John Kitto (AD 1804-1854) was an outstanding Bible scholar. His work was highly praised by Charles H. Spurgeon. A keen observer of physical detail, while living in the Middle East he gained detailed knowledge of the land and the people; people who lived much as they did in Bible times. Kitto’s Cyclopedia of Biblical Literature (1852) was a standard for decades.
John Kitto has the following to say about wine in Bible times:
“WINE. No fewer that thirteen distinct Hebrew and Greek terms are rendered in our common version by the word ‘wine.’ Besides the pure juice of the grape, frequent mention is made in Scripture of a kind of boiled wine or syrup, the thickness of which rendered it necessary to mingle water with it previously to drinking (Proverbs 9:2, 5), and also of a mixed wine, made strong and inebriating by the addition of drugs, such as myrrh, mandragora, and opiates (Proverbs 23:30; Isaiah 5:22). This custom has prevailed from the earliest ages, and is still extant in the East.
We are not, however, to conclude that all mixed wine was pernicious or improper. There were two very opposite purposes sought by the mixture of drinks. While the wicked sought out a drugged mixture, and was ‘mighty to mingle strong drink,’ Wisdom, on the contrary, mingled her wine with water or with milk (Proverbs 9:2, 5) merely to dilute it and make it properly drinkable. Of the latter mixture Wisdom invites the people to drink freely, but on the use of the former an emphatic woe is pronounced.
In Isaiah 25:6, mention is made of ‘wines on the lees.’ The original signifies ‘preserves’ or ‘jellies,’ and is supposed to refer to the wine cakes which are esteemed a great delicacy in the East.”
-John Kitto, The Popular Cyclopedia of Biblical Literature; 1852.
Note: This boiled down, thick, strong wine was not alcoholic and would not spoil or ferment. It would be mixed with water to drink. I have some, kept at room temperature, that is in perfect condition after several years. See much more on wine in Bible times, and on Isaiah 25:6 in the book, Ancient Wine and the Bible.
-David R. Brumbelow, Gulf Coast Pastor, May 11, AD 2013.
Articles:
When I'm An Old Lady
Ancient Wine Production and the Bible
Charles H. Spurgeon on Alcohol
Alabama Baptist Review of "Ancient Wine and the Bible"
Deuteronomy 14:26 - Does it Commend Alcohol?
Other articles in lower right margin.
Showing posts with label Wine and the Bible. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Wine and the Bible. Show all posts
Saturday, May 11, 2013
Tuesday, June 26, 2012
Dr. Brad Reynolds' Book Recommendations on Alcohol
Dr. Brad R. Reynolds is Vice-President for Academic Studies and Professor of Christian Studies at Truett-McConnell College in Cleveland, Georgia. Many have been informed and blessed by his writings on the internet at SBCToday.com and elsewhere. He is one of the best at getting across his point in a strong but winsome, gracious way.
I had the privilege of meeting Dr. Reynolds at last week’s Southern Baptist Convention in New Orleans, Louisiana. During our conversation he told me in his classes he recommends three books on what the Bible teaches about alcohol. I was honored to be on his list. With his permission, I am giving the recommendations below.
Dr. Brad Reynolds’ Book Recommendations on the Bible & Alcohol
1. Ancient Wine and the Bible: The Case For Abstinence by David R. Brumbelow, Free Church Press.
2. Alcohol Today: Abstinence in an Age of Indulgence by Peter Lumpkins, Hannibal Books.
3. The Biblical Approach to Alcohol by Stephen M. Reynolds.
*******
In my humble view, these three books will give you a good background in why Baptists have faithfully and lovingly stood against the use of beverage alcohol for well over 100 years. Many of other denominations, however, have also stood against drinking, as you will see in these books. The first two are written by Baptists, the third by a Presbyterian. They refer to those of many denominations, and no denomination, who opposed drinking.
These books can be purchased through your local bookstore, LifeWay.com, freechurchpress.com, barnesandnoble.com, hannibalbooks.com, amazon.com, etc.
-David R. Brumbelow, Gulf Coast Pastor, June 26, AD 2012.
Other Articles:
O. S. Hawkins on "Alcohol Today"
Ancient Wine and the Bible - the book
Other articles in lower right margin.
I had the privilege of meeting Dr. Reynolds at last week’s Southern Baptist Convention in New Orleans, Louisiana. During our conversation he told me in his classes he recommends three books on what the Bible teaches about alcohol. I was honored to be on his list. With his permission, I am giving the recommendations below.
Dr. Brad Reynolds’ Book Recommendations on the Bible & Alcohol
1. Ancient Wine and the Bible: The Case For Abstinence by David R. Brumbelow, Free Church Press.
2. Alcohol Today: Abstinence in an Age of Indulgence by Peter Lumpkins, Hannibal Books.
3. The Biblical Approach to Alcohol by Stephen M. Reynolds.
*******
In my humble view, these three books will give you a good background in why Baptists have faithfully and lovingly stood against the use of beverage alcohol for well over 100 years. Many of other denominations, however, have also stood against drinking, as you will see in these books. The first two are written by Baptists, the third by a Presbyterian. They refer to those of many denominations, and no denomination, who opposed drinking.
These books can be purchased through your local bookstore, LifeWay.com, freechurchpress.com, barnesandnoble.com, hannibalbooks.com, amazon.com, etc.
-David R. Brumbelow, Gulf Coast Pastor, June 26, AD 2012.
Other Articles:
O. S. Hawkins on "Alcohol Today"
Ancient Wine and the Bible - the book
Other articles in lower right margin.
Monday, October 10, 2011
Ancient Wine and the Bible - the book
-Foreword by Dr. Paige Patterson, President, Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.
* Numerous quotes from ancient and modern authorities
* Examines ancient wine recipes, practices, and preservation.
* Study of controversial Bible passages.
* Chapter of quotes, stories, illustrations.
Need the answer to the tough questions about drinking, alcohol, and the Bible? Find those answers here.
What people are saying about Ancient Wine and the Bible:
“Hip Christianity may make the appeal for the use of alcohol as a witnessing tool, but David Brumbelow’s exhaustive research presents a powerful case for abstinence. I commend him for taking an unpopular stand against a popular practice.”
-Dr. Jim Richards, Executive Director, Southern Baptists of Texas Convention.
Destroys “myth that the ancients had no way of preserving grape juice…I happily, enthusiastically, earnestly, wholeheartedly recommend Ancient Wine and the Bible to every pastor, teacher, evangelist, deacon and humble Christian in America. It will be a good investment paying rich dividends in the days ahead.”
-Dr. R. L. Sumner, Editor, The Biblical Evangelist.
“David R. Brumbelow's passionate plea for abstinence from alcoholic drink needs to be heard attentively in our day.”
- Dr. Daniel R. Sanchez, Professor of Missions, SWBTS
“David Brumbelow has done the Church of Jesus Christ a great service by penning Ancient Wine and the Bible…This book couldn’t have come at a more opportune time…I urge all who take up this book to read it prayerfully and with a desire to understand what the Bible teaches on this serious matter.”
-Pastor Gary Small, Liberty Fundamental Baptist Church, Lynden, Washington 98264.
“A masterful job explaining the times and customs of Bible days and the scriptural use of the word ‘wine.’”
-Pastor Jeff Schreve, First Baptist Church, Texarkana, TX.
“Left no stone unturned…Comprehensive and thoroughly researched, Ancient Wine and the Bible deserves to be read, considered and heeded.”
-Mrs. John (Alice) Hatch, pastor’s wife and mother of three girls.
"With the clarity, logic, and thoroughness, an outstanding attorney uses to prepare a brief in a major lawsuit, David Brumbelow approaches the question of drinking alcoholic beverages from a Biblical point of view. This work is outstanding. I recommend it strongly. The upcoming generations need to know the havoc brought on our society and upon individuals by the use of alcohol. If we use it ourselves, we recommend its use to others. A Christian should not exercise his freedom to put himself and others at such a risk.”
-Judge H. Paul Pressler, Justice for the 14th Court of Appeals, Houston, TX.
“I know of no definitive work offered today that does what Brumbelow does in his book. It is scholarly, sound and makes for an irrefutable argument in favor of abstaining from alcoholic beverages. I believe every pastor ought to have a copy.”
-Mark Creech, president, American Council on Addiction & Alcohol Problems (ACAAP).
*******
Author David R. Brumbelow is a pastor and graduate of ETBU and SWBTS. He has previously authored a book about his dad, The Wit and Wisdom of Pastor Joe Brumbelow.
How to Order
Ancient Wine and the Bible: The Case for Abstinence
Order from your local bookstore
Order from Free Church Press
Order from amazon.com
Order from Barnes & Noble
Order from Cokesbury
Order from LifeWay
Or order a signed copy of Ancient Wine and the Bible directly from:
David R. Brumbelow, P.O. Box 300, Lake Jackson, Texas 77566 USA. $21 postpaid.
Ancient Wine and the Bible is 304 pages, contains over 400 reference notes (endnotes), and is published by Free Church Press.
Makes a great gift for your pastor, youth minister, student, Sunday School teacher, professor, anyone interested in this subject.
Makes a great gift to a Church or School Library.
-David R. Brumbelow, Gulf Coast Pastor, October 10, AD 2011.
Other Articles:
Dr. R. L. Sumner on "Ancient Wine and the Bible"
Biblical Principles Condemn Alcohol
Preserving Unfermented Wine in Bible Times
2006 SBC Resolution on Alcohol Use in America
Deuteronomy 14:26 - Does it Commend Alcohol?
Common Wine in the Bible
Ancient Wine Production and the Bible
SCRIPTURE INDEX for Ancient Wine and the Bible
Other articles in lower right hand margin under Gulf Coast Pastor Articles (Labels).
Monday, August 22, 2011
Deuteronomy 14:26 - Does it Commend Alcohol?
And thou shalt bestow that money for whatsoever thy soul lusteth after, for oxen, or for sheep, or for wine, or for strong drink, or for whatsoever thy soul desireth: and thou shalt eat there before the LORD thy God, and thou shalt rejoice, thou, and thine household. -Deuteronomy 14:26 (KJV).
You may spend the money on anything you want: cattle, sheep, wine, beer, or anything you desire. You are to feast there in the presence of the LORD your God and rejoice with your family. -Deuteronomy 14:26 (HCSB)
Christians who favor drinking seem to ignore plain Scriptures that speak directly against alcohol (Proverbs 20:1; 23:29-35; 1 Thessalonians 5:6-8; etc.), while glorying in Deuteronomy 14:26, an obscure verse that only mentions wine and strong drink in passing. This has become a favorite verse of those seeking to justify Christians’ drinking.
It may seem strange that God would forbid His Old Testament priests to drink while engaging in worship, yet tell the people they were welcome to drink during worship without regard to age or amount. It sounds strange because it is a contradiction, and because it never happened.
The word in Deuteronomy 14:26 translated "strong drink" or even "beer" (CSB) by some translations, is the Hebrew word "shekar."
Many authorities theorize that shekar always means an alcoholic drink. But significant authorities disagree. They believe shekar, like the biblical words for wine, could refer either to an alcoholic, or a nonalcoholic drink, but made from fruit other than grapes.
A few of those authorities:
The New King James Version (NKJV) translates shekar in Deuteronomy 14:26 as “similar drink.” Elsewhere, when it is obvious shekar is referring to an alcoholic drink, it uses the term, “strong drink.”
And you shall spend that money for whatever your heart desires: for oxen or sheep, for wine or similar drink, for whatever your heart desires; you shall eat there before the LORD your God, and you shall rejoice, you and your household. -Deuteronomy 14:26 (NKJV).
“It is tolerably clear that the general words ‘wine [yayin; oinos]’ and ‘strong drink [shekar]’ do not necessarily imply fermented liquors, the former signifying only a production of the vine, the latter the produce of other fruits than the grape.” -Dr. Lyman Abbott, A Dictionary of Religious Knowledge,
Shekar - “Sweet drink (what satiates or intoxicates).” -Dr. Robert Young, Young’s Analytical Concordance to the Bible, Eerdmans, 1970.
“Not only the word yayin, but also shekar can refer to grape juice as well as to wine (cf. Deuteronomy 29:6; Numbers 28:7; Exodus 29:40).” -Dr. Robert P. Teachout in his doctoral dissertation on The Use of Wine in the Old Testament, 1979, Dallas Theological Seminary.
It is also interesting that we get our English words sugar, saccharine, cider from the Hebrew word shekar. These words allude to a root meaning of sweet, rather than alcoholic. Also, cider can mean alcoholic, or nonalcoholic apple juice, just like the original word shekar.
Next time a drinker waves Deuteronomy 14:26 in your face, let everyone know that many authorities say shekar, the word for strong drink, can also refer to a nonalcoholic beverage.
Finally, in that day they could more easily make and preserve nonalcoholic wine and shekar, than the alcoholic kind. Nonalcoholic drinks were common in their day, just as they are in ours.
-David R. Brumbelow, Gulf Coast Pastor, August 22, AD 2011.
Note: Much more information on Shekar and Deuteronomy 14:26 is in the book Ancient Wine and the Bible by David R. Brumbelow.
Related articles:
Preserving Unfermented Wine in Bible Times
2006 SBC Resolution on Alcohol Use in America
Alabama Baptist Review of "Ancient Wine and the Bible"
Dr. Brad Reynolds' Book Recommendations on Alcohol
Alcohol Condemned in the Bible
Biblical Principles Condemn Alcohol
Other related articles can be found in lower right margin under Gulf Coast Pastor Articles (Labels).
You may spend the money on anything you want: cattle, sheep, wine, beer, or anything you desire. You are to feast there in the presence of the LORD your God and rejoice with your family. -Deuteronomy 14:26 (HCSB)
Christians who favor drinking seem to ignore plain Scriptures that speak directly against alcohol (Proverbs 20:1; 23:29-35; 1 Thessalonians 5:6-8; etc.), while glorying in Deuteronomy 14:26, an obscure verse that only mentions wine and strong drink in passing. This has become a favorite verse of those seeking to justify Christians’ drinking.
It may seem strange that God would forbid His Old Testament priests to drink while engaging in worship, yet tell the people they were welcome to drink during worship without regard to age or amount. It sounds strange because it is a contradiction, and because it never happened.
The word in Deuteronomy 14:26 translated "strong drink" or even "beer" (CSB) by some translations, is the Hebrew word "shekar."
Many authorities theorize that shekar always means an alcoholic drink. But significant authorities disagree. They believe shekar, like the biblical words for wine, could refer either to an alcoholic, or a nonalcoholic drink, but made from fruit other than grapes.
A few of those authorities:
The New King James Version (NKJV) translates shekar in Deuteronomy 14:26 as “similar drink.” Elsewhere, when it is obvious shekar is referring to an alcoholic drink, it uses the term, “strong drink.”
And you shall spend that money for whatever your heart desires: for oxen or sheep, for wine or similar drink, for whatever your heart desires; you shall eat there before the LORD your God, and you shall rejoice, you and your household. -Deuteronomy 14:26 (NKJV).
“It is tolerably clear that the general words ‘wine [yayin; oinos]’ and ‘strong drink [shekar]’ do not necessarily imply fermented liquors, the former signifying only a production of the vine, the latter the produce of other fruits than the grape.” -Dr. Lyman Abbott, A Dictionary of Religious Knowledge,
Shekar - “Sweet drink (what satiates or intoxicates).” -Dr. Robert Young, Young’s Analytical Concordance to the Bible, Eerdmans, 1970.
“Not only the word yayin, but also shekar can refer to grape juice as well as to wine (cf. Deuteronomy 29:6; Numbers 28:7; Exodus 29:40).” -Dr. Robert P. Teachout in his doctoral dissertation on The Use of Wine in the Old Testament, 1979, Dallas Theological Seminary.
It is also interesting that we get our English words sugar, saccharine, cider from the Hebrew word shekar. These words allude to a root meaning of sweet, rather than alcoholic. Also, cider can mean alcoholic, or nonalcoholic apple juice, just like the original word shekar.
Next time a drinker waves Deuteronomy 14:26 in your face, let everyone know that many authorities say shekar, the word for strong drink, can also refer to a nonalcoholic beverage.
Finally, in that day they could more easily make and preserve nonalcoholic wine and shekar, than the alcoholic kind. Nonalcoholic drinks were common in their day, just as they are in ours.
-David R. Brumbelow, Gulf Coast Pastor, August 22, AD 2011.
Note: Much more information on Shekar and Deuteronomy 14:26 is in the book Ancient Wine and the Bible by David R. Brumbelow.
Related articles:
Preserving Unfermented Wine in Bible Times
2006 SBC Resolution on Alcohol Use in America
Alabama Baptist Review of "Ancient Wine and the Bible"
Dr. Brad Reynolds' Book Recommendations on Alcohol
Alcohol Condemned in the Bible
Biblical Principles Condemn Alcohol
Other related articles can be found in lower right margin under Gulf Coast Pastor Articles (Labels).
Saturday, February 5, 2011
Common Wine in the Bible #2
Recently a brother asked the question whether a strong case can be made that the most common wine in Bible days was nonalcoholic.
Some of my thoughts:
All agree they had alcoholic wine in the Bible; this is unmistakably the case where folks got drunk, like Noah and Lot. They also plainly had nonalcoholic wine in the Bible, and it was called wine. A few clear examples are Proverbs 3:10; Isaiah 16:10; 65:8; Joel 2:24. These passages are clearly nonalcoholic wine because just pressed grapes do not produce fermented, but unfermented wine or grape juice. Notice how many English translations translate this nonalcoholic grape juice as “wine.”
There are many passages in the Bible, however, that mention wine with no clear immediate evidence to demonstrate it as alcoholic or nonalcoholic. Most modern day readers immediately assume these passages must be speaking of alcoholic wine, as we know alcoholic wine today. Can we not just as easily assume, or even more easily assume, these references are speaking to common, nonalcoholic wine of their day?
A modern day myth is that they could not keep or preserve unfermented wine or grape juice until pasteurization and Welches. That myth is partially answered in the GCP artilce, Preserving Unfermented Wine in Bible Times. Not only could they prepare and preserve unfermented wine, it was easier to do than preserving fermented wine. On top of all this, unfermented wine was simpler to keep, easier to transport, was nutritious, sweet, and had no harmful side effects.
Scripture often refers to new wine and sweet wine. The most obvious and natural meaning of these terms would refer to unfermented wine. New wine and sweet wine always, or almost always, referred to nonalcoholic wine. Scripture also often refers to wine right along with grain, oil, milk, bread. In other words, wine was considered a food like these other substances, not a hard drug.
A few Scriptural considerations:
Grain shall make the young men thrive, and new wine the young women. -Zechariah 9:17
Imagine a preacher today telling young women if they want to thrive, drink alcohol. That is ludicrus. Alcoholic wine does not make young women thrive, it does just the opposite. Nonalcoholic wine, however, will make young women thrive.
The donkeys are for the king’s household to ride on, the bread and summer fruit for the young men to eat, and the wine for those who are faint in the wilderness to drink. -2 Samuel 16:2
Sweet nonalcoholic wine is much better for the faint than intoxicating wine.
“Nevertheless, to speak generally and broadly, sweet flavours and those of that order are more nutritive than the rest and more natural.” -Theophrastus, De Causis Plantarum; c. 280 BC.
And you drank wine, the blood of the grapes. -Deuteronomy 32:14
Press a grape and it bleeds unfermented, not fermented wine.
“Whoever is simple, let him turn in here!” As for him who lacks understanding, she says to him, “Come, eat of my bread and drink of the wine I have mixed.” -Proverbs 9:4-5
The worst thing you could do to the simple is tell them to drink intoxicating wine. Wisdom, however, personified as a woman, bids the simple to drink the common, sweet, un-intoxicating wine so common in that day.
Because the children and the infants faint in the streets of the city. They say to their mothers, “Where is grain and wine?” -Lamentations 2:11-12
The ancients knew intoxicating wine was inappropriate for children. This Scripture would be comparable today to infants crying out for a juice box.
Genesis 40:11 tells of a common method of preparing wine on the spot; and fresh grapes were kept throughout the year.
In ancient times sweet wine was unfermented wine; fermentation took the sweetness away. Aristotle, Hippocrates, Athenaeus and others testified that sweet wine did not intoxicate. (I know we have sweet intoxicating wine today. We are not speaking of modern day wine, but ancient wine. There is a big difference.) Scripture often speaks of sweet, new wine. Nehemiah (8:10) even instructed his people to drink the sweet wine. Most translations just say, drink the sweet. The ESV says, “sweet wine.” Intoxicating sweet wine in ancient times, was the exception, not the rule.
At the wedding at Cana (John 2) great quantities of wine was consumed. After they ran out, Jesus made over 120 gallons more wine. Yet there is not a hint that there were any problems with drunkenness or unruly behavior. Added to this evidence is that the holy, sinless Jesus was unlikely to have made great quantities of a hard drug. Can you imagine Him creating a bale of marijuana today? If you argue but marijuana is illegal - can you imagine Jesus making a bale of marijuana in a country were it is legal today? I can’t.
But I say to you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in My Father’s kingdom. -Matthew 26:29
The most natural meaning of “fruit of the vine” is unfermented wine, not that which has been manipulated and processed by man. Jesus is an abstainer now (even of grape juice), but in the future kingdom He will drink wine with us that is new and un-intoxicating.
I could keep going. There is much, much more evidence. But that is what my new book is for, due out later this year.
Ancient Wine and the Bible - the book
-David R. Brumbelow, Gulf Coast Pastor, February 5, AD 2011.
Preserving Unfermented Wine in Bible Times
2006 SBC Resolution on Alcohol Use in America
Deuteronomy 14:26 - Does it Commend Alcohol?
Common Wine in the Bible
Other articles in lower right hand margin under Gulf Coast Pastor Articles (Labels).
Some of my thoughts:
All agree they had alcoholic wine in the Bible; this is unmistakably the case where folks got drunk, like Noah and Lot. They also plainly had nonalcoholic wine in the Bible, and it was called wine. A few clear examples are Proverbs 3:10; Isaiah 16:10; 65:8; Joel 2:24. These passages are clearly nonalcoholic wine because just pressed grapes do not produce fermented, but unfermented wine or grape juice. Notice how many English translations translate this nonalcoholic grape juice as “wine.”
There are many passages in the Bible, however, that mention wine with no clear immediate evidence to demonstrate it as alcoholic or nonalcoholic. Most modern day readers immediately assume these passages must be speaking of alcoholic wine, as we know alcoholic wine today. Can we not just as easily assume, or even more easily assume, these references are speaking to common, nonalcoholic wine of their day?
A modern day myth is that they could not keep or preserve unfermented wine or grape juice until pasteurization and Welches. That myth is partially answered in the GCP artilce, Preserving Unfermented Wine in Bible Times. Not only could they prepare and preserve unfermented wine, it was easier to do than preserving fermented wine. On top of all this, unfermented wine was simpler to keep, easier to transport, was nutritious, sweet, and had no harmful side effects.
Scripture often refers to new wine and sweet wine. The most obvious and natural meaning of these terms would refer to unfermented wine. New wine and sweet wine always, or almost always, referred to nonalcoholic wine. Scripture also often refers to wine right along with grain, oil, milk, bread. In other words, wine was considered a food like these other substances, not a hard drug.
A few Scriptural considerations:
Grain shall make the young men thrive, and new wine the young women. -Zechariah 9:17
Imagine a preacher today telling young women if they want to thrive, drink alcohol. That is ludicrus. Alcoholic wine does not make young women thrive, it does just the opposite. Nonalcoholic wine, however, will make young women thrive.
The donkeys are for the king’s household to ride on, the bread and summer fruit for the young men to eat, and the wine for those who are faint in the wilderness to drink. -2 Samuel 16:2
Sweet nonalcoholic wine is much better for the faint than intoxicating wine.
“Nevertheless, to speak generally and broadly, sweet flavours and those of that order are more nutritive than the rest and more natural.” -Theophrastus, De Causis Plantarum; c. 280 BC.
And you drank wine, the blood of the grapes. -Deuteronomy 32:14
Press a grape and it bleeds unfermented, not fermented wine.
“Whoever is simple, let him turn in here!” As for him who lacks understanding, she says to him, “Come, eat of my bread and drink of the wine I have mixed.” -Proverbs 9:4-5
The worst thing you could do to the simple is tell them to drink intoxicating wine. Wisdom, however, personified as a woman, bids the simple to drink the common, sweet, un-intoxicating wine so common in that day.
Because the children and the infants faint in the streets of the city. They say to their mothers, “Where is grain and wine?” -Lamentations 2:11-12
The ancients knew intoxicating wine was inappropriate for children. This Scripture would be comparable today to infants crying out for a juice box.
Genesis 40:11 tells of a common method of preparing wine on the spot; and fresh grapes were kept throughout the year.
In ancient times sweet wine was unfermented wine; fermentation took the sweetness away. Aristotle, Hippocrates, Athenaeus and others testified that sweet wine did not intoxicate. (I know we have sweet intoxicating wine today. We are not speaking of modern day wine, but ancient wine. There is a big difference.) Scripture often speaks of sweet, new wine. Nehemiah (8:10) even instructed his people to drink the sweet wine. Most translations just say, drink the sweet. The ESV says, “sweet wine.” Intoxicating sweet wine in ancient times, was the exception, not the rule.
At the wedding at Cana (John 2) great quantities of wine was consumed. After they ran out, Jesus made over 120 gallons more wine. Yet there is not a hint that there were any problems with drunkenness or unruly behavior. Added to this evidence is that the holy, sinless Jesus was unlikely to have made great quantities of a hard drug. Can you imagine Him creating a bale of marijuana today? If you argue but marijuana is illegal - can you imagine Jesus making a bale of marijuana in a country were it is legal today? I can’t.
But I say to you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in My Father’s kingdom. -Matthew 26:29
The most natural meaning of “fruit of the vine” is unfermented wine, not that which has been manipulated and processed by man. Jesus is an abstainer now (even of grape juice), but in the future kingdom He will drink wine with us that is new and un-intoxicating.
I could keep going. There is much, much more evidence. But that is what my new book is for, due out later this year.
Ancient Wine and the Bible - the book
-David R. Brumbelow, Gulf Coast Pastor, February 5, AD 2011.
Preserving Unfermented Wine in Bible Times
2006 SBC Resolution on Alcohol Use in America
Deuteronomy 14:26 - Does it Commend Alcohol?
Common Wine in the Bible
Other articles in lower right hand margin under Gulf Coast Pastor Articles (Labels).
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Preserving Unfermented Wine in Bible Times
Editorial note in Biblical Evangelist:
Last year we published a strong message from the pen of a Texas pastor, David Brumbelow, dealing with so-called social drinking, “The Bible Speaks on Alcohol.” David did his undergraduate work at East Texas Baptist University and then earned a Master of Divinity at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth.
In this issue we are presenting a follow-up as he explodes a long-held criticism against prohibition that “the ancients had no way of preserving grape juice” (the Welches hadn’t been born yet). He gives a fine scholarly answer to this myth, showing that they did, indeed, know how. -Editor R. L. Sumner
A Christian speaks against alcohol and explains how the biblical words for wine were used to refer to nonalcoholic, as well as alcoholic wine. A scholar replies, “But it was impossible to keep wine from fermenting in the ancient world. No one could do this until Louis Pasteur and Welch’s in the late 1800s.”
He adds for good measure, “The Passover wine had to be fermented because it was in the Spring, long after the Fall grape harvest.” That seems an unanswerable argument.
Those who use this argument think they are rightly interpreting Scripture. Instead, they are taking their own ignorance and projecting it onto the Bible and the ancient world. To argue that the ancients could not preserve un-intoxicating wine is wrong factually, scientifically, and historically. Actually, fermented wine was more difficult to make and preserve, than unfermented wine.
Unfermented wine could easily be preserved without electricity, refrigeration, or pasteurization. Following are several examples.
Reduce Its Consistency
One way is to boil fresh expressed wine down to about a third or fifth of its consistency. This thick, strong wine or syrup would keep without fermentation. When ready to drink, it would just be mixed with water. This was also done with cider and other fruit.
Patrick E. McGovern is a pro-drinking secular authority on ancient and modern wine. He said, “Concentrating grape juice down by heating is still used to make the popular shireh of modern Iran and was known to the ancient peoples of Mesopotamia as well as the Greeks and Romans. It enables fruit to be preserved, and, diluted with water, it produces a refreshing, nonalcoholic beverage.” (Ancient Wine: The Search For The Origins Of Viniculture by Patrick E. McGovern, Princeton University Press, Princeton, New Jersey, 2003).
Tischendorf wrote of a visit to Coptic monasteries in Egypt in 1845, “Instead of wine they use a thick juice of the grape, which I at first mistook for oil.”
Aristotle said the wine of Arcadia was so thick it was necessary to scrape it from the wineskins and dissolve it in water (Patton, Bible Wines).
Length of the Grape Harvest
The grape harvest lasted six months. This was done by planting different varieties of grapes, and planting them in different microclimates. Ancient writers testified of the vast number of varieties of grapes; some said they were innumerable. Grape vines and cuttings were transported throughout the Roman world.
Israel was at the crossroads of the world. Agriculture was their life. Some vines bear an early harvest, some midseason, some late. The first grapes can be picked as early as July, the latest in December. Some vines ripen all their grapes at once; others over a long period of time. Some grapes bore two crops a year. Grapes right off the vine were available for half the year.
It was a common practice to squeeze a bunch of grapes by hand directly into a cup and drink that fresh, sweet (fermentation takes away the sweetness) unfermented wine. “Then Pharaoh’s cup was in my hand; and I took the grapes and pressed them into Pharaoh’s cup, and placed the cup in Pharaoh’s hand” (Genesis 40:11). Historian Josephus refers to this. Pharaoh apparently preferred his wine fresh and unfermented.
A stone relief found in the Roman city of Pompeii pictures the god of wine (in sore need of a loincloth), squeezing grapes by hand into a cup (Patton, Bible Wines). Early church writings referred to pressing grapes into a cup for the Lord’s Supper.
Grapes Preserved Fresh
Grapes could be preserved fresh for months. Some will protest their grapes don’t keep long. Let me explain. Any old-time gardener will tell you some fruits and vegetables are “good keepers,” others are not. A good keeper, at room temperature, can remain fresh for months. This was especially well-known in ancient times when such knowledge could mean the difference between going hungry or not, or even prevent starvation.
Characteristics of good “keeping” grapes include a tough skin and adhering well to the cluster. The cluster would be cut from the vine. Any bad grapes would be clipped, not pulled, from the cluster. Pulling a grape leaves a “brush” that can start a molding, decaying process. Grape clusters were loosely packed in straw, cotton, bran, or hung from the ceiling. Periodically they would be inspected and any bad grapes clipped off.
The right varieties of grapes stored in this way would last fresh for months. Leon C. Field, Methodist scholar, said, in 1883, “Niebuhr says that, ‘the Arabs preserve grapes by hanging them up in their cellars, and eat them almost through the whole year.’ Dr. Kerr says, ‘A friend of mine now in Britain not long since unpacked grapes he had received eleven months previously from the continent, finding them fresh and good.’”
Also, “Bernier says grapes were sent from Persia to India, wrapped in cotton, two hundred years ago, and sold there throughout the year.”
An early 1800s recipe book, called “receipts” back then, gives directions that would preserve grapes fresh for 12 months. These grapes could be pressed into a cup at any time of the year (New Family Receipt Book, London; 1820).
Made from Dried Grapes
Wine was also made from dried grapes or raisins. Drying is one of the oldest methods of preserving food. Raisins were rehydrated by soaking or boiling and pressed into wine.
The Talmud (ancient Jewish writings) refers to raisin wine. Polybius (Greek historian c. 100 BC) spoke of un-intoxicating raisin wine. A medieval Arabian writer refers to raisin wine for the Lord’s Supper. Modern day Jews refer to raisin wine.
Sealing “Must”
Seal “must” in amphora (wine container). Roman writer Cato (c. 170 BC) said, “If you would keep must [new unfermented wine] for a year, pour it into an amphora and seal the cork with pitch. Immerse the amphora in cold water for thirty days. Then remove it and the must will be preserved for one year” (De Agri Cultura).
Additionally, olive oil and resin were used to make containers and contents airtight. Filtering was claimed to break the strength of wine. Chemical additives were used. Fermented wine could be boiled to remove the alcohol.
The above methods were widely practiced and provided unfermented wine throughout the year. So, don’t let anyone tell you, scholar or otherwise, that in Bible times they had no choice but to drink fermented wine.
Further study: Alcohol Today, Peter Lumpkins; The Bible and its Wines, Charles Wesley Ewing; Bible Wines, William Patton; Fights I Didn’t Start, And Some I Did, R. L. Sumner; Communion Wine, William M. Thayer; Libertinism: A Baptist and His Booze, Jerry Vines; Oinos, Leon C. Field.
Note: A new book, Ancient Wine and the Bible: The Case for Abstinence by David R. Brumbelow, contains much more information about Preserving Unfermented Wine in Bible Times.
See additional articles on Alcohol under Gulf Coast Pastor Articles (Labels) in right margin.
SBC Resolution on Alcohol Use in America
Ancient Wine Production and the Bible
Wine for Your Stomach's Sake; 1 Timothy 5:23
-David R. Brumbelow, Gulf Coast Pastor, October 5, AD 2010.
This article was originally published in the Biblical Evangelist, July-August, 2010.
Subscribe at: The Biblical Evangelist - 5717 Pine Drive, Raleigh, North Carolina 27606-8947 or biblicalevangelist.org (see Link in right margin). Subscription is free, they operate on a donation basis. If you can, send a generous donation!
Last year we published a strong message from the pen of a Texas pastor, David Brumbelow, dealing with so-called social drinking, “The Bible Speaks on Alcohol.” David did his undergraduate work at East Texas Baptist University and then earned a Master of Divinity at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth.
In this issue we are presenting a follow-up as he explodes a long-held criticism against prohibition that “the ancients had no way of preserving grape juice” (the Welches hadn’t been born yet). He gives a fine scholarly answer to this myth, showing that they did, indeed, know how. -Editor R. L. Sumner
*******
A Christian speaks against alcohol and explains how the biblical words for wine were used to refer to nonalcoholic, as well as alcoholic wine. A scholar replies, “But it was impossible to keep wine from fermenting in the ancient world. No one could do this until Louis Pasteur and Welch’s in the late 1800s.”
He adds for good measure, “The Passover wine had to be fermented because it was in the Spring, long after the Fall grape harvest.” That seems an unanswerable argument.
Those who use this argument think they are rightly interpreting Scripture. Instead, they are taking their own ignorance and projecting it onto the Bible and the ancient world. To argue that the ancients could not preserve un-intoxicating wine is wrong factually, scientifically, and historically. Actually, fermented wine was more difficult to make and preserve, than unfermented wine.
Unfermented wine could easily be preserved without electricity, refrigeration, or pasteurization. Following are several examples.
Reduce Its Consistency
One way is to boil fresh expressed wine down to about a third or fifth of its consistency. This thick, strong wine or syrup would keep without fermentation. When ready to drink, it would just be mixed with water. This was also done with cider and other fruit.
Patrick E. McGovern is a pro-drinking secular authority on ancient and modern wine. He said, “Concentrating grape juice down by heating is still used to make the popular shireh of modern Iran and was known to the ancient peoples of Mesopotamia as well as the Greeks and Romans. It enables fruit to be preserved, and, diluted with water, it produces a refreshing, nonalcoholic beverage.” (Ancient Wine: The Search For The Origins Of Viniculture by Patrick E. McGovern, Princeton University Press, Princeton, New Jersey, 2003).
Tischendorf wrote of a visit to Coptic monasteries in Egypt in 1845, “Instead of wine they use a thick juice of the grape, which I at first mistook for oil.”
Aristotle said the wine of Arcadia was so thick it was necessary to scrape it from the wineskins and dissolve it in water (Patton, Bible Wines).
Length of the Grape Harvest
The grape harvest lasted six months. This was done by planting different varieties of grapes, and planting them in different microclimates. Ancient writers testified of the vast number of varieties of grapes; some said they were innumerable. Grape vines and cuttings were transported throughout the Roman world.
Israel was at the crossroads of the world. Agriculture was their life. Some vines bear an early harvest, some midseason, some late. The first grapes can be picked as early as July, the latest in December. Some vines ripen all their grapes at once; others over a long period of time. Some grapes bore two crops a year. Grapes right off the vine were available for half the year.
It was a common practice to squeeze a bunch of grapes by hand directly into a cup and drink that fresh, sweet (fermentation takes away the sweetness) unfermented wine. “Then Pharaoh’s cup was in my hand; and I took the grapes and pressed them into Pharaoh’s cup, and placed the cup in Pharaoh’s hand” (Genesis 40:11). Historian Josephus refers to this. Pharaoh apparently preferred his wine fresh and unfermented.
A stone relief found in the Roman city of Pompeii pictures the god of wine (in sore need of a loincloth), squeezing grapes by hand into a cup (Patton, Bible Wines). Early church writings referred to pressing grapes into a cup for the Lord’s Supper.
Grapes Preserved Fresh
Grapes could be preserved fresh for months. Some will protest their grapes don’t keep long. Let me explain. Any old-time gardener will tell you some fruits and vegetables are “good keepers,” others are not. A good keeper, at room temperature, can remain fresh for months. This was especially well-known in ancient times when such knowledge could mean the difference between going hungry or not, or even prevent starvation.
Characteristics of good “keeping” grapes include a tough skin and adhering well to the cluster. The cluster would be cut from the vine. Any bad grapes would be clipped, not pulled, from the cluster. Pulling a grape leaves a “brush” that can start a molding, decaying process. Grape clusters were loosely packed in straw, cotton, bran, or hung from the ceiling. Periodically they would be inspected and any bad grapes clipped off.
The right varieties of grapes stored in this way would last fresh for months. Leon C. Field, Methodist scholar, said, in 1883, “Niebuhr says that, ‘the Arabs preserve grapes by hanging them up in their cellars, and eat them almost through the whole year.’ Dr. Kerr says, ‘A friend of mine now in Britain not long since unpacked grapes he had received eleven months previously from the continent, finding them fresh and good.’”
Also, “Bernier says grapes were sent from Persia to India, wrapped in cotton, two hundred years ago, and sold there throughout the year.”
An early 1800s recipe book, called “receipts” back then, gives directions that would preserve grapes fresh for 12 months. These grapes could be pressed into a cup at any time of the year (New Family Receipt Book, London; 1820).
Made from Dried Grapes
Wine was also made from dried grapes or raisins. Drying is one of the oldest methods of preserving food. Raisins were rehydrated by soaking or boiling and pressed into wine.
The Talmud (ancient Jewish writings) refers to raisin wine. Polybius (Greek historian c. 100 BC) spoke of un-intoxicating raisin wine. A medieval Arabian writer refers to raisin wine for the Lord’s Supper. Modern day Jews refer to raisin wine.
Sealing “Must”
Seal “must” in amphora (wine container). Roman writer Cato (c. 170 BC) said, “If you would keep must [new unfermented wine] for a year, pour it into an amphora and seal the cork with pitch. Immerse the amphora in cold water for thirty days. Then remove it and the must will be preserved for one year” (De Agri Cultura).
Additionally, olive oil and resin were used to make containers and contents airtight. Filtering was claimed to break the strength of wine. Chemical additives were used. Fermented wine could be boiled to remove the alcohol.
The above methods were widely practiced and provided unfermented wine throughout the year. So, don’t let anyone tell you, scholar or otherwise, that in Bible times they had no choice but to drink fermented wine.
Further study: Alcohol Today, Peter Lumpkins; The Bible and its Wines, Charles Wesley Ewing; Bible Wines, William Patton; Fights I Didn’t Start, And Some I Did, R. L. Sumner; Communion Wine, William M. Thayer; Libertinism: A Baptist and His Booze, Jerry Vines; Oinos, Leon C. Field.
Note: A new book, Ancient Wine and the Bible: The Case for Abstinence by David R. Brumbelow, contains much more information about Preserving Unfermented Wine in Bible Times.
See additional articles on Alcohol under Gulf Coast Pastor Articles (Labels) in right margin.
SBC Resolution on Alcohol Use in America
Ancient Wine Production and the Bible
Wine for Your Stomach's Sake; 1 Timothy 5:23
-David R. Brumbelow, Gulf Coast Pastor, October 5, AD 2010.
This article was originally published in the Biblical Evangelist, July-August, 2010.
Subscribe at: The Biblical Evangelist - 5717 Pine Drive, Raleigh, North Carolina 27606-8947 or biblicalevangelist.org (see Link in right margin). Subscription is free, they operate on a donation basis. If you can, send a generous donation!
Monday, April 12, 2010
Charles H. Spurgeon on Alcohol
“I hope they will be full of spirit against evil spirits, stout against stout, and hale against ale.”
-Charles H. Spurgeon, letter to temperance society, March 19, 1884.
Occasionally you hear someone defending social drinking by using Charles Haddon Spurgeon (AD 1834-1892) as an example. Or as an excuse. If the great Baptist preacher of London did not believe in abstinence from beverage alcohol, then it must be alright for us to drink.
Contrary to this view, we should follow biblical teaching and the common sense God gave us. Some will be surprised, however, to see what Spurgeon came to believe about the recreational use of the drug alcohol.
In his early years, Charles Haddon Spurgeon disagreed with those who preached abstinence from alcohol. But as time went by, the temperance advocates (those who promoted total abstinence from beverage alcohol), convinced Spurgeon; or maybe the Holy Spirit convinced him. Spurgeon actually became a temperance advocate. Temperance meetings were held in Spurgeon’s church, the Metropolitan Tabernacle.
In 1882 Spurgeon would boldly declare, “Next to the preaching of the Gospel, the most necessary thing to be done in England is to induce our people to become abstainers.” I’m strongly against drinking, but I’m not even sure that I would go as far as Spurgeon, with his above statement.
Dr. Lewis Drummond stated of Spurgeon, “Obviously he had become a strong advocate for abstinence.”
The two above quotes are from Spurgeon: Prince of Preachers by Dr. Lewis A. Drummond, Foreword by Carl F. H. Henry, Kregel Publications; 1992. Dr. Drummond was a professor at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and president of Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. As a result of the SBC Conservative Resurgence, Drummond was the first conservative president of SEBTS.
Charles Spurgeon also spoke to the issue of Communion Wine stating that his church used only unfermented wine.
“We use Frank Wright’s unfermented wine at the Tabernacle, and have never used any other unfermented wine. I am given to understand that some of the so-called unfermented wine has in it a considerable amount of alcohol; but Mr. Wright’s is the pure juice of the grape. One person advertised his wine as used at the Tabernacle though we had never used it even on one occasion. So far as we are concerned, we use no wine but that produced by Messrs. Frank Wright, Mundy, and Co.
Yours truly, C. H. SPURGEON.” -Westwood, June 20, 1887.
(www.godrules.net/library/spurgeon/NEW8spurgeon_d12.htm; accessed 4-12-2010)
Notice that Spurgeon calls this pure juice of the grape “unfermented wine.” Some erroneously say there is no such thing, that all “wine” is fermented. Spurgeon, Aristotle, Nicander, Horace, Pliny, Polybius, Cato, Plutarch, and others would disagree.
Next time you hear someone say Spurgeon was for social drinking, tell them the rest of the story. Charles H. Spurgeon became a strong advocate of total abstinence from alcohol.
-David R. Brumbelow, Gulf Coast Pastor, April 12, AD 2010.
Note: You may also be interested in Preserving Unfermented Wine in Bible Times, and other articles under Gulf Coast Pastor Articles (Labels) in the bottom right margin.
Deuteronomy 14:26 - Does it Commend Alcohol?
Ancient Wine and the Bible - the Book
-Charles H. Spurgeon, letter to temperance society, March 19, 1884.
Occasionally you hear someone defending social drinking by using Charles Haddon Spurgeon (AD 1834-1892) as an example. Or as an excuse. If the great Baptist preacher of London did not believe in abstinence from beverage alcohol, then it must be alright for us to drink.
Contrary to this view, we should follow biblical teaching and the common sense God gave us. Some will be surprised, however, to see what Spurgeon came to believe about the recreational use of the drug alcohol.
In his early years, Charles Haddon Spurgeon disagreed with those who preached abstinence from alcohol. But as time went by, the temperance advocates (those who promoted total abstinence from beverage alcohol), convinced Spurgeon; or maybe the Holy Spirit convinced him. Spurgeon actually became a temperance advocate. Temperance meetings were held in Spurgeon’s church, the Metropolitan Tabernacle.
In 1882 Spurgeon would boldly declare, “Next to the preaching of the Gospel, the most necessary thing to be done in England is to induce our people to become abstainers.” I’m strongly against drinking, but I’m not even sure that I would go as far as Spurgeon, with his above statement.
Dr. Lewis Drummond stated of Spurgeon, “Obviously he had become a strong advocate for abstinence.”
The two above quotes are from Spurgeon: Prince of Preachers by Dr. Lewis A. Drummond, Foreword by Carl F. H. Henry, Kregel Publications; 1992. Dr. Drummond was a professor at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and president of Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. As a result of the SBC Conservative Resurgence, Drummond was the first conservative president of SEBTS.
Charles Spurgeon also spoke to the issue of Communion Wine stating that his church used only unfermented wine.
“We use Frank Wright’s unfermented wine at the Tabernacle, and have never used any other unfermented wine. I am given to understand that some of the so-called unfermented wine has in it a considerable amount of alcohol; but Mr. Wright’s is the pure juice of the grape. One person advertised his wine as used at the Tabernacle though we had never used it even on one occasion. So far as we are concerned, we use no wine but that produced by Messrs. Frank Wright, Mundy, and Co.
Yours truly, C. H. SPURGEON.” -Westwood, June 20, 1887.
(www.godrules.net/library/spurgeon/NEW8spurgeon_d12.htm; accessed 4-12-2010)
Notice that Spurgeon calls this pure juice of the grape “unfermented wine.” Some erroneously say there is no such thing, that all “wine” is fermented. Spurgeon, Aristotle, Nicander, Horace, Pliny, Polybius, Cato, Plutarch, and others would disagree.
Next time you hear someone say Spurgeon was for social drinking, tell them the rest of the story. Charles H. Spurgeon became a strong advocate of total abstinence from alcohol.
-David R. Brumbelow, Gulf Coast Pastor, April 12, AD 2010.
Note: You may also be interested in Preserving Unfermented Wine in Bible Times, and other articles under Gulf Coast Pastor Articles (Labels) in the bottom right margin.
Deuteronomy 14:26 - Does it Commend Alcohol?
Ancient Wine and the Bible - the Book
Other Articles in lower right margin.
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Alcohol and the Church, (BP) Peter Lumpkins
This week (3-15-2010), Baptist Press began publishing a three part series on Alcohol and the Church by Peter Lumpkins. They are well worth your time to read. That is especially true considering the world in which we live. You can click the articles below to read them.
Peter Lumpkins is a Southern Baptist minister who lives in West Georgia. He is the author of Alcohol Today: Abstinence in an Age of Indulgence, Hannibal Books. It can be ordered from any bookstore or at hannibalbooks.com or amazon.com.
Baptist Press (BP) is the news agency of the Southern Baptist Convention. You can click the Baptist Press icon in the right margin of this blog (under Sites I Mainly Agree With) anytime to see their most recent articles. I appreciate Morris Chapman, the SBC Executive Board, and Baptist Press dealing with this issue. I thank God Southern Baptists still stand strong in their conviction against the mind altering, recreational drug we call beverage alcohol; the drug that has destroyed the lives of so many.
Alcohol and the Church, Part 1 (alcohol problem and statistics)
Alcohol and the Church, Part 2 (wine in Bible times)
Alcohol and the Church, Part 3 (reasons for abstinence)
-David R. Brumbelow, Gulf Coast Pastor, March 17, AD 2010.
Peter Lumpkins is a Southern Baptist minister who lives in West Georgia. He is the author of Alcohol Today: Abstinence in an Age of Indulgence, Hannibal Books. It can be ordered from any bookstore or at hannibalbooks.com or amazon.com.
Baptist Press (BP) is the news agency of the Southern Baptist Convention. You can click the Baptist Press icon in the right margin of this blog (under Sites I Mainly Agree With) anytime to see their most recent articles. I appreciate Morris Chapman, the SBC Executive Board, and Baptist Press dealing with this issue. I thank God Southern Baptists still stand strong in their conviction against the mind altering, recreational drug we call beverage alcohol; the drug that has destroyed the lives of so many.
Alcohol and the Church, Part 1 (alcohol problem and statistics)
Alcohol and the Church, Part 2 (wine in Bible times)
Alcohol and the Church, Part 3 (reasons for abstinence)
-David R. Brumbelow, Gulf Coast Pastor, March 17, AD 2010.
Monday, January 11, 2010
Book Review of "Alcohol Today" by R. L. Sumner
Following is a Book Review by Dr. R. L. Sumner, editor of The Biblical Evangelist.
Alcohol Today: Abstinence in an Age of Indulgence, by Peter Lumpkins; Hannibal Books, Garland, TX; 3 Parts, 12 Chapters, 172 pages; $14.95, Paper.
This book is as anti-social drinking as you can get. No one is going to read this one and misunderstand what the author is saying. [Apparent reference to Bob Jones University claiming the “pro-moderate drinking" book by one of their professors was misunderstood. Sumner unfavorably reviewed it. BJU has since withdrawn the book. -DRB] (In short, there is absolutely no chance of him being confused as advocating social drinking!) He starts by explaining why he is writing (alcohol destroys), goes on to show how a once strong church (almost every denomination) that opposed booze so strongly is now endorsing ‘social’ drinking, and then examines the Prohibition era. And that is just Part One.
Incidentally note this comment on Prohibition: “The think-tank behind Prohibition was not filled with Bubbas from south Georgia. Instead university presidents, seminary professors, medical professionals, linguists, Classics scholars, and New Testament and Old Testament theologians and scholars alike argued tirelessly in professional journals, books, pamphlets, and speeches not only the personal virtue of abstaining from intoxicating beverages but also the public vice of manufacturing, distributing, selling, and consuming alcoholic beverages for social and recreational purposes…” That is not exactly how the anti-prohibitionists of today describe those days, is it?
By the way, former U.S. Health & Welfare Secretary Joseph Califano, not exactly a Baptist fundamentalist (he was a Roman Catholic) described it: “During prohibition, admission to mental health institutions for alcoholic psychosis dropped 60 percent, arrests for drunk and disorderly conduct went down 50 percent, welfare agencies reported significant declines in cases due to alcohol-related family problems, and the death rate from impure alcohol did not rise. Nor did Prohibition generate a crime wave. Homicide increased at a higher rate between 1900 and 1920 than during Prohibition, and organized crime was well established in the cities before 1920.” The booze boys have been lying to you about that period haven’t they?
This is followed by five chapters (Part Two) giving five positions on consuming intoxicants: hedonism (pleasure; if it feels good, do it) - as the author puts it, “the logical deduction of culture without Christ;” think before you drink (the popular reference of alcohol manufacturers, answered by reference to what the inerrant Word of God says on the subject, both directly and indirectly); the Christian moral worldview (what God has revealed in His Word, His revelation about righteousness, which is absolute); the wisdom view (which can be argued compellingly, perhaps, but offers no moral instruction for abstinence); and, total abstinence (God’s idea; nowhere does moderation appear in Scripture for anything wrong as a moral principle). The latter point includes a discussion of the medical use of alcohol (such, for example, as in cough syrup) and drinking alcoholic content for pleasure (admittedly, there is not much pleasure in a tablespoon of ugly tasting cough syrup). Obviously, some of these views overlap, such as two and four and three and five.
Part Three is the main part of the volume: what the Bible says about drink, a special look at the Old Testament teaching, and a complete chapter on John 2 and the wine at the wedding (we loved his subtitle for this chapter: Liberating Jesus as the Moderationist Model).
The volume is loaded with excellent quotes. For example: “…to tell a young person to go ahead and drink is like telling a fox, after you’ve locked him in the henhouse, he can touch the chickens but cannot taste the chickens.” While moderationists try to see a happy buzz in God’s comments about the blessing in wine (for example in Psalm 104), Lumpkins notes: “…assuming that alcohol enhances joy in any genuine biblical sense - is a mistake. In fact, alcohol is a depressant; it dulls the senses and therefore diminishes what could be called a conscious enjoyment of the provision, despite any tipsy feeling to the contrary” (emphasis added).
Bringing the second law of thermodynamics into it, the author notes about crushed grapes: “Fermenting wine produces the horrid, foul odor of rot and decay - a particularly formidable challenge the ancients combated.” Great care had to be taken to keep each batch from ending up as sour vinegar, unfit for consumption! “Thanking God for intoxicating beverages is like thanking God for molded bread.” And he quotes the 19th century scholar J. J. Owen as saying any claim our Lord drank any form of intoxicating wine as “malicious libel upon His character.” Amen!
In the back of the book, listed as Appendices, the author has a study on pertinent annotated texts (four from the OT and two from the NT), a Glossary, and Historical References (a dozen, including Ovid, Aristotle, Nicander, Pliny and Cato the Elder). There is also a 6-page listing of works cited.
The Foreword is by Dr. Jerry Vines, who gives a ringing endorsement. Other commendations come from Drs. Paige Patterson, O. S. Hawkins, Hayes Wicker, Jack Graham, Junior Hill and other prominent Christian leaders.
This is a great book, one we can completely endorse. In fact, if you don’t get it you will be making a major mistake, in our judgment.
-by R. L. Sumner, The Biblical Evangelist, January/February, 2010. [For a free subscription (they do, however, accept donations!) to The Biblical Evangelist see the icon in the right margin of this blog.]
Alcohol Today by Peter Lumpkins can be obtained directly from Hannibal Books, Amazon.com, or ordered from any bookstore. Order it today!
-David R. Brumbelow, Gulf Coast Pastor, January 11, AD 2010.
Related Articles at Gulf Coast Pastor Articles (Labels) under "Alcohol" in lower right hand margin.
Alcohol Today: Abstinence in an Age of Indulgence, by Peter Lumpkins; Hannibal Books, Garland, TX; 3 Parts, 12 Chapters, 172 pages; $14.95, Paper.
This book is as anti-social drinking as you can get. No one is going to read this one and misunderstand what the author is saying. [Apparent reference to Bob Jones University claiming the “pro-moderate drinking" book by one of their professors was misunderstood. Sumner unfavorably reviewed it. BJU has since withdrawn the book. -DRB] (In short, there is absolutely no chance of him being confused as advocating social drinking!) He starts by explaining why he is writing (alcohol destroys), goes on to show how a once strong church (almost every denomination) that opposed booze so strongly is now endorsing ‘social’ drinking, and then examines the Prohibition era. And that is just Part One.
Incidentally note this comment on Prohibition: “The think-tank behind Prohibition was not filled with Bubbas from south Georgia. Instead university presidents, seminary professors, medical professionals, linguists, Classics scholars, and New Testament and Old Testament theologians and scholars alike argued tirelessly in professional journals, books, pamphlets, and speeches not only the personal virtue of abstaining from intoxicating beverages but also the public vice of manufacturing, distributing, selling, and consuming alcoholic beverages for social and recreational purposes…” That is not exactly how the anti-prohibitionists of today describe those days, is it?
By the way, former U.S. Health & Welfare Secretary Joseph Califano, not exactly a Baptist fundamentalist (he was a Roman Catholic) described it: “During prohibition, admission to mental health institutions for alcoholic psychosis dropped 60 percent, arrests for drunk and disorderly conduct went down 50 percent, welfare agencies reported significant declines in cases due to alcohol-related family problems, and the death rate from impure alcohol did not rise. Nor did Prohibition generate a crime wave. Homicide increased at a higher rate between 1900 and 1920 than during Prohibition, and organized crime was well established in the cities before 1920.” The booze boys have been lying to you about that period haven’t they?
This is followed by five chapters (Part Two) giving five positions on consuming intoxicants: hedonism (pleasure; if it feels good, do it) - as the author puts it, “the logical deduction of culture without Christ;” think before you drink (the popular reference of alcohol manufacturers, answered by reference to what the inerrant Word of God says on the subject, both directly and indirectly); the Christian moral worldview (what God has revealed in His Word, His revelation about righteousness, which is absolute); the wisdom view (which can be argued compellingly, perhaps, but offers no moral instruction for abstinence); and, total abstinence (God’s idea; nowhere does moderation appear in Scripture for anything wrong as a moral principle). The latter point includes a discussion of the medical use of alcohol (such, for example, as in cough syrup) and drinking alcoholic content for pleasure (admittedly, there is not much pleasure in a tablespoon of ugly tasting cough syrup). Obviously, some of these views overlap, such as two and four and three and five.
Part Three is the main part of the volume: what the Bible says about drink, a special look at the Old Testament teaching, and a complete chapter on John 2 and the wine at the wedding (we loved his subtitle for this chapter: Liberating Jesus as the Moderationist Model).
The volume is loaded with excellent quotes. For example: “…to tell a young person to go ahead and drink is like telling a fox, after you’ve locked him in the henhouse, he can touch the chickens but cannot taste the chickens.” While moderationists try to see a happy buzz in God’s comments about the blessing in wine (for example in Psalm 104), Lumpkins notes: “…assuming that alcohol enhances joy in any genuine biblical sense - is a mistake. In fact, alcohol is a depressant; it dulls the senses and therefore diminishes what could be called a conscious enjoyment of the provision, despite any tipsy feeling to the contrary” (emphasis added).
Bringing the second law of thermodynamics into it, the author notes about crushed grapes: “Fermenting wine produces the horrid, foul odor of rot and decay - a particularly formidable challenge the ancients combated.” Great care had to be taken to keep each batch from ending up as sour vinegar, unfit for consumption! “Thanking God for intoxicating beverages is like thanking God for molded bread.” And he quotes the 19th century scholar J. J. Owen as saying any claim our Lord drank any form of intoxicating wine as “malicious libel upon His character.” Amen!
In the back of the book, listed as Appendices, the author has a study on pertinent annotated texts (four from the OT and two from the NT), a Glossary, and Historical References (a dozen, including Ovid, Aristotle, Nicander, Pliny and Cato the Elder). There is also a 6-page listing of works cited.
The Foreword is by Dr. Jerry Vines, who gives a ringing endorsement. Other commendations come from Drs. Paige Patterson, O. S. Hawkins, Hayes Wicker, Jack Graham, Junior Hill and other prominent Christian leaders.
This is a great book, one we can completely endorse. In fact, if you don’t get it you will be making a major mistake, in our judgment.
-by R. L. Sumner, The Biblical Evangelist, January/February, 2010. [For a free subscription (they do, however, accept donations!) to The Biblical Evangelist see the icon in the right margin of this blog.]
Alcohol Today by Peter Lumpkins can be obtained directly from Hannibal Books, Amazon.com, or ordered from any bookstore. Order it today!
-David R. Brumbelow, Gulf Coast Pastor, January 11, AD 2010.
Related Articles at Gulf Coast Pastor Articles (Labels) under "Alcohol" in lower right hand margin.
Monday, July 27, 2009
Evidence for the Two Wine Theory
“Gather wine and summer fruit and oil.” -Jeremiah 40:10
Does “wine” always mean fermented or intoxicating wine? Do the Bible words for wine always mean intoxicating wine? Of course not, although many say they do.
Some drinkers attempt to prove their case first by asserting all wine is fermented (One Wine Theory). Then, every time the Bible or other literature says “wine” they insist that can only mean the alcoholic stuff. Their theory sounds good until you do some research.
The most common words in the Bible for wine are the Hebrew words “yayin” and “tirosh,” and the Greek word “oinos.” Tirosh usually, some say always, meant unfermented wine. Yayin and oinos were both used to refer to fermented and unfermented wine (Two Wine Theory); and all three words were used interchangeably. For example:
1. Proverbs 3:9-10 refers to fresh, unfermented wine just harvested. The Hebrew word is tirosh. There are several significant points.
First, this is a clear case of un-intoxicating wine in the Bible.
Second, about 200 BC Jewish scholars translated this word “tirosh” into the Greek word “oinos.” They did not even translate it as “new oinos,” just “oinos.” Their translation, the Septuagint (LXX), was used by Jesus and His disciples. The LXX treated the words, yayin, tirosh, and oinos synonymously. Here they used oinos for unfermented wine.
Third, this verse is translated into English with the word “wine,” or “new wine,” even though it is a definite reference to unfermented wine. Why is this significant? It shows that even the modern day English versions use the word “wine” to refer to non-alcoholic wine. So much for those who say there is no such thing as “unfermented wine.”
2. Isaiah 16:10 says, “No treaders will tread out wine (yayin) in the presses.” You tread out unfermented wine, not fermented wine, in the presses. Jewish translators of the LXX translated yayin here, into the Greek word oinos. The modern English versions of the Bible translate yayin in this verse into our word, “wine,” even though it refers to unfermented wine. (See also: Deuteronomy 11:14; Isaiah 65:8; Jeremiah 40:10, 12; 48:33; Joel 2:24)
3. Mark 15:36 refers to vinegar as sour wine (oinos). Wine has three basic stages, non-alcoholic, alcoholic, then it turns to vinegar. So oinos is not just used of alcoholic wine, not just of non-alcoholic wine, but also used of vinegar. Once again, oinos is shown to be a broad word.
By the way, with a little effort, wine can be preserved in any of these three stages.
4. Ancient non-biblical quotations:
A Greek Poet and physician of the 2nd century BC wrote: “Says Nicander: And Cenus having squeezed the juice of the grapes, into hollow cups, called it wine (oinos).”
Aristotle wrote, “that sweet wine (oinos) would not intoxicate.”
“At the time of festivals, he went about, and took wine (oinos) from the fields.” -Athenaeus, Book VI, sect. 89, Voyage of Nymphodorus, the Syracusan; 320 BC. You don’t gather “fermented” wine from the fields.
Many more ancient examples could be given.
5. “The Hebrew, Greek, and Latin words which are rendered ‘wine,’ mean simply the expressed juice of the grape.” -Dr. Adam Clark, quoted in Communion Wine and Bible Temperance by William M. Thayer, 1869; p. 13.
6. Yayin - “what is pressed out, grape juice.” -Dr. Robert Young, Young’s Analytical Concordance to the Bible, Eerdmans, 1970; p. 1058.
Oinos - “wine, grape juice.” -Dr. Robert Young, ibid; p. 1058.
7. “A host of strong evidence points to the fact that yayin can mean not only [fermented] wine but also grape juice, and that God’s purpose for the vine was for the latter.” -Robert P. Teachout, The Use of “Wine” in the Old Testament, Doctoral Dissertation for Dallas Theological Seminary, 1979; p. 312.
8. “The word yayin was used to indicate fermented or unfermented wine.” -Yael Zisling, Winemaking in Israel. Published by gemsinisrael.com; August / September, 2001.
This is a modern, pro fermented wine site. Notice the quote recognizes both yayin and wine as generic words.
Today many scholars (but not all) just repeat what other scholars have said about wine always being intoxicating, without considering the evidence. Many mistakenly believe the ancients had no way of preserving unfermented wine, so they assume it must have all been fermented. But the experts can be wrong. Consider the evidence.
Therefore when the Bible says Jesus made wine (oinos; John 2), don’t just assume it means 14% alcohol content wine. If you assume that, that is not just taking the Bible for what it says; that is your biased opinion.
-David R. Brumbelow, Gulf Coast Pastor, July 27, 2009.
PS - Several have asked me to write about the issue of the Bible and alcohol and I have now done so for several posts. It is one of the hot topics of our day, when we have some pastors militantly promoting the idea of social drinking. In the future I will be posting more articles about this subject, but will also be posting on other topics.
If you have any questions, feel free to comment here, or write to: nsbc77562 [at] LWOL [dot] com; or P.O. Box 300, Lake Jackson, TX 77566.
Biblical Principles Condemn Alcohol
Preserving Unfermented Wine in Bible Times
2006 SBC Resolution on Alcohol Use in America
Deuteronomy 14:26 - Does it Commend Alcohol?
Other articles in lower right hand margin under Gulf Coast Pastor Articles (Labels).
Ancient Wine and the Bible by David R. Brumbelow due to be published October 1, 2011. It will cover these areas much more extensively.
Does “wine” always mean fermented or intoxicating wine? Do the Bible words for wine always mean intoxicating wine? Of course not, although many say they do.
Some drinkers attempt to prove their case first by asserting all wine is fermented (One Wine Theory). Then, every time the Bible or other literature says “wine” they insist that can only mean the alcoholic stuff. Their theory sounds good until you do some research.
The most common words in the Bible for wine are the Hebrew words “yayin” and “tirosh,” and the Greek word “oinos.” Tirosh usually, some say always, meant unfermented wine. Yayin and oinos were both used to refer to fermented and unfermented wine (Two Wine Theory); and all three words were used interchangeably. For example:
1. Proverbs 3:9-10 refers to fresh, unfermented wine just harvested. The Hebrew word is tirosh. There are several significant points.
First, this is a clear case of un-intoxicating wine in the Bible.
Second, about 200 BC Jewish scholars translated this word “tirosh” into the Greek word “oinos.” They did not even translate it as “new oinos,” just “oinos.” Their translation, the Septuagint (LXX), was used by Jesus and His disciples. The LXX treated the words, yayin, tirosh, and oinos synonymously. Here they used oinos for unfermented wine.
Third, this verse is translated into English with the word “wine,” or “new wine,” even though it is a definite reference to unfermented wine. Why is this significant? It shows that even the modern day English versions use the word “wine” to refer to non-alcoholic wine. So much for those who say there is no such thing as “unfermented wine.”
2. Isaiah 16:10 says, “No treaders will tread out wine (yayin) in the presses.” You tread out unfermented wine, not fermented wine, in the presses. Jewish translators of the LXX translated yayin here, into the Greek word oinos. The modern English versions of the Bible translate yayin in this verse into our word, “wine,” even though it refers to unfermented wine. (See also: Deuteronomy 11:14; Isaiah 65:8; Jeremiah 40:10, 12; 48:33; Joel 2:24)
3. Mark 15:36 refers to vinegar as sour wine (oinos). Wine has three basic stages, non-alcoholic, alcoholic, then it turns to vinegar. So oinos is not just used of alcoholic wine, not just of non-alcoholic wine, but also used of vinegar. Once again, oinos is shown to be a broad word.
By the way, with a little effort, wine can be preserved in any of these three stages.
4. Ancient non-biblical quotations:
A Greek Poet and physician of the 2nd century BC wrote: “Says Nicander: And Cenus having squeezed the juice of the grapes, into hollow cups, called it wine (oinos).”
Aristotle wrote, “that sweet wine (oinos) would not intoxicate.”
“At the time of festivals, he went about, and took wine (oinos) from the fields.” -Athenaeus, Book VI, sect. 89, Voyage of Nymphodorus, the Syracusan; 320 BC. You don’t gather “fermented” wine from the fields.
Many more ancient examples could be given.
5. “The Hebrew, Greek, and Latin words which are rendered ‘wine,’ mean simply the expressed juice of the grape.” -Dr. Adam Clark, quoted in Communion Wine and Bible Temperance by William M. Thayer, 1869; p. 13.
6. Yayin - “what is pressed out, grape juice.” -Dr. Robert Young, Young’s Analytical Concordance to the Bible, Eerdmans, 1970; p. 1058.
Oinos - “wine, grape juice.” -Dr. Robert Young, ibid; p. 1058.
7. “A host of strong evidence points to the fact that yayin can mean not only [fermented] wine but also grape juice, and that God’s purpose for the vine was for the latter.” -Robert P. Teachout, The Use of “Wine” in the Old Testament, Doctoral Dissertation for Dallas Theological Seminary, 1979; p. 312.
8. “The word yayin was used to indicate fermented or unfermented wine.” -Yael Zisling, Winemaking in Israel. Published by gemsinisrael.com; August / September, 2001.
This is a modern, pro fermented wine site. Notice the quote recognizes both yayin and wine as generic words.
Today many scholars (but not all) just repeat what other scholars have said about wine always being intoxicating, without considering the evidence. Many mistakenly believe the ancients had no way of preserving unfermented wine, so they assume it must have all been fermented. But the experts can be wrong. Consider the evidence.
Therefore when the Bible says Jesus made wine (oinos; John 2), don’t just assume it means 14% alcohol content wine. If you assume that, that is not just taking the Bible for what it says; that is your biased opinion.
-David R. Brumbelow, Gulf Coast Pastor, July 27, 2009.
PS - Several have asked me to write about the issue of the Bible and alcohol and I have now done so for several posts. It is one of the hot topics of our day, when we have some pastors militantly promoting the idea of social drinking. In the future I will be posting more articles about this subject, but will also be posting on other topics.
If you have any questions, feel free to comment here, or write to: nsbc77562 [at] LWOL [dot] com; or P.O. Box 300, Lake Jackson, TX 77566.
Biblical Principles Condemn Alcohol
Preserving Unfermented Wine in Bible Times
2006 SBC Resolution on Alcohol Use in America
Deuteronomy 14:26 - Does it Commend Alcohol?
Other articles in lower right hand margin under Gulf Coast Pastor Articles (Labels).
Ancient Wine and the Bible by David R. Brumbelow due to be published October 1, 2011. It will cover these areas much more extensively.
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Common Wine in the Bible
I’ve heard it said or implied many times. The only drink they had in Bible times was fermented wine. The water was unsafe, so they had to drink intoxicating wine. Since they had no refrigeration they had no way to keep it from fermenting.
But think about it - if that were true, men, women, and children would have been falling down drunk 24 hours a day. Even drinkers today also drink un-intoxicating drinks.
Like today, ancient folks had many different kinds of drinks (Nehemiah 5:18). Those drinks were usually generically called “wine” (yayin, tirosh, oinos). Some wine was fermented, some unfermented, some of a very low alcohol content, all were usually mixed with two to four parts water.
Even their intoxicating drink was no comparison to the much greater alcoholic content of today’s liquor. They did not know the process of distillation used today. Of course they could still get drunk on that lower alcoholic content wine, but they had to work at it to do so. And that was expensive.
Since we don’t know how to preserve unfermented wine (or grape juice) without modern day refrigeration, we assume they didn’t know how either. That is a false assumption. We project our ignorance onto them. However, they knew and used several ways to preserve unfermented wine. They could even keep fresh grapes for months.
Some quick examples:
Shireh
“Concentrating grape juice down by heating is still used to make the popular shireh of modern Iran and was known to the ancient peoples of Mesopotamia as well as the Greeks and Romans. It enables fruit to be preserved, and, diluted with water, it produces a refreshing, nonalcoholic beverage.” -Ancient Wine: The Search For The Origins Of Viniculture by Patrick E. McGovern, Princeton University Press, Princeton, New Jersey, 2003; p. 54.
This book is very pro fermented wine. But notice it reveals a common way today, and in ancient times, to preserve wine in an unfermented condition.
Common Wine Was Without Alcohol
“Fermented wine was the least common [drink in Bible times] and the percentage of alcohol was small. New wines were wholly without alcohol and were easily preserved in this condition for several months. There were also wines in which, by boiling or by drugs, the process of fermentation was prevented and alcohol excluded. These were mixed with water and constituted the most common drink of the land.” -Dr. Lyman Abbott (1835-1922), Dictionary of Religious Knowledge, p. 973. Abbott was a Congregational minister, scholar, editor, and author.
Wine Often Was Simple Fruit Syrup & Water
“It should never be forgotten that when reading the Bible and the classic pagan writers of ‘Wine,’ we are seldom dealing with the strongly intoxicating and loaded liquids to which that name is alone attached in the English language, but usually with beverages such as above described. They were as harmless and sober as our own Teas, Coffees, and Cocoas. Had they not been so, the ancient populations would have been perpetually in a more or less state of drunkenness…These facts should never be forgotten when we read of ‘Wine’ there, - for it was simple fruit syrup, except where especially stated to be of the intoxicating kinds.” -Ferrar Fenton of England, The Bible and Wine.
By age 28, Fenton had acquired a working knowledge of 25 classical, Oriental, and modern languages. Fenton produced one of the first modern English translations of the Bible.
So don’t just assume that every time the Bible says “wine” it is referring to strong alcoholic wine.
Honor the LORD with your possessions, and with the firstfruits of all your increase; so your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will overflow with new wine. -Proverbs 3:9-10
-David R. Brumbelow, Gulf Coast Pastor, July 21, AD 2009.
Related Articles:
Biblical Principles Condemn Alcohol
Preserving Unfermented Wine in Bible Times
2006 SBC Resolution on Alcohol Use in America
Deuteronomy 14:26 - Does it Commend Alcohol?
Other articles in lower right hand margin under Gulf Coast Pastor Articles (Labels).
Ancient Wine and the Bible by David R. Brumbelow due to be published October 1, 2011.
But think about it - if that were true, men, women, and children would have been falling down drunk 24 hours a day. Even drinkers today also drink un-intoxicating drinks.
Like today, ancient folks had many different kinds of drinks (Nehemiah 5:18). Those drinks were usually generically called “wine” (yayin, tirosh, oinos). Some wine was fermented, some unfermented, some of a very low alcohol content, all were usually mixed with two to four parts water.
Even their intoxicating drink was no comparison to the much greater alcoholic content of today’s liquor. They did not know the process of distillation used today. Of course they could still get drunk on that lower alcoholic content wine, but they had to work at it to do so. And that was expensive.
Since we don’t know how to preserve unfermented wine (or grape juice) without modern day refrigeration, we assume they didn’t know how either. That is a false assumption. We project our ignorance onto them. However, they knew and used several ways to preserve unfermented wine. They could even keep fresh grapes for months.
Some quick examples:
Shireh
“Concentrating grape juice down by heating is still used to make the popular shireh of modern Iran and was known to the ancient peoples of Mesopotamia as well as the Greeks and Romans. It enables fruit to be preserved, and, diluted with water, it produces a refreshing, nonalcoholic beverage.” -Ancient Wine: The Search For The Origins Of Viniculture by Patrick E. McGovern, Princeton University Press, Princeton, New Jersey, 2003; p. 54.
This book is very pro fermented wine. But notice it reveals a common way today, and in ancient times, to preserve wine in an unfermented condition.
Common Wine Was Without Alcohol
“Fermented wine was the least common [drink in Bible times] and the percentage of alcohol was small. New wines were wholly without alcohol and were easily preserved in this condition for several months. There were also wines in which, by boiling or by drugs, the process of fermentation was prevented and alcohol excluded. These were mixed with water and constituted the most common drink of the land.” -Dr. Lyman Abbott (1835-1922), Dictionary of Religious Knowledge, p. 973. Abbott was a Congregational minister, scholar, editor, and author.
Wine Often Was Simple Fruit Syrup & Water
“It should never be forgotten that when reading the Bible and the classic pagan writers of ‘Wine,’ we are seldom dealing with the strongly intoxicating and loaded liquids to which that name is alone attached in the English language, but usually with beverages such as above described. They were as harmless and sober as our own Teas, Coffees, and Cocoas. Had they not been so, the ancient populations would have been perpetually in a more or less state of drunkenness…These facts should never be forgotten when we read of ‘Wine’ there, - for it was simple fruit syrup, except where especially stated to be of the intoxicating kinds.” -Ferrar Fenton of England, The Bible and Wine.
By age 28, Fenton had acquired a working knowledge of 25 classical, Oriental, and modern languages. Fenton produced one of the first modern English translations of the Bible.
So don’t just assume that every time the Bible says “wine” it is referring to strong alcoholic wine.
Honor the LORD with your possessions, and with the firstfruits of all your increase; so your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will overflow with new wine. -Proverbs 3:9-10
-David R. Brumbelow, Gulf Coast Pastor, July 21, AD 2009.
Related Articles:
Biblical Principles Condemn Alcohol
Preserving Unfermented Wine in Bible Times
2006 SBC Resolution on Alcohol Use in America
Deuteronomy 14:26 - Does it Commend Alcohol?
Other articles in lower right hand margin under Gulf Coast Pastor Articles (Labels).
Ancient Wine and the Bible by David R. Brumbelow due to be published October 1, 2011.
Monday, July 13, 2009
Biblical Principles Condemn Alcohol
The previous article, Alcohol Condemned in the Bible, looked at direct biblical commands to not drink beverage alcohol. Biblical principles also condemn alcohol.
1. The Bible says those deceived by wine are not wise (Proverbs 20:1). We are commanded to be wise (Ephesians 5:15; etc.).
2. The Bible teaches us to guard our influence and not lead others astray. You may be able to hold your liquor. There are still at least two problems with that. First, you are supporting an evil industry that has brought untold heartache to the world. Second, someone else will look at you and say, “That is the best man I know. If he can drink, then so can I.” And that may be someone whose life will be ruined by drink.
3. Your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). Alcohol destroys that body.
4. The Bible says you are to love God with all your mind (Matthew 22:37). Our minds are altered and damaged by alcohol. Beverage alcohol is a recreational, mind altering drug. Every drink kills brain cells and dulls your judgment. When it comes to beverage alcohol, its very use is abuse. We should love and serve God with clear minds.
5. The law of love, as A. T. Robertson called it, teaches us not to drink (Romans 14:19, 21; 1 Corinthians 8:9).
6. Scripture proclaims believers in Jesus Christ to be kings (Rev. 1:6; 5:10). Kings are not to drink lest they pervert justice (Proverbs 31:4-5).
7. God commended the Rechabites for not drinking wine (Jeremiah 35).
8. Don’t abuse your Christian liberty (1 Corinthians 8:9; 10:23).
9. The Bible often gives the appalling results of alcohol. It tells of Noah, Lot, and others getting drunk and the terrible consequences.
10. Is it biblical for a believer to support the alcohol industry that has wrecked so many homes and lives?
11. Drinking is expensive. By not drinking you can save a lot of money that you can use for more noble purposes.
12. Biblical wisdom and truth would compel us to recognize the incredible damage alcohol does to society. Alcohol contributes greatly to traffic accidents and deaths, unwanted pregnancies, fetal alcohol syndrome, the spread of sexually transmitted disease, all types of criminal behavior, cirrhosis of the liver, destruction of brain cells, cancer, addiction, breakup of homes, and on and on.
13. About one out of nine drinkers becomes a problem drinker. Never take that first drink and I guarantee you will never become an alcoholic. With those odds in mind, would biblical principles allow you to play “Russian Roulette” with your life and the lives of those you love?
14. From the overall teaching of the Bible, do you really believe God condones the recreational use of a mind altering, dangerous drug? Whether it is alcohol, marijuana, cocaine, prescription drugs, the answer is obviously, no. In case there is any question, prescription drugs should only be used for medical problems; their recreational, unnecessary use can be just as wrong and dangerous as the recreational use of alcohol.
15. Countless lives have been saved from ruin by teaching abstinence from alcohol. What is the worst that can happen to you by not drinking? Abstinence works every time it is used. Not drinking is safe, and it is wise.
16. Addiction to alcohol and other drugs is a serious problem. Jesus said, “whoever commits sin is a slave to sin“ (John 8:34). With beverage alcohol, it is easier to not start, than to start and then struggle to stop. God’s plan A is for us not to sin in the first place (1 John 2:1). As it is, you will have plenty of problems in life. But I can save you from many of the self induced ones. You can save yourself and others a world of heartache by just staying away from alcohol.
When it comes to biblical principles, alcohol is kind of like the issue of slavery. The Bible does not directly say, “Thou shalt not own a slave.” But clear biblical principles certainly teach against slavery. Whether or not you accept that the Bible directly speaks against alcohol, the Bible clearly teaches against it.
Wine is a mocker, strong drink is a brawler, and whoever is led astray by it is not wise. -Proverbs 20:1
At the last it bites like a serpent, and stings like a viper. -Proverbs 23:32
-David R. Brumbelow, Gulf Coast Pastor, July 13, AD 2009.
Alcohol Condemned in the Bible
2006 SBC Resolution on Alcohol Use in America
Ancient Wine and the Bible - the book
1. The Bible says those deceived by wine are not wise (Proverbs 20:1). We are commanded to be wise (Ephesians 5:15; etc.).
2. The Bible teaches us to guard our influence and not lead others astray. You may be able to hold your liquor. There are still at least two problems with that. First, you are supporting an evil industry that has brought untold heartache to the world. Second, someone else will look at you and say, “That is the best man I know. If he can drink, then so can I.” And that may be someone whose life will be ruined by drink.
3. Your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). Alcohol destroys that body.
4. The Bible says you are to love God with all your mind (Matthew 22:37). Our minds are altered and damaged by alcohol. Beverage alcohol is a recreational, mind altering drug. Every drink kills brain cells and dulls your judgment. When it comes to beverage alcohol, its very use is abuse. We should love and serve God with clear minds.
5. The law of love, as A. T. Robertson called it, teaches us not to drink (Romans 14:19, 21; 1 Corinthians 8:9).
6. Scripture proclaims believers in Jesus Christ to be kings (Rev. 1:6; 5:10). Kings are not to drink lest they pervert justice (Proverbs 31:4-5).
7. God commended the Rechabites for not drinking wine (Jeremiah 35).
8. Don’t abuse your Christian liberty (1 Corinthians 8:9; 10:23).
9. The Bible often gives the appalling results of alcohol. It tells of Noah, Lot, and others getting drunk and the terrible consequences.
10. Is it biblical for a believer to support the alcohol industry that has wrecked so many homes and lives?
11. Drinking is expensive. By not drinking you can save a lot of money that you can use for more noble purposes.
12. Biblical wisdom and truth would compel us to recognize the incredible damage alcohol does to society. Alcohol contributes greatly to traffic accidents and deaths, unwanted pregnancies, fetal alcohol syndrome, the spread of sexually transmitted disease, all types of criminal behavior, cirrhosis of the liver, destruction of brain cells, cancer, addiction, breakup of homes, and on and on.
13. About one out of nine drinkers becomes a problem drinker. Never take that first drink and I guarantee you will never become an alcoholic. With those odds in mind, would biblical principles allow you to play “Russian Roulette” with your life and the lives of those you love?
14. From the overall teaching of the Bible, do you really believe God condones the recreational use of a mind altering, dangerous drug? Whether it is alcohol, marijuana, cocaine, prescription drugs, the answer is obviously, no. In case there is any question, prescription drugs should only be used for medical problems; their recreational, unnecessary use can be just as wrong and dangerous as the recreational use of alcohol.
15. Countless lives have been saved from ruin by teaching abstinence from alcohol. What is the worst that can happen to you by not drinking? Abstinence works every time it is used. Not drinking is safe, and it is wise.
16. Addiction to alcohol and other drugs is a serious problem. Jesus said, “whoever commits sin is a slave to sin“ (John 8:34). With beverage alcohol, it is easier to not start, than to start and then struggle to stop. God’s plan A is for us not to sin in the first place (1 John 2:1). As it is, you will have plenty of problems in life. But I can save you from many of the self induced ones. You can save yourself and others a world of heartache by just staying away from alcohol.
When it comes to biblical principles, alcohol is kind of like the issue of slavery. The Bible does not directly say, “Thou shalt not own a slave.” But clear biblical principles certainly teach against slavery. Whether or not you accept that the Bible directly speaks against alcohol, the Bible clearly teaches against it.
Wine is a mocker, strong drink is a brawler, and whoever is led astray by it is not wise. -Proverbs 20:1
At the last it bites like a serpent, and stings like a viper. -Proverbs 23:32
-David R. Brumbelow, Gulf Coast Pastor, July 13, AD 2009.
Alcohol Condemned in the Bible
2006 SBC Resolution on Alcohol Use in America
Ancient Wine and the Bible - the book
Monday, July 6, 2009
Alcohol Condemned in the Bible
Today many are saying that while the Bible condemns drunkenness, it never condemns the moderate use of alcohol. They say that good Christians can be biblically free to enjoy a glass of wine, or a beer on the weekends. Well, does the Bible condemn beverage alcohol? Of course it does. It condemns it both directly and indirectly.
The Old Testament tells us not to drink.Proverbs 23:29-35 gives a detailed description of fermented, intoxicating wine and its effects. King Solomon is the divinely inspired writer. And Solomon, the smartest man in the world, said not to even look on that kind of wine (v. 31). What kind of wine? The kind he is describing, the intoxicating kind. Don’t even look at it. That is a direct command against beverage alcohol.
By the way, unfermented wine does not fit the Proverbs 23 description. At the last, non-alcoholic wine does not bite like a serpent and sting like an adder (Proverbs 23:32). That is why God commends some wine (the unfermented kind) and condemns other wine (the fermented, poisonous kind).
There was not a word for “alcohol” in Bible times. So, what did Solomon do? He described an alcoholic drink by its characteristics and effects. Proverbs 20:1 also condemns this kind of wine.
The New Testament tells us not to drink.1 Thessalonians 5:6-8 commands us to be “sober.” It even contrasts drunkenness with sobriety. Any amount of alcohol make us less than sober. Moderately drink, and you will be moderately sober. Alcoholics Anonymous will be glad to explain to you that sober means no alcohol in any amount.
The New Testament (NT) portion of the Bible was originally written in the Greek language. One of the NT Greek words translated sober (or watchful) is “nepho.” W. E. Vine says of nepho, “Signifies to be free from the influence of intoxicants.” -Vine’s Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words, Thomas Nelson Publishers, Nashville, Tennessee; 1997, p. 1057. Nepho literally means "wineless."
God’s Word commands us to be sober (nepho) in 1 Thessalonians 5:6-8; 2 Timothy 4:5, 1 Peter 1:13; 4:7; 5:8. Some have curiously argued that nepho has nothing to do with drinking, it simply means sober minded or sound minded. The reply is obvious. How can you be sober minded, how can you have a clear head, when you are drinking in any amount? Sober means sober; therefore it means no intoxicating drugs. “Sober” may not only refer to beverage alcohol, but it certainly includes it. What a contrast to those who brazenly say that God wants Christians to enjoy the “buzz” that is given by alcohol.
God commands us to be sober, not half sober. The first drink of alcohol ends your sobriety. The first drink of alcohol adversely affects your judgment and your reaction time. A Defensive Driving instructor said, “The first drink affects your judgment. Therefore if you have taken any amount of alcohol, you are unqualified to judge whether you are able to drive.” This instructor freely admitted to drinking. So, even one who was a social drinker, recognized the immediate effect alcohol has on the mind.
How can anyone drink a recreational, intoxicating, mind altering drug and then claim that they are obeying the command of God to be sober? Alcohol has caused untold damage, death, and heartache in this world. Stay away from alcohol like you would stay away from a venomous snake.
Whether or not you agree that the Bible directly condemns alcohol, hang on. Later we will look at the biblical teaching, or biblical principles (and they are numerous) against beverage alcohol.
“Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.” -1 Peter 5:8
-David R. Brumbelow, Gulf Coast Pastor; July 6, AD 2009.
For more information see, Ancient Wine and the Bible.
Related Articles:
Biblical Principles Condemn Alcohol
Preserving Unfermented Wine in Bible Times
Deuteronomy 14:26 - Does it Commend Alcohol?
Ancient Wine and the Bible - the Book
See other articles on alcohol in lower right margin under Gulf Coast Pastor Articles (Labels).
The Old Testament tells us not to drink.Proverbs 23:29-35 gives a detailed description of fermented, intoxicating wine and its effects. King Solomon is the divinely inspired writer. And Solomon, the smartest man in the world, said not to even look on that kind of wine (v. 31). What kind of wine? The kind he is describing, the intoxicating kind. Don’t even look at it. That is a direct command against beverage alcohol.
By the way, unfermented wine does not fit the Proverbs 23 description. At the last, non-alcoholic wine does not bite like a serpent and sting like an adder (Proverbs 23:32). That is why God commends some wine (the unfermented kind) and condemns other wine (the fermented, poisonous kind).
There was not a word for “alcohol” in Bible times. So, what did Solomon do? He described an alcoholic drink by its characteristics and effects. Proverbs 20:1 also condemns this kind of wine.
The New Testament tells us not to drink.1 Thessalonians 5:6-8 commands us to be “sober.” It even contrasts drunkenness with sobriety. Any amount of alcohol make us less than sober. Moderately drink, and you will be moderately sober. Alcoholics Anonymous will be glad to explain to you that sober means no alcohol in any amount.
The New Testament (NT) portion of the Bible was originally written in the Greek language. One of the NT Greek words translated sober (or watchful) is “nepho.” W. E. Vine says of nepho, “Signifies to be free from the influence of intoxicants.” -Vine’s Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words, Thomas Nelson Publishers, Nashville, Tennessee; 1997, p. 1057. Nepho literally means "wineless."
God’s Word commands us to be sober (nepho) in 1 Thessalonians 5:6-8; 2 Timothy 4:5, 1 Peter 1:13; 4:7; 5:8. Some have curiously argued that nepho has nothing to do with drinking, it simply means sober minded or sound minded. The reply is obvious. How can you be sober minded, how can you have a clear head, when you are drinking in any amount? Sober means sober; therefore it means no intoxicating drugs. “Sober” may not only refer to beverage alcohol, but it certainly includes it. What a contrast to those who brazenly say that God wants Christians to enjoy the “buzz” that is given by alcohol.
God commands us to be sober, not half sober. The first drink of alcohol ends your sobriety. The first drink of alcohol adversely affects your judgment and your reaction time. A Defensive Driving instructor said, “The first drink affects your judgment. Therefore if you have taken any amount of alcohol, you are unqualified to judge whether you are able to drive.” This instructor freely admitted to drinking. So, even one who was a social drinker, recognized the immediate effect alcohol has on the mind.
How can anyone drink a recreational, intoxicating, mind altering drug and then claim that they are obeying the command of God to be sober? Alcohol has caused untold damage, death, and heartache in this world. Stay away from alcohol like you would stay away from a venomous snake.
Whether or not you agree that the Bible directly condemns alcohol, hang on. Later we will look at the biblical teaching, or biblical principles (and they are numerous) against beverage alcohol.
“Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.” -1 Peter 5:8
-David R. Brumbelow, Gulf Coast Pastor; July 6, AD 2009.
For more information see, Ancient Wine and the Bible.
Related Articles:
Biblical Principles Condemn Alcohol
Preserving Unfermented Wine in Bible Times
Deuteronomy 14:26 - Does it Commend Alcohol?
Ancient Wine and the Bible - the Book
See other articles on alcohol in lower right margin under Gulf Coast Pastor Articles (Labels).
Monday, June 15, 2009
O. S. Hawkins on Alcohol Today
“Four decades ago when I responded to God’s call to the gospel ministry, the thought that theologically conservative Baptist leaders would discuss the wisdom of alcohol consumption among Christians much less pastors never would have entered my mind.
“But this very debate is bubbling to the surface now in our day when the culture around us more and more invades the church instead of the church being the salt and light we are called to be.
“This volume will be a valued resource to those who hold to abstinence, a way to engage the debate for those who do not, and a vital encouragement to young Christians who are seeking to make their own way through this debate. Read it and reap.”
-O. S. Hawkins, president, GuideStone Financial Resources, SBC. Endorsement of the book, Alcohol Today.
Book Signing with Peter Lumpkins & Jerry VinesI’ll say more about Alcohol Today later. Just wanted to remind anyone going to the Pastor’s Conference and Southern Baptist Convention in Louisville, Kentucky about an important book signing.
Peter Lumpkins and Jerry Vines will be present for a Book Signing Monday, June 22, 2009 from 11 am - 12 noon. The Book Signing will take place in the LifeWay Bookstore part of the SBC Display area.
The book is Alcohol Today: Abstinence in an Age of Indulgence, Hannibal Books, 2009; $14.95. It is written by Peter Lumpkins; the Foreword is written by Jerry Vines. Lord willing, I will be at this Book Signing; hope you will be too. Alcohol Today should also be available for sale at the SBC LifeWay Bookstore throughout the convention.
This book represents one of the most needed messages for our SBC today. Buy it for yourself; buy it for your pastor, youth minister, teenagers.
Alcohol Today can be purchased directly from Peter Lumpkins at alcoholtoday.org or hannibalbooks.com (800/747-0738), amazon.com, or ordered from a bookstore near you. You might want to ask your local Christian bookstore to keep it in stock and buy it through them.
Note: I’ve been asked if non-pastors can attend the SBC Pastor’s Conference. The answer is yes. Anyone is welcome to attend this time of inspiration, great preaching and singing.
-David R. Brumbelow, Gulf Coast Pastor, June 15, AD 2009.
Related Articles:
Book Review of "Alcohol Today" by R. L. Sumner
Other articles at Gulf Coast Pastor Articles (Labels) under "alcohol" at lower right hand margin.
“But this very debate is bubbling to the surface now in our day when the culture around us more and more invades the church instead of the church being the salt and light we are called to be.
“This volume will be a valued resource to those who hold to abstinence, a way to engage the debate for those who do not, and a vital encouragement to young Christians who are seeking to make their own way through this debate. Read it and reap.”
-O. S. Hawkins, president, GuideStone Financial Resources, SBC. Endorsement of the book, Alcohol Today.
Book Signing with Peter Lumpkins & Jerry VinesI’ll say more about Alcohol Today later. Just wanted to remind anyone going to the Pastor’s Conference and Southern Baptist Convention in Louisville, Kentucky about an important book signing.
Peter Lumpkins and Jerry Vines will be present for a Book Signing Monday, June 22, 2009 from 11 am - 12 noon. The Book Signing will take place in the LifeWay Bookstore part of the SBC Display area.
The book is Alcohol Today: Abstinence in an Age of Indulgence, Hannibal Books, 2009; $14.95. It is written by Peter Lumpkins; the Foreword is written by Jerry Vines. Lord willing, I will be at this Book Signing; hope you will be too. Alcohol Today should also be available for sale at the SBC LifeWay Bookstore throughout the convention.
This book represents one of the most needed messages for our SBC today. Buy it for yourself; buy it for your pastor, youth minister, teenagers.
Alcohol Today can be purchased directly from Peter Lumpkins at alcoholtoday.org or hannibalbooks.com (800/747-0738), amazon.com, or ordered from a bookstore near you. You might want to ask your local Christian bookstore to keep it in stock and buy it through them.
Note: I’ve been asked if non-pastors can attend the SBC Pastor’s Conference. The answer is yes. Anyone is welcome to attend this time of inspiration, great preaching and singing.
-David R. Brumbelow, Gulf Coast Pastor, June 15, AD 2009.
Related Articles:
Book Review of "Alcohol Today" by R. L. Sumner
Other articles at Gulf Coast Pastor Articles (Labels) under "alcohol" at lower right hand margin.
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