choir loft Posted August 9, 2019 Group: Diamond Member Followers: 6 Topic Count: 69 Topics Per Day: 0.02 Content Count: 1,209 Content Per Day: 0.38 Reputation: 329 Days Won: 0 Joined: 08/23/2015 Status: Offline Birthday: 10/10/1947 Share Posted August 9, 2019 (edited) Thou shalt not drink fermented beverages or mixed drinks. - 11th commandment of the American Protestant church As a consequence of the American prohibition movement popularized in the mid-19th century, most Protestant American churches now take a stand against drinking wine beer or distilled liquor. When communion is received, denatured grape juice is served rather than alcoholic wine. Culturally speaking, they believe the spirit of the celebration is of primary importance rather than the menu. The common apologetic for using grape juice is the belief that "wine is rotten fruit and I don't believe Jesus would ever drink anything rotten." Although scripture is often used to justify the position, both statements are untrue. PRODUCTION When grapes are squeezed into juice the natural process of fermentation begins immediately. Although the process starts on its own, other ingredients such as yeast and sugar can be added for flavor or to enhance the fermentation process. Documents purporting to describe production of beer suggest it was first brewed five thousand years before the birth of Christ. Proverbs 23 suggests that distilled liquor, or booze, was commonly available. (Prov. 23 speaks of mixed drinks - a combination of fruit juice and distilled grain, fruit or vegetables.) PASTEURIZATION Wine is fermented grape juice which results from a natural process resulting in an alcoholic drink that can be used as a preservative medication or intoxicant. The process of pasteurization, which removes the alcohol and stops the fermentation process, wasn't invented until the 1860's by Louis Pasteur. Therefore it can be truly said that Biblical references to wine describe a fully alcoholic beverage. BIBLICAL REFERENCES Most prohibitionists suggest Jesus didn't convert water into wine (John 4:46), but that a facsimile was created instead. This is an incorrect interpretation because the same passage clearly records the approving comments of those who were experienced wine drinkers. They complimented Jesus for providing good alcoholic wine. JESUS' POINT - HIS OBJECT LESSON, has been missed by those who focus only on prohibition - a purely American political issue. Jesus changed water into wine as physical proof of God's redemption. Isaiah 1:22 describes one of the curses visited upon Zion because of their corruption. The specific curse was wine diluted into water. When Jesus changed water into wine HE was performing a redemptive act - a demonstration of God's redemption within the context of a WEDDING. (Revelation 19:9) He didn't do it at a local watering hole. HE did it at a wedding - an object lesson of redemption to come. It's not about prohibition. It's about redemption. The context of proverbs condemns the abusive excess of alcoholic consumption. It describes the consequences in no uncertain terms. Although alcoholic abuse is a serious matter that cannot be ignored, the Bible by no means condones abstinence. In the New Testament, Paul writes that it's no longer forbidden to drink wine and that it can be taken as a medication or with meals. The appeal for moderation is repeated. In today's society, there are other issues of greater importance than whether or not one ought to drink beer or wine with a good steak. (Some even believe one shouldn't eat the meat either.) My purpose here is to demonstrate God's use of wine as a redemptive object - specifically in the context of the wedding miracle. Finally, in Matthew 26 Our Lord promised he'd drink a glass of wine with us when Our Father's kingdom is established. Like it or not, alcoholic wine is clearly linked to God's redemptive plan for humanity. It makes me wonder what would become of the prohibitionists on that day. Would they, like the pharisees of Jesus' first advent, dare to dictate to the King how He could or could not celebrate HIS great day? Would they dare to dictate to the rest of us how to receive redemption? Something tells me they'd try. What do you think? that's me, hollering from the choir loft... Edited August 9, 2019 by choir loft Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Still Alive Posted August 9, 2019 Group: Royal Member Followers: 4 Topic Count: 13 Topics Per Day: 0.01 Content Count: 3,024 Content Per Day: 1.33 Reputation: 1,224 Days Won: 3 Joined: 02/05/2018 Status: Offline Share Posted August 9, 2019 I went to a protestant church in the Seattle area. Several, actually. But this one had wednesday night small groups and one was a "Bourbon appreciation" group. That being said, I moved to rural KY and found out that Baptists here are as bad as Muslims when it comes to alcohol. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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