The first step I would like to take in the adventure regarding ‘Drink to the Glory of God?’ is to show that alcohol does really belong in the category of adiaphora.  Adiaphora is the Greek word referring to ‘things indifferent’.  What this means is that there are things and activities in this world which God has not forbidden.  The idea, then, is that if God has not forbidden it, then it is up to the individual Christian conscience as to whether or not one should or would partake of or participate in the adiaphora.  This step needs to be taken for two reasons.  One, many Christians simply believe because of tradition, etc., that alcohol in and of itself is evil, and thus to have any association with it is to sin.  The other reason is that there are many Christians who drink alcohol, and believe it to be okay, but have no idea what the Bible actually says about alcohol.

 

So is alcohol in the category of adiaphora?  Yes!  What is the evidence?  We will look in the post at how the Bible assumes the normalcy of drinking wine and also encourages it.  In a later post we will see what the Bible speaks against wine.

 

Genesis 14:18-20   ¹⁸ Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine.  He was priest of God Most High,  ¹⁹ and he blessed Abram, saying, "Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth.  ²⁰ And blessed be God Most High, who delivered your enemies into your hand." Then Abram gave him a tenth of everything.

 

Here, of course, we see Melchizedek, who is a priest of the Most High God, bringing out bread and wine for a meal with Abram.

 

Genesis 27:25-28   ²⁵ Then he said, "My son, bring me some of your game to eat, so that I may give you my blessing." Jacob brought it to him and he ate; and he brought some wine and he drank.  ²⁶ Then his father Isaac said to him, "Come here, my son, and kiss me."  ²⁷ So he went to him and kissed him. When Isaac caught the smell of his clothes, he blessed him and said, "Ah, the smell of my son is like the smell of a field that the LORD has blessed.  ²⁸ May God give you of heaven's dew and of earth's richness-- an abundance of grain and new wine.

 

When Jacob deceived his father regarding the blessing of the firstborn son, Jacob served his father wine with his meal, and in the blessing of Jacob, Isaac prays that Jacob may have an abundance of grain and new wine.

 

Numbers 18:12  I give you all the finest olive oil and all the finest new wine and grain they give the LORD as the firstfruits of their harvest.

 

This verse is from a context where the Lord is describing all that belongs to Aaron to enjoy.  The offerings given to the Lord are given to Aaron.  Here specifically wine is mentioned as a gift that the Lord gives to Aaron.

 

Proverbs 3:9-10   ⁹ Honor the LORD with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops;  ¹⁰ then your barns will be filled to overflowing, and your vats will brim over with new wine.

 

The reward for faithfulness to the Lord with wealth is vats that overflow with new wine.

 

Ecclesiastes 9:7-9   ⁷ Go, eat your food with gladness, and drink your wine with a joyful heart, for it is now that God favors what you do.  ⁸ Always be clothed in white, and always anoint your head with oil.  ⁹ Enjoy life with your wife, whom you love, all the days of this meaningless life that God has given you under the sun-- all your meaningless days. For this is your lot in life and in your toilsome labor under the sun.

 

Because of the shortness of life the Teacher of Ecclesiastes exhorts us to ‘drink our wine with a joyful heart’ because it is God who favors what we do.

 

Isaiah 25:6   ⁶ On this mountain the LORD Almighty will prepare a feast of rich food for all peoples, a banquet of aged wine-- the best of meats and the finest of wines.

 

The imagery used here to describe the rebuilding of Zion includes God supplying his people with a banquet of aged wine.

 

Luke 7:33-34   ³³ For John the Baptist came neither eating bread nor drinking wine and you say, 'He has a demon.'  ³⁴ The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and you say, 'Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and "sinners."'

 

Here we see implied that Jesus drank wine, and people believed him to be a drunkard because of it.

 

John 2:3-10   ³ When the wine was gone, Jesus' mother said to him, "They have no more wine."  ⁴ "Dear woman, why do you involve me?" Jesus replied. "My time has not yet come."  ⁵ His mother said to the servants, "Do whatever he tells you."  ⁶ Nearby stood six stone water jars, the kind used by the Jews for ceremonial washing, each holding from twenty to thirty gallons.  ⁷ Jesus said to the servants, "Fill the jars with water"; so they filled them to the brim.  ⁸ Then he told them, "Now draw some out and take it to the master of the banquet." They did so,         ⁹ and the master of the banquet tasted the water that had been turned into wine.  He did not realize where it had come from, though the servants who had drawn the water knew. Then he called the bridegroom aside  ¹⁰ and said, "Everyone brings out the choice wine first and then the cheaper wine after the guests have had too much to drink; but you have saved the best till now."

 

In this passage it is clear that Jesus makes wine from water, showing that he was not opposed to the drinking of wine.  Though this is true it must be remembered that this miracle like the other miracles of Jesus are intended to point beyond themselves to who Jesus is and his mission.  With the best wine being given last, we are to understand something of Jesus ministry.  God has saved his best for last.  Jesus is the best of all that God has done and given.

 

1 Timothy 5:23   ²³ Stop drinking only water, and use a little wine because of your stomach and your frequent illnesses.

 

Paul encourages Timothy to drink wine instead of only water for the benefit of his stomach and frequent illnesses.