In order to Biblically answer the question, is it alright for a Christian to drink alcohol?, I must start with some basic truths.

1. The Bible (1611 King James Version) is without a proven error or contradiction. Therefore, it is the final authority for our faith and practice. Psa 119:89 For ever, O LORD, thy word is settled in heaven. Psa 12:6-7 The words of the LORD are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times. Thou shalt keep them, O LORD, thou shalt preserve them from this generation for ever.

2. You never take a verse out of context, or fail to consider other verses pertaining to the same subject. 2Pe 1:20 Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. Isa 28:9 Whom shall he teach knowledge? and whom shall he make to understand doctrine? them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts. Isa 28:10 For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little:

3. The word " wine" is a generic term in the Bible as you will notice:

A. First ripe fruit of harvest -Num 18:12 All the best of the oil, and all the best of the wine, and of the wheat, the firstfruits of them which they shall offer unto the LORD, them have I given thee. Num 18:13 And whatsoever is first ripe in the land, which they shall bring unto the LORD, shall be thine; every one that is clean in thine house shall eat of it.

B. Cluster of grapes - Isa 65:8 Thus saith the LORD, As the new wine is found in the cluster, and one saith, Destroy it not; for a blessing is in it: so will I do for my servants' sakes, that I may not destroy them all.

C. Raisins - Hos 3:1 Then said the LORD unto me, Go yet, love a woman beloved of her friend, yet an adulteress, according to the love of the LORD toward the children of Israel, who look to other gods, and love flagons of wine. ( Strongs definition = Something closely pressed together that is , a cake of raisins or other comfits)

D. Grape juice - Neh 13:15 In those days saw I in Judah some treading wine presses on the sabbath, and bringing in sheaves, and lading asses; as also wine, grapes, and figs, and all manner of burdens, which they brought into Jerusalem on the sabbath day: and I testified against them in the day wherein they sold victuals. Pro 3:10 So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine.

E. Fermented grape juice -Gen 9:21 And he drank of the wine, and was drunken; and he was uncovered within his tent.

4. The new Universal English Dictionary of Words, and of Arts and Science published in 1739 (119 years after the KJV was translated) gives the following definition - "natural wine is such as it comes from the grape without any mixture or sophistication"

5. Considering the above, a person must determine by the context the meaning of the word wine. If the context does not reveal the meaning of a word, then you must find the definition of the word it is translated from.

NOW LET'S LOOK AT SOME VERSES ABOUT DRINKING ALCOHOL IN THE KJV

1. Any preacher who tells his people it is alright to drink alcohol is a false prophet.

Mic 2:11 If a man walking in the spirit and falsehood do lie, saying, I will prophesy unto thee of wine and of strong drink; he shall even be the prophet of this people.

2. Alcohol causes a woe on a people who are deceived thereby. Isa 28:1 Woe to the crown of pride, to the drunkards of Ephraim, whose glorious beauty is a fading flower, which are on the head of the fat valleys of them that are overcome with wine! Isa 28:3 The crown of pride, the drunkards of Ephraim, shall be trodden under feet: Isa 28:7 But they also have erred through wine, and through strong drink are out of the way; the priest and the prophet have erred through strong drink, they are swallowed up of wine, they are out of the way through strong drink; they err in vision, they stumble in judgment. Isa 28:8 For all tables are full of vomit and filthiness, so that there is no place clean.

3. A person who drinks wine is not wise. Pro 20:1 Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging: and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise.

4. Wine causes poverty. Pro 21:17 He that loveth pleasure shall be a poor man: he that loveth wine and oil shall not be rich.

5. Strong drink produces sorrow, contentions, wounds without cause, babblings, redness of eyes. Pro 23:29 Who hath woe? who hath sorrow? who hath contentions? who hath babbling? who hath wounds without cause? who hath redness of eyes? Pro 23:30 They that tarry long at the wine; they that go to seek mixed wine.

6. You are not to look on fermented wine, let alone drink the slop. Pro 23:31 Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth his colour in the cup, when it moveth itself aright. Pro 23:32 At the last it biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like an adder. Pro 23:34 Yea, thou shalt be as he that lieth down in the midst of the sea, or as he that lieth upon the top of a mast. Pro 23:35 They have stricken me, shalt thou say, and I was not sick; they have beaten me, and I felt it not: when shall I awake? I will seek it yet again.

7. There is woe on the drunkard Isa 5:11 Woe unto them that rise up early in the morning, that they may follow strong drink; that continue until night, till wine inflame them! Isa 5:12 And the harp, and the viol, the tabret, and pipe, and wine, are in their feasts: but they regard not the work of the LORD, neither consider the operation of his hands. (If it takes 10 drinks to make you drunk, then 1 drink make you 1/10 drunk.)

8. Strong drink and immorality go hand in hand. Pro 23:29 Who hath woe? who hath sorrow? who hath contentions? who hath babbling? who hath wounds without cause? who hath redness of eyes? Pro 23:30 They that tarry long at the wine; they that go to seek mixed wine. Pro 23:31 Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth his colour in the cup, when it moveth itself aright. Pro 23:32 At the last it biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like an adder. Pro 23:33 Thine eyes shall behold strange women, and thine heart shall utter perverse things. Hos 4:11 Whoredom and wine and new wine take away the heart.

9. Shame and humiliation go with drinking. Hab 2:15 Woe unto him that giveth his neighbour drink, that puttest thy bottle to him, and makest him drunken also, that thou mayest look on their nakedness!

9. Shame and humiliation go with drinking. Hab 2:16 Thou art filled with shame for glory: drink thou also, and let thy foreskin be uncovered: the cup of the LORD'S right hand shall be turned unto thee, and shameful spewing shall be on thy glory.

10. Drunkards go to hell 1Co 6:10 Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.

11. We are to abstain from all appearance of evil- 1Th 5:22 Abstain from all appearance of evil.

12. Drinking leads to stubbornness, rebellion and gluttony and brings dishonor to parents. Deu 21:21 And all the men of his city shall stone him with stones, that he die: so shalt thou put evil away from among you; and all Israel shall hear, and fear.

13. Abstinence assures a closer walk with God. Deu 29:2 And Moses called unto all Israel, and said unto them, Ye have seen all that the LORD did before your eyes in the land of Egypt unto Pharaoh, and unto all his servants, and unto all his land;

Deu 29:3 The great temptations which thine eyes have seen, the signs, and those great miracles: Deu 29:4 Yet the LORD hath not given you an heart to perceive, and eyes to see, and ears to hear, unto this day. Deu 29:5 And I have led you forty years in the wilderness: your clothes are not waxen old upon you, and thy shoe is not waxen old upon thy foot. Deu 29:6 Ye have not eaten bread, neither have ye drunk wine or strong drink: that ye might know that I am the LORD your God.

14. It is habit forming. One drink leads to another. Pro 23:35 They have stricken me, shalt thou say, and I was not sick; they have beaten me, and I felt it not: when shall I awake? I will seek it yet again.

15. Prophets and priests erred through drink. Isa 28:7 But they also have erred through wine, and through strong drink are out of the way; the priest and the prophet have erred through strong drink, they are swallowed up of wine, they are out of the way through strong drink; they err in vision, they stumble in judgment.

16. Those who drink are set aside as useless. Because of spiritual blindness Isa 28:7 But they also have erred through wine, and through strong drink are out of the way; the priest and the prophet have erred through strong drink, they are swallowed up of wine, they are out of the way through strong drink; they err in vision, they stumble in judgment.

17. There is a rebuke to drinking church members who are God's watchmen. Isa 56:10 His watchmen are blind: they are all ignorant, they are all dumb dogs, they cannot bark; sleeping, lying down, loving to slumber. Isa 56:11 Yea, they are greedy dogs which can never have enough, and they are shepherds that cannot understand: they all look to their own way, every one for his gain, from his quarter. Isa 56:12 Come ye, say they, I will fetch wine, and we will fill ourselves with strong drink; and to morrow shall be as this day, and much more abundant.

19. Priests are not to drink wine. Eze 44:21 Neither shall any priest drink wine, when they enter into the inner court.

20. The greatness of John the Baptist was linked with his total abstinence. Luk 1:15 For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink; and he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother's womb.

Some Common Questions

1. Did Jesus serve fermented wine at the wedding at Cana in John 2: 1-10?

    Answer: If a person can read and understand what they read they              would know He did not. Let's notice:

A. He did not serve the wine until the people had well drunk. Had they been drinking fermented wine they would have been too drunk to know whether it was good or not; so we know the wine was not fermented.

B. When Jesus turned the water to wine He did the same thing that nature does; it turns water to wine (juice).

2. Did Jesus drink wine?

   Answer: No where in the Word Of God does it say He did?

3. Was the wine fermented at the last supper?

   Answer: No. The juice that was served is never called wine; it is called the fruit of the vine. Luk 22:17 And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and said, Take this, and divide it among yourselves: Luk 22:18 For I say unto you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine, until the kingdom of God shall come.

4. Was Timothy instructed by Paul to drink fermented wine with his water?

   Answer: No.

A. The word from which wine is translated in 1Ti 5:23 Drink no longer water, but use a little wine for thy stomach's sake and thine often infirmities. Means grape juice

B. Timothy was in Asia Minor when Paul wrote to him. In many places in Asia Minor the water is highly alkaline. If a person continues to drink alkaline water he will become sick. Paul tells Timothey to mix wine (grape juice) with his water to neutralize it. The grape juice is acidic and when you mix acid with alkalies they neutralize each other.

5. In 1Ti 3:3 Not given to wine, no striker, not greedy of filthy lucre; but patient, not a brawler, not covetous; 1Ti 3:4 One that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity; 1Ti 3:5 (For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?) 1Ti 3:6 Not a novice, lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the devil. 1Ti 3:7 Moreover he must have a good report of them which are without; lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil. 1Ti 3:8 Likewise must the deacons be grave, not doubletongued, not given to much wine, not greedy of filthy lucre;

I Timothy 3:3-8 , the word from which wine is translated in verse 3 means fermented wine. In verse 8 the word means not fermented. The context makes it clear, no would be fermented, to much wine, would be nonfermented ( notice b. under #4 above) If you don't believe the context shows it, do a word study on the two words.

6. Alcohol is not a natural substance. It is man made and is full of poisons. It

defiles the body by destroying the liver and killing brain cells. The Bible says we are not to defile the temple of the Holy Ghost. 1Co 3:16 Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? 1Co 3:17 If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.

7. Kings and priests were not to drink strong drink and we Christians have been made priests and kings unto God. Pro 31:4 It is not for kings, O Lemuel, it is not for kings to drink wine; nor for princes strong drink: Pro 31:5 Lest they drink, and forget the law, and pervert the judgment of any of the afflicted. Rev 1:6 And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.

Christians should be continually trying to live as close to Jesus as possible instead of to the world and sin. People who look for loop holes, like the Bible does not say you can't drink sociable, are the same ones who will take a verse like Deu 22:5 The woman shall not wear that which pertaineth unto a man, neither shall a man put on a woman's garment: for all that do so are abomination unto the LORD thy God. which is plain, and still refuse to obey it. They have a wicked rebellious heart. Mark 7:21 For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, Mark 7:22 Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness: Mark 7:23 All these evil things come from within, and defile the man.