“Is Anybody Up There?”

Posted on November 8, 2011 by russellmckinney

Many of us have experienced times when we felt like the little boy who began his prayer by saying, “Hello, is anybody up there?” The times when God seems distant are bad enough, but the times when He seems downright deaf are even worse. Those can really try your faith.

When one of my two sons says, “Daddy, I want to talk you,” that child has my attention. He doesn’t have to beg for it. The mere fact that I am a loving father and want to hear whatever my child might deem worthy to discuss is all it takes. Okay, along those same lines, in Matthew 7:7-11, Jesus says:

Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him! (N.K.J.V., emphasis mine)

You see, not only can God do anything an earthly father can do, He can also do the “how much more” part an earthly father can’t do. Oh, we like the sounds of that, don’t we? So, I could stop right there and have a nice little blog post. But the problem is that the title of this post is “Is Anybody Up There?” rather than “How Much More.”

I know what Jesus says there in Matthew 7:7-11. I’ve read it many times, preached from it many times, and heard it preached from many times. Unfortunately, though, I also know that on occasion I’ve felt like I was talking to the ceiling as I’ve tried to pray. I’ve asked and not had it given to me. I’ve sought and not found. I’ve knocked and had the door stay closed. What do we do with such times? How do we explain them? How do we keep our faith during them?

I think our best approach is to go back to Christ’s comparison of God to an earthly father. I’m sure there have been times when each of my two sons thought that I was distant or deaf when, in reality, I was neither. The misconception was simply the result of me not treating every one of those conversations like it was the singular most important conversation I would ever have with that child. Just because I didn’t feel the need to immediately rush to the child’s side, smother him with kisses and assurances, and grant any request he cared to make, didn’t mean that I wasn’t hearing what he was saying.

Coming at Christ’s promise another way, experts in the New Testament’s original Greek tell us that the Greek behind the words of Matthew 7:7-11 are best translated as “keep on asking,” “keep on seeking,” and “keep on knocking.” The teaching is that God doesn’t always immediately grant the giving, the finding, or the opening. Sometimes He only grants it after you’ve gone to Him with many, many repetitions of the same request.

One of my favorite memories involves my youngest son, Royce, and his request for me to take our family to McDonalds. The four of us had been on vacation for a full week, and we had enjoyed eating at a series of restaurants over the course of those days. Every time we had taken a family vote to decide where to eat, Royce had voted for McDonalds and been outvoted. But at the end of the week, as we were making our way back home in the Dodge Caravan, we decided to make yet another stop for another meal. That called for another vote, and so I said, “Alright, where does everybody want to eat?” Those words had scarcely fallen from my lips before Royce leaned up in his car seat in the back and said with every ounce of conviction he could muster, “MCDONALDS.” And what was my response to that? I just cracked up and said, “Okay, Royce, you win.” My thinking was, “Any kid who shows that kind of tenacity in making the same request after a week’s worth of rejections has got to be rewarded.”

I don’t know where all this finds you today, but maybe you’ve been praying and praying for a certain thing that God hasn’t granted yet. So, maybe you’re wondering, “Is anybody up there?” Well, God had me write this post for you. Yes, He’s up there. Yes, He’s listening. And, yes, He has heard all your previous prayers. He’s just waiting on His perfect timing to grant your request. Remember, if an earthly father can eventually get his kid to McDonalds, how much more can a loving, omnipotent, heavenly father grant your request?

Posted in Faith, Fatherhood, God's Love, God's Timing, Impatience, Patience, Perseverance, Prayer, Prayer Requests | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Something We Could Learn from a Parrot

Posted on November 4, 2011 by russellmckinney

In Queen Victoria’s Windsor Castle, there was a suite of rooms that were used by her personal chaplain. A private passageway connected the chaplain’s study to the Queen’s quarters. Oftentimes, the Queen would use that passageway to consult the chaplain on important matters. Sitting in the passageway was a pet parrot in a cage.

One day, as the Queen was returning to her quarters after a consultation, the parrot spoke to her. She couldn’t make out what it said, but she knew the tone was rather rude. Curious, she asked the chaplain what the bird had said. The chaplain was very much embarrassed and answered, “If you please, Your Majesty, I would rather not repeat it.” “But what was it?” she insisted. “Something I fear Your Majesty will not like; therefore I hope Your Majesty will excuse me from telling it.” By then, of course, the Queen’s curiosity wasn’t going to be denied. She said, “Come, I insist.” The chaplain then bowed himself and answered, “Since Your Majesty insists, the parrot said, ‘Go along, you ugly old woman!'” Upon hearing that, the Queen burst out in laughter and said, “Well, I am glad that there is at least one voice in the kingdom which is not afraid to tell me what it thinks of me.”

I once heard a preacher say, “Straight talk is easily understood,” and that line has always stuck with me. I am a firm believer that there isn’t enough straight talk in our society these days. We are masters at mincing words. Because we live in terror of offending others, we water down the truth to take the edge off it. This has made us a nation of conversational fakes where everyone is sheltered from uncompromised truth, a country where being blunt is too often looked upon as hate speech.

I have to wonder how God’s Old Testament prophets would fare in modern-day America. Take Amos for example. He called the ungodly women of the northern kingdom of Israel “cows of Bashan” (Amos 4:1). I doubt that he could build much of a congregation with such preaching today. Jesus sometimes preached in that same vein as well. He called the scribes and Pharisees “hypocrites” (Matthew 23:13), “blind guides” (Matthew 23:16), “fools” (Matthew 23:17), “serpents” (Matthew 23:33), and a “brood of vipers” (Matthew 23:33). That’s not exactly, “God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life.”

I’m not saying that tact and diplomacy don’t have their place. As a matter of fact, they should be the basic rule that governs our words. My point is that we have swung so far in that direction that we’ve just about forgotten the value of straight talk.

So, what do I want you to do with this post? That’s simple: use it as an incentive to be more “real” in your conversations. If there is a problem, say so. If something needs to be corrected, speak up. If a change needs to be made, don’t keep to yourself about it. Vanilla words might allow us all to remain in our comfort zones, but they will never advance God’s work in this world. Sometimes you’ve just got to tell it like it is and let Him handle the fallout.

Posted in Communication, Courage, God's Work, Honesty, Influence, Ministry, Preaching, The Tongue, Witnessing | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

God Knows Your Size Exactly

Posted on November 3, 2011 by russellmckinney

The Cornish preacher Billy Bray was a well-known Methodist minister of another day. He was once approached by a Quaker who said in his Old English manner of speaking, “I have often observed thy unselfish life and feel much interested in thee, and I believe the Lord would have me help thee; so if thou wilt call at my house, I have a suit of clothes to which thou art welcome if they will fit thee.” And how did Billy Bray respond to that offer of being gifted a free suit of clothes? In his thick Cornish accent, he said, “Thank’ee, I will call, and thee need have no doubt that the clothes will fit me. If the Lord told thee that they were for me, they’re sure to fit, for He knows my size exactly.”

Wasn’t that a wonderful response? Yes, God does know our sizes exactly. Remember that Jesus said, “…the very hairs of your head are all numbered” (Matthew 10:30). I wonder, have you ever truly grasped the full significance of that statement? Needless to say, a God who has every last hair of your head numbered surely has an incomprehensibly thorough knowledge of you. He knows what makes you tick, what appeals to you, and what’s in your wheelhouse. As much as you know about yourself, He knows even more about you.

This is why you must never be afraid of God’s plan for your life. Whatever that plan is, it will be your size exactly. That means that it will play to your strengths and make use of your talents and gifts. You see, you really are unique. God didn’t use a cookie-cutter approach when He created you. So, never try to be someone that you’re not. Just be yourself. That is, after all, the role you were born to play.

Posted in Change, Choices, Courage, Decisions, Desires, Faith, God's Omnipotence, God's Foreknowledge, God's Omniscience, God's Sovereignty, God's Will, God's Work, Individuality, Ministry, Service, Spiritual Gifts, Submission, Talents, Trusting In God | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

What Does the Bible Teach About Drinking Alcohol? (9)

Posted on November 1, 2011 by russellmckinney

This post will finish up this series. I didn’t plan for the series to run quite this long, but as we’ve seen, this is a complex topic that brings in quite a bit of scripture. People certainly do it a disservice when they try to simplify it and make it a one-size-fits-all, black-or-white kind of thing. Unfortunately, the material that I’ll offer in this last post is going to complicate things a bit more.

In the previous post, I explained the term “Christian liberty.” While I won’t rehash all that information here, I do need to say a few more things on the subject. Think of this as me now giving you the flip side of the “Christian liberty” coin.

It’s definitely true that the Bible teaches that a Christian has a sizable amount of God-granted liberty when it comes to, shall we say, “debatable” matters. However, the same Bible also lays down three rules for the use of this liberty. Let’s take them one at a time.

Rule #1: A troubled conscience always cancels out Christian liberty. The interesting thing about your conscience is that it can’t tell the difference between a rule that can be supported by scripture and one that can’t. Really, your conscience is only as good as the information sent to it by your brain. Therefore, the problem is simple: A faulty understanding creates a misfiring conscience.

For example, let’s say that a Christian is raised in a home, city, and culture in which everyone considers the drinking of even one beer a mortal sin. As we’ve seen in this series, that rule can’t be supported by scripture. Still, though, until that Christian learns this, he or she is left to believe that drinking a beer is a sin. And what does that set-up do? It allows that Christian’s conscience to send out all kinds of warning bells if that Christian even looks at a beer. Yes, they will be misinformed bells, sounded from faulty information, but they will be warning bells nonetheless.

Consequently, that Christian’s conscience will keep him from being able to evoke Christian liberty to enjoy a beer. We can describe this as sinning against one’s conscience. 1 Corinthians 8:7 talks about this kind of thing in regard to the ancient Christians eating meat that had been offered to idols. It says:

However, there is not in everyone that knowledge; for some, with consciousness of the idol, until now eat it as a thing offered to an idol; and their conscience, being weak (we might say misinformed), is defiled. (N.K.J.V.)

Romans 14:23 applies here as well. It goes so far as to teach that even if an act isn’t a sin, it actually becomes a sin for you if you can’t do it with a completely clear conscience:

But he who doubts (doubts the scriptural legality of the act) is condemned if he eats, because he does not eat from faith; for whatever is not from faith is sin. (N.K.J.V.)

Rule #2: The Christian commits sin if he exercises his liberty in a way that causes someone else to sin. Let’s say that a friend and I go out to eat at a restaurant that serves delicious ribs that just drip with sweet barbecue sauce. Naturally, we each order a plate of ribs. Then my friend listens in astonishment as I order a beer. (For the record, this is just a make-believe illustration. Anyone who knows me knows that I don’t drink beer, wine, liquor, or any other kind of alcoholic beverage.) 

Now, my friend was raised to believe that drinking a beer is a sin, but he thinks to himself, “Russell is a preacher, and so if he says that’s it alright to drink a beer, it must be.” So, he says to the waitress, “I’ll have a beer, too.” But the problem is that his misinformed conscience starts gnawing at him as soon as those words fall from his lips. And by the time the beers come and he and I each take a sip, he is in full-blown sin.

What happened there? I wrongly used my Christian liberty to lead my friend into sin. Listen to the words of 1 Corinthians 8:9,12:

But beware lest somehow this liberty of yours become a stumbling block to those who are weak (misinformed)…But when you thus sin against the brethren, and wound their weak conscience, you sin against Christ. (N.K.J.V.)

And then there is also Romans 14:15-16, 20-21: (I’ll add in some running commentary to apply the passage’s relevance to the subject of alcohol.)

Yet if your brother is grieved because of your food (or for our topic, drink) you are no longer walking in love. Do not destroy with your food (drink) the one for whom Christ died. Therefore do not let your good (the fact that your conscience is operating from correct information) be spoken of as evil…Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food (drink). All things indeed are pure, but it is evil for the man (your friend with the misinformed conscience) who eats (drinks) with offense. It is good neither to eat meat nor drink wine nor do anything by which your brother stumbles or is offended or is made weak. (N.K.J.V.)

Rule #3: Even though some acts might be allowable under Christian liberty, the Christian shouldn’t engage in them if they are not helpful to him. It’s hard to see how a Christian who is a recovering alcoholic or who has at least had several bouts of drunkenness in the past is going to be helped by drinking one beer, one glass of wine, or one shot of liquor. If a dog has bitten you in the past and sent you to the emergency room, why keep trying to pet it? If your track record shows beyond the shadow of a doubt that you have a natural bent toward becoming addicted to a certain thing, why go out of your way to place yourself in the path of temptation?

This third rule isn’t about categorizing an act as “sin” or “not sin.” No, the act in question is clearly “not sin.” The point is that the act simply isn’t helpful (spiritually constructive, edifying, and empowering) for that specific Christian. Particularly, this rule applies to acts that have the potential to lead to addiction, a list which can certainly include the drinking of alcoholic beverages. In 1 Corinthians 6:12, the apostle Paul puts it this way:

All things are lawful for me, but all things are not helpful. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any. (N.K.J.V.)

Now, in closing, let me say that by abiding by these three rules, the Christian can keep himself within the banks of using his Biblical liberty to engage in a “debatable” act such as drinking alcohol. Christian liberty must never be used as a license to sin, but when it is rightly understood and lived out it will be a wonderful source of blessing for the Christian. After all, “liberty” is a good word, right? It’s not something to shy away from or fear; it’s something to embrace and enjoy. Just be careful, Christian, that you don’t forget these three rules. Yes, God wants you to enjoy life, but He doesn’t want you to do it like a half-crazed wild man who has no scriptural moorings. Remember that liberty walks hand in hand with responsibility. You’re not a child, so don’t act like one.

Posted in Addiction, Alcohol, Balance, Choices, Christian Liberty, Influence, Personal Holiness, Series: "What Does the Bible Teach About Drinking Alcohol?", Sin, Temptation | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

What Does the Bible Teach About Drinking Alcohol? (8)

Posted on October 26, 2011 by russellmckinney

Did you know that the early churches of the New Testament struggled mightily with an issue that we think nothing of today? I mean they got into heated disputes over it. Some Christians would separate themselves from other Christians over it. Others would call the salvation of fellow Christians into question over it. And what was this divisive issue? It was the eating of meat that had been offered to idols.

In ancient cities such as Rome, Corinth, and Ephesus, pagan temples dedicated to pagan gods were commonplace. As part of the idolatrous worship at these temples, priests would offer up animal sacrifices to the false gods. These animals were choice, unblemished, high-grade meat.

Following a sacrifice, the leftovers were sold in the meat markets of the cities. The meat was the choicest available, but the price was cheap because the meat was “used.” Naturally, the lost people of the city thought nothing of purchasing the meat and eating it. The Christians, on the other hand, didn’t know how to handle the dilemma. Eat meat that carried the taint of idol worship? Would God allow such a thing? The answer you got depended upon which Christian you asked.

The Gentile Christians who had been saved out of idolatry and paganism were particularly sensitive about the whole issue. They just couldn’t make their consciences believe that God was okay with them eating that meat, no matter how much of a bargain the meat was. We can liken each of those Christians to one who has been saved out of alcoholism. No matter how many preachers, Bible teachers, and commentators tell that Christian that it’s alright to drink a beer or a glass of wine, that Christian won’t quite believe it. His past experiences have just been too scarring.

Well, it was clear that the early churches needed some God-inspired guidance concerning the eating of that meat. And who better to provide that guidance than the greatest theologian the world has ever known, the apostle Paul? So, it’s no wonder that he devoted extensive sections of his letters to the Christians of Rome and Corinth to the topic. And what was his take on the meat? We find the answer in the following passages (all from the N.K.J.V.):

Therefore concerning the eating of things offered to idols, we know that an idol is nothing in the world, and that there is no other God but one. (1 Corinthians 8:4)

Eat whatever is sold in the meat market, asking no questions for conscience’ sake; (1 Corinthians 10:25)

I know and am convinced by the Lord Jesus that there is nothing unclean of itself… (Romans 14:14a)

For every creature of God is good, and nothing is to be refused if it is received with thanksgiving; for it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer. (1 Timothy 4:4-5)

Now, I do realize that I’m only giving you half of what Paul taught on this subject, and I promise you that we’ll get to the other half in the next post. But for now just let the first part of Paul’s God-inspired teaching wash over you and penetrate into your soul. The man taught, “Since there is only one true God, an idol is really nothing. As nothing, it certainly doesn’t have the power to taint meat. So, don’t let your conscience wear you out over such meat. Eat whatever is sold in the meat market.” In 1 Corinthians 8:9, Paul calls the option to eat that meat “this liberty of yours.” That’s where we get the term “Christian liberty.”

But here’s the question for us Christians today: How does Paul’s teaching on “Christian liberty” come into play in our lives? (After all, we don’t have to deal with meat that has been offered to idols.) And the answer is, we do have to deal with things such as: wine, beer, liquor, secular music, secular movies, secular t.v. shows, and the latest fashions.

Oh, sure, we can be good little legalists who live miserable little lives. We can throw out our televisions, shun movie theaters, keep our radios turned off, wear Puritan-style clothing, avoid any restaurant that has a bar, refuse to celebrate Christmas, Easter, and Halloween (all of these holidays have pagan trappings, you know), and spend all our time praying, reading the Bible, and listening to gospel music. But is that really how God wants us to live?

I think not. Jesus wasn’t a hermit-like isolationist. He got out among the masses and enjoyed life. As a matter of fact, His “Christian liberty” kept the legalistic Pharisees, Sadducees, and scribes torn all to pieces. They couldn’t believe that He had the gall to do some of the things He did.

I think that Chuck Swindoll, the well known pastor and radio preacher, has given us a wonderful illustration of why Christians desperately need to grasp the concept of Christian liberty. In his study guide for Romans chapters 12-16, under a heading entitled Taboo Or Not Taboo?, he writes:

Isn’t it funny how religious convictions can vary so widely among Christians? Let’s invite some believers of different backgrounds to a pool party, just to see what will happen.

Out on the pool deck, our party is well under way: the hot dogs are roasting on the grill, the drinks are getting iced in the coolers, and our guests are happily visiting and laughing under a warm, sunny sky.

Suddenly events take a turn for the worse: three couples from California decide to take a dip in the pool before lunch. They toss off their sandals and T-shirts, jump into the pool, and begin tossing a beach ball around. Bill, from Alabama, practically falls out of his chair. He doesn’t believe in “mixed bathing” – males and females swimming in the same pool at the same time. He quickly excuses himself and walks into the house whispering in disbelief, “What bacchanalian ritual have I stumbled onto here?”

Passing Bill in the doorway is Amber, the teenage granddaughter of Ethel, our senior party guest. Amber, in a cool tank top and shorts, is just showing up for the party, but she barely gets both feet on the deck before Ethel meets her with a bright pink, oversize beach towel in hand. “Amber dear,” Ethel says, “For goodness’ sake, cover yourself before you cause some poor boy to stumble!” Amber – now a pink terry cloth mummy – trudges to the first chair she can find, plops herself down, and commences to sulk.

Andy, our Lutheran guest, tries to lighten things up. He turns to Mike, a Southern Baptist, and asks, “Want a drink from my cooler?” Mike heartily accepts, and Andy raises the lid, revealing several of his favorite brands of beer. “Which one would you like?” Mike doesn’t answer, but quietly joins Bill inside the house.

“What’s with him?” Andy asks. “There’s nothing wrong with having one dang beer!” “Andy!” his wife exclaims, “Watch your mouth! That graphic language really bothers me.”

Now do you see why it’s so important that we Christians truly understand Christian liberty?

Posted in Alcohol, Balance, Choices, Christian Liberty, Personal Holiness, Series: "What Does the Bible Teach About Drinking Alcohol?" | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

What Does the Bible Teach About Drinking Alcohol? (7)

Posted on October 25, 2011 by russellmckinney

Thus far in this series, I’ve made the case that the Bible allows for a certain amount of moderate drinking. However, we really need to understand that the alcoholic beverages of Bible times were nowhere near as potent as those of our day. That’s why I’ve decided to devote an entire post to that subject. Since I’m far from an expert in this field, I’ll just offer two quotes and let them do the work for me.

The first quote comes from Dr. Charles Ryrie, the renowned Bible scholar. In his book The Miracles Of Our Lord, he writes the following concerning Christ’s changing of the water into wine:

Let them also remember that today’s wine is not first boiled before storage, then reconstituted with three parts water before drinking, as was true in the time of Christ. Today’s wine is 10 to 14 percent alcohol as it comes from the bottle. That is why one five-and-one-half ounce glass of wine (about the size of a punch cup) raises the alcohol in the blood as much as a cocktail or two bottles of beer.

Second, Dr. J. Carl Laney, in his commentary on the gospel of John, writes this:

It is of considerable significance that in antiquity wine was diluted with water. Only barbarians would drink unmixed wine. This custom is referred to in the epilogue of 2 Maccabees, where the writer states, “Just as it is injurious to drink wine by itself, or again water, whereas wine mixed with water is pleasant and produces a delightful sense of well being…Although the ratio varied, one part wine was usually mixed with three parts water.”

I really don’t think it’s necessary for us to try to nail down the precise ratio of the water to the wine. The point is that the wine of Bible times was usually diluted to a fairly large degree. That is undeniable, and anyone who wants to study this subject in a mature and honest manner will freely admit that. So, that covers the wine. But what about the “strong drink”?

Well, I can tell you that the 1901 Jewish Encyclopedia (Vol. 12, p.533) states that in the rabbinic period the wine was diluted with water but the “strong drink” wasn’t. Still, even taking that fact into account, I don’t doubt that the beers and liquors of today are probably even more potent than the “strong drink” described in the Bible. Brewers and alcohol manufacturers, with their advanced knowledge and years of experience, see to that.

And so I write this particular post as a word of warning to anyone who would take the Bible’s allowance for alcohol consumption too flippantly. I don’t mind you understanding that you can do a touch of drinking and still be within the banks of scripture, but I also want you to understand that today’s wine, beer, and liquors have a lot more potency than the alcoholic beverages described in the Bible. That means that “a little dab will do ‘ya.” It also means that too much of a dab will “do ‘ya in” rather quickly.

Posted in Alcohol, Balance, Christian Liberty, Series: "What Does the Bible Teach About Drinking Alcohol?" | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

What Does the Bible Teach About Drinking Alcohol? (6)

Posted on October 20, 2011 by russellmckinney

Christ’s changing of the water into wine is one of His more famous miracles. It’s also one of His most debated. Some folks absolutely cringe at the very notion of Jesus devoting a miracle to making alcoholic wine. They say, “It had to be grape juice because the Lord isn’t a bootlegger.”

The problem with that line of interpretation is that it doesn’t really fit the story itself as the Bible presents it in John 2:1-11. I’m not trying to offend anyone or create a fuss; I’m simply trying to let the story read the way it reads and understand it correctly. And when we do that we see that there are at least two solid reasons why we should believe that the wine really was of the intoxicating variety.

Reason #1: The Greek word the story uses for wine in verses 3, 9, and 10 is oinos. As we learned in the first post from this series, this word clearly refers to alcoholic wine. It’s used in Ephesians 5:18, 1 Timothy 5:23, and Titus 2:3, and in those passages it obviously refers to wine that will make you drunk if you imbibe too much of it. As renowned Greek scholar Dr. Marvin Vincent says in his Word Studies In The New Testament, “In every instance of its use in the New Testament the word means intoxication.”

Reason #2: The words from the master of the feast make little sense if the wine was grape juice. He said, “Every man at the beginning sets out the good wine, and when the guests have well drunk, then the inferior. You have kept the good wine until now” (John 2:10, N.K.J.V.). Now you tell me, what would be the advantage of serving the inferior wine later? You know that answer. I’m not saying the guests would have been so wasted that they wouldn’t have been able to tell the difference in the quality. (To the contrary, the fact that the master of the feast could tell the difference between the first wine and Christ’s wine proves positively that he wasn’t drunk). But let’s at least admit that their moods would have been better and their taste buds more agreeable. Remember that the Bible makes no bones about the fact that wine makes the heart merry (Judges 9:13; Ruth 3:7; 2 Samuel 13:28; Esther 1:10; Psalm 31:6; Psalm 104:15; Ecclesiastes 9:7; and Ecclesiastes 10:19).

By the way, the argument that Jesus wouldn’t have made such a vast amount of alcoholic wine (between 120 and 180 gallons) for one wedding celebration fails to consider that a large Jewish wedding of that day would last for seven days and play host to dozens upon dozens of guests. Furthermore, the argument that Jesus making alcoholic wine would have violated Habakkuk 2:15 doesn’t hold either because the prohibition there is against forcing someone to get drunk so that you can engage in sexual sin with that person. Jewish weddings never descended into the realm of drunken orgies.

And so, in conclusion, these two valid reasons leave us to believe that Jesus turned the water into alcoholic wine. Now, was that wine as potent as the wine of our day? Well, I’m glad you asked that question because I’m going to devote my next post to answering it. So, I’ll ask you to hang with me and stay tuned.

Posted in Alcohol, Christ's Miracles, Christian Liberty, Series: "What Does the Bible Teach About Drinking Alcohol?" | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

What Does the Bible Teach About Drinking Alcohol? (5)

Posted on October 17, 2011 by russellmckinney

Did Jesus drink fermented (alcoholic) wine? Needless to say, that’s a hot-button question. To answer it, all I know to do is go to the Bible.

I’ll begin by saying that the gospels do not use oinos, the Greek word for alcoholic wine, in regards to Christ’s instituting of The Lord’s Supper. We see this in Matthew 26:27-29, Mark 14:22-25, and Luke 22:14-22. I’ll quote the Matthew passage here:

Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins. But I say to you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in My Father’s kingdom.” (N.K.J.V., emphasis mine)

You’ll notice that the phrase “fruit of the vine” is used in this passage rather than the word “wine.” This leads some Christians to contend that the cup that got passed around at The Lord’s Supper contained unfermented grape juice rather than fermented wine. As the argument goes, if that cup had contained fermented wine, the New Testament’s original Greek would use the word oinos. For the record, in my previous days, that is the interpretation that I applied to the passage.

In more recent days, however, I have been struck by the fact that the phrase “fruit of the vine” could describe fermented wine just as easily as it could unfermented grape juice. After all, the grapes themselves are the fruit, and grape juice and wine are both made from them. Furthermore, Jesus had served fermented wine as part of another meal earlier in His ministry (John 2:1-12). (I’ll talk about that story in my next post.) Therefore, my thinking now has changed in regards to the question of whether or not Jesus served real wine at The Lord’s Supper. While I’ll quickly concede that the contents of the cup at The Lord’s Supper could have been unfermented grape juice, my own thinking on the topic now aligns with the majority opinion among Bible scholars and commentators, that being that the cup contained actual wine.

Of course, even if the wine was fermented, the Jews typically diluted their wine with enough water (two-thirds water/one-third wine) to render the drink essentially non-intoxicating. As a matter of fact, this is how most commentators interpret the beverage used at The Lord’s Supper. The common assumption is that the “last supper” that Jesus enjoyed with His disciples on the night of His arrest was a typical Jewish Passover meal (complete with a Passover lamb, unleavened bread, bitter herbs, and watered-down wine), and Jesus instituted The Lord’s Supper at the close of that meal, using the same type of drink that had been used during the meal. If this interpretation is correct, it means that Jesus drank watered-down alcoholic wine as part of His “last supper” with His apostles and The Lord’s Supper that followed.

Okay, so are there any other passages that might have some relevancy to the question of whether or not Jesus ever drank alcoholic wine? Yes, there are. One is Mark 15:23, which in the context of describing Christ’s crucifixion, says this:

Then they gave Him wine mingled with myrrh to drink, but He did not take it. (N.K.J.V.)

This verse’s Greek word for “wine” is the familiar oinos, which means alcoholic wine. The Romans offered such a drink as a painkiller to men being crucified. Jesus, however, refused it, and His refusal allows some Christians — those who contend that Jesus never drank any type of fermented wine — to say that He refused it because He was thoroughly opposed to anyone drinking alcoholic beverages under any circumstances.

Again, however, there is another possible interpretation that many, including myself, think rings closer to the truth. According to this interpretation, Jesus refused the oinos those Romans offered Him because He wanted to experience the fullness of the cross without having His senses dulled in any way. In other words, if He was going to die to pay the world’s sin debt, He wanted to do so without any aid from anything that would dull the pain and thus lessen the suffering.

Now let’s move on to a couple of other passages that we need to consider. The passages are Matthew 11:18-19 and Luke 7:33-34, and they both tell the same story. I’ll quote the one from Luke. It records Jesus saying to the Jewish religious leaders:

“For John the Baptist came neither eating bread nor drinking wine, and you say, ‘He has a demon.’ The Son of Man has come eating and drinking, and you say, ‘Look, a glutton and a winebibber, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!'” (N.K.J.V., emphasis mine)

Basically, those Jewish religious leaders couldn’t be appeased. On the one hand, they criticized John the Baptist for his isolationist lifestyle and minimalistic diet (Luke 1:13-15; Matthew 2:4). On the other hand, they criticized Jesus for the fact that, socially speaking, He was the polar opposite of John the Baptist (Luke 5:27-32). But what we want to focus upon is the fact that those leaders called Jesus a “winebibber,” which means “a person who drinks excessive amounts of wine.”

Admittedly, we need to be careful here because we can’t assume that Jesus drank alcoholic wine simply because those Jews said that He did. With that noted, however, I don’t feel totally comfortable believing that they just pulled that accusation out of thin air. I mean, they didn’t call John the Baptist a “winebibber,” did they?

I suppose the accusation could have simply grown out of Jesus attending feasts like the one in the home of Matthew (Levi) (Luke 5:29-32). Surely alcoholic wine was served at that feast. Again, this doesn’t automatically mean that Jesus drank such wine there, but those Jewish did complain that He ate and drank with tax collectors and other so-called “sinners” (Luke 5:30).

There are some who contend that Jesus would never have drunk wine because that would have violated Old Testament law concerning the priesthood. Certainly Jesus did live His earthly life as a Jew who kept that body of law that God had given to Moses and the Israelites. He even made a point of saying, “Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill.” (Matthew 5:17) And what did that law command concerning priests as they ministered in the tabernacle (temple)? Leviticus 10:8-11 tells us:

Then the Lord spoke to Aaron (Israel’s first high priest), saying: “Do not drink wine or intoxicating drink, you, nor your sons with you, when you go into the tabernacle of meeting, lest you die. It shall be a statue forever throughout your generations, that you may distinguish between holy and unholy, and between unclean and clean, and that you may teach the children of Israel all the statutes which the Lord has spoken to them by the hand of Moses.” (N.K.J.V.)

You say, “Ah, at last, that settles it! Jesus would never have drunk alcoholic wine because He was a priest, like Aaron.” Well, unfortunately, things aren’t so cut and dried as that. Consider the following facts:

#1: That law specifically dealt with ministering in the Jewish tabernacle or (later on) the Jewish temple. But Jesus never ministered as a priest at the temple of His day. He visited there, but He never performed any priestly duties there. Israel had its own priests.

#2: The New Testament book of Hebrews expressly teaches that even though Jesus is a High Priest, He isn’t of the priestly order of Aaron. He is, instead, of the priestly order of Melchizedek. (Hebrews 5:1-6; 7:1-27) Interestingly, Melchizedek ministered in a time before the building of the Jewish tabernacle or the temple.

#3: In Genesis 14:18-20, the only Old Testament passage that speaks of Melchizedek, he brings two particular items to Abraham. Those items are bread and (you got it) wine.

So, in conclusion, what answer are we left with at the end of this post? Did Jesus drink alcoholic wine or not? The truth is, there is simply no way to take the Bible and build a 100% case for either a “yes” or a “no” answer. With that understood, though, if you pin me up against a wall and force me to state my opinion, I’ll say that I believe that, on occasion, He did. For one thing, fermented, watered-down wine was a very common part of the Jewish way of life. And for another, I just don’t think those Jewish religious leaders completely fabricated that charge about Him being a “winebibber.” Obviously, He never drank wine to excess because that would have been a sin, but I do lean toward thinking that those guys had at least seen him drink some wine. And as for the argument that Old Testament law concerning the priesthood kept Him from drinking, as I’ve shown you, that argument can be pretty easily refuted.

Posted in Alcohol, Christ's Death, Christian Liberty, Crucifixion, Series: "What Does the Bible Teach About Drinking Alcohol?", The Lord's Supper | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

What Does the Bible Teach About Drinking Alcohol? (4)

Posted on October 14, 2011 by russellmckinney

I used my previous post in this series to condemn the sin of drunkenness. Now I want to share a few thoughts on addiction to alcohol. All drunkenness is sin, but there’s a difference between getting drunk once at a party and being a full-blown alcoholic.

I take no joy or pride in admitting that alcoholism runs on both sides of my family. So, trust me, I could write a book on the subject. Isn’t it amazing how easily one glass of wine or one can of beer can turn into decades of hard drinking? The old saying is so true: “First the man takes a drink. Then the drink takes a drink. Then the drink takes the man.”

Many of us know all too well the incredible damage that alcohol can do to a life. That’s why we shy away from having honest discussions about the Bible making any allowances for drinking. We fear that if we give ground on having even one glass of wine with a plate of lasagna at an Italian restaurant, one bottle of beer at a July picnic, or one shot of liquor on a cold night, we will fan the flames of the already raging bonfire of alcohol addiction in this country.

Consequently, many of us end up in one of two camps. Camp 1: We try to ignore the subject outright by never talking about it. Or Camp 2: We talk about it too much as we try to get everybody to join us inside our fortress of total abstinence. Our problem, however, is that neither camp lines up with the totality of what the Bible teaches.

Is alcoholism a very real problem? Of course it is. But does everyone who drinks become addicted? Believe it or not, they don’t. Maybe your uncle Joe did. Maybe your cousin Sue did. Maybe your child did. Maybe you did. But that doesn’t mean that everyone does.

You see, in one way, alcohol is like food. When used appropriately it can be viewed as a blessing from God. It makes this difficult life a little more enjoyable. It brings pleasure to the taste buds. It can even help settle the stomach. But when it is used to sinful excess, the good turns to harm. Just as overeating creates the sin of gluttony and causes all kinds of physical, emotional, and psychological problems, drinking too much creates the sin of drunkenness and causes the same kinds of problems. Is it any wonder, then, that the Bible so frequently links the sins of gluttony and drunkenness together? (Deuteronomy 21:20; Proverbs 23:21; Ecclesiastes 10:16-19; Isaiah 22:12-13; Amos 6:3-7; Luke 12:19; 1 Peter 4:3)

And so, how should we deal with addiction to alcohol, or any addiction for that matter (food, drugs, pornography, sex, etc.)? Well, it sounds like a cliche but the cure for every addiction is Jesus. I can think of two passages that say it all. First, there is John 8:34,36:

Jesus answered them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave to sin…Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.” (N.K.J.V.)

And then second, there is Luke 4:17-18:

And He was handed the book of the prophet Isaiah. And when He had opened the book, He found the place where it was written: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed; to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.”

And so, we see that Jesus is the liberator for anyone is enslaved by or held captive by addiction. He is the Moses who can lead that person out of that Egypt. He is the David who can slay that person’s giant. He is the Solomon who can erect a shining new temple of holiness in that person’s life. Addiction doesn’t intimidate Him in the least. He has released scores of captives from its grip already, and He stands ready and willing to do it one more time.

Posted in Addiction, Alcohol, Balance, Choices, Christian Liberty, Drugs, Gluttony, Personal Holiness, Series: "What Does the Bible Teach About Drinking Alcohol?", Sin, Temptation | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

What Does the Bible Teach About Drinking Alcohol? (3)

Posted on October 13, 2011 by russellmckinney

Now that we’ve taken the Bible and established that it does allow for some drinking of wine (see post 1 of this series) and other alcoholic drinks (see post 2), we really need to hit the sin of drunkenness hard. And we certainly won’t have any trouble finding scriptures to do so because God’s written word is chocked full of such texts. Here is a small sampling (all from the N.K.J.V.):

1. Wine is a mocker, strong drink is a brawler, and whoever is led astray by it is not wise. (Proverbs 20:1)

2. And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit. (Ephesians 5:18)

3. Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of God. (1 Corinthians 6:9-11)

4. Awake, you drunkards, and weep; and wail, all you drinkers of wine, because of the new wine, for it is cut off from your mouth. (Joel 1:5)

5. Woe to him who gives drink to his neighbor, pressing him to your bottle, even to make him drunk, that you may look on his nakedness! (Habakkuk 2:15)

6. Let us walk properly, as in the day, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, not in strife and envy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts. (Romans 13:13-14)

7. For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk are drunk at night. But let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet the hope of salvation. (1 Thessalonians 5:7-8)

As you can see, the Bible comes down like thunder on the sin of drunkenness. So even though the drinking of alcoholic beverages is allowable, the allowance is limited. It’s not a “get out of jail free” card. It’s not a sanctioning to drink yourself into a stupor. There is a line that shouldn’t be crossed, and it’s a line that comes into play pretty quickly.

Actually, the Bible even describes some situations in which drinking alcoholic beverages was forbidden altogether. They were as follows:

1. Israel’s priests weren’t allowed to drink either wine or strong drink when they entered the tabernacle (temple). (Leviticus 10:8-11; Ezekiel 44:21; Isaiah 28:7)

2. It wasn’t good for rulers (kings and princes) to drink wine or strong drink because it might impair their judgment. (Proverbs 31:4-5)

3. Any Jew who volunteered to take the “vow of a Nazarite” had to completely separate himself or herself from all wine, strong drink, vinegar, and grape juice. (Numbers 6:1-3; Judges 13:1-5; Luke 1:13-15)

Getting back to the point, however, even though God allows for a certain amount of alcoholic consumption, the sin begins when the person abuses the privilege by getting drunk. This explains the various passages which differentiate between acceptable drinking and crossing the line. I’ll list some of those passages (again, all from the N.K.J.V.) and use boldface emphasis to mark the line between acceptable drinking and drunkenness:

1. Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has contentions? Who has complaints? Who has wounds without cause? Who has redness of eyes? Those who linger long at the wine, those who go in search of mixed wine. (Proverbs 23:29-30)

2. Woe to men mighty at drinking wine, woe to men valiant for mixing intoxicating drink. (Isaiah 5:22)

3. No longer drink only water, but use a little wine for your stomach’s sake and your frequent infirmities. (1 Timothy 5:23)

4. A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, temperate, sober-minded, of good behavior, hospitable, able to teach; not given to (addicted to) wine… (1 Timothy 3:2-3)

5. Likewise deacons must be reverent, not double-tongued, not given to (addicted to) much wine… (1 Timothy 3:8)

And so, we see that it doesn’t take much to drink yourself into sin. This is why I felt such trepidation as I wrote those first two posts of this series. Frankly, it would be a whole lot easier for me, as a preacher, if God just outlawed wine and strong drink altogether. But He doesn’t do that. What He does do, though, is load the Bible with very clear warnings about the danger of drunkenness and expect us to heed them.

Posted in Addiction, Alcohol, Balance, Christian Liberty, Series: "What Does the Bible Teach About Drinking Alcohol?", Sin, Temptation | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment