Question: Please discuss I Timothy 5:23 and does this scripture teach the use of home remedies, etc.?
Answer: I Timothy 5:23 reads thus: “Drink no longer water, but use a little wine for thy stomach’s sake and thine often infirmities.” First, I will apply the teachings of this same man, Paul, in another text to this same man, Timothy, found in II Timothy 2:15, “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” Surely it is necessary to rightly divide the word of truth in this text the same as in any other text.
The Bible has quite a little bit to say about wine in both the Old and New Testaments. If we use the term “wine” indiscriminately we will run into numerous dead ends and difficult complications. There was fermented wine which the Bible condemns generally in every reference to it. Proverbs 20:1 says, “Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging: and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise.” Proverbs 21:17 says that he that loveth wine shall not be rich. In Proverbs 23:29 it asks who has woe, sorrow, contentions, babblings, wounds without cause and redness of eyes? Verse 30 says, “They that tarry long at the wine; they that go to seek mixed wine.” Then verses 31 and 32 add this admonition, “Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth his colour in the cup, when it moveth itself aright. At the last it biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like an adder.” All these texts and many others clearly refer to wine as an intoxicant in an advanced state of fermentation and is stoutly condemned and is strongly admonished against throughout the Scriptures.
There was also a sweet or fresh wine (grape juice) which is also referred to as “Wine” in the Scriptures with no distinguishment. Therefore we cannot arbitrarily accept the argument of some that “Wine is wine and it is all the same. Wine just means wine wherever you see it.” It would be difficult to fathom the idea that in this place Paul was instructing Timothy to drink something that was so strongly condemned in other scriptures in the Bible. Neither can I fathom the idea that Jesus Himself would have passed to His disciples at the institution of the Lord’s Supper a cup filled with this abominable, condemned substance and declare it to be His blood of the New Testament which is shed for the remission of sins. He didn’t. But He called it the “fruit of the vine” Luke 22:18, Mark 14:25 and Matthew 26:29.
I realize that everyone may not concur with my conclusions on this text in question but my conclusion, based on the foregoing scriptures, is that Paul was instructing Timothy to drink grape juice (the fresh, sweet variety) as it would be good for his stomach and system in general. It is commonly known that grape juice is an excellent health food good for the stomach, good for the digestive tract, and a good blood-purifying agent. The water in the area may not have been all that good and pure and it would help his health to drink some wine (grape juice) along instead of water all the time. It seems from the text that he was instructing him to discontinue water altogether and drink grape juice (wine) instead. But I do not think of this as a remedy such as medication or pills or home remedies for an ailment, but for him to avail himself of the good health food that was available.
The New Testament scriptures abound with teachings for saints to trust God with every phase and area of our lives (spiritual and physical soul and body) and offers much incentive for that in multitudes of healings of the people by Christ and His apostles and others and the promise of its continuance for all believers throughout the dispensation Mark 16:14-18. God’s Word gives positive instructions to the saints as to what to they should do when they become ill “…call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord: And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up;…” James 5:14.
