Can Christians drink alcohol?

This is definitely a debated topic among Christians and has been for centuries. Some Christians enjoy the occasional drink, some overindulge and fall into drunkenness, and some completely abstain from the substance, feeling convicted that partaking in any way whatsoever is sinful.
 
Clearly, if it is sinful to have a glass of wine, then it should be avoided, and we should hold our brethren accountable for sinning when they partake in drinking. But, if it is not sinful to drink alcohol in moderation, then we need not condemn our brethren who enjoy the occasional glass of wine for good pleasure; in fact, we would be in the wrong for doing so.
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Now, some might say, “Shouldn’t we err on the side of caution anyway? Whether it’s wrong or not, it would clearly be better to avoid something so dangerous, rather than indulging in it and risk getting drunk, becoming an alcoholic, or making a life-altering mistake.”

To that I would say yes, it is much better to err on the side of caution. But that doesn’t mean it’s wrong to try to understand most clearly what the Bible says about the topic, and then make an informed choice on whether or not to partake in something in whatever way is most appropriate. Also, there are many Christians who use this as a point of division and judgement; thus, I believe it is very important in maintaining unity that we have an accurate understanding of how the Bible views alcohol.
 
Drunkenness:
Of course, everyone on all sides of the debate believes it is wrong to get drunk, no one disagrees about that, at least, I haven’t met anyone who does. Ephesians 5:18 (KJV) says, “And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit.”
 
Instead of overindulgence in alcohol, as we may be tempted to do, we should indulge in the Spirit of God. While this verse condemns drunkenness, it doesn’t logically follow that drinking in moderation should be condemned also. The verse even says that drunkenness is excess, or the ESV says drunkenness is debauchery (which means excessive indulgence). So just as we are not to overindulge in food (which would be gluttony), we also are not to overindulge in alcohol (which is the debauchery of drunkenness).
 
But not only are we not to become drunk, we aren’t to be among the debauchery that takes place among drunkards. According to Proverbs 23:20-21 (ESV), “Be not among drunkards or among gluttonous eaters of meat,21 for the drunkard and the glutton will come to poverty, and slumber will clothe them with rags.”
 
Proverbs is filled with words of wisdom, and it would not be wise at all to surround yourself with drunkards and lazy gluttons, because they will eventually rub off on you and make you fall into the consequences of those sins: poverty, despair, fornication, and all sorts of sins. And there certainly is no shortage of verses condemning drunkenness or overindulgence in alcohol. Proverbs 20:1 (ESV) says, “Wine is a mocker, strong drink a brawler, and whoever is led astray by it is not wise.”
 
Historical Utility for Alcohol:
Historically speaking there were reasons alcoholic beverages were consumed. They served medicinal purposes, provided health benefits in moderation, they helped prevent liquids from contamination by bacteria or viruses, and they of course served as a celebratory drink for weddings, such as the one where Jesus turned water into wine.
 
We see the medicinal purpose of alcohol when Paul writes in 1st Timothy 5:23 (ESV), “No longer drink only water, but use a little wine for the sake of your stomach and your frequent ailments.” Interestingly, it turns out that a glass of red wine every week is good for your gut health.
 
And there are other verses that spin a positive view of wine, even for pleasurable purposes.
 
Psalm 104:14-15 (ESV) says, “You cause the grass to grow for the livestock and plants for man to cultivate, that he may bring forth food from the earth 15 and wine to gladden the heart of man, oil to make his face shine and bread to strengthen man's heart.”
 
Here we see that there is clearly something pleasurable about wine. The Hebrew word for wine here is w’yayin (from yayin), which is the general term from the Tanakh that simply means normal wine. Which in most cases this word is used, it is thought that the wine is alcoholic in nature. It is of course associated with feasting or having an abundance. This wine can “gladden the heart of a man”. It is one of life’s little pleasures that is meant to be enjoyed, but it is clearly not meant to be over consumed. Just as bread is good to “strengthen a man’s heart”, but too much can lead to gluttony and adverse health effects.
 
Did the Wine Talked About in the Bible Contain Alcohol?
If we turn to Proverbs 23:31-32 (ESV) we read the following, “Do not look at wine (yayin) when it is red, when it sparkles in the cup and goes down smoothly. In the end it bites like a serpent and stings like an adder.”
 
Here Solomon is giving us wisdom concerning wine that sparkles in the cup and goes down smoothly. This is almost certainly a reference to strong alcoholic wine. He is saying that it would be wise not to even look at such wine, because looking at it with a lustful heart will lead to dangerous sins. This is not necessarily a prohibition against drinking any alcoholic wine at all, but it certainly is a warning against lusting after and drinking strong wine, especially to those who may fall prey to its devices.
 
If you read all of Proverbs 23 for context, you’ll notice it is full of wise sayings, many pertaining to alcohol, but also to other things.
 
Proverbs 23:4 says, “Do not toil to acquire wealth; be discerning enough to desist.” Of course, we shouldn’t keep form acquiring wealth, but we shouldn’t make that our goal so much that it becomes an idol. There is temptation around the corner for those who make toiling to acquire wealth their top priority. And there is temptation around the corner for those who make a practice of consuming strong drink. In Proverbs 23, there are also instructions about how you shouldn’t speak in front of fools and how you should spank your child.
 
But immediately following verse 32 are the reasons why you should avoid strong alcoholic beverages like wine, “Your eyes will see strange things, and your heart utter perverse things. You will be like one who lies down in the midst of the sea, like one who lies on the top of a mast. “They struck me,” you will say, “but I was not hurt; they beat me, but I did not feel it. When shall I awake? I must have another drink.”
 
This elucidates what kind of wine this was. This was strong wine, so strong that it caused hallucinations and a complete and utter drunkenness, so much so that you could not feel pain, a hangover was imminent, and it would cause you to seek perverse things in your heart. Regularly fermented red wine, like what is referenced in the New Testament, when consumed in moderation, and which was often diluted with water [1], does not have these effects.
 
The last phrase shows that Solomon is also giving a warning or prohibition against addiction, for the person immediately wants more, “I must have another drink.”
 
Overall, this passage could simply be discussing highly fermented wine. For Paul clearly permits the consumption of wine for medicinal purposes, and the Old Testament permitted the drinking of wine for pleasurable purposes. It is the over consumption of strong alcoholic beverages that leads to drunkenness and addiction that is clearly prohibited.
 
For if it were a prohibition against drinking alcoholic wine in totality, then why do we see Jesus turning water into wine (Greek, oinos) at the wedding in Cana, why do we see Him breaking bread and drinking wine at the Lord’s Supper, and why do we see our Lord partaking of the beverage on a regular basis, and even being called a drunkard for doing so?
 
Some might say that perhaps the wine that Jesus drank was non-alcoholic. Would it be non-alcoholic in every single instance in which it was consumed by Jesus or the apostles in the New Testament? While this is possible, I am skeptical.
 
John MacArthur did an extremely deep study on alcohol and Christians, and this is what he said about the Greek word oinos:
 
“But whether you had wine, or something stronger than wine, unmixed, these had an intoxicating potential. Oinos - wine - the word that the New Testament uses - definitely has an intoxicating potential, and that’s why there are so many warnings in the Scripture against drunkenness. The 1901 - so I just want you to know this has been around a while; this is not new thinking - the 1901 Jewish encyclopedia distinguishes yayin - which is wine - from shakar- which is strong drink - strictly on the matter of how much alcohol content it had, so they were very aware of the potential of drunkenness.” [4]
 
Is has been a common understanding for a long time that oinos has an intoxicating potential.
 
The New Testament’s depiction of the Lord’s Supper gives no indication it was non-alcoholic wine. We don’t see any of the disciples depicted as becoming drunk in the New Testament, but that doesn’t mean the wine was always (or ever) non-alcoholic. Perhaps the disciples just had enough self-control not to over consume, or the wine they used was never too concentrated. After all, their Lord and chief example never became drunk.
 
With regards to Christians consuming alcohol, we see a picture of this in 1st Corinthians Chapter 11, where Paul elucidates how the Lord’s Supper can be done wrong and how it can be done right, and I think the details in the passage have important implications for the alcohol content of the wine used in the early church congregations.
 
The Lord’s Supper:
In 1st Corinthians 11:20-29 (ESV), Paul contrasts the abuse of the Lord’s Supper with the Proper use of the Lord’s Supper:
 
“20 When you come together, it is not the Lord's supper that you eat. 21 For in eating, each one goes ahead with his own meal. One goes hungry, another gets drunk. 22 What! Do you not have houses to eat and drink in? Or do you despise the church of God and humiliate those who have nothing? What shall I say to you? Shall I commend you in this? No, I will not.

23 For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, 24 and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, “This is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” 25 In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” 26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes.

27 Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty concerning the body and blood of the Lord. 28 Let a person examine himself, then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup. 29 For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment on himself.”
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In this text, Paul is displeased with the Corinthians because at the Lord’s Supper, they were drinking so much wine they were getting drunk, and eating food like gluttons and not letting other people take of the bread at all. I believe Paul here is telling them: Do you not have homes in which to eat and drink like that? At the Lord’s Supper, there is a spiritual purpose for these things that is getting trampled by your drunkenness, selfishness, and gluttonous abuse!
 
So, there is a proper use of these things in reverence to God in the church, and there is an abusive way to use these things that defiles God’s church and His people. In this passage, Paul never says the wine should be thrown out or replaced with grape juice (or a different type of wine); he simply shows the purpose of this practice in the church, and that the use of these things in the church at the Lord’s Supper is not for worldly pleasure, but to represent the body and blood of Jesus Christ. It seems one implication here is that alcohol-containing wine has an appropriate usage even in the church. Because Paul’s focus is not the type of wine being used, but on the orientation of the peoples’ hearts toward God: that’s the key difference between the church that does the Lord’s Supper the right way and the church that does it the wrong way.
 
The Wedding at Cana: Did the Wine Contain Alcohol?
According to John 2:6-11 (ESV), “6 Now there were six stone water jars there for the Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty or thirty gallons. 7 Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water.” And they filled them up to the brim. 8 And he said to them, “Now draw some out and take it to the master of the feast.” So they took it. 9 When the master of the feast tasted the water now become wine, and did not know where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), the master of the feast called the bridegroom 10 and said to him, “Everyone serves the good wine first, and when people have drunk freely, then the poor wine. But you have kept the good wine until now.” 11 This, the first of his signs, Jesus did at Cana in Galilee, and manifested his glory. And his disciples believed in him.”
 
Here we see Jesus’s first miracle in the New Testament. He turns water into wine. It never says this is alcoholic or non-alcoholic wine, but considering it was a celebratory wedding, it most likely contained alcohol, as it was commonplace to drink alcoholic wine at a wedding, especially at a wedding of non-Christians (for there were no “Christians” yet at this time). Also, while the location of Cana is disputed; it is thought to be a half-day’s walk North of Nazareth, this would be a hot region of the country, some alcohol would have been required to keep the wine from spoiling [3]. There is no solid historical or biblical reason to think the wine they ran out of in the first place was completely non-alcoholic, and there is no biblical reason to think the wine Jesus made was completely non-alcoholic.
 
If you look at the way the master of the feast reacts to trying the wine, he is very approving, showing that it was a high-quality wine. This makes me think it contained alcohol for two reasons: (1) I can’t imagine a non-Christian being excited about more grape juice, and (2) the reason bad wine was served last is because people would already be partially intoxicated from the first wine, so wine that was lower quality, more sour, etc., could be served last, and the people wouldn’t notice as much. However, this thought pattern isn’t foolproof. We must make inferences because it doesn’t say directly if it contained alcohol or not.
 
A better point here is that the Greek word used in that passage is oinos, which is the term for “normal wine”, or wine that would normally be considered alcoholic/fermented. This is the same Greek word that is used for the wine that the wedding ran out of before he made the new wine, and it is also the same Greek word that we read in Ephesians 5:18, which told us not to “be drunk with wine”. Oinos probably means alcoholic wine unless the context denotes otherwise, or it wouldn’t have been the word Paul used in Ephesians, for how could we become drunk with oinos if it was non-alcoholic? The context assumes it was alcoholic wine in which one could become intoxicated.
 
In Matthew 9:17 (ESV), however, we see oinos being used next to another phrase for what is called new wine, “Neither is new wine (oinon neon) put into old wineskins. If it is, the skins burst and the wine (oinos) is spilled and the skins are destroyed. But new wine is put into fresh wineskins, and so both are preserved.”
 
Some have reasoned that this verse proves that oinos means non-alcoholic wine, since "new wine" wouldn't have time to ferment. But ironically, with the imagery that Jesus uses here, the wine is clearly being placed in new wineskins for the purpose of fermentation (resulting in an oinos with intoxicating potential!). The wine would need to be placed in new wineskins so that when it expanded during fermentation (because carbon dioxide gas is a byproduct of fermentation), the animal skins would be fresh and pliable enough to handle it. A new goatskin would stretch, an old goatskin would burst.

​And this is a beautiful way of saying that we shouldn't try to view Jesus' message through the lens of old traditions, rules, and regulations. Jesus is bringing something entirely new to the table, and that necessitates a new way of thinking. The Jews had their mind made up beforehand on who the Messiah should be, so much so, that they missed Him when He stood right in front of them.
 
Jesus Was Called a Drunkard for Drinking… Alcohol or Grape Juice?
According to Matthew 11:18-19 (ESV), “18 For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon.’ 19 The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Look at him! A glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ Yet wisdom is justified by her deeds.”
 
So, Jesus is saying that John abstained from wine and bread, and people said he had a demon, and He comes eating bread and drinking wine, and people called Him a drunkard and a glutton. Why would they call Him a drunkard if He wasn’t drinking alcohol-containing wine? Perhaps that was just a name they called Christ from an outsider’s perspective, but there’s no actual evidential reason to think that the wine Jesus drank on this earth in His earthly incarnation was simply grape juice.
 
And that’s the biggest problem here, there is simply no positive evidence to suggest that Jesus did not drink alcohol-containing wine, and there is positive evidence that He did. The context of the NT passages and the Greek words that are used in those passages provide positive evidence that He not only drank alcohol-containing wine, but he permitted those who were with Him to do so, and in His first miracle He even turned water into it.
 
While no one will ever know for certain whether Jesus drank alcohol-containing wine or not, I think it is reasonable to conclude that He did. So, my perspective on this topic is that we do have the freedom to drink alcohol-containing wine and other alcohol-containing substances in moderation, but we should only do so with caution for ourselves, caution for other believers, and caution for the church at large.
 
The New Wine Theory:
This is essentially the theory that anywhere in the Bible where the text seemingly approves of the use of wine, or the benefits of wine, it is implicitly assumed (or contextually supported) that the wine is non-alcoholic “new wine”, or what we would call grape juice. The theory assumes that “new wine” wouldn’t have time to ferment (since fermentation with crushed grapes in clay pots would take anywhere from two to eight weeks), and thus would be non-alcoholic in nature.
 
Isaiah 65:8 (ESV) says, “Thus says the Lord: “As the new wine is found in the cluster, and they say, ‘Do not destroy it, for there is a blessing in it,’ so I will do for my servants' sake, and not destroy them all.”
 
The Hebrew word translated to new wine in this text is hat·tî·rō·wōš, there are five occurrences of this word in the Old Testament, almost all are translated new wine, depending on the translation.
 
Another example of what is probably non-alcoholic wine is Judges 9:13 (ESV), “But the vine said to them, ‘Shall I leave my wine that cheers God and men and go hold sway over the trees?’”
 
The implication here is that the “wine” the tree holds must not be alcoholic; since the juice that would be a part of its vine would be non-alcoholic in nature, since it would be so new. The Hebrew word here that is translated as wine is tirôsh, which can sometimes just mean grape-cluster, which of course, would not be a fermented form of grapes.
 
But a very important contextual point here is that Judges 9 and the trees are a parable told by Jotham on top of Mount Gerizim, and thus everything in the story is symbolic and not meant to be taken literally. So, it is difficult to extrapolate out literal definitions or rules for every use of the word wine in the Bible, especially in the New Testament, from a symbolic parable, and then read that into every instance in which the word wine is used in a positive context.
 
Another important point here is that a different Hebrew word for wine is used in these passages that talk about “new wine” than is used in other depictions of the general word wine in the Old Testament. In other positive and negative depictions of the word wine in the Old Testament, we see the word yayin being used instead of tirôsh. It is thought that most instances of the Hebrew word yayin in the Old Testament refers to fermented wine.
 
Since the typical Hebrew word for wine in the Old Testament is yayin, which occurs 141 times, is used in both positive and negative opinions of wine, and in most cases refers to fermented/alcoholic wine [2], it seems to me that alcohol-containing wine can be permissible, enjoyable, and a blessing, depending on context and how it is used. Because we see both the approval and disapproval of the use of wine in both the Old and New Testament Scriptures.
 
Such as Deuteronomy 14:25-26 (ESV), “25 then you shall turn it into money and bind up the money in your hand and go to the place that the Lord your God chooses 26 and spend the money for whatever you desire—oxen or sheep or wine (yayin) or strong drink, whatever your appetite craves. And you shall eat there before the Lord your God and rejoice, you and your household.”
 
Here we see approval of the use of wine and even strong drink, but it is in the context of rejoicing before the Lord our God. The fact that wine and strong drink are used in the same context makes me think they were both alcoholic in nature. But of course, these substances wouldn’t be for overindulgence that leads to drunkenness.

Comparing Apples to… Grapes? If Wine in Bible Times was Alcoholic, What Percentage was It?
According to research shared by John MacArthur in his sermon series on this topic,
 
“The term wine - or oinos – in the ancient world, then, did not mean wine as we understand it today, but wine mixed with water or from a paste, completely without any intoxicating power because it had all been boiled out.” Strong drink would be half and half, or unmixed, and this was unacceptable to a cultured person, to drink strong drink; unacceptable. A document called The Apostolic Tradition indicates that the early church followed this custom, serving only mixed wine, whether from a syrup paste or a liquid base.
 
The wine, then, of biblical times could well have been unintoxicating, from a syrup base, or marginally intoxicating, because its fermentation had been diluted so much in the mixture with water. Taking a very conservative estimate, for example, if water is three-to-one mixed with wine, the level of alcohol would be between 2.25 and 2.75 percent, which is well under the 3.2 percent alcohol necessary to be classified as an intoxicating drink. Four to one would take you down to 1.8 to 2.2, and the only way you could possibly get drunk would be just to consume volumes of it.”[4]
 
This is an important factor to consider when consuming alcohol today. Wine back then for Christians could very well have been so low in alcohol content that you would really have to indulge to become intoxicated. And alcoholic beverages today, depending on what you buy, are not that low in alcohol content. For example, Bud Light has an alcohol content of 4.2%. This is still relatively low, but nonetheless, something to consider. It’s not like these early Christians were drinking strong liquor.
 
While We Have the Freedom to Drink Wine, It Doesn’t Edify the Church:
Here we turn to Romans 14:15-21 (ESV):
 
“15 For if your brother is grieved by what you eat, you are no longer walking in love. By what you eat, do not destroy the one for whom Christ died. 16 So do not let what you regard as good be spoken of as evil. 17 For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. 18 Whoever thus serves Christ is acceptable to God and approved by men. 19 So then let us pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding. 20 Do not, for the sake of food, destroy the work of God. Everything is indeed clean, but it is wrong for anyone to make another stumble by what he eats. 21 It is good not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything that causes your brother to stumble.”
 
So, while we have the right to drink wine or eat meat (because they are indeed clean), if it causes your brother to stumble, you shouldn’t drink wine or eat meat or literally “do anything”. This implies that it is permissible to drink wine (and I’m assuming they mean alcoholic wine, for how could non-alcoholic wine cause your brother to stumble?), but we should only consume wine in a context where we can cautiously and reverentially respect other believers to keep them from falling into sin. Some Christians may not be able to handle the freedom we have to drink wine, and we need to have awareness of those who are in our company who struggle with addiction. You may hurt someone’s faith by drinking in front of them, you may fall into drunkenness yourself, you may cause others to see Christianity in a negative light, or you may even show the world a negative and inaccurate picture of what our faith is all about.
 
Conclusion:
Are we over consuming and lusting after wine, and subsequently falling into all sorts of debauchery? Then we are drinking wine the wrong way. Are we enjoying the beverage moderately as we thank our Lord and rejoice in Him for His blessings? Then I believe we are drinking wine the right way.
 
While I believe the evidence shows that we have the freedom to drink alcohol-containing wine, it can be dangerous, and we need to be aware of the nuances to the discussion. If you choose to drink alcohol, it should be consumed carefully and moderately, and it should not be consumed if you are (1) with a brother who may fall into sin because of the drinking, (2) in a high position of leadership, or (3) have a propensity to addiction, for Solomon warns us about the dangers of falling into addiction, lusting after strong wine, and the dangers of drinking strong alcoholic beverages.
 
So, can Christians drink alcohol? Yes.
 
Should Christians drink alcohol? There's nothing inherently wrong with consuming wine or other alcohol-containing beverages, but the context in which we can partake is relatively small (as we've discussed), and the risk of doing so can be relatively high (disease, drunkenness, leading others astray, hurting others' consciences, etc.). Some addictive personalities may not be able to handle our freedom to partake and will dishonor God and the faith, but others who have demonstrated moderate consumption and self control can enjoy it in appropriate contexts as one of life's little pleasures and one of God's gifts.

Cite: Faucett, D. (2023). Can Christians Drink Alcohol? Science Faith & Reasoning. Retrieved from https://www.sci-fr.com/articles/can-christians-drink-alcohol 
 
References:
1.What does the Bible say about drinking wine? NeverThirsty. (2023, March 22). https://www.neverthirsty.org/bible-qa/qa-archives/question/what-does-the-bible-say-about-consuming-red-wine/
2.Caesar, Lael O., "The Meaning Of YAYIN In The Old Testament" (1986). Master's Theses. 5. https://dx.doi.org/10.32597/theses/5 https://digitalcommons.andrews.edu/theses/5
3.When Jesus Turned Water into Wine, Was the Wine Alcoholic? Creation Moments. (n.d.). https://creationmoments.com/article/when-jesus-turned-water-into-wine-was-the-wine-alcoholic/
4.Christians and alcohol. Grace to You. (2012, January 22). https://www.gty.org/library/sermons-library/80-380/christians-and-alcohol
5.Drinkwisely. (2023, February 15). How much alcohol is in Bud Light? facts you need to know. Facts you need to know. https://liquorwineplace.com/how-much-alcohol-is-in-bud-light/