Is Drinking Alcohol In Moderate Quantities Inherently Sinful?

Another issue that seriously divides many Christians is the subject of alcohol. There is no real debate on the merits of drunkenness--the Scriptures are categorically clear that drunkenness is a sin (Ephesians 5:18). There are a great many Scriptures which warn of excessive alcohol consumption and its effects (Proverbs 23:21; Luke 21:34; Romans 13:13; Galatians 5:21; I Peter 4:3, etc). Scripture also indicates that the lifestyle of unrepentant drunkennes is a characteristic of those who won't inherit the kingdom of heaven (I Cor. 6:10). Today, many suffer from the ravages of alcoholism and its negative effects on both the individual and society are very obvious. Still, does the Bible condemn alcohol consumption outright? Not according to many other passages, if we take them seriously.

Paul actually instructs Timothy to drink a small quantity of alcohol for his stomach problems (I Timothy 5:23). There are plenty of other positive references as well. Because I'm pressed for time, here's this from Wikipedia:

Wine was prescribed for use in festal celebrations and sacrificial rituals in the Old Testament, and as a result it was also used in celebrations including the Eucharist in the New Testament. In particular, wine was presented daily as a drink offering (Ex 29:38-41), as part of the firstfruits offering (Le 23:9-14), and as part of various supplementary offerings (Nu 15:1-11).[16] Wine was also used as the usual drink at feasts of celebration such as at weddings (Jn 2:1-11), tithe celebrations (Dt 14:22-29), and Passover (Mt 26:17-30; Mk 14:12-16; Lk 22:7-13). Jesus instituted the Lord's Supper at a Passover celebration and set apart the bread and wine that were present there as symbols of the New Covenant, and St. Paul chastizes the Corinthians for becoming drunk on wine at their celebrations of the Lord's Supper (1 Cor 11:20-21).
Wine was used as a symbol of blessing and judgement throughout the Bible. Israel was promised wine if they kepy God's covenant commandments (Dt 7:13; 11:14; 15:14; compare 33:28), and their wine would be taken away as a curse if the Israelites failed to keep the covenant (Dt 28:39; 28:51; compare Zeph 1:13).

There's other positive instances as well, but let's use the above as our starting point.

The common respose is that whenever "wine" or cognate terms are mentioned in a negative way in the Scriptures, what is being referred to is a fermented or alcoholic drink. But whenever these words are used in a positive or non-morally offensive fashion, then what's really being described is just non-alcoholic "grape juice." Advocates of this convienient position state that the Greek word oinos for wine in the NT can be rendered in a way that suggests either alcoholic or non-alcoholic drink. Uses of this word both in the New Tesatment and outside literature of the culture of those times rarely indicate "grape juice." Besides, what do the context of these verses suggest?

John 2 where Jesus turns water into wine should alone should eliminate this notion that wine = grape juice in the New Testament. After Jesus turns water into wine, note the words of the master of the banquet, "Everyone bring sout the choice wine first and then the cheaper wine after the guests have had too much to drink; but you (Jesus) have saved the best until now." According to plenty of Christians, apparently this meant Jesus saved the best "grape juice" until the end. But that doesn't appear to make much sense of the hosts' statements. What he is saying is that usually the more potent wine was served first and then the cheaper less potent wine, but Jesus saved the best-tasting and more potent wine for last. To say otherwise is just reading a presupposition onto the text to make it confirm to an already held belief. Was it really just the best "grape juice" that he saved for the end of the banquet?

If real fermented wine was never used in the Lord's Supper, then how exactly were some abusing the wine and getting drunk (I Cor. 11:21)? Were they getting drunk on "grape juice"? Rather this is another instance of where alcohol can be seen as something good (or at least morally netrual) or something that can be abused and misused in a sinful manner.

So to say the Bible condemns a sip of alcohol outright is clearly making the text say more than it does. The Pharisees did this and were chastised for it. Today and since the temperance movement, many Christians have not been able to discern the difference between self-control/moderation with the dangers of alcohol abuse. Plenty abuse alcohol. But plenty who drink moderately don't. The logic of the temperance movement and its successers have not been able to discern between the two. Typically, those who follow this line of thought condemn many other things in life outright as well when actually a more nuanced view can and should be taken (such as with video games, television shows, going to the movies, etc).

Some who condemn alcohol outright but concede that positive references to wine werent just referring to "grape juice" point out that alcohol in Biblical times was less in alcoholic than ours. That's true, to a point. Most academic estimates put the content of alcohol in Biblical times ranging from 2% and 15%. Others acknowlege that no, the Bible doesn't condemn drinking outright in those days, but for our culture today, a Christian has no business drinking. This position I have many sympathies with. Certainly there are certain places that serve alcohol that a Christian should not patronize. In many social settings, drinking could definitely be a bad witness, especially since even many non-Christians believe that the Bible forbids drinking outright and that any Christian having even one drink would be engaging in hypocrisy.

However, there are plenty of social situations where all this would not apply. In such situations and occassions, is consuming alcohol in moderate quanitites sinful? Not if the Scriptures are our final authority. To say otherwise would be engaging in either Pharasiac extra-moralism, or in the case of the people who feel the true meaning is hidden in the Greek text, bad scholarship. In conclusion, there is certainly nothing wrong with Christians who abstain completely from drinking. You won't hear me complaining that Christians don't drink enough. I also agree that many times it could be a bad witness and those prone to compulsive behavior or temptations of drunkenness should avoid it completly. I personally don't get too excited over the liberty to drink moderately and my wife and I chose not to have it at our own wedding to make a statement to the many unbelievers who would be present. However, there are times, if I'm reading and applying Scripture correctly, when moderate alcohol consumption has no negative moral bearing and is not sinful. Furthermore, if we say fermented alcohol itself is inherently sinful, then Jesus most likely sinned, or at least provided sinful soul-damning beverages to a large group of people. Both moderationists and total abstainers should not look down on one another and should heed the applications of Romans 14:1-23.