1 Pet. 4:3 and Social Drinking
Certain subjects like social drinking stir up lively conversation! I don’t know who first mentioned it, but I get the impression that a large percentage of the congregation is discussing this subject at present. Lively discussions are not wrong but, we have to remember that God wants to get in on the conversation!
Has God spoken about using alcohol for recreational purposes, specifically social drinking? Absolutely. The Bible is not hard to understand – the question is, “Am I willing to submit to God in this area?”
In our text, Peter lists three sins involving the recreational use of alcohol, “…excess of wine, revellings, banquetings…”. These three sins seem to be listed in “descending” order, and the meaning of each sin is described below as simply as I can:
1) excess of wine – the point where speech is badly slurred, walking is difficult, driving is nigh impossible
2) revellings – a buzz, occasional stumbling might occur, maybe a few slurred words (think about those drinking at NFL, MLB, or NBA games)
3) banquetings – refers simply to “drinking” without regard to the amount
Of the 3, which one approves of “social drinking? That’s right – neither one! In fact, the word “banqueting” forbids it!
