Answering Doctrinal Questions (Part 11)

Stan Crowley

But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear; (1 Pet 3:15 NKJV)

Yes! We are plainly admonished NOT to forsake the assembly of the saints.(Heb 10:24 NKJV) And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works,(Heb 10:25 NKJV) not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, …We are to be together to strengthen one another; this is not limited to Sunday.

25. Does one sin when he/she willfully neglects the assembly?

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Worshipping God in the way He reveals that we should is an essential part of our response to Him.

Christians assemble for worship on the first day of every week (Acts 20:7).

I Corinthians chapters 11-16 documents all five acts of worship in an assembly of the whole church (I Cor. 14:23) on the first day of the week (I Cor. 16:1-2).

Failure to attend is not just “being absent,” it is failing to worship.

25. Does one sin when he/she willfully neglects the assembly?

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No.Paul makes the specific point that all

those assembled should engage in simultaneous, group worship.(1 Cor 11:33 NKJV) Therefore, my brethren, when you come together to eat, wait for one another.

The immediate context is joint, simultaneous participation in the Lord’s Supper, but the principle can be applied to all acts of Sunday corporate worship.

26. Is children’s worship and other such divided worship assemblies acceptable in the sight of God?

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No.What about occasional social

drinking of alcoholic beverages?What about moderate private

drinking of alcoholic beverages?How much alcohol can I drink

before I am considered “drunk” according to the Bible’s standard?

31. May one drink alcoholic beverages and be pleasing to God?

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SOBER OR DRUNK

Man has many ways of evaluating when he thinks a person has crossed the line from sober to drunk: Coordination Behavior Reaction time Blood alcohol contentThe important question is: How do the Scriptures define that line?

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SOBER OR DRUNK

Paul told Thessalonian Christians to be of the light, not darkness.(1 Th 5:5 KJV) Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness.The contrast here is absolute: there is no sharing of light and darkness.(Eph 5:8 KJV) For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light:(2 Cor 6:14 KJV) … what communion hath light with darkness?

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SOBER OR DRUNK

To be of the light, not darkness, a person must "be sober.”(1 Th 5:6 KJV) Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober.(1 Th 5:7 KJV) For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night.(1 Th 5:8 KJV) But let us, who are of the day, be sober, …

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SOBER OR DRUNK

(1 Th 5:6-8 KJV) … be sober. For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night. But let us, who are of the day, be sober, …

“Be sober” is used in contrast to drunkenness that occurs at night.It means physically sober.A person is either sober or drunk.In the original language in which the N. T. was written, the word for sober is a powerful and descriptive word.

SOBER OR DRUNK

“Sober” is from a Greek word (nepho) that is frequently defined as requiring abstention (absolutely no use). to abstain from wine; thus, to be

sober Wigram and Green to be sober, drink no wine

Liddell and Scott to abstain from wine (keep sober)

J. Strong

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SOBER OR DRUNK

“Sober” is from a Greek word (nepho) that is frequently defined as requiring abstention (absolutely no use). to abstain; to be sober

J. Gall to be free from the influence of

intoxicants W. E. Vine

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SOBER OR DRUNK

The structure of the Greek word nepho is also interesting. The first part of the word is ne,

meaning “not.” In its combined form, the negative

idea is maintained: ne-steuo means “to abstain from food”ne-pho means “to abstain from wine”

Wigram and Green 12

SOBER OR DRUNK

Here is a very strong case that anything other than abstaining (absolutely no use) violates the Scriptural admonition to “be sober.”

A person ceases to be sober when he takes the first drink of an alcoholic beverage.

We must let the way the word is used in the Scriptures be our standard.

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OBJECTIONS AND QUESTIONS

Those who try to justify taking an “occasional drink” usually offer challenges to the conclusion that the Bible teaches total abstention.

We will look at a few of them.

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“Paul recommended ‘wine’ ”

(1 Tim 5:23 KJV) Drink no longer water, but use a little wine for thy stomach's sake and thine often infirmities.There is a misunderstanding that

the word “wine” in the Bible always refers to alcoholic beverages.

Such is not the case—neither in the Old Testament nor the New Testament.

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“Paul recommended ‘wine’ ”

“In Hebrew, Chaldee, Greek, Syriac, Arabic, Latin, and English, the words for wine in all these languages are … applied to the blood of the grape in its primitive and natural condition, as well, subsequently, as to that juice both boiled and fermented.”

Dr. Frederic Lees (Quoted in Bible Wines, p. 63)

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“Paul recommended ‘wine’ ”

We see this variety of usage in our Bible (O.T. and N.T.):(Isa 65:8 KJV) Thus saith the LORD, As the new wine is found in the cluster, …

(Lev 10:9 KJV) Do not drink wine nor strong drink, …

(Luke 1:15 KJV) For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink; …

See also Bibles Wines and The Bible and “Social Drinking.”

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“Paul recommended ‘wine’ ”

(1 Tim 5:23 KJV) …use a little wine for thy stomach's sake and thine often infirmities.There is no reason to assume Paul

is advocating an intoxicating drink.Grape juice was well known for its benefits (specifically for the stomach). Perhaps Timothy had been abstaining from grape products (Nazarite vow).If it were alcoholic, this would be a precedent for medications containing alcohol, not beverages.

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“Jesus turned water to ‘wine.’”

(John 2:10 KJV) … Every man at the beginning doth set forth good wine; and when men have well drunk, then that which is worse: but thou hast kept the good wine until now.Remember: “Wine” is not

necessarily alcoholic; the word sometimes refers to grape juice.

Our society thinks anything called “wine” is alcoholic; such was not the case in the Bible.

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“Jesus turned water to ‘wine.’”

(John 2:10 KJV) … at the beginning doth set forth good wine; and when men have well drunk {drunk freely, ASV}, then that which is worse: but thou hast kept the good wine …Note: The “wine” Jesus made was:Worthy of being served earlier.Served after much “wine” had been consumed (they had “drunk freely”).If the “wine” was alcoholic, Jesus

made alcoholic drinks for people already intoxicated!!

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“Jesus turned water to ‘wine.’”

Jesus’ miracles produced natural results (in a miraculous way).

Fermented “wine” is not a product of nature. Grapes naturally decay into a sour

vinegar. Making fermented wine requires a

man-made process.So, it would have been an

exception if this miracle produced “unnatural” fermented wine.

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“Deacons could drink some ‘wine.’”

In the KJV, the phrases for bishops and deacons appear quite similar.

(1 Tim 3:2-3 KJV) A bishop then must be … Not given to wine, …

(1 Tim 3:8 KJV) … the deacons be grave, … not given to much wine, …

This has caused some to conclude that deacons can drink wine as long as it is not “much wine.”

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“Deacons could drink some ‘wine.’”

(1 Tim 3:2-3 KJV) A bishop then must be … Not given to wine, …(1 Tim 3:8 KJV) … the deacons be grave, … not given to much wine, …

In the original language, drinking wine is not literally mentioned.For bishops, the phrase “not given to wine” literally means “not near wine.”For deacons, the phrase “not given to much wine” literally means “not holding the mind on much wine.”

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“Deacons could drink some ‘wine.’”

For deacons, the phrase “not given to much wine” literally means “not holding the mind on much wine.”

Deacons should not be holding their minds on wine.

They should not be obsessed with thoughts of drinking.

Holding on to the thought is the first step toward the act.

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“Deacons could drink some ‘wine.’”

For bishops, the phrase “not given to wine” literally means “not near wine.”

Elders should stay away from situations that compromise their reputations.

A prior qualification uses a term that demands that an elder abstain.

(1 Tim 3:2-3 KJV) A bishop then must be …vigilant, sober, …Not given to wine, …

“Vigilant” is from the same Greek word translated sober in I Thess. 5:6-8: it means no use. 25

“Deacons could drink some ‘wine.’”

(1 Tim 3:2-3 KJV) A bishop then must be … Not given to wine [NOT NEAR WINE], …(1 Tim 3:8 KJV) … the deacons be grave, … not given to much wine [NOT HOLDING THE MIND ON WINE], …

In the original language, drinking wine is not literally mentioned.There is no suggestion here that it is permissible for elders or deacons to drink alcoholic beverages in any quantity. 26

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No.(1 Th 5:6-8 KJV) … be sober. For they that sleep

sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night. But let us, who are of the day, be sober, …

Christians are to “be sober.” “Be sober” is used in contrast to

drunkenness that occurs at night.“Be sober” means physically

sober—not consuming any amount of alcoholic beverage.

31. May one drink alcoholic beverages and be pleasing to God?

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EXTRA MATERIA

L

“Deacons could drink some ‘wine.’”

(1 Tim 3:2-3 KJV) A bishop then must be …vigilant, sober, …Not given to wine, …“Vigilant” is from nephaleos which is often defined as no use of alcohol:abstinent in respect to wine, etc.

The Analytical Greek Lexicon (Rev.)of things free from all infusion or addition of wine, as vessels, offerings, etc.

The New Thayer’s Greek English Lexicon

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“Deacons could drink some ‘wine.’”

(1 Tim 3:2-3 KJV) A bishop then must be …vigilant, sober, …Not given to wine, …

“Vigilant” is from a Greek which is often defined as no use of alcohol:

… may refer either to altars at which only wineless offerings were made, or perhaps to cakes … free from all influence of wine.

The Vocabulary of the Greek Testament

The Greek root word is the word translated “sober” in I Thess. 5:6-8.

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“Deacons could drink some ‘wine.’”

(1 Tim 3:2-3 KJV) A bishop then must be …vigilant, sober, …Not given to wine, …

Notice the progression of an elder’s qualifications:

“vigilant”—physically sober (an abstainer), “sober-minded”—sober in mind (self-controlled, prudent), “not given to wine”—not near wine (protecting his reputation)

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