How much alcohol is too much?

As you may know, I am soon to experience Freshers week at University. While several aspects of starting University are simultaneously exciting and terrifying, the drinking culture is definitely up there among them. Recently I have been pondering the question posed in the title a lot, both individually and with friends in a similar position. Interestingly the Bible is not definitive and the subject seems to be both subjective and individual.

The Bible is clear on some things. Ephesians 5:18 says "...do not get drunk with wine".

Proverbs 23: 30-33 also condemns the actions of a drunkard;

Those who tarry long over wine; those who go to try mixed wine.

Do not look at wine when it is red, when it sparkles in the cup and goes down smoothly.

In the end it bites like a serpent and stings like an adder.

Your eyes will see strange things, and your heart utter perverse things.

Excessive drinking is undeniably addictive and in 1 Corinthians 6:12 it says:

“All things are lawful for me, but not all things are helpful. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be dominated by anything."

So clearly - from a Biblical perspective at least - getting drunk is off the table. I don't think this is particularly surprising. Drunkenness is selfish fun at best, and at worst can damage you and others. People do things when they are drunk that they would never otherwise do. Self control is a crucial human gift from God and alcohol abuse compromises this. 

 From these passages one can begin to think that there is no good reason to drink alcohol.
After all, how could God approve of alcohol when, by drinking it, you are in danger of become drunk or of drawing others into temptation?

The flaw in this line of thinking is that God created wine for human enjoyment; it was probably in the garden of Eden! The existence of drunkenness does not make drinking alcohol a sin any more than the existence of gluttony, war and rape makes food, fire and sex inherently sinful. They are all gifts from God which we can enjoy and use to his glory, or pervert and use against Him for our own satisfaction.

Jesus famously turned water into wine at a wedding, which he presumably expected people to drink - and even get drunk on. The Bible even indicates that Jesus drank wine himself (Matthew 26:29) and was accused (mistakenly) of being a drunkard because he liked to associate himself with those who got drunk.

The Psalms say that wine "is a gift that makes glad the heart of men".
Ecclesiastes 9:7 instructs: "Drink your wine with a merry heart"

There is an important cultural distinctions to make here. In those days sanitised water was not always available and so it was usual to resort to weak wine when clean water was hard to come by. This sort of wine was alcoholic, but would not have been easy to get drunk from.

So is the take home message that wine is okay providing we don't get drunk? Even if we assume that we are immune to peer pressure and know our limits, I am not sure that it is so simple. To claim that non-drunken alcohol consumption is never a sin is just plain wrong. A "sin" is not a wrong action in the way we usually think of it. It is simply an occurrence which has the net effect of separating you from God.

If I drink a glass of water when I should be focussed on prayer then I have sinned by drinking the water. So certainly any alcohol consumption could potentially be sinful. The core of the problem is the same as with most "practical" Christian problems; Is what you are doing glorifying God?

Back to the context of University Freshers week; Should a Christian get drunk? No. Should they drink primarily due to peer pressure? Nope. Should they drink in order to get anybody else drunk, or to make it harder for someone else to refrain from drinking against their will? I think not.

Is it okay to drink in moderation in order to more easily form friendships, enjoy yourself, and to respect your friends by being with them for their preferred choice of entertainment? If your intention is to honour God, and to represent Christ in the spiritual darkness surrounding the pubs and clubs, then perhaps. If you are dining with a European family, or are offered home made alcohol, and to not accept would be offensive then - providing you feel comfortably secure in your own limits and conscience - feel free. If your doctor recommends medicinal values of alcohol to improve your health then go for it! Loving people and your health should be more important than worrying about unimportant theological nuances.

Will I be drinking alcohol during Freshers week? I don't know. But I do know that my primary aims are to ensure that no one around me feels pressured into doing so, and to be an ambassador for Christ in all I do. Alcohol is God's gift and he probably appreciates it when we actually enjoy it as he intended. But He would far rather we refuse his gift for sound reasons than choose to instead abuse it and cause harm.

A (hopefully not post-hangover) blog about Freshers week will come out in a few weeks, so see you then!