PMW 2024-075 by Kenneth L. Gentry, Jr.

This is my second in a five-part series on the Christian and alcoholic beverages. I am highlighting the passages that many evangelicals believe condemn any and all use of wine or alcoholic beverages.

Numbers 6:2–6

This famous passage reads:

“Speak to the sons of Israel, and say to them, “When a man or woman makes a special vow, the vow of a Nazirite, to dedicate himself to the LORD, he shall abstain from wine and strong drink; he shall drink no vinegar, whether made from wine or strong drink, neither shall he drink any grape juice, nor eat fresh or dried grapes. All the days of his separation he shall not eat anything that is produced by the grape vine, from the seeds even to the skin. All the days of his vow of separation no razor shall pass over his head. He shall be holy until the days are fulfilled for which he separated himself to the LORD; he shall let the locks of hair on his head grow long. All the days of his separation to the LORD he shall not go near to a dead person.”

Again Scripture here clearly prohibits wine drinking. But just as before, this is a special circumstance totally irrelevant to our standing and conduct today. This prohibition is a piece of Naziritic legislation that forbid wine only after taking a peculiar, public vow (v. 2). Old covenantal ceremonial actions and vows no longer prevail in the new covenant order (Heb. 8:13).

Furthermore, the Naziritic vow includes avoidance of all grapes (v. 3), cutting of hair (v. 5), and contact with a dead body (v. 6). These limitations go much further than abstentionists and prohibitionists urge. In the final analysis, even this vow was only a temporary abstinence: “Then the priest shall wave them for a wave offering before the LORD. It is holy for the priest, together with the breast offered by waving and the thigh offered by lifting up; and afterward the Nazirite may drink wine” (v. 20).

The Book of Revelation and Postmillennialism (Lectures by Ken Gentry)

In the first of these three 50-minute lectures Gentry explains Revelation’s judgments to show they do not contradict postmillennialism. In the next two lectures he shows how the Millennium and the New Creation themes strongly support the gospel victory hope found in postmillennialism.

See more study materials at: www.KennethGentry.com

Given its own historical context, Numbers 6 cannot serve as a binding obligation upon believers today. This provides further evidence of the precarious nature of the anti-alcohol moral argument.

Judges 13:4

This passage is short and to the point in the prohibitionist argument. It reads: “Now therefore, be careful not to drink wine or strong drink, nor eat any unclean thing.”

From time to time anti-alcohol advocates will point to this text as an example of a commendable lifestyle which Scripture encourages. In fact, the call to “be careful not to drink wine or strong drink” is precisely the ethical ideal of abstentionist and prohibitionist Christians.

Unfortunately, though, reading the exhortation in its context clearly shows that this is a quite narrowly focused command. The angel of the Lord is speaking to Monoah’s wife about her future child, Samson. He will be an unusually gifted judge in Israel with a peculiar ministry:

“And there was a certain man of Zorah, of the family of the Danites, whose name was Manoah; and his wife was barren and had borne no children. Then the angel of the Lord appeared to the woman, and said to her, Behold now, you are barren and have borne no children, but you shall conceive and give birth to a son. Now therefore, be careful not to drink wine or strong drink, nor eat any unclean thing. For behold, you shall conceive and give birth to a son, and no razor shall come upon his head, for the boy shall be a Nazirite to God from the womb; and he shall begin to deliver Israel from the hands of the Philistines.” (Judges 13:2-5 )

Since this command is quite particular and limited, universally applying it would be a travesty of exposition. Samson will be a perpetual Nazirite under ceremonial Naziritic proscriptions.

God Gave Wine (by Ken Gentry)

A biblical defense of moderate alcohol consumption. Considers all key biblical passages and engages the leading objections.

See more study materials at: www.KennethGentry.com

To be continued. I know what you are thinking: “I’ll drink to that.”

Reformed Eschatology in the Writings of Geerhardus Vos
Ed. by Ken Gentry and Bill Boney
This is a collection of several key eschatological studies by the renowned Reformed theologian Geehardus Vos. We have modernized Vos’ grammar and syntax and updated his layout style according to modern publishing conventions (shorter sentences and paragraphs). We did this without changing any of Vos’ arguments.

For information on the upcoming Geerhardus Vos work or to pre-order it, see:
https://axeheadpress.com/pages/coming-soon-vos

Tagged: Alcoholic beverage, wine drinking