Alcohol
Regarding the church position from Alcohol drinking; I understand that this is not allowed and I have all the biblical references for that but how we answer the transformation at wedding of Cana of Galilee and what the Lord have said about himself in Luke 7:34 "The son of man has come eating and drinking, and you say, "Look, a glutton and a winebibber, a friend of tax collectors and sinners. If this is related to traditions at that time, so how we understand all the references from Old Testament condemning the drink of wine?

Requested and Answered by Shenouda on 08-Aug-2005 00:44

Alcohol
Regarding the church position from Alcohol drinking; I understand that this is not allowed and I have all the biblical references for that but how we answer the transformation at wedding of Cana of Galilee and what the Lord have said about himself in Luke 7:34 "The son of man has come eating and drinking, and you say, "Look, a glutton and a winebibber, a friend of tax collectors and sinners. If this is related to traditions at that time, so how we understand all the references from Old Testament condemning the drink of wine?

In the miracle at the wedding of Cana of Galilee, the Holy Bible does not mention that our Lord drank wine. As for in the Holy Gospel of St. Luke 7:34 Jesus did not say about himself "a glutton and a winebibber" these were false accusations from the Pharisees. Christ was comparing His life with that of St. John the Baptist.

Our Lord lived a regular life in the city while John lived in the wilderness eating locusts and wild honey. The very same men that represented St. John the Baptist as wild, because he came neither eating nor drinking, represented our Lord Jesus unjustly as corrupt in his morals, because he came eating and drinking with sinners.

Regarding the church position from Alcohol drinking; the church does not say drinking Alcohol is sinful but the abuse of Alcohol is sinful. Although this is the position of the church but the church advocates complete abstinence from drinking because the possibility of abuse is usually very high.

This Q&A was found on Archangel Michael & St Bishoy Coptic Orthodox Church : http://www.stbishoy.org.au/modules/smartfaq/faq.php?faqid=45