Reading the Bible Anew- The Lord’s Supper: Part Three The Use of Wine

Should one use unfermented wine ( grape juice) or real fermented wine in the Lord’s Supper? What  has been the use of wine in biblical tradition? Has religious culture and the U.S. culture lead to certain practices in the use of wine? Finaly, what is the significance of wine in the Lord’s Supper.?

Across three millennia, wine in biblical lands moved effortlessly between the field, the family table, the palace, and the sanctuary. Viticulture anchored local economies, shaped landscape engineering, and stocked international trade.  Vineyards were so valuable that Torah law granted a new owner a one-year deferment from military service to enjoy his first harvest (Deut 20:6), and Sabbath-year legislation protected the poor’s right to glean un-pruned vines (Lev 25:4-5). Socially it marked both everyday conviviality and elite luxury; ritually it mediated covenant joy and sacrificial devotion. The vine—tended, pressed, and poured—thus became one of Scripture’s richest images for divine provision and communal life.

Wine was integral to Hebrew daily and spiritual life, prominent in sacrifices (Exodus 29:40; Numbers 15:5), festive celebrations (Ecclesiastes 9:7), and symbolic of divine blessing (Psalm 104:14–15; Deuteronomy 7:13). However, biblical authors consistently advised moderation, warning against intoxication (Proverbs 20:1; Isaiah 5:11, 22). The narrative of Noah’s drunkenness emphasizes wine’s dual potential for blessing and moral hazard (Genesis 9:21).

The social importance of Wine is illustrated in these four areas: 1) Daily Beverage & Hospitality – A safer liquid than untreated water, diluted wine accompanied ordinary meals (Judges 19:19). To withhold it was inhospitable (1 Sam 25).  Undiluted wine had typically a 12-14% alcohol content. This was diluted 3:1 for a 2-5% daily meal content. For Jews a typical number was 3% 2)  Feasting & Celebration – Weddings (John 2 :1-10), royal banquets (Esther 1 :7-8), harvest festivals, and covenant meals routinely featured wine. Jewish weddings maintained the 3% value.  Some Greek and Persian festivals would serve wine full strength. 3) Medicinal & Consolatory – “Give wine to the faint-hearted” (Prov 31:6-7; 1 Tim 5:23). 4) Social Stratification – Spiced or imported wines marked elite status (Amos 6:6). Both Medicinal and Spiced wines were served at full strength.

What about the wine used in the New Testament? The word for wine in Greek is οἶνος (onios).” This word is used 32 times in the New Testament.  The word for grape juice or unfermented wine is γλεῦκος ( gleukos).  For the Passover, Old Testament passages do not mention wine at all.  So, one must use historical evidence. By the early first century CE the seder (the name for the Passover meal)  already required arbaʿah kosot (“four cups”). Because undiluted grape juice goes flat or spoils long before Nisan, and because tirosh was never subject to the 3 : 1-dilution rule, the Talmudic requirement itself presumes fermented wine. Jewish law also states that fermentation of grapes does not make a product ḥametz (leaven) because the prohibition of leaven applies only to the five grains.  The conclusion is the Lord’s Supper used wine.

Catholic practice mandates wine.  Presbyterian and Reformed Traditions generally use wine but may use grape juice. Evangelical Churches practices vary widely. Some congregations offer both wine and grape juice, others exclusively grape juice, reflecting modern evangelicalism’s engagement with cultural norms and personal liberty. Restoration Movement churches (Churches of Christ and Christian Churches) influenced by both biblical literalism and American cultural movements, many Churches of Christ now use grape juice exclusively. Christian Churches (instrumental) may differ locally, with some returning to wine as a recovery of original practice.

Within the Restoration Movement, notably Churches of Christ, the debate over using fermented wine versus grape juice in communion has significant historical and theological dimensions.

• Historical Context: Alexander Campbell initially adhered to traditional wine use but gradually shifted under the influence of the temperance movement. By the late 19th century, American cultural pressures led many Restorationist congregations toward unfermented grape juice
• Theological Arguments: Advocates for grape juice argue the symbolic purity of communion is paramount, whereas proponents of wine emphasize scriptural fidelity, noting the original Greek “oinos” explicitly indicates fermented wine.

Cultural Influence: American temperance ideology significantly influenced church practices, reflecting broader societal trends toward prohibition and moral reform. This highlights how cultural ethics often intersect with doctrinal practices.

The significance of wine in the Lord’s Supper will be addressed in Part Four in the Lord’s Supper Series.

References:

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