How do Adventists explain away this very clear text and insist that fermented wine is completely forbidden by the Bible, and that the early Christians were using only unfermented grape juice in their communion services. The evidence doesn't support that conclusion at all.

1 Corinthians 11:17-22 (King James Version)

17 Now in this that I declare unto you I praise you not, that ye come together not for the better, but for the worse.

18 For first of all, when ye come together in the church, I hear that there be divisions among you; and I partly believe it.

19 For there must be also heresies among you, that they which are approved may be made manifest among you.

20 When ye come together therefore into one place, this is not to eat the Lord's supper.

21 For in eating every one taketh before other his own supper: and one is hungry, and another is drunken.

22 What? have ye not houses to eat and to drink in? or despise ye the church of God, and shame them that have not? what shall I say to you? shall I praise you in this? I praise you not.

1 Corinthians 11:17-22 (New International Version)

17 In the following directives I have no praise for you, for your meetings do more harm than good.

18 In the first place, I hear that when you come together as a church, there are divisions among you, and to some extent I believe it.

19 No doubt there have to be differences among you to show which of you have God's approval.

20 When you come together, it is not the Lord's Supper you eat,

21 for as you eat, each of you goes ahead without waiting for anybody else. One remains hungry, another gets drunk.

22 Don't you have homes to eat and drink in? Or do you despise the church of God and humiliate those who have nothing? What shall I say to you? Shall I praise you for this? Certainly not!

Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.

1 Corinthians 11:17-22 (SDA Clear Word Bible)

17 Next, I want to mention something that's not easy for me to say. It's not something I can praise you for. The common agape meal you have accompanying the Lord's Supper does more harm than good.

18 I hear that when you come together like this there are divisions and class distinctions among you, and I'm not surprised.

19 I know that there have to be differences among Christians so that the actions of those who are approved of God might be made obvious and serve as an example to others.

20 But the differences you make bring dishonor to the Lord's Supper.

21 Some of you even eat before everyone is served, and soon the whole meal turns into a gluttonous feast. Some of you even have too much to drink while the poor go home hungry.

22 Can't you do your feasting with your friends at someone's house? Don't you have any concern for the church as a whole? Why humiliate those who are poor just because they couldn't afford to bring anything? What do you want me to say about this? Do you expect me to praise you? I will not.

Texts credited to Clear Word are from The Clear Word, copyright © 1994, 2000, 2003, 2004 by Review and Herald Publishing Association. All rights reserved.

Why does the Seventh-day Adventist Church officially promote this distorted Bible in the adult Sabbath School Lesson Quarterly?

Sophia - Posted on Sunday, August 17, 2008:

People couldn't possibly have gotten drunk during the Lord's Supper if they weren't drinking fermented wine. Most of the Protestant churches that I've attended use grape juice, and those that use wine usually offer grape juice, too, as an alternative. I don't think it matters either way, and I don't think that Christians should be so dogmatic about it that it becomes a source of contention and division in the body of Christ.

However, I don't understand how Adventists can explain away this very clear text and insist that fermented wine is completely forbidden by the Bible and that the early Christians were using only unfermented grape juice in their communion services. The evidence doesn't support that conclusion at all.