Christians are to abstain!

[Standing Firm In Christ]

There has been much controversary in the Christian community concerning alcoholic beverage in the life of a Child of God.

Many have stated that there is no scriptural support for total abstinence, yet if one diligent studies the Word, one will find that the Lord does demand total abstinence in four verses in the New Testament. Let me first share those four verses:

Quote:1 Thessalonians 5:6 Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober.

Quote:1 Thessalonians 5:8 But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation.

Quote:1 Peter 1:13 Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ;

Quote:1 Peter 5:8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:

Now, one may say that in none of the verses posted above is there a command to abstain from alcohol, but there certainly is. One has to study the Word as Paul told Timothy

Quote:2 Timothy 2:15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

If one is attentive in one's studies, one will see that the Greek word for 'sober' is the word 'nepho', pronounced 'nay-foe'. Here is the definition of that word 'nepho':

Quote:nepho nay'-fo

of uncertain affinity: to abstain from wine (keep sober), i.e. (figuratively) be discreet:--be sober, watch.

Now, one might say 'Oh, but it might mean be discreet, or to watch'. But if one looks at a modern word in our dictionaries, it should erase doubt that it could mean anything other than abstaining from alcohol. Consider this:

Quote:nephalism

\Neph"a*lism\, n. [Gr. ? soberness, fr. ? sober, ? to drink no wine: cf. F. n['e]phalisme.] Total abstinence from spirituous liquor.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, ? 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.

Total abstinence! Even the modern dictionaries use a form of the word nepho which can mean nothing but total abstinence from alcoholic beverage!

[Standing Firm In Christ]

I know this is a controversial subject, and it probably won't set well with those who advocate moderation. But we cannot ignore the Word of God if we are going to name the name of Christ.

[George]

There exists no controversy but in the eyes of men. It is a sin to drink alcoholic beverages. That fact can be borne out by searching the Scriptures with an open mind and in the spirit of learning rather than coming from the eyes of someone who is attempting to justify their using alcoholic beverages.

There are many, many, many people who continue to attempt to pervert scripture in a number of ways. It is rather easy to do a search to find the verses and the verbiage to support God's teaching that drinking alcohol is a sin.

In Christ,
George