Drink A Little Wine

My daughter Cheryl arrived last night for a visit with us and an appointment with some medical professionals at the Houston Medical Center. She arrived late in the evening. Of course, before we went to bed we had to talk, so we each shared a glass of Zinfandel wine while we shared tales of the day.

As a result I began to think about the value and importance of wine, particularly red wine. I even remember advice from the Apostle Paul preserved in his letter to his young pastor-disciple. He said, "Stop drinking only water, and use a little wine because of your stomach and your frequent illnesses" (1 Timothy 5:23).

The quote is sandwiched between counsels on pastoral practice: "Don't be hasty in the laying on of hands and don't share in the sins of others. Keep yourself pure." And after the above wine quote, "The sins of some men are obvious, reaching the place of judgment ahead of them."

He was apparently warning Timothy to be cautious about choosing assistants in his pastoral work, reminding the inexperienced young man that those he gathered around him would have an influence upon his life as well as his reputation. That's all useful advice, but what's with the wine thing stuck in between?

We can only guess at the nature of Timothy's frequent illnesses. The mention of purity may be a warning about excesses, particularly if he started drinking a little more wine. Paul may also have been answering his protege's question about the use of wine at all. So the Apostle commands him to drink a little. It'd do him some good. On the other side, he must be aware that abuse of alcohol ("the sins of some men") is something a pastor must avoid.



We've learned a thing or two since then about the benefits of wine drinking. Here's a quote from Healthcastle:

Does red wine protect against heart disease? Maybe. Many studies investigated the benefits of red wine suggested that moderate amount of red wine (one drink a day for women and two drinks a day for men) lowers the risk of heart attack for people in middle age by ~ 30 to 50 percent. It is also suggested that alcohol such as red wine may prevent additional heart attacks if you have already suffered from one. Other studies also indicated that red wine can raise HDL cholesterol (the Good cholesterol) and prevent LDL cholesterol (the Bad cholesterol) from forming. Red wine may help prevent blood clots and reduce the blood vessel damage caused by fat deposits. Indeed, studies showed that people from the Mediterranean region who regularly drank red wine have lower risks of heart disease

What's in Red Wine that are good for heart?

Red wine is a particularly rich source of antioxidants flavonoid phenolics, so many studies to uncover a cause for red wine's effects have focused on its phenolic constituents, particularly resveratrol and the flavonoids. Resveratrol, found in grape skins and seeds, increases HDL cholesterol and prevents blood clotting. Flavonoids, on the other hand, exhibit antioxidant properties helping prevent blood clots and plaques formation in arteries.

Pastor or not, a glass of wine seems to be a precious gift from our Creator. All I can tell you is that we enjoyed ours last night. I spent a good night and am having a great day.