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Bible Questions with Michael Pearl
Episode 010: Is social drinking acceptable for Christians?

By Michael Pearl

Episode Transcription:

Michael Pearl:  All right. I'm Mike Pearl. We're here again to answer your Bible questions. I've not seen any of these questions. Jared gets them off the computer. I guess that's where you get them, don't you, Jared? And so I'm waiting for a question. Put it to me.

Jared:  Is social drinking acceptable at all for Christians? Why do so many doctrines teach that alcohol is a sin even though Paul tells Timothy to drink a little wine?

Michael:  Well, even today doctors and medical experts are telling us that a little wine is good for your stomach's sake. He told Timothy to drink no longer water but a little wine for thy stomach's sake and thine often infirmities in 1st Timothy. Timothy was a young preacher. Paul was writing to him on how to conduct himself. Now, why would Paul find it necessary to give Timothy permission to drink a little wine and abstain from water? Apparently, Timothy had encountered some stomach trouble of some sort because he said for your stomach's sake and often infirmities. So, maybe he had Giardia or some of these other waterborne diseases that he'd contracted and a little wine would settle his stomach down and was used for medicinal purposes.

That's not the same as Timothy dropping by the pub late in the evening after preaching the gospel and sitting down with the guys and putting away a few under the old belt, you know, while they tell some stories and tales. And if you think it is, then answer not a fool according to his folly lest thou be a fool with him. The Bible tells us very clearly, be not drunk with wine wherein is excess but be filled with the Spirit.

Now, does the Bible prohibit the drinking of wine? Absolutely not. Jesus drank wine, Jesus made wine, Timothy was told to drink a little wine. But, the homemade wine that the Jews made without adding sugars and yeasts that we have today would have been lower content. In fact sometimes it only comes out about 1‑1/2 percent alcohol so the whole family would participate in the drinking of wine at meals.

But, the drinking of wine at meals as a beverage, as part of your diet for health is far different from getting together with a bunch of socialites and drinking. It's not really a question of should you drink in social context. The question is should you even be in that social context where drinking becomes a primary concern.

So, the Bible also says the drunkard shall have his part in the lake of fire which burneth with fire and brimstone. So, when one drinks any alcoholic beverage for the purpose of altering his state of consciousness, that is to relax or to get happy or to party, then he is drunk and when one has altered his state of consciousness, he will not inherit the Kingdom of God. That passage in the teaching is not for everyone, just for Bible believers.

Announcer:  If you would like to ask a Bible question, email us at [email protected] or call at 931‑805‑4820.

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