"Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!" Isaiah 5:20

The word 'alcohol' was originally used in the 15th century to describe a fine metallic powder made from ore, but soon after, it was also used to describe particular liquids that would easily evaporate. By the 18th century, 'alcohol' was commonly used to refer to the "intoxicating ingredient in strong liquor," which is found in various beverages, such as wine (i.e. the fermented juice of grapes), beer, brandy, and other spirits.
(See 'alcohol', Etymology Online Dictionary, retrieved Sept 27, 2024, [https://www.etymonline.com/search?q=alcohol])

alcohol (n): pure or highly rectified spirit, obtained from formented liquors by distillation
(See 'drunkenness', American Dictionary of the English Language, Noah Webster, 1828, retrieved Sept 27, 2024, [webstersdictionary1828.com])

There are three general views of Scripture I have seen in my lifetime:

All forms of alcohol are acceptable. Some forms of alcohol are acceptable under careful moderation. No forms of alcohol are acceptable.

They all cannot be right at the same time.

Which one is correct?
Early in my life, I thought all forms of alcohol were acceptable, but I chose not to partake in them because, first of all, for the few times in my life I tried it, I did not like it, and secondly, although I have never been drunk, I have never liked the thought of impairing my mental faculties. After I was saved, I was taught by some preachers that no forms of alcohol were acceptable, and so I then taught that doctrine for a few years early on in my ministry. However, as I have had time to more thoroughly study the Scriptures, I have come to the conclusion (and will present a Biblical argument in this teaching) that some forms of alcohol are acceptable to drink, but only under careful moderation, as drunkenness is strictly condemned under both the Old and New Covenants.

And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting [gluttony, or over-eating], and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares.
-Luke 21:34

drunkenness (n): intoxication; inebriation; a state in which a person is overwhelmed or overpowered with spirituous liquors, so that his reason is disordered, and he reels or staggers in walking
(See 'drunkenness', American Dictionary of the English Language, Noah Webster, 1828, retrieved Sept 27, 2024, [webstersdictionary1828.com])

Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying.
-Romans 13:13

Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
-Galatians 5:19-21

In this article, I will be arguing that, although it is lawful for us to drink low alcohol content beverages, it is not necessarily expedient, or in other words, it is not good for the purpose at hand in many instances. One of the major reasons for this is because no one can draw a conclusive line between drunken and sober for every body weight and alcohol percentage across the world, and so Christians can set a better example by taking in little or no alcohol.

All things are lawful for me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but all things edify not.
-1 Corinthians 10:23

Just because we CAN do something, does not mean we SHOULD do something. To help demonstrate this point, let's go back to when God first gave the commandment about not drinking wine in Leviticus 10:9, but we will start at the beginning of the chapter to gain a full understanding of the context to help us interpret the verses properly.

And Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took either of them his censer, and put fire therein, and put incense thereon, and offered strange fire before the LORD, which he commanded them not.
-Leviticus 10:1

Nadab and Abihu were the sons of Aaron and Elisheba (Exd 6:23), and they were priests of the Levitical line who were keepers of the tabernacle and the Ark of the Covenant. In the previous chapter, the Lord consumed Aaron's burnt offering with fire from heaven (Lev 9:24), and it was that fire that was to be put upon the golden altar of incense, but instead, Aaron's sons put ordinary fire on the altar, in opposition to God's commandments, according to their own will, which presumably was taken from the wood or coal fires used for pots or cauldrons.

And there went out fire from the LORD, and devoured them, and they died before the LORD.
-Leviticus 10:2

The term 'devour' is not used here in the sense of complete destruction because neither bodies or clothes were consumed in flame (as indicated in verses five and six), but rather, it is used in the sense that it annihilated their lives. The word 'fire' may have been used in the same sense as lightning, or at least, may have had similar qualities to it, since lightning often kills those it strikes, while leaving their bodies and clothes unburned, but may have been a special fire that consumed their souls instead of their flesh.

Then Moses said unto Aaron, This is it that the LORD spake, saying, I will be sanctified in them that come nigh me, and before all the people I will be glorified. And Aaron held his peace.
-Leviticus 10:3

Aaron would have been shocked to see that the Lord had struck his sons dead, and to pacify him in his shock and grief, he reminded him that this was according to the will of God for the good of the people. God commanded the priests that they were to be sanctified clean before they came before Him (Exd 19:22), in the presence of the Holy Ghost which rested on the Ark of the Covenant, and Aaron's sons carelessly ignored God's commandment.

And Moses called Mishael and Elzaphan, the sons of Uzziel the uncle of Aaron, and said unto them, Come near, carry your brethren from before the sanctuary out of the camp. So they went near, and carried them in their coats out of the camp; as Moses had said.
-Leviticus 10:4-5

Mishael and Elzaphan were the first cousins of Aaron (Exd 6:18), being the sons of Uzziel, the brother of Aaron's father, and they carried the bodies of their brethren, as was custom among the Hebrews, to have family care for the bodies of their dead. Not only would it have been difficult for Aaron to do this in his state of grief, but touching the bodies would have made him unclean for a time, and they were at the tail end of a week-long ceremony that had to be finished.

And Moses said unto Aaron, and unto Eleazar and unto Ithamar, his sons, Uncover not your heads, neither rend your clothes; lest ye die, and lest wrath come upon all the people: but let your brethren, the whole house of Israel, bewail the burning which the LORD hath kindled. And ye shall not go out from the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, lest ye die: for the anointing oil of the LORD is upon you. And they did according to the word of Moses.
-Leviticus 10:6-7

Eleazar and Ithamar were Aaron's two younger sons, who I am sure learned a valuable lesson from the foolish actions of their elder brothers, and they were commanded not to uncover their heads, which is not meant in the sense of religious custom, but rather, it was a custom of mourning. God is not telling them not to mourn, but rather, not to do any custom of mourning, like to rend their clothes, because they were found guilty and judged in their sins, and thus, while the priests were clean and performing their duties before the Lord, they could not, and should not, mourn the righteous judgment of God and set a bad example for the people, but instead, they should "bewail the burning which the LORD hath kindled," or in other words, they should mourn the actions which led to the execution of the two priests.

And the LORD spake unto Aaron, saying, Do not drink wine nor strong drink, thou, nor thy sons with thee, when ye go into the tabernacle of the congregation, lest ye die: it shall be a statute for ever throughout your generations: And that ye may put difference between holy and unholy, and between unclean and clean; And that ye may teach the children of Israel all the statutes which the LORD hath spoken unto them by the hand of Moses.
-Leviticus 10:8-11

This commandment was given specifically to the keepers of the Temple (or the tent at that time) under the Old Covenant, not as a general commandment (because they used wine by pouring it on the sacrifices, Num 15:1-10), nor a prohibition from the priests to drink wine, but not to drink it in "the tabernacle," which was the sanctified area that kept the Ark of the Covenant. After this point, God continues to list out many things that they were not to do, but the first thing He told them was not to "drink wine nor strong drink," which indicates that the reason Nadab and Abihu had done something so foolish (which made no sense for them to do) was because they were drunk, lavishly consuming alcohol without moderation during a ritual that was to be handled with the utmost strictness in honor of the Lord, and they did not take their job seriously, which also means they dishonored and rebelled against their Creator and Savior, so God made an example out of them and set this law for the priests.

We can verify that this commandment was only for the priests when they entered the tabernacle because it is repeated in Ezekiel:

Neither shall any priest drink wine,
when they enter into the inner court.
-Ezekiel 44:21

Again, the Jews were not commanded to not drink wine or strong drink, but rather, they were commanded not to be drunken, nor were the priests to consume any alcholic beverage when entering into the tabernacle. This turned out to be a consistent problem throughout many generations:

But they also have erred through wine, and through strong drink are out of the way; the priest and the prophet have erred through strong drink, they are swallowed up of wine, they are out of the way through strong drink; they err in vision, they stumble in judgment.
-Isaiah 28:7

God warned us of the problems that drinking alcohol can cause:

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.
-Proverbs 23:29-30

Those who "tarry long" at the wine are those who go to it frequently, drinking throughout the day and night (Isa 5:11-12), and seek out "mixed wine," which is not wine mixed with water (as Paul mentioned in 1Ti 5:23, which we will cover later), but rather, alcohol mixed with other alcohol, or mixed with spices and flavoring, which is typically served at bars and clubs. (e.g. daiquiri, margarita, piña colada, mimosa, sangria, etc.) Those who go looking for these things, or drink frequently, end up with a lot of problems:

Who hath woe?

Or in other words, who is miserable? Misery, grief, and great misfortune follow those who go to alcohol to drink away their problems, especially when we consider that fornication and other whoredoms are a common result of drunkenness, which can lead to disease, children out of wedlock, or rape allegations, all of which can ruin lives by one night of stupid decisions while impaired.

Who hath sorrow?

Or rather, the effects of alcohol will make them "sorry" that they drank as they are leaning over a toilet or sink vomiting the next morning. They have agnozing "hangover" headaches, worrying about what they might have done while their memory lapsed, perhaps waking up in the bed of a stranger.

The LORD hath mingled a perverse spirit in the midst thereof: and they have caused Egypt to err in every work thereof, as a drunken man staggereth in his vomit.
-Isaiah 19:14

Who hath contentions?

While impaired, many things are done that lead to contentions, whether it is cheating on one's spouse, traffic accidents which can lead to injury and death, destroying the private property of a neighbor or business, or assaulting someone on the street, which leads to fights and lawsuits that can have major, life-altering consequences.

Who hath babbling?

This is something that drunkards are well-known for doing, making foolish statements with slurred or incomprehensible speech, loud mocking and scoffing, especially at those who are doing solemn work, such as the preachers of the Gospel, having many words to say about it while in a drunken stupor, even though they never study or talk about the subject while sober.

Who hath wounds without cause?

Meaning that the drunkards have no cause for doing the things they do, but sustain wounds as a result of their words and actions. This not only refer to their impaired motor functions, causing them to stumble and injure themselves do to their own clumsiness, but also to their words and actions against others, falling onto other people, or issuing fighting words, all of which leave them bruised and scarred.

They reel to and fro, and stagger like a drunken man, and are at their wits' end.
-Psalm 107:27

Who redness of eyes?

Alcohol inflames the eyes and causes soreness, and resulting in redness both in the eyes and around them. This also impairs their vision, which leads to many of the above problems.

Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth his colour in the cup, when it moveth itself aright.
-Proverbs 23:31

Many years ago, I had taught that this was referring to the fermintation process, which is something I learned from a teacher years beforehand, and that is not the context here at all. The context here are drunkards, not those who brew alcoholic drinks, and thus, the wine that "is red" and "giveth his colour" is wine that is, according to those who drink it, the best of wines, shining bright and sparkling in the glass, when it is most tempting, because those who lust after the cup, when the wine "moveth itself aright" (i.e. when the liquid sets itself aright in the cup, or moves smoothly from the cup to the mouth), those who lust after the glass of wine or mug of beer do so in the same way a man might lust after a woman (Mat 5:28), with eyes of greed, thinking only of the pleasure they might get from her, and likewise, the drunkards are just as guilty for giving into the lust of the flesh in a similar manner.

To some, it seems to be insanity that would cause a man to go back to alcohol after he has experienced such hardships by drinking it, and yet, those who are given over to their lust for drink will do it anyway:

At the last it [wine] 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 23:32-35

Although the wine initially goes down with a sweet flavor, it has a vile aftertaste that stings, and when much is drunk, it results in nausea, vomiting, headaches, etc, causing damage similar to that of poison. Those who give themselves over to alcohol look in lust at strange women (which is not limited to men, but aimed towards men because it is unbecoming of women to be drunk at all), whether leering at whores or the wives of other men, and speak things that are vile, improper, and void of reason and truth.

It is not that drunk men go out into the middle of the ocean to lie down, nor that they would lie down at the top of a mast, because these are places they likely could not reach in their drunken state. This is meant in the sense of how a ship sways back and forth as it lies on the ocean surface, rocking back and forth because of the ways, and so drunks are the same, moreso the more they consume, to the point they would sway so much, it would be like lying "upon the top of a mast," which is where the sway of a ship is most intense.

The drunken man is beaten by others, whether strangers or companions in quarrel, and although being beaten can make one sick, as one might be ill after being hit in the stomach, or dizzy from being struck on the skull, this may also mean 'sick' as in "grief," as one would feel after being beaten by others. (Jer 5:3) Either way, he did not feel the pain of the beating, and so when he goes to lie down, his lust for drink is so great, he sleeps only with the desire to awake again so he can go to the bottle once more, that he would not feel the painful consequences of his previous nights of drinking.

The Lord took this so seriously, He told us that drunks will not inherit the Kingdom of God:

Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
-Galatians 5:19-21

Drunkenness is listed next to things like adultery, heresy, and witchcraft, which are all things that God hates. This leaves us with two important questions:

Where is the line between drunk and sober? Why did God include drunkenness as such a serious sin?

Earlier, we read from Leviticus 10, in which God commanded Aaron and all keepers of the tabernacle that they were not to "drink wine nor strong drink," and that they were make it a statute, or law, "throughout your generations," and then He explains the reasons for it:

Do not drink wine nor strong drink, thou, nor thy sons with thee, when ye go into the tabernacle of the congregation, lest ye die: it shall be a statute for ever throughout your generations: And that ye may put difference between holy and unholy, and between unclean and clean;
-Leviticus 10:9-10

The only way to tell the difference between someone who is drunk and someone who is sober is to look at a drunk person versus a sober person. Although the word 'sobriety' has many uses, in this context, it means to be of clear mind without any substance that would intoxicate the flesh to disrupt the mind:

sober (adj): temperate in the use of spiritous liquors; habitually temperate; not intoxicated or overpowered by spiritous liquors; not drunken; regular; calm; not under the influence of passion
(See 'sober', American Dictionary of the English Language, Noah Webster, 1828, retrieved Oct 2, 2024, [webstersdictionary1828.com])

When a person's mind, which is the commander of the body, is impaired from its regular thoughts and functions, the flesh takes over control of the body, and operates only on impulse rather than reason. In Scripture, the flesh is correlated with sin because the flesh serves the law of sin:

I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.
-Romans 7:25

The mind is what uses reason to stay our hand and our mouth from sin, but the flesh has no boundaries or limitations to its depravity. In other words, the mind restrains the flesh from uninhibited fulfillment of lust, and so to remove the reason of mind also removes the ability to turn from sin.

Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.
-Isaiah 1:18

reason (n): that which is thought or which is alleged in words, as the ground or cause of opinion, conclusion or determination; the cause, ground, principle or motive of any thing said or done; that which supports or justifies a determination, plan or measure
(See 'sober', American Dictionary of the English Language, Noah Webster, 1828, retrieved Oct 2, 2024, [webstersdictionary1828.com])

If a man is not sober, he cannot come to repentance of his sin because he is unable to reason to understand the truth of his own wickedness. Christians are given a love of the truth by the Holy Spirit (2Th 2:10), and therefore, because they understand repentance for the remission of sins, they have a natural aversion of drunkenness, which clouds the mind from the gifts of understanding given to us by the grace of Jesus Christ.

This is why the Bible commands us Christians to be sober, and to "gird up the loins of your mind," which is said in the sense of armor, that our minds would be guarded against instrusion of sin and false doctrine, which is impossible to do while drunk.

Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ;
-1 Peter 1:13

That the aged men be sober, grave, temperate, sound in faith, in charity, in patience. The aged women likewise, that they be in behaviour as becometh holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things; That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children, To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed. Young men likewise exhort to be sober minded.
-Titus 2:2-6

Although mankind has determined different levels of drunkenness, either by legal metrics or by social standards, the difference between the drunken and sober can be shown by how one speaks and acts after having consumed alcohol, which is one of the reasons God commanded the priests not to drink when performing their duties, so that a clear difference could be seen between good and evil, clean and unclean. The level of alcohol consumption needed to be drunk is different for every person, and while some may be able to consume more before impairment, others may not be able to consume any because just a little will cause them to lose their sober state of mind.

Therefore, there is no set standard in Scripture for how many "drinks" a person can have before becoming drunk, but rather, anything that would impair the mind for the purpose of pleasure is sin because it is a device that leads men to sin. This could be said for both drugs and alcohol, both of which can be used as medical devices in times of need, but are not permitted for Christians to use for unmoderated pleasure.

There is not a single, rational argument that could be made as to how drinking excessive alcohol for one's personal pleasure is charitable to his neighbor. Since the Bible teaches us that charity is the culmination of the law and prophets (Mat 7:12), it means that a man who drinks to drunkenness has no loving thought for his neighbor, and in a drunken state, cannot reason how his words and actions will negatively impact those around him.

Therefore, although it is lawful for us to consume alcohol, it is not necessarily expedient to do so:

All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any.
-1 Corinthians 6:12

When Paul said "all thing are lawful unto me," he is not saying that all things that are against the law are lawful for him, but rather, in the context, he is saying that all things which are not specifically condemned in Scripture are lawful. However, that being said, he adds that "all things are not expedient," which means they may not be good depending on circumstances.

expedient (adj): useful; profitable; fit or suitable for the purpose; proper under the circumstances
(See 'expedient', American Dictionary of the English Language, Noah Webster, 1828, retrieved Oct 10, 2024, [webstersdictionary1828.com])

For example, if a man was born again in Christ, but was formerly a fornicator and adulterer, would it be appropriate for another Christian's wife to wear a string bikini in that man's presence? Of course, I would argue that it would be inappropriate at any time for a woman to do so in that circumstance; she certainly could wear such a thing in privacy with her husband if she wanted to, which means it is not unlawful to wear, but considering the weaknesses of our brethren, we ought not to tempt them into things to which they have a weakness.

Earlier, we learned that a former alcoholic's visual temptation to drink is similar to the temptation a man might have to a woman when he looks at her body, and therefore, it would not be appropriate to drink alcohol in the presence of a Christian who was formerly a drunkard. In fact, it would not be wise or charitable to even keep alcohol in the house when a former drunkard is present, and so even though alcohol might be lawful to have or drink, it is not expedient because charity should always be the forefront of our thinking as Christians.

For those of you who may be thinking about whether or not you should drink alcohol, I can only offer advice, and my advice would be that if you do not know where your line is concerning drunkenness, the safest option is just not to consume alcohol. I would not need all the fingers on my hands to count the amount of times I remember ever having alcohol in my lifetime, and I can assure you that there is nothing you are missing out on, meaning that there is no reason you have to drink it, and by avoiding it completely, you avoid any potential consequence that might come from it.

Please do not misunderstand because I do NOT believe that any Christian who has gotten drunk is going to hell, nor do they lose their salvation because it is not possible to lose one's salvation once you have been born again by the Holy Spirit with repentance and faith in Christ. (Rom 8:38-39) However, when Galatians 5 says that "they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God," it means people who live in such sins, have no thought for the wrong they do, and do not turn from them with a repentant heart; it is not refering to those who err and repent, but rather, it is speaking of those who continue to live a life according to such sins as drunkenness, for example, because they care not for keeping their sound reason of mind, and that is because they have no love of the truth.

And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.
-2 Thessalonians 2:10

Although drinking alcohol is lawful for me, and I would find no sin in doing so, personally, I do not drink alcohol because I think it is charitable to refrain from doing so, to set a good example for others, so that those who might be weak to such drinks would not be led astray into sin. For those of you Christians who choose to drink alcohol, I would caution you to be on guard against drunkenness in any capacity, and to exercise strong discipline concerning what you drink.

Furthermore, we ought not to yoke together and fellowship with those who get drunk because our refusal to do so sets a good example for others, it keeps us out of trouble (so the good name of Christ will not be profaned), and is a reproach to those who live according to their sins. This is why Jesus used fellowship with drunkards as an analogy to help us understand those who do such things, even those who claim to be of Christ and do such things, will be thrown into the hell because they were not given a heart of repentance and faith by the Holy Spirit.

But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming; And shall begin to smite his fellowservants, and to eat and drink with the drunken; The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of, And shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
-Matthew 24:48-51

And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.
-Matthew 13:42
(Read "Hell is Real And Many People Are Going There" here at creationliberty.com for more details.)

Not only is it destructive to go to the bottle to become inebriated, but worse still, some people give others drink to take advantage of them:

Woe unto him that giveth his neighbour drink, that puttest thy bottle to him, and makest him drunken also, that thou mayest look on their nakedness!
-Habakkuk 2:15

Please note that this is an analogy because the context of this chapter of Habakkuk is the prophecy of the coming church of Jesus Christ, and that there would be men who would work to lure in Christians with temptation so they would turn from the Gospel unto idols, which is what they do in corrupt religious cults such as Catholicism. The analogy relates this to a person who would give not just a glass of alcohol, but the entire bottle, looking to make them drunk, to impair their understanding to take advantage of them, and look upon their embarrassment with pridefulness and superiority.
(Read "Corruptions of Christianity: Catholicism" here at creationliberty.com for more details.)

Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging: and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise.
-Proverbs 20:1

Alcoholic beverages promise pleasure to the drinker, but mock the drinker in the end because it causes him nothing but misery and pain. Therefore, whoever is deceived to take it and is made drunk are not wise in their discretion, and certainly, they are not wise while drunk.

And yet, there are not just bars and clubs, but entire streets dedicated to getting drunk and partying because irresponsible people go out and do these things on purpose, falling prey to the lusts of the flesh. These places are designed specifically to offer pleasure to all five senses (i.e. lights and dress to distract the vision, music to fill the ears, food and drink to lure the taste and smell, and fornication to satisfy the touch), to put them into a state of perceived esctasy, whereby their reason is locked away, and they will make decisions based only on the what the sinful flesh wants.

Here is an example of a street party scene called "Playa del Carmen" in Quintana Roo, Mexcio. You can see that everything is designed to drown out the senses:

It is better to go to the house of mourning, than to go to the house of feasting: for that is the end of all men; and the living will lay it to his heart. Sorrow is better than laughter: for by the sadness of the countenance the heart is made better. The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning; but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth. It is better to hear the rebuke of the wise, than for a man to hear the song of fools. For as the crackling of thorns under a pot, so is the laughter of the fool: this also is vanity.
-Ecclesiastes 7:2-6

Those of who are of Christ find these types of places abhorrent, not only because they are a cesspool of sinful activity, but also that we are called to be quiet and peaceful in our business and other activities.

And that ye study to be quiet, and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you;
-1 Thessalonians 4:11

But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price.
-1 Peter 3:4

When writing this article, I had to go to different sites and do some research because I was never a part of the bar and club scenes. I never went out "clubbing" or partying like other people did, mostly because I enjoyed peace and quiet, and furthermore, I wanted a wife, not a temporary woman to sleep with, and I knew I could not find them in such places. I wanted to get a quote from an honest person about why they liked to go to bars and clubs, even though the result of going to them loss, pain, and misery.

I found a blog from a New York citizen called "The Truth About Bartending," and in an article he has called "The Truth About Why We Go to Bars," after showing a chart he made about how more drinking loosens one's inhibitions, he said:
"As you can see from the formula, both time and inebriation have exponentially more dramatic affects [sic] than familiarity. The thought of getting down [i.e. having sexual relations] with the dude or chick next to you, creeps up on you — sometimes, rather quickly. The normal logic pathways and synapses of your gray matter, the ones that keep you faithful to your significant other in many cases, are slowly overtaken by new, short-term satisfaction logic — the fermented kind."
-Freddy, "The Truth About Why We Go to Bars," Dec 3, 2012, retrieved Oct 3, 2024, [https://web.archive.org/web/20140227195704/thetruthaboutbartending.com/2012/12/03/the-truth-about-why-we-go-to-bars]

Perhaps there are some people who go to bars simply to get drunk, but what this bartender is arguing is that the majority of people go to bars to get drunk so they can "hookup," or in simple terms, so they can participate in fornication and/or adultery. It is a terrible idea for many reasons I will not get into in this article, but the following quote from a blog called "Seriously, why do we go to bars?" confirms the previous quote:
"People go to bars because it's a socially acceptable way to meet people of the opposite sex for short-term hookups and dating."
-CallerAlgernon, "Seriously, Why Do We Go To Bars?," Jan 3, 2012, retrieved Oct 3, 2024, [https://web.archive.org/web/20140218085655/gentlemencalling.wordpress.com/2012/01/03/seriously-why-do-we-go-to-bars]

In my analysis, it is insanity that someone would want to waste the money they have received from their labor to drink, which will cause them pain and misery, only to have casual sex with a stranger, which can then lead to disease or children out of wedlock. These are people who do not care about the consequences of their actions, and gladly welcome grief so they can enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season.

By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter; Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season; Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompence of the reward.
-Hebrews 11:24-26

This provides a great segue into the writings of Solomon, in which he repeated to King Lemuel the prophesying of his own mother to him:

Give not thy strength unto women, nor thy ways to that which destroyeth kings.
-Proverbs 31:3

In other words, he was advised not to fall for the seductions of women, to give them his strength in whoredom. This is sound advice because, if men refused the whoredoms of women, women would have no choice but to enter marriage to gain the strength of men they so desperately need, forcing them to do good by starving them of attention, because leaders who fall to the seductions of women bring destruction on nations.

It is not for kings, O Lemuel, it is not for kings to drink wine; nor for princes strong drink:
-Proverbs 31:4

It is easy for one who is drunk to fall for the seduction of women, which is why she advised her son not to drink wine or strong drink of any kind, at any time, because being the leader of a nation is a full-time job. If the king is drunken at any point, he can easily be led astray into fornication and maniplulation of women, meaning that he should be sober at all times to perform his duties faithfully.

Lest they drink, and forget the law, and pervert the judgment of any of the afflicted.
-Proverbs 31:5

This goes for any leader, even the father of a household, that if he drinks, and becomes drunken, he may forget the law of land in his inebriated state and cause his family and neighbors injury, or worse still, the Law of God, sinning against the Lord and bringing calamity on his head. This applies much more to the king of a nation, in which he may issue a judgment in his drunkenness that is unjust to the victims, or lenient on criminals, to reward the lawless that prey on the weak.

Give strong drink unto him that is ready to perish, and wine unto those that be of heavy hearts.
-Proverbs 31:6

It would be better for the king to give that drink to poor persons without much abundance, that they might be able to use it in moderation to quench their thirst. This is not said in the sense that one should give alcohol to a drunkard because the Bible already condemns drunkenness, but rather, it would be better for the king to not drink at all, and give that drink to those who have suffered great hardship and loss, that their spirits might be lifted, even for a moment.

Let him drink, and forget his poverty, and remember his misery no more.
-Proverbs 31:7

This is not said as advice to give strong drink to make the poor drunk, but rather, this is said in the context of the previous verse, to lighten the emotional load of the poor. When the king takes the best of the drink he has, and gives to the poorest man, even for a short time, the poor man forgets the vexation of his troubles, and it relieves his anxiety about how he will get his next meal.

This shows us that all prophecy and law in Scripture is fulfilled in the royal law, which is to love the Lord God with all our hearts, and our neighbors as ourselves. (Mat 22:37-40) Or, in other words, that however we would want men to treat us in our time of need is how we should treat others in theirs.

Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets.
-Matthew 7:12

One might argue that Paul suggested that we should drink wine, but we need to read that verse carefully:

Drink no longer water, but use a little wine for thy stomach's sake and thine often infirmities.
-1 Timothy 5:23

This was a letter to Timothy, one of Paul's most trusted companions and friends in the Lord, and so he was NOT instructing Timothy on his use of drinking wine because Timothy was quite disciplined and drank only water. Paul was also not instructing him to drink no water at all, but rather, Paul was instructing Timothy to have a little wine mixed with water from time to time, to help with stomach aches, which can occur if there is a lack of nutrients from a variety of sources.

A small quantity of fermented food or drink is good for our health, and can help immensely with proper digestion when taken on a regular basis. Going weeks or months without fermented food or drink is part of the reason why people get stomach aches. The alcohol substance in wine is one of the ways we can get it, although it is more safely consumed when mixed with water to prevent inebriation, or we can get it through a variety of other foods, such as pickled vegetables, kombucha, kefir, sauerkraut, miso, natto, kimchi, raw cheese (NOT pasteurized), and yogurt, just to name a few; there are many websites online that have lists of fermented foods which can help you find the right one for you.

These foods should also be taken in moderation, or one may become drunk, like this squirrel, who ate too much fermented pumpkin:
As I end this teaching, I want to explain what Jesus did with His water-to-wine miracle during the marriage in Cana of Galilee. This is often used as a justification to drink alcohol, and it is in dire need of thorough commentary:

And the third day there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee; and the mother of Jesus was there: And both Jesus was called, and his disciples, to the marriage. And when they wanted wine, the mother of Jesus saith unto him, They have no wine. Jesus saith unto her, Woman, what have I to do with thee? mine hour is not yet come. His mother saith unto the servants, Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it. And there were set there six waterpots of stone, after the manner of the purifying of the Jews, containing two or three firkins apiece. Jesus saith unto them, Fill the waterpots with water. And they filled them up to the brim. And he saith unto them, Draw out now, and bear unto the governor of the feast. And they bare it. When the ruler of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and knew not whence it was.: (but the servants which drew the water knew;) the governor of the feast called the bridegroom, And saith unto him, Every man at the beginning doth set forth good wine; and when men have well drunk, then that which is worse: but thou hast kept the good wine until now.
-John 2:1-10

Mary did not ask Jesus to make wine, but rather, she simply told him about the problem because she wanted to provide charitably for the guests, so they would not be disappointed during a cheerful celebration. Notice that she simply made a statement, and in response, He called her "woman," which was appropriate as God, not to give her the title of "mother" in honor, as if He were beneath her in station.

His question to her was not to say that He had no part with her in the sense that they were family according to flesh, but that the working of miracles which Jesus was going to do had a particular purpose for the fulfillment of prophecy, to bring in the preaching of the Gospel of Salvation and the Kingdom of Heaven (i.e. the church), and such trivial matters were not part of that public ministry. However, being benevolent, as the Lord is much moreso than we could possibly imagine, He did not make any declaration of refusal to help her with this problem, so knowing who He was, she faithfully trusted in His kindness, and told the servants to do whatever He instructed them, which was done in a more private manner, so that only Mary, the servants, and the five disciples with Jesus as the time, knew what happened.

The waterpots of stone were for the "purifying of the Jews," or in other words, these were pots of water used to clean their hands and feet, as was tradition. (Mark 7:2) I am unsure what a "firkin" is, but it may have been associated with a standard of measurement for a "Hebrew bath," which was roughly 4.5 gallons of water, which means that each of these stone pots could hold anywhere from 9-14 gallons of water.

Jesus had the servants fill the pots with water, then draw wine from them, and serve them to the head manager of the wedding feast. This was not done in the witchcraft, spell-casting methods of the Catholic Church, in which they believe in absurdities, that they have transformed the appearance of wine and wafer into something else, under the appearance of it being still in its original form and flavor, but rather, this was a miracle of transforming the water into wine in every sense; an actual miracle, as opposed to the fake pagan rituals of the priests.
(Read Corruptions of Christianity: Catholicism here at creationliberty.com for more details.)

It was tradition, for good reason, that the best wine, with the sweetest flavor and highest quality, to be given to the guests first, and once they had their fill (not to the point of drunkenness, since that was condemned under the Old Covenant, as it is under the New), weaker or lesser quality wine was given to those who wished to have more. However, this wine he tasted was superior to the best wine they had on hand, which is not done by Jesus Christ to give people an excuse to drink alcohol, but rather, He did this as a sign of the New Covenant being BETTER than the Old Covenant.

But now hath he obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also he is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises.
-Hebrews 8:6

Therefore, we are not called to drunkenness, any more than we are called to any other sin. There is no justification for a drunken man, and although some may try to cherry-pick verses of the Holy Bible to justify themselves, they do so without reason, and only to selfishly give themselves an excuse to sin.

And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;
-Ephesians 5:18

Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin; That he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God. For the time past of our life may suffice us to have wrought the will of the Gentiles, when we walked in lasciviousness, lusts, excess of wine, revellings, banquetings, and abominable idolatries: Wherein they think it strange that ye run not with them to the same excess of riot, speaking evil of you:
-1 Peter 4:1-4

Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying.
-Romans 13:13

Again, I say that if you are unsure of where your line of drunkenness is, then simply do not drink alcohol. There is no need to do so, and that discipline will be a safety net from sin, because drunkenness always leads to a multitude of other sins.

If you drink alcohol, you have liberty in Christ to do so, but that liberty is not without restraint. Moderation is necessary, relying on the anchor of the commandments of the Holy Spirit from Scripture to keep us stable and disciplined to not fulfill the lust of the flesh however we please, but to remember that our duty is first the Lord Jesus Christ, so every decision we make should be based on what is pleasing to Him, and it is pleasing to God the Father that His children remain sober in all things.

Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:
-1 Peter 5:8

But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation.
-1 Thessalonians 5:8

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