
Adam Holzer
- This is one of the better Pentecostal study Bibles. However, I'm surprised at the lengths they go to make wine sound like grape juice. Any real study of the Greek word oinos will show that it means fermented juice i.e., wine. This is a clear case of letting tradition interpret scripture rather than letting it speak on its own terms. I'm not pointing this out because I'm a drunkard or anything it just surprised me after seeing so much good content in this study Bible. When I see things like this it throws up red flags. I have to wonder what else are they compromising on? Anyway, just food for thought. I do think there are a lot of helpful notes and articles in here. Like any tool we use, we need to practice discernment. If you're using only this Bible for your study or any one study Bible, you need to add a different one to the mix. Use the word study tools in Logos. Don't live in an echo chamber. Truth is truth. God bless.
- Adam, you wrote this: "However, I'm surprised at the lengths they go to make wine sound like grape juice. Any real study of the Greek word oinos will show that it means fermented juice i.e., wine. " But the following quote from the Fire Bible indicates that your assertion isn't exactly accurate: "Certainly, it is incorrect and even unreasonable to claim that wine mentioned in the Bible was never alcoholic since the Bible contains many warnings and restrictions about intoxicating wine (e.g., Pr 20:1; 23:31; Eph 5:18; Tit 2:3; 1Pe 4:3). However, it would be just as unreasonable to claim that all wine mentioned in the Bible was alcoholic. Those who are persuaded that all wine was alcoholic argue that since refrigeration was unavailable in ancient times, there was no way to preserve wine. Therefore, it would naturally ferment in the warm Mediterranean climate if it was not consumed immediately. But this view ignores a large amount of evidence provided by ancient writers such as Pliny (Natural History 14.11.83) and Columella (De re rustica [On Agriculture] 12.29) who explain in detail the production of non-alcoholic wine known as aigloukos ('always sweet')." The Fire Bible, imho, is the best Study Bible that Faithlife provides. Yes, we should always have additional resources, but to imply that there are 'red flags' because of this one issue seems a bit harsh. I highly recommend this resource to anyone wanting to study Pentecostal perspectives on various issues. This Bible is scripture driven, not tradition based. I gave it 5 Stars years back, and still do.
- Another quote from the Fire Bible on this topic: The Greek word oinos was often used by secular (i.e., non-religious, worldly) and religious authors in pre-Christian and early church times to refer to fresh grape (non-fermented) wine (Aristotle, Metereologica, 387.b.9–13). (a) Anacreon (c. 500 B.C.) writes, “Squeeze the grape, let out the wine [ oinos]” (Ode 5). (b) Nicander (second century B.C.) writes about squeezing grapes and refers to the juice as oinos (Georgica, fragment 86). (c) Athenaeus (A.D. 200) writes about a man gathering grapes who “went about, and took wine [ oinos] from the field” (Athenaeus, Banquet, 1.54).