Can Christians Drink Alcohol?

Can Christians Drink Alcohol?

⚔️ THE BOLD CHRISTIAN

CAN CHRISTIANS DRINK ALCOHOL?

A bold biblical teaching on alcohol, wine, drunkenness, sober-mindedness, compromise, and why Christians should stop defending what destroys millions of lives.

CB
Written By Chad Breaux
3 min read Updated May 2026
Many people are not asking, “What does scripture say?” They are asking, “How close can I get to sin and still feel safe?”

That is the real problem.

This question is not answered by culture, emotion, personal appetite, or what people want to justify.

A Christian does not build doctrine from feelings. A Christian opens the word of God and lets scripture speak.

The Bible Gives Warnings

Scripture repeatedly warns about wine, strong drink, drunkenness, being led astray, loss of self-control, and spiritual compromise.

PROVERBS 20:1 NKJV
“Wine is a mocker,
Strong drink is a brawler,
And whoever is led astray by it is not wise.”

The Bible does not paint wine and strong drink as harmless.

It says wine mocks. Strong drink produces conflict. Whoever is led astray by it is not wise.

Do Not Even Look At It

PROVERBS 23:31-32 NKJV
“Do not look on the wine when it is red,
When it sparkles in the cup,
When it swirls around smoothly;
At the last it bites like a serpent,
And stings like a viper.”

Scripture does not say, “Take a little sip.”

It says do not even look at it.

Why? Because God knows where the process leads.

People always want to defend the beginning while pretending the ending never happens.

  • • “Just one drink.”
  • • “I can handle it.”
  • • “I won’t get drunk.”
  • • “It’s only a little.”

That is how destruction starts.

Drunkenness Is Clearly Sin

EPHESIANS 5:18 NKJV
“And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit.”
GALATIANS 5:19-21 NKJV
“...drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand... that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.”

Drunkenness is not harmless fun. It is listed with the works of the flesh.

A Christian cannot defend drunkenness and claim to submit to scripture at the same time.

“Jesus Turned Water Into Alcoholic Wine”

This is the argument people run to fast.

“Jesus turned water into alcoholic wine.”

Slow down.

The Bible says Jesus turned water into wine in John 2. But the person who says, “Jesus made alcoholic wine so people could drink intoxicating wine,” is adding a conclusion the text does not state.

They inserted the word alcoholic. They inserted modern drinking culture into the text. They inserted intoxication into Christ’s miracle.

JOHN 2:10 NKJV
“Every man at the beginning sets out the good wine, and when the guests have well drunk, then the inferior. You have kept the good wine until now!”

People will use that phrase, “well drunk,” and then try to make Jesus responsible for supplying more intoxicating drink to people at a feast.

That is dangerous. That is not honoring Christ. That is using scripture to defend appetite.

Jesus had ZERO sin.

HEBREWS 4:15 NKJV
“For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.”

So do not paint Jesus as the One helping people continue in intoxication.

Do not turn the sinless Son of God into a promoter of drunkenness.

Do not take a miracle that revealed His glory and twist it into permission for drinking culture.

JOHN 2:11 NKJV
“This beginning of signs Jesus did in Cana of Galilee, and manifested His glory; and His disciples believed in Him.”

The point of John 2 was not, “Go drink.”

The point was that Jesus manifested His glory.

“Jesus Drank Wine”

Another argument is:

“Jesus drank wine.”

Again, people say this as if it automatically proves Jesus consumed intoxicating wine and endorsed modern alcohol use.

The Bible does not say Jesus sinned. The Bible does not say Jesus got drunk. The Bible does not say Jesus promoted intoxication, foolishness, lowered restraint, or drinking culture.

So stop adding to the text.

Jesus was holy. Jesus was without sin. Jesus obeyed the Father perfectly.

You cannot use the sinless Christ to defend what scripture repeatedly warns can lead men away from wisdom.

“Paul Told Timothy To Drink Wine”

1 TIMOTHY 5:23 NKJV
“No longer drink only water, but use a little wine for your stomach’s sake and your frequent infirmities.”

People love this verse too.

But Paul was not telling Timothy to go join drinking culture. He referenced a little wine connected to Timothy’s stomach and frequent infirmities.

That is not the same thing as defending recreational alcohol, intoxication, partying, and modern drinking habits.

Do not take a medicinal instruction and twist it into permission for fleshly living.

“The Bible Says Drink — Just Don’t Get Drunk”

That is another common argument.

But serious Christians must go deeper than technical loopholes.

1 CORINTHIANS 10:23 NKJV
“All things are lawful for me, but not all things are helpful; all things are lawful for me, but not all things edify.”

The question is not only, “Can I technically do this?”

The question is, “Does this edify? Does this help me obey God? Does this make me sharper, cleaner, more disciplined, and more useful to God?”

1 CORINTHIANS 6:12 NKJV
“All things are lawful for me, but all things are not helpful. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any.”

Do not be brought under the power of anything.

Not alcohol. Not lust. Not entertainment. Not comfort. Not appetite.

Alcohol Destroys Lives

Now look at the fruit.

Alcohol is connected to:

  • • car accidents
  • • deaths
  • • addiction
  • • violence
  • • broken marriages
  • • destroyed families
  • • abuse
  • • sexual sin
  • • foolish decisions
  • • lost discipline

And Christians still defend it like it is some harmless little thing.

Stop protecting what destroys people.

Christians Are Called To Be Sober-Minded

1 PETER 5:8 NKJV
“Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.”
1 THESSALONIANS 5:6-8 NKJV
“Therefore let us not sleep, as others do, but let us watch and be sober... putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet the hope of salvation.”

The direction of scripture is clear:

  • • sober
  • • watchful
  • • alert
  • • disciplined
  • • self-controlled
  • • holy

Not buzzed. Not loosened up. Not lowering restraint. Not flirting with compromise.

Final Charge

Stop asking how close you can get to the world.

Start asking how close you can get to God.

Stop using isolated arguments to protect appetite.

Stop pretending the Bible celebrates what it repeatedly warns about.

Do not take the sip. Do not begin the process. Stay far away.

Obey God. Stay sober-minded. Guard your soul.

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