Social Precedence

Many Christians and those wanting to influence Christians often turn to Judaism to give us a precedent of acceptable social norms. An example would be the use of alcohol. God made wine so that it could turn to alcohol and that the alcohol could then turn to vinegar. God had uses for all stages in mind when he created it.

Man can pervert God's design. In the subject of alcohol man looks to the bible for different precedents.

The problem of following Judaism as a precedent is that the Jews did not always have God's blessing.

Catholics who drink heavily at times would point to Judaism that in some of their feasts Jews required drunkenness. Yet, that requirement did not come from God, but from different societies to which they became enslaved. In Egypt they were enslaved 400 years and adopted some of Egyptian society norms, an example would be the design of the Golden calf and the dancing and riot that occurred when they built it.

Not everything they did was meant for a positive precedent.

1Co 10:5  But with many of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness.

1Co 10:6  Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted.

1Co 10:7  Neither be ye idolaters, as were some of them; as it is written, The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.

1Co 10:8  Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed, and fell in one day three and twenty thousand.

1Co 10:9  Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents.

1Co 10:10  Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer.

1Co 10:11  Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.

Just as the lusts they exhibited coming from Egypt were negative examples. Their society norms were not God's will. The same can be said of Israel's captivity in Babylon. They learned and adopted many social norms that the Pharisees accepted and taught that God did not accept.

Talmud

The source of this practice is a passage from the Talmudic tractate Megillah (7b):

Rava said: A person is obligated to drink on Purim until he does not know the difference between "cursed be Haman" and "blessed be Mordechai"

Such examples are from Jewish Oral law and not in scripture. Some believe the practice of drunkenness came from Babylon. So that it should not be used as a social example for Christians. Catholics turn to such examples as proof alcohol was accepted in Judaism, and that drunkenness was acceptable if drunken for God.

Many of the greatest Halachists follow Rava’s ruling. Maimonides writes: "What is the obligation of the [Purim] feast? That one should eat meat ... and drink wine until he is drunk and falls asleep from drunkenness" (Mishneh Torah, Laws of Megillah, 2:15). The Rif, Rosh, Tur and Shulchan Aruch all cite Rava’s dictum without any qualification. The Rama, on the other hand, comments that "There are others who say that one need not become that drunk, but rather that one should drink more than is one’s custom." The Rama concludes: "Whether one drinks more or drinks less, the main thing is that his intention is for the sake of Heaven."

Again, this is used as a social precedent but not actually endorsed by God. It is from an oral law put in place by the Pharisee sect. It does sound a little like Romans 14.

Rom 14:1  Him that is weak in the faith receive ye, but not to doubtful disputations.

Rom 14:2  For one believeth that he may eat all things: another, who is weak, eateth herbs.

Rom 14:3  Let not him that eateth despise him that eateth not; and let not him which eateth not judge him that eateth: for God hath received him.

Rom 14:4  Who art thou that judgest another man's servant? to his own master he standeth or falleth. Yea, he shall be holden up: for God is able to make him stand.

Rom 14:5  One man esteemeth one day above another: another esteemeth every day alike. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind.

Rom 14:6  He that regardeth the day, regardeth it unto the Lord; and he that regardeth not the day, to the Lord he doth not regard it. He that eateth, eateth to the Lord, for he giveth God thanks; and he that eateth not, to the Lord he eateth not, and giveth God thanks.

Rom 14:7  For none of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself.

Rom 14:8  For whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord: whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord's.

Rom 14:9  For to this end Christ both died, and rose, and revived, that he might be Lord both of the dead and living.

The Jewish idea that liberty is possible if our intentions are toward God, this is a valid principle, but Paul never uses the term drunkenness in reference to liberty. He condemns drunkenness when used in relation to worship.

Eph 5:18  And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;

Eph 5:19  Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord;

The Jewish and Catholic model that drunkenness is a liberty if directed toward heaven is false. We do have liberties but drunkenness is not one of them. It is forbidden in this respect. Paul by influence of the Holy Spirit resisted the influence of Jewish thought. He resisted the influence of Purim.

In Jewish thought a pure mind toward God even becomes freer to praise God when drunken, so that the human soul lets praise out more abundantly. This assumes the mind is pure and no evil thoughts are possible. Man's mind isn't always pure.

Romans 14 moves into Romans 15 exposing Christ's will that we should not simply please ourselves. Our liberty should result in unified worship, not in diversified worship where groups are divided into food eating and drinking sects. Implementing drunkenness into worship or feasts simply divides us as a body with a sensitive moral issue.

Paul granted freedom in some areas but not the freedom seen in Purim.

Rom 15:5  Now the God of patience and consolation grant you to be likeminded one toward another according to Christ Jesus:

Rom 15:6  That ye may with one mind and one mouth glorify God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Rom 15:7  Wherefore receive ye one another, as Christ also received us to the glory of God.

Rom 15:8  Now I say that Jesus Christ was a minister of the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made unto the fathers:

Rom 15:9  And that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy; as it is written, For this cause I will confess to thee among the Gentiles, and sing unto thy name.

Rom 15:10  And again he saith, Rejoice, ye Gentiles, with his people.

Rom 15:11  And again, Praise the Lord, all ye Gentiles; and laud him, all ye people.

Rom 15:12  And again, Esaias saith, There shall be a root of Jesse, and he that shall rise to reign over the Gentiles; in him shall the Gentiles trust.

Rom 15:16  That I should be the minister of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles, ministering the gospel of God, that the offering up of the Gentiles might be acceptable, being sanctified by the Holy Ghost.

One problem in US law is that Judge Scalia and other Catholic justices wrote into our law the use of social norms as defined in Catholic dogma, and our laws are more and more following the idea of social norms. This is backwards because laws must correct social flaws in many cases vs upholding deviant social patterns. Laws are for the ungodly.

1Ti 1:9  Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers,

Applying social norms as law can codify ungodly behavior.

Our worship becomes acceptable when we follow the Holy Spirit's instruction vs social norms arising from human ideas..