The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1910-04-23
THE PEOPLES FORUM
A Common Sense Interpretation OF the
First Miracle

A Common Sense Interpretation OF the
-- First Miracle.
Editor OF The Virginian:
Strive all know that the first
miracle wrought by the Lord was the
converting of six water pots Of water
into wine at the marriage feast In
Cana OF Galilee. But wherein was
III miracle. or what made IT a
miracle? / answer. the miracle con-
sisted in His doing instantly that
which II required several months TO
produce by the regular course OF ma
ture. Now, let 1t be remembered that
the Lord converts water into wine
every year, and therefore, that which
He creates every year In the cluster
on the vine. Is like unto that which
He made at the marriage feast Inen
let us consider what 1t is that Is pro-
duced annually in the regular course
OF nature. We all know that the COM
pleted product of the vine Is the ripe
grapes in the cluster on the vine and
the Creator simply leaves them there.
The ripe grapes are the Completed
work Of the Creator, as far as the
grapes or fruit of the vine Is concern
ed. The yare then ready for the use
of man. Let us now refer to one or
the great prophets--lsaiah 30; y
where ] find these words-'as wine liz
found in the cluster" and Proverbs
with plenty and the presses burst
forth with new wine And Luke
s: 31-3S in the words of the Lord
mo man puteth new wine into OLD
bottles, else the new wine VIII burst
the old bottles (made of goat skinsl,
and be gpttted, and the br'tties- shall
perish, but new wine must be put in
+uew- bUtttus and both are preserved.
| In these three Scriptures the infer
mented grape juice Is called wine
/ new wine therefore, i conclude that
the wine which was the result OF the
miracle was like unto that in the
cluster of grapes on the vine. That
Is the logical conclusion. The COO OF
nature also causes the corn and rye
to grow and ripen on the stalk, ana
1t !s man who takes the corn and rye
and by his manipulations converts
them into alcoholic liquors, Likewise,
man takes the grapes and by his
manipulations he alcoholics the new
wine found in the cluster and makes
1t an intoxicant. This, to my mind,
/ is clear demonstration Of the fact
that the Lord did not make an intoxi-
eating wine, and He never does. An
other proof that the Lord did not use
nor recognize fermentsd wine. is
found in the fact that the Levitical
law (Exodus IL: 1920 forhids any
leaven Cor ferment) to he in their
breses during the seven days of the
Passover Feast. and II was I'M
lnediately after partaking of the feast
that the Lord took the Passover cup
and proceeded to institute His me-
mortal supper, called by St Paul the
Lords supper. Ifr harmony with the
Passover cup containing the fruit Of
the vine" (unfermented wineD our
Lord in instituting His Supper did not
use the word wine at all. but the
cup" "the fruit of the vine" Now
everybody viii agree the grapes or
their newly expressed juice is the
fruit OF the vine; and it is equally
true that fermented wine is the fruit
/ of fermentation, very different
drink from the fruit Of the vine. but
says one the wine which our Lord
made was pronounced to be the best.
and therefore il must have been fer
mented." Yes 1t was tho best be-
cause our Lord made IL, and 1t was
not Intoxicating, The Very character
--.f- tl4eJ rerd- nu&ht~to~ha So aieient=eGi-
dence OF that fact. And We are told
by PlinZ, the Latin historian, who
lived in the first century. that the
people in Palestine 1000 years ago
considered that to be their best wine
which was nearest free OF alcohol
Just the opposite of that characteris-
tire is true of the modern standard
for mucial wine.
AS the natural results of the popu-
lar but wrong Interpretation of thu
first miracle, We find many OF our
church using the ''mooker" kind OF
wine--intoxicating wine to which the
Scriptures admaniSh Us not even to
look upon IT, In other words many
churches substitute the fruit Of fer
mentation for the fruit of the vine.
AS a consequence. who can begin to
estimate the great damage done 10
the children of men and to the cause
of Christianity through the wrong IN
depreciation of the first miracle
What a spectacle is presented when
poor, finite. sinful man attempts 70
make IL appear that He who Is to be
the Judge of the quick and the dead
in the last day, and whose decree
is no drunkard shall enter the king
dom Of heaven, that He should he
held up by men as being as the head
and In the lead of the business OF
making. drinking and giving to the
people at that marriage feast an In
toxicating wine, is simply monstrous
proposition. SuCh teaching is near
kin to blasphemy
Dear readers, ALLOW an old man OF
! four score years 10 admcnish you
to give this subject your most serious
! thought ana investigation In the light
of the Holy Scriptures. and then to
put yourselves In the proper attlludt
by giving your influence against the
Intoxicating wine drinking habit. as
we'll az against the use by oui
churches Of the 'mocker" or fer
mented kind OF wine. Let Christians
as a great body do that. and the liquor
saloons will disappear from our midst
and prohibition will take care of it
self. for Bible temperance is prohibi-
ton to everything that will be .
stumbling block to others. That Is
tho teaching Of st, Paul. see Romans
IA: 2t---'It Is good neither eat flesh
nor to drink wine nor anything
whereby thy brother stumbleth, or II
offended Caused to SIM, or Is made
weak,
Respectfully.
j. W. DoLIN,
Richmond. Va, April 81.