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Does the Fruit of Alcohol Consumption Prove That Someone Is Not Saved?
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THE FRUIT OF ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION
I never knew how contentious this topic could be until I was asked to teach on it. At the time, I was on staff at a branch ministry of a worldwide Christian church, working in their 8-12th grade day school. Due to financial constraints, the educational facility was relocated and placed under the jurisdiction of a different nondenominational church, which kept me on the payroll to oversee its operation.
In addition to my involvement at the school, the pastor of the branch ministry assigned me to conduct a weekly Bible study at one of the members’ homes. As for my living conditions, the branch ministry building was a former hotel. When I was asked to work in the day school, we—myself along with my wife and three kids—moved into one of the many apartments that it contained.
On one occasion, the couple who hosted the Bible study asked me to teach on alcohol consumption. They didn’t understand why church teachings advocated that drinking liquor was off limits. I found this to be a unique opportunity to teach a biblical subject in a way I hadn’t before.
The ministry of which I was a member believed that drinking alcohol was a sinful practice. End of story. The other church, where the day school had moved, believed just the opposite: that a believer is allowed to drink, albeit in moderation. So, I decided to teach on this subject from opposing views.
I prepared my lesson, showed up, and, to my surprise, a couple of people whom I didn’t expect were there. The pastor of the branch ministry and his assistant had decided to listen in on what I had to say. I was quite taken aback. Was this a setup of some sort?
So, I taught on the topic of whether a Christian is allowed to drink alcohol from opposing views, making sure to emphasize that I still agreed with the viewpoint of the church I belonged to. All seemed to go well. When the study ended, refreshments were served, and I left feeling pretty good about how things had turned out.
The following morning, my phone rang. It was my pastor and his assistant asking me to come to their office. I immediately went over and was informed that they didn’t appreciate the teaching. Furthermore, I was released from the Bible study and asked to move out of the premises.
While there is more to this story, I think you can understand why this subject still resonates with me today. Are you ready to begin determining whether drinking alcohol proves that someone isn’t saved? I am. Let’s proceed.
●NOT DRINKING ALCOHOL PROVES THAT THE PERSON IS SAVED
The million-dollar question that usually comes up during discussions about drinking is this:
Did Jesus approve of drinking alcohol?
The answer will determine how the water turned into wine at the marriage in Cana of Galilee should be classified, i.e., as unfermented grape juice or as fermented grape juice with alcohol content. This is where we’ll begin.
Suggested Reading: John 2:1-11
3 And when the wine gave out, the mother of Jesus said to Him, They have no wine. NASB
Jesus was attending a wedding in the village of Cana, accompanied by His mother. Apparently, during the celebration, all of the wine was consumed. Here are some questions to consider.
Why was there no more wine to drink? Was it because everyone drank too much? Was it because the host miscalculated the number of people who would show up?
Typically, a Jewish wedding lasts a week. In this case, the headwaiter would be in charge of food and drink. This was probably a simple case of oversight.
7 Jesus said to them, Fill the waterpots with water. And they filled them up to the brim. NASB
His mother, aware of the need for more wine, urged Him to address the matter. Seeing six empty water pots nearby, each possibly holding between twenty and thirty gallons of liquid, Jesus instructed the servants to fill them with water and bring them to the headwaiter of the feast.
9-10 And when the headwaiter tasted the water which had become wine, and did not know where it came from (but the servants who had drawn the water knew), the headwaiter called the bridegroom, and said to him, Every man serves the good wine first, and when men have drunk freely, then that which is poorer; you have kept the good wine until now. NASB
When the headwaiter tasted the wine, he commended the bridegroom, saying that, at weddings, the good wine was usually given out first, followed by that which was poorer, i.e., wine of lesser quality. However, in this case, he kept the good wine (new wine; non-alcoholic grape juice; unfermented grape juice) for last.
The wine referred to here was doubtless [the kind] commonly consumed in Palestine. That was the pure juice of the grape. 119
Next, let’s turn to Romans.
Romans 14:1-23
In the early church, as expected, there was uncertainty about how much of the Mosaic Law Gentile Christians were obligated to obey, and likewise about the responsibilities of Jewish converts regarding eating meat, drinking wine, observing certain days, and other matters. However, a simple rule of thumb was unveiled in this regard.
It is good not to eat meat or to drink wine, or to do anything by which your brother stumbles. NASB
Christians should not eat meat or drink wine (any alcoholic drink) or do anything that would cause a fellow believer to stumble (be induced to sin; be prevented from making due progress in the divine life120). At [times,] one’s Christian liberty must be relinquished for the sake of others.121This begs the question:
Should those who had charge of alms for the poor also abstain from drinking alcohol?
Please turn to 1 Timothy.
Suggested Reading: 1 Timothy 3:8 -10
8 Deacons likewise must be men of dignity, not double-tongued, or addicted to much wine or fond of sordid gain, NASB
Some of the qualifications of deacons (those who had charge of the temporal affairs of the church) are mentioned. Deacons must be:
●Of dignity (one who inspires respect by his conduct and deportment122).
●Not double-tongued (saying one thing and meaning another; saying one thing to one person and something entirely different to another123).
●Not addicted to much wine (abstain from drinking wine).
Do not drink wine or strong drink, neither you nor your sons with you, when you come into the tent of meeting, so that you may not die — it is a perpetual statute throughout your generations NASB
Even the pagan priests, on entering a temple, did not drink wine. “Bloomfield.” The use of wine, and of strong drinks of all kinds, was prohibited to the Jewish ministers of every rank when they were about to engage in the service of God; Leviticus 10:9.124
The deacons were also not to be fond of sordid gain (not to steal or use funds in selfish ways125).
What about those in leadership, e.g., apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastor-teachers? Should they abstain from drinking any kind of alcoholic beverage?
Stay in the book of 1 Timothy, which reveals the qualifications of overseers.
Suggested Reading: 1 Timothy 3:1-7
3 not addicted to wine or pugnacious, but gentle, uncontentious, free from the love of money. NASB
Here are some of the qualifications of character a believer must exemplify if they aspire to the leadership office of overseer (bishop, superintendent). The responsibilities of this office involve the oversight and direction of the spiritual life of the local church.126
Some of the qualifications of an overseer are as follows:
●Not addicted (one who sits long) to wine (unfermented wine; non-alcoholic grape juice), because over time, this juice would ferment.
●Not pugnacious (a quarrelsome person; quick to argue with others).
●Gentle (treat others with patience and tolerance rather than with a domineering disposition; take criticism without reacting127).
●Uncontentious (not ready to strike a person who may displease him; no persecutor of those who may differ from him128).
●Free from the love of money (not in the original languages).
As for drinking wine or any alcoholic beverage, a leader should abstain. Otherwise, they could overindulge and exhibit behavior uncharacteristic of godliness. The way in which the apostle mentions the subject here would lead us to suppose that he did not mean to commend its use in any sense; that he regarded its use as dangerous, and that he would wish the ministers of religion to avoid it altogether.129 A godly pastor would certainly want to set the best example and not be an excuse for sin in the life of a weaker brother.130
Now let’s take a look at the opposing view.
●IF A BELIEVER DRINKS ALCOHOL, THIS DOES NOT PROVE THAT THEY ARE NOT SAVED
Let’s begin by retranslating the verses from the book of Romans.
Romans 14:1-23
In the early church, as expected, there was uncertainty about how much of the Mosaic Law Gentile Christians were obligated to obey, and likewise about the responsibilities of Jewish converts regarding eating meat, drinking wine, observing certain days, and other matters.
It is good not to eat meat or to drink wine, or to do anything by which your brother stumbles. NASB
However, this wasn’t about the idea that believers shouldn’t eat meat, drink wine, or anything else if a fellow believer has a weakness in that regard. Let’s retranslate the verse and mention the background story.
Christians should not eat meat (the flesh of a sacrificial animal131) or drink wine (wine mixed with blood) or do anything that would cause a fellow believer to stumble (be induced to sin; be prevented from making due progress in the divine life132).
One of the areas of contention regarding eating meat and drinking wine arose on the first day of the week, the day following the seventh-day Sabbath, when Gentile and Jewish Christians would gather for worship (teachings and dialogue) and the agape feast. This celebration was an expression of the common meal of the church and was followed by an explanation and partaking of the Lord’s Supper, group prayer, the declaration of the gospel of Christ, and the singing of psalms.
Apparently, some of the Gentile believers would bring meat that had blood in it, or that was used in the sacrifices to idols in the pagan temples, along with wine that had blood in it. Because many of the Jews still observed the dietary laws of the Mosaic Law, they were repulsed by these offerings and refused to continue to attend.
The resolution was twofold. First, the Gentile Christians were instructed not to bring the meat of animals that had been killed by means of strangulation, as some of the blood would still remain, or wine that contained blood. Second, believers were advised to stop attending the heathen festivities.
This wasn’t a prohibition against eating meat or drinking wine, because some Christians were vegetarians and others had issues with excessive drinking. Rather, it had to do with the dietary laws of the newly converted Jewish Christians.
What about the alcoholic content of the wine? Was it grape juice?
The following is from an article entitled, A THEOLOGY OF WINE. In the [New Testament,] wine was probably cut with two parts water to one part wine. It appears that the wine in the New Testament, if cut, would have the same alcoholic content as today’s beer.133 So, no, the wine was not grape juice, but fermented grape juice with an alcoholic content.134
Does this mean that if we know a fellow Christian has an issue with alcohol, we should disregard it?
As believers, we have many areas of weakness that need spiritual guidance. But let’s not allow the issue of addiction in any area or of personal preferences in wearing certain clothes or attending church functions, etc., to be what we’re mandated to adopt.
From here, we’ll revisit the verses regarding whether deacons were allowed to drink wine. Please turn to 1 Timothy.
Suggested Reading: 1 Timothy 3:8 -10
8 Deacons likewise must be men of dignity, not double-tongued, or addicted to much wine or fond of sordid gain, NASB
Some of the qualifications of deacons (those who had charge of the temporal affairs of the church) are mentioned. Deacons must be:
●Of dignity (one who inspires respect by his conduct and deportment135).
●Not double-tongued (saying one thing and meaning another; saying one thing to one person and something entirely different to another136).
●Not addicted to much wine (must not drink wine so freely that he becomes intoxicated137;allowed to indulge in the use of wine in small quantities138). If the wine mentioned was unfermented grape juice, this admonition wouldn’t be written this way. Sometimes the juice was served [unfermented], but generally it was allowed to ferment. In situations in which safe drinking water was [scarce, if not absent altogether, wine became the common] ordinary drink.139
●Not fond of sordid gain (not to steal or use funds in selfish ways140).
What about the contention that the wine was heavily diluted?
According to the article, THE ALCOHOL CONTENT OF WINE IN THE BIBLE, here are some thoughts to consider. Some Christians maintain that the wine in the Bible was almost non-alcoholic. While dilution was certainly used in some circumstances, it was far from universal practice. Moreover, this low-alcohol-content argument has no support in historical scholarship. Virtually every scholar agrees that the alcohol content of wine during [biblical] times was usually between five and twenty percent, which is enough to intoxicate.141
With that said, we’ll revisit Scripture relating to the leadership office of overseer.
Suggested Reading: 1 Timothy 3:1-7
3 not addicted to wine or pugnacious, but gentle, uncontentious, free from the love of money. NASB
Here are some of the qualifications of character a believer must exemplify if they aspire to the leadership office of overseer (bishop, superintendent). The responsibilities of this office involve the oversight and direction of the spiritual life of the local church.142
Some of the qualifications of an overseer are as follows:
●Not addicted (drinking to excess; inordinately attached; a person who sits long with the cup and thus drinks to excess143) to wine (fermented wine). This injunction teaches not total abstinence from intoxicating liquors but, rather, temperance. 144
●Not pugnacious (a quarrelsome person; quick to argue with others).
●Gentle (treat others with patience and tolerance rather than with a domineering disposition; take criticism without reacting145).
●Uncontentious (not ready to strike a person who may displease him; no persecutor of those who may differ from him146).
●Free from the love of money (not in the original languages).
Leaders may drink wine, but with discretion. If someone in church administration chooses to abstain, the risk of excessive drinking is eliminated. However, the decision not to drink at all should be left to each individual Christian, whether in a position of leadership or not.
Now that we’re aware of this perspective, which says that if a believer chooses to drink wine or, by implication, any alcoholic beverage, this has no bearing on their salvation, let’s retranslate the verses from the book of John about the marriage feast at Cana of Galilee.
Suggested Reading: John 2:1-11
3 And when the wine gave out, the mother of Jesus said to Him, They have no wine. NASB
Jesus was attending a wedding in the village of Cana, accompanied by His mother. Apparently, during the celebration, all of the wine was consumed. The word wine in Koine Greek is oinon from oinos,and it means fermented wine.
Here are some questions to consider.
Why was there no more wine to drink? Was it because everyone drank too much? Was it because they miscalculated the number of people who would show up?
Typically, a Jewish wedding lasts a week. In this case, the headwaiter would be in charge of food and drink. This was probably a simple case of oversight.
7 Jesus said to them, Fill the waterpots with water. And they filled them up to the brim. NASB
His mother, aware of the need for more wine, urged Him to address the matter. Seeing six empty water pots nearby, each possibly holding between twenty and thirty gallons of liquid, Jesus instructed the servants to fill them with water and bring them to the headwaiter of the feast.
9-10 And when the headwaiter tasted the water which had become wine, and did not know where it came from (but the servants who had drawn the water knew), the headwaiter called the bridegroom, and said to him, Every man serves the good wine first, and when men have drunk freely, then that which is poorer; you have kept the good wine until now. NASB
When the headwaiter tasted the wine, he commended the bridegroom, saying that, at weddings, the good wine (fermented wine) was usually given out first, and after the guests had well drunk (had been drinking a while; had plenty to drink),replaced it with winethat was poorer (of lesser quality), which was not served at this occasion. Instead, the headwaiter praised the bridegroom, for he kept (guarded) the good wine (superior quality wine; the transformation of water into good fermented wine, not grape juice) to be served last.
The second time the word wine is used, as it was served last, in Koine Greek is oinon from oinos. It means normal wine, i.e., wine that was fermented/alcoholic.147
With that said, I would like to leave you with an interesting article about some churches that allow moderate drinking within the church building. Whether you agree or not, I believe that you’ll find it thought-provoking.
WHY MORE CHURCHES SHOULD THINK ABOUT SERVING ALCOHOL
Allowing alcohol in church may break down the walls between Christians and non-believers. There is a photo from my wedding that shows two dear friends engrossed in conversation. They appear to be discussing something serious, and knowing their backgrounds as philosophy and religion majors, I always imagined them to be discussing apologetics. They each have a beer in hand.
We know from history that some of the greatest Christian thinkers discussed religion over [ale]. C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien used to gather at the Rabbit Room, the back room of The Eagle and Child pub, to talk about theology over drinks. Many Christians have accepted the concept of alcohol in moderation. Though some still choose to abstain, Christians who enjoy the occasional beer or glass of wine are not uncommon.
That said, Christians who drink do not typically indulge on church premises. In the Christianity Today piece “The Church that Drinks Together,” Kevin F. Foley says his church is considering otherwise. The author’s congregation is constructing a new church in Troutdale, Oregon, an unchurched town between beer-famous Portland and the winery town of Hood River.
Here, Foley says drinking is part of the culture. He explains: “Portland is constantly being named and renamed America’s Number One Beer City. In Portland, breweries seem to outnumber gas stations. [In 2014,] Oregon produced 585,000 barrels of beer. Our state leads the U.S. in the percentage of dollars spent on craft beer.” Wine production is just as important. “Oregon wine grapes are now our most valuable fruit crop, valued at $128 million. Our state bottles about 3 million cases of wine annually, shipping 64 percent of it out of state.”
Foley’s church has already decided that the new building will allow alcohol to be served in the fellowship hall. Otherwise, no one would rent the hall for weddings, and they need the bookings to pay the bills. Now they must decide if alcohol will be permitted in other parts of the church, specifically the building’s “café.”
Allowing alcohol in church may break down the walls between Christians and non-believers, Foley says. In an area that values quality alcohol, drinks can help bring the two groups together. The writer explains that he and his wife won a group winery tour through a charity auction and invited Christian and non-Christian friends. One non-Christian friend was surprised that the churchgoers shared an interest in wine. “Walls were broken down because of wine,” Foley writes. “My non-Christian friend is now more likely to visit our church because they know there are people there that enjoy wine, people who don’t demonize it.”
Foley acknowledges that [Scripture condemns drunkenness (Ephesians 5:18), but argues that the] church would be an appropriate place to practice moderation. He suggests wine-tasting and home-brew competitions, events that would engage the community and provide outreach through a shared interest in quality alcohol. “I can guarantee that a public ‘Beer and Theology’ discussion will draw more people than a ‘Theology Discussion,’” Foley writes.
A church in Tulsa had a similar plan when they announced “Beer and Hymns Sunday.” The idea was to introduce the community to their church. The ChristianHeadlines.com news story became one of the site’s most popular articles of all time, attracting a variety of praise and criticism.
It cannot be denied that these churches have honorable intent. They are seeking to introduce the gospel to unreached people in a creative way. As Foley says, “...it’s about making people welcome and getting them to engage with the church and the God who loves them.” Many Christians will find the suggestion to serve alcohol in church hard to digest, but [ultimately,] Christians are not the group that these innovative churches are trying to reach. If it takes serving beer in [a] small group that leads a non-believer to Christ, it is worth swallowing our pride and taking a gulp of change.148
Where do we go from here?
What we’ve learned so far is whether certain evidence proves that a person is saved. This begs the question:
What constitutes salvation and sanctification?
Salvation can mean different things to different Christian churches. Likewise, sanctification can be described in different ways. In the next chapter, we’ll clarify what each of these words means and the verses used to support such.
Endnotes
119Barnes’ Notes.
120Barnes’ Notes.
121Bible Knowledge Commentary/New Testament.
122The Pulpit Commentary.
123UBS New Testament Handbook Series.
124Barnes’ Notes.
125The Bible Exposition Commentary/New Testament.
126Weust’s Word Studies from the Greek New Testament.
127Weust’s Word Studies from the Greek New Testament.
128Adam Clarke’s Commentary.
129Barnes’ Notes.
130The Bible Exposition Commentary/New Testament.
131Weust’s Word Studies from the Greek New Testament.
132Barnes’ Notes.
133Joe Thorn. “A THEOLOGY OF WINE.” 29 December 2025
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134Joe Thorn.
135The Pulpit Commentary.
136UBS New Testament Handbook Series.
137Weust’s Word Studies from the Greek New Testament.
138Barnes’ Notes.
139UBS New Testament Handbook Series.
140The Bible Exposition.
141Eric Adams. “THE ALCOHOL CONTENT OF WINE IN THE BIBLE.” 20 December 2025
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142Weust’s Word Studies from the Greek New Testament.
143The Bible Exposition Commentary/New Testament.
144Weust’s Word Studies from the Greek New Testament.
145Weust’s Word Studies from the Greek New Testament.
146Adam Clarke’s Commentary.
147“Did Jesus change the water into wine or grape juice.” Got Questions 29 December 2025
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148Carrie Dedrick. “Why More Churches Should Think about Serving Alcohol” 30 December 2025
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