The majority of those claiming to be religious will agree that it is sinful for a Christian to consume alcohol to the point of drunkenness (after all, this is what the negative examples considered from the Old Testament reveal as we considered a couple of weeks ago). Even in the New Testament, we find very clear condemnation concerning the sin of drunkenness (1 Cor. 6:9-10; Eph. 5:18, NKJV). So does this mean that it is okay for us to drink just a little?
As we begin to consider this thought, let’s keep 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 in mind. Our bodies are not our own, but they are God’s, therefore, we are to “glorify God” in our bodies and our spirits. We must be wise stewards of our bodies and take care of them to the best of our abilities to bring glory to God (a lesson that applies to more than just the consumption of alcohol). As it relates to alcohol, we must consider whether it is safe for our bodies in any amount. Researchers from the University of Oxford have determined that there is “no safe dose of alcohol for the brain.”[1] As soon as the consumption of alcohol starts, the brain is affected. One such danger is the way that alcohol grips and holds many of those who consume it. The National Institute of Health recognizes the danger of alcohol because of its addictive nature.[2] Those who struggle with alcohol addiction do not begin drinking with the intent to become an alcoholic – one becomes an alcoholic because he started with one drink, which led to another drink, then another.
At the start of this year, the U.S. Surgeon General released a new advisory report indicating that, next to obesity and tobacco, “alcohol consumption is the third leading preventable cause of cancer in the United States.”[3] Nearly 100,000 cancer cases and nearly 20,000 cancer related deaths each year are the result of the drinking alcohol (a number higher than the annual 13,500 alcohol related motor vehicle accident fatalities).[4] One might be tempted to believe that this is the result of drinking large amounts of alcohol, but the report reveals there is “a similar number of overall cancer cases at lower levels as higher levels of consumption.”[5] Based on those who consume less than one drink per week, 1 out of every 10 men, and nearly 1 out of every 5 women are likely to develop some form of cancer.[6] In other words, whether one drinks a little or drinks a lot, he or she is drastically increasing their odds of cancer.
Based on the evidence, alcohol is dangerous to one’s health. Despite such recognized dangers, however, there are still those who claim that drinking alcohol is okay so long as one does not get drunk. Even in this, there is a failure to honestly examine what the Bible teaches. Next week, we will look at some New Testament passages often used to try and justify social or casual drinking of alcohol.
[1] Anya Topiwala, Klaus P. Ebmeier, Thomas Maullin-Sapey, & Thomas E. Nichols, “No safe level of alcohol consumption for brain health,” medRXiv, 12 May 2021, https://doi.org/10.1101/2021.05.10.21256931.
[2] “The Cycle of Alcohol Addiction,” National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, 2021, https://www.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/cycle-alcohol-addiction.
[3] “Alcohol and Cancer Risk: The U.S. Surgeon General’s Advisory,” Office of the U.S. Surgeon General, 2025, Accessed 15 Jan. 2025, https://www.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/oash-alcohol-cancer-risk.pdf, 3.
[4] Ibid., 3, 5.
[5] Ibid., 4.
[6] Ibid., 12-13.
By: Preston McElyea