Most American Christians have identified smoking or chewing tobacco as sinful, but what is the Biblical basis for this conclusion? There is no verse that says “Thou shalt not smoke.” So why should we think it’s morally wrong?
The two reasons I typically hear are related to (1) health and (2) addiction. Regarding health, the verse appealed to is often 1 Corinthians 3:17 in which Paul says God will destroy those who defile the temple of God. The temple is understood to be the human body, so anything that destroys the human body is sinful. I’m not convinced this is the right interpretation of the verse, but let’s run with it for the sake of argument. There’s no question that smoking cigarettes is not good for the body. It’s unhealthy and thus unwise, but is this enough to warrant considering it sinful? How many other things do we consume that are unhealthy for us? Are we prepared to call too much consumption of chocolate, ice cream, soda, red meat, and the like sinful as well? These are also unhealthy when consumed too much. One may object that while these things are unhealthy, they do not typically kill the person who consumes them. That may be true of each item individually, but not necessarily as a whole. A person who consumes too much sugar, fat, etc. often develops diseases such as diabetes or cancer, and some die as a result. If we’re not prepared to consider it a sin to eat too much ice cream or drink too much soda, then why are we so quick to consider smoking a sin? Perhaps we should consider both to be sin, but I doubt most would see it that way (you can pry my ice cream container away from my cold, dead hands!!).
Regarding addiction, Paul speaks of not allowing himself to be brought under the power of anything (1 Cor 6:12). This broadly covers the area of addiction. We should not allow ourselves to become addicted to anything. No matter what we do, we should always be controlling it rather than it controlling us. Seeing that nicotine is addictive, it would follow that ingesting it is morally wrong. But if the principle is to avoid ingesting any addictive substance, what about caffeine? Caffeine is addictive. Just ask the person who tries to stop drinking caffeine products. They often experience withdrawal symptoms. And how many people can’t wake up without their coffee? Should we consider the drinking of coffee or soda to be sinful as well, then? One might counter that the levels of caffeine in coffee and soda are less than level of nicotine in cigarettes, making the former less addictive than the latter. Perhaps, but then shouldn’t we at least be preaching that too much coffee or soda is sinful (good luck trying to define how much is too much)? I’ve never heard that message! If the issue is moderation, then why not conclude that smoking in moderation is morally permissible as well? Why condemn smoking qua smoking?
I’m not pro-smoking. I would be more than happy if all tobacco was eliminated from the face of the earth tomorrow. But my preferences don’t matter. If I’m going to tell a convert to Christianity that s/he needs to quit smoking because it’s sinful (as opposed to unwise), I need to have good Biblical justification for it. At present, I’m not convinced the Biblical principles we commonly appeal clearly apply to smoking (at least in moderation). I’m not convinced we are consistently applying those principles either. We condemn smoking while we allow other things that are unhealthy and addictive. One could argue that the way to rectify this inconsistency is to consider certain amounts or all sugar, caffeine, and the like to be just as sinful as smoking. Perhaps, but if we think that conclusion is ridiculous, then we need to ask ourselves what makes smoking any different.
I would love to hear your thoughts on the matter.
February 7, 2017 at 11:57 am
I go with G.K. Chesterton’s take on the subject in which he said “In Catholicism, the pint, the pipe and the Cross can all fit together.” and the following extrapolation found on Tumblr: ‘Indeed, they can, and they must. It is ironic that Christians who think all drinking is drunkenness and all smoking is vice are those who think Jesus suffered and died so that we do not have to. It is no surprise that Christians who believe in redemptive suffering have a happy and holy indifference to alcohol and tobacco. As Chesterton said, “Probably the worst way to drink is to drink medicinally. Certainly the safest way to drink is to drink carelessly; that is, without caring much for anything, and especially not caring for the drink.” For it is equally the puritan and the pagan who think too much about drinking and smoking; most likely because they forget Christ’s first public miracle was the turning water into wine, and His perpetual memorial is the turning of wine into His Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity. The Catholic – whether he is a formal member of the Catholic Church or not – is the kind of Christian who accepts the pint, the pipe and the Cross. For though neither of them are good for the body, they are all good for the soul.’ (Found here: http://sword-meets-rose.tumblr.com/post/11211662460/watchmepainttherain-deactivated-gk-chesterton)
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February 7, 2017 at 12:11 pm
I’m not sure I follow Chesterton’s line of reasoning there. How does this argue for the morality of smoking?
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February 7, 2017 at 12:16 pm
Good post, thank you for sharing!
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February 7, 2017 at 1:44 pm
As a long time OP, I could not agree more. As a healthcare practitioner, I see early disease and death in my church from unhealthy diets; people who would never touch alcohol or tobacco. I certainly do not condemn people from the human weakness of undisciplined diets. Jesus said that what goes into a man’s mouth does not defile him. The Bible teaches against drunkenness and using chemicals to change your state of mind, which is often used to decrease an individual’s inhibitions so as to engage in sinful behavior. I think we can all agree that this is wrong. But that is not why people are smoking or drinking coffee. Jesus was not called a winebibber because He drank grape juice. But, he was not drunken either. Corinthian church members were eating and drinking excessively before the Lord’s supper and they were drunken. Paul was not correcting them because of the drink, but the excess of it. Seems like he would have made a statement here on the evils of alcohol if they were not supposed to even be drinking it. I am tired of losing out on people not fellowshipping with us because of these narrow viewpoints. These people then miss out on the positive things that we do have to offer. I really do not want to hear about the tobacco and alcohol demons any more than I want to hear about the sugar and fat demons. Good post.
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February 7, 2017 at 2:08 pm
Thanks James. My concern is that we distinguish between what is unwise and what is immoral. If the Bible doesn’t say smoking is immoral, and if Biblical principles do not clearly show smoking to be immoral, then we should not be declaring it as such. But that doesn’t mean we should be pro-smoking either. Most people do not just smoke one cigarette after dinner, or an occasional cigar with friends. Most abuse it. They become addicted, and it messes with their health and affects their ability to work in God’s kingdom. There are many good reasons to abstain from smoking, and I think it’s fine and good to provide those reasons to people in hopes that they will just stay away from it. It’s just a matter of how we approach the issue. I don’t want to call something sinful that the Bible does not, but neither do I want to promote a practice that is unwise merely because it is not immoral.
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February 7, 2017 at 3:58 pm
Agreed. The Apostle John wanted his people to “prosper and be in health.” Many of our people are not in health because of vices, and God wants better for us. I wish that no one I knew smoked and engaged in unhealthful behavior, and everyone would be in good health. Though our ministry promises healing to people suffering illness, not all, but some, are from poor lifestyle choices. I am not really seeing God intervening a whole lot in this area. Their lives tend to go the natural way. Yes, let’s approach it wisely; but making only certain vices a heaven or hell issue is not wise or scriptural. I am convinced God can and will save us by true faith.
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February 7, 2017 at 7:09 pm
I’m sure most Christians would agree that suicide is a sinful act; but what about gradual suicide?
Every cigarette a man smokes reduces his life by 11 minutes. Each carton of cigarettes thus represents a day and a half of lost life. Every year a man smokes a pack a day, he shortens his life by almost 2 months.
Source: University of California, Berkeley Wellness Letter, April 2000
Joh 10:10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.
Since it is God’s will to give us abundant life, would it not be sinful to willfully do anything to oppose His purpose? As you suggested sugar has been shown to lead to diabetes, heart disease, stroke, etc.
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February 7, 2017 at 8:12 pm
Is smoking sin? From a technical standpoint I would say no. From a practical standpoint, however, I understand why we would equate it with sin.
Your post asks the following questions: “How many other things do we consume that are unhealthy for us? Are we prepared to call too much consumption of chocolate, ice cream, soda, red meat, and the like sinful as well?”
To this I answer “Yes!” It’s called the sin of GLUTTONY (Deut 21:20-21, Prov 23:20-21, Num 11:31-34, Philippians 3:18-19). Another sin of excess (and also mentioned in the first two scriptural references above) is drunkenness. Galatians 5:21 even includes drunkenness among those things that will not inherit the kingdom of God.
I’m not sure that smoking was a thing in Biblical times, which may be why the scriptures don’t address it. But I do see parallels between gluttony, drunkenness, and smoking. All three bring temporary pleasure (feel good while doing them), but all three also bring physical destruction in the long term. Repeated gluttony contributes to heart disease. Repeated drunkenness can lead to liver disease. Repeated smoking leads to lung disease. None are ultimately good for you, but all bring temporary satisfaction to our flesh.
The difference with smoking is that it is incredibly addictive. I noticed in your post that you narrowed the question of morality to “smoking in moderation.” Due to its addictive qualities, I find that phrase to be a bit of an oxymoron. While it may be technically possible to smoke in moderation, it’s not what normally happens. People are typically either non-smokers or addicted smokers. (I do realize there are some people who don’t smoke cigarettes but may have an occasional cigar. I would find something like that difficult to call it sin.)
Put another way, you can eat (we all have to in order to survive) — and even eat some chocolate or ice cream — but still be basically healthy. It’s not common, however, to smoke and still be healthy. Just ask health & life insurance providers who will often charge higher rates to smokers.
When you break up the discussion into two separate arguments on (1) health and (2) addiction, I see how you can decide that smoking is not sin. Smoking is unhealthy, but lots of foods that we eat are unhealthy too. Smoking is addictive, but so is caffeine. But I’m not sure you should break up the argument that way. What might equate smoking with sin is that it is simultaneously BOTH unhealthy AND addictive. Ice cream is generally unhealthy but not technically addictive. Caffeine is addictive, but a cup of coffee every morning isn’t generally considered unhealthy (in fact, caffeine in moderation has been shown to have health benefits.) The problem with smoking is that it is BOTH unhealthy and addictive. It’s hard to do it at all without ultimately causing harm to your body.
If gluttony and drunkenness are both sin, it doesn’t seem much of a leap to call smoking a sin. An occasional smoke may not technically be sin, but due to its addictive properties smoking will likely not stay “in moderation.” It will become excessive much like gluttony and drunkenness. It’s not much of a leap then to generalize that smoking is basically sinful.
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February 7, 2017 at 9:02 pm
Thinking about this a bit more, I think I may have overstated the importance of health in the discussion of smoking as sin.
Gluttony and drunkenness are both sin, but I don’t think they are necessarily sin because they can cause long-term health problems. They are sin because they are both an overindulgence in the flesh. They are essentially the opposite of fasting, where we bring the flesh under subjection and draw closer to God.
When talking about smoking, could it be sin because of how it becomes an overindulgence in the flesh? I think you’re right that an occasional smoke is not sin, but how often do you see an occasional smoker?
On the other hand, I don’t want to say that someone addicted to cigarettes is “in sin” simply because he tried to smoke in moderation (perhaps succumbing to peer pressure) and accidentally became hooked and now can’t quit. I can see an argument where he’s not “indulging the flesh” by smoking a pack a day, but that he’s doing it simply from the compulsion of an addiction he does not want.
I guess I’m talking myself out of the “smoking is sin” argument.
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February 8, 2017 at 12:00 am
Yet on the other hand, I’m not sure we should use addiction as an excuse for excess.
Paul explained in Romans 7:15-25 that that which he wants to do he doesn’t do and that which he hates is what he ends up doing. “Now if I do what I will not to do, it is no longer I who do it, but SIN that dwells in me” (v.20). He then talks about being brought into captivity to the law of sin before saying “O wretched man that I am!” (v.24). He then thanks God that he can be delivered through Jesus Christ our Lord! (v.25).
I guess my point is that doing something you don’t want to do (including due to addiction) doesn’t keep it from being sinful. In fact, being subject to an addiction of the flesh may itself be sinful.
Going back to the ice cream analogy, a bowl of ice cream isn’t sin. But having ice cream after breakfast, lunch, and dinner — as well as snacks in between meals — and doing so day after day, well… that might be gluttony.
It’s not just how much or how often you do something though. It’s doing something frequently or in great amounts due to the pleasure that it brings to your flesh (i.e. overindulgence).
In summary, smoking a single cigarette is not a sin. But since most smokers won’t or can’t stop there due to the way it makes them feel, it becomes excessive and ends up being a sin for most people.
But thank God that He can redeem us!
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February 8, 2017 at 6:46 am
Smoking is not a sin any more than going to McDonald’s is a sin. This is a health issue. Surely God wants what’s best for us but it’s up to us to exercise self control, a fruit of the Spirit, to avoid excess in anything.
There is a lot of freedom in the Christian life but we need to exercise wisdom with what we do with respects to our health.The sin issue has already been dealt with so trying to determine what’s technically a sin and what’s not is not very fruitful and can lead to a different kind of bondage that’s much worse than cigarettes.
Naz
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February 8, 2017 at 9:54 am
After reading some posts above I have a comment on the notion of “it’s not in the bible” ….
We are not legislated by the bible but by the Holy Spirit. We don’t need words written on a page to direct our actions. I am not saying the bible is not useful but it is not our guide for daily living, the Spirit of Christ that dwells in us is our guide for daily living.
If we rely only on the written word for all wisdom and direction we are not walking by the Spirit and will have trouble and be confused in this life. The world is not always black and white, sometimes there are many shades of grey and no book is going to help you with that. You need to trust the new heart God has given you.
Naz
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February 8, 2017 at 10:20 am
TR:
Chesterton’s line of reasoning, I believe, is that smoking and drinking is neither moral nor immoral, but amoral.
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February 8, 2017 at 10:21 am
Don, I’ll take your statistics for granted. But what would be the effect of sugar on one’s life extension? For every can of coke they drink, they shorten their life by X minutes? Let’s say I could show it was 4 or 5 minutes. Would that be enough to declare that drinking soda is a sin, even in moderation? Would food become a new area of Christian sanctification? Where would that be in Scripture? I understand the principle of not doing things that knowingly harm your body, but there are all sorts of things we do that knowingly harm our body. Does anyone think that chips, Doritos, Taco Bell, soda, ice cream, Oreos, etc. are good for our bodies? Of course not. But we eat them because we enjoy them. Is that sinful? If we aren’t prepared to say it’s sinful, then how could we say smoking in moderation is sinful?
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February 8, 2017 at 10:22 am
Jegan, gluttony is excessive eating. That is not the same thing as unhealthy eating. I could have a diet consisting exclusively of soda and ice cream, consuming small amounts of each. That would not be gluttony – just stupidity.
You seem to say that smoking cannot be done in moderation because of its addictive qualities. But the same could be said of alcohol. It’s addictive, and yet there are people who only drink it once in a while, or that regularly drink small amounts (e.g. wine at dinner) without becoming addicted. So it’s not true that smoking entails addiction. Ask the many men who smoke cigars socially with their male friends at cigar shops. They do not do it regularly. They are not addicted. I agree with you that many people do become addicted. For that reason, I am all for encouraging people to stay away from it completely. But that is not sufficient to say that tobacco consumption itself is immoral. The immorality factor concerns the amount consumed (just like alcohol).
I disagree that food is not both unhealthy and addictive. Sugar has been proven to be physically addictive (and emotionally addictive as well). I’ll be the first to confess my ice cream addiction. I eat it every night.
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February 8, 2017 at 10:22 am
Naz, perhaps your brevity obscures your point, but I cannot agree with you that the Bible is not our guide for daily living. Perhaps you just meant to say that it is not our only guide because we also have the Holy Spirit. If so, I agree. But I think what we often call the leading of the Holy Spirit for moral matters is really just our conscience, and our conscience is not an infallible guide for morality because the conscience is “programmed” by our prior beliefs. That’s why the conscience of those who have been taught to believe that having a beard is sinful will feel “conviction” if their facial hair gets too long, while those who have not thought deeply enough about what “stealing” means have no conviction at all about buying bootleg DVDS and downloading free music. But I do think that when it comes to issues not spelled out clearly in Scripture, that we must allow people to be guided by their own conscience – providing that we all work towards properly informing our conscience as well.
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February 8, 2017 at 10:25 am
I smoke a pipe, specifically because it allows me to be an “occasional” smoker. I smoke no more than seven pipe bowls of tobacco a week. Many times much less. Also, unlike smoking cigarettes, smoking a pipe correctly, does not involve inhaling the smoke, therefore I’m not taking minutes off my life with each puff. There is still ingestion of nicotine, but there are reports that this provides a prophylactic effect against Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s. There is also a Surgeon General’s report that shows pipe smokers actually living longer than non-smokers. So by some people’s “slow suicide” logic, you are sinning if you don’t smoke a pipe.
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February 8, 2017 at 10:36 am
“I’m not sure I follow Chesterton’s line of reasoning there. How does this argue for the morality of smoking?”
Maybe it argues for the moral neutrality of smoking and that those who argue so vehemently against it in all its forms are guilty of creating “false devils” instead of practicing moderation in all things. Are cigarettes bad and designed to addict people to nicotine? Yes, probably. But that doesn’t mean that all tobacco use is bad or that use of tobacco can’t be practiced in moderation for pleasure and enjoyment. But to so many anti-tobacco purists, all tobacco is poison and evil, and those who use it sinful and/or stupid. I don’t agree.
Chesterton also said: “Idolatry is committed, not merely by setting up false gods, but also by setting up false devils; by making men afraid of war or alcohol, or economic law, when they should be afraid of spiritual corruption and cowardice. The Moslems say, ‘There is no God but God.’ The English Moslems, the abstainers, have to learn to remember also that there is no Satan but Satan.”
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February 8, 2017 at 10:48 am
Jason, I understand your point but I must say that we underestimate the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives in making decisions for daily living. You may want to dismiss this as conscience but keep in mind if we believe God had given us a new heart and a new spirit then a radical change has been made our lives. It’s not just some head knowledge about the resurrection but a life exchange where Christ has given us His life in exchange for our old self. I think many if not most Christians don’t really believe this which leads us to rely more heavily on other things, whether its the written word or teachers/preachers. The question is what does your heart say ?
I don’t want to dismiss the written word but we still need the Spirit to help us even decipher what it means as well. We are called to grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord. I think this happens not only by life experience but by properly dividing the Word through the help of the Holy Spirit. So again, I’m not dismissing the scripture but just showing the preeminence of the Spirit, who is Christ, in all things.
Naz
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February 8, 2017 at 10:56 am
Tim, I agree with you, well said.
I occasionally drink a beer with dinner and I don’t have a drinking problem.
I used to be in a church where drinking beer or any alcohol was considered evil and sinful.
Mat 15:16 And Jesus said, Are ye also yet without understanding?
Mat 15:17 Do not ye yet understand, that whatsoever entereth in at the mouth goeth into the belly, and is cast out into the draught?
Mat 15:18 But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man.
Naz
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February 8, 2017 at 1:28 pm
When talking about smoking and drinking, some people call that “sin”, but that is not sin and has nothing to do about morals. In the first place Jesus said of John the Baptist and himself and then what what others said of John and himself: For John the Baptist came neither eating bread nor drinking wine, and you say, ‘He has a demon!’ The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and you say, ‘He’s a glutton and a drunkard…….”
Most people understand the definition of sin as in 1 John 3:4 “Sin is the transgression of the Law.” But that is merely according to the Law which is not the real definition of the sin. And not really what John meant. What he really meant to say was that sin is a lifestyle, a way of life, a habit, that is opposed to righteous behavior—not merely the breaking of just one point of the law. John was talking about a way of life.
To understand what sin really is you have to turn to Jesus to get the real definition of Sin and approach sin from a different perspective than merely “transgression of the law”
You see the sinlessness of the Lord Jesus was not that he didn’t tell lies, though he never did; the sinlessness of the Lord Jesus was not that he did not steal though he never stole; the sinlessness of the Lord Jesus was not that he did not commit adultery, though he never did. The sinlessness of the Lord Jesus as man was that he never ever allowed there to be at any time any possible explanation for anything he ever did, said or was but the father as God in the man. That was his sinlessness. That was his way of life and without the understanding that way of life, you are at a disadvantage about understanding the nature of sin.
A rich young ruler came and said “Good Master” and the Lord Jesus immediately said “Why do you call me good”. There is only one who is good, God. So please don’t congratulate me, all I am doing, as man, is allowing my Father, in me, to be as good as God is.
So when you look at me, allowing him to be who he is, doing as he pleases, clothing his divine activity with my humanity; when you look at me, you see him. Don’t call me good. I’m simply, as man, discharging that office for which I made man, to give a physical visible representation of an invisible self intimately identified with an invisible God and my Father who lives in me, he does the work, what I do he does, what I say he says, what I am he is, so when you look at me, you see him. Sin and sinlessness depends on how you behave; or rather, not just merely behaving but the motive (modus operandi) governing your behavior. Simple isn’t it?
So now you know what sin is and and what sin is not, not simply the transgression of the Law. Which is why picking corn on the Sabbath was now a sin for Jesus or his disciples. Intent may be 100% sin or 100% sinlessness.
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February 8, 2017 at 1:53 pm
TR: Is smoking sinful?
Paul brings up another perspective:
Rom 14:22 -23 The faith that you have, keep between yourself and God. Blessed is the one who has no reason to pass judgment on himself for what he approves. 23 But whoever has doubts is condemned if he eats/smokes, because the eating/smoking is not from faith. For whatever does not proceed from faith is sin.
In other words, a man should not do a thing doubting its correctness; he should have a strong conviction that what he does is right; and that if he has “not” this conviction, it is sinful. It seems likely that a person could have strong convictions that smoking in moderation would be permissible.
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February 8, 2017 at 3:32 pm
Should we consider stewardship ? God has given us the precious gift of Life, and a purpose to fulfill . To be aware that 50% of smokers will die around 15 years earlier than nonsmokers and to willfully start or keep smoking , isn’t that more than just being unwise? God has given us life and we by our actions are saying we don’t really value the life and the purpose / mission He has given us to fulfill . We say we give our all to God, we give ourselves to thee, we lay our life’s down as it were on the altar and say here I am Lord use me, then light up knowing that there is much that needs to be done in the kingdom and that we are taking years off our precious God given life . How much could a fervent follower accomplish in ten or fifteen years? Being an example, encouraging others, sharing Gospel, volunteering for good causes etc etc
Wouldn’t a good steward be concerned with life, time, health more than some gratification that takes time, health and life away?
And of course as you pointed out this type of thinking would apply to other areas also, we all basically know what is a healthy diet and yet many choose to eat unhealthy foods as their main staple, without any regards to obesity , diabetes , mobility, bad joints, backs, headache , blindness, heart issues, and limb loss.
I am sure we have all seen a overweight Pastor preaching about smoking and drinking , while sweating up a storm and turning red in the face and wondering if he’s going to keel over with a heart attack. Sinner and Saint alike can see the irony in this.
Having said all that I would say that smoking is unwise and not being a good steward of Gods gift of Life, but is it a sin ? Not sure I would approach it from that angle.
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March 16, 2017 at 11:28 am
1 cor 6:12 , All things are lawful to me , but all things are not expedient : all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any. ……..still relevant today. The freedom of christ is a wonderful thing.
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June 23, 2017 at 2:17 pm
Smoking may very well destroy your lungs, but not dip. Gotta have that dip in my lip!
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September 4, 2017 at 12:22 am
Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit. If any man destroy the temple of God, him shall God destroy. For the temple of God is holy and that temple you are (1 Corinthians 3:16;6:19). My own uncle died for lung cancer because of smoking; my great grandfather died because of vicious smoking; my aunt died because of smoking marijuana (Indian Hemp). Another point, Paul said in 1 Timothy 4:2, “let no man despise your youth but be thou an example to the believers in word, conduct (behavior), love, spirit, purity and in doctrine.”
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September 4, 2017 at 1:25 pm
jerry:
One aspect of your comment is perhaps a clerical error or a typo as the saying goes.
1 Timothy 4:2 KJV states:
“2 Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron;…”
1 Timothy 4:12 is the correct reference for your quote; you missed the 1 in front of the 2:
“let no man despise your youth but be thou an example to the believers in word, conduct (behavior), love, spirit, purity and in doctrine”
The Message in context is:
“11-14 Get the word out. Teach all these things. And don’t let anyone put you down because you’re young. Teach believers with your life: by word, by demeanor, by love, by faith, by integrity. Stay at your post reading Scripture, giving counsel, teaching. And that special gift of ministry you were given when the leaders of the church laid hands on you and prayed—keep that dusted off and in use.”
Cheers…….
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September 6, 2017 at 1:21 pm
Jerry, smoking tobacco and smoking marijuana are very different issues. As for your relatives who died from smoking, clearly they violated the principles I set forth in the article. And as I noted, I think it’s wise to abstain from tobacco, but I think there is a way of partaking of it that is not sinful.
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January 7, 2018 at 9:35 am
I have ruminated over this often. My husband is a preacher and we’re home missions right now. We will be faced with defining behaviors for those coming into the Apostolic fold.
In my history, I was not always in the church. At 21 I was tormented in sin and God chose to lead me to the Apostolic/Pentecostal way of life. Prior to ever stepping foot in the door of a church, I was informed by a well-meaning friend of all the things that were considered sin, me not having a clue of anything the bible had to say on the matter.
I had a spiritual experience that changed my life. I went with a friend (who had only been in church a couple of months) to a home of someone who had been in church awhile and had fellowship and a general bible discussion about many things.
During that visit I can truly say I felt the power of God in the room. It felt like there was a wind in the house (I didn’t know what the bible said about a rushing mighty wind at all). We closed with prayer in which I was overcome with emotion and was crying. God spoke to me and said, stick with these people, they know what they are doing.
I was shaken, literally shaking for days, not sure from withdraw or emotion or deliverance. I got rid of everything my friend told me was sin, including never smoking another cigarette! I had tried within myself to quit before to no avail, but this time the fear of God was my motive. After all, my direction from God was to stick with them, they know what they are doing. Two days later I went to church faithfully.
When in church, I heard stories from my Pastor that he had an older gentleman in church who came a long time (years?, months?) and could I have ruminated over this often. My husband is a preacher and we’re home missions right now. We will be faced with defining behaviors for those coming into the Apostolic fold.
In my history, I was not always in the church. At 21 I was tormented in sin and God chose to lead me to the Apostolic/Pentecostal way of life. Prior to ever stepping foot in the door of a church, I was informed by a well-meaning friend of all the things that were considered sin, me not having a clue of anything the bible had to say on the matter.
I had a spiritual experience that changed my life. I went with a friend (who had only been in church a couple of months) to a home of someone who had been in church awhile and had fellowship and a general bible discussion about many things.
During that visit I can truly say I felt the power of God in the room. It felt like there was a wind in the house (I didn’t know what the bible said about a rushing mighty wind at all). We closed with prayer in which I was overcome with emotion and was crying. God spoke to me and said, stick with these people, they know what they are doing.
I was shaken, literally shaking for days, not sure from withdraw or emotion or deliverance. I got rid of everything my friend told me was sin, including never smoking another cigarette! I had tried within myself to quit before to no avail, but this time the fear of God was my motive. After all, my direction from God was to stick with them, they know what they are doing. Two days later I went to church faithfully.
When in church, I heard stories from my Pastor that he had an older gentleman in church who came a long time (years?, months?) and could not get the the baptism of the holy ghost. He told him God would give it to him if he quit smoking. I can’t remember what happened, the quitting or the holy ghost but it ended up well, he was delivered.
As I have been in church now 30+ years, it does bother me that I just can’t point to scriptures stating this is sinful, wrong and you must give it up, but on the other hand, no one had to show me before I gave up smoking, drinking, cursing, fornication, lying, evil thoughts and such like. We’re dependent on the holy Spirit. And I listened to God who spoke to me.
Here’s an extra story for the chewer: 🙂
My pastor had a small work in Alabama where there was a certain woman who did not want to give up her chew as the pastor directed her to. One night she had a dream that the rapture took place and she was headed for a hole in the clouds. She had her chew in the front pocket of her blouse which got stuck on the cloud and prevented her from going any further. She finally gave it up the chew, thank God for dreams!
In our travels, we ended up going to a church that preached against social media and I had a Facebook account (for 5 years). So I puzzled over that awhile, but for the sake of good fellowship it was worth giving up, though I feel that I can argue that I did nothing wrong on it, and it was not a sin. I was never under any of this fellowship as a saint in the church, no pastor told me I had to give it up so I would not have been in rebellion against authority keeping it (quiet as not to cause division/confusion).
Fellowship is important. As Apostolic/Pentecostal churches go, having your congregation full of non-smokers and non-addicted smokers? Would it be okay to light one up outside the church after a service? Would Jesus smoke? If you are not addicted, why smoke at all? It has many signs of being a work of the flesh. Does your spirit need it? If you are not addicted why not give up for the sake of good fellowship, being a good example and for good health?
As for what the bible says about it, if it offends your brother, don’t do it. Follow peace with all men. If someone was in your church, a smoker delivered, would not that be offensive of them to see you smoke? With all the controversy over smoking, it is best for all concerned not to do it. Be the best example for everyone, your health will also benefit, does not matter if it is sin or not, you don’t need to smoke.
Thank you for your attention 🙂 I hope that was clear!
Blessings!
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January 7, 2018 at 1:35 pm
I think many people on the verge of a nervous breakdown have similar experiences when it comes to trying to figure out this belief system from the ancients. The sooner you get over it the better.
About smoking ….Smoking like most perceived sins is in the eye of the beholder. Yes the bible does say that if what you do offends your brother do do it deliberately so as to make your brother stumble but the the bible also says happy and blessed is s/he who does not condemn himself for what he allows. That is very personal.
If smoking or drinking or eating or listening to rap music offends your brother don’t hang out with your brother…that’s pretty simple too isn’t it?
Never worry about what other people tell you what your sins are, the self righteous do that as many times as they have the opportunity but trumps tries to batter others down so as to try and build themselves up; why? At the expense and pretense of others.
Don’t worry about getting you stuck by chew going in the hole of a cloud, be wary of those who believe you need salvation from them’ whatever salvation is to you that what it is to you not what it means for others…it’s a personal claim.
The problem with believers is that they believe there is a one-size that fits all and the one size is what they decide the one size to be. Clerics and preachers and pastors and prophets down through the ages have done that down through the generations and while their numbers are dwindling soon to be into total oblivion with the rest of former and/or future mythological belief systems.
If you don’t want to be badgered by the pastor, then hang out with people who live in a knowledge based system instead of someone living in a believe based system because they don’t know anything. That’s why they’re called believers. they don’t know things they just believe things. And the craziest things are to believe the better they love the chains they wrap themselves up with. They’re content in their nervous breakdowns, crying and comforted with other cry babies in the believers ilk.
Yu’ve got to walk that lonesome valley you’ve got to walk it by yourself, Nobody here can walk it for you,; you got to walk it by yourself.
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January 7, 2018 at 1:38 pm
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January 8, 2018 at 9:11 pm
Leo The Greater,
Thanks for the music 🙂 .
I perceive we are altogether of different beliefs and I am only coming from an Apostolic/Pentecostal perspective.
Rom 8:13 For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.
This is scripture no matter what biblical faith you are from. Mine defines smoking as a work of the flesh, if yours does not, that explains it.
I do not feel the need to answer all the questions you have posed or thoughts that you have presented due to answering them wouldn’t really accomplish any good thing. As for the quote below:
He that is convinced against his will is of the same opinion still.
I probably would have done a better service to all sticking to the main topic:
Most American Christians have identified smoking or chewing tobacco as sinful, but what is the Biblical basis for this conclusion? There is no verse that says “Thou shalt not smoke.” So why should we think it’s morally wrong?
In no way does smoking or chewing tobacco sow to the spirit, it is solely for the pleasure of the flesh.
Gal 6:8 For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.
Wishing God to bless you with all peace and comfort in the Holy Ghost!
Blessings to all!
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July 9, 2019 at 11:53 am
Jason, smoking is sinful because it directly frustrates the telos of the lungs which is to breathe. The human essence includes breathing oxygen to survive. Smoking directly damages the lungs which of course makes it more difficult for the lungs to perform their function. Destroying one’s lungs is a natural evil, and to choose to destroy one’s lungs is a moral evil. Consequently, smoking is sinful and should be abjured by all Christians.
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July 9, 2019 at 12:05 pm
Naz writes:
Jesus said:
John 12
48 He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day.
John 17
20 Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word;
1 John 2
3 And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments.
4 He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.
5 But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him.
How can His words judge us if we don’t know what those words are? And how can those words judge us unless we conform to them?
How can we believe on Him through the Apostles’ word if we don’t know what their words are? And if their word to us is the Bible (at least the New Testament), then it’s the Bible that instructs us how to believe on the Lord. Consequently, the “words written on a page” directly dictates the actions we should take if we want to be saved.
How can we keep His commandments if we don’t know what they are? How do you know the Spirit of Christ dwells in us and directs us contrary to His word? And if you insist that what the Spirit tells us cannot contradict His word, then your argument that His word “is not our guide” is unintelligible.
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July 9, 2019 at 12:09 pm
A sentence in Post 34 should be modified to read:
And how can those words judge us unless we can choose to either conform to or reject them?
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July 9, 2019 at 12:14 pm
I find the comparison to ice cream, Oreos, sugar, McDonalds, etc., to be entirely disanalogous. Unless one is directly eating poison, there is nonetheless food value in all of those things. Eating sugar treats or a burger/fries combo on occasion does not frustrate the telos of the body’s digestive tract. It does not impede the body’s ability to take in nourishment whereas smoking directly damages lung tissue and directly interferes with the ability to breathe.
Moreover, smoking is the deliberate breathing of a substance entirely inadequate for breathing and is a direct misuse of one’s lungs. The lungs are not designed to inhale smoke for any purpose, so it is the purposeful misuse of the body. Eating what many consider less-than-healthy foods does not commit that offense.
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