“Abstinence” refers to totally abstaining from drinking alcohol as a beverage.
Important Note: The word “wine” in the Bible is a generic word. It refers not just to alcoholic beverages but literally to any form of the grapes. Wine may be fresh grapes, raisins, jelly, preserves, syrup, unfermented juice, or fermented juice. Wine in Bible days was very weak compared to alcohol today. Plus it was nearly always mixes with at least three parts of water before drank. Only those who purposed to get drunk would drink undiluted wine. For more information read Bible Wines or Laws of Fermentation and Wines of the Ancients by William Patton
1. Look up each of the verses below and write down Bible principles that you can learn from them about this virtue. A “principle” is a “truth you can live by.”
1a) Pr 20:1
1b) Pr 23:31
1c) Pr 23:32
1d) Pr 23:33
1e) Da 1:8
1f) Ho 4:11
1g) Ro 13:13
1h) 1Co 8:13 Could a Christian cause someone to stumble if he took just ONE drink?
1i) 1Co 10:31
1j) 2Co 7:1
1k) Eph 5:11
1l) Eph 5:18 Note that “excess” does not mean “too much” but “riot.”
1m) 1Th 5:22
1n) 1Pe 1:14-16
2. In the light of the verses above, is it possible that the Holy Son of God turned water into alcoholic drink? Joh 2:7-10
3. Is drinking alcoholic beverages necessary?
4. In the light of what you have read, can drinking alcoholic beverages, even occasionally, be God’s will for a Christian?
5. What reason does Ro 13:14 give for completely abstaining from alcohol?