Why was John the Baptist restrained from drinking wine?

Why was John the Baptist restrained from drinking wine?

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We read in Luke 1:13-15 (NRSVCE) of the Angel foretelling the birth of John the Baptist:

Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you will name him John. You will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth, for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He must never drink wine or strong drink.

We go on to hear John saying in Mtt 3: 11

I baptize you with water for repentance, but he who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.

One can relate that John the Baptist was restrained from drinking wine because he was to become an example of ascetic life and repentance. But, no such abstinence was mandated for Jesus except for the period of his fasting in the wilderness . He would in fact, remark on a later occasion:

Matt 11: 18-19: For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon.’ The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.’

One is therefore, inclined to conclude that both Jesus John the Baptist were separately oriented for the Mission that each was entrusted with. But what was special in the Mission of John that mandated that he must not drink wine?

What was special with the Mission of John the Baptist which mandated that he must not drink wine?

14 Comments

  • Reply February 1, 2023

    Anonymous

    God’s purposes.

  • Reply February 1, 2023

    Anonymous

    Proverbs 20:1 As God knew everything in advance well that Wine may give unnecessary trouble for a servant of God, He restrained the Baptist. “Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging ….” According to the teachings of the New Testament, “For a bishop must be blameless, as the steward of God; not self-willed, not soon angry, not given to wine, no striker, not given to filthy lucre” (Titus 1:7).

  • Reply February 1, 2023

    Anonymous

    THANK YOU for finding this one Rasiah Thomas and I know John Mushenhouse may enjoy it too

    BTW Link Hudson this new fb/google AI algorithm has now evolved to auto post topics that get MORE interest. The NO DRINK topic has run for a week and now that it slowed down FB decided to auto re-post this one SOON there will be no need to our comments either 🙂 the ro-bots will re-post and talk among themselves with no need for us to even think on the topic – just the future way of doing techno-theology Brett Dobbs Michael Chauncey William DeArteaga Neil Steven Lawrence

    • Reply February 1, 2023

      Anonymous

      Troy Day wait…. So you don’t run the pentecostal theology website, and you don’t post those articles on here on Facebook?

      Or are you joking?

    • Reply February 1, 2023

      Anonymous

      Brett Dobbs website runs as a social media; our users post – we have various scholarly sources too. From that point on it is all automated

    • Reply February 1, 2023

      Anonymous

      Troy Day oh i see

  • Reply February 1, 2023

    Anonymous

    Nazarite requirement.

    • Reply February 1, 2023

      Anonymous

      an Israelite consecrated to the service of God, under vows to abstain from alcohol, let the hair grow, and avoid defilement by contact with corpses (Num. 6) NOT to be mistaken with a person from Nazareth

  • Reply February 1, 2023

    Anonymous

    Following

    • Reply February 1, 2023

      Anonymous

      Len Sterling better post some BIBLE passages to dissect today 🙂

    • Reply February 1, 2023

      Anonymous

      Troy Day love you more every day brother!! You made my day 😎

    • Reply February 1, 2023

      Anonymous

      Len Sterling tell us how you really feel about it 🙂

    • Reply February 1, 2023

      Anonymous

      Troy Day 😂

  • Reply February 14, 2024

    Troy Day

    well Duane L Burgess John Mushenhouse thou might agreeth on this one but it is MOST certain Junior Beasley have no clue on this one EVEN if he goes past reading the meme this time and reads the actual article from teh post or even share with his @followers

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