And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. If he does, the new wine will burst the skins and it will be spilled, and the skins will be destroyed. But new wine must be put into fresh wineskins.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The imagery here isn't just about old vs. new containers, but how old, brittle wineskins, weakened by age and use, will inevitably split under the pressure of fermentation. This isn't just a passive failure; it's the active force of the new wine's expansion that destroys the worn-out vessel.
And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. If he does, the new wine will burst the skins and it will be spilled, and the skins will be destroyed. But new wine must be put into fresh wineskins.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Jesus has just called Levi (Matthew), a tax collector, to follow him, and then hosted a large meal with many other tax collectors and sinners. This caused the Pharisees and their scribes to grumble and question Jesus' disciples about why he eats and drinks with such people, prompting Jesus to respond with parables about new wine and old wineskins. These analogies explain why his disciples aren't fasting like John's disciples and the Pharisees, highlighting the radical newness of Jesus' message and ministry.
Why did Jesus insist on using new skins for new wine? It wasn't just about practicality; it was a powerful metaphor for how we handle new spiritual realities.
Jesus' teaching about new wine and old skins wasn't just about ancient winemaking.
Material Reality
Ancient bottles were typically made of animal skins. As they aged, these skins became brittle, seamed, and cracked. They lost their elasticity and could no longer stretch to accommodate the pressure of fermentation. New wine, still active and fermenting, would naturally expand. Pouring it into old, weakened skins would inevitably cause them to burst, spilling the wine and ruining the skins.
Spiritual Application
Jesus used this common, tangible illustration to speak about something far more profound. The 'new wine' represents the fresh, dynamic work of God through His Spirit, His new teachings, and His kingdom. The 'old skins' symbolize rigid, traditional, or outdated ways of thinking and living that can't contain this new reality. Trying to force God's fresh work into worn-out, inflexible religious structures or personal mindsets would lead to a destructive 'spilling' and 'perishing' of both the new and the old.
It's not just about what breaks; it's about what endures. Jesus offered a solution that protected both the new wine and the vessel.
The counterpoint to the bursting skins is the preservation that comes from a proper pairing.
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The Principle of Preservation
Jesus immediately follows the warning with the positive principle: 'But new wine must be put into new wineskins, and both are preserved.' When new wine is placed in new, strong, elastic skins, it can ferment and expand safely. The skin stretches and accommodates the wine, and the wine is safely contained. Both are kept intact and ready for use.
A New Covenant Reality
This highlights God's intention for His work to be received and contained in ways that are equally fresh and vibrant. It points to the 'new covenant' He was inaugurating, which required a new way of relating to God and living out His will. This newness wasn't meant to be crammed into the brittle, tradition-bound frameworks of the past, but into receptive, transformed hearts and minds – the 'new wineskins.'
Understand the original words
oinos · Greek Noun
The product of the grape, often used in Scripture to symbolize joy, the Holy Spirit, the life of the new covenant, or the transformative power of God's kingdom.
askos · Greek Noun
A container made of animal hide used to store fermented liquids; metaphorically represents the institutional or religious structures required to hold the dynamic power of the Gospel.
kainos · Greek Adjective
That which has just come into existence or has been recently introduced, often signifying the restoration of God’s covenantal relationship through Christ, which is superior to the old order.
This verse highlights the radical nature of Jesus' teachings, which couldn't be contained within the old religious structures. It's a powerful image for understanding why new movements and ideas often clash with the established order.
c. 27 AD
Jesus begins public ministry
Jesus begins teaching, gathering disciples, and performing miracles, introducing a new spiritual message and approach.
c. 27-30 AD— this verse
New teachings and practices emerge
Jesus' disciples, including those recently called like Levi, live by his teachings, which differ significantly from established traditions like those of the Pharisees and John the Baptist.
c. 30-33 AD
Jesus' crucifixion and resurrection
The central events of Jesus' ministry, leading to his death and subsequent resurrection, fundamentally changing his followers' experience and message.
This passage presents the identical analogy of new wine and wineskins, directly linking Jesus' new teaching and kingdom to the need for new spiritual capacities to receive it.
Galatians 5:22-23While Luke's verse speaks of external vessels, this passage describes the 'new wine' of the Spirit's fruit, highlighting the internal transformation required for believers to embody the new life Christ offers.
Romans 6:4This verse parallels the idea of renewal by speaking of being 'buried with him through baptism into death' and then 'raised to walk in newness of life,' reflecting the essential break from the old that newness requires.
Jeremiah 31:31-33This prophecy anticipates a new covenant where God's law will be written 'on their hearts' by the Spirit, showing the divine initiative behind the 'new wine' that necessitates receptivity beyond old ways of adherence.
clarkeLuke 5:37: "And no man putteth new wine into old bottles; else the new wine will burst the bottles, and be spilled, and the bottles shall perish."
The new wine will burst the bottles - These old bottles would not be able to stand the fermentation of the new wine, as the old sewing would be apt to give way. It is scarcely necessary to remark, that the eastern bottles are made of skins; generally those of goats.
vincentLuke 5:37: "And no man putteth new wine into old bottles; else the new wine will burst the bottles, and be spilled, and the bottles shall perish."
Bottles (ἀσκοὺς)Rev., wine-skins. See on Matthew 9:17.
The imagery here isn't just about old vs. new containers, but how old, brittle wineskins, weakened by age and use, will inevitably split under the pressure of fermentation. This isn't just a passive failure; it's the active force of the new wine's expansion that destroys the worn-out vessel.
Jesus has just called Levi (Matthew), a tax collector, to follow him, and then hosted a large meal with many other tax collectors and sinners. This caused the Pharisees and their scribes to grumble and question Jesus' disciples about why he eats and drinks with such people, prompting Jesus to respond with parables about new wine and old wineskins. These analogies explain why his disciples aren't fasting like John's disciples and the Pharisees, highlighting the radical newness of Jesus' message and ministry.
Jesus has just called Levi (Matthew), a tax collector, to follow him, and then hosted a large meal with many other tax collectors and sinners. This caused the Pharisees and their scribes to grumble and question Jesus' disciples about why he eats and drinks with such people, prompting Jesus to respond with parables about new wine and old wineskins. These analogies explain why his disciples aren't fasting like John's disciples and the Pharisees, highlighting the radical newness of Jesus' message and ministry.
"And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. If he does, the new wine will burst the skins and it will be spilled, and the skins will be destroyed. But new wine must be put into fresh wineskins." — The imagery here isn't just about old vs. new containers, but how old, brittle wineskins, weakened by age and use, will inevitably split under the pressure of fermentation. This isn't just a pass…
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Last reviewed October 2026