Does the Glorious Church have a particular stance on wine for the Lord's Supper or do you only use grape juice?
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In Assemblies that I ministered in we have used wine and if it was not available, grape juice. Do you believe one is more preferable scripturally speaking than the other?
First of all, I have found out through conversations with older folks about 30 years ago, that early apostolics regularly used wine. When I first heard of this years ago, I was very surprised. To answer Mike's question, the word itself comes from a greek word that one of the meanings of the word, is "to bubble up", etc. The reason for this is that grape juice does not "bubble up" due to the fact that it is not fermented. The meaning itself speaks of life, which we know according to the scriptures there is life in the blood of Christ. To be scripturally accurate, I see the need to use wine.
Of course there are different wines with different percentages of alcohol. I use a naturally fermented wine which, without anything added to it will not go over 13%. So, it is usually Mogan David or Maneshivitzs passover wine.
Also, in the writings of Alfred Edersheim, he plainly states that in Jesus 'day, the Jews, as a rule, did not drink the wine straight, but instead mixed it with one third to two thirds water. I have also heard this from other sources.
As far as a stumbling block, I would let someone decide on what they should do. Personally, if a man has been delivered from alcoholism, he should have no fear of taking wine for the Lord's supper. If during the Lord's supper, there is proper prayer, and our focus is on the blood and body of Christ, and what the Lord's Supper is about, our faith should be greater than our fears.
According to Strongs Concordance and also Joseph Thayer's Greek English Lexicon, the greek word (oinos) simply means wine. There is no evidence that this word is speaking of grape juice. Also there is reference to the Hebrew word, number 3196 in the Strongs, as you have stated,yayin. According to Strongs the meaning is, "from an unused root, which means to to efferesce, wine (as fermented).
My concern is that the meaning of the Lord's Supper is not being carried out in the natural by using grape juice. The wine speaks of the blood of Christ, and the wine has "life" in it that the grape juice does not have.
In the scriptures the new wine was not put in to old wineskins for fear of losing the wine. The natural process of fermentation starts in the wine skin. Even today, grape juice that is exposed to air will start the process of fermentation, without adding anything to it.
I also have a source that tells me that Welchs actually started producing grape juice for the purpose of folks that wanted to substitute juice for wine.
As I have stated before, I will let a person decide on what they believe the Lord wants them to do concerning this, but fear of becoming an alcoholic should not be the decisive factor. Only what the Lord's says should be how we obey him. Thank you for your kind response.
We have no theological issue with people using wine if they so chose. We use juice for the reason previously stated. Our view is that because Jesus did not use the word "oinos" at the Last Supper but instead called it "the fruit of the vine" and because Paul simply called it "the cup," we are left to chose which substance is best in each circumstance. After all, the real significance of the Lord's Supper is the genuineness of the fellowship of the body of Christ, not the bread and cup. They are only symbols.
So, if you want to a congregation to minister and they were folks that basically believed in the same things as you, except that they used wine for the Lord's Supper, would you take part in their communion?
If the Lord speaks to a person that has a problem with alcohol abuse, and let's them know that they can take the Lord's Supper using wine, then that is all the answer I need. As I have stated, I leave it up to the individual
If fear is an issue in not doing it, then fear is wrong. "Perfect love casts out fear." If a person has been born again, then by the work that the Lord has done in his heart he is either made righteous in the eyes of the Lord, or he isn't.
I am not speaking from experience, but by what is written in the Word of God. I am strongly opposed to the use of beer or hard liquors in any form.
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