The Best Wine

Drunkenness is spoken against in the New Testament, an ongoing life of drunkenness can cause one to be left out of heaven.

1Co 6:9 Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind,

1Co 6:10 Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.

Many use Jesus' turning water to wine as a precedent for drinking alcohol, but the text no where confirms he made alcoholic wine. This is an assumption.

There is a phrase in the text that may shed some insight.

Joh 2:9 When the ruler of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and knew not whence it was: (but the servants which drew the water knew;) the governor of the feast called the bridegroom,

Joh 2:10 And saith unto him, Every man at the beginning doth set forth good wine; and when men have well drunk, then that which is worse: but thou hast kept the good wine until now.

In todays's thinking the good wine is that with aged alcoholic properties. Jesus understood societies' thinking very well. The word good can mean pure. The good wine did not infer alcohol.

Luk 5:39 No man also having drunk old wine straightway desireth new: for he saith, The old is better.

The same reason Jews rejected the New Testament, they preferred the old religious traditions.

Jesus understood the reason people thought the old was better, the wine aged and was less tart and smoother. It wasn't as strong in taste or smell. Men grew accustomed to the old. It also led to drinking more quantity however, and with quantity came drunkenness. The old wasn't better spiritually. Intoxication leads to misunderstanding communication.

but look at Jewish custom from a feast maker's point of view and compare it to Christ's reflections about not desiring the new...

Joh 2:10 And saith unto him, Every man at the beginning doth set forth good wine; and when men have well drunk, then that which is worse: but thou hast kept the good wine until now.

If you put forth old wine first men would not desire the new. So it was customary to serve the new first and then ease your way into the old. They served the best first (new) and then the lesser (old)

The term good does not mean to taste better, but to be free of impurities.

 In Jewish thinking old tasted better but led to men rejecting the new, so they served new first. They were aware of the perception. So, in Jewish thinking the old soured one's taste. it wasn't considered better though it tasted better if served in the right order.

There is some precedent from the Law of Moses that the best wine was a first fruit, that which was very fresh. It could not have been aged.

Num 18:12 All the best of the oil, and all the best of the wine, and of the wheat, the firstfruits of them which they shall offer unto the LORD, them have I given thee.

Note: the people offered the firstfruits for the priests, at the time of the offering it was fresh, then the priest drank it or used it in offering upon the altar. The people themselves could not approach the altar..

Num 18:13 And whatsoever is first ripe in the land, which they shall bring unto the LORD, shall be thine; every one that is clean in thine house shall eat of it.

In Jewish thought the best was not the aged, but the first fruit brought directly from the harvest. Of course some would age and become intoxicating. This strong wine was to be poured upon the altar.

Num 28:7 And the drink offering thereof shall be the fourth part of an hin for the one lamb: in the holy place shalt thou cause the strong wine to be poured unto the LORD for a drink offering.

It appears the priest was to eat the fresh and pour out the intoxicant upon the altar.

Yes, many Christians use Jesus to promote alcohol, but this has caused much harm. Especially when they offend others who do not use alcohol. It is good to curb whatever right you may think you have for the sake of influence.

Rom 14:21 It is good neither to eat flesh, nor to drink wine, nor any thing whereby thy brother stumbleth, or is offended, or is made weak.

In muslim lands where muslims follow a code similar to the law of Moses, they shy away from alcohol, they follow many of the commands against drunkenness. So in preaching to them it is one way that the Christian doctrine is weakened in their view.

Flaunting freedom doesn't really help.

Paul said,