Where did you get the idea that I am ready to crucify anyone who takes a drink? Seems to me you are jumping to conclusions and reading the "hearts of men." I'm simply saying that Christians should abstain from the use of alcohol and there is plenty of Scriptural evidence to support it for those who study "to show themselves approved."
II. The Meaning of Wine and Other Biblical Words
A. Another assumption of modernists is that the word "wine" inherently means the fermented or alcoholic juice of the grape. In any language, the meanings of words tend to change through the centuries as people use them to mean something they did not mean before. This is referred to as the usage meaning of a word. In the English language, the word "wine" originally was used to denote the juice of grapes, whether in a fermented or unfermented state. Long ago, of course, that word has taken on the usage meaning of only grape juice in its fermented state. That's why today we distinguish the two drinks by using the terms "wine" and "grape juice." What has happened,even among professed Christians, is that many have assumed that the Hebrew and Greek words translated as "wine" must have the same meaning that the modern usage meaning of the English word "wine" does. Thus, it is assumedthat whenever the Bible speaks of wine or strong drink it must be referring to an alcoholic beverage. And because there are a number of Bible texts which speak positively of the use of these drinks, people assume that the Scriptures do not condemn the use of alcoholic beverages but just the abuse of them. Complicating this picture is the unfortunate fact that many Biblical scholars and lexical authorities have made the same assumptions and have been sloppy in their research as to the linguistics and historical usage meanings of the key words necessary to understand this subject accurately and honestly. Under this section, linguistic and historical evidence is presented on all the original language words used in the Bible with which there is controversy about their meanings. And for the two most commonly used original words, evidence will be presented concerning their usage in Scripture.
B. "Yayin." This is the most common Hebrew word used inthe Old Testament to denote wine, as it appears 141 times. According to several authorities, including Jewish and ancient Christian authors, "yayin" is a generic word for wine that can refer to grape juice in either itsfermented or unfermented state (just like the original meaning of the English word "wine").
C. "Oinos." This is the most common Greek word used in the New Testament to denote wine, appearing 32 times. According to several authorities, "oinos" is also a generic word for wine that can refer to grape juice in either its fermented or unfermented state.
D. Although "yayin" and "oinos" are easily the most commonly used words in the Bible to denote wine, there are a few other words which are controversially interpreted. A brief summary of information follows:
1. "Shakar." This Hebrew word appears 23 times in the Old Testament.It is usually translated in the King James Version as "strong drink," butthe word is a common root in many different languages for the word "sugar."It was a sweet drink made from non-grape sources--either dates, other fruits,or even grains mixed with honey.(10) Sinceit contained a great deal of sugar, a "shakar" could ferment (since yeast"eats" sugar). At the same time, it could have been kept from fermenting,just as grape juice was often preserved. Almost all Biblical referencesto "shakar," however, are negative ones.
2. "Chemer" (or "Khemer"). This Hebrew word appears just 9 timesin the Old Testament. It is usually translated as "wine" (or "red wine;""pure"). It is from a root which means "to boil up." Thus, it may referto the foaming appearance of grape juice during fermentation or to thefoam of newly pressed grape juice.(11)In three of its nine appearances "chemer" is spoken of approvingly.(12)
3. "Tirosh." This Hebrew word appears 38 times in the Old Testament.It is translated by the King James Version as wine 26 times, as new wine11 times, and as sweet wine one time.(13)The precise meaning of the word is in question, with some authorities sayingit refers to the solid fruit (the grape itself), others to fresh grapejuice, and still other authorities maintain that "tirosh" can even sometimesrefer to fermented wine.(14) Actually,the word is obviously used in a generic sense because sometimes the Biblicalreference is to solid fruit (as in Micah 6:15) and sometimes it is definitelyto fresh grape juice (as in Isaiah 65:8). The use of words by ancient peoplesto refer to several things was not unusual. However, the position that"tirosh" can also refer to fermented grape juice is dependent upon a specificinterpretation of one single text--Hosea 4:11.