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Articles
The evils of alcohol and booze.
In 1 Pet.4:2-3 we read, "That he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God. For the time past of our life may suffice us to have wrought the will of the Gentiles, when we walked in lasciviousness, lusts, excess of wine, revellings, banquetings, and abominable idolatries:" Peter uses 3 phrases in connection with drinking booze, "excess of wine, revellings, banquetings." Let's discuss each one.
Excess of Wine
This describes the person who has drunk so much that they may be nauseated. They are "inebriated" with booze. How many times is drunkenness condemned in the scriptures? Consider Gal.5:19-21, 1 Cor.6:9-10, Rom.13:13. Observe the problems that booze and alcohol causes in the home, in society, in automobile accidents, in homicide, etc. Almost every family has been affected adversely by alcohol abuse by a family member. Most will concede that drunkenness is sinful, yes even drunkards will acknowledge such also.
Revellings
This characterizes the fellow that is about half drunk. They may be loud and boisterous. Consider this definition on the word "revellings" from Thayer. "A nocturnal and riotous procession of half drunken and frolicsome fellows who after supper, parade through the streets with torches and music in honor of Bacchus or some other deity, and sing and play before houses of male and female friends; hence used generally of feasts and drinking parties that are protracted till late at night and indulge in revelry." This also is sinful behavior: revellings.
Drinking Parties
Finally there are" banquetings" as the NAS translates it: drinking parties. This describes the person that is just drinking a few, a social drinker. Many do not think just drinking one or two is all that bad. Yet, in all 3 categories of drinking booze, it is described as "doing of the will of the Gentiles." The true child of God wants no part of this sinful lifestyle. Our desire is to spend our time in doing God's will for we have wasted enough of life serving the flesh! Listen to the wise man in Proverbs 20:1, "Wine is a mocker, strong drink a brawler, and whoever is led astray by it is not wise." May we be people who are wise in our ways, to be sober and clear minded as we are exhorted to do, 1 Pet.4:7, I Thess.5:6, "So then let us not sleep, as do the rest, but let us watch and be sober."
