Yep. The grape juice instead of actual (fermented) wine, and prohibition in general, came out of the nativist and womens' rights movements in the late 1800s. As far as I know, prohibition was foreign to Christianity before that time. The idea that a good Christian shouldn't consume any alcohol (not just refrain from getting drunk) would have sounded absurd to just about any preacher, cleric, parishioner, church lady, etc. before around the late 1800s or so. It would have sounded absurd to the 12 Apostles. It sounds a bit absurd to me here in 2020 for that matter...
Paraphrase only--'I came eating (meat) and drinking (wine) and they called me a glutton and a drunkard.' Sounds like whomever said that (or something like that) drank some alcohol, at least on occasion.
On edit--here it is, from The Gospel according to St. Matthew, Chapter 11:
"For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, He hath a devil. The Son of man came eating and drinking, and they say, Behold a man gluttonous, and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners. But wisdom is justified of her children."
Def'n of "winebibber" from Dictionary.com--a person who drinks much wine. Just goes to show that nothing will satisfy some people... They'll rake you over the coals no matter what you do.
-
Winner x 1
Last edited: May 24, 2020