Believe it or not, the older I get, the more tender I feel about young and/or weak believers, all full of zeal for God.
But I don’t think it’s a good idea to let gross legalisms go uncontested, and when you get in that contest, it usually goes something like this:
- “This nation needs more bible studies and less wine tastings!”
- To which you respond: “How about both? Nice glass of wine, some prayer, and you open the good book to –“
- “STOP! You are talking about the devil’s water there!”
- But in John 2, Jesus made water into wine — really good wine.
- He did NOT! THAT was grape juice.
- But the bible uses the Greek word “oinō” to describe wine in John 2 just as it does in Ephesians 5: 28 where it says “do not get drunk on wine.” How could it be juice in one place and “devil’s water” in another? It’s not the wine that is the problem. It’s getting drunk.
- I am NOT going to listen to someone twist scripture. “Wine is a mocker,” brother.
- Yes, it certainly can be, just as a temptress can be a snare, but are we to never marry because some people fornicate?
- I can only go by God’s word.
- And God’s word, in Psalm 104 praises God for giving us wine to “make our hearts glad.”
- There you go twisting scripture again!
- I was just quoting scripture.
- And I guess you are going to tell me that Jesus drank WINE???
- Well, yes, He contrasts himself to John the Baptist, who didn’t drink wine, in Matthew 11:19 when He says the Son of Man came “eating and drinking.” Was He saying “John drank grape juice and I drink grape juice too?” What sort of contrast would that be?
- Listen, we can’t learn these things from human wisdom, we need to rely on the word of God.
- I thought that’s what I was doing.
- It says in the last days men will not endure sound teaching, they will be lovers of themselves, lovers of pleasure more than God.
- So when I quote the Bible to you, I’m not enduring sound teaching?
- All I can tell you, brother, is that I have to do what God tells me to do. I can’t do it any other way.
- So you think Jesus should not have turned that water into wine in John 2? He should have checked with you first?
- Look they were drinking too much wine. It says so. Do you think Jesus would have given them MORE wine?
- Ah, so the first oinō was real fermented stuff, and the second oinō, the stuff Jesus made, was grape juice?
- Um. Yes…
- And then in Ephesians 5, oinō turns back into devil’s water again?
- Yes.
- And Paul — does he advocate we take a little devil water for our stomachs or is that grape —
- Stop, right there. The Bible commands me to be instant in season and out of season for you. I can’t make it simple for you.
- No. I guess you can’t.
I’m not a professor of logic and rhetoric, but when someone jumps outside of the question, ignores the opposing texts, and insists that he’s on a mission from God, it’s usually a safe bet: he’s not.
