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Ellen
G. White, the prophetess of the Seventh-Day Adventist Church, taught
that every Christian must abstain from eating meat, for the eating of flesh
is unnatural. Here are some quotes of Mrs White on meat-eating: ‘Let not any
of our ministers set an evil example in the eating of flesh-meat. Let them
and their families live up to the light of health reform. Let not our
ministers animalize their own nature and the nature of their children’ (Spalding and Magan, p. 211); ‘If ever
there was a time when the diet should be of the most simple
kind, it is now. Meat should not be placed before our children. Its influence
is to excite and strengthen the lower passions, and has a tendency to deaden
the moral powers. Grains and fruits prepared free from grease, and in as
natural a condition as possible, should be the food for the tables of all who
claim to be preparing for translation to heaven’ (Testimonies, Vol. 2, p. 352); ‘Those who have received
instruction regarding the evils of the use of flesh foods...will not continue
to indulge their appetite for food that they know to be unhealthful. God
demands that the appetites be cleansed, and that self-denial be practiced in
regard to those things which are not good. This is a work that will have to
be done before His people can stand before Him a perfected people’ (Testimonies, Vol. 9, p. 153) In the
light of the above mentioned words of Ellen White, therefore, every Adventist
should eat only vegetables, or rather vegetables, fruits, nuts and grains.
For they constitute the diet chosen for us by our Creator. However, the
Adventist Church has taken the following position on meat-eating: every
Christian must abstain from the so called unclean foods spoken of in the law
of Moses while he is allowed to eat the ‘clean foods’: ‘Do Seventh-day
Adventists believe that foods such as lobsters, crabs, pork, et cetera, all
forbidden under the Mosaic law, are still forbidden, binding upon the
Christian, and hence not to be eaten under penalty of sin? …. It is true we
refrain from eating certain articles, as indicated in the query, but not
because the law of Moses has any binding claims upon us. Far from it. We
stand fast in the liberty with which God has set us free. It must be
remembered that God recognized "clean" and "unclean"
animals at the time of the Flood, long before there was a law of Moses. We
reason that if God saw fit at that time to counsel His people against certain
articles of diet, these things were not best for human consumption; and since
we are physically constituted in the same way as are the Jews and all other
peoples, we believe such things are not the best for us to use today. To us,
the whole matter of unclean foods is primarily a question of health ….’ (Seventh-day Adventists Answer Questions On
Doctrine, Review and Herald Publishing Association, Washington, D.C. 1957,
pages 623-624); ‘Along with adequate exercise and rest, we are to adopt the
most healthful diet possible and abstain from the unclean foods identified in
the Scriptures’ (Fundamental Beliefs, 21) So the vegetable diet taught by
Ellen G. White is not a test of fellowship in the Seventh-Day Adventist
Church, though it is considered the proper diet chosen for mankind by God.
The Adventist
Church
teaches also that a Christian must abstain totally from tea, coffee, beer,
wine, or any alcoholic drinks, for all these beverages have harmful effects
on mind and morals.
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The
Adventist
Church
is not the only sect which teaches such things, for there are many other
sects all over the world which teach similar doctrines. For instance, the
followers of Herbert Armstrong teach that we must abstain from the ‘unclean
foods’ of the law of Moses: ‘The instruction in the 11th chapter of Leviticus,
then, is not some ritualistic regulation for the Mosaic period only. Why do
so many people have the idea that God is some great unfair monster who
imposes foolish hardships on His people? Whatever God instructs us is for OUR
GOOD, not some nonsensical restriction for one period to be changed around
some different way for other people of a different period. Swine flesh--pork,
ham, bacon, sausage, etc.-- is simply NOT FIT FOR
HUMAN CONSUMPTION. The same is true with oysters, lobsters, clams, crabs,
shrimp, crawfish, dogs, snakes, rats, and skunks. The only seafood fit for
food are fish having both fins and scales. Halibut
has both and is clean. Catfish is a skin fish--unclean. It's all a matter of
what we have become accustomed to doing. It seems strange and horrifying to
hear that some Orientals eat mice as a delicacy. But many Orientals are
horrified to hear that we eat nasty, slimy, filthy oysters! But some human
grown-ups, like little babies, will eat anything they can get their hands on
and stuff into their mouths. At so-called "quality" grocery stores
in large towns and cities, specializing in rare delicacies, you can purchase
"delicious" canned rattlesnake--if you care for it. So far as I am
concerned, you may have my portion if you wish to try it. I do not care to
eat it for the same reason I do not eat slugs, skunks, cats, or eels—for the
same reason I do not eat poison ivy or weeds. Yes, and for the same reason I
do not put fuel oil mixed with sand in the gas tank of my car! The day will
come when the learned (so-called) doctors will at last learn that eating
greasy hog flesh and other unfit "foods" has been a prime cause of
cancer and other deadly diseases’ (Herbert W. Armstrong, IS All ANIMAL FLESH
Good Food?). And Mormons teach that one must abstain from some kinds of flesh
during certain periods of the year, and from wine, alcoholic beverages, tea,
and coffee: ‘Behold, verily, thus saith the Lord unto you: In consequence of
evils and designs which do and will exist in the hearts of conspiring men in
the last days, I have warned you, and forewarn you, by giving unto you this
word of wisdom by revelation. That inasmuch as any man drinketh wine or
strong drink among you, behold it is not good, neither meet in the sight of
your Father, only in assembling yourselves together to offer up your
sacraments before him. And, behold, this should be wine, yea, pure wine of
the grape of the vine, of your own make. And, again, strong drinks are not
for the belly, but for the washing of your bodies. And again, tobacco is not
for the body, neither for the belly, and is not good for man, but is an herb
for bruises and all sick cattle, to be used with judgment and skill. And
again, hot drinks are not for the body or belly. And again, verily I say unto
you, all wholesome herbs God hath ordained for the constitution, nature, and
use of man. Every herb in the season thereof, and every fruit in the season
thereof; all these to be used with prudence and thanksgiving. Yea, flesh also
of beasts and of the fowls of the air, I, the Lord, have ordained for the use
of man with thanksgiving; nevertheless they are to be used sparingly; And it
is pleasing unto me that they should not be used, only in times of winter, or
of cold, or famine.’ (Doctrine and Covenants, 89:4-13).
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Even
some Evangelical Churches forbid their members to eat certain foods (in most
cases the unclean foods of the law), and to drink wine or any alcoholic
beverages.
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Confutation
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Those
who command to abstain from foods created by God teach a doctrine of demons
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Paul
said that those who command to abstain from foods which God created are
hypocritical liars (cf. 1 Timothy 4:2-3) who teach a doctrine of demons, and
also that “food does not commend us to God; for neither if we eat are we the
better, nor if we do not eat are we the worse” (1 Corinthians 8:8 – NKJV).
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Therefore
those who teach that if one abstains from certain foods created by God he is
more appreciated (by God) – or held in greater esteem (by God) - than he who
does eat those foods are liars, who deceive themselves. Do you know why food
does not commend us to God? For “the kingdom of God is not
eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit”
(Romans 14:17
– NKJV); so those who are pleasing to God and approved by men are those who
pursue righteousness and peace and who rejoice in the Lord by the Holy
Spirit.
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Now
let me refute some of the arguments of those who command to abstain from
meat.
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They
affirm that men ought to eat only vegetables and fruits for God at the
beginning said to the man and woman: “I give you every seed-bearing plant on
the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it.
They will be yours for food” (Genesis 1:29
– NIV). However, they forget that God, after the flood, said to Noah and his
sons: “Everything that lives and moves will be food for you. Just as I gave
you the green plants, I now give you everything” (Genesis 9:3 – NIV).
Furthermore, they forget that in the wilderness God gave the Israelites meat
(that is, quail) to eat, as it is written: “The Lord will give you meat, and
you shall eat” (Numbers 11:18 – NKJV) and again: “He also rained meat on them
like the dust, feathered fowl like the sand of the seas; and He let them fall
in the midst of their camp, all around their dwellings. So they ate and were
well filled” (Psalm 78:27-29 – NKJV); they forget also that God commanded the
ravens to bring to Elijah bread and meat in the morning, and bread and meat
in the evening (cf. 1 Kings 17:2-6); and they forget that Jesus and His disciples
ate the Passover lamb as the law of Moses commanded (as it is written: “Then
they shall eat the flesh on that night; roasted in fire, with unleavened
bread and with bitter herbs they shall eat it” Exodus 12:8 – NKJV), and that
after He rose from the dead He ate some fish, as it is written: “So they gave
Him a piece of a broiled fish and some honeycomb. And He took it and ate in
their presence” (Luke 24:42-43 – NKJV). As you can see, according to the
Scripture it is lawful for believers to eat meat, for meat-eating does not
have any harmful effects on the health of believers or on their spiritual
life. Brothers, remember that what we eat is sanctified by the Word of God
and prayer, so it cannot damage our health nor our
spirituality. Our health will be damaged if we eat too much meat, for we will
break the commandment which says: “Do not mix with winebibbers, or with
gluttonous eaters of meat …” (Proverbs 23:20 – NKJV), and thus we will reap
corruption from the flesh, for it is written: “He who sows to his flesh will
of the flesh reap corruption” (Galatians 6:8 – NKJV). If we eat too much
meat, our spiritual life also will be damaged, for Jesus said: “Take heed to
yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing ….” (Luke 21:34 – NKJV).
As you can see, the ‘diet’ counselled by Adventists, which include the total
abstention from meat, contradicts the Word of God. It is indeed a doctrine of
demons; so let no one of them deceive you with his smooth words.
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They
affirm that animals are intelligent creatures of God, which see, hear,
suffer, and are affectionate with those who take care of them, so it’s cruel
killing them. However, the Word of God allows us to slaughter animals in
order to eat their meat, for it is written: “You may slaughter and eat meat
within all your gates, whatever your heart desires, according to the blessing
of the Lord your God which He has given you ….” (Deuteronomy 12:15 - NKJV).
In the light of the Word of God, therefore, those who slaughter animals to
eat their flesh are not cruel or merciless people. Brothers in the Lord, let
no one deceive you with this argument, for it is not based on the Holy
Scripture but on human feelings. Please do not misunderstand me, for I am not
judging or criticizing those who do not want to slaughter animals for they
haven’t got the heart to slaughter them; I am just refuting those who speak
about the innocence of the animals and affirm that some of them behave
affectionately toward men, in order to command people to abstain from meat,
and deceive people into thinking that those who slaughter animals to eat are
merciless.
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As
you can see, in the light of the teaching of the Scripture, therefore, Ellen
G. White was wrong in teaching that Christians must abstain from all flesh
foods. She was deceived by the devil, who is the father of lies, into
teaching this doctrine. Beware of her teaching on meat-eating, for it is a
doctrine of demons.
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The
mosaic prohibition of eating certain animals has been abolished by Christ,
for He has purified all foods
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As
we saw before, both the Adventists and the followers of Herbert Armstrong
cite the law of Moses to support the prohibition of eating the flesh of
certain animals (such as the swine, the camel, and the hare), certain fish,
certain birds, and certain flying insects. They quote the eleventh chapter of
the book of Leviticus, where the Israelites were commanded not to eat the
unclean animals. However, they are wrong in commanding to abstain from these
animals, for the mosaic prohibition of eating those foods was a shadow of
something which was to come. That’s what Paul affirms when he says to the
Colossians: “Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink,
or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath
day. These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality,
however, is found in Christ” (Colossians 2:16-17
- NIV). With these words Paul urged the saints not to subject themselves to
those precepts which forbade to eat certain things,
which were according to the commandments and doctrines of men, which were of
no value against the indulgence of the flesh. Of course the precepts which
command people not to eat certain foods have an appearance of wisdom, with
their self-imposed religion, their false humility and their harsh treatment
of the body, but they are of no value to those who observe them. The
Scripture affirms that “it is good that the heart be established by grace,
not with foods which have not profited those who have been occupied with
them” (Hebrews 13:9 – NKJV). Therefore, if we keep these commandments of men,
we will be enslaved by the weak and beggarly elements again, and we will do
something that doesn’t establish our heart before God, for our heart is
established by the grace of God and not by the abstention from certain foods.
Furthermore, it is not lawful for us to turn back again to the weak and
worthless elemental things, for we have died with Christ to the basic
principles of this world that we might walk in newness of life. Considering
that foods are for the stomach, and the stomach for foods, and one day God
will destroy both it and them (cf. 1 Corinthians 6:13), it is really absurd
to believe that it is useful to keep the rules concerning foods taught by
Adventists and the followers of Herbert Armstrong.
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Jesus
Christ was familiar with the precepts concerning foods prescribed by the law
of Moses, yet He never commanded His disciples to abstain from certain foods
saying that they were unclean and could defile them. On the contrary, He made
it clear that no food can defile man. Listen to what He said to His
disciples: “Do you not perceive that whatever enters a man from outside
cannot defile him, because it does not enter his heart but his stomach, and
is eliminated ….?” (Mark 7:18-19 – NKJV). By these words Jesus meant that
there is no food which can defile those who eat it. Concerning these words
spoken by Jesus, Mark says: “In saying this, Jesus declared all foods
‘clean.’ ” (Mark 7:19
– NIV), that is to say, Jesus Christ purified all
those foods which were ‘unclean’ according to the law of Moses. That no food
is unclean is confirmed by the apostle Paul when he says to the Romans that
“there is nothing unclean of itself” (Romans 14:14 – NKJV).
I am sure that Paul, who was a Jew by birth and held in great esteem the law
of Moses, would never have written these words to the Gentiles if he had not
been fully convinced by Jesus Christ that the prohibition of eating the
unclean foods had been abolished. Of course Paul said immediately after: “But
to him who considers anything to be unclean, to him it is unclean” (Romans 14:14 – NKJV),
but notice that the apostle says that ‘to him it is unclean’, that is to say,
it is not unclean to everybody. Therefore if anyone considers the swine to be
unclean, to him it is unclean and he is free in the Lord to abstain from it,
but he has not the right to impose his opinion on the others.
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So,
brothers, if anyone comes to you and commands you to abstain from a certain
food, saying that it is unclean and thus if you eat it you will be defiled or
if you eat it it may have harmful effects on your body and spiritual life,
you must not give heed to him for he does not consent to the sound words of
our Lord Jesus Christ: “He is proud, knowing nothing, but is obsessed with
disputes and arguments over words, from which come envy, strife, reviling,
evil suspicions, useless wranglings …” (1 Timothy 6:4-5 – NKJV), as Paul says
to Timothy. Admonish him, and stop his mouth. The only foods from which we
must abstain are blood, foods sacrificed to idols, and things strangled, for
these are the things that the apostles and elders commanded us, who are
Gentiles by birth, to abstain from when they gathered together in Jerusalem about the
year 50 after Christ (cf. Acts 15:1-32). All the other foods can be eaten
freely. Christ has delivered us from the law, so that we might be free;
therefore stand fast in the liberty by which Christ has made us free.
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How
to behave toward those who are weak in the faith
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Paul
said that “every creature of God is good, and nothing is to be refused” (1
Timothy 4:4 – NKJV), confirming thus the following words written in the law:
“Then God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good”
(Genesis 1:31
– NKJV). Therefore, we who have known the truth have the right to eat
everything, but we must be careful that the exercise of our freedom does not
become a stumbling block to the weak, for Paul says: “Beware lest somehow
this liberty of yours become a stumbling block to those who are weak” (1
Corinthians 8:9 – NKJV). Who are the weak in the faith? They are those
believers who eat only vegetables and thus they abstain from all flesh foods.
For they are fully convinced in their own mind that meat is unclean. So let
us see how we must behave toward those who are weak and how we may cause them
to stumble with our food.
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The
apostle Paul said to the saints of Rome: “Him that is weak in the
faith receive ye, but not to doubtful disputations.
For one believeth that he may eat all things: another, who is weak, eateth
herbs. Let not him that eateth despise him that
eateth not; and let not him which eateth not judge him that eateth: for God
hath received him. Who art thou that judgest another man's servant? to his own master he standeth or falleth. Yea, he shall be
holden up: for God is able to make him stand.” (Romans 14:1-4). First of all,
let me say – in order to avoid any misunderstanding - that he who is weak in
the faith is not someone who has departed from the faith and commands people
to abstain from foods which God created, but a brother who is of the opinion
that he must abstain from certain foods, but he does not command others to do
the same. Now Paul says that we must receive one who is weak in the faith and
thus eats only vegetables, for God has received him in Christ. However, we
must receive him without passing judgement on disputable matters, or else we
will stir up strives which are of no value and ruin the hearers. We must not
despise a brother who eats only vegetables, for he does so to the Lord and he
give thanks to God for the food he eats. So why should we despise him?
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Paul
says: “Let us not therefore judge one another any more: but judge this
rather, that no man put a stumblingblock or an occasion to fall in his
brother's way. I know, and am persuaded by the Lord Jesus, that there is
nothing unclean of itself: but to him that esteemeth
any thing to be unclean, to him it is unclean. But if thy brother be grieved
with thy meat, now walkest thou not charitably. Destroy not him with thy
meat, for whom Christ died. Let not then your good be
evil spoken of: For the kingdom
of God
is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy
Ghost. For he that in these things serveth Christ is
acceptable to God, and approved of men. Let us therefore follow after the
things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another. For
meat destroy not the work of God. All things indeed are pure; but it is evil
for that man who eateth with offence. It is good neither to eat flesh, nor to
drink wine, nor any thing whereby thy brother stumbleth, or is offended, or
is made weak. Hast thou faith? have it to thyself
before God. Happy is he that condemneth not himself in that thing which he
alloweth. And he that doubteth is damned if he eat,
because he eateth not of faith: for whatsoever is not of faith is sin.”
(Romans 14:13-23). From what Paul says we learn that we can cause a brother
who is weak to stumble and fall, we can grieve him and destroy the work of
God in him, and destroy him with our food. Therefore, it is necessary to know
how to behave toward him lest we destroy him with something which perishes
with the using, that is, our food. The instructions given by Paul are useful
in this field, therefore let us pay attention to
them. Paul says that there is nothing unclean of itself, but if a brother
considers anything to be unclean, to him it is unclean; therefore we must not
grieve him telling him that he is wrong and he should change his mind for he
is in the wrong, nor should we quote the Scripture in order to show him that
his opinion is wrong. Should we grieve him because of his opinion on certain
foods, we would no longer walk in love, for we would strive about opinions on
foods, and it would be of no value for the brother is fully convinced that
certain foods are unclean and he has no doubts about his behaviour. We then
who are strong must bear with the scruples of the weak, and not to please
ourselves by trying to convince the weak, that is, by trying to impose our
opinion on them. How do we bear with the scruples of the weak? By not eating
meat, nor drinking wine, nor doing anything else that will cause our brother
who is weak to fall. In this way we walk in love, we please our neighbour for
his good, to build him up, and we do what leads to peace and to mutual
edification. What we must always bear in mind is that the kingdom of God is not a
matter of eating and drinking, and that consequently if we eat all things,
giving thanks to God, we are not better than those who eat only vegetables giving
thanks to God. Know this, that if the kingdom of God were a
matter of eating and drinking, we would be continually busy choosing the good
foods and rejecting the bad ones, and we would continually talk about those
foods which would commend us to God and those foods which would defile us.
But thanks be to God, the kingdom of God is not a
matter of eating and drinking, but is righteousness and peace and joy in the
Holy Spirit. That’s why we believers see to it that we are righteous as God
is righteous; and we, as much as depends on us, live peaceably with all men,
and we do not avenge ourselves, and we always rejoice in the Lord; because we
know that we must do these things in order to please God. Brothers, beware of
those who command to abstain from foods which were created by God.
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I
have written about this subject in order to explain to you that while on the
one hand we must not tolerate those who command Christians to abstain from
foods created by God, for they teach a doctrine of demons, on the other hand
we must tolerate those believers who, being weak in the faith, eat only
vegetables, for to them meat is unclean, because they do so to the Lord and
do not command others to abstain from meat.
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The
Word of God does not forbid us to drink wine or other alcoholic beverages
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What
does the Scripture say about wine and other alcoholic beverages? Does it
permit us to drink alcoholic beverages or not? The Scripture commands us not
to get drunk, but it does not command us to abstain from alcoholic beverages.
In other words, the Scripture condemns the abuse of alcoholic beverages but
not the use of them, thus the Scripture allows the partaking of alcoholic
beverages in moderation and with circumspection.
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Here
are some of the numerous biblical warnings against drunkenness. In the book
of Proverbs it is written: “Be not among winebibbers; among riotous eaters of
flesh: For the drunkard and the glutton shall come to poverty: and drowsiness
shall clothe a man with rags” (Proverbs 23:20-21),
and again: “Who hath woe? who hath sorrow? who hath contentions? who hath
babbling? who hath wounds without cause? who hath redness of eyes? They that tarry long at the
wine; they that go to seek mixed wine. Look not thou upon the wine when it is
red, when it giveth his colour in the cup, when it moveth itself aright. At
the last it biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like an adder. Thine eyes
shall behold strange women, and thine heart shall utter perverse things. Yea,
thou shalt be as he that lieth down in the midst of the sea, or as he that
lieth upon the top of a mast. They have stricken me, shalt thou say, and I
was not sick; they have beaten me, and I felt it not: when shall I awake? I
will seek it yet again” (Proverbs 23:29-35).
The apostle Paul says to the Ephesians: “Do not get drunk on wine, which
leads to debauchery” (Ephesians 5:18
– NIV). That wine leads men to conduct themselves in a dissolute way is
confirmed by the example of Noah, who “drank of the wine and was drunk, and
became uncovered in his tent” (Genesis 9:21 – NKJV), and by the example of
Lot, who was made drunk by his daughters so that they might lie with him, and
he did not know when they lay down or when they arose (cf. Genesis 19:30-38).
Drunkards will not inherit the Kingdom of God (cf. 1
Corinthians 6:10;
Galatians 5:21).
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Let
me quote now some biblical passages which permit us to drink wine or other
alcoholic beverages in moderation. In the book of Proverbs we read: “Wine is
a mocker, strong drink is a brawler, and whoever is led astray by it is not
wise” (Proverbs 20:1 – NKJV). Notice that Solomon does not say that whoever
drinks wine or a strong drink is not wise, but another thing, that is,
whoever is led astray by it is not wise. That we are allowed to drink wine is
confirmed by Paul when he says to Timothy: “No longer drink only water, but
use a little wine for your stomach’s sake and your frequent infirmities” (1 Timothy 5:23
– NKJV), and to Titus that the bishop must be “not given to much wine” (Titus
1:7 – NIV. Cf. 1 Timothy 3:3. Paul says that deacons
also must be “not given to much wine” 1 Timothy 3:8
– NKJV), and that the older women must be “not given to much wine” (Titus 2:3
– NKJV). The law also confirms that we are allowed to drink wine and
alcoholic beverages, for it says: “Thou shalt truly tithe all the increase of
thy seed, that the field bringeth forth year by
year. And thou shalt eat before the LORD thy God, in the place which he shall
choose to place his name there, the tithe of thy corn, of thy wine, and of
thine oil, and the firstlings of thy herds and of thy flocks; that thou
mayest learn to fear the LORD thy God always. And if the way be too long for
thee, so that thou art not able to carry it; or if the place be too far from
thee, which the LORD thy God shall choose to set his name there, when the
LORD thy God hath blessed thee: Then shalt thou turn it into money, and bind
up the money in thine hand, and shalt go unto the place which the LORD thy
God shall choose: And thou shalt bestow that money for whatsoever thy soul
lusteth after, for oxen, or for sheep, or for wine, or for strong drink, or
for whatsoever thy soul desireth: and thou shalt eat there before the LORD
thy God, and thou shalt rejoice, thou, and thine household” (Deuteronomy
14:22-26. The NIV reads “wine or other fermented drink”). Notice that among
the things God allowed the Israelites to buy were wine and any other
fermented drinks. That’s why Paul did not forbid believers to drink wine,
because he knew that the law did not condemn the moderate use of wine and
other alcoholic beverages. Concerning tea and coffee, we say the same thing,
that is, according to the Scripture it is lawful for us to drink them in
moderation.
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Brothers
in the Lord, let no one deceive you with empty words.
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