5 Minutes a day / 5 Days a week

with God

1 Tim 5:23

No longer drink only water, but use a little wine for your stomach's sake and your frequent infirmities.

I got a question today that a lot pf people think about, so I thought that I would put the answer in today's devotional, along with e-mailing the person. The question was, "Is it ok to drink? If not where do you find this in scripture?"

Jesus' first miracle was turning water into wine.
Also it's good to note that when the term wine is used, it wasn't like the wine we have today, and contained less alcohol then wines today.

John 2:7-9 7 Jesus said to them, "Fill the waterpots with water." And they filled them up to the brim. 8 And He said to them, "Draw some out now, and take it to the master of the feast." And they took it. 9 When the master of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and did not know where it came from (but the servants who had drawn the water knew), the master of the feast called the bridegroom.

Wine was also used for medicinal purposes.

1 Tim 5:23 No longer drink only water, but use a little wine for your stomach's sake and your frequent infirmities.

But Paul also said,

1 Cor 6:12 All things are lawful for me, but all things are not helpful. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any.

Which would include alcohol.

The scripture also says.

Eph 5:18 And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit,

So I think the bottom line is that Jesus made wine from water, and He would not do anything that would cause others to sin.
Jesus served wine at the Last Supper and offered it to the disciples.

The question really is not if it's ok to drink, but is it ok to be drunk.
Scripture makes it clear that we are not to get drunk on wine or any other sort of alcohol.
Also if a person has trouble with alcohol, then they should not drink it at all. But I will not be brought under the power of any.

Just think how you would feel if you where going through some real tough times and you called your pastor over to talk to you and pray for you. How would you feel if as soon as he got there he smelled like alcohol?

We never know when the Lord will call us to minister to someone, so we must always be prepared, because you never know you could be faced with someone who has a drinking problem, how much could you really help him or her if you smell like their problem?

1 Cor 8:13 Therefore, if food makes my brother stumble, I will never again eat meat, lest I make my brother stumble.

E-Mail Home Page