Wine in the Bible: A Biblical Study on the Use of Alcoholic Beverages, An Abridged Edition [Paperback]

Samuele Bacchiocchi (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 30, 1989

WINE IN THE BIBLE is designed to help people to develop strong moral convictions needed to resist the social pressure to drink alcoholic beverages. With painstaking research the book compellingly shows that the Bible consistently teaches total abstinence as a divine imperative. This teaching has been obscured by many modern Bible versions which mistakenly translate as be temperate or be sober, some of the clearest apostolic admonitions to be abstinent. A thoughtful reading of this book may well provoke a revolution in the attitude of many Christians toward alcoholic beverages.

WINE IN THE BIBLE is foreworded by three distinguished scholars. One of them is Dr. Robert P. Teachout, Professor of Old Testament at Detroit Baptist Seminary and author of a doctoral dissertation on The Use of Wine in the Old Testament, presented at Dallas Theological Seminary. In his Foreword, Prof. Teachout wrote: Bacchiocchi has done a thorough and convincing job of examining the actual truths of the Biblical teaching on this subject. He has also answered carefully and well the objections of those who disagree with his position. Prof. Stephen Reynolds, one of the translators of the New International Version, and author of two books on the Bible and alcohol, also wrote: I am greatly impressed by the scholarship of WINE IN THE BIBLE which I trust will do much good.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"I am greatly impressed with WINE IN THE BIBLE. It reveals profound scholarship which I hope will do much good." -- PRINCETON THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY

"WINE IN THE BIBLE offers a fresh Biblical approach to the whole subject of drinking wine..." -- DALLAS THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY

WINE IN THE BIBLE presents a compelling case that the Biblical position is total abstinence. -- Review in BIBLIOTHECA SACRA

About the Author

My background is rather unique. I was born and brought up in Rome, Italy, a stone-throw from the Vatican wall. For my college education I went to England where he earned a B. A. degree in Theology at Newbold College. From England I came to America for my graduate studies and earned a M. A. and a B. D. degrees at Andrews University Theological Seminary. Upon completing my seminary training in 1964, I went with my wife, Anna, to Ethiopia where I served for five years as Bible and History teacher.

In 1969 I returned to my native city of Rome to study at the prestigious Pontifical Gregorian University, where I was the first non-Catholic to be admitted in over 450 years of its history. At the Gregoriana I spent the next five years working toward a Doctoratus in Church History. I was awarded a gold medal by Pope Paul VI for attaining the academic distinction of summa cum laude for my class-work and dissertation From Sabbath to Sunday.

After completing my doctorate in 1974, I was invited to teach at Andrews University, a Seventh-day Adventist institution located in Berrien Springs, Michigan. For the past 23 years I have served at Andrews University as Professor of Theology and Church History. To be able to pursue more fully my ministry of research into vital Biblical truths, for the past 26 years I have taught only only from January to May of each year. From June to December I am off-teaching so that I can dedicate myself fully to research timely Biblical truths. The result of this ministry has been the publication of 15 volumes which have helped thousands of people around the world to better understand and experience Biblical truths.

Product Details

• Paperback: 64 pages
• Publisher: Signal Press & Biblical Perspectives (June 30, 1989)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1930987072
• ISBN-13: 978-1930987074
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.7 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,222,084 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Outstanding Resource, September 22, 2010

By 

Aspiring Scholar - See all my reviews

This review is from: Wine in the Bible: A Biblical Study on the Use of Alcoholic Beverages, An Abridged Edition (Paperback)

Few authors provide their opponents' strongest points, but this author does. He carefully presents his case and then addresses the toughest counterarguments without being disingenuous or setting up straw men. There is no brow beating or overheated rhetoric, just facts and clear logic.

Unfortunately, this issue cannot be fully understood without thorough research. Therefore it is not surprising that many Christians conduct a cursory analysis and quickly--and erroneously--conclude that the Bible sanctions the moderate use of alcohol. Reading this book cover to cover, at a minimum, would cause a person to reexamine that theory.

The footnotes and references are extensive and I have used them for further study. It's a dense but easy read without unnecessary verbage or tangents. I have many books on this subject and Bacchiocchi's is my favorite because of its scholarship and fair-minded approach.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Information, March 15, 2011

By 

sonny boy - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Wine in the Bible: A Biblical Study on the Use of Alcoholic Beverages, An Abridged Edition (Paperback)

The information I have found in this book thus far has been an eye opener. There is so much confusion about drinking alcoholic beverages among Christians that believers hardly know what to do. This is a must read for all who really want to know the truth.

4 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Good Resource, June 26, 2007

By 

Grump (Longmont, CO USA) - See all my reviews

This book is a good resource for those who are being pestered by prohibitionists.

The author was not aware that vinous fermentation is an anaerobic process.

The methods described for preserving juice unfermented were actually methods for either preventing wine from turning to vinegar, or improving the end product of fermentation (Princeton Review, Volume 13, Issue: 2, Apr 1841, pp. 267-306; Volume 13, Issue: 4, Oct 1841, pp. 471-523).