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The cup of BLESSING which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ. . . Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of devils: ye cannot be partakers of the Lord's table, and of the table of devils. -- 1 Cor. 10:16-21

And he took the cup . . . And he said unto them, This is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many. Verily I say unto you, I will drink no more of the fruit OF THE VINE, UNTIL that day that I drink it NEW in the kingdom of God. --Mark 14:23-25

. . . one of them ran, and took a sponge, and filled it with VINEGAR, and put it on a reed, and gave him to drink. -- Matt. 27:4

When Jesus therefore had RECEIVED the VINEGAR, he said . . . -- John 19:30

Both sides of the issue would agree that the supper should be observed in the same manner (1 Cor. 11:25) as it was instituted. So, consider which kind of wine did Jesus use? Jesus used the "fruit of the vine" (new wine) at the last supper. He promised not to drink of that "fruit of the vine" until the kingdom. So Jesus did not use either alcoholic wine or vinegar at the last supper. Fruit of the vine is what the vine produces -– not what the merry wine maker produces.

During the crucifixion, Jesus was offered both vinegar and wine, mixed with narcotics (Pro. 31:6), and He refused the alcohol and the narcotics. Still, in John 19:30, Jesus did RECEIVED VINEGAR, proving that it was not the "fruit of the vine" but the "fruit of double fermentation."

Wine is the "fruit of single fermentation" and not the "fruit of the vine”; single fermented wine ferments again to produce vinegar. If vinegar is not the fruit of the vine, neither is alcoholic wine. If alcohol or vinegar is the fruit of the vine, then Jesus lied about not drinking it until He drinks it in the kingdom.

Fruit Of The Vine?

. . . he will also bless the FRUIT of the WOMB, and the FRUIT of thy LAND, thy corn, and thy WINE . . . -- Deut. 7:13

But the FRUIT of the Spirit . . . -- Gal. 5:22

The "fruit of the womb" is that which the womb PRODUCES. The "fruit of the land" is that which the land produces. The "fruit of the Spirit" is that which the Spirit produces. The "fruit of the vine" is that which the VINE PRODUCES. The "fruit of fermentation" is that which fermentation produces. Jesus said that He was the "VINE" neither the distillery nor the brewery. The type of wine that Jesus, God incarnate, produced at the wedding of Cana was the "fruit of the vine" or the wine found in nature, as God produces it. Not as the merry wine maker produces it.

The Drunken Supper Argument

When ye come together therefore into one place, this is NOT to eat the Lord's supper. For in eating every one taketh before other his own supper: and one is hungry, and another is DRUNKEN. What? have ye not houses to eat and to drink in? or despise ye the church of God, and shame them that have not? What shall I say to you? shall I praise you in this? I praise you not. -- 1 Cor. 11:20-28

If the Corinthians, former idolaters and profligates, were inebriated at the Church’s supper, then:

1. They brought the booze or came that way.

2. Their practice was pronounced as an invalid Lord ’s Supper.

3. Their practice was pronounced as the cup and table of devils.

4. The ex Pagan Corinthians were mimicking their ex feasts.

The contrast, in the context, of the disputed passage, does not seem to bear up the interpretation of inebriation, "One is hungry, and another is intoxicated." The interpretation, which seems more fitted to this contextual contrast, is "One is hungry, and another is drunken/saturated/filled." Intoxicated/inebriated and drunken are not always perfect synonyms.

It is strange that folks, looking for an excuse to get intoxicated or to use alcoholic wine in the Lord's Supper, would run to 1 Cor. 11:21, especially since verse 20 says this is NOT to eat the Lord's Supper.

Whatever the Corinthians were doing, it was wrong and Paul is rebuking them for that wrong, not commending them. The question is, "Were they intoxicated?" If intoxicated, they brought the hootch to the church (B. Y. O. B.), for the church didn't provide it, or they came already drunk. If they were intoxicated, they were following their former idolatrous practices and customs. If they were soused, their supper was invalidated.

If they were tipsy, they were rebuked for it. If they were stoned, they changed the table and cup of the Lord into the table and cup of devils. The word "drunken" does mean "intoxicated" or inebriated in many passages. Still, this defini- tion is not inherent in the word nor demanded in every passage. In many passages, the sense is filled, drenched (one of Webster's defini- tions), satiated, soaked, bathed, saturated, and even watered.

Saturated/Filled Or

Intoxicated/Inebriated

With Blood?

I will make mine arrows DRUNK WITH BLOOD . . . -- Deut. 32:42

For my sword shall be BATHED (Septuagint - methuo) in heaven . . . their land shall be SOAKED [ravah] with blood . . . -- Isa. 34:5, 7

For as the rain cometh down . . . but WATERETH [ravah] the earth . . . -- Isa. 55:10

. . . the sword shall devour, and it shall be SATIATE [saba] and made DRUNK [ravah] with their BLOOD . . . --Jer. 46:10

And ye shall EAT FAT till ye be FULL, and drink BLOOD till ye be DRUNKEN . . . -- Ezek. 39:19

I have drunk my wine with my milk: eat, O friends; drink, yea, DRINK ABUNDANTLY, [shakar], O beloved. -- Song 5:1

. . . they shall be DRUNKEN [shakar] with their own blood, as with SWEET wine [’aciyc] . . . -- Isa. 49:26

. . . the mountains shall drop SWEET wine [’aciyc] . . . -- Amos 9:13

. . . ye drink, but ye are not FILLED [shakar] with drink . . . -- Hag. 1:6

And I saw the woman DRUNKEN with the BLOOD of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus . . . --Rev. 17:6

People do not get inebriated with blood or water. A close examination of the words associated with drunk and drunken will reveal the words soak, satiate, bathed, full, filled, and etc. The primary meaning is filled with drink or liquid. It can be alcoholic drink or blood or water, but the words in themselves do not demand alcohol.

Often, it means abundant satisfaction. The beloved is told to drink abundantly or literally “be drunken,” hardly advice to be giving your beloved if alcohol is meant. However, if being filled to satisfaction is meant on a less harmful drink, the problem dis- appears, even though SHAKAR is used in certain contexts of inebriation.

The New Testament

And METHUO

. . . thou shalt be like a WATERED [raveh (Septuagint -- methuo)] garden . . . -- Isa. 58:11

Every man at the beginning doth set forth good wine; and when men have WELL DRUNK [methuo], then that which is worse. But thou has kept the good wine until now. -- John 2:8-10

Others MOCKING said, These men are full of NEW wine [gleukos] . . . [Peter said] these are not drunken [methuo], as ye suppose, seeing it is but the third hour of the day. -- Acts 2:15

And I saw the woman DRUNKEN [methuo] with the BLOOD of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus . . . --Rev. 17:6

The New testament, as with the Old Testament, also allowed for being drunken or filled or satiated with blood, despite the insistence of some that the Greek METHUO always means intoxication or inebriation. Obviously, the Greek Septuagint proves differently. In Modern Greek usage, this is probably the case but not in older Greek usage.

Those that use Acts 2:13-15 to prove their contention, forget that the apostles’ accusers were MOCKING them. Moreover they were saying that they were "drunk" on NEW WINE (Glucose), an impossibility, if the implication of inebriation was really meant, since that was unfermented wine.

Some will point to the wedding at Cana and implicate Jesus in changing the water into wine to give to those, who had ALREADY WELL DRUNK (methuo). Even if we allowed the idea of alcoholic wine being served first, it would still be BAD WINE and Jesus’ wine would be GOOD WINE. Moreover, Jesus was aware of Habbakuk’s warning not to give one’s neighbor drink, making him drunk. And also there is the little admonition that forbade Jesus to be AMONG wine bibbers. 