What Proverbs 31 Says About Alcohol

Can christians drink alcoholic beverages or not? I agree with the below, it's pretty clear we can just not to the point of losing control.

-Psalm 104:15 "and wine to gladden the heart of man"

Source and image: http://m.ncregister.com/blog/darmstrong/what-proverbs-31-says-about-alcohol

"The Bible is in not against all alcoholic drinks whatsoever. So how do we interpret Proverbs 31:7?

[4] It is not for kings, O Lemuel,
it is not for kings to drink wine,
or for rulers to desire strong drink;
[5] lest they drink and forget what has been decreed,
and pervert the rights of all the afflicted.
[6] Give strong drink to him who is perishing,
and wine to those in bitter distress;
[7] let them drink and forget their poverty,
and remember their misery no more.

My first thought in reaction to this is 1 Timothy 5:23: “No longer drink only water, but use a little wine for the sake of your stomach and your frequent ailments.”

Clearly we see a “medicinal motif” in Scripture; even in the new covenant. The cross-reference works with regard to Prov 31:6, but not so well with 31:7: “let them drink and forget their poverty.” That is the fascinating part. I suspect that it is saying to drink to some extent to forget miseries; though not to the extent of getting drunk and out of control, which is condemned in many places in Scripture.

It's also interesting that in 31:5 the “strong drink” when taken by kings is said to lead to oppression of his subjects, whereas the same thing for the poor person is almost a balm to help them forget their “misery”: scarcely any different than the philosophy of a million down-and-outers (including non-alcoholics) at any given local pub.

The same Paul writes in the same book:

1 Timothy 3:8 Deacons likewise must be serious, not double-tongued, not addicted to much wine, . . . (cf. 3:3; Titus 1:7)

And elsewhere:

Romans 13:13 let us conduct ourselves becomingly as in the day, not in reveling and drunkenness, not in debauchery and licentiousness, not in quarreling and jealousy.

1 Corinthians 5:11 But rather I wrote to you not to associate with any one who bears the name of brother if he is guilty of immorality or greed, or is an idolater, reviler, drunkard, or robber -- not even to eat with such a one.

1 Corinthians 6:10 nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor robbers will inherit the kingdom of God.

Galatians 5:21 envy, drunkenness, carousing, and the like. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.

Ephesians 5:18 And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery; but be filled with the Spirit"

-rest at link

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