Ezekiel 34:29

Thanks everyone. My request was for a response to a friends kid that kept saying the bible talks about marijuana. I’m not familiar enough with the bible to answer, but I knew freepers would be able to steer me in the right direction.

The Bible consistently commands us to not be drunkards. It DOES NOT prohibit the consumption of alcoholic beverages - Lord Jesus himself turned water into wine.

Wine is a DRINK, a BEVERAGE taken with food. One can drink water with food, beer, wine, lemonade, etc.

Contrast this with drinking wine until one is staggering drunk.

It's easy for the honest observer to see the difference.

Marijuana, on the other hand, is not a beverage. But it does have the property of altering one's mind to a state of drunkenness.

Tobacco does not have that property, though it is also smoked.

The Bible exhorts the reader to refrain from a state of drunkenness.

People will go on and on for weeks, babbling six ways to Sunday, arguing like a Dutch uncle, to convince that drunkenness is fine, but it's all for naught, since the Bible is clear. They just do not want to hear God's Law Word because they do no want to follow Christ's commands and they do not want to obey Christ's commands.

The Bible tells us that God's Holy Spirit dwells within the true believer, that our bodies are therefore a temple to God, and the Holy Spirit helps and guides us.

If we are drunk, we say and do things that are contrary to Scripture, for the thing that made us drunk is controlling our minds, not the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit would never guide us towards sin but would help us overcome and avoid sin.

With all the brain damage, etc., that's being researched about marijuana, it's becoming clear that it's a mind-altering substance. And there's also these literally damning passages from Revelation: Rev 21:8 But for the fearful, and unbelieving, and abominable, and murderers, and fornicators, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, their part shall be in the lake that burneth with fire and brimstone; which is the second death. Rev 22:14 Blessed are they that wash their robes, that they may have the right to come to the tree of life, and may enter in by the gates into the city. Rev 22:15 Without are the dogs, and the sorcerers, and the fornicators, and the murderers, and the idolaters, and every one that loveth and maketh a lie. "Sorcerers" are the Greek "pharmakeus" meaning "from φάρμακον pharmakon (a drug, that is, spell giving potion); a druggist (“pharmacist”) or poisoner, that is, (by extension) a magician: - sorcerer." In context, drug users are basically poisoning themselves.

Lord Jesus himself turned water into wine.

Luke 7:34 The Son of man is come eating and drinking; and ye say, Behold a gluttonous man, and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners!

Marijuana, on the other hand, is not a beverage. But it does have the property of altering one's mind to a state of drunkenness.

Tobacco does not have that property, though it is also smoked.

As with alcohol, the body develops a tolerance for the effects of nicotine.

Thanks, I never know what parts of the bible to take literally and which ones are allegorical. How do you figure it out?

We can't just invent an allegory on our own. It's based in what the Bible says.

We find the same allegories and themes repeated throughout Scripture.

The vine, leaven, bread, Israel, wedding, bride, etc.

Of course, it helps that the New Testament sometimes literally explains the allegories, thus shedding light on the Old Testament and how it points to Christ, for example:

Galatians 4

20 I desire to be present with you now, and to change my voice; for I stand in doubt of you.
21 Tell me, ye that desire to be under the law, do ye not hear the law?
22 For it is written, that Abraham had two sons, the one by a bondmaid, the other by a freewoman.
23 But he who was of the bondwoman was born after the flesh; but he of the freewoman was by promise.
24 Which things are an allegory: for these are the two covenants; the one from the mount Sinai, which gendereth to bondage, which is Agar.
25 For this Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and answereth to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children.
26 But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all.
27 For it is written, Rejoice, thou barren that bearest not; break forth and cry, thou that travailest not: for the desolate hath many more children than she which hath an husband.
28 Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise.
29 But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit, even so it is now.
30 Nevertheless what saith the scripture? Cast out the bondwoman and her son: for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman.
31 So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman, but of the free.

Some heresies (false teachings) are relatively new, that is, they were either completely absent or only fringe opinions until the 19th century. So we have a new doctrine (teaching) suddenly emerging after 1700 years of Biblical scholarship; doctrine that is significant enough in its implications that it makes any reasonable person question why such doctrine was not made clear by the Apostles.

Other heresies are replays of false teachings that are very old.

If the Bible is perfect, if it is God-breathed, it stands to reason that it is sufficient. It's up to us to study it honestly and truthfully and then apply it to our lives.

It comes down to basic reasoning, coupled with the benefit of good Biblical study, such as we find in the Matthew Henry commentaries.

Many so-called teachers are trying to make a name for themselves as opposed to simply faithfully teaching the gospel.

There are great resources at http://www.reformedonline.com.

Eze 34:29 And I will raise up for them a plant of renown, and they shall be no more consumed with hunger in the land, neither bear the shame of the heathen any more.

Isa 53:2 For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him.

Isa 53:3 He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
Isa 53:4 Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.
Isa 53:5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.

It is clearly Jesus Christ...

The interesting this is: When does this take place???

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