Jesus and Gin: Alcohol - Essay Example

due: Jesus and gin Attitudes towards gin have been conditioned by cultural and religious practices .Believers and non-believers believe partaking alcohol beverages is wrong, some, however, have different views. Many numerous Christian taboos go beyond scripture depending on one’s context. Christians have been warned and asked to be biblical especially in the attitudes towards gin. The King James Bible dictionary refers to gin as a distilled spirit. In can be equated to wine in the bible as both cause drunkenness when partaken in large quantities. The making of wine is historical in the bible as God instructs the Israelites to give the initial fruits of their harvest to God. Grapes in the Old Testament were the ‘raw’ materials when making wine (Deut.14:23). Genesis1:29, talks of the first fruits that were given to man for food. In this scripture it naturally implies that man could press juices from these fruits, grapes included. Drinking juices, therefore, provided alternatives to pure water and grape juice was regarded as wine even while still in the grape. Several other scriptures in the bible have been used in the Old and New Testament to assert the use of wine in for useful and destructive purposes. The bone of contention in this subject is if it morally right or wrong to partake in alcohol in the biblical context and if Jesus indulged. Several scriptures highlight the use of wine both in the old and New Testament. Amos 9:14 encourages people to drink wine from their vineyards as it a sign of God’s blessings, Ecclesiastes 9:7 instructs brethren to eat bread and enjoy wine with a merry heart, Isaiah 55:1 encourages buying of wine. Deuteronomy 14:26 implies that it is a good is a good thing to drink wine. Psalm 4:7 compares the joy of the lord with profusion of wine. Psalm 104:14-15 acknowledges God as the creator of wine and honoring God with blessings of abundant stores of wine. Isaiah talks of the lord preparing a banquet with well-aged wine. All these scriptures show no qualm in consuming wine. Christ vs. alcohol The bible contains several statements about drunkenness. Several Greek words have been used to give the meaning of wine. For example, paroinas that means given to wine and is found in first timothy3:3.In the old testament, the story is told of Noah drunk after indulging in too much wine after landing the ark. He lays naked in his tent and when he learns that his son had seen him naked he curses his grandson. This and many more are consequences of indulging. The story of Jesus turning water to wine has elicited mixed reactions between believers and non-believers. Many scholars have come forth to refute the allegations that Jesus turned water into Alcohol as others see the possibility of Jesus taking wine in the bible. Furman Hewitt said, “No negative connotation to wine drinking is implied in the story of changing water into wine and it may even reflect in the Old Testament that wine is the creation of God.” It is believed that God turns water into wine daily through a slow process. This can be argued when rains come and water the vineyards, therefore, the grapes harvested can be utilized in the making of wine (Hammond, 8). (Agyin-Asare, 30) States that Jesus never turned water into alcohol but wine. In Matthew 11:18:19 Christ is posed as a drunkard because it is believed that he drank with the drunkards of the day. This passage may not hold true as the preceding verse tries to equate him with John the Baptist a Nazarene and Jesus’ cousin. Another occasion where people pointed a finger at Christ is during the last supper in Matthew26:26-29.Jesus gives an illustration of drinking from the fruit of the vine. This statement does not yet mean that Jesus drank wine with any frequency, as the Pharisees would say. Jesus’ ‘kinsmen’ understood the language of vines and wines due to their rich viticulture environment, therefore, Christ used what his people could relate with to make his teachings relevant. When Christ was just about to be crucified, he was offered wine but refused to take it. This could have been the perfect moment for him to indulge due to the difficult moments that awaited him. He remained vigilant which asserts the teaching in Luke 21:3,”but watch yourselves lest your hearts be weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and the cares of life.” In acts 2, the disciples were blamed of being intoxicated with alcohol after the Holy Spirit came upon them (Hammond, 9). In Luke1:15 the bible talks about the origin of john the Baptist, the angel of the Lord says that he is not partaking or consuming alcohol at any time of his life. In this case, one can assume that if this chosen child had been an alcohol consumer then his ministry would have been hindered. In Luke 12:45, a passage that urges us to be watchful of the Lords coming is an indication of the high effects of alcohol in our systems. In this scripture, Jesus uses the analogy of a servant who thinks his master is going to take long before he returns. The servant gets drunk and may perhaps miss the master’s call. Commentaries on alcohol A Ph.D. holder in Greek who teaches biblical Greek argues that Christ drank alcoholic wine. A few fundamentalist of protestant denominations argues that Christ drunk unfermented grape juice. These ideas are not based on any scholarly interpretation of the Greek New Testament. Perhaps these sincere Christians are vulnerable and if they allow themselves to drink wine in moderation they may soon find themselves drinking too much and getting drunk. Therefore, the language is twisted and claims that Christ drank only grape juice and alcohol are evil.(Brown,29).Long before prohibition, alcohol was considered sinful, though times have changed and what was regarded as unholy is now acceptable due to the dynamism in the Christian culture (Brown,31).Occasionally, you will hear somebody condemning alcohol consumption citing first Corinthians 6:19 as their defense, though if you read the previous text you will realize that the bible is talking of sexual immorality. Most Christian’s loath alcohol so much that they tailor the bible to mean what they want and not what the author was putting across (Brown, 36). Brown still argues that those Nazarene priests who made vows to God could consume liquor once their vow was fulfilled. Another assumption that Brown observes is that some people use the Liquor of grapes to mean grape juice. The Septuagint does not use this phrase, but states “…and whatever is made of the grape he shall not drink, neither shall he at fresh grapes of raisins. Fresh in this sense means fresh squeezed grape juice (Brown, 32).He believes that Christ did drink wine, but this did not make him a drunkard as Pharisees and scribes had accused him. Jesus regarded these teachers of the law as hypocrites as they saw fault in everything and everyone including John the Baptist who was a Nazarite. Many times Christians who may be involved in drinking are regarded as wolves as they preach water and drink wine. The bible is clear when it urges people to exercise restraint and have wisdom when discussing or observing contentious issues Matthew 11:19.Therefore, no one has the privilege to condemn people for drinking, Judging is best left to the creator. All scriptures that discuss the issue on alcohol relate to moderation of use of grape juice and abstinence of wine. Christians are urged to seek and follow the example of Christ “don’t be drunk on wine but be filled with the Holy Spirit (Lunden, 34) Conclusion What would Jesus Do Is a general Christian question that is reiterated in many Christian circles. In an argument about alcohol and Jesus, it is best if we conclude that Christ did not agree to alcohol consumption. However, we cannot say that Christ did not partake of grape juice. His greatest teaching about this subject was moderation, a reality that proves a challenge to humanity. It would be best if the bible banned alcohol to avoid drunkenness, however, God asks us to exercise self-control amidst temptations. Alcohol may have been part of a good creation but the worst dangerous recreational drug. (Instone-Brewer, 41) Argues that often people indulge in alcohol due to situations in their lives that are mind boggling; it is both a problem of the spiritual realm and the physical and urges people to seek support from professionals and above all Jesus who will bear the shame of alcohol abuse with them. The contention about this topic has many scholars discussing this matter and arguing differently depending on their faith and culture, however, as a Christian one should seek to understand the teachings of Christ and put them into context. Christians should practice selection of the good as opposed to the bad habits when it comes to alcohol. The question of if Christ indulged or not should not bother us really but endeavor to be the salt and light of the world. Works cited Agyin-Asare, Charles. Breaking the Power of Alcohol, Drugs and Tobacco. Longwood, FL: Xulon Press, 2004. Print. Brown, Steve. Jesus Drank, Judas Repented and God Divorced His Bride. Cupertino, CA: HappyAbout, 2011. Internet resource. Christianity and Alcohol (wine): Is It a Sin to Drink Alcohol (wine) As a Christian?Authorhouse, 2010. Print. Hammond, Adam. Alcohol in the home: what should the church do? : an analytical guide to understanding and ministering to families affected by alcohol abuse. Bloomington, IN: CrossBooks Publishing, 2010. Print. Instone-Brewer, David. The Jesus Scandals: Why He Shocked His Contemporaries (and Still Shocks Today). Oxford: Monarch Books, 2012. Print. Lunden, Al, and Alice Lunden. Jesus the Winemaker: Satans Most Effective Lie. Bloomington, IN: WestBow Press, 2011. Print. Read More