In biblical times, bottles were commonly made from animal skins, particularly those of goats. These skin bottles, also known as wineskins, were used to store and transport liquids, including water and wine. The process of making these bottles involved cleaning and tanning the skins, then sewing them together to form a watertight container. The flexibility and durability of the skin made it an ideal material for this purpose.

The concept of old wineskins being unfit for new wine is a metaphor used by Jesus in the New Testament to illustrate the incompatibility of old and new teachings or practices. In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus states, "Neither do people pour new wine into old wineskins. If they do, the skins will burst; the wine will spill and the wineskins will be ruined. Instead, they pour new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved" (Matthew 9:17). This metaphor highlights the necessity of new structures or systems to accommodate new ideas or revelations.

The reason old wineskins are unsuitable for new wine lies in the fermentation process. As new wine ferments, it releases gases that cause expansion. Old wineskins, having already been stretched to their limit by previous use, lack the elasticity to accommodate this expansion. Consequently, if new wine is poured into old wineskins, the pressure from the fermentation process can cause the skins to burst, resulting in the loss of both the wine and the wineskin.

This teaching is also found in the Gospels of Mark and Luke. In Mark 2:22, Jesus says, "And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the wine will burst the skins, and both the wine and the wineskins will be ruined. Instead, new wine is poured into new wineskins" . Similarly, in Luke 5:37-38, the same principle is reiterated: "And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. If he does, the new wine will burst the skins; the wine will spill and the wineskins will be ruined. Instead, new wine is poured into new wineskins."

The metaphor of wineskins serves as a powerful illustration of the transformative nature of Jesus' teachings and the new covenant He established. It underscores the need for spiritual renewal and the willingness to embrace change in order to fully receive and contain the new life offered through Christ. The imagery of wineskins invites believers to consider the condition of their own spiritual receptivity and readiness to embrace the transformative work of the Holy Spirit.Matthew 9:17
Neither do men put new wine into old bottles: else the bottles break, and the wine runs out, and the bottles perish: but they put new wine into new bottles, and both are preserved.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Mark 2:22
And no man puts new wine into old bottles: else the new wine does burst the bottles, and the wine is spilled, and the bottles will be marred: but new wine must be put into new bottles.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

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