Is Getting Drunk a Sin?

The Short Answer

Yes. The New Testament directly condemns drunkenness. Ephesians 5:18 tells believers not to become drunk with wine, and Galatians 5 includes drunkenness among the works of the flesh.

Scripture does not give a modern unit limit for every person. The practical concern is deliberate intoxication and the loss of responsible self-control that comes with it.

If drunkenness has become a repeated pattern, repentance can include stronger limits or complete abstinence. Someone with significant physical alcohol dependence may also need medical support because suddenly stopping can carry health risks.

Drunkenness Has a Clear Biblical Answer

Alcohol itself appears in ordinary biblical life. Drunkenness is treated differently because intoxication affects judgment and self-control.

The warning becomes especially important when drinking leads to dangerous conduct or repeated harm within relationships.

The answer also needs to make room for people whose drinking has become dependence. A moral warning can identify the problem, while practical treatment can help the person change it. Christian repentance is compatible with medical care and with asking other people for help when sobriety has become difficult to maintain.

Repeated drunkenness should be treated as a pattern rather than as a series of unrelated accidents. The person can examine where drinking begins and what makes stopping difficult. A realistic plan may involve new social routines or support from people who understand dependence.

Related free study: Am I Going to Hell for Drinking Alcohol?.

Study This Question in More Depth

For a complete study connected with Is Getting Drunk a Sin?, see IS IT A SIN? Straight Answers for Real Questions About Right, Wrong and Christian Conviction (available to our members also).

The Extra Study below looks at the biblical texts, practical boundaries and what change can look like when drinking has become difficult to control.