Drink no longer water only, but use a little wine for your stomach's sake and your frequent illnesses.
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Ambrose of Milan
AD 397
And is not temperance in harmony with nature and that divine law which in the beginning of all things gave the springs for drink and the fruits of trees for food? After the flood, the just man found wine a source of temptation to him. Let us, then, use the natural food of temperance, and would that we all could do so! But, because not all are strong, the apostle therefore says, “Use a little wine for your frequent infirmities.” We must drink it not for our pleasure but for our infirmity, sparingly as a remedy, not excessively as a gratification.
Thus, many Christians do not eat meat, yet they do not superstitiously consider it unclean. And the same individuals who abstain when healthy take meat without qualm when sick, if it be required as a cure. Many do not drink wine. Nevertheless, they do not think it would defile them. In fact, they show great sympathy and good judgment in seeing that it is provided for those who tend to be listless and for all who cannot maintain bodily health without it. .
Because of the necessary activities of this life, health is not to be despised until “this mortal shall put on immortality,” and that is the true and perfect and unending health which is not refreshed by corruptible pleasure when it fails through earthly weakness but is maintained by heavenly strength and made young by eternal incorruptibility. The apostle himself says, “Make not provision for the flesh in its concupiscence,” because our care of the flesh must be in view of the exigencies of salvation. “For no man ever hated his own flesh.” .
Notice the reasons why wine is allowed: it is to cure pain in the stomach and to relieve a frequent infirmity and hardly then. And lest perchance we should indulge ourselves on the ground of illness, Paul recommends that but a little wine should be taken, advising rather as a physician than as an apostle—although indeed an apostle is a spiritual physician.
But if he, the bishop, takes care of his body that he may minister to you, if he attends to his health that he may be useful, ought he for this to be accused? Do you not know that bodily infirmity no less than infirmity of soul injures both us and the church? … For if we could practice virtue with the soul alone, we need not take care of the body. And why then were we born at all? But if this has contributed a great share, is it not the extreme of folly to neglect it? Homilies on Titus
If one who had practiced fasting to such an extent and used only water, so long that he had brought on “infirmities” and “frequent infirmities,” is thus commanded to be chaste and does not refuse the admonition, much less ought we to be offended when we receive an admonition from anyone…. For the miracles Timothy wrought were enough to have rendered him arrogant. For this reason he is left to be subject to the rules of medicine, that he may be humbled and others may not be offended but may learn that they who performed such excellent actions were men of the same nature as themselves…. Paul does not however allow him to indulge freely in wine, but as much as was for health and not for luxury.
Drink no longer water, but use a little wine for your stomach's sake and your often infirmities. If one who had practiced fasting to such an extent, and used only water, so long that he had brought on infirmities and frequent infirmities, is thus commanded to be chaste, and does not refuse the admonition, much less ought we to be offended when we receive an admonition from any one. But why did not Paul restore strength to his stomach? Not because he could not— for he whose garment had raised the dead was clearly able to do this too—but because he had a design of importance in withholding such aid. What then was his purpose? That even now, if we see great and virtuous men afflicted with infirmities, we may not be offended, for this was a profitable visitation. If indeed to Paul himself a messenger of Satan was sent that he should not be exalted above measure 2 Corinthians 12:11, much more might it be so with Timothy. For the miracles he wrought were enough to have rendered him arrogant....
Mentions that he ordered Hezekiah medicine when he was sick. Paul, too, knows that a little wine does the stomach good.
-we have a sufficient evidence even from the case of his disciple Timotheus; whom when he admonishes, "for the sake of his stomach and constant weaknesses "to use "a little wine"
