Christ Drank Wine

Now I do not care how you want to waffle on this one.  It is very, very plain in the Bible that Jesus Christ, yes THE Jesus Christ, drank wine.  And by wine I mean that “fruit of the vine” that has been fermented.  Not grape juice and not denatured, pure and simple, it was WINE.  Need some examples:

• In John 2:10-11 when Christ turned water into wine, they speak of it being fine wine.  Better than what was previously served.  Not grape juice, wine.
• Luke 7:33-34 Christ alludes to himself rhetorically, saying that others could call him a drunkard because he drank wine.  Now does that sound like he was drinking grape juice to you?
• Acts 2:15 when defending the apostles against accusations of drunkenness, once again I do not think they were referring to grape juice.
• Mark 14:23 most notably we have Christ sharing the Passover cup.
• I could include more, but you should be getting the picture by now.  Christ drank wine.  And he did so often.

Now there are many passages in the bible against drunkenness.  In fact in Luke 12:45 Christ admonishes against it.

Why is that important?  Simple.  I have attended churches that do not believe in the use of alcohol.  I know of many other churches who share in that belief.  These churches twist and turn in their logic, their statements, and their rhetoric when they get to any passages that refer to the very word WINE.  It is almost as if the very word is evil.

I have heard all kinds of reasoning.  The most often one I have heard is that when they refer to wine in the Bible they are referring to grape juice and not fermented wine.  Balderdash.  People in that period were not stupid.  They knew what was grape juice and what was wine.  They called it wine.  It was wine.  Admittedly, it was common practice to water-down wine to reduce the potency of the alcoholic content.  It reduced the power of the alcohol but did not eliminate it.

I have gone to churches that try to avoid the issue altogether.  They just never address the issue and skip those passages as much as possible.  This works until they refer to communion.  Then they use euphemisms like “cup” and give communion with unleavened bread and grape juice.  Bottom line, it was wine.  If you believe in perpetuating the communion from Christ, he used bread and wine.

It is all right to acknowledge that you do not agree with the use of alcohol.  I get it.  I can even understand it.  Just do not pretend it does not exist or try to rewrite the Bible to comply with your particular beliefs.  After all:

IT’S IN THE BIBLE.