Proverbs 20:1
Wine [is] a mocker, strong drink [is] raging: and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise.
Romans 13:13
Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying.
Galatians 5:19-21
Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
1 Corinthians 6:10
Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.
Discuss.
Good call, Reed.
I have plenty to add to the discussion. 🙂
I’ve been meaning to post on this topic, I have a draft post saved, but it’s not much more than a cool title, viz., Storming God’s Temple. The title alludes to the book Storming Heaven: LSD and the American Dream. But it also alludes to another couple of passages in 1 Corinthians, they’re the ones usually cited. At me.
1 Corinthians 3:16-17
Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst? If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy that person; for God’s temple is sacred, and you together are that temple.
1 Corinthians 6:19-20
Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.
Does the bible condemn drunkenness?
Does the bible condemn wine?
There’s your answer, Reed. 🙂
<eisegesis>
The passages you cite refer solely to alcohol. It’s carte blanche for all other recreational drugs. Jesus said so explicitly in Matthew 15:10-11.
“Listen and understand. What goes into someone’s mouth does not defile them, but what comes out of their mouth, that is what defiles them.”
</eisegesis>
“and such like”
– “Catch All” Paul the Apostle, Galatians 5:21 (KJV)
I agree with you. Unfortunately it’s disagreement that makes the best discussions.
I remember when I was a child going to a meeting and listening to a speaker talk against smoking cigarettes using the “your body is a temple” argument. The speaker seemed to be oblivious of his own obesity – I should have yelled out “but you’re fat.” 🙂 He didn’t believe his own sermon.
My internal bible translation makes no distinction between alcohol and other drugs. Alcohol is just the most common example of a drug. Whatever is wrong with drunkenness is also wrong with being out of it.
I Cor 10:23 “Everything is permissible”–but not everything is beneficial. “Everything is permissible”–but not everything is constructive.
Brendan
Sometimes it’s beneficial.
BTW: I enjoy your blog.
Well, Reed, maybe it should.
It’s also the most egregious example. Not all drugs make you reel, stagger, stumble in judgement and spew tables full of filthy vomit.
We all sin. We all sin differently.
For the Christian student of scripture considering such questions Re: Personal righteousness… there are several important distinctions to make.
One of the most important is to distinguish Salvation from Christian service.
We are saved by grace without works simply by faith in the Good news.
This is the very essence of Paul’s Gospel of grace.
Having said this we ought to then seek to be transformed from our canal ‘old’ selves into the holy image of Christ…. which is our reasonable service.
Ie the fact that we are saved by grace is not a licence to sin…. Our sins still grieve God’s Holy Spirit (whom come to dwell within us at salvation) and we will still reap what we sow…. ie A life of Sin and debauchery could destroy our livers and or give us aids…. and make us miserable Husbands, Fathers, etc… and worse still our immorality can put others off receiving the Gospel of Christ… that is the trouble with immoral actions… they harm others… (in some way shape or form… and I am talking in a much broader sense than the Libertarian sense)
Salvation is but our birth… the beginning of our Pilgrimage as God’s soldiers.
And yet ultimately we are cleansed by Christ’s work of salvation alone.
God will *reward* us for our *services*….. which is what these verses against drunkenness are talking about *Reward* *Inheritance for being Good sons… (think about the story of the prodigal son) …. and yet also that all our righteousness is as filthy rags…. quite pathetic.
And then there is also the fact that God chooses us for different purposes…. and he allows certain ‘thorns of the flesh’ to remain…. to humble us and keep us relying on his grace rather than becoming self righteous legalistic Pharisees… and to serve his purposes…. some how God wants us to be ‘Honestly us’…. to absolutely trust in him…. esp when it comes to Salvation by grace without works…. and to testify of our faith…
Genesis 1:29 RSV
Revised Standard Version
And God said, “Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit; you shall have them for food
How does this apply to plants that are consumed recreationally?
If I bake with certain plants then I really bake.