Topical Bible: Wine: Consequence of Putting (When New), Into Old Bottles

◄ Wine: Consequence of Putting (When New), Into Old Bottles ►

Jump to: Torrey's • Library • Subtopics • Terms

Topical Encyclopedia

In biblical times, wine was a common beverage, often used in celebrations, religious ceremonies, and daily life. The process of winemaking involved fermenting grape juice, which would expand and release gases as it turned into wine. This natural process is central to understanding the metaphor used by Jesus in the Gospels regarding new wine and old wineskins.

The metaphor is found in the Synoptic Gospels, specifically in Matthew 9:17, Mark 2:22, and Luke 5:37-38. In the Berean Standard Bible, the passage from Matthew reads: "Neither do people pour new wine into old wineskins. If they do, the skins will burst; the wine will spill and the wineskins will be ruined. Instead, they pour new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved."

Cultural and Historical Context

In the ancient Near East, wineskins were typically made from animal hides, such as goat or sheep skin. These skins were pliable and could stretch to accommodate the fermentation process of new wine. However, as wineskins aged, they became brittle and lost their elasticity. Pouring new wine into old wineskins would result in the skins bursting due to the pressure of the fermentation gases, leading to the loss of both the wine and the wineskins.

Theological Implications

The metaphor of new wine and old wineskins is rich with theological significance. It illustrates the transformative nature of Jesus' teachings and the new covenant He was establishing. The old wineskins represent the established religious structures and traditions of Judaism, which were unable to contain the new, dynamic work of the Kingdom of God brought forth by Christ.

This teaching emphasizes the necessity of renewal and transformation. Just as new wineskins are required to hold new wine, so too must individuals and religious systems be open to change and renewal to fully embrace the message of the Gospel. The metaphor challenges believers to consider the flexibility and receptivity of their own spiritual lives and practices.

Practical Application

For contemporary believers, this teaching serves as a reminder of the importance of being open to the work of the Holy Spirit. It encourages a willingness to let go of rigid traditions and practices that may hinder spiritual growth and the advancement of God's Kingdom. The call is to embrace new ways of thinking and living that align with the transformative power of the Gospel.

In summary, the consequence of putting new wine into old wineskins is a vivid illustration of the need for spiritual renewal and adaptability. It underscores the importance of being receptive to the new life and teachings that Jesus offers, ensuring that both the message and the messenger are preserved and effective in their purpose.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

Matthew 2:22
But when he heard that Archelaus did reign in Judaea in the room of his father Herod, he was afraid to go thither: notwithstanding, being warned of God in a dream, he turned aside into the parts of Galilee:
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

Theological Reconstruction
... can never arise of regarding an event as taken out of its connection with nature,
in consequence of its ... The putting of new wine into old bottles is so often ...
/.../chapter iii theological reconstruction.htm

General Principles of Interpretation. 1 Since the Bible Addresses ...
... that ordinance, or to the consequence of eating ... In the Old Testament we have the
two ... maxim respecting the necessity of putting new wine into new bottles (Matt.9 ...
/.../barrows/companion to the bible/chapter xxxiv general principles of.htm

The Origin of Species.
... the attempt to force the generous new wine of Science ... parts, or atrophy of them,
in consequence of a ... Even putting aside the question whether Nature, acting as ...
/.../huxley/lay sermons addresses and reviews/xii the origin of species.htm

The Close of the Theban Empire --(Continued)
... part these strikes had no other consequence than a ... the homage of the inhabitants,
and putting such of ... daily coming with acclamations, and felt new life during ...
/.../chapter ithe close of the.htm

Psalm LXXVIII.
... of the first-born things, is the putting off of ... it were of the heavenly wrath; the
consequence will be ... sleeping, like a mighty man drunken with wine." No one ...
/.../augustine/exposition on the book of psalms/psalm lxxviii.htm

A Treatise of the Fear of God;
... heard the word of the Lord, his belly trembled, and rottenness entered into his
bones. ... Doubtless there is; for there is no new thing""The thing that hath been ...
/.../bunyan/the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/a treatise of the fear.htm

The Eighteenth Theban Dynasty --(Continued)
... the Delta, to the wines of Syria, to palm wine and various ... and the vigour of his
attacks, while putting an end ... Naharaim was not so much to add new provinces to ...
/.../chapter ithe eighteenth theban dynastycontinued.htm

Memoir of John Bunyan
... have been surprising, had he been called to bottle a cask of new wine, if he had
refused to use old wine bottles; or had he cast a loaf into the neighbouring ...
/.../bunyan/the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/memoir of john bunyan.htm

The Doctrine
... Who, and how men are actually brought into the new covenant.11. ... The privileges of
the new covenant.13. ... A use of examination about the old covenant.15. ...
/.../bunyan/the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/the doctrine.htm

The Holy War,
... the next place, he bethinks himself of new-modelling the ... so he does, setting up one,
and putting down another ... as at first, and so by consequence defiled, but ...
/.../bunyan/the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/the holy war.htm