Must Communion Use Real Wine?

Bible Believing Christian
Jan 13
6 min read

Must Communion Use Real Wine?

Some churches insist the Lord’s Supper must be served with fermented wine—anything else is viewed as disobedience, invalid, or at least a compromise. Others insist the opposite: only unfermented grape juice is acceptable, often from a sincere desire to avoid causing a brother to stumble or to honor Christ’s purity. Still others quietly offer both and try to keep the peace.

So what does Scripture actually require?

This is not a trivial question. The Lord’s Supper is a holy proclamation of Christ’s death and a foretaste of His kingdom. But we also must not bind consciences where Scripture does not. The issue is not “Do you prefer wine or juice?” The issue is: Did Jesus command a specific chemical composition—or did He command a covenant sign with clear meaning?

Biblical Foundation

At the Last Supper, Jesus took bread and a cup and established a memorial meal that would shape the church until He returns. In Matthew’s account, Jesus says:

“But I say to you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in My Father’s kingdom.” (Matthew 26:29, NASB)

That phrase—“fruit of the vine”—matters. It is deliberately broad language. It identifies the cup’s substance as something derived from the vine (grapes), and it ties the Supper forward to the kingdom feast. But it does not specify fermentation level. The text is not written like a chemistry label.

In John’s Gospel, we also see Jesus fully comfortable in a setting where real wine is served at a wedding feast. John records that the master of the banquet says:

“Every man serves the good wine first, and when the people have drunk freely, then he serves the poorer wine; but you have kept the good wine until now.” (John 2:10, NASB)

That’s not a “grape juice” scene. It’s a wedding banquet scene, describing ordinary human behavior around alcohol.

Word Study: What the Greek Actually Says

Two Greek details help keep us honest.

First, in the Lord’s Supper texts, the Synoptic Gospels use a phrase that literally means “the produce/fruit of the vine.” One Greek form is τοῦ γενήματος τῆς ἀμπέλου (tou genēmatos tēs ampelou), meaning “produce/fruit of the vine.” That wording is significant because it points to grape-vine product generally, not narrowly to a single technical term.

Second, in John 2:10, the common Greek word for wine is used: οἶνος (oinos). That is the standard word for wine in Greek usage, including the New Testament. And the master’s comment includes the verb often softened in translation: the idea is that people have drunk freely—a term tied to becoming affected by wine (the concept behind “getting drunk”), which explains why lesser wine could be served without complaint.

Put simply:

The Supper institution sentence emphasizes “fruit of the vine” (broad designation).
John 2 shows real wine at a feast and uses oinos plainly.

So the Bible easily supports two truths at the same time:

Wine was real wine in biblical life.
The Supper command does not explicitly require fermentation.

Historical and Contextual Notes

Churches that insist on fermented wine often point to the Passover context and to the ordinary practice of wine at meals in the ancient world. They may argue that “fruit of the vine” is a Jewish reverent way of referring to wine used in sacred settings. That is a reasonable argument for what was likely used—but “likely used” is not the same as “must be used.”

On the other side, many Protestant churches in the temperance movement era moved toward grape juice in the 19th–20th centuries. Some did it pastorally, to avoid enabling alcoholism; some did it polemically, treating fermentation as morally suspect. Those motives vary, but the practical outcome is common today: millions of faithful Christians have taken communion with juice for generations—without denying the Supper, without denying Christ’s blood, and without denying the reality of wine in Scripture.

Denominations That Tend to Insist on Wine

This varies congregation to congregation, but generally:

Roman Catholic parishes require wine (with very specific sacramental rules).
Eastern Orthodox churches use wine (commonly warm wine with water).
Many confessional Lutheran churches normally use wine, though pastoral accommodations sometimes exist.
Many Anglican / Episcopal and Reformed congregations use wine or offer both.
Many Baptist, Methodist, Pentecostal, and non-denominational churches commonly use grape juice, often offering juice as standard.

The point of listing this is not to take shots—it is to show the reality: the global church practices differ widely, and sincere believers exist on both sides. If Scripture required only one option, the command would be far clearer than it is.

Misconceptions and Clarifications

Misconception 1: “If we don’t use fermented wine, it isn’t the Lord’s Supper.”That goes beyond Scripture. The New Testament’s emphasis is on Christ’s institution, the meaning of the signs, the proclamation of His death, self-examination, and unity in the body—not fermentation requirements.

Misconception 2: “If Jesus used wine, we must use wine.”Even if we grant that Jesus used fermented wine at Passover, that still does not automatically create a universal requirement. The command is to take the cup as the covenant sign—“fruit of the vine”—and to remember Him rightly. Must language demands explicit wording.

Misconception 3: “Wine is sinful, so it cannot represent Christ’s blood.”Scripture condemns drunkenness, not the existence of wine. Jesus’ first public sign at Cana occurs in the context of wine at a wedding. John does not apologize for that. The sin is being mastered by it.

Misconception 4: “Using juice is automatically ‘more holy.’”Not necessarily. Holiness is obedience, love, and truth—especially discernment of Christ’s body and unity with His people. A church can use wine and sin in arrogance. A church can use juice and sin in pride. The substance is not a shortcut to sanctification.

Theological Reflection: What Must Be Preserved

The cup is a covenant sign. It points to the blood of Christ poured out for forgiveness, and it points forward to the kingdom feast where Jesus says He will drink it “new” with His people. “Fruit of the vine” keeps the symbol anchored to grapes and the vine imagery woven throughout Scripture—life, blessing, and the promise of joy in God’s kingdom.

What must be preserved is not alcohol content, but the integrity of the sign and the obedience of faith:

It must be a true “vine” element (grape-derived).
It must be received in remembrance, proclamation, and reverence.
It must be practiced in love, guarding weaker consciences, not crushing them.

Connection to Christ

Jesus did not institute the Supper as a test of who can handle alcohol. He instituted it as a proclamation of His death and a covenant meal that gathers sinners around a Savior. The bread and the cup preach the gospel: His body given, His blood poured out, forgiveness accomplished, resurrection guaranteed, and a kingdom coming.

The “fruit of the vine” language also points beyond the cross. Jesus ties the cup to the day He will drink it “new” in His Father’s kingdom. That is resurrection hope, not ritual anxiety. The Supper is not meant to produce fear-driven arguments over ingredients; it is meant to produce worship-driven unity around the crucified and risen Christ.

Christ-Centered Conclusion

So must a church use fermented wine for the Lord’s Supper?

You can argue it is historically likely. You can argue it is symbolically fitting. You can argue it is preferable in your tradition. But you cannot honestly say Scripture commands it as a universal requirement, because Jesus’ own wording is broader: “fruit of the vine.” (Matthew 26:29, NASB)

That means the church’s task is twofold: hold the Supper in reverence and keep the gospel central—while refusing to bind consciences where Christ did not. If wine is used, do so with sobriety and care. If juice is used, do so with gratitude and integrity. In either case, the Supper must lead us to the same place: repentance, unity, proclamation, and hope—until the day we drink it new with Him in the kingdom.