Christian Use of Celebratory Beverage

I registered this blog space about 4-5 months ago as I was preparing a sermon from 1 Timothy regarding the qualifications for a pastor. In the sermon I looked at the fact that a pastor (and any other Christain, for that matter) can drink celebratory beverage, given a few provisos. The key one being that he have a ready defence for his conduct so that he might train a weaker brother up, according to scriptures, so that he might enjoy or refrain out of an informed choice. A few dear brothers and I were already meeting a couple of times a month to share in each others lives, ramble on about theology, and enjoy a couple of beers--we have since dubbed the meetings Thirsty Theologians. Given this exposure, I thought it good to have a ready resource to which I might point an objecting brother. I pray this might serve that purpose, as well as serving as a testing grounds on which to better deveolp my biblical understanding (in this and many other regards). I don't pretend to have all the answers, please interact with both corrective and affirmative comments. So that is my intent here, let's begin an exploration of the Christian use of celebratory beverage.

Some are already saying, a ha! He can't even bring himself to say "alcoholic" drink, using the euphemism "celebratory beverage" instead. While it is true, the negative connotations of the terms "alcoholic" or "intoxicating" are part of the reason I choose to use the term celebratory beverage, the better reason is that this describes the proper use for such beverages by the believer, to celebrate the goodness of God and His care for His creatures. I also like this term instead of "wine" because it encompasses a broader range of beverages, consider Deuteronomy 14:26 where a celebratory tithe is called for by God, and this tithe includes wine or strong drink or whatever your heart desires. To me this seems to include a great range of acceptable celebratory beverages. Ken Gentry put it quite well when he said that the world drinks to forget, while the Christian drinks in remembrance, or celebration.

Before I even begin my apologetic, let me say that an excellent book examining the exegetical and theological issues surrounding the use of celebratory beverage is God Gave Wine by Kenneth L. Gentry, published by Oakdown. Though less scholarly, another very insightful book which deals in a sublimely winsome manner with the history of celebratory beverage in the church is Drinking with Calvin and Luther by Jim West, also from Oakdown. I will try to repeat here as little of their evidences as possible (no need to reinvent the wheel) but will instead try to bring some fresh ideas to a discussion already well-developed.

Let me also cast aside a few weights and entanglements. I do not accept the error that drinking celebratory beverage is a sin, you will not find its prohibition in scripture. Though there are clear warnings about the misuse, and outright declarations of drunkenness as sin, there is no word of prohibition to be found for the average believer (I may later discuss the commands to Lemmuel, Nazarites, Rechabites, and the Levites while in the temple).

I do not accept critiques which proceed from an extra-biblical requirement for righteous living. One may protest that this type of critique is strongest one wielded by the most educated opponents, and cannot be dismissed out of hand. I admit that exceptional scholars have found much evidence today's wine is a different beast from that of the first century. They show from ancient Greek writers and from rabbinical tradition (as recorded in the Talmud) that at the time of Christ some groups drank only watered wine. I admit it, but how does that inform our Christian liberty? Did Jesus ever acquiesce to the extra-biblical requirements of the Pharisees (the writers of the Talmud). Since when do the dietary habits of the heathen inform Christian living? If Scripture really is sufficient to inform godliness, and if scripture says nothing of watering wine (despite hundreds of other, seemingly esoteric commands to Israel), then why would a sincere bible student accept these objections? The only reference I have found to watered wine is in Isaiah 1:22 as a result of its scarcity due to God's displeasure with Jerusalem.

There is one other related objection that insists that the methods of production make even the unwatered wine different today from the first century. Let me just say briefly that the primary differences are that in modern production, wild yeasts are killed and cultured yeasts are added to better control uniformity in taste from batch to batch. Other than that the chemical process is identical, and the end product has no greater alcohol content today than that of yesteryear.

At the other extreme, I deny the error that says drinking wine is required, even for the Supper. Just because a man is at liberty to drink, and realizes that it is no sin to do so, he is not required to exercise that liberty (making it another form of bondage). It is a noble thing to build hedges around the law to keep yourself from becoming entangled with sin, it is only legalism when you force others to remain behind your hedge as well! I may feel that it is better to match the sign Christ used at the first Supper by using wine and unleavened bread, even as part of a Passover feast, but there is nothing in the institution of the supper that insists on these elements. It is too far off-topic to chase this rabbit now but I believe Jesus was saying that anytime the church gathers for a meal, seeing the bread and drink (the most basic elements of a meal), they should remember His sacrifice for them and the grace of the new covenant.

My basic positive argument is that scripture frequently uses the provision of wine as a sign of God's blessing, and its absence as a sign of cursing. I will likely do a follow-on to this post listing the many instances where wine is proof of the approval of God.

Jesus drank wine. He came eating and drinking and was accused of being a glutton and a drunkard—it is irrational to accuse a man who doesn't drink of being a drunkard. He told His disciples that He would not drink wine, "the fruit of the vine", again until He drank it afresh in heaven. Wine in heaven? Yes, read Isaiah 25:6 where the wedding feast of the Lamb is described and see that "a feast of wines on the lees" is a prominent feature: that's a superlative talking of a feast of mature and rich wines.

To be continued…