Look At It As A Medical Prescription (Use A Little Wine)

1 Timothy 5:23
Stop drinking only water, and use a little wine because of your stomach and your frequent illnesses.

A medical prescription is a recommendation from a qualified practitioner on what you are to do in order to get relief from your suffering. A medical prescription is specific to each patient. Your weight, age, and other factors may affect how medications work in your body. Therefore, it may be true as herbalists tell us that a certain herb worked for someone, but that doesn’t mean it will work for you, it may kill you, though you have the same disease as the one who recovered. Therefore, a prescription is specific to each patient!

The frequency and extent of your disease may not be the same as that of someone else. Therefore, their prescription cannot be your prescription. A medical prescription is given to address your situation only.

Apostle Paul writes to Timothy many things about pastoral ministry in the church. Apostle Paul in our text today remembers that Timothy had frequent complaints about his stomach. He had frequent illnesses related to his stomach. He was sick. Therefore, Apostle Paul gives him a medical prescription. Paul tells him to use a little wine to address his stomach ailments. This text can only be interpreted properly if this is seen as a medical prescription.

Medication is never taken in large quantities. Medications are poisonous and some are even addictive. Therefore, they must be taken in small quantities for a specific period of time. Paul tells Timothy to use a little wine. Keywords – a little. This is a medical prescription!

Whether the wine was alcoholic or not, is another matter. We must first conclude that this was a medical prescription and it was specific to Timothy. This prescription does not translate to approving the use of alcohol for social purposes. This is not an approval to routinely drink wine for fun and relaxation. Look at it as a medical prescription!

Paul tells Timothy to stop drinking water only. It is possible Timothy almost fell for the trap of people who think medications are unchristian and only natural means should be used. Timothy was trying to use water only to treat a frequent stomach illness. Water was a natural remedy that didn’t work. Paul tells Timothy to now use wine. Wine, not fresh grapes would seem a natural option. Use a little wine.

While natural remedies would be excellent options, they are not always the only way to treat an illness. Visit a hospital, buy medications, and take them as prescribed. If natural remedies don’t work, seek further help from experts. Stop taking water only, use a little wine. Look at this text as a medical prescription!

May God heal us and help us to know when to stop using water only and move on to other effective medications. May God help us to see this as a medical prescription and not an excuse to use and abuse alcohol. In Jesus’ name, Amen!

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