Alcohol—used in moderation or abused—raises questions about responsibility and self-control, but what does the Bible say about it? Let’s delve into scripture to uncover the principles of sobriety, temperance, and hospitality that guide us in our relationship with alcohol, as we seek to honor God with our bodies and relationships, avoiding the pitfalls of drunkenness and excess.
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What Does The Bible Say About Alcohol
Proverbs 20:1 – The Effects of Drinking Alcohol
“Wine is a mocker and beer a brawler; whoever is led astray by them is not wise.”
Proverbs 21:17 – The Pleasures of Drinking
“Whoever loves pleasure will become poor; whoever loves wine and olive oil will never be rich.”
Proverbs 23:29-35 – The Perils of Drunkenness
“Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has strife? Who has complaints? Who has needless bruises? Who has bloodshot eyes? Those who linger over wine, who go to sample bowls of mixed wine. 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 will imagine confusing things. You will be like one sleeping on the high seas, lying on top of the rigging. ‘They hit me,’ you will say, ‘but I’m not hurt! They beat me, but I don’t feel it! When will I wake up so I can find another drink?'”
Proverbs 31:4-5 – Kings and Alcohol
“It is not for kings, Lemuel— it is not for kings to drink wine, not for rulers to crave beer, lest they drink and forget what has been decreed, and deprive all the oppressed of their rights.”
Isaiah 5:11 – Woe to Those Who Drink
“Woe to those who rise early in the morning to run after their drinks, who stay up late at night till they are inflamed with wine.”
Isaiah 5:22 – The Consequences of Alcohol
“Woe to those who are heroes at drinking wine and champions at mixing drinks!”
Isaiah 28:7 – The Effects of Excessive Drinking
“And these also stagger from wine and reel from beer: priests and prophets stagger from beer and are befuddled with wine; they reel from beer, they stagger when seeing visions, they stumble when rendering decisions.”
Luke 12:45 – Drinking and Sinning
“But suppose the servant says to himself, ‘My master is taking a long time in coming,’ and he then begins to beat the other servants, both men and women, and to eat and drink and get drunk.”
Ephesians 5:18 – Do Not Get Drunk
“Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit.”
1 Corinthians 6:9-10 – Drunkards and the Kingdom of God
“Or do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.”
1 Peter 4:3 – Past Time of Drunkenness
“For you have spent enough time in the past doing what pagans choose to do—living in debauchery, lust, drunkenness, orgies, carousing and detestable idolatry.”
Galatians 5:21 – Drunkenness as a Sin
“…drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.”
1 Timothy 3:8 – Qualifications of Church Leaders
“In the same way, deacons are to be worthy of respect, sincere, not indulging in much wine, and not pursuing dishonest gain.”
1 Timothy 3:11 – Qualifications of Church Leaders’ Wives
“In the same way, the women are to be worthy of respect, not malicious talkers but temperate and trustworthy in everything.”
Romans 13:13 – Behavior Befitting of Christians
“Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy.”
Titus 2:2-3 – Teaching Sound Doctrine
“Teach the older men to be temperate, worthy of respect, self-controlled, and sound in faith, in love, and in endurance. Likewise, teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live, not to be slanderers or addicted to much wine, but to teach what is good.”
Romans 14:21 – Not Causing Others to Stumble
“It is better not to eat meat or drink wine or to do anything else that will cause your brother or sister to fall.”
1 Corinthians 8:9 – Not Exercising Freedom Offensively
“Be careful, however, that the exercise of your rights does not become a stumbling block to the weak.”
Proverbs 23:20-21 – Do Not Be Gluttonous
“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.”
Proverbs 31:6-7 – Give Strong Drink to Those Perishing
“Let beer be for those who are perishing, wine for those who are in anguish! Let them drink and forget their poverty and remember their misery no more!”
Galatians 6:7 – Reaping What is Sown
“Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows.”
Philippians 4:5 – Let Your Gentleness Be Evident
“Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near.”
Galatians 5:22-23 – The Fruit of the Spirit
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law.”
1 Timothy 5:23 – Timothy’s Stomach Troubles
“Stop drinking only water, and use a little wine because of your stomach and your frequent illnesses.”
Matthew 11:19 – The Critics of Jesus
“The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.’ But wisdom is proved right by her deeds.”
Ruth 3:7 – Ruth and Boaz at the Threshing Floor
“When Boaz had finished eating and drinking and was in good spirits, he went over to lie down at the far end of the grain pile.”
Deuteronomy 21:20 – Rebellion and Drunkenness
“They shall say to the elders, ‘This son of ours is stubborn and rebellious. He will not obey us. He is a glutton and a drunkard.'”
Proverbs 31:6 – Giving Strong Drink to the Dying
“Give strong drink to the one who is perishing, and wine to those in bitter distress.”
Acts 2:15 – Peter Explains Pentecost
“These people are not drunk, as you suppose. It’s only nine in the morning!”
Deuteronomy 29:6 – The Lord Sustaining in the Wilderness
“You have not eaten bread, and you have not drunk wine or strong drink, that you may know that I am the Lord your God.”
1 Samuel 1:14 – Hannah’s Prayer for a Child
“In her deep anguish, Hannah prayed to the Lord, weeping bitterly.”
Numbers 6:3 – The Nazirite Vow
“They must abstain from wine and other fermented drink and must not drink vinegar made from wine or other fermented drink. They must not drink grape juice or eat grapes or raisins.”
Genesis 19:32-35 – Lot and His Daughters
“Come, let’s make our father drink wine, and then we will sleep with him and preserve our family line through our father.” So they got their father to drink wine that night, and the older daughter went in and slept with him. He did not know when she lay down or when she got up. The next day the older daughter said to the younger, ‘Last night I slept with my father. Let’s get him to drink wine again tonight, and you go in and sleep with him so we can preserve our family line through our father.’ So they got their father to drink wine that night also, and the younger daughter went in and slept with him. Again, he was not aware when she lay down or when she got up.”
Psalm 104:15 – Wine to Gladden the Heart
“…wine that gladdens human hearts, oil to make their faces shine, and bread that sustains their hearts.”
Psalm 75:8 – God is the Judge
“In the hand of the Lord is a cup full of foaming wine mixed with spices; he pours it out, and all the wicked of the earth drink it down to its very dregs.”
Song of Solomon 1:4 – The Pursuit of Love
“Take me away with you—let us hurry! Let the king bring me into his chambers. We rejoice and delight in you; we will praise your love more than wine. How right they are to adore you!”
Song of Solomon 4:10 – The Bride’s Love for the Groom
“How delightful is your love, my sister, my bride! How much more pleasing is your love than wine, and the fragrance of your perfume more than any spice!”
Ecclesiastes 9:7 – Enjoy Life with Joyful Heart
“Go, eat your food with gladness, and drink your wine with a joyful heart, for God has already approved what you do.”
Mark 15:23 – Jesus Refuses Wine
“Then they offered him wine mixed with myrrh, but he did not take it.”
John 2:1-11 – Jesus’ First Miracle
“On the third day a wedding took place at Cana in Galilee. Jesus’ mother was there, and Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. When the wine was gone, Jesus’ mother said to him, ‘They have no more wine.’ ‘Woman, why do you involve me?’ Jesus replied. ‘My hour has not yet come.’ His mother said to the servants, ‘Do whatever he tells you.’ Nearby stood six stone water jars, the kind used by the Jews for ceremonial washing, each holding from twenty to thirty gallons. Jesus said to the servants, ‘Fill the jars with water’; so they filled them to the brim. Then he told them, ‘Now draw some out and take it to the master of the banquet.’ They did so, and the master of the banquet tasted the water that had been turned into wine. He did not realize where it had come from, though the servants who had drawn the water knew. Then he called the bridegroom aside and said, ‘Everyone brings out the choice wine first and then the cheaper wine after the guests have had too much to drink; but you have saved the best till now.’ What Jesus did here in Cana of Galilee was the first of the signs through which he revealed his glory; and his disciples believed in him.”
Matthew 26:27-28 – The Last Supper
“Then he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, saying, ‘Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.'”
1 Corinthians 11:25 – The Lord’s Supper
“In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.'”