Category Archives: Booze In The Bible
The Law of The Nazir
The Nazirite Vow described in Numbers 6:1-21 is frequently referenced to support the prohibitionist view. Any who would dedicate himself to the Lord must abstain from alcoholic beverages. This can be answered on two fronts. First, the argument fails a … Continue reading
Strong Drink
Recently, someone directed my attention to the International Standard Bible Encyclopaedia (ISBE), specifically the contents of its entry on wine related to the Hebrew word shekar. This was offered as evidence that shekar was not necessarily alcoholic. Here is the … Continue reading
The Rechabites
Some prohibitionists cite Jeremiah 35:1-19 as an example of people being praised for abstaining from alcoholic beverages. In that passage is that God told Jeremiah to give wine to the Rechabites, but when Jeremiah does so, the Rechabites refuse to … Continue reading
Wine is a Mocker
A prohibitionist claimed: There is no way around Proverbs 20:1. So, let’s take a look at this verse that will absolutely prove the prohibitionist correct: Proverbs 20:1 Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging: and whosoever is deceived thereby … Continue reading
Behold a Gluttonous Man, and a Winebibber
Prohibitionists have an interesting way of dealing with these two passages: Matthew 11:18-19: 18 For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, He hath a devil. 19 The Son of man came eating and drinking, and they say, … Continue reading
Twenty To One Revisited
Let’s revisit the claim that wine was diluted to a water-to-wine ratio of Twenty To One. This ratio comes up in support of the claim that the only use for wine in biblical times was for purifying water. Citing this … Continue reading
Levitical Priests
There seems to be some remaining confusion about what exactly the Levitical priests were forbidden to do, thanks to some prohibitionists’ poor handling of Leviticus 10:8-9. The passage is referenced in an attempt to show that God forbade all alcohol … Continue reading
Not Given To Wine
1 Timothy 3:3 and Titus 1:7 both include “not given to wine” (KJV) in the qualifications for a bishop. Some prohibitionists interpret these verses to say that church leaders must abstain from alcoholic beverages. Some even say that the Greek … Continue reading
The Feast of Unleavened Wine
One argument that is supposed to prove that the wine used by Jesus to institute the Lord’s Supper was just grape juice, is that leavening was forbidden to be used in the Passover, also called The Feast of Unleavened Bread. … Continue reading
Don’t Look!
Proverbs 23:31-33 says [NASB®]: Do not look on the wine when it is red, When it sparkles in the cup, When it goes down smoothly; At the last it bites like a serpent, And stings like a viper. Your eyes … Continue reading