NEW WINE INTO OLD WINESKINS / NEW WINE PRESERVED / MATTHEW 9:17

(KJV) Matthew 9:17

Neither do men put new wine into old bottles: else the bottles break, and the wine runneth out, and the bottles perish: but they put new wine into new bottles, and both are preserved.

In ancient times, goatskins were used to hold wine. This verse has been interpreted in various ways by Biblical commentators. Two views are:

1. The “new wine” started as fresh grape juice. As it began to ferment (as the sugars turned to alcohol), the wine expanded in the process and the new wineskins would stretch and not break. But used wineskins, already stretched, would break. The “new wine” represented the message of Jesus, which brought a newness that cannot be held within old forms. Questions about this issue and interpretation may arise from the fact that the unstable and vigorous process of fermentation was sometimes enough to burst even the newest and strongest of tightly sealed wineskins (Job 32:19). 

A second interpretation of this parable (a story that teaches a moral lesson or teaches a spiritual principle) focuses on the importance of keeping and maintaining both the new wine and the new wineskins. (a) The “new wine” was fresh, unfermented (non-intoxicating) grape juice, representing the original and true message of salvation through Jesus Christ – a message that spreads in the power of the Holy Spirit. Jesus’ primary concern was that the original gospel (“good news”) and life-transforming power of the Spirit would be kept from change, corruption or loss. This interpretation would be consistent with Christ’s concern that the gospel message (new wine) not be altered by the “yeast” (teachings) of the Pharisees and teachers of the law. Yeast causes the fermenting process, just as the Pharisees’ teaching would corrupt God’s message by denying the spirit and principles behind God’s laws and commands (Matthew 16:6, 12; Exodus 12:19; 1 Corinthians 5:7).          (b) In ancient times, in order to keep the sweetness of the juice for a longer period of time, people would strain or boil the juice, bottle it and place it in a cool area. New wineskins were required because they would be free from yeast cells. If placed in old wineskins, new wine would more easily begin to ferment because of the yeast that remained in the skins from the previous wine. The fermentation process could then cause the loss of both the new wine and the wineskins (which would burst from pressure). Columella, a great Roman authority on agriculture in the first century A.D., wrote that in order to keep new wine “always sweet” it must be put into a new sealed container.

Christ addresses preserving the new wine – His message of hope and spiritual salvation – so it would not be compromised, corrupted or lost.

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1. THEN THEY WILL FAST / MATTHEW 9:15
2. EAT WITH ‘SINNERS’ / MATTHEW 9:11
3. THEY PLEADED WITH HIM TO LEAVE / MATTHEW 8:34
4. LET THE DEAD BURY THEIR OWN DEAD / MATTHEW 8:22
5. GREAT FAITH / MATTHEW 8:10
6. DON’T TELL ANYONE / MATTHEW 8:4
7. JESUSE TOUCHED THE MAN / MATTHEW 8:3
8. I NEVER KNEW YOU / MATTHEW 7:23
9. MANY WILL SAY LORD, LORD / MATTHEW 7:22
10. DOES THE WILL OF MY FATHER / MATTHEW 7:21
11. BY THEIR FRUIT YOU WILL RECOGNIZE THEM / MATTHEW 7:16
12. SMALL IS THE GATE … AND ONLY A FEW FIND IT / MATTHEW 7:14
13. YOUR FATHER … GIVE GOOD GIFTS / MATTHEW 7:11
14. ASK … SEEK … KNOCK / MATTHEW 7:7-8
15. DO NOT JUDGE / MATTHEW 7:1
16. SEEK … KINGDOM … RIGHTEOUSNESS / MATTHEW 6:33
17. IF THAT IS HOW GOD CLOTHES / MATTHEW 6:30
18. DO NOT WORRY / MATTHEW 6:25
19. EYE IS THE LAMP OF THE BODY / MATTHEW 6:22
20. WHEN YOU FAST / MATTHEW 6:16
21. IF YOU DO NOT FORGIVE / MATTHEW 6:15
22. IF YOU FORGIVE / MATTHEW 6:14
23. DELIVER US FROM THE EVIL ONE / MATTHEW 6:13
24. FORGIVE AS WE ALSO HAVE FORGIVEN / MATTHEW 6:12
25. DAILY BREAD / MATTHEW 6:11
26. YOUR KINGDOM COME – YOUR WILL BE DONE / MATTHEW 6:10
27. THIS THEN IS HOW YOU SHOULD PRAY / MATTHEW 6:9
28. PRAY IN SECRET / MATTHEW 6:6
29. ‘ACTS OF RIGHTEOUSNESS’ BEFORE MEN / MATTHEW 6:1
30. DO NOT RESIST AN EVIL PERSON / MATTHEW 5:39
31. LOOKS LUSTFULLY / MATTHEW 5:28
32. ANGRY … RACA … FOOL / MATTHEW 5:22
33. UNLESS YOUR RIGHTEOUSNESS / MATTHEW 5:20
34. GREAT IN THE KINGDOM / MATTHEW 5:19
35. THE LAW TO FULFILL / MATTHEW 5:17
36. LET YOUR LIGHT SHINE THAT THEY MAY SEE YOUR GOOD DEEDS / MATTHEW 5:14-16
37. PERSECUTED BECAUSE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS / MATTHEW 5:10
38. THE PEACEMAKERS / MATTHEW 5:9
39. THE PURE IN HEART / MATTHEW 5:8
40. THE MERCIFUL / MATTHEW 5:7
41. HUNGER AND THIRST FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS / MATTHEW 5:6
42. THE MEEK / MATTHEW 5:5
43. THOSE WHO MOURN / MATTHEW 5:4
44. BLESSED POOR IN SPIRIT / MATTHEW 5:3
45. SERMON ON THE MONT / MATTHEW 5-7
46. THE KINGDOM AND HEALING / MATTHEW 4:23
47. FISHERS OF MEN / MATTHEW 4:19
48. IT IS WRITTEN / MATTHEW 4:6
49. FASTING FORTY DAYS / MATTHEW 4:2
50. JESUS … TEMPTED / MATTHEW 4:1-11
51. THE TRINITY IN EXAMPLE / MATTHEW 3:17
52. SPIRIT … ON HIM / MATTHEW 3:16
53. JESUS … BAPTIZED / MATTHEW 3:13
54. WILL BAPTIZE YOU WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT / MATTHEW 3:11
55. FRUIT IN KEEPING WITH REPENTANCE / MATTHEW 3:8
56. PHARISEES AND SADDUCEES / MATTHEW 3:7
57. KINGDOM OF HEAVEN – REPENT / MATTHEW 3:2
58. WARNED IN A DREAM / MATTHEW 2:22-23
59. ESCAPE TO EGYPT / MATTHEW 2:13
60. CHIEF PRIESTS AND TEACHERS OF THE LAW / MATTHEW 2:4
61. HEROD – MAGI / MATTHEW 2:1
62. NO UNION WITH HER UNTIL / MATTHEW 1:25
63. VIRGIN … GIVE BIRTH TO A SON / MATTHEW 1:23
64. JESUS / MATTHEW 1:21
65. MARY … JESUS / MATTHEW 1:16
66. CHRIST – SON OF DAVID / MATTHEW 1:1
67. GENEALOGY OF JESUS CHRIST / MATTHEW 1:1-16
68. I AM WITH YOU / MATTHEW 28:20
69. KILL ALL THE BOYS / MATTHEW 2:16
70. FORGIVENESS OF SINS / MATTHEW 26:28
71. SATAN / MATTHEW 4:10
72. DEVIL AND HIS ANGELS / MATTHEW 25:41
73. MONEY / MATTHEW 6:24
74. GO … MAKE DISCIPLES … BAPTIZING / MATTHEW 28:19
75. SALT OF THE EARTH / MATTHEW 5:13
76. YOU ARE WORTH MORE / MATTHEW 10:31
77. GUIDED BY GRACE HOME

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Summary

Article Name

NEW WINE INTO OLD WINESKINS / NEW WINE PRESERVED / MATTHEW 9:17

Description

In ancient times, goatskins were used to hold wine. This verse has been interpreted in various ways by Biblical commentators.

Author

Margarita Crews

Publisher Name

Guided By Grace

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