If you ever hear someone argue that the Lord approves of drinking alcoholic beverages because He made wine for guests at a wedding party, then ask them if they believe Jesus was a condemned sinner too....WHAT?!

   In John 2:1-11, Jesus did miraculously turn six jars of water (over 100 gallons) into wine. But some ASSUME it was alcoholic in nature because they ASSUME the ruler's complaint (v.10) about withholding the "good wine" till "men have well drunk" (or "had too much to drink"-NIV) meant the guests were too intoxicated (drunk) to appreciate the difference. But such assumptions are baseless and just plain wrong.

   "Too much to drink" does not necessarily mean the guests were drunk or had been drinking alcohol. I have often told a generous attentive hostess offering fresh NON-alcoholic drinks: "Thanks, but I've had too much to drink" or "I've drunk my fill, thank-you."

   Furthermore, the word "wine" has a dual use/meaning the Scriptures and its contextual setting determines which of the two is meant: 1) An unfermented, non-alcoholic drink (lit., grape juice, e.g. Isaiah 65:8), praised as a blessing to man; or 2) A condemning fermented liquor (e.g. Proverbs 23: 29-35).... Which of the two do you think the Lord made for the wedding guests?

   To assume the wine Jesus made was alcoholic because it is assumed the words "well drunk" means the wedding guests had been drinking booze and were not tipsy, is to say that Jesus condoned and even contributed to drunkenness, a work of the flesh--a sin! (Galatians 5:19,21). The Bible says, "Woe to him who gives drink to his neighbor, pressing him to your bottle, even to make him drunk... Do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation..." (Habakkuk 2:15; Ephesians 5:18). The Lord who "committed no sin" (1 Peter 2:22) did NOT assist others to sin.