Some Christians believe it is a sin to drink wine, and that whenever the Bible refers to wine, it really meant grape juice. I always thought that new wine was juice, and “wine” meant just that. We know that Jesus turned water into wine, and Col. 2:16 tells us not to let another judge us in food or drink. Can you please clarify this?
The sin in drinking is drinking too much. The water Jesus turned into wine at Cana was so good that the master of the banquet thought it better than the wine the groom’s father had provided. The Lord authorized the Israelites to use their tithe money to buy wine or other fermented drink for their Feast of Tabernacles celebration. (Deut. 14:26)
It’s not a sin to drink, but we are admonished not to drink in the presence of someone who has an alcohol problem, or who would be put off by it. (1 Cor. 10:31-32) The safest thing to do if you’re going to have a drink is to have it at home. Then you don’t run the risk of offending someone.