While this view certainly has merit and appears to be true in many scriptural references to wine, it cannot be proven to be true in all cases. Certain texts condemn the excessive drinking of wine to become drunk and appear not to condemn all drinking of wine (which must be intoxicating wine in this context). Ephesians 5:18 is an example of this, "And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess, but be filled with the Spirit," or I Peter 4:3, "For the time past of our life may suffice us to have wrought the will of the Gentiles, when we walked in lasciviousness, lusts, excess of wine, revellings..."

We must be cautious, therefore, in prescribing rules for all people regarding moderate use or total abstinence of fermented wines. We may not take away from, nor add to, Scripture in this regard, lest we fall into the humanly judgmental spirit of the Jews who condemned both John the Baptist for total abstinence and Christ for moderate use, as we read in Luke 7:33-34, "For John the Baptist came neither eating bread nor drinking wine; and ye say, He hath a devil. The Son of Man is come eating and drinking; and ye say, Behold a gluttonous man, and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners!"

In biblical times, the process to distill liquors had not yet been developed, but certain alcoholic drinks, types of "beer ," were produced from grains. The Hebrew word for this alcoholic drink was "shekar"; its Greek equivalent, "sikera."These words are translated as "strong drink" or "vinegar" in our English Bible. With their derivatives, "shikkor" meaning drunkard and "shikkaron" meaning drunkenness, these words are used sixty times in the Bible. In almost all sixty cases they are used in a negative and sinful sense and most of the few exceptions refer to medical uses in extreme cases of pain. Modern pain-relieving medicines were not available, and in extremely painful disease or dying cases, strong drink was used to dull the senses and reduce the intense pain. This is referred to in Proverbs 31:6, "Give strong drink to him that is ready to perish," and was a customary practice at Roman crucifixions. Jesus refused this drink, so that His senses would not be dulled upon the cross, as we read in Matthew 27:34, "They gave Him vinegar to drink mingled with gall: and when He had tasted thereof, He would not drink."

Scripture therefore warns against the general use of strong drinks, those produced specifically for their intoxicating, alcoholic content.

The chart on the following two pages summarizes the scriptural principles regarding wine and alcoholic drinks.

He shall separate himself from wine and strong drink, and shall drink no vinegar of wine, or vinegar of strong drink, neither shall he drink any liquor of grapes, nor eat moist grapes, or dried.

- Numbers 6:3

Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging: and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise.

- Proverbs 20:1

It is not for kings, 0 Lemuel, it is not for kings to drink wine; nor for princes strong drink.

- Proverbs 31:4