Times When a Christian MUST Drink Alcohol (3)

[In this series, I am exploring the idea that there are times when a Christian MUST drink alcohol, not just merely as a choice, but as a positive moral necessity. (It is NOT my argument that these are the ONLY times in which a Christian MAY drink alcohol.) In my last post from this series, I explored the idea that there are times in which medical wisdom may make alcohol use a necessity; the idea of that post came from Paul's command to Timothy to stop drinking only water and to "use a little wine for the sake of your stomach and your frequent ailments" (1 Tim 5:23 ESV). Since the apostle actually commanded the use of wine for a medicinal purpose, it seems a valid application of the text that people today may find themselves in medical situations in which the use of alcohol is necessary: total abstinence from alcohol in such situations would be foolish and therefore would be a bad witness to the world.]

The second situation in which a Christian MUST drink alcohol is when wine is used in communion.

Many evangelical congregations substitute grape juice for wine. I believe that this is an acceptable practice, due to the identification of "wine" with the "fruit of the vine" (Mark 14:25), and grapes themselves are near enough to wine to be included in proscribed foods/beverages for Nazarites (Numbers 6:3b-4). But notice that I did write "substitute grape juice for wine." It is clear that actual wine was used in the original Lord's Supper, and so a church cannot be faulted if they use actual wine in the ordinance today. (I would argue that, as the alcohol content of wine today seems to be higher than in Jesus' day, churches using actual wine in communion should consider diluting their wine with water.)

When fellowshiping with a congregation that uses wine in communion, a Christian has no right to abstain from the wine of the ordinance. We are under the command of the Lord to "do this in remembrance of Me" and therefore we cannot, in good conscience, excommunicate ourselves from the body of Christ. If a Christian has made a previous commitment to abstain from all alcohol, he or she should still partake of the Lord's Supper in obedience to Christ's command and be willing to explain this decision to anyone who asks. [For example, someone in a position of authority at a seminary or mission board may need to be informed if a Christian has signed a commitment to total abstinence from alcohol with such an agency.]

In the course of life, a Christian may find him- or herself in the position of participating in a church service in which it is unclear whether the congregation even believes the gospel: while in such a church service, the Christian may be invited to participate in a communion service. In such a situation, a Christian teetotaler must do his or her best to determine whether the congregation is even a "church" (according to the biblical definition) at all. If not, the Christian is under no obligation to drink wine.