Christians Can Enjoy Alcohol

in #beer8 years ago

Alcohol has a long and blessed history in Christian tradition. Used for worshipful feasting in Deuteronomy 14:26, praised as a divine gift in Psalm 104:15, and utilized in communion all throughout the New Covenant era of church history, it holds a place of honor in Christian thought.

It can be abused, in which case it becomes a curse. Nonetheless, it can be a blessing, and while teetotalers have condemned its use altogether, others have shed light on the legitimacy of its proper enjoyment. Two books of interest are Joel McDurmon's What Would Jesus Drink? A Spirit-Filled Study and Kenneth Gentry's God Gave Wine: What the Bible Says About Alcohol. Also of interest is Jim West's Drinking With Calvin and Luther!: A History of Alcohol in the Church.

Here in the Philippines, we have lots of Red Horse (above). Thanks be to God, there are a few craft beer places close by, and they call for a visit. Stay tuned for reviews!

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Beers are traditionally brewed by monks in abbeys (and the best beers in the world are still made that way).

Trappistes Rochefort 10 is one of my favorites.

The body is the temple of God, and it should be treated as such. To subject the body by choice to anything unwholesome (found in foods, beverages and other things) is therefore improper.

The body is the temple of the Holy Spirit for those who belong to Christ, as per 1 Cor. 6:19, and the context of the verse is sexual immorality. There is nothing unwholesome about what God has clearly blessed in Scripture.

Everyone belongs to Christ (Col.1:16). Also, while I agree that the context of the verse (the body is the temple) is sexual indulgence, it should not be relegated exclusively to that; it has inference to other indulgences as well.

...including the devil, and he surely isn't God's temple. When I speak of those who "belong" to Christ, I'm speaking soteriologically. Col. 1:16 doesn't do away with the fact that 1 Cor. 6:15 juxtaposes being a member of Christ with being a member of a prostitite. They're not the same thing. It's only those who have been joined to the Lord (1 Cor. 6:17) who have the Holy Spirit within them (1 Cor. 6:19) and whose bodies are his temple.

With that said, it remains that the Scriptures clearly speak favorably of a proper enjoyment of alcohol. Teetotalism is a rather new and unfortunte thing in church history, and it doesn't comport with biblical truth. I go so far as to say that teetotalers would condemn Jesus Himself, since he came "eating and drinking" (Matt. 11:19; Lk. 7:34).

I prefer cannabis as well. Unfortunately, all I've come across out here in the Philippines (so far) is worse than what we call "shwag" in Miami. I really miss taking a few good bong hits before working out and jogging.