The Christian and Drinking: A Biblical Perspective on Moderation and Abstinence

by Randy Jaeggli

Does the Bible condemn drinking? Some verses seem to point to wine as a permissible drink given by God for man's enjoyment. Other verses warn against the dangers of wine and "strong drink." How does a Christian make the right choice on this controversial topic? For the Christian today, testimony and prudence demand a careful examination of what the Scriptures teach on this subject. In The Christian and Drinking, Randy Jaeggli examines relevant passages in the light of thorough research into ancient and modern cultural norms and expectations.

Genres: Christian Living

80 pages, Paperback

First published September 12, 2008

Reviews

[Nathan · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm glad to say the early chapters of this book are terrific. I read it shortly after it was printed--I work for the publisher. But by the time I got to the end, I was a little concerned about the reception it would get. Then it all blew up.

So here's the deal. The early chapters that deal with the Old and New Testament teachings on alcoholic drink are great. He does a very good job dealing with each passage in turn and appropriately synthesizing them into a consistent Biblical perspective. That perspective is what is called the "one-wine" theory--the idea that all wine in the Bible should be assumed to be alcoholic. It's so much more consistent than the "one wine" theory, which conveniently separates alcoholic wine from grape juice by whether or not the passage speaks of it as good or bad.

After that, Dr. Jaeggli turns to more historic and practical considerations, and by the end of the book, he concludes that it is never right for a believer to drink alcohol.

That's right. The Bible's teaching is moderation. Jaeggli's teaching is abstain. However justifiable his reasons for this conclusion, saying that while the Scripture teaches one thing we ought to do something else just doesn't sit well in Fundamentalism (except for those things were it's tradition).

See, most who approach the Scripture with genuine scholarship conclude that the Scripture allows drinking in moderation and drunkenness is a sin; therefore, we ought to allow and forbid the same. Traditionally, Fundamentalists started on the other end, assuming the rightness of their absolute prohibition of alcohol and then with utter disregard for genuine scholarship force their beliefs on the Scripture. Jaeggli sought to have it both ways: he did a good job with his Scripture interpretation, but then turned a corner to reach a conclusion acceptable to his movement.

While I'm convinced that he holds his position in real integrity, I say this to account for the fire-storm it provoked. Most Fundamentalist reviewers never made it past the first chapters. No matter how clearly he stated his conclusion that Christians should not drink, all they could hear was his interpretation of Scripture, and they concluded he was advocating moderation. At that point, politics took over, and his publisher/university withdrew the book with a promise to revise and reissue. We have yet to see such a publication. It is unlikely that we will if the position of the seminary is going to remain (1.) scholarly in its approach to Scripture and (2.) insistent on a total abstinence position.

[David Saxon · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's a shame Jaeggli's book is not more widely available. It is a balanced and careful treatment of a difficult subject. He accurately and fairly assesses the biblical data and makes a strong case for abstinence. His primary argument is that the use of fermented beverages in Bible times was strikingly different from their use today.
This is a very useful and helpful little book.

[Andy]

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