The Life of Christ

• It was also a common practice for the head of the house to either increase or decrease the alcoholic content of the wine, depending upon the mood of the party.

The simple point is that the wine they drank in that day was clearly able to intoxicate.

• Jesus did create an intoxicating type of wine.

• This, however, in no means illustrates that Jesus condones drunkenness.

• Drunkenness was highly deplored among the Jews (Prov. 23:29-20). Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has contentions? Who has complaints? Who has wounds without cause? Who has redness of eyes? 30 Those who linger long at the wine (Prov. 23:29-20).

In this particular social situation it was culturally acceptable to drink an alcoholic wine.

• The alcohol also helps kill any unwanted bacteria.

• In 1 Tim. 5:23 Paul exhorts Timothy to take a little wine for his stomach’s sake. Timothy needed that exhortation, conscious of the fact that his drinking wine could appear detrimental to ministry.

Today, the question comes up if it is appropriate for a Christian to drink wine or have an occasional alcoholic beverage.

• There is no scripture saying, "You shall not drink alcoholic beverages."

• However, there are three biblical principles that must be considered before drinking any amount of alcohol:

1) Drinking alcohol could cause a Christian brother to stumble:

1 Cor. 8:9: "But take heed lest somehow this liberty of yours become a stumbling block to those who are weak.” Rom. 14:21 adds, “It is good neither to eat meat nor drink wine, nor do anything by which your brother stumbles....”

2) Drinking alcohol gives occasion for other people to damage another’s reputation (Mt. 11:18-19):

The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, “Look, a glutton and a winebibber, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ But wisdom is justified by her children” (Mt. 11:18-19).

3) Drinking wine can cloud necessary judgment:

Prov. 31:4 says, “It is not for kings to drink wine.” Rev. 1:6 declares that we have been made as kings and priests.

Lev. 10:9 written to the priests warns, “Do not drink wine or intoxicating drink, you, nor your sons with you, when you go into the tabernacle of meeting, lest you die.”

SECTION 33

Jn. 2:11-12 This beginning of His signs Jesus did in Cana of Galilee, and manifested His glory, and His disciples believed in Him. After this He went down to Capernaum, He and His mother, and His brothers, and His disciples; and there they stayed a few days.

Joseph, his stepfather is not there.

• Tradition tells us that he died when Jesus was 19.

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