The Glory of God, Alcohol, and My Brother in Christ

Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. (1 Corinthians 10:31)

I have been preaching a series through the Book of Proverbs recently, and I finally got to the subject of social drinking. Proverbs has a lot to say on the subject. The language is clear. I tried so carefully to be faithful to the text and our past and present historical context. But none of that will be effective if we do not approach the word of God with a sense of submission and selflessness. Selflessness before God and before others is a vital aspect of New Testament Christianity. Without understanding 1 Corinthians 10:31, I will not approach the Proverbs passages in a truly spiritual manner.

The misunderstanding of “doing all to the glory of God.”

Usually, 1 Corinthians 10:31 is applied in two ways--in a moral or a commitment context. Neither application exactly honors the biblical process of thought in 1 Corinthians 10. Morally we tend to say that nothing we do is morally neutral. Every aspect of life must be characterized by some moral quality and If I cannot say “glory to God” as I do it, I should not do it. This is not exactly what the passage is talking about. I am not saying the truth itself is not biblical. I think I can make that argument from the “prove all things” command in 1 Thessalonians 5:22. …

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