Is drinking alcohol bad?

There’s an old story about how Christianity became the religion of Russia.

Long ago, a powerful Russian ruler brought two missionaries to his court, one a Muslim and the other a Christian.

Looking down at them, he asked a piercing and direct question, “Why should I accept your faith above the others?”

The Muslim stepped forward.

He told the ruler about the five pillars of Islam, of submission to Allah as the cure for pride, and of the many wives a Muslim man could take.

The ruler’s interest peaked.

There was a restriction, however… no alcohol.

The Muslim bowed respectfully, “I trust you will make the wise decision, O great Ruler…” And he returned to his position.

Then the Christian stepped forward.

He looked at the stone-faced ruler towering above him, shrugged, and said, “You can’t have multiple wives, but you can drink.”

And for hundreds of years, Christianity reigned as the dominant religion of Russia.

Alcohol

This story is a humorous anecdote and shouldn’t be seen as anything more. Still, it leads us nicely into this week’s topic…

Is drinking alcohol bad?

For those looking for a simple answer: No, drinking alcohol is not inherently “bad.” But it’s also not that simple.

The Bible never condemns drinking itself; it does, however, condemn what comes from it if one isn’t careful.

As followers of Jesus, it’s good to have a balanced and informed approach to alcohol. After all, it’s been around for ages and humanity’s showing no signs of leaving it behind.

Drinking While Christian?

So join us this week as we explore how Christianity interacts with alcohol. 

We’re going to look at how alcohol appears in the Bible and how this has been interpreted and applied by followers of Jesus from different walks of life.

We’ll also approach questions such as…

• Is it good for Christians to drink? 

• How much should a Christian drink? 

• What about getting drunk?

From Willie Nelson’s “Whisky River” to Chumbawamba’s “Tubthumping,” we sing about it, fight about it, and see it everywhere…

It was there in the time of Jesus and it's here today. Let’s talk about drinking.

For now, be blessed.

Jon,

Theophilus Newsletter