See WINE in ISBE
Throughout the Old Testament, wine is regarded as a necessity of life and in no way as a mere luxury. It was a necessary part of even the simplest meal (Gen. 14:18; Judges 19:19; 1Sam. 16:20; Isa. 55:1, etc.), was an indispensable provision for a fortress (2Chr. 11:11), and was drunk by all classes and all ages, even by the very young (Lam. 2:12; Zech. _9:17). “Wine” is bracketed with “grain” as a basic staple (Gen. 27:28, etc.), and the failure of the wine crop or its destruction by foreigners was a terrible calamity (Deut. 28:30, Deut. 28:39; Isa. 62:8; Isa. 65:21; Mic. 6:15; Zeph. 1:13, etc.). On the other hand, abundance of wine was a special token of God's blessing (Gen. 27:28; Deut. 7:13; Amos 9:14, etc.), and extraordinary abundance would be a token of the Messianic age (Amos 9:13; Joel 3:18; Zech. 9:17). A moderate “gladdening of the heart” through wine was not looked upon as at all reprehensible (2Sam. 13:28; Est. 1:10; Psa. 104:15; Eccl. 9:7; Eccl. 10:19; Zech. 9:15; Zech. 10:7), and while Judges 9:13 represented a mere verbal remnant of a long-obsolete concept, yet the idea contained in the verse was not thought shocking. “Drink offerings,” indeed, were of course a part of the prescribed ritual (Lev. 23:13, etc.; see SACRIFICE), and a store of wine was kept in the temple (tabernacle) to insure their performance (1Chr. 9:29).
There have been and there are godly men on both sides of this question.
The following have all given their approval to the restrained use of intoxicating beverages:
Basil the Great (d. 379) see this Wikipedia article for a fuller treatment of this subject. It is fair and accurate.
Martin Luther: particularly fond of home-brewed beer. The two following quotes are from the linked web site.
"I opposed indulgences and all the papists, but never with force. I simply taught, preached and wrote God's Word; otherwise I did nothing. And while I slept [cf. Mark 4:26-29], or drank Wittenberg beer with my friends Philip and Amsdorf, the Word so greatly weakened the papacy that no prince or emperor ever inflicted such losses upon it."
Above all, Luther was a champion of moderation. In his Sermon on Soberness and Moderation, delivered on May 18, 1539, he noted:
"It is possible to tolerate a little elevation, when a man takes a drink or two too much after working hard and when he is feeling low. This must be called a frolic. But to sit day and night, pouring it in and pouring it out again, is piggish... all food is a matter of freedom, even a modest drink for one's pleasure. If you do not wish to conduct yourself this way, if you are going to go beyond this and be a born pig and guzzle beer and wine, then, if this cannot be stopped by the rulers, you must know that you cannot be saved. For God will not admit such piggish drinkers into the kingdom of heaven [cf. Gal. 5:19-21]... If you are tired and downhearted, take a drink; but this does not mean being a pig and doing nothing but gorging and swilling... You should be moderate and sober; this means that we should not be drunken, though we may be exhilarated."
John Calvin liked to spend private moments on Lake Geneva while reading scripture along with drinking red wine.
He says in a sermon on Deuteronomy 14:26, (And you shall bestow that money for whatsoever your soul lusts after, for oxen, or for sheep, or for wine, or for strong drink, or for whatsoever your soul desires: and you shall eat there before the Lord your God, and you shall rejoice, and your household.): “When we drink wine or strong drink, we drink in the audience of the heavenly Vintner who expects us to enjoy his gifts.”
Puritans, Pilgrims, and Evangelists"
(From Wikipedia) As the Pilgrims set out for America, they brought a considerable amount of alcohol with them for the voyage (more than 28,617 liters = 7,560 gallons),[115] and once settled, they served alcohol at "virtually all functions, including ordinations, funerals, and regular Sabbath meals."[116] M. E. Lender summarizes the "colonists had assimilated alcohol use, based on Old World patterns, into their community lifestyles" and that "[l]ocal brewing began almost as soon as the colonists were safely ashore."[117] Increase Mather, a prominent colonial clergyman and president of Harvard, expressed the common view in a sermon against drunkenness: "Drink is in itself a good creature of God, and to be received with thankfulness, but the abuse of drink is from Satan; the wine is from God, but the drunkard is from the Devil."[118] This Old World attitude is likewise found among the early Methodists (John and Charles Wesley, George Whitefield, Adam Clarke,[119] Thomas Coke and Francis Asbury) and Baptists (John Gill and John Bunyan).
John Wesley
Wine...is one of the noblest cordials in nature.
He deplored distilled liquors, however, for general consumption.
God
Eccl. 9:7;
Eccl. 10:19
Jesus
Luke 7:34 Jesus was not known as a teetotaler. He apparently was open about drinking wine. He imbibed enough that his enemies called him a drunkard, even though he was abstemious in both eating and drinking.
The early followers of the risen Christ: Acts 2:13-15 – If Peter had been an American fundamentalist, he would have answered, “Are you kidding? We don’t even drink!” Instead, he answers that it was really too early to be bombed.
Church leaders:1Tim. 3:3; 1Tim 3:8; 1Tim 5:23; Titus 1:7; Titus2:3
1Peter 4:3 - no condemnation of drinking, but of excess
Rev. 6:6
Paul: 1Cor. 11:21-22 Note: Paul condemns the Corinthians for being drunk at their love feasts in which they observed the Lord’s Table. He does not condemn their drinking, but tells them to do it at home. Also note that wine here has to be more than diluted with water stuff, or they would have had exploding bladders.
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How shall we then live?
Eph. 5:18 — We are not to be drunk with wine but we are to be filled with the Spirit. This is a two-sided command. To obey the one without obeying the other is still disobedience and sin. If we are filled with the Spirit (which will be obvious by demonstration of the behaviors in verses 19-21) we will not fulfill the lusts of the flesh and the drinking of alcoholic beverage will not lead to over-indulgence. One aspect of the fruit of the Spirit is self-control (NASB) or temperance (KJV).
Col. 3:1-4 Our goal in life is to be preparing for our entrance into eternal life. Anything that impedes or impairs our journey there must be jettisoned. Anything that impedes or impairs another’s journey there must be jettisoned.
Rom_14:1-5; Rom_14:7; Rom_14:12-14; Rom_14:15-23
These verses specifically allow the drinking of wine … IF.
If you believe drinking alcoholic beverages is wrong, do not do it. It is sin for you.
If you believe drinking alcoholic beverages may be wrong, do not do it. It is sin for you.
If you believe drinking alcoholic beverages is or may be wrong, keep your views to yourself. It is not your business to judge others who believe contrary to you in this matter.
If you believe drinking alcohol is permissible, do not do it if it will cause another to sin or in any other way hurt them.
If you drink or if you abstain, do it unto the Lord and with his glory in mind.
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