What Does the Bible Say About Drinking Alcohol?

The Bible never calls drinking alcohol a sin, but it calls getting drunk a sin every time. Scripture treats wine as permissible in moderation, and it puts guardrails around that freedom: don't be mastered by it, don't let your freedom cause someone else to stumble, and honor the authorities God has placed over you. Held together, those five principles give you a clear, biblical way to think about drinking.

Why do Christians disagree so much about alcohol?

Brad Straarup took this on in his message Water Into Wine, and his answer is five principles held in balance. A lot of the disagreement comes down to how you were raised. If you grew up Catholic or Lutheran, wine probably feels normal. If you grew up Baptist, Pentecostal or charismatic, the fact that Jesus' first miracle turned water into wine (John 2:1-11) might make you nervous. The goal is to come to the middle and let Scripture draw the lines.

It's also personal. Many families carry scars from alcohol. Brad has watched more lives destroyed by it than he can count, including people in his own extended family who lost everything. Nothing here is meant lightly.

Is it a sin to get drunk?

Yes. This is the first and clearest principle: it is a sin for anyone to get drunk. "Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit" (Ephesians 5:18). Paul lists drunkenness among the acts of the flesh (Galatians 5:19-21), and Proverbs warns, "Wine is a mocker and beer a brawler; whoever is led astray by them is not wise" (Proverbs 20:1).

Some argue that first-century wine couldn't make anyone drunk. Then why would Paul need to warn against it?

Notice what Paul puts in drunkenness's place. Don't be filled with spirits. Be filled with the Spirit. So much drinking is an attempt to erase something: stress, grief, shame, loneliness. God doesn't ask you to pretend that thing isn't there. He wants to fill you and heal it. "We need God to fill us, not alcohol to medicate us."

Does the Bible allow drinking in moderation?

Yes. The second principle balances the first: alcohol is permissible in moderation. Paul told Timothy, "Stop drinking only water, and use a little wine because of your stomach and your frequent illnesses" (1 Timothy 5:23). The Old Testament describes wine as a gift that gladdens the heart (Psalm 104:15), part of a celebration (Ecclesiastes 9:7) and a sign of God's future blessing (Amos 9:13-14). At Cana, Jesus Himself provided it.

So we have to be very careful that we don't forbid what God allows. If alcohol has hurt you so badly that you never want it in your home, that's a good decision for you. The trouble starts when we turn our own conviction into a law for everyone else, the way the Pharisees did. "Who are you to judge someone else's servant?" (Romans 14:4).

How do I know if alcohol has a hold on me?

The third principle: we shouldn't be mastered by anything. Paul answers people who claimed the right to do anything by saying that not everything is beneficial, and "I will not be mastered by anything" (1 Corinthians 6:12).

Ask yourself why you drink, and be honest about the answer. "If you're drinking to relax, to give you confidence, to relieve stress, or to medicate in any other way, you are not in control of it. It is in control of you."

If that's you, don't carry it alone. Talk to a pastor or a trusted friend, join a recovery group, or see a counselor or doctor who understands addiction. Some couples choose not to drink at all because one spouse struggles with it. That's loving, and it's wise.

Can my freedom to drink hurt someone else?

It can, which is the fourth principle: don't let your freedom cause someone else to stumble. Paul was writing about meat sacrificed to idols, but the principle fits alcohol. "Be careful, however, that the exercise of your rights does not become a stumbling block to the weak" (1 Corinthians 8:9). Romans 14:21 applies the same principle to wine directly.

Brad and Paige Straarup take this seriously as pastors. Their rule of thumb is that when leadership goes up, liberties go down. Most of the time, if not all of the time, they use their freedom by choosing not to drink, because they shepherd people who struggle with it. A small drink at a restaurant looks the same to an onlooker whether it's someone's first or fifth. That's their call as leaders, not a rule for everyone.

What if my parents or the law say no?

The fifth principle: submit to the authorities the Bible establishes. "Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established" (Romans 13:1). Family authority counts too (Ephesians 6:1-3).

If you're underage, you don't drink, because the law says no. If you're of age but living in your parents' house and they've said "we don't drink," you honor that. And legal limits still apply, on top of the Bible's clear line on drunkenness.

Frequently asked questions

Was the wine in the Bible just grape juice?

No. Ephesians 5:18 warns against getting drunk on wine, which only makes sense if wine could make you drunk. At Cana, the master of the banquet even mentions guests who "have had too much to drink" (John 2:10).

Did Jesus drink wine?

The Gospels indicate He did. He shared the cup at the Last Supper (Matthew 26:27-29), and critics mocked Him for "eating and drinking" (Luke 7:34). He was never drunk, and He never sinned (Hebrews 4:15).

Addiction runs in my family. Should I drink at all?

Choosing not to drink is a wise choice, especially if you've seen what alcohol can do. Let that conviction guide your life, and give other believers room to be "fully convinced in their own mind" too (Romans 14:5).

Can God forgive me if I've been a heavy drinker?

Yes. After naming drunkards among those who won't inherit God's kingdom, Paul writes, "And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God" (1 Corinthians 6:11). You don't have to get clean before you come to Jesus. Bring it to Him.

Carry all five in balance

Freedom alone becomes an excuse. Caution alone becomes legalism. Together they keep you in the middle: never drunk, free in moderation, mastered by nothing, careful of the weak, and submitted to the authorities God has given. Carry all five, and carry them in balance.

This post comes from Brad Straarup's message, Water Into Wine, which opens the Miracles of Jesus series at the wedding at Cana.

If you're near Chandler and want a church family to talk through questions like this with, plan your visit.