When other Christians condemn

[MoreCoffee]

Some go to great lengths to show that what Jesus made here was really grape juice (non fermented). While some find that line of thinking convincing, it is not the opinion of Scripture. Good wine is good wine, not good grape juice. It is true that wine in that day, as commonly served, had a much lower content of alcohol than modern wine. But it was still wine. Point being, Jesus is not going to produce a miracle of sinfulness. But, with that being said, Satan is always in the business of taking what God has made for good and perverting it (ie. Hab 2:15 "Woe to him who gives drink to his neighbor, pressing him to your bottle, even to make him drunk, that you may look on his nakedness!).

I often here Christians say that the wine "had a much lower alcohol content". This simply does not make sense if one knows anything about fermentation of grapes. Unless the grapes had lower sugar content, then the amount of alcohol produced is directly correlated to the amount of time the juice was left to ferment. If it is the same amount of time, it is the same amount of fermentation and hence the same amount of alcohol. A wine's alcohol content (and residue sweetness from the grapes used to make it) is directly connected this main factor and nothing else.

Your stance on the general sin of "too much" is probably correct - but I do feel it is prudent to mention that the passage quoted and the book it is quoted from (even that chapter) (Habakkuk 2) has a much broader scope - even with it's reference to wine - which is used as a metaphor for foolishness and foolish teachings - and a particular man who gives them.

Naturally fermented wine made from sweet varieties of grape has alcohol content around 17% which is quite high. In the Greek/Roman world it was common to mix water with wine and that would reduce the alcohol content. In the Eucharist water is added to the wine (only a few drops of water) and these words are spoken while the water is added - By the mystery of this water and wine may we come to share in the divinity of Christ who humbled himself to share in our humanity.