Can you be a biblical inerrantist and oppose the use of alcohol as a beverage?

Many of you will think this is a silly question. However, shortly after returning from the Southern Baptist Convention I read in the Dallas Morning News that a fellow Southern Baptist said “blanket opposition to drinking” was a “denial of the inerrant Word of God.” I will try to show that as a biblical inerrantist I am opposed to the use of alcohol as a beverage.

There is no easy way to get our arms around the subject. I hope to present my position in a kind and spiritual manner. I am no linguist, theologian or expert on the subject of alcohol as a beverage. I am simply a born-again believer, indwelt by the Holy Spirit, seeking to live for Jesus and encouraging other believers to do the same.

CONCESSIONS

It is obvious to the casual reader of the Bible that wine was a common drink of people of faith. From Noah to Paul, Bible heroes used wine. Strong drink is mentioned in the Bible as well. There is little doubt that many godly biblical figures drank alcohol as a beverage. Various Scripture verses indicate the blessing of God on the people of Israel in the Old Testament through wine (Psalm 104:15). Some worship incorporated the use of wine (Exodus 29:40). To deny the use of wine in the Bible is not a defensible position.

There were other practices in Bible times that we do not accept today. Multiple wives, concubines, even slave ownership were acceptable practices, regulated and not directly forbidden in the Scriptures. We understand that a higher standard is set from the Word of God that these practices are, not only not best, but unacceptable.

CONFLICT

A biblical inerrantist sees difficult passages in the Bible, even paradoxes, but no contradictions. To believe in biblical inerrancy one must have a high view of the nature of Scripture. However interpretation within the bounds of inerrancy is very wide.

I have no doubt a Church of Christ minister who believes in baptismal regeneration is a biblical inerrantist, but he does not hold to my interpretation that salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone.

With all of the perceived endorsement of wine in the Bible, some could see a conflict arising in certain texts. There are many places the Scripture warns about the use of wine and strong drink.

Proverbs 23:31 makes perhaps the strongest case for a command to not use alcoholic wine. While some Hebrew scholars point to the difficulty of the translation to English, there is little dispute that the verse gives a prohibition to even look on fermented wine in this context.
Proverbs 20:1 is another verse condemning the use of wine and strong drink. Virtually every mention of wine in the book of Proverbs is a warning about the use of alcoholic beverages. Wisdom says stay away from it.

An interpretation tool known as the “law of first mention” would lead us to believe that the use of wine as a beverage is not a good practice. Genesis 9:20-25 tells of the sad account of Noah drinking wine, becoming intoxicated and bringing a curse upon his own grandson.

Drunkenness is universally condemned in the Scripture (Ephesians 5:18). Those who refrained from the use of alcoholic drink were commended and used in a great way. Numbers 6 tells of the Nazarite vow that even went to the extreme beyond abstinence from alcohol to forbid the use of grapes and raisins. The Rechabites were commended by the Lord for abstaining from wine (Jeremiah 35:14). John the Baptist was great in the sight of the Lord and did not drink wine or strong drink (Luke 1:15).

Civil and spiritual leaders are told to abstain from alcohol as a beverage (Proverbs 31:4; 1 Timothy 3:3). Daniel refused to drink wine and God blessed his conviction (Daniel 1:8).

Evidence abounds that God is pleased when people avoid alcohol as a beverage. His blessing can and will fall upon those who refrain from imbibing.

CONTEXT

Without too much appeal to history or extra-biblical material, I would point out that evidence exists that shows the ancients used a very different beverage than today’s wine coolers.

Several techniques were practiced to prevent or delay the fermentation process. Storage in a cool place extended the life of grape juice. This could have been done in caves and wells. Boiling prevented the fermentation of grape juice.

Wine was diluted for consumption. Scholars say that it varied from 1 part wine/4 parts water, to 1 part wine/20 parts water. The latter was more water purification than cutting the strength of the alcohol.