1 Timothy 5:23 Meaning: When Love Says Drink Wine
Be no longer a drinker of water only, but use a little wine for your stomach’s sake and your frequent infirmities.
Drink no longer water, but use a little wine for thy stomach’s sake and thine often infirmities.
Be no longer a drinker of water, but use a little wine for thy stomach’s sake and thine often infirmities.
no longer be drinking water, but a little wine be using, because of thy stomach and of thine often infirmities;
Drink no longer only water, but use a little wine on account of thy stomach and thy frequent illnesses.
Meaning in one sentence
Why did Paul tell Timothy to stop drinking only water? This personal health tip reveals God's care for our bodies and a deeper freedom.
Context
Paul is writing to Timothy, a younger pastor he left in Ephesus to oversee the church there. By chapter 5, the apostle has been giving instructions about church discipline, how to handle accusations against elders, how to keep order in the congregation. Suddenly, in verse 23, he shifts gears. He tells Timothy to stop being a water-drinker and to use a little wine for his stomach and his frequent illnesses. Commentators have long puzzled over why this personal health note appears here. Some think Paul paused mid-sentence, remembering how hard Timothy works and how frail he is. Others see it as a practical continuation of the command to keep yourself pure, not through rigid rules, but through real wisdom that cares for the body God gave you to serve.
Key Words
Three Greek words carry the weight here. First, hudropoteō (water-drinker). This was more than a habit, it was an identity. In Greek culture, calling someone a water-drinker meant they were strict, self-denying, even unsociable. Timothy had likely taken a personal vow of abstinence as a way of keeping pure. Paul says that rule has served its time. Second, oinos (wine) is the ordinary word for fermented wine. Not grape juice, not a sweet syrup. Paul saw no need to find a substitute; what mattered was the purpose, health, not indulgence. And third, oligos (a little). That word is the anchor. Paul does not grant a license. He grants a measured freedom, the kind that says: God’s gifts, used gently, can be medicine for the body He loves.
How Christians Read This Verse
Across the centuries, Christians have read this verse differently. The Reformed tradition (Calvin, the Geneva Bible) saw it as a pastoral modification of Timothy’s ascetic tendency, a call to sanctified common sense, not a binding rule on all believers. The temperance movement within the Church of England interpreted it to mean total abstinence unless under medical advice, as the Cambridge Bible notes. Catholic and Orthodox traditions have generally accepted the moderate use of wine as part of God’s creation (Psalm 104:15), while also honoring monastic vows of abstinence. All traditions agree that this is a personal, medical recommendation, not a command for every Christian to drink wine.
A common misunderstanding
A common misreading is that this verse commands all Christians to drink alcohol, or at least permits it freely. In fact, Paul is writing to one man about one stomach problem. The word for “use” (chraō) implies taking something as a tool for a specific need. “A little” guards against excess. Timothy was not told to adopt a new lifestyle, only to stop the strict water-only rule that was hurting him. This is a medical prescription, not a dietary law for the whole church.
Living This Out
Maybe you have a rule you keep because it feels holy. You skip rest, refuse help, or deny yourself something ordinary because you think God wants that sacrifice. But what if He wants you to take care of yourself instead? This week, notice where your discipline has become a burden God never asked you to carry. Let yourself off the hook for one small thing, a proper meal, a night's sleep, a moment of rest. The freedom Paul gave Timothy is for you too: the freedom to receive God’s care through practical means.
Main takeaway: God’s wisdom sometimes gives us permission to care for our bodies, not just commands to deny them.
For Families
For ages 5, 8
Paul told his friend Timothy to drink a little wine for his tummy. He wanted Timothy to get better. God cares about your body too. When you are sick, you can ask your parents for medicine that helps you feel better.
For ages 9, 12
Timothy was a church leader who thought he had to be very strict with himself. He only drank water, even when it made him sick. Paul said that was too much. Sometimes a rule that seems holy can actually hurt you. God wants you to use wisdom. If you have a rule that makes you unhappy or unwell, it might be time to ask a trusted adult whether that rule is really from God. It’s okay to take care of yourself.
Questions People Ask
Why did Paul tell Timothy to drink wine for his stomach?
Timothy had a weak stomach and frequent ailments, likely made worse by his strict habit of drinking only water. The region's water could carry impurities that upset digestion. A little wine mixed with water was a common ancient remedy to help settle the stomach and prevent infection.
Does this verse mean Christians should drink alcohol?
Not as a universal command. The verse is a personal medical recommendation to one man for a specific health problem. It shows that the Bible does not forbid moderate use of alcohol, but it does not command every Christian to drink. Church tradition has varied on this point, and many Christians choose total abstinence for personal or cultural reasons.
Why does this verse appear in the middle of instructions about church discipline?
Commentators offer several explanations. The most common is that Paul, after telling Timothy to keep himself pure (verse 22), realized Timothy might take that too far into asceticism. So he interrupted himself to say: don't let purity become a rule that harms your health. The verse is a real-world example of the wisdom Paul wanted Timothy to use, not rigid, but compassionate.
What does the Greek word for 'use' here suggest?
The Greek verb chraō means to take something for a purpose, to employ it as a tool. It carries the sense of treating wine as a practical remedy, not a recreational indulgence. Combined with 'a little,' it reinforces that this is a measured, medicinal use, not a permission for excess.
Does this verse contradict Paul's other warnings about wine, like 'not given to wine' in 1 Timothy 3?
No. The warning in chapter 3 is about a pattern of life: being a drunkard or addicted to wine. Here Paul is prescribing a small amount for health. The same person can be 'not given to wine' in character while using a little as medicine. There is no contradiction between sobriety and careful, moderate use for a legitimate need.
For pastors & researchers
Greek interlinear, 8 commentaries & word study