In the Bible, you read about wine being a common drink among the Jews. Wine was enjoyed at feasts, in the fellowship with friends, the Lord’s Supper and even kept inside of the Temple. But, did you know the wine drank in Jesus’ time on earth was much different than the wine consumed today?
Charisma magazine sat down with Evangelist Perry Stone who shared his thoughts on the consumption of alcohol today. While talking about going to dinner with those who do drink wine, he says, “I don’t preach to them, I just tell them I don’t, and when they ask why I go into the history. The wine in Jesus day was mixed with water and it would take 27 glasses of wine in Jesus day, the way it was mixed, to equal the alcohol of two martinis,” he says.
“Instead of just trying to attack people, know the Bible. Why do you believe what you believe? The Word of God does what you can’t,” Stone says.
Here are three reasons why wine today is different than in biblical times:
- To keep the wine fresh during Biblical times the focus was natural fermentation, not the fermentation often used today which breaks down the sugars into ethyl alcohol.
- There were no additives or chemicals in the wine drank during Jesus’ day. The taste of the wine would have been a lot closer tasting to grape juice.
- Water was added in to dilute the wine. Many believe the practice of two or three parts water and one part wine is what was common during that time period.
Tune in to the rest of the interview with Perry Stone to hear how he witnesses unbelievers with unconditional love. He shares his transformative journey of loving people where they are at, and how that has brought miraculous testimonies of transformation in those you would least expect.
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Shelby Bowen is an assistant editor for Charisma Media.
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