No man also having drunk old wine straightway desireth new: for he saith, The old is better.
What does Luke 5:39 mean?
It was a wonder of Christ's grace, that he would call a publican to be his disciple and follower. It was a wonder of his grace, that the call was made so effectual.
Key themes
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Keep this verse inside Luke 5:36-39 and alongside a few nearby related passages.
Commentary on Luke 5:39
Having drunk old wine ... - Wine increases its strength and flavor, and its mildness and mellowness, by age, and the old is therefore preferable. They who had tasted such mild and mellow wine would not readily drink the comparatively sour and astringent juice of the grape as it came from the press. The meaning of this proverb in this place seems to be this: You Pharisees wish to draw my disciples to the "austere" and "rigid" duties of the ceremonial law - to fasting and painful rites; but they have come under a milder system. They have tasted the gentle and tender blessings of the gospel; they have no "relish" for your stern and harsh requirements.
Key words
- pharisaical spirit
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pharisaical spirit.
- old wine
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old wine. (h) T. Bab. Beracot, fol. 51. 1. & Gloss. in ib. & Bava Bathra, fol. 98. 1.
- pharisaical spirit
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pharisaical spirit.
- old wine
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old wine. (h) T. Bab. Beracot, fol. 51. 1. & Gloss. in ib. & Bava Bathra, fol. 98. 1.
Context in Luke 5
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Luke 5 belongs to the early movement of the book, especially the section often described as infancy narratives and preparation. Luke emphasizes salvation for the poor and the outsider, prayer, joy, women, table fellowship, the Holy Spirit, and the universal reach of Christ’s mission. Read this chapter with the wider themes of salvation, Spirit, and prayer in view so the individual verses keep their proper weight.
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