Jesus' First Miracle - Juice or Wine?

Dr. Couch, I have some "fundamental" friends who say that Christ at Cana turned the water into grape juice and not into alcoholic wine? What does the Bible say? ANSWER:  I do not know any scholar who knows his salt who would say that. I know of no reference that would speak simply of grape juice, though strong drink is mentioned, which was virtually liquor that was certainly addictive and harmful.    The Bible warns of whiskey in Proverbs 20:1: "Wine is a mocker, strong drink a brawler, and whoever is intoxicated by it is not wise." In biblical days they fermented grapes by putting them in wine-skins. The water in the juice evaporated out through the skin leaving the fermented drink, which we call wine. The wineskin also expanded and that is why that same bag, or skin, could not be used again because it had expanded by fermentation as far as it could be stretched. Christ spoke of this process in Matthew 9:17.    The Bible approves of wine with moderation. The Bible is not advocating total abstinence but it is against excess. "Eat your bread in happiness, and drink your wine with a cheerful heart; for God has already approved your works" (Eccl. 9:7). And, "Men approve a meal for enjoyment and wine makes life merry" (10:19). "Wine makes man's heart glad" (Psa. 104:15).    This is not to say that wine is for everyone. Some Christians in Paul's day felt that the eating of meat and drinking wine was wrong. Therefore, the "stronger" brother, who had no problem with the same, was not to drink in front of the other brother lest he makes that one stumble. "It is good not to eat meat or to drink wine, or to do anything by which your brother stumbles" (Rom. 14:21). "Do not get drunk with wine for that is dissipation" (Eph. 5:18).    The Bible argues for inner spiritual maturity and self-control. Wine in and of itself is not evil but the abuse of it is the problem. Paul says that whatever is sin to you is sin. For "whatever is not from faith is sin" (v. 23). So if you are convicted to not drink wine, then don't do it! But please do not go into the realm of foolishness and misinterpret the Bible because you are a legalist or a "fighting fundy."    I knew a couple who came out of the Funda_____ Baptist church movement. They never smiled, they were rarely happy, they were legalistic and would cut your gizzard out at a drop of the hat. They were self-righteous and wooden headed. They said that Christ could not have made true wine because alcohol in itself was evil. I pointed out to them that all Christians in Europe for two thousand years drank wine, thus I asked, "Were they all sinning?" And they answered "Yes." Can you imagine that every believer for two thousand years was sinning? The wife was a nurse and said there were two kinds of fermentations!!! How silly! They could not face the facts of John 2:1-11. They had a preconception that helped their legalism out!    In John 2:6 Christ called for the water-pots to be filled with water. Some argue that they did not have lids so what happened inside of them could not be fermentation. This will be a miracle. Christ did not have to have the pots closed with lids to do what He was about to do.    Notice when the wine was drawn out it was better than the first vats of wine, and people in those days served the best wine first and the not-so-good wine last. But Christ made wine that was better than at the first. "You have kept the good wine until now" (v. 10). This is not a group of Christians. It is just a wedding in which fermented wine was being served.    Remember the story of the calling of Matthew. He invited tax-gatherers and sinners to a three day banquet. Christ was reclining with them at the meal. The Pharisees came and said to the disciples: "Why is [your teacher] eating and drinking [grape juice] with tax-gatherers and sinners?" (Mark 2:16). No, this was not grape juice, and the Lord was partaking with them, and witnessing to them.    Because the industrial revolution in Europe, and in America, was so devastating on workers who went to the pubs and got drunk, in America Christians pushed for total abstinence. While this is a good practice for those who cannot take their wine, this is not what the Bible argues for.    In the Bible Knowledge Commentary put out by the faculty of "old" Dallas Seminary, there is an interesting statement. God yearly turns water to wine in the agricultural and fermentation processes. Here in John 2 He simply did the process immediately as a gift to the young couple getting married.    The great old Greek scholar Henry Alford gets angry with those who try to say Christ turned the water into grape juice. He says this is a "miserable attempt" made by some in that movement of narrowness to say that this was unfermented grape juice. This is a degradation of the Bible, he adds.    I too get angry when people misinterpret the Bible foolishly because of their legalism and self-righteousness. Get the main point of the Bible! Don't reinterpret it!    Now having written all of this, do what your conscience dictates. Remember, if it's sin to you, it is sin!    Thanks for asking.    Dr. Mal Couch (9/10)