Dr Paul Allen

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...

Image via Wikipedia The restoration of health (Ps. 41:3), the making whole or well whether physically, mentally, or spiritually. The Bible indicates that God’s highest will for man is for him to “enjoy good health … even as your soul is getting along well” (3 John 2).  Healing is a prominent topic in the Bible.  Sickness is cured by the supernatural intervention of God with or without the use of earthly means.  God himself proclaimed, “I am the LORD , who heals you” (Exod. 15:26), and Scripture clearly teaches that God heals all of man’s diseases (Ps. 103:3).  In the OT the word used most commonly to denote healing is rāpāʾ, in the LXX iaomai frequently stands for rāpāʾ, and in the NT healing is normally expressed by the words therapeuō and iaomai. The Bible presents two basic views concerning healing and sickness. 1) In the OT Yahweh alone was the source of healing, just as he was considered the source of sickness. Summarizing the basic OT attitu...