John Claypool and Wine

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John Claypool and Wine
By Hardy Clemons

On one occasion when his church was observing Communion, John decided to address the fact that the early Christians–and still many churches today–use real wine in the observance. In fact when Jesus turned the water into wine at the wedding in Cana of Galilee, it was genuine fermented wine.

“There are two Greek words for wine,” John said. One is a word that means unfermented wine. The other is a word that means fermented wine. In the New Testament story the latter word is used. Jesus turned the water into fermented wine.”

Standing at the door after worship, John was addressed by one of the teetotalling women in his church. “Dr. Claypool, you must be mixed up. Jesus would never have made a fermented wine for the people to drink. I just can’t believe that!”

John invited the woman to come by the office that week so they could look at the passages together. She agreed and John laid out his lectionaries and was all prepared for a Greek lesson when she arrived.

He explained that in John 2, the Greek word used is oinos which is the fermented wine. The Greek word for the wine that does not intoxicate is ethikos.

Now,” said John, “do you not agree that Jesus did make the water into real wine?”

“Well, . . . yes, I suppose so” the woman said. “But I would think a lot more of him if he hadn’t done it!”