Dr Paul Allen

Is Drinking Alcohol a Sin? Most recently, John Piper addressed this in another Ask Pastor John podcast , “ Is Drinking Alcohol a Sin? ” He takes the same basic approach, but he seems to have softened in his desire to persuade others to abstain. Was drinking deadly in Jesus' culture? For more from Piper on this subject, see these additional sources: “Don’t Turn to Alcohol, Turn to the Spirit ,” in “ Be Filled with the Spirit ,” a sermon on Ephesians 5:18 preached on March 8, 1981 “ The Issue Is Scripture! ” Taste and See article, October 20, 1981 “ Is It a Sin to Smoke or Eat Junk Food? ” Ask Pastor John podcast, February 1, 2008 Related articles Leaders and Alcohol (proverbialthought.com) Government bans supermarkets from offering cheap deals on alcohol (mirror.co.uk) Overcoming Alcohol Addiction (health-host.co.uk) Alcoholism (sharmamanisha.wordpress.com) Alcohol That Gives You The Worst Hangover (4umf.com) How Much Alcohol Causes a Hangover - and the B

Drunkenness of Noah (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) English: Everyone take a drink (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) A Kranz (wreath) of Kölsch beer. (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) Clearly the New Testament teaches that drunkenness is a sin (Gal. 5:21; Eph. 5:18). Further, the believer is to have no fellowship with professing Christians who are drunkards (1 Cor. 5:11). In that verse drunkenness appears alongside with immorality, idolatry, and swindling, all of which, including drunkenness, are so serious that fellowship with such is forbidden. The Old Testament warns against the abuse of wine and strong drink. Wine refers to the fermented juice of the grape, whereas strong drink denotes any intoxicating drink, often made from barley. “Wine is a mocker, strong drink a brawler” ( Prov. 20:1). “[Wine] bites like a serpent, and stings like a viper” (Prov. 23:32). It also may lead to poverty (Prov. 21:17). Isaiah warned against those who run after strong drink and stay up late into the eve

A Kranz (wreath) of Kölsch beer. (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) Author: Michael Patton There are so many different positions out there with regard to this issue. Let me try to name a few: Those who abstain from alcohol and believe that this is the biblical position for everyone. Those who abstain from alcohol but don’t believe that this is a biblical mandate to enforce on others. Those who drink alcohol only for “celebratory” purposes (i.e. Lord’s table), but don’t get drunk. Those who casually drink wine or beer, but abstain from “hard liquor” and don’t get drunk. Those who casually drink alcohol in order to feel “merry” or “tipsy” but don’t get drunk. Those who drink alcohol and get drunk occasionally but are not “drunkards” (i.e. addicted). Outside of this, all Christians would (or should) agree that being addicted to alcohol is expressly forbidden in the Scripture as it relinquishes control of our faculties to the alcohol rather than to the Holy Spirit ( Eph. 5:18 ). Paul