Because of my long involvement in ministerial development I am always in conversation with young men and women of the church who are presenting themselves for ministry. So, this gives me a perspective on what they are thinking. Many of these young people are really smart and passionate. They want to serve Christ. They are searching for direction, and they are asking some really good questions. One question I often hear is about drinking alcoholic beverages: “If Jesus made wine, why is it wrong to drink it?”
Well, yes Jesus did indeed make wine, he made a lot of it, and it was good (John 2:1ff). Now, I am aware of the well-meaning attempt by many to insist that the wine that Jesus made was non-alcoholic. That simply will not bear scrutiny. If Jesus had made “grape juice,” then the divinely inspired John would have used the correct Greek vocabulary to say so. The Greek word used in John is oínos and it always refers to the fermented beverage produced from various fruits. Also, the drinking of wine associated with the Lord’s Supper has been the most significant Christian worship ritual for two millennia. It was not until the late 1800s that many Evangelical churches in the USA substituted grape juice for wine in the Lord’s Supper.
The practical commitments of the Church of God (Cleveland, TN) insist that all members abstain from drinking alcoholic beverages. Under the topic of “Behavioral Temperance” the teaching of the church is uncompromising.
One of the primary benefits of our liberty in Christ is freedom from the domination of negative forces (John 8:32, 36; Romans 6:14; 8:2). We are counseled not to put ourselves again under bondage (Galatians 5:1). Therefore, a Christian must totally abstain from all alcoholic beverages and other habit-forming and mood-altering chemical substances and refrain from the use of tobacco in any form, marijuana and all other addictive substances, and further, must refrain from any activity (such as gambling or gluttony) which defiles the body as the temple of God or which dominates and enslaves the spirit that has been made free in Christ (Proverbs 20:1; 23:20-35; Isaiah 28:7; 1 Corinthians 3:17; 5:11; 6:10; 2 Corinthians 7:1; James 1:21).
How can the Church of God be so restrictive in the prohibition of alcoholic beverages? For the Church of God this is a matter of spiritual discipline. There are many spiritual disciplines that are practiced to promote the spiritual gift of temperance, or self-control (Galatians 5:23). Prayer, fasting, and study are the most common disciplines that strengthen the believer “for the purpose of godliness” (1 Timothy 4:7).
The Church of God has made the choice to heed the biblical warnings against “strong drink.” The priests were forbidden to drink wine or strong drink before entering the tabernacle to lead the people of God in worship (Leviticus 10:9). There were many in Israel who dedicated themselves to God in such a manner that they were forbidden to drink wine or strong drink – the Nazerites (Numbers 6:1ff) and the Rechabites (Jeremiah 35:1ff). Furthermore, the sages of Israel warned against the dangers of wine and other alcoholic beverages (Proverbs 20:1; 21:17; 23:20-21).
Likewise, the Apostle Paul exhorted, “Don’t be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit” (Ephesians 5:18 NLT). Paul insisted that leaders in the church should not be “addicted to wine” (1 Timothy 3:3). To be intoxicated – drunkenness – is not in keeping with the discipline of the Christian life (Luke 21:34; Romans 13:13; 1 Corinthians 5:11; Galatians 5:21; 1 Peter 4:3). Paul warned that drunkards “will not inherit the kingdom of God” (1 Corinthians 6:10).
So, is the Bible inconsistent? Not at all. Any reader of the sacred text must admit that although the Bible warns against the abuse of alcoholic beverages, the Bible does not teach total abstinence. So then, why does the Church of God insist on total abstinence? Because, like many other Christian churches, our theology is informed by the Bible and our inherited sacred traditions.
After the Civil War, the United States was afflicted by an epidemic of alcoholism which had profound negative affects on society – domestic violence, workplace accidents, child abandonment, and increased poverty. The epidemic was so widespread that it became a moral, social, and political issue. The Temperance Movement was organized to fight against the societal ills of alcoholism. The movement enjoyed widespread support and in 1920, the US Constitution was amended to prohibit the production and sale of alcoholic beverages throughout the United States. That means that 2/3 of both houses of congress and 2/3 of all state legislatures voted in favor of prohibition. This was a national mandate against the ills of alcoholism.
However, prohibition was repealed in 1933. The “noble experiment” was viewed as a failure. But in truth it was not. With the adoption of prohibition reports of workplace accidents, domestic abuse, abandonment, and all sorts of crime were greatly reduced. In fact, it took 50 years for the consumption of alcohol to reach its pre-prohibition levels.
So, the teaching of the Church of God has been informed by Temperance Movement. Good theology and practice will always seek the sanctification of God’s people. The Church of God continues to recognize the dangers of alcoholism. Alcohol and substance abuse threatens the well-being of the family, the work-place, and society as a whole. With the liberalization of marijuana laws throughout the United States I suspect that things will only get worse.
I was reared in a family afflicted by alcoholism. I often joke that ours is a family of extremes; some of us are preachers, some of us are moonshiners, some of us are both! In all seriousness, when one witnesses the ills of alcoholism the reality becomes that it poisons life. I suspect that many of the young Evangelicals and Pentecostals who favor drinking wine and beer have never witnessed the devastation of alcoholism. So, with the Apostle Paul, I am happy to affirm that “it is good not to eat meat or to drink wine, or to do anything by which your brother stumbles” (Romans 14:21).
So, what about Christians who do not totally abstain? As I have said, total abstinence is a discipline of the Church of God which I embrace. I encourage all members of the Church of God to embrace the wisdom of this discipline. Even so, I recognize that total abstinence is not universally practiced throughout the Christian church. So, I will only repeat the words of Paul:
And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit (Ephesians 5:18 ESV).
