Session 23: Can or Should I Drink Alcohol?

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Welcome to Apologetics and the Gospel. My name is Pastor Jonathan White, and I am the Lead Pastor at CrossPointe Family Church in Winfield, WV as well as a practicing Emergency Medicine Physician.

Question for Today: Can or Should I Drink Alcohol?

As a physician and as a pastor, I have been asked this question a ton of times. Some come from a place of health. They want to know the effects of alcohol on the body. Is it good or is it bad or is it indifferent. Others want to know what the Bible says about the subject. Is it permissible or not?

Today I want to start with the science and health side and then end with the Biblical side.

Let’s start with the positives regarding health and alcohol:

Are there benefits of alcohol?

According to an article from Harvard, many studies have suggested that moderate drinking may be linked to a lower risk of gallstones, heart attacks, certain strokes (ischemic strokes specifically), and diabetes (1). Note that we cannot say caused here because of study limitations. Most studies involving alcohol are not the randomized controlled trials that are necessary for giving causation.

Again this moderate drinking. However, we must also know that these benefits are reversed and made worse in heavy drinkers. Note that moderate drinking is considered one drink per day for women and two drinks per day for men.

One thing that is important when we look at studies however, is all-cause-mortality. Does drinking alcohol decrease or increase all-cause-mortality. It isn’t beneficial if it decreases your risk of one thing but you still die at the same rate or at a worse rate. We will talk about this in a few moments.

But most of us know some of the big negative effects of alcohol already…

The Negative Effects of Alcohol

We have known for quite some time that drinking alcohol can lead to liver disease and cirrhosis. Intakes of alcohol more than the moderate recommendations is associated with higher blood pressure, heart failure and dementia risks. Regular alcohol intake increases certain cancer risks such as digestive tract cancers including colon cancer as well as breast and liver cancers. Alcohol abuse leads to motor vehicles accidents and deaths, injury from falls including head trauma and brain bleeds, as well as an association with mental health disorders.

As an ER physician, I see secondary issues from heavy alcohol use often.

Also, drinking alcohol while pregnant can cause fetal alcohol syndrome which causes significant developmental disorders for infants in utero.

But there is more bad news…

Bad News From a Recent Study

The reputable medical journal named The Lancet studied almost 600,000 drinkers in 83 prospective studies and found that adults who drank at least some alcohol, regardless of gender, had a higher rate of stroke, fatal aneurysms, heart failure, and overall all-cause mortality.

There is that phrase - all-cause-mortality. This is the amount of deaths in a given population from all causes. This large study showed an association of increased all-cause-mortality from adults that drank any alcohol at all.

In fact, the article showed that those who drank 7-14 drinks per week could expect a 6-month shorter lifespan as of age 40 than those who drank 7 or less drinks per week. Those who drank 14-25 could expect to live 1-2 years less and those who drank greater than 45 could expect to live at least 4-5 years shorter lives (2).

This huge study negated the benefits seen in weaker studies previous to it. The title of the study was:

No Level of Alcohol Consumption Improves Health

https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(18)31571-X/fulltext

PLOS Medicine Study

https://journals.plos.org/plosmedicine/article?id=10.1371/journal.pmed.1002585

To be fair, there was a population-based cohort study that came out around the same time as this study in The Lancet. Although The Lancet’s study was a much better study as it had 600,000 and was a prospective study which is ideal, a population-based study in PLOS Medicine suggested that drinking less than 7 drinks per week was not harmful and possible beneficial. Again, this study was much weaker and disagreed with the better study done by The Lancet around the same time. But for thoroughness, I have included this study in this as well.

Is Alcohol Abuse a Problem in the US?

Interestingly, according to the NIH, around 14 million Americans, or 7.4% of the population, meet the diagnostic criteria for alcohol abuse! More than one-half of American adults have a close family member who has or has had alcoholism.

This issue affects many of us in the US. Approximately one in four children younger than 18 years old in the US is exposed to alcohol abuse in the family (4).

Is Alcohol Abuse Genetic?

According to the NIH, alcohol abuse is a complex genetic disorder with high inheritability. Multiple genetic loci have been linked to alcohol abuse (5). This explains the wide range of alcohol abuse. Some people can drink only on the weekends while others end up losing their job and family because of their addiction to alcohol.

The understanding of genetics and alcoholism was also seen in a 2013 study in which alcohol preference was selectively bred in rats. When a rat had a dysfunctional receptor called Grm2, the rat was alcohol preferring and would continue drinking. Also drugs that were developed to block the receptor Grm2 led to increased alcohol consumption in rats (6).

With all of that said, what does the Bible have to say about alcohol?

The easiest thing to first consider is drunkenness.

The Bible Clearly is Against Drunkenness

Consider Proverbs 20:1, Galatians 5:19-21, Luke 21:34, Romans 13:13, Proverbs 23:29-35, Isaiah 5:11, 1 Peter 5:8, Isaiah 5:22, Isaiah 28:7, Proverbs 23:21, 1 Corinthians 6:10, 1 Peter 4:3, Hosea 4:11, Proverbs 23:31 among many others.

Ephesians 5:18 is clear as well:

Ephesians 5:18 ESV

And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit,

And 1 Corinthians 6:10 is a frightening verse that puts drunkenness with many other abominations:

1 Corinthians 6:10 ESV

nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.

I think God makes it pretty clear that drunkenness is a sin. The Bible is clear that one should avoid drunkenness.

What About Occasional or Regular Moderate Drinking?

The Bible is less clear here. There are no clear verses that say that occasional drinking of alcohol is sinful. Biblically speaking, Christians do have liberty to partake in moderate alcohol use. But there are many wisdom issues in our world and society that we must address as we consider whether alcohol is permissible in our life.

1. Is it good or permissible for my health?

Consider 1 Corinthians 6:19-20:

1 Corinthians 6:19–20 ESV

Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.

We have discussed the dangers of alcohol at the beginning. We don’t want to be legalistic here and there is certainly liberty regarding this, but we should consider some of the dangers of even drinking the moderate amount approved by the US Government.

2. Does it cause my brother to stumble?

With 7.4% of American adults abusers of alcohol, there are many people that you might cause to stumble by drinking in front of them or offering them a drink. We must be careful to be above reproach as believers and not lead others to sin. You might be able to drink moderately but others might not be able to do so.

3. Does drinking alcohol change my actions?

Some people completely change their personality with even a sip of alcohol. It causes them to act differently than they would if they weren’t drinking. Some people might not watch what they say as well. Maybe they have more coarse joking or unprofitable conversations. This would be a good reason to avoid drinking.

4. Do I go to alcohol before I go to God?

Some people use alcohol as a coping mechanism. Even if it is just a drink a day or a drink a couple of times per week, this can be a sign of idolatry. Our hope and help should come from the Lord and not from alcohol or any other substance.

5. Do I have alcoholism in my family?

We have discussed the genetic link to alcoholism. If you have multiple family members with alcoholism, it may be wise to avoid drinking. Alcohol is an addictive substance, and it is more addictive to some people.

6. Can I afford to drink?

This seems like a ridiculous question but alcohol is relatively expensive! As of 2024, a 24 count pack of 16.8 oz waters at walmart runs around $3.64. A 24-pack of beer at walmart for 12 oz cans runs around 25 dollars. That is quite a difference! Not that soda is healthy either but a 24-pack of 12 oz Coke runs around 12 dollars. In a world with rampant inflation, this isn’t an irrelevant question!

The Common Argument

Does this cause my brother to stumble? 1 Corinthians 10:23-33.

This is a common concern from Christians about alcohol. How does your drinking affect others? How does it or would it affect your children?

There is an old saying that often rings true, what you do in moderation your children will do in excess.

How will it affect your friendships? If you have friends that have a history of alcohol abuse and you continue to drink, they may need to distance themself from you.

These are all valid things to consider.

A Final Issue - Leadership and Alcohol

The Bible does place a higher calling for leadership. John the Baptist was to avoid wine (Luke 1:15, 7:33). Nazarites of the Old Testament did not drink wine (Numbers 6:1-21). Samuel was called a Nazarite from birth and was not to drink strong drink (1 Samuel 2:8-28). Samson was supposed to avoid strong drink as well as a Nazarite from birth (Judges 13:1-5).

Proverbs 31:4 encourages kings to avoid strong drink as they must make important decisions and lead the nation.

Some might bring up Jesus who did drink wine at times - albeit never drank excessively - however, we are not Jesus and we in our nation struggle with moderation of just about anything!

Again, we do not wish to make a law where there is no law. However, it may be wise to abstain from drinking alcohol as a ministry leader, pastor, or deacon on behalf of your congregation and to aid in your leadership.

In closing today, we have seen the complexity of this issue. There are strong feelings on both sides of the argument. The Bible clearly does not condemn occasional alcohol use. The best studies have not definitively shown any safe amount of alcohol consumption although a fairly recent weaker study did show some possible health benefits from small amounts of alcohol intake. The Scriptures clearly are against drunkenness.

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This presentation has been put together to strengthen the faith of believers and to challenge the unbelief of others. I pray that you have found this presentation helpful.

Also, please note that this 10-15 minute presentation cannot exhaustively address most issues. My prayer is that it stimulates you to personally research further, and I am assured that you will find the Word of God proven time and time again.

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Feel free to email any ideas you would like to see addressed by emailing me at [e-mail]. There are slides prepared for each of these presentations which can be accessed at our church website at crosspointefamily.church and select ATG. God bless and have a blessed week.