Drink MYTHology

I have heard many different views on what people think the scriptures say about drinking alcohol. To be honest, some have been down right ridiculous. So let's examine what the scriptures do say, without bringing a lot of baggage to the table and pulling out of them what we want them to say. The first point that we must address is whether or not the wine mentioned in the Bible contained alcohol like our wine does today or whether it was just grape juice. Many people will argue that the wine mentioned in the Bible was closer to today's grape juice, and even though it may not have been as potent as our wine today, it is ridiculous to compare it to grape juice. When was the last time you heard a mother tell her child who is drinking a glass of grape juice to be careful not to get drunk. Well that's essentially what the author of 1 Corinthians says to a group of people who have gathered together to take the Lord's Supper where wine was being served. In fact, the author actually mentions that some of them had become drunk. How much grape juice were these people drinking! Seriously, the virgin-wine concept just does not stand up against scripture. So, that issue being laid aside, what does scripture say about consuming wine. Well, first and foremost, Jesus drank wine, not grape juice, wine. The same stuff that these people in 1 Corinthians were drinking. So to say that drinking wine is a sin is completely ridiculous unless you’re willing to accept that Jesus was a sinner. Timothy was encouraged to drink wine. The author of Ecclesiastes says "drink your wine with a merry heart". And scripture NEVER, not once, forbids the consumption of alcohol. However, we cannot end the discussion there. Although drinking wine is never forbidden, it does come with a disclaimer. Drinking too much wine, becoming drunk, is frowned upon by God. The introduction of automobiles into our culture has placed an extra emphasis on God's disclaimer. When we drink we must drink in moderation. There are many things in life that when done in moderation are good but when allowed to get out of control can be very bad. Medicine for instance. There are plenty of medicines out there, that when taken in moderation, are good for you and may even keep you alive. However, those same medicines, if taken inappropriately, could kill you. I'm not saying that you have to drink alcoholic beverages. Just that we need to stop pretending that the Bible says something that it so clearly never says.