Question:

Should a Christ-follower freely consume alcoholic beverages, taking care to only drink in

moderation but not get drunk?

Introduction

In my 15 years of involvement in youth ministry, I’ve encountered many youth whose

family background had provided them with varying degrees of exposure to alcohol. One had a

father who was given to drunkenness so her family members were subject to physical and verbal

abuse whenever her father got drunk. Another’s parents gave her freedom of choice regarding

alcohol intake when she began attending parties in her college years. Yet another’s parents

encouraged her to try out wine every now and then during family dinners. Almost all of them had

faced strong peer pressure to consume alcohol during social situations. But none of them had felt

that their decision to do so even had any bearing on their witness as a Christ-follower. This paper

is borne of a need for me to be able to clearly explain to the youth under my care how to

correctly approach this issue of alcohol consumption in light of the Scripture and the society in

which they live today.

Prior to researching on this topic for our theology paper, I had quite a simplistic stand on

this issue. It’s common knowledge that alcohol impairs a person’s self-control, although the

degree of impairment varies from person to person. But self-control is one of the nine-fold fruit

that the Holy Spirit wants to produce in us as described in Galatians 5:22-23 “But the fruit of the

Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control;
against such things there is no law.” If the Holy Spirit desires to help us develop self-control,

then why should we even take alcohol in the first place? Another verse that convinced me to

avoid alcoholic drink is Ephesians 5:18 “And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation,

but be filled with the Spirit.” This verse presented me with two things to which we believers can

yield control of our lives: it’s either wine or the Holy Spirit but it can’t be both. So if we want to

be controlled by the Holy Spirit, then it’s necessary to avoid wine lest we yield to its control.

Review of Related Literature

In the course of my research, I’ve come across positions taken by early church fathers

like John Chrysostom in Homilies of the Statues (Homily 1), Thomas Aquinas in Summa

Theologiae (Questions 149 and 150), and Clement of Alexandria in The Paedagogus (The

Instructor Book II Chapter 2). But the more recent and comprehensive ones I found were the

position paper of The Assemblies of God (Adopted by the General Presbytery in Session August

2-3, 2016) entitled “Abstinence from Alcohol” and the discussion paper initiated by The General

Executive of The Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada in November 2013 entitled “Alcohol and the

Ministry.” I shall be focusing my theological paper on the last resource I’ve mentioned.

The Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada (PAOC), whose fellowship can be traced back to

the Holiness traditions of the Evangelical Church that incubated the Pentecostal Revival over

100 years ago, has historically expected its ministers and members to abstain from alcohol, With

the exception of some of their ministers who come from cultural backgrounds where moderate

alcohol consumption was acceptable, their ministers were abstainers and the majority of their
members had followed this example throughout the years. This commitment to abstinence was

motivated by a desire to always be filled with the Holy Spirit and to not allow anything in their

lives that would hinder service to God and witness to the lost. Abstinence was viewed as a mark

of separation from the world.

They said the question of whether or not it’s acceptable to drink alcohol in moderation as

a beverage is not one posed or answered directly by Scripture. Positively, there are passages in

the Bible that:

• Talk about wine as a gift from God to make a man’s heart glad

o “You cause the grass to grow for the cattle, and plants for people to use, to

bring forth food from the earth, and wine to gladden the human heart, oil to

make the face shine, and bread to strengthen the human heart.” (Psalm

104:14-15)

• Command God’s people to present the first fruits of the harvest, or the tithes to God,

in the form of grain, wine, and soil

o “All the best of the oil and all the best of the wine and of the grain, the choice

produce that they give to the LORD, I have given to you.”(Numbers 18:12)

• Refer to wine as having medicinal qualities which may be helpful in certain situations

o “No longer drink only water, but take a little wine for the sake of your

stomach and your frequent ailments.” (1 Timothy 5:23)

• Talk about wine’s ability to affect the emotions and dull the senses which makes it an

appropriate sedative for the dying and the depressed

 o “Give strong drink to one who is perishing, and wine to those in bitter

distress; let them drink and forget their poverty, and remember their misery no

more.”(Proverbs 31:6-7)

But negatively, there are also passages that:

• Talk about the potential negative impact of alcoholic drinks on a leader

o “The words of King Lemuel. An oracle that his mother taught him: No, my

son! No, son of my womb! No, son of my vows! Do not give your strength to

women, your ways to those who destroy kings. It is not for kings, O Lemuel,

it is not for kings to drink wine, or for rulers to desire a strong drink; or else

they will drink and forget what has been decreed, and will pervert the rights of

all the afflicted.”(Proverbs 31:1-5)

• Warn against the dangers of alcohol

o “Wine is a mocker, strong drink a brawler, and whoever is led astray by it is

not wise.” (Proverbs 20:1)

o “Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has strife? Who has complaining?

Who has wounds without cause? Who has redness of eyes? Those who linger

late over wine, those who keep trying mixed wines. Do not look at wine when

it is red, when it sparkles in the cup and goes down smoothly. At the last it

bites like a serpent, and stings like an adder. Your eyes will see strange things,

and your mind utter perverse things. You will be like one who lies down in the

midst of the sea, like one who lies on the top of a mast. ‘They struck me,’ you
 will say, ‘but I was not hurt; they beat me, but I did not feel it. When shall I

awake? I will seek another drink.’ (Proverbs 23:29-35)

Therefore any call to abstinence as a corporate value must be drawn from fundamental

ethical principles of Scripture that can be applied to what Romans 14:1 calls, “disputable

matters.” Two such principles have been identified as having relevance to this question. The

first principle considers the cultural context or the societal situation. The second principle is

found in Paul’s call to limit one’s liberty for the sake of others. It is the principle of sacrificial or

redemptive love.

They believe that contextualization is important in formulating and maintaining

guidelines for Christian conduct that go beyond the clear directives of Scripture. And since

historical, cultural, and social contexts are ever evolving, their guidelines must then always be

open for revisit and revision. Today’s Canadians live in a culture that places a high value on the

use of alcohol. Their children and young people continually live under peer pressure to make

drinking a central focus of their life. In fact, society sends mixed and confusing messages to

their youth. On the one hand it severely punishes offenders for drinking and driving. But on the

other hand it shows “cool” young people driving cars to parties where alcohol is not only present

but is the very focus of the gathering.

By way of comparison to the role of alcohol in their culture, the pagan cultures of the first

century were saturated in religious idolatry and the church sought to ensure that Gentile

believers, while not being required to take on all the Jewish customs that served to distinguish

them from their pagan neighbors, did embrace some clear boundaries vis-a-vis the problem of

idolatry. In like manner, given the emphasis placed upon alcohol in society today, they believe
that abstinence will serve as a counter-cultural practice of radical non-conformity that indicates

the pattern of the world is not controlling their actions. Abstinence offers an alternative example

to the destructive reality of their “alcohol saturated” society. They believe that as followers of

Jesus, they are responsible to live their lives to a higher standard. A greater societal

consciousness on the issues of alcohol consumption should be a mark of their thoughtful

discipleship.

In formulating their stand, the PAOC claimed they’re very careful in not adding to or

taking away from the Biblical instruction on behavior and belief. They were conscious not to

ignore the high demands made by Jesus when He calls us to righteousness but at the same time,

they were highly aware of and sought to avoid the human propensity to establish unnecessary

behavioral rules as community boundary markets that go beyond what God Himself explicitly

commands or forbids.

Scripture

Due to limitations of time, my stand will be based on two Bible passages: Ephesians

5:15-20 and Romans 14:13-23.

Ephesians 5:1-2,15-20 (NRSV) says “1 Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved

children, 2 and live in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and

sacrifice to God.15 Be careful then how you live, not as unwise people but as wise, 16 making the

most of the time, because the days are evil. 17 So do not be foolish, but understand what the will

of the Lord is. 18 Do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery; but be filled with the Spirit,
19
as you sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, singing and making

melody to the Lord in your hearts, 20 giving thanks to God the Father at all times and for

everything in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

In this passage, Paul commanded the believers to be motivated by sacrificial love and

guided by godly wisdom in their daily living. Because they were living in a society filled to the

brim with Satan’s corrupting influence, they were not to remain ignorant but seek to understand

how God wants them to live and what He wants them to do. Instead of yielding control of their

body and faculties to the intoxicating influence of wine which leads to recklessness and

immorality, they are to yield control of their lives to the empowerment of the Holy Spirit in order

to live righteous lives pleasing to the Lord, an act of gratefulness and worship to Him.

The PAOC pointed out that when Paul wrote to the Ephesians, his primary purpose was

not to deal with the amount of wine a person might be allowed to drink but rather his point in the

above passage is to show that alcoholic spirits and the Holy Spirit are on different sides of the

answer to “How then shall we live?” There are some obvious contrasts in plain English – you

can be unwise or wise by making the most out of every opportunity in an evil world; you can fail

to use your brains or you can understand what the Lord’s will is for your life. “Do not get drunk

on wine” or your life will be riotous and you will never get things figured out. “Instead, be filled

with the Spirit.” Rejoice with your Christian friends worshiping God and knowing that this is the

Lord’s will for you and everything is yours in Christ. For those who pursue wine, life will be

disordered, confused, and riotous.

I agree with the way PAOC phrased their recommendation: “Our answer to this question

about alcohol consumption must be rooted in a strong engagement with the societal ills that
result from the abuse of alcohol. We must continue to be at the forefront of assisting alcoholics

and drug addicts to find deliverance and hope through the gospel message and the loving care of

the people of God. Not only do spirit controlled people avoid the degradation of the world, but

they are filled with godly wisdom, sacrificial love and a holy compulsion to bring hope to the

world. To be self-controlled is not about adherence to a prescribed set of ethical rules, rather it is

about a way of life rooted in the grace of God and the transforming power of His Spirit.”

Romans 14:13-23 (NRSV) says “13 Let us therefore no longer pass judgment on one

another, but resolve instead never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of another. 14

I know and am persuaded in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself; but it is unclean for

anyone who thinks it unclean. 15 If your brother or sister is being injured by what you eat, you

are no longer walking in love. Do not let what you eat cause the ruin of one for whom Christ

died. 16 So do not let your good be spoken of as evil. 17 For the kingdom of God is not food and

drink but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. 18 The one who thus serves Christ is

acceptable to God and has human approval. 19 Let us then pursue what makes for peace and for

mutual upbuilding. 20 Do not, for the sake of food, destroy the work of God. Everything is indeed

clean, but it is wrong for you to make others fall by what you eat; 21 it is good not to eat meat or

drink wine or do anything that makes your brother or sister stumble. 22 The faith that you have,

have as your own conviction before God. Blessed are those who have no reason to condemn

themselves because of what they approve. 23 But those who have doubts are condemned if they

eat, because they do not act from faith; for whatever does not proceed from faith is sin.”

In this passage, Paul teaches believers how to relate with one another in the fellowship.

Each one of us grows at our own pace spiritually and forms our personal convictions based on
how we seek and respond to the Lord’s day to day revelation in our lives. We are neither to judge

one another’s progress nor put a stumbling block on another’s path. Love should be the primary

guiding force of our behavior and we must work toward unity and mutual edification.

Conclusion

I believe the question I posed in the beginning of my paper is not a matter of sin but of

wisdom in living out our faith in light of God’s commandment to love Him with all our heart,

soul, mind, and strength, and to love our neighbors as ourselves. We’re not talking of

drunkenness here, which the Bible clearly identifies as sin, but of drinking alcoholic beverages in

moderation which the Bible neither approves nor condemns.

Moderate consumption of alcohol may be permissible but not all permissible things have

equal benefit. Some may be more beneficial while others may cause more harm than good. The

World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that there are about 2 billion people worldwide

who consume alcoholic beverages and 76.3 million with diagnosable alcohol use disorders. The

concluding remarks of the World Health Organizations report on Alcohol are a simple summary

of the enormous world-wide problem of alcohol.

“Alcohol is not an ordinary commodity. While it carries connotations of pleasure and

sociability in the minds of many, harmful consequences of its use are diverse and widespread.

As documented in this report, globally, alcohol problems exert an enormous toll on the lives and

communities of many nations, especially those in the developing world. Research has shown that

when extrapolating from historical trends, the role of alcohol as a major factor in the burden of
disease will be increasing in the future. Particularly worrying trends are the increases in average

volume of drinking predicted for the most populous regions of the world (e.g., in China and

India) and the emerging trend of more harmful and risky patterns in drinking especially among

young people.”

I acknowledge that there are special cases where alcohol consumption may be beneficial,

as a sedative to the dying and for symbolic use in religious commemorations. But other than

those reasons and having been made aware of the overwhelming statistics of the consequences of

alcohol abuse and the danger of judgment impairment from alcohol intake that might lead us to

harm others, what reason remains for us to encourage others to drink by exercising our liberty to

drink alcohol moderately?