Finally we have reached the last two sins on Paul’s vice list.
“Drunkenness” today and “revellings” tomorrow, the Lord willing.
The noun is “methe,” which infers “intoxication.”
And surprisingly, it is only found in the New Testament three times, as a noun.
In Luke 21:0, during one of Jesus’ Sermons (on prophecy this particular time), He said: “Take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and DRUNKENNESS, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares.”
Then in Romans 13:13 Paul uses the word: “Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and DRUNKENESS, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying.” (Look at the “pairs” of words the Apostle links here!)
Lastly, “methe” occurs in this “works of the flesh” catalogue.
“Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders, DRUNKENNESS, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.” Galatians 5:19-21
However, a relative of “methe” does occur two more times in the New Testament. It is “methusos” and is translated “drunkard!”
Paul again: “But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a DRUNKARD, or an extortioner; with such an one no not to eat.” 1st Corinthians 5:11
Then once more: “Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor DRUNKARDS, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.” Another Pauline vice list, 1st Corinthians 6:9-10.
Wow!
He is hard on strong drink, the whole Bible is for that matter!
Do notice too that in our Galatian Text today the noun “drunkenness” is apparently singular, but in Greek it is plural! As in numerous episodes of drunkenness, or bouts of drunkenness!
The ancients usually drank at night, and Christians are children of the light. (“Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober. for they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that BE DRUNKEN are DRUNKEN in the night. But let us, who are of the day, BE SOBER, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation.” 1st Thessalonians 5:6-8)
Now we’ve jjust seen “methe” as a verb! (But in strictly limited sense, only five times in the whole New Testament!)
And in every instance, this “drinking” is wrong! This “drunkenness!”
What about preachers and drinking? While using different vocabulary words, Paul firmly forbids it here too! In our lives …
“A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach; NOT GIVEN TO WINE, no striker, not greedy of filthy lucre; but patient, not a brawler, not covetous; one that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity; (For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?) Not a novice, lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the devil.” 1st Timothy 3:2-6, the whole list.
Wow!
Let me close the Lesson with the spiritual antidote to drunkenness: “And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; BUT BE YE FILLED WITH THE SPIRIT.” The dear Holy Spirit, Ephesians 5:18.
In reality, the Holy Spirit is the Giver of victory over all these sins of the flesh! As we shall see later this week, the Lord willing.
— Dr. Mike Bagwell