Any reaction to the Sword of the Lord's front page article criticizing Randy Jaeggli's book "The Christian and Drinking" published by BJU Press? Sword editor Shelton Smith says of Jaeggli, "He is an academic, and he has approached this from what he believes to be a scholarly angle. There are, however, some serious issues with his approach. . . . We believe his linguistic analysis is subject to other interpretations which would place his entire thesis in dispute. Consequently, we do not recommend Dr. Jaeggli's book for any purpose! It is, we believe, a dangerous book that will cause many to stumble. . . . He does not . . . even have one single quote by the great men of God who have thundered so loudly about the use of alcohol." Smith also says, "I . . . phoned Dr. Stephen Jones, the president of Bob Jones University, but at press time he had not returned my call." Here are some samples of the excerpts given in the article from the book: "God intended His people to view alcoholic beverages as a blessing from His hand, just as they appreciated all agricultural products from the land He had given." (p.27) "Paul does not forbid drinking wine, only drinking to excess." (p.29) "Just like the Old Testament words for alcoholic beverages, the New Testament words 'oinos' and gleukos' refer to an alcoholic beverage that must be used in moderation." (p.41) "Since the Bible does not condemn drinking alcoholic beverages in moderation, could a believer enjoy a glass of his favorite vintage in the privacy of his home and not be ensnared by worldliness? Could he drink wine with dinner at a friend's home? Could he enjoy a pitcher of beer while watching a football game with his friends at the local sports bar? Since 'the earth is the Lord's, and the fullness thereof' (Ps. 24:1; I Cor. 10:26) why not enjoy a cold brew? These are issues that every Christian needs to settle by wisely applying biblical principles." (pp.68,69) What would Bob Jones, Sr. and Billy Sunday think of such tolerent thoughts on the subject of temperance? Did Smith take them out of context? (I haven't read the book yet. I bet the Sword's exposure will increase sales!)
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Here is a quote from Bob Jones, Sr.'s biography "Builder of Bridges" written by R. K. Johnson:
"[Bob] Jones declared that there 'never was a baser lie hatched in hell,' than that a man has a right to take a drink of whiskey if it pleases him to do so. After one fiery denunciation which stilled the audience into a dead silence, he burst forth with this picture of the home of a saloonkeeper: 'He builds his home out of human tears and uses life-blood for mortar. The plastering on his walls is made from the lining of human stomachs. In his shop of hell he hardens human brains out of which to make tile for his bathroom. The carpets on his floors are the linings clipped from the coffins of the dead and woven into fabrics of blood. His window curtains are widows' weeds, colored by a demon brush, dipped into liquid fire. His home is lighted by the smile of a baby and the luster of a mother's eye, stolen by his own hands from his neighbors' homes. The flowers about the place are roses of beauty plucked from the cheeks of the innocent. His pleasure fountains are tears of woe distilled in the house of despair. The music by which he dances is the wail of the widow and the cry of the orphan ground by the hand of the devil from hell's awful organ, and every demon keeps step to the music. . . . You have got saloon men in Gloversville who have built their homes out of the whiskey business and every time they step into their bathrooms they walk on the tiles built of human brains. I'd rather live in a cabin in a desolate swamp, than in a palace built of money out of the tears wrung from the orphans of this country. I'd become a "highway robber" before I'd go into the liquor traffic and damn human lives.'" (pp.77,78)
The main objective (on my part) of this thread is to try to determine whether or not BJU's position on alcohol has changed (as Shelton Smith claims). Here is the position of BJU's founders: Any consumption of alcohol is a sin condemned by the Word of God.
Does BJU now hold to this position: Although the Bible does not clearly condemn the consuption of alcoholic beverages, the Bible does condemn drunkedness, and total abstinance is always the wisest choice for the Christian?
A change from the former statement to the latter would be a big shift of position. If such a shift has taken place, it is only a matter of time before the phrase "total abstinance is always the wisest choice for the Christian" is removed and social drinking is accepted (if not on campus, then at least in the students' lives at home).
My hope is that Shelton Smith has taken Jaeggli's quotes out of context and that BJU Press would never publish a book which would in any way Scripturally allow for drinking alcoholic beverages.
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