Approving Alcohol, Prohibiting Marijuana: An Inconsistent Position

Statements like that of Parker’s Lake and Piper’s represent a huge step forward for which I rejoice, but I’ve got to note at the same time that I am VERY concerned about the damage that could be done by the “FBFI rear guard.” Yes, churches are starting to wake up and smell the coffee wine, but it appears that there is enough FBFI on college boards to keep them as laggards, which will not be a good thing as they try to attract students.

Put gently, what the traditionalists did to Northland could look like a popgun compared to the nuclear blast that will erupt when these questions are addressed. We could very well end up with a situation where our training institutions for the pastorate once again need to be built from scratch.

One HUGE good sign was the link Dean Taylor of Faith presented. To be honest, I’d have almost expected him to be disciplined for that.

[Bert Perry]

One HUGE good sign was the link Dean Taylor of Faith presented. To be honest, I’d have almost expected him to be disciplined for that.

Ways that cannabis is like alcohol:

Cannabis, like alcohol, is an organic substance.

Cannabis, like alcohol, has the potential to intoxicate and distort reality.

Cannabis, like alcohol, has different effects on someone who uses it regularly than someone who uses it occasionally. (In other words, tolerances can be built up with regular marijuana use similar to the way tolerances can be built up with regular alcohol use.)

Cannabis, like alcohol, can be habit-forming (see 1 Timothy 3:8).

Ways that cannabis is unlike alcohol:

Unlike alcohol, you can’t blackout or die from an overdose of cannabis.

Unlike alcohol, there are many different strains of cannabis. The same amount of cannabis smoked or ingested from two different cannabis plants can have different effects on an individual — even if both plants have the same exact amount of THC (the primary psychoactive chemical in cannabis).

Unlike alcohol, marijuana has many different effects on an individual due to its complex chemical makeup. There are at least 113 different chemical compounds (cannabinoids) inside the cannabis plant that combine to cause a variety of effects on an individual when smoked or ingested.

Unlike alcohol, cannabis has not been a staple in cultures all around the world for use in celebrations and ceremonies (like John 2:9).

Unlike alcohol, regular cannabis use is strongly correlated with mental health disorders such as schizoaffective disorder. While heavy drinking (alcohol abuse) has also been linked to mental health disorders, moderate drinking has not.

Unlike alcohol, cannabis has been a cultural symbol of rebellion for a large part of the last century.

Unlike alcohol, cannabis was not used by Jesus in his Last Supper, which is to be regularly commemorated by the church (Mark 14:23–25).

And perhaps most importantly, unlike alcohol, cannabis is not directly addressed in the Bible.

It is unhelpful to make direct correlations between cannabis and alcohol, as if all the Bible’s teaching on alcohol applies to cannabis. Not only are cannabis and alcohol vastly different chemical compounds, with vastly different effects, but the Bible gives us clear and direct permission for the moderate use of alcohol while never directly referencing other psychoactive compounds such as marijuana.

[Wally]

It is inconsistent to approve today’s wine and other, stronger alcoholic beverages yet oppose recreational marijuana.

It is your personal view that such is inconsistent.

Others of us have a different personal view and don’t believe that such is inconsistent.

What is so difficult to understand about that difference?

The reason I would not require abstinence as a condition for church membership is because that is what Romans fourteen teaches. Once that is understood, all other reasoning is superfluous.

A careful study of Romans fourteen settles the issue. Since this format discourages lengthy treatments, let me try to summarize.

Romans 14:1-3 forbids allowing one’s practice regarding foods to be a barrier for Christian fellowship. Both those who eat and those who refrain from certain foods are to be received. Romans 14:19-21 includes drinking wine in the category of dietary practices which must not be allowed to cause division. Here, the instruction is to refrain from practicing your liberty if it causes offense among your brothers. But verse 22 clarifies that the liberty to eat and drink can be practiced in private to the glory of God as long as it does not violate your personal conscience.

Conclusion: Requiring abstinence from alcohol must not become a requirement for church fellowship.

I appreciate your wisdom

Does your church have a written statement prohibiting smoking? If it does that would include smoking anything including marijuana. Would your church bar membership from someone who used tobacco? Would it not be inconsistent to allow membership to a user of tobacco and bar membership to a user of alcohol?

[Bert Perry]

One HUGE good sign was the link Dean Taylor of Faith presented. To be honest, I’d have almost expected him to be disciplined for that.

My link to that article did not signify agreement with its conclusions. It contains a comparison of the three substances being discussed here on SI that I thought would be helpful.

Re being disciplined (if you were being serious), we interact with materials and ideas from many sources. Use does not imply endorsement.

MacArthur & Spurgeon on Alcohol

“A man who is a drinker has no place in the ministry.” -John MacArthur.

“Next to the preaching of the Gospel, the most necessary thing to be done in England is to induce our people to become abstainers.” -Charles H. Spurgeon; 1882. http://gulfcoastpastor.blogspot.com/2010/04/charles-h-spurgeon-on-alcohol.html

Also quoted in “Ancient Wine and the Bible.”

David R. Brumbelow

[David R. Brumbelow]

MacArthur & Spurgeon on Alcohol

“A man who is a drinker has no place in the ministry.” -John MacArthur.

Can you provide a link to the source of this quote?

David’s citation of MacArthur is at least consistent with other statements MacArthur has made, and here’s a citation. I must admit that I’d thought the writing level was far beneath MacArthur’s usual style, but there ya go.

But that said, it’s in an analysis of 1 Timothy, where Paul flat out tells Timothy to have a little wine since he’s always getting sick. Looks like everybody makes mistakes. John 2: 2-11, Psalm 104:14-15, Jeremiah 31:12-14, Zechariah 10:7, etc.. would seem to override MacArthur and Spurgeon fairly emphatically.

“A man who is a drinker has no place in the ministry.” -John MacArthur.

The source for this quote is from MacArthur’s commentary on 1 Timothy.

And, it should be remembered that in Scripture the word wine is not synonymous with alcohol (Matthew 9:17; Proverbs 3:10; Isaiah 16:10; Joel 2:24: Isaiah 65:8).

David R. Brumbelow

DBSJ 12 (2007): 29–49 WEAKNESS OR WISDOM? FUNDAMENTALISTS AND ROMANS 14.1–15.13 by Mark A. Snoeberger Go to DBTS.edu under resources.

Mark’s article on this critical portion of Scripture is must reading for anyone who wants to have a comprehensive understanding of this subject. Romans 14ff is one of the most misunderstood and misapplied Scriptures today. Cranfield and Moo are also quite helpful on this passage.

Here’s also a link to DBTS’s journal in toto since 1996. Hint for the FBFI; if you’re concerned about trends that would adversely impact the spiritual health of all believers and want to get the word out, this is how it’s done.

Regarding the paper itself, my major quibble with Snoeberger is that my tendency would be to go first to ask why Jew or Gentile would abstain from meat, or would observe certain days. But I’d guess he didn’t do it simply because he wanted to give a fairly comprehensive view of how the passage is viewed….so I can respect that decision, too.