What does the Bible say about smoking? It shouldn’t surprise us that apart from the Old Testament practice of using incense in the temple, we don’t see much about the words “smoking.” In the Bible. There is one verse about smoke filling nostrils if you want to check it out (Psalm 18:8).
With that said, just because the Bible doesn’t have anything to say about smoking in itself doesn’t mean that we can say, “Oh, okay, smoking is bad.” Or conversely, “Oh, okay, smoking is permissible.” We’ll get into how Christians should address the idea of smoking in this article and more. Let’s dive in.
If you think tobacco wasn’t smoked until around 1500 AD, think again. Tobacco was alive and well in South America, possibly as early as 3000 BC. It hadn’t seemed to make its way over to the other hemisphere until Columbus stumbled upon it.
Considering it hadn’t crossed to the Middle East until later, we can imagine tobacco wasn’t available to Canaanite countries during biblical times. Or if it did, we don’t have much archeological evidence to back it up.
With that said, perhaps psychedelic drugs did exist in Ancient Times.
We know that the Delphic Oracle inhaled noxic fumes to give her supposed “prophecies” to people in ancient Greece.
And we know that ancient civilizations thrived off alcohol. We have an embarrassing amount of archeological evidence for beer and wine.
Furthermore, the Bible does have some things to say about substances that can alter someone’s brain chemistry.
Ephesians 5:18 tells us not to get drunk on wine. Why? Because it causes us to do things we wouldn’t ordinarily do. We see this happening with Noah when he gets drunk, and Ham gossips about his father lying drunk and naked in a tent.
Lot’s daughters also get him drunk so they can sleep with him.
Galatians 5:19 throws drunkenness into a laundry list of sins we should avoid.
For more Bible verses on drugs, check out this article here.
“But alcohol and tobacco are not the same.” Someone may say. Or in the case of vaping, “alcohol and nicotine are not the same.”
True. These are, in fact, different substances that produce different effects. Alcohol tends to inhibit one’s judgment. In contrast, smoking tends to have more of a physiological effect on the body than the mind.
But in terms of the mind, smoking is addictive. There’s often a dependency that is formed with it. So let’s dive into what the Bible says about addictive substances.
What does the Bible say about smoking? We have to look to Scripture to see what it says about addiction.
1 Timothy 3:18, as stated by this article, warns readers not to get addicted to wine. Wine, back in the day, had less alcoholic content, so it would’ve taken quite a bit of drinking it to develop a dependency.
Scripture makes it clear that we are worshipful beings. We are designed to devote ourselves to something. We have minds designed to be wired to pursue something—God, but we can easily pursue something else.
We should remember that addiction is a form of idolatry, and anything can become an idol. This can be anything from nicotine to alcohol to religious obligations.
Instead, the Bible tells us we should cling to Christ when facing an addiction.
The reason why the Bible strongly urges us against addictive substances—especially ones that inhibit our judgment—is because Satan prowls like a roaring lion. He’s searching for vulnerabilities. He can grab a heel if we allow ourselves to compromise our judgment. Swoop in, and attempt to cause a Christian to fall into sin.
A few writers have wondered whether some passages about temple worship give an exception to smoking.
“Okay, so Hope, maybe some people are addicted to smoking, but doesn’t Scripture say there was incense in the temple? Wouldn’t people have altered brain chemistries from inhaling those fumes?”
Let’s explore that.
Incense was used in Israelite religious ceremonies in the Old Testament and is often used by certain denominations today in the church. Inhaling too much incense can cause health issues such as blocked airways.
Can we argue that those in the Old Testament inhaled incense, much like people smoking today?
First of all, we must clarify that there’s a difference between the type of incense you’d burn in New Age practices and the type described in the Bible (see Isaiah 1:13).
Incense in Revelation tends to represent the prayers of the saints, a symbolic incense rather than a literal one.
In the Old Testament, incense was used by one person, the high priest (Exodus 30). Most likely, it would’ve been frankincense, still sold today for various religious ceremonies or use in essential oils.
It should be noted that nowhere in the Bible does it say that the priests were inhaling the scent intentionally. The incense was used in a very specific temple practice. It was often symbolic of the burnt sacrifices offered to God for atonement.
It’s a false comparison to say that incense swinging in the temple is like smoking now.
The Bible makes three main arguments for why Christians should mind their health.
First of all, we are made in the image of God (Genesis 1:27). With that in mind, we have the responsibility to take care of ourselves, as God has imprinted his very attributes onto us. This does imply that we need to take care of our health, as we are taking care of the very image of God.
Secondly, Scripture refers to our bodies as the temple to the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6). It is important to read that text in context, as it’s not directly related to exercise and health (as my high school gym teacher sadly made it out to be). However, even within the proper context of that passage, we need to recognize that if we are temples for God himself, we need to mind our health if we intend to fulfill our great commission (Matthew 28). If we allow ourselves to degrade our health, we may cut our lives off early, preventing us from reaching more people for Christ.
Finally, Scripture tells us to do everything for the glory of God. The passage (1 Corinthians 10) specifically mentions food and drink. And I would throw anything we consume or inhale into that category.
There are plenty of other Scripture passages on health. Check them out here.
What does the Bible say about smoking? Not much. But it does have something to say about what happens when we enter gray territories like these.
Look at the verse in 1 Corinthians 10:23. Everything is permissible, but not everything is beneficial.
As Christians, we do have the freedom to choose. We are no longer under the Old Testament laws. We can eat bacon (hallelujah to that), etc.
That said, although we have freedom, we need to exercise godly judgment over our actions.
Can Christians do non-hallucinatory smoking, such as smoking tobacco or vaping?
Technically, yes. The Bible doesn’t have any strict verses against it.
With that said, Christians should consider the effects it can have on the body. Even vaping has been seen to have detrimental effects on one’s health.
Especially if Christians find themselves addicted to the effects of nicotine, I highly recommend they cling to Christ and seek to remove this habit from their lives.
All in all, do everything in prayer and follow the convictions of the Holy Spirit.
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Further Reading:
10 Things Christians Should Know about Marijuana
What Does the Bible Say about Smoking Weed?
Bible Verses About Drinking Alcohol
Is Smoking Weed a Sin? What Does the Bible Say?
What Does the Bible Say about Drunkenness?
Can Christians Use Marijuana Medicinally or Recreationally?
Did Jesus Drink Alcohol? Should Christians Drink Alcohol?
What Is CBD Oil? Is it Okay for Christians to Use?
Photo Credit: © Getty Images/Shaiith
Hope Bolinger is an acquisitions editor at End Game Press, book editor for hire, and the author of almost 30 books. More than 1500 of her works have been featured in various publications. Check out her books at hopebolinger.com for clean books in most genres, great for adults and kids. Check out her editing profile at Reedsy.com to find out about hiring her for your next book project.
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