Audio only:
Does the Catholic Mass include an abomination to the Lord? Some Christians say it does! And the abomination? Drinking wine.
Some Christians think drinking wine goes against the Bible.
But I’m gonna share some reasons why I don’t think this is true.
>>>>
Hey guys, Welcome back to the channel! So glad to have you with me. If you haven’t done so already, don’t forget to subscribe to the channel and hit that bell notification so you can be notified when new videos are released. Also, I’d like to invite you to consider helping keep this podcast going by financially supporting us on Patreon at doctorkarlo.com with “doctor” spelled out. And if you’re already a patreon, thank you so much…I’m deeply grateful for your help.
>>>>
So, as I said some Christians think drinking wine goes against the Bible. They point to verses like Isaiah 5:11, which reads, “Woe to those who rise early in the morning, that they may run after strong drink,” . . . and Amos 6:6, where people are criticized for drinking wine out of bowls.
They also throw in Proverbs 20:1, which says, “Wine is a mocker, strong drink a brawler; and whoever is led astray by it is not wise.”
At first glance, these verses can sound pretty persuasive.
So, let’s break it down and see why this conclusion is unwarranted.
First, we know these verses don’t ban alcohol entirely. If it did, then we’d have some serious explaining to do when we read verses that actually celebrate alcohol!
Take Deuteronomy 14 for example. In verses 22-26, Moses tells the Israelites to tithe their produce, and if they live too far from the place of offering, to sell it and use the money to buy whatever they desire, including wine and even strong drink! And not only that—they’re told to enjoy it before the Lord and rejoice with their family. Here’s the text:
[PHONE READ #1]
22 “You shall tithe all the yield of your seed, which comes forth from the field year by year. 23 And before the LORD your God, in the place which he will choose, to make his name dwell there, you shall eat the tithe of your grain, of your wine, and of your oil, and the firstlings of your herd and flock; that you may learn to fear the LORD your God always. 24 And if the way is too long for you, so that you are not able to bring the tithe, when the LORD your God blesses you, because the place is too far from you, which the LORD your God chooses, to set his name there, 25 then you shall turn it into money, and bind up the money in your hand, and go to the place which the LORD your God chooses, 26 and spend the money for whatever you desire, oxen, or sheep, or wine or strong drink, whatever your appetite craves; and you shall eat there before the LORD your God and rejoice, you and your household.
Now, someone might counter that “wine” is a word that is changed in meaning over time, such that what we conceive of as “wine” today isn’t what was conceived of as “wine” then. Take, for example, this commentary from the Gospel Broadcasting Network:
[VIDEO]
0:40 the apostle paul says he was stoned once 0:42 today that means one thing of course but 0:45 back then it meant something completely 0:47 different 0:48 this is called semantic shift and it 0:51 happens rather commonly in languages 0:53 over time here are some other examples 0:56 [Music] 0:57 that same thing has happened with the 0:59 word wine today it means a strongly 1:02 alcoholic drink but until recently wine 1:04 regularly meant pure sweet juice or 1:07 vinegar as well as grapes that are still 1:09 on the vine you can follow the shift and 1:11 definitions over time in the bible in 1:14 ancient literature as well as the oldest 1:16 english dictionaries ever made . . . .2:38 most of the confusion about what the 2:40 bible teaches about drinking alcohol 2:42 stems from this unnoticed semantic shift.
The video goes on to explain this ancient meaning as being merely “grape juice” or unfermented sweet wines—that’s to say, non-intoxicating stuff.
Now, it’s true that “wine” had a wide semantic meaning in the ancient world. Even in Deuteronomy 14, the Hebrew word translated as “wine” in verse 23 is tirosh, which refers to a “new wine” or “sweet wine,” something more akin to what the video is getting at.
But in verse 26 of Deuteronomy 14 the Hebrew word that’s translated as “wine” is Yayin, which, according to the Jewish Encyclopedia, refers to “ordinary matured, fermented wine”—the intoxicating stuff. And this is the word used in both Amos 6:6 and Proverbs 20:1, two of the three passages that’s often appealed to for the anti-alcohol view.
Moreover, Moses doesn’t just give instruction to celebrate with Yayin. He also speaks of “strong drink,” which should sound familiar because that’s what Isaiah 5:11 spoke of. The Hebrew word used in both Deut. 14:26 and Isaiah 5:11 is shekar, which, again, according to the Jewish Encyclopedia, is an “old powerful wine.” That’s definitely the intoxicating stuff.
If God were totally against alcohol, Moses wouldn’t be telling people to buy it and celebrate with it.
So clearly, alcohol in itself can’t be the issue in the passages that warn against “wine” and “strong drink.”
Now, some Christians might counter that consuming “strong drink” is only meant for medicinal or extreme situations, as indicated in Proverbs 31:6, which reads, “Give strong drink to him who is perishing.”
But remember Deuteronomy 14? That clearly shows drinking for celebration is also okay. So we can’t limit wine only to suffering or pain relief.
Moreover, there are plenty of other “pro-wine” verses. Let me rattle off just a few:
–Genesis 14:18: “And Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine.”
The Hebrew word used here is yayin. And what Melchizedek does is portrayed as a good thing.
–Ecclesiastes 10:19: “[W]ine gladdens life.”
Again yayin is used here.
-Psalm 104:15: Wine—yayin— is part of God’s gift to “gladden the heart of man.”
That’s pretty strong evidence that fermented wine isn’t just tolerated—it’s actually seen as a blessing when used rightly.
Now, some Protestants try to get around passages like these by arguing that the wine spoken of was super watered down to exclude fear of excess and intoxication.
What can we say in response?
Well, it’s true that wine back then was often diluted. But if it was so watered down that it couldn’t get anyone drunk, then why are there so many biblical warnings against drunkenness? Think about it—verses like 1 Corinthians 6:9 and Ephesians 5:18 warn against getting drunk.
- 1 Corinthians 6:9—“Be not deceived . . . drunkards . . . will not inherit the kingdom of God.”
- Ephesians 5:18—“ do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery.”
These warnings wouldn’t make sense if no one was actually drinking alcohol that could make them drunk!
Now, someone might counter that for Paul “drunkenness” is not some state that you end up in after overindulging in alcoholic beverages but rather the initial moment you begin to drink such beverages. Again, here’s the Gospel Broadcasting Network making this very argument:
[VIDEO]
6:10 so with that groundwork laid let’s take 6:12 a look at what the new testament says 6:13 about drinking 6:15 in ephesians chapter 5 and verse 18 paul 6:18 identifies drunkenness not as an end but 6:21 as a process 6:22 how so 6:24 the word drunk is an inceptive verb in 6:26 the greek 6:27 an inceptive verb is a special kind of 6:29 verb that shows a process of beginning 6:31 or becoming 6:33 an example of an inceptive verb that we 6:35 use today is the word thaw 6:37 imagine you had chicken in the freezer 6:39 that chicken is not thawed 6:42 when does that chicken begin the process 6:43 of thawing out 6:45 when the meat is taken out of the 6:46 freezer it begins the process of thawing 6:49 the longer it is out of the freezer the 6:51 more thought it becomes the thawing 6:54 doesn’t begin at some late stage 6:56 thawing begins when it is first taken 6:58 out of the freezer and continues from 7:00 there 7:01 so to draw the parallel instead of some 7:03 chicken in the freezer imagine a person 7:05 that has not had any drinks he is sober 7:09 that person has not begun the process of 7:12 becoming drunk when does that process 7:14 begin when a toxin is ingested that 7:17 person begins the process of drunkenness 7:19 or intoxication that’s the simple 7:21 meaning of the word the more intoxicant 7:24 that is ingested the further into the 7:26 state of drunkenness they get the 7:28 drunkenness doesn’t begin at some late 7:29 stage of drinking drunkenness begins 7:32 when the first drink is taken and 7:34 continues from there 7:36 people today redefine drunkenness as a 7:38 late stage of intoxication 7:41 but paul identifies drunkenness as a 7:43 process 7:45 when someone starts drinking they begin 7:47 the process of drunkenness 7:49 the existence of drunkenness or 7:51 intoxication is not determined by the 7:53 amount that someone drinks 7:55 the degree of drunkenness is so in other 7:58 words paul is saying don’t even begin 8:02 the process of intoxication that is the 8:04 force of the grammar in the original 8:06 greek
Okay—it’s true that the Greek language has something called an inceptive verb, which describes the beginning of an action or state. And the Greek word for getting drunk, methuskō, is an inceptive verb.
But here’s the thing: that doesn’t mean Paul was saying the very first sip of wine equals the sin of drunkenness. And let me give you four reasons why.
First, the inceptive verb is used in a way that doesn’t suggest the end state of an action being identical to the beginning of the action itself. Take, for example, the inceptive verb geraskō, which means “to grow older.” John uses it in John 21:18, where Jesus says to Peter, probably in his upper twenties or early thirties at the time:
[PHONE READ #2]
Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were young, you girded yourself and walked where you would; but when you are old (Gk., geraseis, a form of “gerasko”), you will stretch out your hands, and another will gird you and carry you where you do not wish to go.”
Must we conclude that Jesus intends to say Peter is already old when he speaks of Peter being old in the future? Of course not. You don’t have to be already “old” to accurately say you’re going to get old.
Similarly, Paul doesn’t have to mean that someone is already “drunk” when he warns them not to get drunk from drinking wine.
Secondly, in 1 Timothy 5:23, Paul actually encourages Timothy to drink wine—“use a little wine for the sake of your stomach and your frequent ailments.” And the word there is oinos, which normally means fermented wine unless the text says otherwise. But there’s nothing in the text to suggest that it’s not fermented.
And that’s the same word Paul uses in Ephesians 5:18 when warning against drunkenness, which our interlocutor’s argument in the video implies is the intoxicating stuff.
So, if our friend’s argument about Ephesians 5:18 is right, Paul is warning about drinking the intoxicating stuff in one verse but approving it in another. That doesn’t make sense.
Thirdly, if Paul wanted to talk about drinking itself, he would’ve used the Greek word pinō—which he actually does use elsewhere when talking about drinking, like with the “cup of the Lord” in 1 Corinthians 11:26. But that’s not what he uses. As we said already, he uses methuskō, thereby implying a prohibition of entering into a state of drunkenness.
Fourthly, look at what Paul says about deacons in 1 Timothy 3:8:
[PHONE READ #3]
“Deacons likewise must be serious, not double-tongued, not addicted to much wine.”
Notice, he doesn’t say “don’t drink wine.” He says, “don’t be addicted.” That’s about excess, not total abstinence.
So, putting it all together: when Paul says in Ephesians 5:18, “do not get drunk with wine,” he simply means, don’t drink in a way that leads you into drunkenness. He’s warning against the state of drunkenness—not the first sip.
Okay, so that’s Paul.
But we can’t forget about Jesus: he drank wine as well.
In Luke 7:34, He’s accused of being a “glutton and a drunkard.” Of course, He wasn’t actually drunk—but the fact that people even said that tells us He was drinking the kind of wine that has the potential to intoxicate. Just like the fact that people said he was a glutton implies that he was eating at celebratory feasts.
And let’s also not forget about the wedding at Cana, recorded in John 2:1-11. Jesus turned water into wine. And he didn’t just make a little. He made about 150 gallons of it—that’s a lot of wine.
And guess what? It wasn’t the cheap stuff either. The steward says to the groom in verse 10, “Every man serves the good wine first; and when men have drunk freely, then the poor wine; but you have kept the good wine until now.”
Do you see the implication? The “good wine” that’s usually served first is the kind of wine that intoxicates—the kind that could impair your judgment. That’s why the poor wine is served later. After becoming intoxicated, the guests can’t notice the poor stuff.
So, Jesus is definitely pro-wine.
Now, what about those earlier “anti-wine” verses?
Let’s look at them a little closer:
Isaiah 5:11 reads,
[PHONE READ #4]
“Woe to those who rise early in the morning, that they may run after strong drink, who linger late into the evening till wine inflames them!”
Notice Isaiah doesn’t condemn wine itself—he condemns chasing after strong drink first thing in the morning and drinking until you’re totally inflamed. Chasing after strong drink first thing in the morning is condemnable because it manifests a disordered desire for and pursuit of wine. And the condemnation of drinking until your “totally inflamed,” of course, is a condemnation of getting drunk. So, this is a warning against abusing wine, not using it.
What about Amos 6:6? Amos writes, “Woe to those who. . . drink wine in bowls.” That seems like a slam dunk for the anti-alcohol crowd.
But if Amos were talking about drinking wine as something bad all by itself, then we’d also have to say that using fine oils is wrong—because the verse mentions both in the same breath. Right after Amos pronounces the woe against those drinking wine in bowls he says, “and [those who] anoint themselves with the finest oils.”
But Amos can’t be condemning the use of oil because anointing with oil was a normal and even celebrated practice in the Old Testament. Remember when Samuel anointed David with oil in 1 Samuel 16:13? So clearly, Amos is getting at something deeper than just the wine or the oil.
The real issue Amos is calling out isn’t the wine or the oil themselves—it’s that people are partying and pampering themselves while totally ignoring the mess their nation is in. Right after he says they’re drinking wine in bowls and the anointing themselves with the finest oils, he says, “but [they] are not grieved over the ruins of Joseph!”
When he says they’re not “grieved over the ruin of Joseph,” he’s most likely talking about the moral and spiritual downfall of the Northern Kingdom of Israel. Basically, Amos is saying, “Now’s not the time to relax and live it up—you should be heartbroken over what’s happening and turning back to God, not being ‘at ease in Zion’ as Amos puts it in 6:1.”
The last passage that’s often appealed to is Proverbs 20:1, which reads, “Wine is a mocker, strong drink a brawler; and whoever is led astray by it is not wise.” Notice—“whoever is led astray by it.” This passage isn’t saying that drinking alcohol is automatically wrong—it’s warning about what can happen when someone goes overboard with it.
So it’s really about losing control, not the act of drinking itself. The Catholic Church makes the same distinction. It doesn’t condemn alcohol outright, but it does call out excessive drinking as a serious issue. The Catechism of the Catholic Church states in paragraph 2290,
[PHONE READ # 5]
The virtue of temperance disposes us to avoid every kind of excess: the abuse of food, alcohol, tobacco, or medicine. Those incur grave guilt who, by drunkenness or a love of speed, endanger their own and others’ safety on the road, at sea, or in the air
So, here’s the bottom line:
The Bible is not anti-wine; it’s anti-drunkenness.
There’s a big difference between use and abuse.
And the Catholic Mass? It uses wine in the same spirit that the Bible honors it—with reverence, responsibility, and joy. So no, it’s not an abomination. It’s actually very biblical.
Now, for my Catholic viewers who might be tempted to think, “Well, it’s not wine after the words of consecration, it’s Jesus’ blood!”
True, the substance of wine becomes Jesus’ blood. But the sensible qualities of wine and its effects on the body still exist.
Thus, this potential counter wouldn’t dodge the objection. So we would just stick with the answers we’ve in today’s episode.
Well, my friends, that’s it for today! If you found this video helpful, make sure to like, subscribe, comment below, and share it with someone who might need to hear this. And for more resources, check out my website at karlobroussard.com.
If you want me to come and speak at your event, visit catholicanswersspeakers.com.
Lastly, I’d love for you to consider supporting me over on Patreon. I can’t continue doing this podcast without your financial support. You can find me over at doctorkarlo.com with “doctor” spelled out.
Thanks for hanging out, and I’ll see you next time.