The assault upon the minds of man to socially accept and imbibe in intoxicating drink is intense. From the persuasive influence of professional athletes to the “cute” frogs, dogs and lizards, society is gradually becoming more tolerant of drinking. Thus, in the midst of this mental transition, it must be asked: “What does the Bible teach regarding the drinking of intoxicating drinks?”
FIRST, if the Bible teaches that man is not to become drunk, and if the original (Greek) word includes the entire drinking process (from the first drink to staggering drunk), then even one drink of intoxicating drinks is sinful. The Bible does teach that man is not to become drunk. “Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God” (Gal. 5:21; cf., 1 Cor. 6:10; Eph. 5:18). Also, the original (Greek) word does includes the entire drinking process (from the first drink to staggering drunk). METHUSKO [mequskw] is defined as: “To make drunk, or to grow drunk (an inceptive verb [relating to the beginning (GH)], marking the process of the state expressed) to become intoxicated” (Vine’s, 1.341); “to begin to be softened” (Young’s Concordance, p. 275); “to grow drunk (marking the beginning)” (Bullinger’s, p. 238). Thus, METHUSKO includes the beginning of the drinking process–the first drink. To illustrate, consider a man who is a weight lifter going to the gym for an hour-long workout. Near the end of his workout he is getting very exhausted and is straining with every lift. Yet, at the beginning of his workout (before the grueling exercises had its weakening effect) he was still in the workout process. He was weak at the end because of, not only the latter exercises, but also because of the exercises which he did at the beginning. Thus, the workout was a cumulative process which lead to his exhaustion; even the first lift (although unnoticed) had a weakening effect. Likewise, METHUSKO describes such a cumulative process. Thus, although one will eventually become staggering drunk, he is METHUSKO even when he begins with the first drink. Therefore, even one drink of intoxicating drinks is sinful.
SECOND, if the Bible teaches that the Christian is to refrain from harming the body, and if intoxicating drinks harm the body, then the use of intoxicating drinks is sinful. The Bible does teach that the Christian is to refrain from harming the body. “What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s” (1 Cor. 6:19-20). Thus, the Christian is not to do that which destroys the property of God. Rather, the physical body is to be used to glorify God. However, intoxicating drinks do harm the body. As reported by Dr. Melvin H. Knisley, professor of anatomy at the Medical College of South Carolina, at the 28th International Congress on Alcohol and Alcoholism: “Even one beer destroys brain cells” (brain cells cannot be replaced). Also, in a report of the United States Department of Health, Education, and Welfare: “Alcohol is indisputably involved in the causation of cancer and its consumption is one of the few types of exposure known to increase the risk of cancer at various sites in the human body.” Therefore, the use of intoxicating drinks is sinful.
CONCLUSION: The answer to the question is: The Bible DOES teach that the drinking of intoxicating drinks is sinful. May we have the courage to do and stand for that which is God’s Will.
Gary Henson