The Term "Spirits" and Alcohol.
Tj’s second point was that liquor is also called “spirits” and that, by partaking in such things, although it may not cause you to lose your salvation, you “do allow hindering spirits to come into your life”. This one has proved difficult to respond to, but I will do my best.
First, let’s break down what is meant by the term "spirits" as it relates to alcohol. The term is only applied to distilled drinks containing ethanol and water.[1] “Spirits” are distilled drinks, not brewed drinks such as beer nor fermented drinks such as wine. My research did not produce much certainty as to why distilled liquor has been given the nickname “spirits”. There are many differing views as to its origins. I have come across some that would suggest that the origins could come from as far back as Aristotle, around 327 A.D. Again, there is nothing to definitively land on at this point or, at least, that I would be comfortable landing on.
There also seems to be no etymological connection between “spirits” and “alcohol”. As far as the Hebrew and Christian scriptures are concerned these terms are never used interchangeably. In fact, I could not find a single passage outside of Ephesians 5:18 that uses the term "spirits" and alcohol in the same sentences or the same context. As you can see, Ephesians 5:18 is no help to this point:
"And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit"
The idea continues to break down when we consider other products that have been given names that may consider theologically negative. Between 1990 and 2001, Lamborghini produced 2884 sports cars that they named the "Lamborghini Diablo". Diablo, of course, is Spanish for "devil". Given the opportunity to drive a vehicle that could reach speeds in excess of 190mph, would you pass simply because of the name it has been given? Like alcohol, the responsibility of driving a vehicle truly lies in the hands of the user despite the names it may have been given.
The fact of the matter is that the term “spirits” is a nickname given to distilled drinks and to base the theology of a subject on a nickname may not be the wisest decision especially when we realize that the term “spirits” in this context does not specify whether or not it is referring to good spirits or bad spirits. The logic to this idea that we should avoid alcohol because it is referred to as “spirits” proves problematic when we consider that it would only apply to distilled drinks and not beer or wine.
Sources and Footnotes
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [1]. See 10a and 10b https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/spirits
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