First-Century Intemperance

Bienhome Muivah *

In the Roman world, drinking wine was as common as consuming soft drinks in our culture. And even though wine was not as strong in alcoholic content as our wines are today, it was possible to become addicted. It was simply a matter of intake.

In those days in the Roman Empire, many women probably used wine as a means to alleviate the emotional pain of having to fulfill the role expected of a woman. Who would not want to forget the problems of just being a slave, a bearer of children in order to enhance a man's reputation in the community. Gentile women who had no hope beyond this life would be especially susceptible. As Paul said to the Ephesians, "Remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world" (Ephesians 2:12).

But Jesus Christ changed all that. Knowing the Savior gave men and women eternal hope. He also gave women a new goal in this life. Spiritually, women were elevated to a position of equality with men. As Paul wrote to the Galatians, "There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus". We "are all one" (Gal. 3:28). And Peter exhorted men to treat their wives as "heirs with you of the gracious gift of life" (I Peter 3:7).

Paul of course, put it very straight and heavy when he told "Husbands love your wives just as Christ loved the church" (Eph. 5:25). What a new experience! This meant no more physical and other psychological abuse!

No more physical contact or relationship with other women other than their wives! In Christ, there was to be a brand-new relationship. This of course, changed a woman's whole environment, and in changing her environment, it changed her life.

But old habits are difficult to break. Emotional and psychological hurt doesn't disappear overnight. It took time for some of these New Testament women to develop Christian maturity in all aspects of their lives. And, of course, it took time for men to love their wives as Christ loved them. Imagine their struggle to overcome their own addictions-especially those that were immoral in nature. And lack of control in the area of drinking wine was a persistent temptation for both men and women, particularly for those who had become addicted.

A True Biblical Perspective

This leads to a very practical question. Does the Bible teach total abstinence? Paul instructed both Timothy and Titus to never choose elders to oversee the church who were "addicted to wine" (I Tim. 3:3; Titus 1:7), but he did not say never to choose elders who drank wine. And rest assured that Paul was not referring to grape juice, since it is impossible to be addicted to grape juice. He was definitely talking about an alcoholic beverage.

We cannot make the Bible teach that it is always wrong to drink alcohol beverages. But when we have a total Biblical perspective, we may decide on total abstinence, particularly in our culture. But what does the Bible teach?

Drunkenness

Over drinking is out of the will of God. The Bible clearly teaches against drunkenness. This is true in both the Old Testament and the New Testament. In Proverbs we read, "Do not join those who drink too much wine or gorge themselves on meat, for drunkards and gluttons become poor, and drowsiness clothes them in rags" (23:20-21).

Later in the same chapter, we discover a series of questions: "Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has strife? Who has complaints? Who has needless bruises? Who has needless bruises? Who has bloodshot eyes" (v.29). We then find the answer to all of them. "Those who linger over wine, who go to sample bowls of mixed wine" (v.30)

Finally, following this explicit paragraph on the price people pay when they indulge, we discover a serious warning. "Do not gaze at wine when it is red, when it sparkles in the cup, when it goes down smoothly! In the end it bites like a snake and poisons like a viper. Your eyes will see strange sights and your mind imagine confusing things (vv. 31-33).

The New Testament writers are just as clear in their teaching against overdrinking that leads to drunkenness. Paul wrote to the Ephesians, "Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be fill with the spirit" (5:18).

Addiction

Drinking alcohol beverages is out of God's will when we are addicted.

In I Cor. 6:12, Paul warned against addiction and in his letters to Timothy and Titus, addiction to alcohol was Paul's primary concern. Unfortunately, today most of us have the same need to heed Paul's warnings because our society is permeated with alcoholics.

Being a Stumbling Block

Drinking alcoholic beverages is out of the will of God when it causes others to sin.

The Bible teaches that we should not cause others to stumble and fall into sin. Paul wrote to the Romans, "It is better not to eat meat or drink wine or to do anything else that will cause your brother [or sister] to fall" (14:21).

It is a common knowledge that children of alcoholics run a much greater risk of becoming alcoholics than do children of non-alcoholics. True, we can engage in the age-old argument regarding what causes alcoholism-heredity or the environment. We believe both are involved. Some people are born with prosperity for alcoholism, but it is also true that modeling plays a great part in causing them to start drinking in the first place.

Harming Our Bodies

Drinking alcohol beverages is out of the will of God when we hurt others or ourselves.

If we are children of God, our bodies are temple of the Holy Spirit. He dwells within us. Therefore, we are not to harm ourselves. We are not our own. We are bought with a price. "Therefore honor God with your body" (I Cor. 6:20).

Lack of Moderation

Overindulging is out of the will of God. As we look at what the scriptures teach about alcohol, we must not overlook the fact that it also teaches that we must never over indulge in anything. For example, notice how often eating and drinking are mentioned together in the Bible (see Deut. 21:20; Prov. 23:21; Matt. 11:19; Lk. 7:34). There are Christians who over eat regularly but would never touch a drop of alcohol. Unfortunately, some of these Christians are most vociferous in judging others who drink socially.

Yet they are consistently overweight, because of the lack of self-discipline. Jesus Christ had some strong words to say to these Christians:
"Why do look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, "Let me take the speck out of your eye", when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye" (Mt. 7:3-5).

A Higher Principle

Although Paul did not teach total abstinence and although he instructed Timothy to "use a little wine" (I Tim. 5:23) for health reasons, he also told the Romans, "It is better not to eat meat or drink wine to do anything else that will cause your brother to fall" (14:21).

The issue Paul was concerned about in Romans 14 was not the meat or the wine per se; rather, it was the idolatrous associations and the problems that partaking may have created for weak Christians. Paul was saying that for some people total abstinence is the better way to live. Love and concern for others is the higher principle, and a mature sensitive Christian is willing to avoid certain activities, although the activities may be legitimate in themselves. Does anything in your life violate this broader and higher principle?

Drinking Robs Wisdom!