Imperishable Inheritance

I got the chance to speak in person with my good friend Nick last night at a wedding. We talked about much, but he asked me in particular if I believe that wine or grape juice should be instituted at The Lord's Supper. After a I babbled, I realized I hadn't put the thought into this I should have. This is especially true being that I am writing a systematic introduction to Ecclesiology.

Before I start, it is worth noting that this article is not written on or for the topic of teetoalism. That is for another day.

"Yayin"

The question of debate is whether we can take "wine" to be the fermented or unfermented fruit (grape juice) of the vine. We know that wine does refer to an alcoholic beverage by the Hebrew word "yayin" (in Greek, the word for wine is "oinos/oy-nos"). Yayin is used in the following passage referring to Noah being drunk.

Then Noah began farming and planted a vineyard. He drank of the wine [yayin] and became drunk, and uncovered himself inside his tent.
Genesis 9:20-21 (emphasis added)

So, we've established that "wine" can indeed refer to an alcoholic beverage and not only to unfermented fruit. Of course, to come to a Biblical conclusion we must practice proper exegetical, systematic theology. Let us look at the verses where Jesus institutes the Lord's Supper.

Verses on The Institution of The Lord's Supper

While they were eating, Jesus took some bread, and after a blessing, He broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, "Take, eat; this is My body." And when He had taken a cup and given thanks, He gave it to them, saying, "Drink from it, all of you; for this is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for forgiveness of sins. "But I say to you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in My Father's kingdom."
Matthew 26:26-29

While they were eating, He took some bread, and after a blessing He broke it, and gave it to them, and said, "Take it; this is My body." And when He had taken a cup and given thanks, He gave it to them, and they all drank from it. And He said to them, "This is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many. "Truly I say to you, I will never again drink of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God."
Mark 14:22-25

And He said to them, "I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer; for I say to you, I shall never again eat it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God." And when He had taken a cup and given thanks, He said, "Take this and share it among yourselves; for I say to you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine from now on until the kingdom of God comes." And when He had taken some bread and given thanks, He broke it and gave it to them, saying, "This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me." And in the same way He took the cup after they had eaten, saying, "This cup which is poured out for you is the new covenant in My blood.
Luke 22:15-20

Jesus speaks of the "fruit of the vine" in each account, but nothing is gathered to where we can decisively say whether Jesus instituted this sacrament with wine or grape juice (or similiar beverage). One article does try to exegete "fruit of the vine" as fermented wine, but the argument is not strong. What about the Passover in the Old Testament?

and there shall be one-tenth of an ephah of fine flour mixed with one-fourth of a hin of beaten oil, and one-fourth of a hin of wine for a drink offering with one lamb.
Exodus 29:40

This is interesting, because the word for fermented wine, yayin, is used here, but "fermented wine is the Greek "oinos," used 28 times in the New Testament, but NEVER for the contents of the Passover cup."¹ And we must remember that Passover in the Old Testament and The Lord's Supper are two parallel but different events.

"That the Jews used fermented wine in their perverted celebration of the Passover may or may not be true, but this in no way proves that it was used by Jesus and the disciples, and it is a purely gratuitous assumption to claim it. It is irrelevant, what the Jews used in the Passover, for if the New Testament does not command the use of fermented wine, or show an example of it, we are not obligated to use it, nor should we use it."

Preservation?

"Another objection is that grape juice could not be preserved for any length of time apart from fermentation, and so this must have been the most common element in use. ANSWER: William Patton in his "Bible Wines, or The Laws of Fermentation", a very informative book in this controversy, shows that grape juice could be preserved in at least five other ways than fermentation, and that all were common methods of preservation in ancient times, so that anyone who desired to, could have unfermented grape juice at any season of the year for use as a beverage, or in the Lord's Supper."²

Paul on The Lord's Supper

Therefore when you meet together, it is not to eat the Lord's Supper, for in your eating each one takes his own supper first; and one is hungry and another is drunk.
1 Corinthians 11:20-21

When we "take [our] own supper" is that when they were drinking fermented wine, but this was not utilized in The Lord's Supper? (The context of this passage also provides good arguments for open communion.)

Unleavend Bread

Another issue in this is the use of unleavened bread:

Now the Feast of Unleavened Bread, which is called the Passover, was approaching.
Luke 22:1

"Unleavened bread shall be eaten throughout the seven days; and nothing leavened shall be seen among you, nor shall any leaven be seen among you in all your borders.
Exodus 13:7

"In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month, you shall have the Passover, a feast of seven days; unleavened bread shall be eaten.
Ezekiel 45:21

Clean out the old leaven so that you may be a new lump, just as you are in fact unleavened. For Christ our Passover also has been sacrificed.
1 Corinthians 5:7

"Unleavened" simply means to make without a rising agent (yeast). This would provide a deduction of a more "natural" bread, and would it be to much to apply this thought to the "purer" drink at The Lord's Supper (grape juice).

Conclusion

After really looking at this (and there is more to go), I would be inclined to believe that the Scriptures speak of grape juice being ordained and not alcohol, but I still have questions. It is noteworthy that we must fight the doctrinal errors of trans and consubstantiation first.

Additional Reading

• Wine or Grape Juice?
• Wine or Grape Juice For Passover?