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(I don't expect much response, just typed this study up to stir your minds. I trust it proves to be enlightening) 
Unless one has an honest heart, no amount of statistical evidence or scripture will change their mind against alcoholic beverages. The demon of drink is just as alive as it has ever been. I have known people to staunchly defend alcohol and their right to use it as they please. The love of drink blinded their minds. Sound reasoning is no where to be found in them. Over the years, the product line of alcoholic beverages presented to the public has expanded and flourished. Regardless of the form however, some things have not changed. It continues to be destructive to health, a major factor in traffic fatalities, immorality, and a focal point in a large percentage of divorces. One only has to look around to observe its fruit.
Public opinion has varied widely over the years. At the beginning of the 1900’s, the majority cried out against it. The Women’s Christian Temperance Union was formed to stamp it out. Public sentiment was swayed to the point that Congress voted into law the Eighteenth Amendment, outlawing the manufacture and sale of alcohol. This happened in 1917. By 1919, all of the States had ratified it. Sad to say, it only lasted for fourteen years. In 1933, Congress overturned the Eighteenth Amendment by passing the Twenty-first Amendment. In a recent Gallup Poll, people were asked if they would be in favor of legislation banning alcohol again. Of those asked, 80% said they would be against such a law. These statistics become even more disturbing when we consider that the majority of the U.S. populations profess some form of Christianity. It is also interesting to note that most of the sales of alcohol take place over the Christmas season.
What is needed is a strong pronouncement against alcohol—a clear call to abstinence. There are several reasons one might have a weak stand against it. Human reasoning tells most people to just use it with moderation. Do not drink it in excess. The medical profession even goes so far as to tell people that a little can be good for you. Another reason is a false religion is blind to it. Babylon herself has a cup in her hand. People get spiritually drunk and they lose sound judgment and reasoning. What is important to all is what the Bible actually teaches concerning this—which leads me to a very important reason people have difficulty in standing against it. Within the Bible there are seemingly inconsistencies concerning our subject. In both the Old Testament and New Testament are texts that can be difficult to explain and bring into harmony with the teaching on total abstinence. It is also good to remember that in the Old Testament, God winked at some things. Let us be clear on this point: the Word of God does not contradict itself. The Bible does not present a duel teaching.
One last reason for a weak pronouncement against the use of alcoholic beverages has been the notion that grape juice could not be kept fresh for long periods of time and that most of what they drank was fermented because of the aging process. But according to different ancient historians, there were a number of methods used to keep juice fresh and unfermented. Probably the most popular was boiling down of large quantities to a thick syrup substance that was then poured into jars and sealed. The boiling itself removed any alcohol. This syrup could be stored for long periods of time without fermenting. When they desired, they would simply mix a portion of the soup with water and return it to a fresh juice.
To understand what the Bible teaches concerning this, we must look beyond the English words such as “wine” to the Hebrew and Greek words from which they were translated. Our first word we wish to consider is the Hebrew word…
The Hebrew word that is used most often and translated “wine” in the Old Testament is yayin. This word appears 137 times and is translated “wine” in 133 instances. Yayin is a generic term in its use. Not every time does it refer to fermented wine. Likewise, neither does it always refer to the unfermented juice.
Let us give a few examples. Noah became drunk on yayin (Genesis 9:21). Lot was drunk on yayin and unaware of his incestuous relationship with his two daughters (Genesis 19:31-35). The wine that is a mocker is yayin (Proverbs 20:1). Proverbs 23:31 “Look not thou upon the wine [yayin] when it is red, when it giveth his colour in the cup, when it moveth itself aright.” Kings were forbidden to drink yayin when they did he service of God in the tabernacle (Leviticus 10:9; Ezekiel 44:21). These are all obviously referring to the fermented product.
On the other hand, let us cite a few examples of yayin as being obviously unfermented. God gives man “wine [yayin] that maketh glad the heart of man…” (Psalms 104:15). Wine (yayin) was used as a drink offering unto the Lord. Numbers 15:10, “And thou shalt bring for a drink offering half a hin of wine, for an offering made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the Lord.”
According to the best Greek-Hebrew lexicographers, Yayin comes from an unused root that involves some type of turbulence or agitation. The bubbling effervescent action of fermentation comes first to mind. However, according to them, it can have three distinct meanings. First is a foaming turbulence, caused by the freshly pressed grape juice as it flows from the winepress into the vat or container. Second is the movement caused by the fermentation. Third is the boiling turbulence when the juice is reduced to thick syrup for storage. Thus, we have a word that can be used to refer from the fresh grape juice to an intoxicating drink.
Some may object, arguing that Yayin is spoken of as being good on some occasions and bad on others because of its quantity of consumption and not its quality. This would be the defense of moderation advocates. However, God said for us to not even look upon, let alone drink in moderation, the fermented product. Proverbs 23:31-32, “Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth his colour in the cup, when it moveth itself aright. At the last it biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like an adder.” The moving referred to here is the fermentation process. The teaching here is total abstinence. Daniel believed in total abstinence from alcohol. Daniel 1:8, “But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion o the king’s mean, nor with the wine which he drank: therefore he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself.” Daniel however, did not refuse all yayin, just the king’s kind. The king’s wine was bad or fermented yayin. “I ate no pleasant bread, neither came flesh nor wine in my mouth, neither did I anoint myself at all, till three whole weeks were fulfilled.”
It is obvious from the previous evidence, that where yayin is translated wine in the Old Testament, the context must be taken into consideration for its proper meaning. Our next word we wish to consider is…
The word appears 39 times in the Hebrew text. It is translated “wine” 27 time, “new wine” 11 times, and “sweet wine” one time. Strong’s Concordance has it as “must or fresh grape-juice (as just squeezed out); new, or sweet wine. Tiyrowsh includes all kinds of sweet juices, fresh and new, and does not include fermented wine. The word “must” simply means young, fresh, new, the juice of grapes.
Tiyrowsh is even used to refer to the juice before it is pressed from the grapes. Isaiah 65:8, “Thus saith the Lord, As the new wine is found in the cluster….” Furthermore, this word can also refer to grapes harvested, gathered in, and eaten (See Deuteronomy 11:14; 12:17). Four times the tithe of the wine is mentioned; each time it is tiyrowsh. God intended for their tithe of wine to be fresh, unfermented juice. The “wine, which cheereth God and man” is tiyrowsh (Judges 9:13). TO say that this refers to fermented wine would be ridiculous.
The third most frequently used word in the Hebrew for wine or liquor is shekar. It appears 22 times in the Old Testament and is translated “strong drink” 21 times, and “drunkard” the other. Strong’s defines it as “intensely alcoholic liquor.” Little more explanation is needed for this word and its translation. Shekar is spoken of in nearly every reference in a denouncing tone.
This word appears five times in the Old Testament and is nearly identical in the meaning with tiyrowsh. It means must or fresh grape-juice, just trodden out. It is translated juice, new wine, or sweet wine.
These words are similar in some ways to the Yayin in that context must be taken into consideration. They are translated as wine, pure, and red wine. They are derived from a root meaning to “boil up, hence to ferment, and to glow with redness.” Like yayin, this boiling can point to three meanings. The movement associated with fermentation, boiling from being heated, and the foaming caused from the juice of pressed grapes as they flow into a vat or container. This means that these words can refer to fresh juice and fermented. The “wine” found in Ezra 6:9 and 7:22 obviously refers to the unfermented juice, while the wine king Belshazzar served to his drunken party Dainel 5, verses 1, 2, 4, and 23 was fermented.
So far, we have examined only Hebrew words of the Old Testament in connection with our study. We have set forth only those of the greatest importance. There are other minor words, which we have omitted from consideration. Now, let us turn our attention to the New Testament and its teaching. The New Testament has only a few words from the Greek language that we will consider. The first is…
This word appears in 23 verses in the New Testament. It is the most important and frequently used word in the New Testament concerning “wine.” Strong’s Concordance connects it with the Hebrew Yayin and translates it as wine (figurative, or literal). Oinos like Yayin, is a generic term referring to both fresh juice and fermented drink alike. Furthermore, let us point out a very important fact concerning the Septuagint translation of the Old Testament. The Septuagint was the Old Testament translated from Hebrew into the Greek language. This was done several hundred years before Christ and would have been the Bible from which Jesus read. The translators of the Septuagint used the Greek word Oinos as a very general term. When translating, all but one of the Hebrew words we have discussed was translated as Oinos. The one word that was not translated as Oinos was shekar—strong drink. In this instance, the Greek sikera was used. The point is, whether the substance referred to was fresh grape juice, or fermented drink, the Jews used the Greek word Oinos when writing it. Paul, Matthew, Luke, and other New Testament writers chose this word when referring to fresh or new juice. Oinos equally could be used in connection to the syrup commonly used as well as intoxicating beverages.
However, the important question is, did Jesus ever drink or give to drink a fermented beverage? Many religious people seem to think so, but what does the inspired Word of God teach us? This is where many critical thinking people, skeptics, and the like will surely disagree. Three things must be remembered when considering supposedly contradicting texts: First, when rightly divided, the Bible and its teachings will never contradict itself. Furthermore, the Word of God and the Spirit of God will always agree. The Holy Spirit will never tell you to do contrary to the teachings of the Bible. Secondly, Jesus was sinless. Christ “knew no sin” ((I Corinthians 5:21); “did no sin” (I Peter 2:22); and was “without sin.” Last of all, we must keep in mind that Jesus was the Word of God incarnate. John 1:14, “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.”
Some will argue the point that Jesus admitted to drinking fermented wine in Luke 7:33-34 when He said, “For John the Baptist came neither eating bread nor drinking wine; and ye say, He hath a devil. The Son of man is come eating and drinking; and ye say Behold a gluttonous man, and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners!” Matthew’s account of this is nearly identical. But neither account applies to the word Oinos (wine) to Christ. Jesus did not admit to drinking wine. Even if it did use the word, it must be remembered that it is a generic term and does not necessarily refer to fermented wine. By this statement, Jesus was simply pointing out the difference between John and Himself. John did not drink any wine (Oinos)—Jesus did. This wine (Oinos), we would have to assume was unfermented. It would have to be, to agree with the whole Word of God. Another important observation is that in reality, these were not Christ’s own words. They were what the people were saying about Him: “…and ye say, Behold a gluttonous man, and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners!” These were the words of the people. If Jesus was saying this of Himself, then the same would have to hold true of what He said of John, “He hath a devil.” In fact, neither statement holds true. They were just the sentiments of the people.
Unless one has an honest heart, no amount of statistical evidence or scripture will change their mind against alcoholic beverages. The demon of drink is just as alive as it has ever been. I have known people to staunchly defend alcohol and their right to use it as they please. The love of drink blinded their minds. Sound reasoning is no where to be found in them. Over the years, the product line of alcoholic beverages presented to the public has expanded and flourished. Regardless of the form however, some things have not changed. It continues to be destructive to health, a major factor in traffic fatalities, immorality, and a focal point in a large percentage of divorces. One only has to look around to observe its fruit.
Public opinion has varied widely over the years. At the beginning of the 1900’s, the majority cried out against it. The Women’s Christian Temperance Union was formed to stamp it out. Public sentiment was swayed to the point that Congress voted into law the Eighteenth Amendment, outlawing the manufacture and sale of alcohol. This happened in 1917. By 1919, all of the States had ratified it. Sad to say, it only lasted for fourteen years. In 1933, Congress overturned the Eighteenth Amendment by passing the Twenty-first Amendment. In a recent Gallup Poll, people were asked if they would be in favor of legislation banning alcohol again. Of those asked, 80% said they would be against such a law. These statistics become even more disturbing when we consider that the majority of the U.S. populations profess some form of Christianity. It is also interesting to note that most of the sales of alcohol take place over the Christmas season.
What is needed is a strong pronouncement against alcohol—a clear call to abstinence. There are several reasons one might have a weak stand against it. Human reasoning tells most people to just use it with moderation. Do not drink it in excess. The medical profession even goes so far as to tell people that a little can be good for you. Another reason is a false religion is blind to it. Babylon herself has a cup in her hand. People get spiritually drunk and they lose sound judgment and reasoning. What is important to all is what the Bible actually teaches concerning this—which leads me to a very important reason people have difficulty in standing against it. Within the Bible there are seemingly inconsistencies concerning our subject. In both the Old Testament and New Testament are texts that can be difficult to explain and bring into harmony with the teaching on total abstinence. It is also good to remember that in the Old Testament, God winked at some things. Let us be clear on this point: the Word of God does not contradict itself. The Bible does not present a duel teaching.
One last reason for a weak pronouncement against the use of alcoholic beverages has been the notion that grape juice could not be kept fresh for long periods of time and that most of what they drank was fermented because of the aging process. But according to different ancient historians, there were a number of methods used to keep juice fresh and unfermented. Probably the most popular was boiling down of large quantities to a thick syrup substance that was then poured into jars and sealed. The boiling itself removed any alcohol. This syrup could be stored for long periods of time without fermenting. When they desired, they would simply mix a portion of the soup with water and return it to a fresh juice.
To understand what the Bible teaches concerning this, we must look beyond the English words such as “wine” to the Hebrew and Greek words from which they were translated. Our first word we wish to consider is the Hebrew word…
Yayin
Let us give a few examples. Noah became drunk on yayin (Genesis 9:21). Lot was drunk on yayin and unaware of his incestuous relationship with his two daughters (Genesis 19:31-35). The wine that is a mocker is yayin (Proverbs 20:1). Proverbs 23:31 “Look not thou upon the wine [yayin] when it is red, when it giveth his colour in the cup, when it moveth itself aright.” Kings were forbidden to drink yayin when they did he service of God in the tabernacle (Leviticus 10:9; Ezekiel 44:21). These are all obviously referring to the fermented product.
On the other hand, let us cite a few examples of yayin as being obviously unfermented. God gives man “wine [yayin] that maketh glad the heart of man…” (Psalms 104:15). Wine (yayin) was used as a drink offering unto the Lord. Numbers 15:10, “And thou shalt bring for a drink offering half a hin of wine, for an offering made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the Lord.”
According to the best Greek-Hebrew lexicographers, Yayin comes from an unused root that involves some type of turbulence or agitation. The bubbling effervescent action of fermentation comes first to mind. However, according to them, it can have three distinct meanings. First is a foaming turbulence, caused by the freshly pressed grape juice as it flows from the winepress into the vat or container. Second is the movement caused by the fermentation. Third is the boiling turbulence when the juice is reduced to thick syrup for storage. Thus, we have a word that can be used to refer from the fresh grape juice to an intoxicating drink.
Some may object, arguing that Yayin is spoken of as being good on some occasions and bad on others because of its quantity of consumption and not its quality. This would be the defense of moderation advocates. However, God said for us to not even look upon, let alone drink in moderation, the fermented product. Proverbs 23:31-32, “Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth his colour in the cup, when it moveth itself aright. At the last it biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like an adder.” The moving referred to here is the fermentation process. The teaching here is total abstinence. Daniel believed in total abstinence from alcohol. Daniel 1:8, “But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion o the king’s mean, nor with the wine which he drank: therefore he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself.” Daniel however, did not refuse all yayin, just the king’s kind. The king’s wine was bad or fermented yayin. “I ate no pleasant bread, neither came flesh nor wine in my mouth, neither did I anoint myself at all, till three whole weeks were fulfilled.”
It is obvious from the previous evidence, that where yayin is translated wine in the Old Testament, the context must be taken into consideration for its proper meaning. Our next word we wish to consider is…
Tiyrowsh
Tiyrowsh is even used to refer to the juice before it is pressed from the grapes. Isaiah 65:8, “Thus saith the Lord, As the new wine is found in the cluster….” Furthermore, this word can also refer to grapes harvested, gathered in, and eaten (See Deuteronomy 11:14; 12:17). Four times the tithe of the wine is mentioned; each time it is tiyrowsh. God intended for their tithe of wine to be fresh, unfermented juice. The “wine, which cheereth God and man” is tiyrowsh (Judges 9:13). TO say that this refers to fermented wine would be ridiculous.
Shekar
Aciyc
Chamar and Chemer
So far, we have examined only Hebrew words of the Old Testament in connection with our study. We have set forth only those of the greatest importance. There are other minor words, which we have omitted from consideration. Now, let us turn our attention to the New Testament and its teaching. The New Testament has only a few words from the Greek language that we will consider. The first is…
Oinos
However, the important question is, did Jesus ever drink or give to drink a fermented beverage? Many religious people seem to think so, but what does the inspired Word of God teach us? This is where many critical thinking people, skeptics, and the like will surely disagree. Three things must be remembered when considering supposedly contradicting texts: First, when rightly divided, the Bible and its teachings will never contradict itself. Furthermore, the Word of God and the Spirit of God will always agree. The Holy Spirit will never tell you to do contrary to the teachings of the Bible. Secondly, Jesus was sinless. Christ “knew no sin” ((I Corinthians 5:21); “did no sin” (I Peter 2:22); and was “without sin.” Last of all, we must keep in mind that Jesus was the Word of God incarnate. John 1:14, “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.”
Some will argue the point that Jesus admitted to drinking fermented wine in Luke 7:33-34 when He said, “For John the Baptist came neither eating bread nor drinking wine; and ye say, He hath a devil. The Son of man is come eating and drinking; and ye say Behold a gluttonous man, and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners!” Matthew’s account of this is nearly identical. But neither account applies to the word Oinos (wine) to Christ. Jesus did not admit to drinking wine. Even if it did use the word, it must be remembered that it is a generic term and does not necessarily refer to fermented wine. By this statement, Jesus was simply pointing out the difference between John and Himself. John did not drink any wine (Oinos)—Jesus did. This wine (Oinos), we would have to assume was unfermented. It would have to be, to agree with the whole Word of God. Another important observation is that in reality, these were not Christ’s own words. They were what the people were saying about Him: “…and ye say, Behold a gluttonous man, and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners!” These were the words of the people. If Jesus was saying this of Himself, then the same would have to hold true of what He said of John, “He hath a devil.” In fact, neither statement holds true. They were just the sentiments of the people.
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