1 Timothy 3:8

The prohibition against indulging “in much wine” forbids the love of alcohol. The requirements resemble the demand of 3:3 for the overseer. Total abstinence today from alcohol would guard the deacon from the clutches of intoxicants. It would provide a credible witness to a society that needs help in combating alcoholism.

Thomas D. Lea and Hayne P. Griffin, 1, 2 Timothy, Titus, vol. 34, The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1992), 116.

1 Timothy 5:23

5:23 One of the problems of the false teachers involved the practice of asceticism concerning foods (4:3). Perhaps Timothy had been influenced by this practice, and Paul now advised him about it. Paul gave fatherly directives to Timothy in urging him to take some wine to help his digestion. Contaminated water may have aggravated Timothy’s problems, and both Jews and Greeks had used wine for medicinal purposes. Paul did not intend to lead Timothy into slavery to alcohol. His advice resembles the directive, “Take a tonic for your stomach.”

Thomas D. Lea and Hayne P. Griffin, 1, 2 Timothy, Titus, vol. 34, The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1992), 158.

Numbers 28:3–8

28:3–8 Each morning after daybreak and each evening before sunset, a one-year-old lamb was prepared and sacrificed along with one-tenth ephah (about two liters) of finely ground flour and one-fourth hin (about one liter) of olive oil. This offering was one of those originally decreed on Mount Sinai (Exod 20:24; 29:38–43) for the purpose of consecration of the Tent of Meeting and the community that met God there. The more detailed cereal offerings of Num 15:1–21, which have the future life in the land in view, are presumed in this section. The addition of one-fourth hin of strong drink (šēkār, “beer, strong fermented or distilled drink,” or more specifically yayin, “wine” in Exod 29:40) completes the collection of agricultural products that combined to produce a savory smell when consumed by fire. Šēkār derives from the Akkadian šikāru, the common word in Mesopotamia for prominent barley beer. Recently, however, Stager has suggested that šēkār may have actually been a kind of brewed and distilled grape beverage made from a variety of vineyard products.24 Wine and other fermented liquids were considered special gifts from God (or the gods) in the ancient Near East and thus were to be reciprocated in kind as part of the array of sacrifices.25

R. Dennis Cole, Numbers, vol. 3B, The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2000), 473.

Luke 23:36

They offered him wine vinegar. This act is mentioned in all four Gospels (Mark 15:36; Matt 27:48; John 19:29–30). “Wine vinegar” was the ordinary wine drunk by soldiers.

Robert H. Stein, Luke, vol. 24, The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1992), 590.

Matthew 9:16–17

 Nor can wine that has not yet fermented—bubbling, expanding, and emitting gas—be put into old, brittle containers, or they will explode. One needs new containers that are more flexible.

Craig Blomberg, Matthew, vol. 22, The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1992), 158–159.

Numbers 6:3–8

The vineyard and its produce thus can have an antithetical usage in the Bible. On one hand vineyards are evidence of Yahweh’s great blessing upon the land (Isa 5:1–2, 7a; Jer 2:21). A large cluster of grapes was brought back by the team of spies who explored the land of Canaan prior to Israel’s rejection of the land (Num 13:23–24). Wine is combined with various elements in the sacrificial system for worshiping God and making atonement (Num 15:5, 7, 10; 28:7–10, 14). Israelites living far from Jerusalem were even encouraged to purchase wine and strong drink along with sheep and cattle with money from their tithes, and then they would eat and drink these in the presence of the Lord with rejoicing (Deut 14:24–27). However, excessive consumption is condemned categorically (Prov 20:1; 23:30–31; 31:4; Isa 28:7).130 In the New Testament limitations regarding wine consumption are listed among the requirements for overseers and deacons, and drunkenness is the antithesis to being filled with the Spirit (Eph 5:18; 1 Cor 6:10).

R. Dennis Cole, Numbers, vol. 3B, The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2000), 122–123.

Titus 2:3

3 Likewise, teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live, not to be slanderers or addicted to much wine, but to teach what is good.

The older women must not be “addicted to much wine.” Paul’s inclusion of this item suggests that alcohol may have been an especially troubling problem among Cretan women.

Thomas D. Lea and Hayne P. Griffin, 1, 2 Timothy, Titus, vol. 34, The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1992), 298.

Matthew 26:26–30

“Fruit of the vine” (v. 29) was a stock phrase used in thanksgiving prayers for the wine (m. Ber. 6:1) and therefore does not refer to unfermented beverage, “though it was customary to cut the wine with a double or triple quantity of water.”20

Craig Blomberg, Matthew, vol. 22, The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1992), 391.

Titus 1:7

Paul disqualified a drunkard from serving as an elder. The elder must “not be given to much wine” (author’s translation). Even in light of Paul’s other comments regarding the abuse of wine, one cannot be dogmatic that he requires total abstinence in the elder.24 However, considering the addictive qualities of alcohol, any Christian (whether an elder or not) should seriously consider Paul’s statements concerning the responsibilities of the “strong” to the “weak.”25 Remaining blameless in any situation that gives offense should be the governing rule with regard to any questionable practices allowed by Scripture yet not encouraged by Scripture.

Thomas D. Lea and Hayne P. Griffin, 1, 2 Timothy, Titus, vol. 34, The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1992), 283–284.

Charles Seets thinks he is cleverer than John Calvin

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DRINKING: MODERATION OR ABSTINENCE?

Institutes of the Christian Religion, 3.19.9

Paul makes an admirable distinction concerning things indifferent: “Unto the pure all things are pure: but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure, but even their mind and conscience are defiled,” (Tit. 1:15.) For why is a woe pronounced upon the rich who have received their consolation? (Luke 6:24,) who are full, who laugh now, who “lie upon beds of ivory, and stretch themselves upon their couches;” “join house to house,” and “lay field to field;” “and the harp and the viol, the tabret and pipe, and wine, are in their feasts,” (Amos 6:6; Is. 5:8, 10.) Certainly, ivory and gold, and riches, are the good creatures of God, permitted, nay destined, by divine providence for the use of man; nor was it ever forbidden to laugh, or to be full, or to add new to old and hereditary possessions, or to be delighted with music, or to drink wine. This is true, but when the means are supplied, to roll and wallow in luxury, to intoxicate the mind and soul with present and be always hunting after new pleasures, is very far from a legitimate use of the gifts of God. Let them, therefore, suppress immoderate desire, immoderate profusion, vanity, and arrogance, that they may use the gifts of God purely with a pure conscience. When their mind is brought to this state of soberness, they will be able to regulate the legitimate use. On the other hand, when this moderation is wanting, even plebeian and ordinary delicacies are excessive. For it is a true saying, that a haughty mind often dwells in a coarse and homely garb, while true humility lurks under fine linen and purple. Let every one then live in his own station, poorly or moderately, or in splendor; but let all remember that the nourishment which God gives is for life, not luxury, and let them regard it as the law of Christian liberty, to learn with Paul in whatever state they are, “therewith to be content,” to know “both how to be abased,” and “how to abound,” “to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need,” (Phil. 4:11.)

John Calvin and Henry Beveridge, Institutes of the Christian Religion, vol. 2 (Edinburgh: The Calvin Translation Society, 1845), 436–437.

Let us look at another interpretation:

9. Against the abuse of Christian freedom for gluttony and luxury!

Paul’s statement best distinguishes among things indifferent: “To the clean all things are clean, but to the corrupt and unbelieving nothing is clean, since their minds and consciences are corrupted” [Titus 1:15, cf. Vg.]. For why are the rich cursed, who have their consolation, who are full, who laugh now [Luke 6:24–25], who sleep on ivory couches [Amos 6:4], “who join field to field” [Isa. 5:8], whose feasts have a harp, lyre, timbrel, and wine [Isa. 5:12]? Surely ivory and gold and riches are good creations of God, permitted, indeed appointed, for men’s use by God’s providence. And we have never been forbidden to laugh, or to be filled, or to join new possessions to old or ancestral ones, or to delight in musical harmony, or to drink wine. True indeed. But where there is plenty, to wallow in delights, to gorge oneself, to intoxicate mind and heart with present pleasures and be always panting after new ones—such are very far removed from a lawful use of God’s gifts.

Away, then, with uncontrolled desire, away with immoderate prodigality, away with vanity and arrogance—so that men may with a clean conscience cleanly use God’s gifts. Where the heart is tempered to this soberness they will have a rule for the lawful use of such blessings. But should this moderation be lacking, even base and common pleasures are too much. It is a true saying that under coarse and rude attire there often dwells a heart of purple, while sometimes under silk and purple is hiding a simple humility. Thus let every man live in his station, whether slenderly, or moderately, or plentifully, so that all may remember God nourishes them to live, not to luxuriate. And let them regard this as the law of Christian freedom; to have learned with Paul, in whatever state they are, to be content; to know how to be humble and exalted; to have been taught, in any and all circumstances, to be filled and to hunger, to abound and to suffer want [Phil. 4:11–12].

John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion & 2, ed. John T. McNeill, trans. Ford Lewis Battles, vol. 1, The Library of Christian Classics (Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2011), 840–842.

To the corrupt and unbelieving nothing is clean! No wine is good! John Calvin is against the abuse of Christian freedom for gluttony and luxury! He is not saying we should entirely refrain from wine.

Institutes of the Christian Religion, 3.19.8

8. Freedom in the use of God’s gifts for his purposes*

“I know,” says Paul, “that nothing is common” (taking “common” in the sense of “profane”), “but it is common for anyone who thinks it common” [Rom. 14:14 p.]. With these words Paul subjects all outward things to our freedom,11 provided our minds are assured that the basis for such freedom stands before God. But if any superstitious opinion poses a stumbling block for us, things of their own nature pure are for us corrupt. For this reason, he adds: “Happy is he who does not judge himself in what he approves. But he who judges, if he eats, is condemned, because he does not eat of faith. For whatever is not of faith is sin” [Rom. 14:22–23 p.].

Amidst such perplexities, do not those who show themselves rather bold by daring all things confidently, nonetheless to this extent turn away from God? But they who are deeply moved in any fear of God, when they are compelled to commit many things against their conscience, are overwhelmed and fall down with fright. All such persons receive none of God’s gifts with thanksgiving, yet Paul testifies that by this alone all things are sanctified for our use [1 Tim. 4:4–5]. Now I mean that thanksgiving which proceeds from a mind that recognizes in his gifts the kindness and goodness of God. For many of them, indeed, understand them as good things of God which they use, and praise God in his works; but inasmuch as they have not been persuaded that these good things have been given to them, how can they thank God as the giver?

To sum up, we see whither this freedom tends: namely, that we should use God’s gifts for the purpose for which he gave them to us, with no scruple of conscience, no trouble of mind. With such confidence our minds will be at peace with him, and will recognize his liberality toward us. cFor here are included all ceremonies whose observance is optional, that our consciences may not be constrained by any necessity to observe them but may remember that by God’s beneficence their use is for edification made subject to him.

John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion & 2, ed. John T. McNeill, trans. Ford Lewis Battles, vol. 1, The Library of Christian Classics (Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2011), 839–840.