God Gave Wine: What the Bible Says About Alcohol [Paperback]

Kenneth L. Gentry (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 2000

For the past 200 years Americans have been told that biblical teaching forbids the drinking of alcoholic beverages. But does it? In this greatly revised and expanded version of his controversial book, (formerly titled)The Christian and Alcoholic Beverages, Kenneth L. Gentry Jr. takes a thorough look at the issue, concluding that Scripture allows wine to be consumed both for health and pleasure-but in moderation. By careful lexical, exegetical and theological examination, God Gave Wine demonstrates from the Bible the error of those who demand either prohibition or abstention. With the backdrop of Psalm 104:14-15, Gentry shows that wine is God's blessing to man. Written in a pleasing and irenic style, Gentry's approach avoids the common pitfalls of emotionalism, cultural conditioning and ecclesiastical tradition, while remaining distinctively biblical.

Product Details

• Paperback
• Publisher: Oakdown (June 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0970032668
• ISBN-13: 978-0970032669
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.4 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #341,470 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Kenneth L. Gentry, Jr., Th.D. is an ordained minister (Reformed Presbyterian Church, General Assembly) and author of over thirty books. He holds a B.A. from Tennessee Temple University; the M.Div. from Reformed Theological Seminary; and the Th.M. and Th.D. from Whitefield Theological Seminary. He is married (July 31, 1971) and has three married children (and several grandchildren): his daughter is an Executive Asst. for the president of a national clothing firm; his oldest son is a physicist working in nanotechnology in the Research Triangle in North Carolina; his youngest son is a Senior Manager CPA for one of the Big Four accounting firms). He has a Facebook page and welcomes new "friends" there.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

26 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Irenic and compelling, but not for the casual reader, April 9, 2004

By 

mtlimber (Florida, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: God Gave Wine: What the Bible Says About Alcohol (Paperback)

I found this volume to be well written and, unlike other materials I've read on the subject, written with an irenic spirit.

Gentry is a moderationist (i.e., he believes the Bible approves of the moderate consumption of wine) and does not seek to press an agenda for Christians (in fact, he himself does not drink because of medical problems). Rather he engages in a study of the various passages and teachings in the Bible related to the subject alcohol, and he interacts significantly with brothers of both the prohibitionist and abstentionist persuasions, especially Stephen Reynolds, author of The Biblical Approach to Alcohol and _Alcohol and the Bible_ (Amazon doesn't carry it).

Unfortunately, some of the discussion herein is rather more technical than the casual reader may want, but that is merely a mark of Gentry's thoroughness in answering his critics. Moreover, the case Gentry presents is both convincing and responsible, and the section on Christian liberty provides an some good help for the natural questions that arise in the heart of the sensitive believer who wants neither to offend his weaker brother nor to ignore God's good gifts. (The suggested companion volume, Drinking With Calvin and Luther! by Jim West, is very weak in the area of Christian Liberty, in my opinion.)

In brief, I recommend this book particularly for pastors and elders who wish to shepherd their flock responsibly and also for laymen with an interest in the subject.

Let us praise God for his many blessings to us look forward to the feast Isaiah told us of (25:6):

"On this mountain the LORD Almighty will prepare
a feast of rich food for all peoples,
a banquet of aged wine-
the best of meats and the finest of wines."

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A fabulous defense, October 12, 2006

By 

Kedric Webster "Kedric" (Oviedo, FL United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: God Gave Wine: What the Bible Says About Alcohol (Paperback)

With the same exegetical, hermeneutical, and theological precision he brings to his other works on biblical topics, Kenneth Gentry provides an able-bodied defense of moderate alcoholic consumption by the Christian "to the glory of God." Like all other blessings that God rains down, alcoholic beverages (beer, wine, etc.) stands as one of them and can either be enjoyed as a blessing or abused and thus become a curse. The blessings that God intends to bring people so that they may praise him instead can become idols that people "run after."

The prohibitionist position cannot be substantiated from Scripture. The attempts that Stephen Reynolds and others offer fall far short and many times import theological presuppositions into the various texts that they seek to use to defend their position. Reynolds' exegesis of Jesus' turning the water into wine in John 2 had to be one of the worst handling of a biblical text I have ever seen. [If this is seen to be an impious statement on my part, it is equally impious to wreck the biblical text to reflect a position that simply cannot be founded.] The master of the banquet would not have said, "you have saved the best till now," concerning unfermented grape juice. In addition, the Gospel says that this act of Jesus "revealed his glory." How do you deal with this?

What is interesting is that the same hermeneutic used to defend prohibition is similar to that of defending classical dispensationalism. One has to jump through many hoops to defend either position and it is not surprising that many prohibitionists are also (classical) dispensationalists.

Gentry's brief exposition of Romans 14 is excellent and should put to rest any notion of the term "stumble" simply meaning "irritate," "annoy," or "upset." One does not even have to look at the Greek in this case (although it is great that Gentry does) if one remembers Jesus' words in Matthew 18:6: but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened around his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea (ESV). The King James uses "offend" in place of "causes to sin." These are no light words. Paul is using similar terminology in Romans 14 when he uses "stumble," meaning sin that can lead one astray from God (apostatize). That is why the "strong" should use wisdom when in the presence of the "weak."

In the final chapter of the book, Gentry states that he does not encourage people to drink recreationally, but simply lays out what the Bible says about it, leaving it to the individual Christian whether to partake or abstain. When it comes to Communion, wine is fully acceptable since this was what was used at its institution by Jesus. However, for those who have certain medical conditions (like Gentry) or for younger believers, grape juice is acceptable in order that all may partake of the Supper.

19 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars the only honest examination of wine throughout all the Bible, March 18, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: God Gave Wine: What the Bible Says About Alcohol (Paperback)

This book is the only completely honest examination of wine and alcohol from a Biblical point of view. Mr. Gentry seeks what all the Bible, "the whole counsel of God" says rather than just one or two verses which justify a subjective position.

I highly recommend this book to all Christians. Remember, if drinking moderately is a sin, then you do not have a Saviour. Please check out this book.