It’s not about alcohol…it’s about the bigger picture

Scripture Read: 1 Timothy 5:23 No longer drink water exclusively, but use a little wine for the sake of your stomach and your frequent ailments.

Application: This passage in 1 Timothy is a great tool for the Holy Spirit to makes us do a honesty check in several areas. Paul is encouraging Timothy to use wine to settle his stomach. Many dishonest believers have used this passage or ignored this passage far too many times. If we truly desire the Spirit of God to speak through His Word to us, we MUST be people of integrity and deal with what it states or does not state. No matter our bias, we should feel compelled to approach all scripture anew each time we open the Book. Then, and only then the Spirit has fertile soil to plant His Word in. Consider some of the issues that are dealt with here. Some have used this verse to justify drinking alcohol. To drink or not to drink falls under the “Liberty” teaching in scripture, which has one rule: Do you have a clear conscience from the Lord? It does not matter what Timothy can or cannot do, the question all of us need to deal with is “can I do or not do this”? Drunkenness is a sin, and the scripture warns about losing sobriety of the mind. Only the Lord can lead you into whether you can AND when & where you can drink. The other issue is the lack of honesty on the make up of this wine. In Timothy’s day the water could be quite dangerous, so a little alcohol would sterilize the whole thing. The point is Timothy drank this wine to counter health problems, not to party and it is doubtful it contained the percentage of alcohol that our drinks do today. This verse really should not be used to justify drinking, that is really a liberty issue and can only be answered by each individual. 

On the other side though is the issue that some say the Bible condemns the use of all alcohol. Again, that is not honest. Many hold this position because their family has been greatly damaged by alcohol use. I understand the bias, but that cannot control our interpretation of scripture. Also, it would be better put that it was not the use of alcohol that hurt their family, but the misuse of it. Another issue arises from ignoring the truth of this passage. Some teach that sickness is a lack of faith, because all believers have the right to health. Yet, Paul did not tell Timothy to “claim heath” in Jesus name! He told him to use the common sense God had given him and medicate himself. To my dismay I have sat at sick beds with children of God who are blaming their “lack of faith” for their sickness. Using their understanding of this came from teachers that love money and fame far more than the Lord, His Word and His people. We all have read of families that have allowed children to die, because they expect God to directly heal their child, instead of seeing that God also uses men to bring about His desire. It is interesting that these folks have no problem understanding that God uses their participation to give them children, yet when it comes to this issue, human participation is a lack of faith. Perhaps they would do better to wait for God to make them with child, at least then God would not have to be blamed for not healing the child when it is sick. Father, Your Word has the power to challenge our integrity and honesty! Thank You for what it can accomplish.

Meditation Questions: What are the liberties God has given you? Do you know them? Do you know how to handle them? Where would you go in the Bible to learn about liberties? What does your answer show? Is a liberty once and for all? Why do you hold that position? When we seek man’s help is that a lack of faith? Why do you hold that position? What is faith? Can you seek man’s help and still have faith in God? Explain. If you were sick who would you turn to? What does your answer show?