With so many evangelicals claiming to be following in the steps of Spurgeon, I found it interesting to read this in one of his sermons. It’s interesting because many of the same evangelicals claim to be obeying God by enjoying wine and even beer. So here’s Spurgeon…
I might speak of men who will venture into the midst of temptation, confident in their boasted power, exclaiming with self-complacency, “Do you think I am so weak as to sin? Oh! no, I shall stand. Give me the glass; I shall never be a drunkard. Give me the song; you will not find me a midnight reveller. I can drink a little and then I can stop.” Such are presumptuous men.
You really should read the whole sermon. A good dose of Spurgeon often is helpful. If this topic interests you, you might also read Spurgeon’s current successor, Peter Masters. His book, Should Christians Drink?: The Case for Total Abstinence
You Think Too Much! 
Nice, Jeff. Always reforming should listen. Spurgeon is the proof text, until he disagrees with lifestyle choices. Then, we remain fundamentally unreformed.
Dave Mallinak said… Always remorming should listen.
Are you referring to someone? Do you mean “fundy reformed?” It is interesting how Spurgeon is the darling of so many evangelicals… until he disagrees with them.
I’m sure I disagree with Spurgeon myself also…
In all fairness, I’m speaking from experience, not everyone that consumes alcohol becomes addicted or even a reveller. I with consuming my first hard liquor at the age of 5 and many times there after with the approval of my parents, can take one sip of it, and never again and not crave it. Where as my parents/siblings cannot do that. Also, alcohol never made me a reveller, it made me sleepy, very sleepy and puke. I was no fun when I drank ’cause I would often fall asleep soon after. I never got a high feeling/or buzz. Maybe it was a special protection God gave me, I’m not sure, after being raised in a family of drunks, I never became one even after drinking. Would God even do that, protect me in an area that was dangerous even when I was doing it, after I knew it was wrong.
Nevertheless, I’m not advocating it. Proverbs speaks alot about foolish ways there of. If I want to be wise, I should avoid foolish things such as alcohol.
I am just trying to set the record straight, that is all.
I can see the point made by Cathy, but her point fits perfectly with the word Spurgeon used.
Presumption says there is “no way” I am going to become a drunk! He didn’t say all will become drunks; he said that it’s presumptuous to assume you won’t become a drunk.
This is correct, and it is a humble heart that speak this way. Pride says, I never will become a drunk, a addict, and so on.
Tsk, tsk, Jeff, my boy. Don’t you understand the liberty you have to tip the glass a wee bit?
Don’t you know that you’ve been set free to drink, play poker, enjoy the movies, cross-dress, run down strong preachers, and whatever else you can do as long as you don’t FEEL bad about it?
You must repent of your IFBx and join the ranks of those set free. Poor CHS was a good man, but he was adversely affected by the traditions of the those pesky Puritans. He was only writing these things against the bottle because of culture. I venture to say that if he were with us today he would be headlining at Saddleback.
Turn from your legalism!
Just Kidding!!!!!
* The Bible sets some hard fast do’s and don’t’s, but consumption of alcohol is not one of them. Getting drunk, ah, that is a definite no-no. It is so easy to deal with definite things – Be not drunk with wine, Do not commit adultery, Don’t sew discord among the brethren, etc. But expounding on sound advice often turns into a fiat not given by God.
* For some reason, I am not sure just why, some pastors and teachers like to proclaim that drinking is verboten (sorry, 10th US generation German, you know. I should say forbidden). They will extract a quote from Scripture, such as, “Woe unto him that giveth his neighbour drink, that puttest thy bottle to him, and makest him drunken-” and preach this as evidence that you shouldn’t give your neighbor alcohol to drink. They do this without reading the rest of the verse. The whole verse (Habakkuk 2:15) reads like this: “Woe unto him that giveth his neighbour drink, that puttest thy bottle to him, and makest him drunken also, that thou mayest look on their nakedness!” Such quoting out of context, if done deliberately, is actually fraud, given to deceive the hearer, no matter how good and well intentioned the purpose.
* I maintain that for such reasons as discussed in your posts and replies, the Bible position is that a Christian is unwise to imbibe in alcohol, especially since drinking is one of the fastest ways to lose a testimony.
* But I believe there is a tendency to overlook the difference between Biblical laws (Thou shalt not & thou shalt) where violation offends God and admonishment to wisdom (“Answer not a fool …” & “Answer a fool …” Prov. 26:4,5) where exercising either option violates the other, but not one of God’s laws.
* Proverbs and Ecclesiastes (for example) are not books of the law, but inspired words of wisdom. They discuss that which is wrong in God’s sight, such as adultery, but their purpose is to give wisdom (in this case, that means awareness of the result) and help in getting understanding (seeing things through God’s eyes).
* It seems to me that when declaring something to be God’s law, one must not rely on words of wisdom but upon a law of God.
*
* Talking through my hat …
* … Joel
Luther on Booze!
This is a letter Dr. Luther wrote to his wife Katherine (he was indeed making fun of Baptists).
“Dear Kate – We arrived here, at Halle, about 8 o’clock, but have not ventured to go to Eisleben, for we have been stopped by a great Anabaptist (I mean a flood) which has covered the road here, and has not threatened us with mere “sprinkling,” but with “immersion,” against our will, however. You may comfort yourself by being assured that we are not drinking water, but have plenty of good beer and Rhenish wine, with which we cheer ourselves in spite of the overflowing river.”
-Halle, January 25, 1546
(John T. Christian, “The Reformers Bear Witness to the Baptists,” A History of the Baptists Vol.1, page 109 (Texas: Bogard Press, 1922).
Did not Jesus drink wine – weren`t the apostles accused of drinking new wine at pentecost due to the speaking in tongues? (ie new wine is not grape juice)
Hebrew and Greek words for what type of drink all translate to wine in English. Some words like Onios in Greek could either mean firmented or unfirmented. Anytime the scriptures refer to strong drink it condems it. Anytime in the Bible God is talking about the vine and the word wine appears, the word vine indocates unfirmented fruit.
Paula , your reply is simply not true. I’m a pastor and have been studying the Bible and New Testament Greek for years. I’m not sure who told you this but they were mistaken.