Contrary to what many Christians have grown up hearing, it is not a sin to drink alcohol. Scripture nowhere condemns or prohibits consuming moderate levels of alcohol.
Galatians 5:19–21: "The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: ... drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God." Ephesians 5:18: "Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery.
The Bible does present drunkenness as something to avoid and resist. Why? Because drunkenness opposes the goods of sober-mindedness, alertness, and freedom. The Proverbs equates addiction to strong drinks with folly that destroys lives as opposed to the wisdom that gives life.
Many Christian advocates of drinking alcoholic wine point to a verse in 1 Timothy. Paul says, "Drink no longer water, but use a little wine for thy stomach's sake and thine often infirmities" (1 Tim 5:23).
To answer the question we posed earlier, was New Testament wine alcoholic? Certainly, it was fermented and had a modest alcohol content. But the alcohol content was negligible by modern standards. Editor's Note: In a future article, we will compare New Testament wine to modern alcoholic beverages.
Romans 14:21 - "It is good neither to eat flesh, nor to "to drink wine, nor anything whereby thy brother stumbleth, or is offended, or is made weak." 2. Proverbs 20:1 - "Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging: and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise."
The risks and harms associated with drinking alcohol have been systematically evaluated over the years and are well documented.
But the Bible goes further than admitting that drinking is simply allowed. Throughout Scripture, the production and consumption of beer and wine are often connected to the covenant promises of God. Under the old covenant, wine is a blessing (Deut 7:13; 11:14) and the absence of wine a curse (28:39, 51).
Coffee is an acceptable vice. Unlike alcohol, which many evangelicals either abstain from or approach warily, coffee has been enthusiastically embraced. On other hand, some Christians give yoga the stink eye because of its Hindu origins.
It is important to mention when the Bible mentions “wine” it is not referencing the wine most of us enjoy today. It may not even be referring to an alcoholic beverage at all. Wine in the bible can refer to just simple grape juice or wine that does not exceed an alcoholic content of about 10%.
Prov. 31. [4] It is not for kings, O Lemuel, it is not for kings to drink wine; nor for princes strong drink: [6] Give strong drink unto him that is ready to perish, and wine unto those that be of heavy hearts.
Ephesians 5:18
“Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit.” In most cases, you can replace alcohol with drugs and the meaning of the line remains the same.
But in the ancient Middle East, the writers of the Hebrew Bible forbade tattooing. Per Leviticus 19:28, “You shall not make gashes in your flesh for the dead, or incise any marks on yourselves.”
Christians are allowed by God to drink alcohol, but we are forbidden to get drunk. “And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit.” (Ephesians 5:18; also see Proverbs 20:1, 23:20, Isaiah 5:22). This is a command from the Spirit-inspired apostle.
After the account of the great flood, the biblical Noah is said to have cultivated a vineyard, made wine, and become intoxicated. Thus, the discovery of fermentation is traditionally attributed to Noah because this is the first time alcohol appears in the Bible.
It is only in Leviticus 11:7 that eating pork is forbidden to God's people for the very first time—“… and the swine, though it divides the hoof, having cloven hooves, yet does not chew the cud, is unclean to you.” This is where and when pork in all its forms (including ham, bacon, sausage, etc.)
What did Jesus eat on a typical day? The short answer: a lot of bread. Bread was a staple in the typical daily diet in the first-century Greco-Roman world, supplemented with limited amounts of local fruits and vegetables, oil, and salt. Bread in first-century Galilee would have been made with wheat or barley flour.
Some Christians take issue with tattooing, upholding the Hebrew prohibition. The Hebrew prohibition is based on interpreting Leviticus 19:28—"Ye shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor print any marks upon you"—so as to prohibit tattoos. Interpretations of the passage vary, however.
In Abrahamic religions, eating pig flesh is clearly forbidden by Jewish (kashrut), Islamic (halal) and Adventist (kosher animals) dietary laws. Although Christianity is also an Abrahamic religion, most of its adherents do not follow these aspects of Mosaic law and are permitted to consume pork.
One who smokes is considered to be polluting the "Temple of the Holy Spirit" (i.e., the body), which has been sanctified by the reception of the Sacred Mysteries (Sacraments). In Orthodox cultures, various derogatory terms have developed to describe smoking, such as "incense of Satan".
According to most Biblical study websites, there is no explicit scriptural command for or against cremation. There are no passages that forbid cremation, according to most Biblical scholars.
Although there are some who experience gambling as something rewarding and fun, it tends toward being highly addictive and potentially ruinous. The Bible doesn't call gambling a sin as such, although the Bible warns against the love of money and get-rich-quick schemes.
“On this way drunkenness is a mortal sin, because then a man willingly and knowingly deprives himself of the use of reason, whereby he performs virtuous deeds and avoids sin, and thus he sins mortally by running the risk of falling into sin.
You'll get sick less often if you don't drink because excessive alcohol affects your immune system. Your immune system is what fights off infections and diseases. Therefore, abstaining from alcohol makes it easier for your body to naturally fight off infection and diseases.