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Everybody’s Asking — Episode 5
The culture settled this question a long time ago. But what does Scripture actually say — and has anyone really looked at all of it?
There may be no question in Christian circles that generates more heat and less light than this one. Everyone has an opinion. Most people have a handful of verses. Very few have sat down with every passage in the Bible about wine and strong drink and let Scripture do the talking.
That is what we’re going to do today. We’re going to look at the history, the original languages, the cultural context, and some arguments that most people have never encountered. And by the end, the Bible’s position will be a lot clearer than most people think.
What Does “Wine” Actually Mean?
Before we can evaluate any biblical passage about wine, we need to understand what the word actually means — and the answer might surprise you.
In 1869, a Methodist minister and dentist named Thomas Bramwell Welch developed a method of pasteurizing grape juice specifically so churches could use an unfermented product for communion. He marketed it as “Dr. Welch’s Unfermented Wine.” He had to call it wine for people to recognize what it was — because grape juice was wine, fermented or not. The word simply meant the liquid product of the grape.
The same is true in Scripture. The biblical words for wine — Hebrew yayin and Greek oinos — are general terms that cover both fermented and unfermented grape product. Fermentation is a contextual quality, not an inherent one. Every time we read “wine” in Scripture, whether it is fermented is a question of context, not a built-in assumption.
The Bible also uses more specific terms:
A Note on the Words
Hebrew: Yayin — general term, fermented or unfermented; context determines which is meant. Tirosh — new wine, freshly pressed grape juice, unfermented; consistently associated with blessing and abundance (Proverbs 3:10, Isaiah 65:8). Shekar — translated “strong drink” 21 times in the KJV, but “strong” is added by the translators; a sweet beverage that becomes intoxicating only when fermented.
Greek: Oinos — general term, same ambiguity as yayin. Gleukos — sweet new wine in its earliest stage of fermentation; used by the mockers in Acts 2:13. Sikera — Greek transliteration of shekar.
The key point: when the Bible speaks positively of wine — as a blessing, as what Jesus provided at Cana — the context consistently points toward fresh, unfermented grape product. When the Bible condemns wine, it consistently refers to fermented, intoxicating drink.
Fresh Grape Juice: A First Century Delicacy
Here is a piece of historical context that changes how we read several passages. In the ancient world, there was no refrigeration. Fresh, unfermented grape juice had an extremely short shelf life. Fermentation begins within hours to days depending on temperature. Truly fresh grape juice was therefore a seasonal luxury available during and immediately after harvest, and at special occasions like weddings where grapes could be freshly pressed on site.
This matters for the wedding at Cana. When the governor of the feast commented on the good wine that arrived later in the evening, most people read his remark as simply: “you saved the best for last.” But there is a richer reading:
“Every man at the beginning doth set forth good wine; and when men have well drunk, then that which is worse: but thou hast kept the good wine until now.”
John 2:10
The governor’s observation reflects a well-known reality of first century feast culture: fresh grape product deteriorates over the course of a long evening. As hours pass, it loses freshness, begins to ferment, and is often replaced with lower quality product. The remarkable thing about Jesus’ provision was not that He produced a stronger wine — it was that He provided something fresh, high quality, and abundant at precisely the point when quality would normally be declining.
This reading is historically grounded, contextually natural, and consistent with the word used — oinos, the general term, described as kalos, meaning good in quality. It does not require Jesus to have produced an intoxicating product. In fact, His sinless character argues against it.
The Fruit of the Vine and the Blood of Christ
One of the most significant details in the Last Supper accounts is what Jesus chooses not to call the cup. He does not call it oinos. He calls it something more specific:
“But I say unto you, I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine, until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.”
Matthew 26:29
Fruit of the vine — the Greek genema tes ampelou — the most literal, basic description of what comes from a grapevine: its produce, its fruit. The simplest, most unprocessed description of grape product. This word choice was deliberate.
The theological reason is significant. Fermentation is a process of biological corruption — yeast consuming sugars and breaking the product down. Leaven, which operates on the same biological process, is consistently used in Scripture as a type of sin and corruption (1 Corinthians 5:6–8, Matthew 16:6). But the blood of Christ was incorruptible:
“Neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.”
Psalm 16:10
To use a fermented, corrupted product to represent an incorruptible blood would be theologically inconsistent. The type would undermine the antitype. The pure, unfermented fruit of the vine is the fitting symbol for the blood that knew no corruption.
The Gleukos Question: Acts 2 and Ephesians 5
The mockers in Acts 2:13 accused the disciples of being full of new wine — the Greek word gleukos, wine in its early stages of fermentation. Peter’s response is worth reading carefully:
“For these are not drunken, as ye suppose, seeing it is but the third hour of the day.”
Acts 2:15
The traditional reading of Peter’s defense is simply that it was 9 AM — too early in the day for anyone to be drunk. But there is a second layer worth considering. Peter’s defense may carry a double force: it is too early in the day, and it is too early in the fermentation process for gleukos to have reached intoxicating levels. Luke’s deliberate use of gleukos rather than oinos may be intentional — the mockers were suggesting even the mildest, earliest-stage product had produced this effect.
But the real point of Acts 2 is not the accusation — it is what was actually happening. The disciples were not drunk. They were Spirit-filled. And Paul picks up this exact contrast:
“And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit.”
Ephesians 5:18
The word translated “be filled” is a present passive imperative — a command to maintain an ongoing, continuous state: keep on being filled. Paul sets Spirit-filling and drunkenness as mutually exclusive opposites. If the commanded norm for the believer is continuous Spirit-filling — alert, clear-minded, yielded — then anything that begins to compromise that state moves the believer in the opposite direction from the command. Even a first drink begins that movement.
What the Bible Explicitly Says
The word study matters — but so does the direct testimony of Scripture. The prohibitions and warnings are not subtle.
“Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging: and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise.”
Proverbs 20:1
“Who hath woe? who hath sorrow? who hath contentions? who hath babbling? who hath wounds without cause? who hath redness of eyes? They that tarry long at the wine; they that go to seek mixed wine. Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth his colour in the cup, when it moveth itself aright. At the last it biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like an adder.”
Proverbs 23:29–32
Note what God’s counsel is in verse 31: not moderation, not careful boundaries — don’t even look at it. That is an abstinence position.
“Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying. But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.”
Romans 13:13–14
“Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.”
1 Corinthians 6:10
“Woe unto him that giveth his neighbour drink, that puttest thy bottle to him, and makest him drunken also, that thou mayest look on their nakedness!”
Habakkuk 2:15
“Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.”
1 Peter 5:8
Sobriety is not a preference — it is a spiritual warfare necessity. A mind dulled by alcohol is a mind less able to resist the enemy.
The Elder Standard
When Paul describes the qualifications for the elder and bishop, the language is specific:
“A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach; Not given to wine, not a striker, not greedy of filthy lucre; but patient, not a brawler, not covetous.”
1 Timothy 3:2–3
“For a bishop must be blameless, as the steward of God; not selfwilled, not soon angry, not given to wine, no striker, not given to filthy lucre.”
Titus 1:7
Not given to wine — the Greek paroinos — means “beside wine,” one who habitually sits alongside it. This is not merely a prohibition of drunkenness. It prohibits a habitual relationship with alcohol. The elder is meant to be the model of Christian maturity — and that model is abstinence.
The connection to Luke 1:15 is striking:
“For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink; and he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother’s womb.”
Luke 1:15
Abstinence from wine and strong drink is paired directly with being filled with the Holy Ghost — the identical contrast Paul draws in Ephesians 5:18. The pattern is consistent. And it is the standard to which the mature believer is called.
Kings, Priests, and Judges — unto God
Three offices in Scripture are explicitly forbidden from wine and strong drink. Every believer in Christ holds all three of them.
“It is not for kings to drink wine; nor for princes strong drink: Lest they drink, and forget the law, and pervert the judgment of any of the afflicted.”
Proverbs 31:4–5
“Do not drink wine nor strong drink, thou, nor thy sons with thee, when ye go into the tabernacle of the congregation, lest ye die: it shall be a statute for ever throughout your generations.”
Leviticus 10:9
Kings must not drink lest they pervert judgment. Priests must not drink when entering God’s presence — under penalty of death. Judges must maintain clear, unclouded minds to render righteous judgment.
Now read what the New Testament says about the believer’s calling:
“And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.”
Revelation 1:6
“But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light.”
1 Peter 2:9
“Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world?… Know ye not that we shall judge angels?”
1 Corinthians 6:2–3
“But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man.”
1 Corinthians 2:15
Every believer in Christ is a king — forbidden from wine lest they pervert judgment. Every believer is a priest — forbidden from wine when entering God’s presence. Every believer is called to judge all things spiritually — requiring a clear, unclouded mind.
The offices explicitly prohibited from wine in the Old Testament are the exact offices to which every New Testament believer is called.
This is not a coincidence. It is a consistent biblical principle: those who stand before God and serve His people do so with a clear mind and a sober spirit.
What the Bible Actually Says: A Complete Reference Chart
Every major passage about wine and strong drink in Scripture, organized by category. All Scripture quotations from the King James Version. Examine the cumulative testimony and ask: does this look like the testimony of a God who endorses recreational drinking for His people?
A Note on the Words
Hebrew: Yayin — general term, fermented or unfermented. Tirosh — new wine, freshly pressed. Shekar — sweet beverage, intoxicating only when fermented.
Greek: Oinos — general term, same ambiguity as yayin. Gleukos — sweet new wine, early-stage fermentation. Sikera — Greek transliteration of shekar.
| Reference | Category | Passage (KJV) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clear Prohibitions | |||
| Proverbs 20:1 | Prohibition | “Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging: and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise.” | Both wine & strong drink condemned; direct moral statement |
| Proverbs 23:29–32 | Prohibition | “Look not thou upon the wine when it is red… at the last it biteth like a serpent.” | Command not to even look at fermented wine |
| Proverbs 31:4–5 | Prohibition | “It is not for kings to drink wine; nor for princes strong drink.” | Both wine & strong drink; leadership forbidden; judgment at stake |
| Leviticus 10:9 | Prohibition | “Do not drink wine nor strong drink… lest ye die.” | Priests forbidden; penalty of death; permanent statute |
| Ephesians 5:18 | Prohibition | “Be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit.” | Present imperative — ongoing state; Spirit-filling the commanded alternative |
| Romans 13:13 | Prohibition | “Not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness.” | Drunkenness listed with sexual immorality |
| 1 Corinthians 6:10 | Prohibition | “Nor drunkards… shall inherit the kingdom of God.” | Eternal consequence named explicitly |
| Galatians 5:21 | Prohibition | “Drunkenness, revellings… shall not inherit the kingdom of God.” | Works of the flesh; drunkenness twice in Galatians |
| 1 Timothy 3:2–3 | Prohibition | “A bishop then must be blameless… not given to wine.” | Paroinos — habitual relationship with wine forbidden |
| Titus 1:7 | Prohibition | “For a bishop must be blameless… not given to wine.” | Repeated elder standard |
| Habakkuk 2:15 | Prohibition | “Woe unto him that giveth his neighbour drink.” | Divine woe on those who give drink to others |
| Isaiah 5:11, 22 | Prohibition | “Woe unto them that rise up early… to follow strong drink.” | Double woe — both wine and strong drink |
| Warnings | |||
| Proverbs 23:20–21 | Warning | “Be not among winebibbers… the drunkard shall come to poverty.” | Association with drinkers warned against |
| 1 Peter 5:8 | Warning | “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil… walketh about.” | Sobriety a spiritual warfare necessity |
| 1 Thess. 5:6–8 | Warning | “Let us not sleep… but let us watch and be sober.” | Drunkenness = spiritual darkness and sleep |
| Isaiah 28:7 | Warning | “The priest and the prophet have erred through strong drink.” | Leaders — vision and judgment corrupted |
| Isaiah 24:9 | Warning | “Strong drink shall be bitter to them that drink it.” | Judgment context |
| Luke 21:34 | Warning | “Take heed… lest your hearts be overcharged with… drunkenness.” | Jesus warns — blinds to His return |
| Romans 14:21 | Warning | “It is good… not to drink wine, nor any thing whereby thy brother stumbleth.” | Even the liberty passage counsels abstinence |
| Hosea 4:11 | Warning | “Whoredom and wine and new wine take away the heart.” | Wine listed with immorality as heart-robbers |
| Micah 2:11 | Warning | “I will prophesy unto thee of wine and of strong drink.” | Promising wine & strong drink — mark of a false prophet |
| Titus 2:3 | Warning | “The aged women likewise… not given to much wine.” | Women in ministry — same standard extended |
| Genesis 9:20–23 | Warning | Noah drunk, uncovered himself — shame and family consequences. | First biblical account of drunkenness |
| Genesis 19:30–36 | Warning | Lot made drunk by his daughters — incest results. | Moral judgment completely impaired |
| 1 Samuel 25:36–38 | Warning | Nabal drunk at his feast — struck dead by God ten days later. | Drunkenness in context of divine judgment |
| Daniel 5:1–4 | Warning | Belshazzar drank from temple vessels — handwriting appeared that night. | Divine judgment that same night |
| Isaiah 56:12 | Warning | “Come ye… I will fetch wine, and we will fill ourselves with strong drink.” | Corrupt leaders — context of condemnation |
| Consecration / Nazirite — Abstinence as a Mark of God’s Calling | |||
| Numbers 6:3 | Consecration | “He shall separate himself from wine and strong drink.” | Nazirite vow — total abstinence; model of consecration |
| Judges 13:4, 7, 14 | Consecration | “Beware… drink not wine nor strong drink.” | Angel’s command before Samson’s birth; applies even in the womb |
| Luke 1:15 | Consecration | “He shall drink neither wine nor strong drink; and he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost.” | Abstinence paired with Spirit-filling; identical to Ephesians 5:18 |
| Jeremiah 35:6–8 | Consecration | “We will drink no wine: for Jonadab… commanded us.” | Rechabites praised by God for faithful abstinence |
| Positive / Blessing (likely unfermented grape product in context) | |||
| Deuteronomy 7:13 | Blessing | “He will bless… thy corn, and thy wine, and thine oil.” | Agricultural blessing; tirosh likely |
| Psalm 104:15 | Blessing | “And wine that maketh glad the heart of man.” | Most cited pro-drinking verse; God’s general provision |
| Isaiah 65:8 | Blessing | “As the new wine is found in the cluster… for a blessing is in it.” | New wine in the cluster — unfermented; blessing in the fruit |
| Proverbs 3:10 | Blessing | “Thy presses shall burst out with new wine.” | Tirosh — abundance as sign of God’s blessing |
| Joel 2:24 | Blessing | “The vats shall overflow with wine and oil.” | Restoration blessing |
| John 2:1–11 | Blessing | Jesus turns water into wine at Cana — called “good wine.” | Oinos; good quality not strong; character of Christ argues against intoxicating product |
| Neutral / Historical | |||
| Acts 2:13–15 | Historical | “These men are full of new wine.” Peter: “It is but the third hour.” | Gleukos; Peter’s denial — too early temporally and fermentation-wise |
| Matthew 11:19 | Historical | “They say, Behold a man gluttonous, and a winebibber.” | Accusation by enemies — not an endorsement; Christ was sinless |
| Matthew 26:27–29 | Historical | “This is my blood of the new testament… fruit of the vine.” | Lord’s Supper — fruit of the vine, not oinos; sacramental not recreational |
| Deuteronomy 14:26 | Historical | “Bestow that money for… wine, or for strong drink.” | Special feast ordinance for distant pilgrims; not a blanket endorsement |
| Ecclesiastes 9:7 | Historical | “Drink thy wine with a merry heart; for God now accepteth thy works.” | Wisdom literature; enjoyment of God’s provision; not an endorsement of excess |
| Medicinal | |||
| 1 Timothy 5:23 | Medicinal | “Use a little wine for thy stomach’s sake and thine often infirmities.” | Specific medical instruction; Timothy was apparently abstaining before this counsel |
| Proverbs 31:6 | Medicinal | “Give strong drink unto him that is ready to perish.” | Palliative use for dying; follows prohibition for leaders in v.4–5 |
| Luke 10:34 | Medicinal | “Bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine.” | Good Samaritan — wine as antiseptic; no drinking implied |
The Scorecard
▸ Clear Prohibitions: 12 passages
▸ Warnings: 15 passages
▸ Consecration / Nazirite: 4 passages
▸ Positive / Blessing: 6 passages
▸ Neutral / Historical: 5 passages
▸ Medicinal: 3 passages
31 passages of prohibition, warning, and consecration. 6 positive references. The cumulative testimony of Scripture is not moderation. It is caution, sobriety, and — for the believer who wants maximum influence and minimum compromise — abstinence.
The Body, the Temple, and the Living Sacrifice
There is one more principle that ties it all together. It is the same one we applied to tattoos and cigarettes, but it carries even greater weight here because alcohol specifically impairs the mind God calls us to use for His glory:
“What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.”
1 Corinthians 6:19–20
Alcohol is a toxin — not a moral opinion, a physiological fact. It impairs judgment, damages organs, and alters brain chemistry. Good stewards do not introduce known toxins into what belongs to God. And we are called to be good stewards.
Where the Line Is
This is not a Romans 14 issue where both sides are valid and we shrug and say “be fully persuaded.” Scripture gives us enough evidence — in the word study, in the direct prohibitions, in the cultural context, in the office argument, in the testimony of the chart — to draw a clear conclusion.
The line is not moderation. The line is abstinence. Not because a legalist said so. Because the cumulative testimony of Scripture produces that conclusion for the believer who is serious about their walk, their witness, their stewardship, and their calling as king, priest, and judge before God.
Can we call drinking an outright sin for every person in every context? Scripture does not always allow that conclusion.
But can we say it is wise, edifying, and glorifying to God for the believer who wants maximum impact for Christ? That is a much harder case to make.
unfeigned faith 
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