# Did Jesus ever get drunk? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [September 16, 2011, 9:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-jesus-ever-get-drunk/596503 "2011-09-16T09:34:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Pashnish\_Ewing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8797f3/32.png) [@Pashnish\_Ewing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pashnish_Ewing)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2011, 9:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-jesus-ever-get-drunk/596503/1 "2011-09-16T09:34:48Z")
Watching this video of Holy Rollers [chastising college students](http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=bj93hbI-Xno) at Vanderbilt with comments like “no drunkard will enter the kingdom of heaven” made me wonder…With all that wine drinking in the bible, did Jesus ever get drunk? Was there something in his ‘son-of-godness’ that made him immune from the effects of alcohol? ---
**Author:** ![UDS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ecae2f/32.png) [@UDS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UDS)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2011, 9:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-jesus-ever-get-drunk/596503/2 "2011-09-16T09:51:13Z")
Well, he certainly liked to party. In the gospels he is constantly shown attending social gatherings, going to people’s houses for dinner, etc. And in parables he often uses a party or feast as an image of the kingdom of God, so he clearly though partying was a good thing. Plus, the gospels record that he was attacked as (among other things) “a drunkard” by opponents. Since people will usually attack you where they think you are vulnerable, and since some of the other attacks (“a friend of tax collectors”) certainly had some basis in fact, it seems reasonable to think that perhaps he had a reputation as a man who liked a drink, and perhaps the reputation was not entirely without foundation. But I don’t think the gospels ever present him as being drunk. In Christian theology, there is nothing in his “son-of-Godness” which made him immune to alcohol. On the contrary, he was “a man like us in all things but sin”. Presumably “all things” includes the ability to metabolize alcohol and the physiological consequences of doing so. ---
**Author:** ![DrFidelius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drfidelius/32/3447_2.png) [@DrFidelius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrFidelius)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2011, 11:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-jesus-ever-get-drunk/596503/3 "2011-09-16T11:20:37Z")
> [@Pashnish\_Ewing](#): > > Watching this video of Holy Rollers [chastising college students](http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=bj93hbI-Xno) at Vanderbilt with comments like “no drunkard will enter the kingdom of heaven” made me wonder…With all that wine drinking in the bible, did Jesus ever get drunk? Was there something in his ‘son-of-godness’ that made him immune from the effects of alcohol? Undocumented in the source material, therefore unable to determine a factually correct answer. Baseless speculation and general knowledge of human nature says that yes, Jesus probably overindulged at some point in His life, but given the “without sin” part of His job description, I doubt He would have gone out to deliberately tie one on. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2011, 12:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-jesus-ever-get-drunk/596503/4 "2011-09-16T12:07:23Z")
Don’t you think that someone who could change water into wine might be able to do the opposite? Anytime he felt a little tipsy, **ZAP** -instant sobriety! ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2011, 12:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-jesus-ever-get-drunk/596503/5 "2011-09-16T12:13:54Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > Don’t you think that someone who could change water into wine might be able to do the opposite? Anytime he felt a little tipsy, **ZAP** -instant sobriety! But that seems rather a waste of a good miracle. Now, making it into _better_ wine… ---
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2011, 12:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-jesus-ever-get-drunk/596503/6 "2011-09-16T12:19:12Z")
I can’t see how He could not. Scriptures say He suffered everything man has suffered, so dealing with alcohol would seem to be included. > [@Czarcasm](#): > > Don’t you think that someone who could change water into wine might be able to do the opposite? Anytime he felt a little tipsy, **ZAP** -instant sobriety! If that was needed for His work. Like if he was driving a chariot from Jerusalem to the see of Galilee after getting loaded at a party and got pulled over and had to take a sobriety test. If Jesus was on His way to cast out a few demons there, then Yes the Father could have zapped his system clear of alcohol. But besides that He would have to deal with the effects as we all do. His potential release of the effects from drinking is the same as given to us, namely just do the work of God wherever God has you and if that work requires the release then you will be released. The water into wine seems to be a hijack of His powers by His earthly parent. ---
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2011, 12:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-jesus-ever-get-drunk/596503/7 "2011-09-16T12:27:08Z")
The statement “no drunkard will enter the kingdom of heaven”, I believe represents someone controlled by alcohol that takes this person away from doing God’s work. Getting drunk with other drunkards to share the Love of God with others = good Getting drunk that causes God to send others to you to share the good news = bad In the first example you put God first, trust that He has put you among people to help, and if you don’t drink with them you can’t connect to the level you need to. So you are giving God the fear of the consequences of drinking and trusting Him to deal with those. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2011, 12:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-jesus-ever-get-drunk/596503/8 "2011-09-16T12:59:31Z")
> [@kanicbird](#): > > I can’t see how He could not. Scriptures say He suffered everything man has suffered, so dealing with alcohol would seem to be included. I’m picturing a rather haggard looking Jesus and an angel with a checklist now. Angel: “Drunkenness…check. Tapeworms…check. Plague…check. Toothache…check. Blow to the head…_THWACK_…check.” ---
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2011, 1:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-jesus-ever-get-drunk/596503/9 "2011-09-16T13:06:39Z")
> [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > I’m picturing a rather haggard looking Jesus and an angel with a checklist now. > > Angel: “Drunkenness…check. Tapeworms…check. Plague…check. Toothache…check. Blow to the head…_THWACK_…check.” Actual yes, very insightful **Der Trihs** 😃 ---
**Author:** ![smiling\_bandit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9a140/32.png) [@smiling\_bandit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smiling_bandit)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2011, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-jesus-ever-get-drunk/596503/10 "2011-09-16T14:06:45Z")
Wait… **kanicbird** , **Der Trihs** , and I all agree on something in Great Debates? To quote a great legal scholar, “_Whoa_.” ---
**Author:** ![ITR\_champion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c67d28/32.png) [@ITR\_champion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ITR_champion)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2011, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-jesus-ever-get-drunk/596503/11 "2011-09-16T14:52:53Z")
The ancient Jews drank wine that was very watered-down. The figure that I’ve seen is one part wine to seven parts water, though I have no idea how we supposedly know that. When the Bible refers to “strong drink”, that means wine without water. ---
**Author:** ![Bakhesh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3da27b/32.png) [@Bakhesh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bakhesh)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2011, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-jesus-ever-get-drunk/596503/12 "2011-09-16T14:58:13Z")
If you believe in transubstantiation, then he must have had a pretty mean blood/alcohol level. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2011, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-jesus-ever-get-drunk/596503/13 "2011-09-16T15:21:32Z")
> [@ITR\_champion](#): > > The ancient Jews drank wine that was very watered-down. The figure that I’ve seen is one part wine to seven parts water, though I have no idea how we supposedly know that. When the Bible refers to “strong drink”, that means wine without water. “Fact” based of unsupported statements from unknown sources, followed by another “fact” without cite. I’m convinced. ---
**Author:** ![Malthus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/85f322/32.png) [@Malthus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malthus)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2011, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-jesus-ever-get-drunk/596503/14 "2011-09-16T15:35:42Z")
Here’s an interesting article on the topic: [http://prohibitionhangover.com/israelwine.html](http://prohibitionhangover.com/israelwine.html) > [@](#): > > Ancient Israel was an agrarian society. Most people farmed. They grew wheat, olives, tended orchards, herded goats, sheep and cattle, and grew grapes. References to winemaking abound in the Hebrew Scriptures. Grape growing, festivals, drunkenness, and thanksgiving for wine – they’re all there. It really shows that wine was part of everyday Jewish culture. Only the Book of Jonah has no reference to either wine or the vine. > The ancients didn’t understand microbes and gastrointestinal disease, but they knew that drinking water led to sickness and sometimes death. The water supply was often contaminated, particularly around settlements that had no sanitation, or even in short supply during droughts. So they drank wine but diluted it with water, both to quench the thirst and to dilute the effects of such strong drink. This kept them healthy. In fact, the phrase “strong drink” in the Bible may refer to undiluted wine. The use of diluted alcoholic drinks rather than water is something I’ve read about in other places. But it is absolutely clear that the ancient Israelites did not use wine for this purpose alone - they drank diluted wine because it was safer than water and they drank wine, diluted or not, for its inebriating effects. > [@](#): > > ``` > He makes grass grow for the cattle, > and plants for man to cultivate – > bringing forth food from the earth: > **Wine that gladdens the heart of man,** > oil to make his face shine, > and bread that sustains his heart. > (Psalm 104:14-15) > > ``` ---
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2011, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-jesus-ever-get-drunk/596503/15 "2011-09-16T15:48:14Z")
> [@ITR\_champion](#): > > The ancient Jews drank wine that was very watered-down. The figure that I’ve seen is one part wine to seven parts water, though I have no idea how we supposedly know that. When the Bible refers to “strong drink”, that means wine without water. This has been bantered around by those who claim that drinking is a no-no, though I have heard that while it may have happened the ancients did drink wine comparable and surpassing the strength of modern day wine (along with much regular strength beer). One of the primary duties of the Egyptian government was to ensure enough supply of beer to keep the population happy. ---
**Author:** ![Lemur866](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lemur866/32/434_2.png) [@Lemur866](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lemur866)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2011, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-jesus-ever-get-drunk/596503/16 "2011-09-16T15:49:11Z")
It’s a fact that people in the ancient mediterranean drank wine constantly, it’s also a fact that they routinely mixed wine and water, this is shown going back to the Iliad and the Oddessey. There is no record in the Bible of Jesus ever getting drunk, and since all we know about Jesus comes from the Bible, there’s no way to answer the question. The question reminds me a bit about a friend who had super-religious parents. He asked them what would happen if he served wine at his wedding, and they said they wouldn’t come if he did. Because alcohol is evil, you know. So yeah. ---
**Author:** ![Malthus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/85f322/32.png) [@Malthus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malthus)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2011, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-jesus-ever-get-drunk/596503/17 "2011-09-16T16:02:45Z")
> [@kanicbird](#): > > This has been bantered around by those who claim that drinking is a no-no, though I have heard that while it may have happened the ancients did drink wine comparable and surpassing the strength of modern day wine (along with much regular strength beer). One of the primary duties of the Egyptian government was to ensure enough supply of beer to keep the population happy. I would say to those people that it isn’t an either-or proposition. Clearly, the redactors of the OT lived in a world in which drinking for pleasure was routine and expected. Otherwise, why would the Psalm say “Wine that gladdens the heart of man”? ---
**Author:** ![Latro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a87d85/32.png) [@Latro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Latro)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2011, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-jesus-ever-get-drunk/596503/18 "2011-09-16T17:14:01Z")
> [@Malthus](#): > > But it is absolutely clear that the ancient Israelites did not use wine for this purpose alone - they drank diluted wine because it was safer than water and they drank wine, diluted or not, for its inebriating effects. This sounds suspisciously like a conflation with the reason why people drank beer in Europe. _Beer_ was indeed safer to drink, sometimes, than water from a polluted source. If you water down wine, guess what? You add water, ergo not safer. There was also stuff known (to the Romans) as _defructum_. This was boiled down wine, a sort of wine syrup, which you were _supposed to_ water down. Of course the less water you added, the headier the drink. ---
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2011, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-jesus-ever-get-drunk/596503/19 "2011-09-16T17:14:14Z")
> [@Malthus](#): > > Otherwise, why would the Psalm say “Wine that gladdens the heart of man”? Also Ecclesiastes 9:7 Go, eat your food with gladness, and drink your wine with a joyful heart, for God has already approved what you do. ---
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2011, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-jesus-ever-get-drunk/596503/20 "2011-09-16T17:17:33Z")
> [@Latro](#): > > This sounds suspisciously like a conflation with the reason why people drank beer in Europe. _Beer_ was indeed safer to drink, sometimes, than water from a polluted source. > > If you water down wine, guess what? You add water, ergo not safer. > > There was also stuff known (to the Romans) as _defructum_. > This was boiled down wine, a sort of wine syrup, which you were _supposed to_ water down. Of course the less water you added, the headier the drink. defructum was boiled down grape juice, sometimes added to wine, but not boiled down wine, which the process would have removed the alcohol. And it was for mainly for cooking purposes as we might use grape jelly. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-jesus-ever-get-drunk/596503.md?page=2)