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NASB | John 2:1 On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there; |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | John 2:1 On the third day there was a wedding at Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there; |
Subject: water into wine |
Bible Note: Greetings Schwartzkm! I'm glad you enjoyed the word study! The relevance to the word study in both Old and New Testments was simply that many of the words used can refer to either state of fermentation. Some words cannot. The word used in the wedding feast at Cana is a generic word that can refer to either. So, one has to decide from the context and the rest of Scripture which kind Jesus made. I don't consider this a hugely important question, but it is fun to discuss. My opinion is based upon both experience and Scripture. Experience tells me how destructive alcohol is to humanity. We all agree that Scripture is clear on drunkeness being a sin. However, how do we apply that fact? If you are a pastor, and someone comes to you and says, "When do I say when?" What do you say? When is a person drunk? Does God go by Indiana state law? Does God simply go by whether or not the person feels drunk? I've known plenty of people who could barely walk and thought they weren't drunk. How about alcoholism? Do you believe that there is a genetic perdisposition for alcoholism? What if you, as a pastor, tell someone that it is okay to drink, and then find out that they are an alcoholic? What about our witness? Most non-Christians think it is a sin to drink? Would drinking harm our testimony? I just don't think that there is any real reason to drink, but there are plenty of practical reasons not to drink. Then there is Scripture to consider. There isn't anywhere in Scripture where people are encouraged or commanded to drink. However, there are plenty of passages warning against the dangers and or use of alcohol. I have yet to find any Scripture that commends the use of alcohol. Does alcohol make a person more Christ-like? Or, does it make us more likely to sin? Does it make us more disciplined and self-controlled? Or, does it make us lose control? It light of these consideration, I don't believe that Jesus created something that is described in the Old Testament in such negative terms. Consider the following quotes: 1) Prov. 20:1 - "Wine is a mocker and beer a brawler; whoever is led astray by them is not wise." 2) Prov. 23:31-32: "Do not gaze at wine when it is red, when it sparkles in the cup, when it goes down smoothly! 32 In the end it bites like a snake and poisons like a viper." We obviously don't agree on this issue, but that is okay. I'm very comfortable with my position. However, I don't see it as being "shallow and legalistic." As a pastor, I simply lay the Biblical case out there and the people to whom I am preaching have to decide for themselves. I have never yet seen anyone who didn't drink fail to glorify God because they didn't drink. But, I have seen people ruin their testimonies and even their lives because they did drink. I prefer to err on the side of caution. I'm really not missing out on anything. p.s. - I really believe that many scholars never take the time to really examine the Biblical data because the issue simply isn't that important to them or (in some cases) they want to justify their actions. I first because interested in the issue when I was a teenager. I had a good friend who got into alcohol, and then into drugs. He ruined his life. Your Brother in Christ, Tim Moran |