Reference

Acts 23:12

And when it was day, certain of the Jews banded together, and bound themselves under a curse, saying that they would neither eat nor drink till they had killed Paul.
10

And when there arose a great dissension, the chief captain, fearing lest Paul should have been pulled in pieces of them, commanded the soldiers to go down, and to take him by force from among them, and to bring him into the castle.

11

And the night following the Lord stood by him, and said, Be of good cheer, Paul: for as thou hast testified of me in Jerusalem, so must thou bear witness also at Rome.

12

And when it was day, certain of the Jews banded together, and bound themselves under a curse, saying that they would neither eat nor drink till they had killed Paul.

13

And they were more than forty which had made this conspiracy.

14

And they came to the chief priests and elders, and said, We have bound ourselves under a great curse, that we will eat nothing until we have slain Paul.

Counter-Arguments

The strongest case that this verse does not belong in this theme.

Total Abstinence

The verse describes a specific vow taken by individuals to abstain from food and drink until a particular goal is achieved, which is distinct from a general command or ideal of total abstinence from wine or alcohol. Their abstinence is a means to an end, not an endorsement of total abstinence as a lifestyle or religious practice.