Wine — Fruit Of The Vine
Fruits of the vine — wine, grape juice, grape jelly, etc., all are fruits of one vine; tomato juice, tomato catsup, etc., fruits of another vine; watermelon juice, another vine, etc.
What vine? Which of the fruits of said vine? The word of God has much to say about wine and its intoxicating effects, ways of making it, beginning with Noah — Genesis 9:20-22. It must have had an earlier dating, else how would Noah have known about the herb and its possibilities, due to the fact the first thing he did when he got out of the Ark was to plant a vineyard, make some wine and get drunk. Also in Genesis 19, verses 30-32, we learn of Lot having had some experience with the use of it. Until the Volstead Act, commonly known as the prohibition law, was enacted, people understood the teaching of God's word in these matters in the light of their expression and meanings. Since that time they have been interpreted in the light of the Volstead idea, which ran along the same line as that of Satan. (See Job, chapter 1, verse 10.) God's word must be understood in the light of what it says and not in the light of man's idea of what it says.
Leviticus 23:13, God commanded that the emblems to be used in keeping the Feast of the Passover be as follows: A certain amount of fine flour mixed with oil, and one-fourth part of a hin of wine (3 pints). Jesus sent his disciples (Matthew 26:17), to a certain man's place where preparation was to be made for Him and His disciples to keep the feast. The above mentioned items were to be used if they kept the feast in faith. Of said emblems He instituted a memorial service which we call the Lord's Supper to be kept in His memory until He returns to earth. In verse 27, He called it the "cup"; in verse 29, He called it the "fruit of the vine." They were using wine if they were worshipping by faith, Leviticus 23:13.
An occasion arose in Corinth which made it necessary for the apostle Paul to have something to say about this matter, the Lord's Supper. In 1 Corinthians 11:23 he called it "the cup."
So we see the cup, the fruit of the vine, and wine, fermented grape juice, was what they were using — the same thing Noah used; the same thing Lot used; the same thing used in the Feast of the Passover Supper.
Jesus probably never thought of grape juice unfermented. (See John, chapter 2, verses 8 and 10.) We "shore" have helped Him out in His thinking. There is vastly more difference in fermented juice and unfermented than there is between unleavened bread and leavened bread; or gopher wood and pine wood. The fermentation of wine eliminates certain bacteria and impurities. It has certain preserving properties which unfermented juice does not have. Thus we can see readily how it could serve as an emblem of blood since it is that blood's qualities are of a preserving nature.
Loose use of the scriptures opens the flood gates to theories and opinions of men. "Us theologians" are getting to be sort of Popish in our nature.