Bruce Michael
Well-Known Member
Hi all,
I want to make some comments about the wine in skins.
"No one puts new wine into old wine-skins; if he does the wine will burst the skins..... "
(Matt. 9: 17, Mk. 2: 22; Lk. 5: 37, 8)
The information comes from "Alcohol & the Scriptures" by Edith A.Kerr:
The usual explanation of this parable that new skin-bags were used in order to resist the expansive force of the gas generated by the fermentation does not meet the facts of the case.
For fermentation, grapes were put in vats open to the air even as they are today. The expansive force liberated by grape juice is enormous. "Must", that is, the crushed grapes, is one-fifth glucose. This in fermentation develops 47 times its volume of carbon dioxide which if confined would exert a pressure equivalent to that of 34.3 atmospheres (one atmosphere 15 lbs.). This is equal to about 500 lbs. to the square inch, or a pressure exerted by a modern pressure boiler, or three times the pressure of an average steam raising boiler.
Wine in its first fermentation, if poured into bottles, be they of ox or hog, would burst the skins however new and strong.
That was a fact well known over the centuries in Palestine. "Behold my belly, is as wine which hath no vent," we read in Job 32:19. "Like new bottles it is ready to burst."
The dried skin bottles used in the time of our Lord were however admirably suited to the purpose of preventing fermentation. With their seams well pitched with tar to exclude the air with its yeast spores, fermentation could not take place. It was imperative that new, perfectly
clean skins be used as any dregs left clinging to the inside of the old skin would soon set up a ferment sufficient to ruin the "new wine" being poured in, and burst the bottles.
"New wine" is the translation here of the Greek words "oinos neon" which is equivalent to the Hebrew "tirosh" indicating that the fresh juice of the grapes is being indicated.
All this was common knowledge to his listeners, hence it is clear that when Jesus said, "Fresh skins for new wine", he was not primarily concerned with the matter of the quality of wine, whether alcoholic or otherwise. It was not the nature of the wine he was thinking of, but the
necessity of keeping his new teaching pure from the corroding ferment of the conservatism and self-righteousness of the Pharisees. A "fresh skin", a new attitude, was required for the "new wine" of the Gospel."
"The Romans were ignorant of distilled liquors and the wines they were in the habit of drinking were generally of low alcoholic content."
"In natural wines the alcohol content ranges between 4 and 12 percent."
"Wine" in the Bible can refer to fresh juice, a boiled down cordial, or even raisin cakes.
-Br. Bruce
I want to make some comments about the wine in skins.
"No one puts new wine into old wine-skins; if he does the wine will burst the skins..... "
(Matt. 9: 17, Mk. 2: 22; Lk. 5: 37, 8)
The information comes from "Alcohol & the Scriptures" by Edith A.Kerr:
The usual explanation of this parable that new skin-bags were used in order to resist the expansive force of the gas generated by the fermentation does not meet the facts of the case.
For fermentation, grapes were put in vats open to the air even as they are today. The expansive force liberated by grape juice is enormous. "Must", that is, the crushed grapes, is one-fifth glucose. This in fermentation develops 47 times its volume of carbon dioxide which if confined would exert a pressure equivalent to that of 34.3 atmospheres (one atmosphere 15 lbs.). This is equal to about 500 lbs. to the square inch, or a pressure exerted by a modern pressure boiler, or three times the pressure of an average steam raising boiler.
Wine in its first fermentation, if poured into bottles, be they of ox or hog, would burst the skins however new and strong.
That was a fact well known over the centuries in Palestine. "Behold my belly, is as wine which hath no vent," we read in Job 32:19. "Like new bottles it is ready to burst."
The dried skin bottles used in the time of our Lord were however admirably suited to the purpose of preventing fermentation. With their seams well pitched with tar to exclude the air with its yeast spores, fermentation could not take place. It was imperative that new, perfectly
clean skins be used as any dregs left clinging to the inside of the old skin would soon set up a ferment sufficient to ruin the "new wine" being poured in, and burst the bottles.
"New wine" is the translation here of the Greek words "oinos neon" which is equivalent to the Hebrew "tirosh" indicating that the fresh juice of the grapes is being indicated.
All this was common knowledge to his listeners, hence it is clear that when Jesus said, "Fresh skins for new wine", he was not primarily concerned with the matter of the quality of wine, whether alcoholic or otherwise. It was not the nature of the wine he was thinking of, but the
necessity of keeping his new teaching pure from the corroding ferment of the conservatism and self-righteousness of the Pharisees. A "fresh skin", a new attitude, was required for the "new wine" of the Gospel."
"The Romans were ignorant of distilled liquors and the wines they were in the habit of drinking were generally of low alcoholic content."
"In natural wines the alcohol content ranges between 4 and 12 percent."
"Wine" in the Bible can refer to fresh juice, a boiled down cordial, or even raisin cakes.
-Br. Bruce
One cut and paste deserves another.
