Introduction

The Bible teaches us abstinence from all intoxicating drinks, such as alcoholic wine. God’s wisdom clearly warns us to keep away not only from drunkenness but also from drunkards, places of drinking and from the strong drink itself.

It is very startling to note that a growing number of Christians have either ignored or twisted the Scripture to make their sin of drinking alcoholic beverages appear acceptable. There are Bible teachers who not only say that the Bible does not prohibit drinking alcoholic wine but also join others to drink such. Now and then, we also hear of Christians who make big money by selling alcoholic beverages in their shops and restaurants.

Let us examine the Scripture in order to know the divine counsel concerning the drinking of alcoholic wine and/or other alcoholic beverages.

It Will Lead to Deception and Folly

• Proverbs 20:1 sounds an alarm to all those who love wine, “Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging: and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise.” Wine and strong drinks (or beer) are personified in this verse as the degraded people of Proverbs, namely a mocker and a brawler. The idea is that wine mocks the one who drinks it and strong drink (or beer) makes him aggressive. The warning here is that intoxicating drinks can lead people astray, causing them to do foolish things.

It Will Lead to Poverty

• It is warned: “Be not among winebibbers; among riotous eaters of flesh: For the drunkard and the glutton shall come to poverty: and drowsiness shall clothe a man with rags” (Proverbs 23:20-21). One way to avoid being deceived is to avoid drunkenness and gluttony. Proverbs 23:2 says it in a very dramatic fashion – “And put a knife to thy throat, if thou be a man given to appetite.” These two sins cause drowsiness, which results in laziness and poverty. Proverbs 23:21 confirms this warning - “For the drunkard and the glutton shall come to poverty: and drowsiness shall clothe a man with rags.”

It Will Lead to Sensual Living

• Drinking alcoholic beverages will lead one to commit serious sensual sins. “Who hath woe? who hath sorrow? who hath contentions? who hath babbling? who hath wounds without cause? who hath redness of eyes? They that tarry long at the wine; they that go to seek mixed wine. Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth his colour in the cup, when it moveth itself aright. At the last it biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like an adder. Thine eyes shall behold strange women, and thine heart shall utter perverse things. Yea, thou shalt be as he that lieth down in the midst of the sea, or as he that lieth upon the top of a mast. They have stricken me, shalt thou say, and I was not sick; they have beaten me, and I felt it not: when shall I awake? I will seek it yet  again” (Proverbs 23:29-35).

(The rest of the article will be published next week.)