Recently I was challenged on many biblical topics by a co-worker. He did not believe that the bible had anything to say about drinking, cursing, or homosexuality. He argued ,that if I were to find anything on these topics, that there is no proof in the "truth" of the bible. I was encouraged by this challenge, and studied each target closely. After much prayer, seeking God,and research, this is what I found. This information is to valuable to be shared with only one person, so I shared the whole study on my blog.
What does the Bible say about drinking alcohol?
Answer: Scripture has much to say regarding the drinking of alcohol (Leviticus 10:9; Numbers 6:3; Deuteronomy 29:6; Judges 13:4, 7, 14; Proverbs 20:1; 31:4; Isaiah 5:1122, 24:9; 28:7; 29:9; 56:12). However, Scripture does not necessarily forbid a Christian from drinking beer, wine, or any other drink containing alcohol. In fact, some Scriptures discuss alcohol in positive terms. Ecclesiastes 9:7 instructs, “Drink your wine with a merry heart.” Psalm 104:14-15 states that God gives wine “that makes glad the heart of men.” Amos 9:14 discusses drinking wine from your own vineyard as a sign of God’s blessing. Isaiah 55:1 encourages, “Yes, come buy wine and milk…”, What God commands Christians regarding alcohol is to avoid drunkenness (Ephesians 5:18). The Bible condemns drunkenness and its effects (Proverbs 23:29-35). Christians are also commanded to not allow their bodies to be “mastered” by anything (1 Corinthians 6:12; 2 Peter 2:19). Drinking alcohol in excess is undeniably addictive. Scripture also forbids a Christian from doing anything that might offend other Christians or encourage them to sin against their conscience (1 Corinthians 8:9-13). In light of these principles, it would be extremely difficult for any Christian to say he is drinking alcohol in excess to the glory of God (1 Corinthians 10:31)., Jesus changed water into wine. It even seems that Jesus drank wine on occasion (John 2:1-11; Matthew 26:29). In New Testament times, the water was not very clean. Without modern sanitation, the water was often filled with bacteria, viruses, and all kinds of contaminants. The same is true in many third-world countries today. As a result, people often drank wine (or grape juice) because it was far less likely to be contaminated. In 1 Timothy 5:23; Paul was instructing Timothy to stop drinking the water (which was probably causing his stomach problems) and instead drink wine. In that day, wine was fermented (containing alcohol), but not necessarily to the degree it is today. It is incorrect to say that it was grape juice, but it is also incorrect to say that it was the same thing as the wine commonly used today. Again, Scripture does not forbid Christians from drinking beer, wine, or any other drink containing alcohol. Alcohol is not, in and of itself, tainted by sin. It is drunkenness and addiction to alcohol that a Christian must absolutely refrain from (Ephesians 5:18; 1 Corinthians 6:12)., Alcohol, consumed in small quantities, is neither harmful nor addictive. In fact, some doctors advocate drinking small amounts of red wine for its health benefits, especially for the heart. Consumption of small quantities of alcohol is a matter of Christian freedom. Drunkenness and addiction are sin. However, due to the biblical concerns regarding alcohol and its effects, due to the easy temptation to consume alcohol in excess, and due to the possibility of causing offense and/or stumbling of others, it is usually best for a Christian to abstain entirely from drinking alcohol.
What does the Bible say about homosexuality?
There are those who like to say that the Bible does not condemn homosexuality.Various verses are cited (out of context), and the verses that people use to show that homosexuality is wrong are explained away.The world wants to change God's words and meanings into something more suitable to its sinful desires.Nevertheless, the truth stands: the Bible condemns homosexuality as a sin.Let's look at what it says.
- Lev. 18:22, "You shall not lie with a male as one lies with a female; it is an abomination."
- Lev. 20:13, "If there is a man who lies with a male as those who lie with a woman, both of them have committed a detestable act; they shall surely be put to death. Their blood guiltiness is upon them"
- 1 Cor. 6:9-10, "Or do you not know that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, 10nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, shall inherit the kingdom of God."
- Rom. 1:26-28, "For this reason God gave them over to degrading passions; for their women exchanged the natural function for that which is unnatural, 27and in the same way also the men abandoned the natural function of the woman and burned in their desire toward one another, men with men committing indecent acts and receiving in their own persons the due penalty of their error. 28And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper."
Homosexuality
is clearly condemned by the Bible. It goes against the created order
of God who created Adam, a man, and then made Eve, a woman. This is
what God has ordained as the normal means by which we carry out his
command to fill the earth (Gen. 1:28). What God has set up is what is right -- not what sinful man sets up.
However,
unlike other sins, homosexuality has a severe judgment administered by
God Himself. This judgment is simple: they are given over to their
passions. That means that their hearts are allowed to be hardened by
their sins (Romans 1:24).
As a result, they can no longer see the error of what they are doing,
and then they go and promote it and condemn others who don't participate
in their sin. So, without an awareness of their sinfulness, there will
be no repentance and trusting in Jesus. Without Jesus, they will have
no forgiveness. Without forgiveness, there is no salvation. Without
salvation, there is only damnation in eternal hell.
What should be the Christian's response to the Homosexual?
Just because someone is a homosexual does not mean that we cannot love him (or her) or pray for him (her). Homosexuality is a sin, and like any other sin it needs to be dealt with in the only way possible. It needs to be laid at the foot of the cross and repented of.
Please
understand that I don't hate homosexuals. I wouldn't care if my
neighbor were gay. I've had homosexual friends and have loved them the
same as I would anyone else. But, the Bible says homosexuality is a
sin. And, like all sinners, the person needs to be forgiven. That can
be found in Jesus. He is the Lord, the Savior, the risen King. I would
say to gays that if you want to love another man, love Jesus -- not in a
homosexual attitudinal sense, but in one of respect and trust. After
all, Jesus is God in flesh (John 1:1,14) and he died to save sinners. We are all sinners.
We Christians should pray for the salvation
of the homosexual the same as we would for any other person in sin. It
is not an issue of arrogance or judgmentalism. It is a loving thing to
do. We don't want anyone to be lost due to their sin. The homosexual
is still made in the image of God
-- even though he is in grave sin. Therefore, we should show
homosexuals the same dignity as anyone else with whom we come in
contact. Don't injure them. Don't hate them. However, this does not
mean that you are to approve of their sin. Don't compromise your
witness for a socially acceptable opinion that is void of godliness and
biblical truth. Instead, stand firm in the word that God has revealed
and patiently love him/her biblically, and pray for their salvation.
Finally,
if you are a homosexual, please understand that I do not hate you nor
do I judge you. Sin is sin and the solution is found in Christ. I
know... I've had my own sins to deal with.
Christians and profanity
“What’s the big deal about profanity?” It’s a question I sometimes
hear from young people who consider profanity a normal part of modern
communication. Indeed, some Christian leaders in supposedly
“cutting-edge” ministries use profanity in their presentations in an
attempt to relate to the street language many unsaved people use.
What is profanity? The word profane literally means
“outside the temple.” The term originally identified people or things
that were secular as opposed to religious. The proliferation of
profanity in American culture indicates secularization and an attack on
Christian values. Media ratings of movies, music and videos continue to
use language as a criterion, but standards of censorship on public
airwaves are clearly eroding.
Profanity is used for shock value in expressing anger and humor. The
words often are associated with sexuality and filth. Names of the Deity
are used to bring additional potency and irreverence to the
expressions. It is worth noting in our politically correct culture that
the blasphemous use of the names of God and Jesus Christ are not
regarded as “hate speech.”
The Bible recognizes the power of words. God spoke His creation into
existence, and the gift of speech is one aspect of man’s creation in
the image of God (Gen. 2:19-20). In the revelation of God’s law, words
as well as actions are assigned moral values. Lying, blasphemy, taking
the Lord’s name in vain, and cursing are examples of sinful speech
forbidden in the Mosaic Law.
The New Testament also commands believers to be pure in speech by
controlling their tongues: “With it we bless our Lord and Father, and
with it we curse men who are made in God’s likeness. Out of the same
mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things should not be
this way” (James 3:9-10). Christians should honor the purpose of speech
by using our mouths to praise God and leading others to obey the Lord
through faith in Jesus Christ. Every word we speak should be “gracious”
and “seasoned with salt” (Col. 4:6). We should always ask, “What would
Jesus say?”
Christians are called upon to live differently and to act
differently than the world of unbelievers. I do not need to speak
profanity to win a cursing unbeliever anymore than I need to drink
alcohol to win an alcoholic. The words of Scripture have all the potency
and power we need to reach the heart of the lost.
“May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable to You, LORD, my rock and my Redeemer” (Psalm 19:14). How Do We Know the Bible Is True?
The best-selling book in history remains one of the most
controversial. Revered by Christians as God's holy Word, the Bible spans
centuries of history, contains a variety of literary styles and
culminates in the person of Jesus Christ. But how do we know the Bible
is true? Isn't it just a collection of stories and myths? Even if it
contains some history, is there any way we can trust it completely?
What is the Bible?
Answering these questions requires that we understand what the Bible
is. It's not a book that arrived in complete form at one point in
history. Instead, the Bible was written over a period of some 1,500
years by a number of authors. Although it is viewed as one book, it's
actually a collection of many books.
It is called God's Word even though God did not physically write
it. Instead, God worked through everyday people, inspired by Him, to
record what Christians accept as the Bible. The Old Testament is
primarily a record of God's dealings with His chosen people – the
Hebrews or Jews. The New Testament continues the record with first
century accounts of the life and ministry of Jesus and the struggles
faced by new Christians in a hostile culture.
The Bible Today: Miraculous or Not?
Today the Bible is controversial for several reasons. For example, it
is filled with miracles. In the Old Testament, God parts the Red Sea,
allowing His people to escape a hoard of angry Egyptians. In the book of
Joshua, the sun is said to have stood still, while Jonah records a
prophet swallowed by a large fish. In the New Testament the blind
receive sight, Jesus walks on water and is resurrected after being
executed on a cross.
In a largely naturalistic age, meaning belief only in the
material world, miracles are often doubted. The supernatural – anything
beyond the natural world – is dismissed or relegated to a second-class
status. This often results in doubt about the Bible. Can we trust it to
be true? Are we really expected to believe the supernatural events it
records? This is a bias that defines miracles out of existence rather
than reasoning that if God exists, then miracles are possible.
Truth and the Bible
Asking if the Bible is true, means that we need to have some
understanding of truth. What is truth? While this question is often
presented as a deep philosophical puzzle suitable only for the "brainy"
to tackle, the answer is not so complex. Truth is what corresponds to
reality. Consequently, what is real is true, what is unreal is false.
The Bible makes some very distinctive truth claims. It claims, for
instance, that God exists. It also claims that He has chosen to
communicate with us through His creation, our moral conscience, and via
the Bible. Jesus claimed to be God in the flesh and that the only way
for human beings to be saved is through Him (John 14:6). Moreover, the
death and resurrection of Jesus are also key to Christian theology.
These claims the Bible makes either correspond to reality or they
do not. Christians believe that they do correspond to reality, meaning
that the Bible is true. God really exists, Jesus is not a myth, and the
resurrection really happened. But how do we know this?
Knowledge and the Bible
Sometimes Christians quote the Bible to prove the Bible. Most
skeptics are rightly cautious of this approach. Quoting the Bible to
prove the Bible is viewed as being circular reasoning or illogical.
After all, quoting the Bible to prove the Bible assumes the Bible is
true, which is really the point of contention or discussion.
But if the Bible can be shown to be a reliable document,
accurately recorded and transmitted through history, from God to us,
then we can build a strong case that the Bible is indeed true.
Evidence for the Bible
Evidence for the Bible can take many forms. There is, for instance,
physical evidence. We have copies of the manuscripts and throughout
history these copies show that the Bible has been transmitted
accurately. Despite common skeptical claims that the Bible has often
been changed through the centuries, the physical evidence tells another
story. The New Testament records are incredibly accurate. There are
minor differences in manuscripts, called variants, but none of these
variants impact or change key Christian beliefs or claims.
Other physical evidence includes archaeological finds. The Archaeological Study Bible
presents many notes and articles documenting how archeology has again
and again proven that the Bible does correspond to historical reality.
There are other kinds of evidence that the Bible is true. These
have to do with internal consistency and coherence. Although the Bible
was written over many centuries by different writers, the messages it
contains are coherent and consistent. The Bible presents a coherent
theology and worldview and presents this material consistently.
Moreover, the Christian worldview is robust, reasonable and grounded in
history.
Jesus and the Bible
Although there are other lines of reasoning to support the claim that
the Bible is true, one of the most powerful is found in Jesus. If it
can be shown that the four Gospels – Matthew, Mark, Luke and John –
present an accurate record of the life and ministry of Jesus, then Jesus
Himself becomes an argument in support of the truth of the Bible. If
the Bible has been shown to be reliable, this line of reasoning is no
longer circular, but rational. In other words, what the Bible records
about Jesus, including what He says about God, human nature, salvation
and the Old Testament record, can then be trusted.
What does Jesus say about God's Word? He says, "the Scripture
cannot be broken" (John 10:35, NIV), thus testifying to the authority of
the Bible. In Matthew 5:17, Jesus said, "Do not think that I have come
to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but
to fulfill them," meaning that Jesus believed and trusted in the Old
Testament "Law" and "Prophets." Jesus also said, "It is written: 'Man
does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from
the mouth of God'" (Matthew 4:4). Space does not allow a thorough
investigation of the views of Jesus on the Bible, but it is sufficient
here to note that He believed God spoke through the Bible, He overtly
upheld belief in several Old Testament stories, and revered the Bible as
holy and authoritative.
The cornerstone of Christian belief is the resurrection of
Christ. Even Paul the Apostle admitted that if the resurrection did not
happen, Christian faith "is futile; you are still in your sins" (1
Corinthians 15:17). In this sense, making a case for the truth of the
resurrection also makes a case for the truth claims of Jesus and, in
turn, the reliability and truth of the Bible.
Does Our View of the Bible Matter?
Liberal theologians sometimes point out that our view of the Bible
doesn't really matter. So long as we gain strength and insights from it,
they say, that is enough. Following this line of reasoning, they remove
many miracles of the Bibles or simply treat them as myths. This is a
mistake, particularly when it comes to the Resurrection of Christ. Our
view of the Bible matters immensely, especially if what it claims is
indeed true. If it is, as we have argued, then our eternal destiny
hinges on how we will respond to Christ and His calling. Will we reject
Him or accept Him?
There is much more that could be said on the matter of truth and
the Bible. The rest of the articles in this series will address the
Bible's reliability, how we got it, how to interpret it, responding to
its critics and suggestions for handling seemingly difficult Bible
passages.
If, for instance, the Bible is full of historical and factual errors or blatantly contradicts itself, it's hard to trust it or view it as reliable.
"I'm glad your faith works for you, but can you really know whether
or not the Bible is reliable? Wasn't it written thousands of years ago?
How do you know it hasn't been translated and re-translated so much that
it no longer says what it used to say?" These questions or variations
of them are often asked about the Bible.
Rather than responding "just believe," the Bible calls us to,
"Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give
the reason for the hope that you have" (1 Peter 3:15, NIV). Since Christ
is the cornerstone of Christianity, and since what we know about Christ
and God's plan of salvation is found in the Bible, it is important that
we take questions about the reliability of the Bible seriously. As a
result, this article will look at the meaning of "reliability" in both
the Old and New Testaments.
What does "reliable" mean?
Let's first consider the meaning of reliable. In short,
reliability means something is trustworthy. It can also mean that
something is consistently good in its quality. In reference to the
Bible, reliability has to do with whether or not what it contains – from
ideas to history to geography and more – is trustworthy or not. If, for
instance, the Bible is full of historical and factual errors or
blatantly contradicts itself, it's hard to trust it or view it as
reliable.
While we will address these sorts of questions in other articles in this series,the
question of the reliability of the Bible is addressed in this article
primarily in relation to the manuscript and other evidence supporting
the Old and New Testaments. Before getting to the Old Testament,
however, our line of reasoning supporting the reliability of the Bible
is best begun with the New Testament.
Is the New Testament Reliable?
The New Testament contains 27 books, although some are not books
per say, but letters. The four Gospels – Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John –
are key in establishing what we know about Jesus including his birth,
ministry, teachings, death, resurrection, and more.
There are several lines of reasoning we can take in demonstrating
the reliability of the New Testament and, specifically, the four
Gospels. First, we can look at the number of manuscripts or fragments
available. Second, we can compare existing manuscripts and fragments to
see if they are reliable when it comes to what they report. Here we
would look for serious contradictions, omissions, additions, errors,
etc. Third, we can compare manuscript copies and fragments with copies
we have today and find out if there have been significant changes or if
the New Testament we have today is reliable. The approach outlined in
these three points highlights some aspects of what takes place in the
discipline known as textual criticism.
In the case of the New Testament, we have thousands of complete
manuscripts and multiple thousands more fragments available. There are
more than 5,000 copies of the entire New Testament or extensive portions
of it. In addition, we have several thousand more fragments or smaller
portions of the New Testament. If these numbers don't seem like a lot,
compared to other works of ancient history, the manuscript evidence and
copies for the New Testament far outweigh manuscript evidence for other
works. For instance, there are less than 700 copies of Homer's Iliad and only a handful of copies of any one work of Aristotle. So when it comes to manuscript evidence, the New Testament definitely has numbers on its side.
It's also interesting that within the early centuries of the
Christian church a number of scholars quoted the New Testament.
Amazingly, they quoted the New Testament so much that every single verse
of all 27 books of the New Testament is quoted by these scholars with
the exception of only 11 verses, all within a few hundred years of the
beginning of the Church.
We could also add the fact that much of the New Testament was written
within just a few decades of the death and resurrection of Christ. First
Corinthians, for instance, dates from the 50s – only twenty years or so
after the death and resurrection of Christ. This is important because 1
Corinthians 15 contains key elements of the gospel message, emphasizing
the importance of Christ's resurrection, and claiming that more than
500 people had seen the risen Christ. People who would still have been
alive at the time of the writing of 1 Corinthians would have been around
to corroborate or criticize the claims made in the letter.
There are many other features substantiating the reliability of the New Testament documents. But what about the Old Testament?
Is the Old Testament Reliable?
The reason we began with making a brief case for the reliability
of the New Testament is because of the claims it makes about the Old
Testament. Jesus, for instance, made a number of claims supporting the
reliability of the Old Testament documents. Jesus affirmed seven key
points in relation to the Old Testament, as explained by Norman Geisler:
"Jesus affirmed its divine authority … its imperishability … its
unbreakability … its ultimate supremacy … its factual inerrancy … its
historical reliability … [and] its scientific accuracy." Matthew 5:17-18 sums up the approach Jesus took in confirming the reliability of the Old Testament:
"Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the
Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. I tell
you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest
letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from
the Law until everything is accomplished."
Why is it important that we cite such passages demonstrating that
Jesus accepted the Old Testament as reliable? Because, if the New
Testament is reliable in its claims, then Jesus is who He claimed to be –
God in the flesh, substantiated by His resurrection from the dead. As
such, His remarks about the Old Testament are likewise reliable.
But what about manuscript evidence for the Old Testament? Space
does not allow a thorough treatment here, but it is likewise incredibly
accurate. Manuscripts that are part of the Dead Sea Scrolls, for
instance, clearly show that our modern copies of the Old Testament are
incredibly accurate.
Is the Bible Reliable? Based on the evidence, it surpasses all expectations for trustworthiness.
It is time for us to stop looking to our political leaders for moral code. We need to base our morals on biblical truth's not man's opinion. In the end, the only person that can control you, is you. The bible says that:
12 So
then, my beloved, even as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence
only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with
fear and trembling; Philippians 2:12
Whether you believe these facts ,or not, you will have to answer for your actions on earth. Our heavenly Father is preparing a place for us, will your name be in the lambs book of life, or will you be cast down to eternal torment in Hell? If you have never excepted Christ as your personal Savior, please contact me, so I could pray with you today.
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