Name: Editor 2007-11-12 16:29
One of the most vexing disagreements between alcohol prohibitionists and moderationists concerns the use of the word 'wine' in the Bible. Each side quotes its own favorite verses of Scripture to justify its own viewpoint. And taken literally, the King James Version and most other translations do contradict themselves about 'wine.'
The issue can be resolved in one of two ways:
1. People who reject the doctrine of Biblical Inspiration consider the Bible to be a collection of oral traditions derived from several Middle Eastern societies. Some of these societies approved of drinking, others did not. The contradictions among the Bible sources are therefore real but are of no consequence.
2. People whose faith tells them that the Bible was inspired consider the contradictions to be only apparent (not real) and explain them away as errors in interpretation. The word 'wine' in olden times was used indiscriminately to mean either fresh grape juice or fermented (alcoholic) grape juice. The context in which the word is used tells the reader which meaning is appropriate.
American English today uses the word 'cider' in the same way—'cider' can be either fresh apple juice (sweet cider) or fermented apple juice (hard cider). The context in which the word is used tells the reader which meaning to infer.
Two excellent books on the subject of Bible wines are Stephen M. Reynolds "The Biblical Approach to Alcohol" (US Council International Organization of Good Templars, 2926 Cedar Avenue, Minneapolis, MN 55407) and Charles Wesley Ewing "The Bible and its Wines" (Prohibition National Committee, Box 2635, Denver, CO 80201).
Professor Reynolds has organized a foundation and charged it with producing a new Bible translation in which the 'wine paradox' and other contradictory passages in existing translations are reconciled. This 'purified translation' is now being published and is available from the Lorine L. Reynolds Foundation, 702 Custis Road, Glenside, PA 19038.
--Editor
The issue can be resolved in one of two ways:
1. People who reject the doctrine of Biblical Inspiration consider the Bible to be a collection of oral traditions derived from several Middle Eastern societies. Some of these societies approved of drinking, others did not. The contradictions among the Bible sources are therefore real but are of no consequence.
2. People whose faith tells them that the Bible was inspired consider the contradictions to be only apparent (not real) and explain them away as errors in interpretation. The word 'wine' in olden times was used indiscriminately to mean either fresh grape juice or fermented (alcoholic) grape juice. The context in which the word is used tells the reader which meaning is appropriate.
American English today uses the word 'cider' in the same way—'cider' can be either fresh apple juice (sweet cider) or fermented apple juice (hard cider). The context in which the word is used tells the reader which meaning to infer.
Two excellent books on the subject of Bible wines are Stephen M. Reynolds "The Biblical Approach to Alcohol" (US Council International Organization of Good Templars, 2926 Cedar Avenue, Minneapolis, MN 55407) and Charles Wesley Ewing "The Bible and its Wines" (Prohibition National Committee, Box 2635, Denver, CO 80201).
Professor Reynolds has organized a foundation and charged it with producing a new Bible translation in which the 'wine paradox' and other contradictory passages in existing translations are reconciled. This 'purified translation' is now being published and is available from the Lorine L. Reynolds Foundation, 702 Custis Road, Glenside, PA 19038.
--Editor