Topical Bible: Wine in Skins (Rv)

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Introduction:
The imagery of wine in skins is a significant metaphor found in the New Testament, particularly in the teachings of Jesus Christ. This metaphor is used to illustrate the transformative nature of the Gospel and the necessity of new structures to accommodate new spiritual realities. The concept is rooted in the cultural practices of the time, where wine was commonly stored in animal skins.

Biblical Context:
The primary reference to wine in skins is found in the Synoptic Gospels. In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus states: "Neither do people pour new wine into old wineskins. If they do, the skins will burst; the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined. No, they pour new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved" (Matthew 9:17). Similar accounts are found in Mark 2:22 and Luke 5:37-38.

Cultural Background:
In ancient times, wine was stored in skins made from animal hides, typically goats. These wineskins were flexible and could expand as the wine fermented. However, old wineskins, having already been stretched, would become brittle and unable to accommodate the expansion of new wine, leading to bursting and loss of both the wine and the skin.

Theological Significance:
The metaphor of wine in skins is rich with theological implications. It underscores the radical nature of Jesus' message and the Kingdom of God. The "new wine" represents the new covenant brought by Christ, characterized by grace, forgiveness, and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. The "old wineskins" symbolize the old covenant, with its legalistic and ritualistic structures that were insufficient to contain the dynamic and expansive nature of the Gospel.

Jesus' teaching emphasizes the need for renewal and transformation. Just as new wine requires new wineskins, the new life in Christ necessitates a transformation of heart and mind. This transformation is not merely an external adherence to religious practices but an internal renewal that aligns with the new covenant's principles.

Practical Application:
For believers, the metaphor serves as a call to embrace the new life offered through Christ fully. It challenges individuals and communities to evaluate whether their spiritual practices and structures are conducive to the work of the Holy Spirit. It encourages openness to change and growth, ensuring that one's faith is vibrant and capable of accommodating the ongoing work of God.

Conclusion:
The imagery of wine in skins is a powerful reminder of the transformative power of the Gospel. It calls for a departure from rigid, outdated structures and an embrace of the new life in Christ. As believers seek to live out their faith, they are encouraged to be like new wineskins—flexible, open, and ready to be filled with the new wine of the Spirit.

Nave's Topical Index

Joshua 9:4,13
They did work wilily, and went and made as if they had been ambassadors, and took old sacks on their asses, and wine bottles, old, and rent, and bound up;
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Job 32:19
Behold, my belly is as wine which has no vent; it is ready to burst like new bottles.
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Matthew 9:17
Neither do men put new wine into old bottles: else the bottles break, and the wine runs out, and the bottles perish: but they put new wine into new bottles, and both are preserved.
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Luke 5:37,38
And no man puts new wine into old bottles; else the new wine will burst the bottles, and be spilled, and the bottles shall perish.
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Library

Matt. Ix. 9
... It will be sufficient to refer to the RV, and to note a few verbal changes.--R.].
[1290] Matthew 9:17: [RV, "wine-skins." Comp. the next paragraph.]. ...
/.../chrysostom/homilies on the gospel of saint matthew/homily xxx matt ix 9.htm

The Controversy Concerning Fasting
... of the Pharisees fast, but Thy disciples fast not?" Mark 2:18 (RV) ... strong new feelings
break through them, "and the wine perisheth, and the skins." In this ...
/.../chadwick/the gospel of st mark/chapter 2 18 the controversy concerning.htm

Matt. xii. 46-49.
... not even so much care as others show towards their wine skins, are these ... shouldest
fill it up to the very mouth, with wine turned sour ... 1. [RV, "On that day," etc ...
/.../homilies on the gospel of saint matthew/homily xliv matt xii 46-49.htm

Against Jovinianus.
... of the Lord were cast down into the vale of tears, and sewed skins together to ... Apostle
says, [4357] "It is good not to eat flesh, nor to drink wine." For wine ...
/.../jerome/the principal works of st jerome/against jovinianus.htm

Letter cxxv. To Rusticus.
... His rough garb, his girdle made of skins, his diet of locusts and ... The sons of Jonadab,
we are told, drank neither wine nor strong drink ... [3425] Isaiah 34:5, RV. ...
/.../jerome/the principal works of st jerome/letter cxxv to rusticus.htm

Letter xxii. To Eustochium.
... For many women, while temperate as regards wine, are intemperate in the use of food ...
paradise of virginity he desires to clothe us with mantles of skins such as ...
/.../jerome/the principal works of st jerome/letter xxii to eustochium.htm

Rom. vi. 5
... drunkard knows not how disgustful the stale wine is, but ... adorn a horse or wood-work,
or skins, or walls ... be rendered "united with" (as in RV)--literally "grown ...
/.../chrysostom/homilies on acts and romans/homily xi rom vi 5.htm

Letter cxxx. To Demetrias.
... covetous or heartless, one who cared for nothing but wine and money ... hair in fringes,
who use cosmetics to improve their skins and affect ... 3711] James 3:6, RV marg ...
/.../jerome/the principal works of st jerome/letter cxxx to demetrias.htm