land of Moab And I have made the wine to cease from the wine presses; No one will tread them with shouting, The shouting will not be shouts of joy.
Jeremiah 25:15
For thus the LORD, the God of Israel, says to me, “Take this cup of the wine of wrath from My hand and cause all the nations to whom I send you to drink it.
Deuteronomy 28:38-51
“You shall bring out much seed to the field but you will gather in little, for the locust will consume it. “You shall plant and cultivate vineyards, but you will neither drink of the wine nor gather the grapes, for the worm will devour them. “You shall have olive trees throughout your territory but you will not anoint yourself with the oil, for your olives will drop off.
Jeremiah 48:11
“Moab has been at ease since his youth; He has also been undisturbed, like wine on its dregs, And he has not been emptied from vessel to vessel, Nor has he gone into exile. Therefore he retains his flavor, And his aroma has not changed.
Isaiah 24:7-9
The new wine mourns, The vine decays, All the merry-hearted sigh. The gaiety of tambourines ceases, The noise of revelers stops, The gaiety of the harp ceases. They do not drink wine with song; Strong drink is bitter to those who drink it.
Jeremiah 51:7
Babylon has been a golden cup in the hand of the LORD, Intoxicating all the earth The nations have drunk of her wine; Therefore the nations are going mad.
Joel 1:10
The field is ruined, The land mourns; For the grain is ruined, The new wine dries up, Fresh oil fails.
Revelation 14:8-10
And another angel, a second one, followed, saying, “Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great, she who has made all the nations drink of the wine of the passion of her immorality.” Then another angel, a third one, followed them, saying with a loud voice, “If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives a mark on his forehead or on his hand, he also will drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is mixed in full strength in the cup of His anger; and he will be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb.
Haggai 2:14-16
Then Haggai said, ” ‘So is this people. And so is this nation before Me,’ declares the LORD, ‘and so is every work of their hands; and what they offer there is unclean. ‘But now, do consider from this day onward: before one stone was placed on another in the temple of the LORD, from that time when one came to a grain heap of twenty measures, there would be only ten; and when one came to the wine vat to draw fifty measures, there would be only twenty.
Revelation 16:19
The great city was split into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell Babylon the great was remembered before God, to give her the cup of the wine of His fierce wrath.
1 Timothy 5:23
No longer drink water exclusively, but use a little wine for the sake of your stomach and your frequent ailments.
Revelation 17:1-2
Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and spoke with me, saying, “Come here, I will show you the judgment of the great harlot who sits on many waters, with whom the kings of the earth committed acts of immorality, and those who dwell on the earth were made drunk with the wine of her immorality.”
Genesis 14:17-18
Then after his return from the defeat of Chedorlaomer and the kings who were with him, the king of Sodom went out to meet him at the valley of Shaveh (that is, the King’s Valley). And Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine; now he was a priest of God Most High.
Revelation 18:3
“For all the nations have drunk of the wine of the passion of her immorality, and the kings of the earth have committed acts of immorality with her, and the merchants of the earth have become rich by the wealth of her sensuality.”
Judges 19:19
“Yet there is both straw and fodder for our donkeys, and also bread and wine for me, your maidservant, and the young man who is with your servants; there is no lack of anything.”
Luke 22:20
And in the same way He took the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup which is poured out for you is the new covenant in My blood.
Lamentations 2:12
They say to their mothers, “Where is grain and wine?” As they faint like a wounded man In the streets of the city, As their life is poured out On their mothers’ bosom.
Matthew 27:48
Immediately one of them ran, and taking a sponge, he filled it with sour wine and put it on a reed, and gave Him a drink.
Matthew 26:27-28
And when He had taken a cup and given thanks, He gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you; for this is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for forgiveness of sins.
Mark 15:36
Someone ran and filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on a reed, and gave Him a drink, saying, “Let us see whether Elijah will come to take Him down.”
Mark 14:23-24
And when He had taken a cup and given thanks, He gave it to them, and they all drank from it. And He said to them, “This is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many.
1 Corinthians 11:25-26
In the same way He took the cup also after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood; do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.” For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes.
Luke 23:36
The soldiers also mocked Him, coming up to Him, offering Him sour wine,
John 19:28-29
After this, Jesus, knowing that all things had already been accomplished, to fulfill the Scripture, said, “I am thirsty.” A jar full of sour wine was standing there; so they put a sponge full of the sour wine upon a branch of hyssop and brought it up to His mouth.
Genesis 27:25
So he said, “Bring it to me, and I will eat of my son’s game, that I may bless you.” And he brought it to him, and he ate; he also brought him wine and he drank.
Ruth 2:14
At mealtime Boaz said to her, “Come here, that you may eat of the bread and dip your piece of bread in the vinegar.” So she sat beside the reapers; and he served her roasted grain, and she ate and was satisfied and had some left.
Job 1:18-19
While he was still speaking, another also came and said, “Your sons and your daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother’s house, and behold, a great wind came from across the wilderness and struck the four corners of the house, and it fell on the young people and they died, and I alone have escaped to tell you.”
Proverbs 9:1-6
Wisdom has built her house, She has hewn out her seven pillars; She has prepared her food, she has mixed her wine; She has also set her table; She has sent out her maidens, she calls From the tops of the heights of the city:
Isaiah 22:13
Instead, there is gaiety and gladness, Killing of cattle and slaughtering of sheep, Eating of meat and drinking of wine: “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we may die.”
Isaiah 25:6
The LORD of hosts will prepare a lavish banquet for all peoples on this mountain; A banquet of aged wine, choice pieces with marrow, And refined, aged wine.
Judges 9:12-13
“Then the trees said to the vine, ‘You come, reign over us!’ “But the vine said to them, ‘Shall I leave my new wine, which cheers God and men, and go to wave over the trees?’
Psalm 104:14-15
He causes the grass to grow for the cattle, And vegetation for the labor of man, So that he may bring forth food from the earth, And wine which makes man’s heart glad, So that he may make his face glisten with oil, And food which sustains man’s heart.
Proverbs 20:1
Wine is a mocker, strong drink a brawler, And whoever is intoxicated by it is not wise.
Genesis 9:20-27
Then Noah began farming and planted a vineyard. He drank of the wine and became drunk, and uncovered himself inside his tent. Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father, and told his two brothers outside.
Genesis 19:30-38
Lot went up from Zoar, and stayed in the mountains, and his two daughters with him; for he was afraid to stay in Zoar; and he stayed in a cave, he and his two daughters. Then the firstborn said to the younger, “Our father is old, and there is not a man on earth to come in to us after the manner of the earth. “Come, let us make our father drink wine, and let us lie with him that we may preserve our family through our father.”
1 Samuel 1:13-15
As for Hannah, she was speaking in her heart, only her lips were moving, but her voice was not heard. So Eli thought she was drunk. Then Eli said to her, “How long will you make yourself drunk? Put away your wine from you.” But Hannah replied, “No, my lord, I am a woman oppressed in spirit; I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but I have poured out my soul before the LORD.
2 Samuel 13:28
Absalom commanded his servants, saying, “See now, when Amnon’s heart is merry with wine, and when I say to you, ‘Strike Amnon,’ then put him to death. Do not fear; have not I myself commanded you? Be courageous and be valiant.”
Isaiah 28:1
Woe to the proud crown of the drunkards of Ephraim, And to the fading flower of its glorious beauty, Which is at the head of the fertile valley Of those who are overcome with wine!
Hosea 7:3-5
With their wickedness they make the king glad, And the princes with their lies. They are all adulterers, Like an oven heated by the baker Who ceases to stir up the fire From the kneading of the dough until it is leavened. On the day of our king, the princes became sick with the heat of wine; He stretched out his hand with scoffers,
Joel 1:5
Awake, drunkards, and weep; And wail, all you wine drinkers, On account of the sweet wine That is cut off from your mouth.
Nahum 1:9-10
Whatever you devise against the LORD, He will make a complete end of it. Distress will not rise up twice. Like tangled thorns, And like those who are drunken with their drink, They are consumed As stubble completely withered.
Acts 2:1-21
When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. And suddenly there came from heaven a noise like a violent rushing wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. And there appeared to them tongues as of fire distributing themselves, and they rested on each one of them.
Ephesians 5:18
And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit,
Proverbs 21:17
He who loves pleasure will become a poor man; He who loves wine and oil will not become rich.
Proverbs 23:19-21
Listen, my son, and be wise, And direct your heart in the way. Do not be with heavy drinkers of wine, Or with gluttonous eaters of meat; For the heavy drinker and the glutton will come to poverty, And drowsiness will clothe one with rags.
Proverbs 31:4-7
It is not for kings, O Lemuel, It is not for kings to drink wine, Or for rulers to desire strong drink, For they will drink and forget what is decreed, And pervert the rights of all the afflicted. Give strong drink to him who is perishing, And wine to him whose life is bitter.
Isaiah 5:11-12
Woe to those who rise early in the morning that they may pursue strong drink, Who stay up late in the evening that wine may inflame them! Their banquets are accompanied by lyre and harp, by tambourine and flute, and by wine; But they do not pay attention to the deeds of the LORD, Nor do they consider the work of His hands.
Isaiah 56:12
“Come,” they say, “let us get wine, and let us drink heavily of strong drink; And tomorrow will be like today, only more so.”
Micah 2:11
“If a man walking after wind and falsehood Had told lies and said, ‘I will speak out to you concerning wine and liquor,’ He would be spokesman to this people.
Leviticus 10:9
“Do not drink wine or strong drink, neither you nor your sons with you, when you come into the tent of meeting, so that you will not die–it is a perpetual statute throughout your generations–
Numbers 6:1-21
Again the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them, ‘When a man or woman makes a special vow, the vow of a Nazirite, to dedicate himself to the LORD, he shall abstain from wine and strong drink; he shall drink no vinegar, whether made from wine or strong drink, nor shall he drink any grape juice nor eat fresh or dried grapes.
Judges 13:2-7
There was a certain man of Zorah, of the family of the Danites, whose name was Manoah; and his wife was barren and had borne no children. Then the angel of the LORD appeared to the woman and said to her, “Behold now, you are barren and have borne no children, but you shall conceive and give birth to a son. “Now therefore, be careful not to drink wine or strong drink, nor eat any unclean thing.
Jeremiah 35:1-19
The word which came to Jeremiah from the LORD in the days of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, saying, “Go to the house of the Rechabites and speak to them, and bring them into the house of the LORD, into one of the chambers, and give them wine to drink.” Then I took Jaazaniah the son of Jeremiah, son of Habazziniah, and his brothers and all his sons and the whole house of the Rechabites,
Ezekiel 44:21
“Nor shall any of the priests drink wine when they enter the inner court.
Daniel 1:3-16
Then the king ordered Ashpenaz, the chief of his officials, to bring in some of the sons of Israel, including some of the royal family and of the nobles, youths in whom was no defect, who were good-looking, showing intelligence in every branch of wisdom, endowed with understanding and discerning knowledge, and who had ability for serving in the king’s court; and he ordered him to teach them the literature and language of the Chaldeans. The king appointed for them a daily ration from the king’s choice food and from the wine which he drank, and appointed that they should be educated three years, at the end of which they were to enter the king’s personal service.
Daniel 10:1-3
In the third year of Cyrus king of Persia a message was revealed to Daniel, who was named Belteshazzar; and the message was true and one of great conflict, but he understood the message and had an understanding of the vision. In those days, I, Daniel, had been mourning for three entire weeks. I did not eat any tasty food, nor did meat or wine enter my mouth, nor did I use any ointment at all until the entire three weeks were completed.
Amos 2:11-12
“Then I raised up some of your sons to be prophets And some of your young men to be Nazirites. Is this not so, O sons of Israel?” declares the LORD. “But you made the Nazirites drink wine, And you commanded the prophets saying, ‘You shall not prophesy!’
Luke 1:11-17
And an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing to the right of the altar of incense. Zacharias was troubled when he saw the angel, and fear gripped him. But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zacharias, for your petition has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you will give him the name John.
Luke 7:33
“For John the Baptist has come eating no bread and drinking no wine, and you say, ‘He has a demon!’
Matthew 9:17
“Nor do people put new wine into old wineskins; otherwise the wineskins burst, and the wine pours out and the wineskins are ruined; but they put new wine into fresh wineskins, and both are preserved.”
Mark 2:22
“No one puts new wine into old wineskins; otherwise the wine will burst the skins, and the wine is lost and the skins as well; but one puts new wine into fresh wineskins.”
Conclusion
Your individual walk with Jesus Christ is personal and clearly different pastors, Bible scholars, and denominations are conflicted on the issue of wine consumption.
I recommend that you not only study the actual Bible text but go deeper and study the cultural context during the time that the text was written. Hopefully, this will guide your decision about whether to drink wine or not. But do not sit in judgment of those who may interpret the scriptures differently than you do.
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Gerald is the producer of GospelChops and the Chairman of the GospelChops Foundation.