—OVERSIKT—
Drunkenness by alcohol and drugs are included in the Greek word methysos “a drunkard.” A person who has been drunk one time, two times, or five times is not a methysos. Only persons who are permeated by drunkenness, who are practicing this, can be classified as a methysos.
According to James 5:14-20, the committee of elders have no right to aske the sinner about his repentance requiring that ha can point to works indicating repentance. Repentance and remorse is an issue between God and the sinner and not between the elders and the sinner.
Only one question is relevant at the committee meeting: Has the brother stopped with his misuse of alcohol or drugs and asked Jehovah forgive him? If he confirms this, the elders must believe him and not disfellowship him. If he has not stopped, he should be disfellowshipped.
THE MEANING OF “AGENT NOUNS”
Paul discusses disfellowshipping offenses in 1 Corinthians 6:9, 10:
9 What! Do YOU not know that unrighteous persons will not inherit God’s kingdom? Do not be misled. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men kept for unnatural purposes, nor men who lie with men, 10 nor thieves, nor greedy persons, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit God’s kingdom.
We note that the disfellowshipping offenses are nouns and not verbs. Verbs show what persons do while nouns show what people are. All the disfellowshipping offenses are agent nouns, and Victionary defines “agent noun” in the following way:
(grammar) A noun that denotes an agent (human or nonhuman) that performs the action denoted by the verb from which the noun is derived, such as “rider” derived from “to ride, or “cutter” derived from “to cut”.
Some agent nouns are: “creator, counselor, dancer, gambler, jailer, preacher, swindler, teacher, editor,” and these show the occupation or the characteristics of the persons. Greek agent nouns are alieus (“fisherman”) that comes from the verb alieuō (“to fish”) and hiereus (“priest”) that comes from the verb hierateuō (“to serve as a priest”).
In order to illustrate the meaning of the agent nouns that are disfellowshipping offenses, I use pornēwhich is feminine form of pornos. All the Greek-English lexicons show that this word refers to a prostitute, a woman who has unlawful sexual intercourse as her occupation. This is confirmed in 1. Corinthians 6:15, where NWT13 translates pornē as “prostitute.” In a similar way, a pornos is not a man who has unlawful sexual intercourse one, two, or five times. But a pornos is a person whose life is centered around having unlawful sexual intercourse, a person who is permeated by these actions.
A kleptēs is not a person who has been stealing one, two, or five times. But John 12:6 says that Judas was a thief because “he used to steal money put in it [the contribution box].” The focus of this discussion is the agent noun methysos, which is not a person who has been drunk one, two, or five times, but a methysos is a person who practices drunkenness, a drunkard. The NV84 shows this with the rendering “drunkard.”
| A methysos is not a person who has been drunk one, two, or five times. But a methysos is one who is permeated with drunkenness, one who is a drunkard or an addict of hard drugs. |
The book for elders “Shepherd The Flock Of God” chapter 12, points 18 and 19, says regarding drunkenness:
- Drunkenness: (1 Cor. 5:11; 6:9, 10; it-1 p. 656; lvs pp. 20-21, 83) A judicial committee is required when there is a practice of drunkenness or a single incident of drunkenness that brings notoriety (w83 5/1 p. 8) A Scriptural description of drunkenness can be found in the following references: Job 12:25; Psalm 107:27; Proverbs 20:1; 23:29-35; Isaiah 24:20.
- If an individual confesses to an elder that on one occasion he overindulged in alcohol to the point of drunkenness in a private setting, such as in his home, and there is no notoriety, it may suffice for the elder to give strong counsel. In any case, the elder should inform the coordinator of the body of elders of the matter. (the author’s italics)
There are three sides of the issue of drunkenness that will be discussed:
- The Christian Greek Scriptures connect drunkenness with too much vine. Are other ways of becoming drunk included in this disfellowshipping offense?
- What does it mean to be a drunkard, to be permeated with drunkenness?
- Because drunkenness becomes a disease, how should drunkards who have been disfellowshipped be treated?
ARE DRUNKENNESS BY DRUGS INCLUDED IN THE VERBS METHYŌ AND METHYSKŌ?
The word methyō has the meaning “be intoxicated, be drunk,” (Mounce) and according to 1. Corinthians 6:10 a methysos (“a drunkard”) deserves to be disfellowshipped. It is important to understand what the verbs methyō and methyskō, both having the meaning “to be drunk,” include. Each of these verbs occurs four times in the Christian Greek Scriptures, and they are connected with oinos (“vine”).
The Hebrew word “beer” (shēkhār) occurs 16 times in the Hebrew Scriptures, including Mica 2:11. But there is no Greek word for “beer” in the Christian Greek Scriptures. It is possible to get drunk from drinking beer, and it is obvious that whether one gets drunk from vine or beer, this is included in the verbs methyō and methyskō (“be drunk”).
But there is more, the Greek writer Plotinus shows that someone became drunk from nectar, and that led to a mystical union with a god. (DNTT I, page 513) “Cretic vine” was made from opium and could cause intoxication:
The Romans used an opium-based drink called ‘cretic wine’ as a sleep aid, and also ‘mekonion’ from poppy leaves – which was less potent. The opium could be purchased as small tablets in specialist stalls in most marketplaces. In the city of Rome itself, Galen recommends a retailer just off the Via Sacra near the Forum.[1]
In the ancient world, there were other means to “get drunk” than by wine and opium, for example, by the use of the plant Henbane (hyoscyamus niger). An article discussing how ancient people used and abused drugs says regarding the use of Henbane:
Pliny described the effects of this plant as similar to drunkenness, when either breathed as smoke or ingested. It was typically taken as part of a cocktail of hallucinogenics for magical or medicinal purposes.[2]
The article also says:
There were more than a dozen ways of altering reality in the ancient world of the Mediterranean, but two drugs dominated – opium and hemp…There is a highly suggestive passage in Homer’s The Odyssey, in which Helen of Troy dopes wine with a drug “that took away painful memories and the bite of pain and anger. Those who took this drug dissolved in wine could not shed a tear even at the death of a parent. Indeed not even if his brother or son were put to the sword before his eyes.”
There can be no doubt that drinking vine, beer, nectar, and opium, that lead to drunkenness must be included in the Greek verbs methyō and methyskō (“be drunk”), and the same must be the case with the plant Henbane and a cocktail of hallucinogenics. Supporting this conclusion are the words of Paul in Ephesians 5:18:
Also, do not be getting drunk (methyskō) with wine, in which there is debauchery, (asōtia).
The noun asōtia has the meaning “behavior which shows lack of concern or thought for the consequences of an action — ‘senseless deeds, reckless deeds, recklessness.’ (Louw and Nida) This verse shows that the focus of methyskō is not on vine but on the result of drinking too much and become intoxicated. The same idea is seen in the descriptions of drunkenness in the Hebrew Scriptures:
Job 12:25
25 They grope in darkness, where there is no light. That he may make them wander about like a drunken man.
Psalm 107:27
27 They reel and move unsteadily like a drunken man, And even all their wisdom proves confused.
Proverbs 20:1
1 Wine is a ridiculer, intoxicating liquor is boisterous, and everyone going astray by is not wise.
Proverbs 23:29-35
29 Who has woe? Who has uneasiness? Who has contentions? Who has concern? Who has wounds for no reason? Who has dullness of eyes?30 Those staying a long time with the wine, those coming in to search out mixed wine.31 Do not look at wine when it exhibits a red color, when it gives off its sparkle in the cup, [when] it goes with a slickness,32 At its end it bites like a serpent, and it secretes poison just like a viper.33 Your own eyes will see strange things, and your own heart will speak perverse things. 34 And you will certainly become like one lying down in the heart of the sea, even one lying down at the top of a mast.35 “They have struck me, but I did not become sick; they have smitten me, but I did not know it. When shall I wake up? I shall seek it yet some more.”
Isaiah 24:20
20 The land absolutely moves unsteadily like a drunken man, and it has swayed to and fro and like a lookout hut.
The conclusion of this section is that the reckless actions of an intoxicated or drunk person is the reason why drunkeneess ia s disfellowshipping offense. This means that how a person becomes intoxicated is not the issue, but the fact that he becomes intoxicated with reckless deeds. Therefore, we have good reason to say that both being intoxicated from alcoholic beverages and from drugs are included in the verbs methyō and methyskō.
| Becoming drunk by vine, bear, or any other liquid, as well as becoming drunk by drugs are included in the Greek verbs methyō and methyskō. |
[1]. https://www.historyextra.com/period/ancient-history/ancient-drug-use-history-how-what-for-opium-hemp/.
[2]. Ibid.
HOW SHOULD A METHYSOS, A DRUNKARD BE TREATED?
The disfellowshipping decision made by a group of elders should be made on a “mechanical” reason. One of the definitions of “mechanical” by Merriam-Webster Dictionary is:
“done as if by machine: seemingly uninfluenced by the mind or emotions, of or relating to technicalities or petty matters.
There are two biblical requirements for disfellowshipping, 1): There must be two or three eyewitnesses to the disfellowshipping offense or a confession, and 2) The sinner must be practicing the disfellowshipping offense at the moment of the meeting with the elders. Point 1) is directly stated both in the Hebrew Scriptures and in the Christian Greek Scriptures. Point 2) is implied by the Greek word methysos “drunkard.” The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines “drunkard” as “one who is habitually drunk,” and Dictionary. com has the definition: “a habitual drinker of alcohol who is frequently intoxicated.”
How can these definitions be applied in the Christian congregation? The word methysos refers to a person who is a drunkard, not to one who was a drunkard, and a member of the congregation cannot on biblical grounds be disfellowshipped for what he was. But unfortunately, this is done on a grand scale at the dictate of the members of the Governing Body.
This means that if a person has misused alcohol or drugs for some time and has become habitually drunk, but tell the committee of elders that he has stopped drinking or using drugs and has asked Jehovah to forgive him, the elders cannot, from a biblical point of view, disfellowship this person. Must the elders accept the words of the brother? Absolutely! The Bible does not give the elders the right to consider whether the brother regrets his bad actions and has repented or whether he has so-called “works that benefit repentance.” This is something that the members of the Governing Body have invented contrary to the Bible. Regrets and remorse are something between the sinner and Jehovah, something that the elders have no right to consider.
HOW A MEETING OF A COMMITTEE OF ELDERS WITH A SINNER SHOULD OCCUR
We are not kept in the dark as to how Jehovah wants elders to act in connection with congregation members who have committed serious sins. Guidance of this is given in James 5:14-20:
14 Is there anyone sick (astheneō) among you? Let him call the elders of the congregation to him, and let them pray over him, applying oil to him in the name of Jehovah. 15 And the prayer of faith will make the sick (kamnō) one well (sōzō), and Jehovah will raise him up. Also, if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven.16 Therefore, openly confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, so that you may be healed (iaomai). A righteous man’s supplication has a powerful effect. 17 E·liʹjah was a man with feelings like ours, and yet when he prayed earnestly for it not to rain, it did not rain on the land for three years and six months. 18 Then he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain and the land produced fruit. 19 My brothers, if anyone among you is led astray from the truth and another turns him back,20 know that whoever turns a sinner back from the error of his way will save him from death and will cover a multitude of sins.
I will analyze the words of James. The Greek word in verse 14 that is translated as “sick” (astheneō), has according to Louw and Nida the meaning “to be sick; to be in a state of incapacity or weakness.” Please look at the two passages below:
2 Corinthians 13:9
9 We certainly rejoice whenever we are weak (astheneō) but you are powerful. And this is what we are praying for, your being
2 Corinthians 12:10
10 So I take pleasure in weaknesses (astheneia), in insults, in times of need, in persecutions and difficulties, for Christ. For when I am weak (astheneō), then I am powerful.
The verb astheneō occurs 32 times in the Christian Greek Scriptures. In most cases, it refers to sickness, but in 2 Corinthians 12:10 and 13:9, it refers to being weak. In 12:10, the noun “weakness” is found in addition. James also uses the verb kamnō in 5:15. According to Louw and Nida, the meaning of kamnō is “to be ill, with a possible implication of being worn-out or wasting away,” and Mounce has the meaning “to tire with exertion, labor to weariness.” The form is nominal (present active participle masculine singular), and NWT13 translates the word as “the sick one,” but it could have been translated as “the weak one.”
James used two verbs that both can refer to being sick, being weak, and being weary. Verse 15 has the verb (sōzō), which may throw some light on the issue. According to Louw and Nida, the verb sōzō means “to rescue from danger and to restore to a former state of safety and well-being; to cause someone to experience divine salvation.” According to Mounce, the meaning is “to save, rescue; to preserve safe and unharmed.” The verb sōzō occurs 99 times in the Christian Greek Scriptures, and in most instances, the meaning is “to save” in the religious sense of the word. James uses the word in 1:21; 2:14; 4:12; 5:20 in this sense, and therefore, it is likely that it also has the sense of “save” in 5:15.
In verse 16, the verb iaomai is used. NWT13 translates it as “may be healed.” According to Louw and Nida, the meaning is: “to cause someone to become well again after having been sick,” and Mounce has the meaning: “to heal, cure, Mt. 8:8; Lk. 9:2; met. to heal, spiritually, restore from a state of sin and condemnation.” The verb is used 26 times in the Christian Greek Scriptures, both regarding literal and spiritual healing.
Because James used the verb sōzō four times with the religious meaning of “save,” it is logical that he used this meaning in 5:15, with reference to what prayers will do. This means that the first clause in verse 14 with the verb astheneō may be translated as, “Is there anyone weak among you?” instead of “Is there anyone sick among you?” And the middle clause in verse 16 with the verb iaomai is better translated as, “that you may be restored” rather than “that you may be healed.”
The issue James is discussing is the restoration to a saved condition of a Christian who has become spiritually weak or wearied down.
There can be different reasons why a Christian becomes weak, including the committing of sins. James exhorts the Christians to “openly confess your sins to one another.” If a weak Christian had confessed his sins to the elders, what would they do? Would they say, “Have you repented your sins?” and “Do you have works that befit repentance?” No! They would not ask such questions, and they would not consider whether he had regretted his sins or not, and whether they could allow him to remain in the congregation. But they would pray for him, knowing that “a righteous man’s supplication has a powerful effect.” They could not forgive his sins, but they trusted that when this man came to them and asked for help and confessed his sins to them, Jehovah would forgive him.
James does not tell which kind of sins a person who came to them had committed. However, all Christians are sinning every day, and they pray to Jehovah and ask for his forgiveness. There are several reasons to think that James had more serious sins in mind. One reason is that Christians should not confess minor sins to the elders. Another reason is that the weak Christian did not have the power to pray to Jehovah for forgiveness; he needed help from the elders so they could pray for him. A third reason is the use of the Greek word “to save” (sōzō), which evidently is used in the religious sense of gaining salvation. Minor sins would not have to do with a person’s salvation, but serious sins could prevent one’s salvation.
Supporting the view that James had serious sins in mind are the words in verses 19 and 20:
19 My brothers, if anyone among you is led astray from the truth and another turns him back,20 know that whoever turns a sinner back from the error of his way will save (sōzō) him from death and will cover a multitude of sins.
These two verses are the conclusion of the discussion that starts in verse 14. And there is one word that connects verse 20 with verse 15, which shows what prayer can do, and that is sōzō (“to save”). Verse 15 says the prayer of faith (or, “in faith”) will save (sōzō) the weak one (kamnō). The one who will be saved, according to verse 15, is “the weak one,” and the one who is saved according to verse 20 is “him.” What is the antecedent of “him”? It is “a sinner.” And what is the sin of this sinner? Verse 19 says that the sinner “has gone astray from the truth,” and verse 30 speaks of “the error of his way.”
The verb planaō that is translated by “go astray,” has the meaning “to no longer believe what is true, but to start believing what is false” according to Louw and Nida, and “lead astray; mislead; deceive, and passive: ‘go astray’,” according to Mounce. James uses planaō in 1:16 with the sense “mislead, lead astray,” and in 1 John 2:26 and 3:7, the word is used with the same meaning. This shows that to be guilty of planaō is a serious sin. In verse 20, the corresponding noun planē is used, and it is translated as “the error (of his way)” by NWT13. The meaning of the noun is a “behavior which deviates seriously from that which is morally correct,” according to Louw and Nida. That the error that is expressed by planē is serious is seen by the following passages (NIV):
Ephesians 4:14
Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful (plane) scheming.
2 Thessalonians 2:11
For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion (planē) so that they will believe the lie.
1 John 4:6
We are from God, and whoever knows God listens to us; but whoever is not from God does not listen to us. This is how we recognize the Spirit of truth and the spirit of falsehood (plane).
It is clear that the sins that are mentioned in James 5:19, 20 are serious. The goal in verse 20 is that a Christian can save the sinner that is mentioned, and the goal in verse 15 is that the prayer in faith by the elders will save the sinner. The similarities in the situation where a sinner called the elders to help him (verses 13-16) and in the situation where the elders were not called (verses 19, 20) are that both persons were in the middle of practicing sin. In the last situation, the sins were serious, and that was probably the case in the first situation because a person will not call for the elders in connection with minor sins.
In the situation that is mentioned in verses 19, 20 had occurred today, the person would not have been helped, but he would have been disfellowshipped even if he had changed course immediately before the judicial hearing. But the focus of James was to help the person and not to throw him out of the congregation. This means that the words of James represent an instruction on how the elders can help all members of the congregation who have practiced sins but have changed course, regardless of how serious the sins have been and how long they have been practiced. Only persons who still are practicing lawlessness and who have been hardened in sin must be disfellowshipped. All others must be helped to regain a good relationship with Jehovah. And as James said: “whoever turns a sinner back from the error of his way will save him from death and will cover a multitude of sins.”
| The meeting of the elders with a weak brother who has committed serious sins is described by James.
No questions are asked regarding his repentance or whether he has works proving his repentance. But the elders “help the sinner turn back from the error on his way,” they pray for him and help him with his healing process. Because of this, they help saving him from death. |
HOW CAN WORDS OF JAMES BE APPLIED TO A METHYSOS, A DRUNKARD OR ABUSER OF HARD DRUGS?
The members of the Governing Body have given some fine instructions as to how the elders can treat persons who have problems with the use of alcohol. Watchtower of May 1, 1983, has a very balanced article entitled “Drinking problems — What can elders do?” I quote from this article below.
Page 8:
First, it should be noted that there is a difference between being unwittingly overtaken by drinking too much on one occasion and being a drunkard—making it a practice to become intoxicated. Consider the example of Noah, who on one occasion drank too much wine and got drunk. (Genesis 9:20, 21) Certainly, Noah was not a confirmed drunkard. There is no other indication in the Scriptures that he ever again got intoxicated.—Compare Hebrews 11:7.
Clearly, the Scriptures do not in any way condone drunkenness. In particular do Christian overseers have the responsibility to see to it that confirmed, unrepentant drunkards are not tolerated in the Christian congregation; they are to be disfellowshipped. (1 Corinthians 5:11-13; Galatians 5:19-21) But elders should first of all be desirous of helping repentant ones who have been overreached in the use of alcohol.
Page 11:
So an individual need not be disfellowshipped just because he is an alcoholic. If he truly wants to stop, he should be given the opportunity. But what if by his actions he shows that he really does not want to stop? What if there have been repeated instances of drunkenness, and all reasonable assistance has not helped him? Then, according to Paul’s words at 1 Corinthians 5:11-13, he should be disfellowshipped.
One important point in the quotation above is that the author, without directly saying so, treats the Greek word methysos as an agent noun. The last part in green is good advice. Even if a person drinks alcohol every day, he is not necessarily a methysos, a drunkard, and deserves to be disfellowshipped.
The article also speaks of “all reasonable assistance” that has been given to him to help him stop his bad habit. These are also positive words that concur with the advice given by James. A brother or sister who has problems with his or her use of alcohol or hard drugs should get all possible help in the way that James outlines.
But as a last resort, the elders must treat the situation in a mechanical way. If the brother tells the elders that he has stopped drinking alcohol and asked Jehovah forgive him, the elders must not disfellowship him. If it turns out that the brother does not keep his promise, or if he does not want to stop becoming drunk, the elders must disfellowship him.
| Only a person who is a methysos should be disfellowshipped:
If the sinner says that he has stopped becoming drunk of alcohol or hard drugs and has asked Jehovah forgive him, he should not be disfellowshipped. If the person still is a drunkard or an addict of hard drugs, he should be disfellowshipped. |
THE TREATMENT OF A DRUNKARD OR AN ADDICT OF HARD DRUGS AFTER HE OR SHE HAS BEEN DISFELLOWSHIPPED
I have shown that the Greek word methysos both refers to a person who habitually become drunk by alcohol or by hard drugs. There is a difference between the misuse of alcohol and drugs and the other five disfellowshipping offenses mentioned by Paul because both alcoholism and drug addiction lead to diseases in the brain. This means that from the point of view of James 5:14-20, we should give more than usual attention to these two groups. They need much more help and support than other disfellowshipped persons.
In the last part of the 20th century and in the beginning of the 21st century, elders were encouraged to make a visit to the disfellowshipped persons in their territory one time each year in order to see if they wanted to return to the congregation. About ten years ago, this arrangement was discontinued. However, the Watchtower of August 2024 encouraged the elders to try to locate disfellowshipped persons and help them to return to the congregation. We read on pages 28 and 29:
10 What about individuals who in the past were removed from the congregation, perhaps many years ago? Such individuals may no longer be practicing the sin for which they were removed. In some situations, they may not even recall why they were removed. Whatever the case, the elders will try to locate and visit these individuals. During such visits, the elders will even offer to pray with them and make a warm appeal for them to return to the congregation. Of course, if a person has been away from the congregation for many years, he would no doubt be very weak spiritually. Therefore, if he indicates that he wants to return to the congregation, the elders might arrange for someone to conduct a Bible study with him, even though he has not yet been reinstated. In all cases, the elders would be the ones to arrange for the Bible study.
This arrangement is very fine. But, the members of the Governing Body have introduced restrictions that prevent drunkards and drug addicts from receiving the help they need. It is difficult to quit drinking too much alcohol if you are an alcoholic, and it is extremely difficult to quit if you are addicted to hard drugs, as the following quotation shows:
When people become addicted to heroin, they crave the drug so strongly that, even when they know what consequences they face as a result of their heroin use, they are unable to stay away from the drug. This makes relapse to heroin use incredibly likely after detox. Often, those struggling with heroin addiction experience multiple episodes of relapse on their road to recovery.[1]
In order to quit drug addiction, the person must be strongly determined to achieve this goal. It is almost impossible to quit by one’s own effort. There are four areas of support that must be available:
- Continuous guidance and support from therapists overseeing the recovery.
- Continuous support from close family members.
- Continuous support from close friends.
- The use of methadone.
Because the members of the Governing Body demand that disfellowshipped persons must be shunned and totally isolated, support from close family members and close friends is impossible. From 1973 to 2013, the members of the Governing Body had decided that the use of methadone was a disfellowshipping offense and was forbidden. Today, the use of methadone is allowed. But because of the demand of shunning and total isolation of disfellowshipped persons, drug abusers and alcoholics cannot get the help that The Watchtower of August 2024 suggest that the elders should offer to disfellowshipped persons.
This will be discussed in detail in the following article: “The 11 disfellowshipping offenses 3 (II): Drunkenness and intoxication by drugs.” This article was originally entitled: “Criminal negligence and bloodguilt — the Governing Body is held to account.”
[1]. https://americanaddictioncenters.org/methadone-addiction/pros-cons.
