Years ago, a battle was fought in the SBC over the authority of Scripture. The conservatives won that battle, and the power and authority of God's word over Southern Baptists was upheld. Now, that fight appears to have continued well past the bounds within which it should have stayed. Not only is the Word of God authoritative over Southern Baptists, but so, apparently, is unwritten tradition.
A resolution was passed urging Southern Baptists to oppose the production and consumption of alcholic beverages. This resolution was based on the damage that alcohol has done and on what they claim is Biblical evidence that the consumption of alcohol leads to "physical, mental and emotional damage" and "the use of other kinds of drugs, both legal and illegal."
It seems to me that opposing the production and consumption of alcohol and supporting legislation that does the same has already been tried. I don't believe it worked, which is why the 21st Amendment, which repealed Prohibition, was passed.
Next comes the argument that alcohol causes damage to families and lives. I won't attempt to say that alcohol has never played a part in the destruction of families or in health problems or in auto accidents or anything else. To do so would be ridiculous. I will, however, say that alcohol is not the ultimate cause of those things. The people who drank the alcohol are.
What of the other things that cause problems and damage to families? What of the internet? The internet can be, and often is, used for damaging things. Internet pornography is addicting and destroys lives. However, I don't see any calls for Southern Baptists to oppose the internet. That is because the internet is intrinsically neither good nor bad. People choose how they will use the internet, just as they choose whether or not they will use moderation in alcohol consumption.
Another argument is that Scripture, namely Proverbs 23:29-35, which is the only passage cited in the resolution, teaches that alcohol use leads to "physical, mental and emotional damage." However, reading the passage shows that it is not speaking of merely drinking alcoholic beverages. Verse 30 answers the questions of who has certain problems associated with drunkenness asked in verse 29. The answer reads, "Those who tarry long over wine." I do not think that having the occasional glass of wine or beer constitutes tarrying long over wine.
So what of the weaker brothers? Some people believe that alcohol in itself is evil. It would be unloving to simply drink around those people. Instead, they should be built up in the Gospel. We should abstain from drinking if it will cause a brother to stumble, but that is not what this resolution says. Instead, it seems to imply that consuming alcoholic beverages is not included in our Christian liberty. The resolution reads, "There are some religious leaders who are now advocating the consumption of alcoholic beverages based on a misinterpretation of the doctrine of 'our freedom in Christ'."
It appears to me that this statement is saying anyone who believes Christians are free to partake of alcohol is misinterpreting Scripture. Where is the other Scriptural evidence for this claim? If alcohol is not allowed in Christian freedom, why is it not explicitly prohibited in Scripture? All that Scripture prohibits is drunkenness. In fact, the Bible promotes the drinking of alcohol. In Deuteronomy 14:26, God tells Israel to go to the place that he tells them and to spend their money on whatever they desire, including "wine or strong drink", and to eat it before the Lord and rejoice. Paul tells Timothy in 1 Timothy 5:23 not to drink only water, but to have some wine for his stomach. Proverbs 31:6 tells us to "Give strong drink to the one who is perishing, and wine to those in bitter distress."
I have heard some argue that when the Bible refers to wine, it is actually grape juice. I find this argument to be without any merit at all. If biblical wine was actually just grape juice, then why are there so many passages that speak of being drunk on wine? Is it possible to get drunk by drinking grape juice? If so, then why draw a distinction between the two? Either we should abstain from both or from neither. Also, Numbers 6:3 refers to both wine and grape juice as two separate things.
So what do we do about those who struggle with this? It is true that people struggle with alcoholism, and to tempt those people by drinking in front of them would be both unloving and wrong. However, if this argument is going to be used to put an end to all drinking, it should be taken to its logical conclusion. Obesity is a huge problem in our culture. It creates many health problems. However, we still have potlucks on Sundays after church. Why is gluttony acceptable while drinking is not?
The Baptist Faith and Message says in Article XVII, "God alone is Lord of the conscience, and He has left it free from the doctrines and commandments of men which are contrary to His Word or not contained in it." What then do we do with this resolution? When someone can convince me based on solid Biblical evidence that alcohol should be not just avoided, but opposed, by Christians, then I will accept the resolution. Until then, I am wary of anything that places more requirements on Christians and church leaders than the Bible does, that would keep Christ himself from serving on an SBC committee, and anything that would steal from the freedom Christ has provided in the Gospel.
