Again, one’s belief often amounts to one’s preference
I don`t drink any thing stronger than coffee but many people say that is wrong.
“And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit.” (Ephesians 5:18)
The above scripture alone shows that wine is fermented grape juice.
No, it does not.
Follow this:
In both the Old and the New Testaments (Hebrw, Aramaic, and Koine), a beverage originating from a grape and called οἶνος and pronounced oy'-nos does not give you any clue as to whether it is
- newly pressed (which English would term it "juice"); or
- made from pasteurized concentrate by adding water (also "juice"; which they could and did do, and so have I very successfully); or
- kept below fermentation temperature (also "juice" preserved by preventing fre,entation); or
- left open to air or a few days such that a very minor passing intermediate content of ethyl alcohol (EtOH) forms as its fructose ferments to to acetic acid, eventually spoiling the fluid for beverage use; or
- undergoes anaerobic fermentation through sealing the fluid in a new, unstretched leather bottle (stretching accommodates the pressure of the CO2 fermentation product) in one case; or on the other hand in a barrel where the carbon dioxide passes through a water trap that prevents oxygen from getting in (which in English would then term it "wine").
Only the context can tell whether the juice is fermented or not. If there is nothing in the context to inform, then one simply does not know.
With that said, the disciple commanded in the Eph. 5:18 verse may either (1) choose to drink all the unfermented οἶνος he or she wants, thus staying sober, and from that aspect fit for the Spirit's control; or, (2) he/she can choose instead to imbibe alcoholic οἶνος, and thus unfit for the use by the Holy Spirit.
I hope that is quite clear to you.
Consider that when the translator sees the word "οἶνος" in the Greek, it will be translated into English as "wine"; but it would be quite wrong to infer from it the English sense that it is only alcoholic. When reading "wine" in the Bible text you must look to the context to find out what kind of wine is being described.
However, in actuality when the juice is from Concord-type purple grapes, a person can know from Proverbs 23:31 beyond the shadow of a doubt by looking at the characteristics of the fluid whether it is alcoholic. But if you are blind, most certainly you can tell from the smell, and from a small sip, if it is alcoholic.
There are no excuses here whether on this basis that the Holy Ghost will accept or reject the person for consecrated service.
That verse only says "don't use the kind of wine that, to the Holy Spirit, any level of intake makes you intoxicated."