As we began our look at the subject of alcohol, we noted Genesis 1 and God’s creation. All that God created is good, yet man has twisted God’s creation into something into something other than God intended. This is the case with alcohol. Having considered the negative examples and dangers of alcohol over the past few weeks, it may seem strange to consider that there are times when the Bible speaks favorably of alcohol. What we will discover, however, is that even in these contexts, there is something very specific about the situation that seems to make it okay.
The Proverbs teach us the folly of alcohol in passages such as Proverbs 20:1 or 23:29-35 (NKJV). At the same time, however, Proverbs 31:6-7 offers what appears to be an acceptable usage of alcohol – “Give strong drink to him who is perishing, and wine to those who are bitter of heart. Let him drink and forget his poverty, and remember his misery no more.” King Lemuel is told by his mother to give alcohol to those who are perishing and facing great affliction. In this sense, alcohol is used as a type of medicine to try and numb the pain and cause one to lose sight of his problems. Within the same context, however, King Lemuel is told to stay away from alcohol himself as it causes one to “forget the law, and pervert the justice of the afflicted.” It is clear that this mother is wisely teaching her son to avoid alcohol as it leads to a loss of one’s senses, yet there is a place in which this is acceptable where alcohol is used medicinally.
Even in the New Testament, 1 Timothy 5:23 seems to contextually offer an allowance from Paul to Timothy for drinking alcohol. Timothy is told, “No longer drink only water, but use a little wine for your stomach’s sake and your frequent infirmities.” Some claim that the wine Timothy is encouraged to mix with his water was not alcoholic, and that may be the case. Still, there is a real possibility that this wine was alcoholic seeing as Timothy was abstaining from its use and alcoholic wine was historically used as a remedy in situations such as this.[1] Still, Timothy had to specifically be told to mix “a little wine” with his water “for [his] stomach’s sake and [his] frequent infirmities.” The use and authorization of alcohol (assuming it was alcohol) for Timothy was not recreational but medicinal.
The question might then be raised concerning whether or not we should drink alcohol medicinally today. Those my age have likely heard stories of their great-grandparents’ remedies involving alcohol for different sicknesses, and some who are older may remember taking such remedies themselves. Perhaps some may still use alcohol for such purposes. In such cases, one would do well to keep 1 Thessalonians 5:22 in mind. What does it look like if someone sees you purchasing it at the store? What does it look like if someone happens to see it in your cabinet? With advancements in medicine today, there are plenty of options for our ailments that do not involve the need to purchase or consume alcohol. That being said, even for more modern forms of medicine, we must be careful in how we use them as they can just as easily be abused and misused like alcohol.
[1] Wayne Jackson, Before I Die: Paul’s Letters to Timothy and Titus, 156ff.
By: Preston McElyea