1. Welcome to Baptist Board, a friendly forum to discuss the Baptist Faith in a friendly surrounding.

    Your voice is missing! You will need to register to get access to all the features that our community has to offer.

    We hope to see you as a part of our community soon and God Bless!

Wine vs. Grapejuice @ Communion

Discussion in 'General Baptist Discussions' started by JerryL, Apr 26, 2008.

Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.
  1. JerryL

    JerryL New Member

    Joined:
    Dec 11, 2006
    Messages:
    972
    Likes Received:
    0
    I'm not interested in a debate on this subject, it has been hashed and rehashed several times. I found this article while studying the subject because I have never felt compfortable using grape juice at Communion. My Church uses it and I guess I will continue, but I still get the willys using it ever since I heard a local Pastor explain it a couple of years ago. I just thought this was an interesting read on how we in America came to start using grape juice at Communion. It is a long read, but worth the time when you can spare some. One interesting note that caught my eye was the first Communion with Jesus. The wine they used had to be close to 6 months old. Before we start some "shoot from the hip responses" read the article first please.
    "Our Lord in
    instituting the Supper after Passover, availed himself of the
    expression invariably employed by his countrymen in
    speaking of the wine of the Passover. On other occasions,
    when employing the language of common life, he calls wine
    by its ordinary name.7
    Moreover, the time of the Passover was in the spring. It was held during the
    first month of the Jewish calendar which is in the March/April timeframe today.
    The grape harvest was in August or September. This would put Passover just about
    six months away from the grape harvest season. One must remember that
    pasteurization of grape juice, to keep it from turning into wine, was not invented
    until 1869. As soon as grapes are crushed they begin fermenting. It is as though
    grapes want to turn to wine. God made grapes so that they naturally contain the
    necessary ingredients, sugar and yeast, to turn to wine. Grapes will reach almost
    full alcoholic content in only five to ten days. In the first century, the Hebrews did
    not have a way to store grape juice or inhibit it from fermenting until Passover
    ."


    Here is the article.
    Why Did We Change the
    Grape Juice to Wine
    in the Communion Cup?
    A Biblical View of Wine and the Cultural Influences that
    Shaped the Church to Change Its Practice of Communion
    by
    Marion Lovett

    http://www.christreformedchurch.org/PDF/WineinCommunion.pdf
     
    #1 JerryL, Apr 26, 2008
    Last edited by a moderator: Apr 26, 2008
  2. standingfirminChrist

    Joined:
    Dec 25, 2005
    Messages:
    9,454
    Likes Received:
    3
    If you aren't interested in debate, why did you put it in the debate thread?

    No debate about it. Alcoholic wine was not drunk by the Disciples. Read Acts 2 how they were accused of being drunk from their 'gleukos... new wine.' Gleukos was unfermented.
     
  3. JerryL

    JerryL New Member

    Joined:
    Dec 11, 2006
    Messages:
    972
    Likes Received:
    0
    Ok, thank you for your input. When others read the article, please give me some input also.
     
    #3 JerryL, Apr 26, 2008
    Last edited by a moderator: Apr 26, 2008
  4. standingfirminChrist

    Joined:
    Dec 25, 2005
    Messages:
    9,454
    Likes Received:
    3
    No need to read the biased view of the author toward alcohol.

    Your sources are not being truthful. Josephus records a fortress being found in the first century AD in which fruits were preserved for above 100 years.

    Columella, who lived before Christ recorded documents that gave directions for preserving the fruit of the vine in its unfermented state.

    Aristotle, Pliny, many more historical figures of the first century AD record methods of preservation.

    The Bible records the Disciples drank "new wine," not alcoholic wine.

    Jesus would not have given alcohol to anyone, why should we?
     
  5. JerryL

    JerryL New Member

    Joined:
    Dec 11, 2006
    Messages:
    972
    Likes Received:
    0
    Thank you.
     
  6. Jerome

    Jerome Well-Known Member
    Site Supporter

    Joined:
    Aug 21, 2006
    Messages:
    9,788
    Likes Received:
    698
    Faith:
    Baptist
    Perhaps if you chased the "fruit of the vine" with a swig from your flask you could avoid getting the shakes at the Lord's Supper.
     
  7. EdSutton

    EdSutton New Member

    Joined:
    Jan 9, 2006
    Messages:
    8,755
    Likes Received:
    0
    As to this thread

    Why? :rolleyes:

    Ed
     
  8. NaasPreacher (C4K)

    NaasPreacher (C4K) Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Oct 21, 2003
    Messages:
    26,806
    Likes Received:
    80
    The article, I will admit os thought provoking.

    The contention however that using non-alcoholic wine is sinful is as judgmental and wromg.
     
  9. JerryL

    JerryL New Member

    Joined:
    Dec 11, 2006
    Messages:
    972
    Likes Received:
    0
    Yea, I didn't agree with it as being sinful either. I know the Catholic Church has always used real wine and we have at least one member of the BB in England. If that person reads this thread, what is the predominate use in England?

    Edit: Where is Eire, C4K?
     
    #9 JerryL, Apr 26, 2008
    Last edited by a moderator: Apr 26, 2008
  10. NaasPreacher (C4K)

    NaasPreacher (C4K) Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Oct 21, 2003
    Messages:
    26,806
    Likes Received:
    80
    It is the Irish name for Ireland
     
  11. Ps104_33

    Ps104_33 New Member

    Joined:
    Sep 3, 2001
    Messages:
    4,005
    Likes Received:
    0
    I wish I had a nickel for every time this subject has come up on BB.
     
  12. JerryL

    JerryL New Member

    Joined:
    Dec 11, 2006
    Messages:
    972
    Likes Received:
    0
    Is that where you are? If so, what is predominate in the Churches over there? I'm trying to figure out if it is an American thing. I know it changed to grapejuice here in America in the 1800's. Is the same true in other countrys? According to the article, the pilgrims left England with more wine than water, does that reflect how England still does communion today? Maybe David can give an idea when he reads this thread.
     
    #12 JerryL, Apr 26, 2008
    Last edited by a moderator: Apr 26, 2008
  13. JerryL

    JerryL New Member

    Joined:
    Dec 11, 2006
    Messages:
    972
    Likes Received:
    0
    Ed you have the power to never open this thread again, use that power if you so wish. I am not trying to debate whether wine use is wrong, we know EVERONE'S opinion on that. I am looking at when the change happened in America and how other countries do Communion.
     
  14. Gwyneth

    Gwyneth <img src=/gwyneth.gif>

    Joined:
    Feb 21, 2002
    Messages:
    4,137
    Likes Received:
    0
    Grape juice is used where I attend. When I asked why this is the pastor told me that it was because the use of alchoholic wine may cause some to stumble.
    Gwyneth (Wales UK) RE:what is predominate in the Churches over there ?


    edited to add question asked above
     
    #14 Gwyneth, Apr 26, 2008
    Last edited by a moderator: Apr 26, 2008
  15. NaasPreacher (C4K)

    NaasPreacher (C4K) Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Oct 21, 2003
    Messages:
    26,806
    Likes Received:
    80
    A total mix in the truly Christian churches. Some use wine and some use grape juice. I suspect that most of the churches who use grape juice were started by American missionaries - thats the way we are.
     
  16. webdog

    webdog Active Member
    Site Supporter

    Joined:
    Mar 31, 2005
    Messages:
    24,696
    Likes Received:
    2
    Your pastor is correct, however I will add I have no problem using today's grape juice, as it has been pasteurized and contains no yeast. Prior to the 1800's, I would have a problem using grape juice. The wine is symbolic of Christ's blood, pure and free from impurities (yeast). Freshly squeezed grape juice has impurities (yeast). This is the perfect symbolism of salvation, that a perfect sacrifice is needed to atone for sin.
     
    #16 webdog, Apr 26, 2008
    Last edited by a moderator: Apr 26, 2008
  17. JerryL

    JerryL New Member

    Joined:
    Dec 11, 2006
    Messages:
    972
    Likes Received:
    0
    That wasn't my Pastor that wrote that, my pastor uses grape juice.
     
  18. webdog

    webdog Active Member
    Site Supporter

    Joined:
    Mar 31, 2005
    Messages:
    24,696
    Likes Received:
    2
    Regardless, both are permissable...
     
  19. Joe

    Joe New Member

    Joined:
    Dec 14, 2006
    Messages:
    2,521
    Likes Received:
    0
    Hi Jerry

    A Lutheran church we attend once in a while uses wine, yet offers grape juice also. The Pastor is a good friend of mine.
    They have communion weekly.

    We have a few batches of concord grapes growing in our backyard. Right now, they are mostly bare but have some new green leaves on them.

    Due to these alcohol threads, I placed these concord grapes in several tupperware containers and dated them. All you get after months is the stinky smell of vinegar. Can't think of any other way to describe it, but there was no alcohol content. Grapes don't automatically begin to ferment as this article states. Or that wasn't the case with my grapes.
     
  20. annsni

    annsni Well-Known Member
    Site Supporter

    Joined:
    May 30, 2006
    Messages:
    20,914
    Likes Received:
    706
    We use grape juice which is still the juice of the grape. As webdog said, there is no yeast present in our modern grape juice and the fact that we are to not cause a brother or sister to stumble causes us to forgo the liberty to use wine and use grape juice instead. We have a large population of recovering alcoholics (we have support groups for addictions), so it would be a sin to serve them wine as well as it would be against the law to serve wine to minors.

    Yes, Jesus used wine - but what kind of wine did He use? Merlot? Zinfandel? Cabernet? What if you use the wrong kind of wine - not the wine He used? What about the bread? Do you use the same yeast He used or do you use modern yeast which may be a different strain?

    What is important is the symbolism. We remember Christ's sacrifice on the cross for our sins. Also remember that this was a Passover feast - not just a wine and bread ceremony. If we are going to use it as Jesus did, then we need to do it ALL as He did.
     
Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.
Loading...