The Bible condemns gluttony, yet it is a topic that is largely overlooked in sermons and Bible classes. Because of this, there may be some confusion about what gluttony is. First, let us notice what it is not.
- One who is overweight is not necessarily a glutton. Other factors are involved in one’s weight, including behavior, lifestyle, medications, genetics, etc. It is also possible for someone to be thin and be guilty of gluttony.
- One who enjoys food is not necessarily a glutton. After all, God “created [foods] to be gratefully shared in by those who believe and know the truth” (1 Timothy 4:3).
While on earth, Jesus was wrongly accused of being a glutton (Luke 7:34). We do not want to make the same mistake that His accusers made by wrongly accusing others of gluttony because we do not understand what it is. We also do not want to ignore this sin if it exists in our life.
In this article, we will address the oft-neglected topic of gluttony and see what the Bible actually says about it.
Gluttony Is Generally Associated with Drunkenness
Several Bible passages tie gluttony and drunkenness together:
“The Son of Man has come eating and drinking, and you say, ‘Behold, a gluttonous man and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’” (Luke 7:34).
“If any man has a stubborn and rebellious son who will not obey his father or his mother, and when they chastise him, he will not even listen to them, then his father and mother shall seize him, and bring him out to the elders of his city at the gateway of his hometown. They shall say to the elders of his city, ‘This son of ours is stubborn and rebellious, he will not obey us, he is a glutton and a drunkard.’ Then all the men of his city shall stone him to death; so you shall remove the evil from your midst, and all Israel will hear of it and fear” (Deuteronomy 21:18-21).
“Do not be with heavy drinkers of wine, or with gluttonous eaters of meat; for the heavy drinker and the glutton will come to poverty, and drowsiness will clothe one with rags” (Proverbs 23:20-21).
There is a reason why these two sins are so often linked to one another – they have similar root causes [we will discuss these throughout the rest of this article]. Even so, they are not identical. We need food to survive, but we do not need alcohol. The Scriptures warn about even the casual use of alcohol, including the wise man’s admonition to “not look on the wine when it is red, when it sparkles in the cup, when it goes down smoothly” (Proverbs 23:31). There is no similar warning regarding food. Therefore, we need to take a closer look at why gluttony is wrong.
Gluttony Is an Indication of Poor Stewardship
In one of the passages noted above, Solomon warned that gluttony led to poverty: “For the heavy drinker and the glutton will come to poverty…” (Proverbs 23:21). The word translated glutton means to be lavish or to squander. This is what happened with the prodigal son in Jesus’ parable – he “squandered his estate with loose living” (Luke 15:13). This wastefulness is the same mentality as the glutton.
In contrast, we are to be good stewards of the blessings God has given. The wise man spoke of the “good man [who] leaves an inheritance to his children’s children” (Proverbs 13:22). No matter how much money someone earns or acquires before he dies, he cannot leave something for his children or grandchildren if he squandered his possessions. Paul told Timothy to instruct the rich to use the wealth they had been blessed with to “do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share” (1 Timothy 6:18). Food is a blessing from God, as Jesus told us to pray for “our daily bread” (Matthew 6:11); yet gluttony abuses the blessing of food. Gluttony is about more than just eating; it is about squandering the blessings God has given us.
Gluttony Is Associated with Laziness
Paul said the Cretans were “lazy gluttons” (Titus 1:12). Those who are like this do not use food to gain strength to work as they should. Instead, food is more of a substitute for work for them.
God’s people are to be hard-working. The wise man said, “Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might; for there is no activity or planning or knowledge or wisdom in Sheol where you are going” (Ecclesiastes 9:10). The apostle Paul taught that we must be “willing to work” if we want to eat (2 Thessalonians 3:10). Gluttony is not compatible with this. Instead, it is linked with “drowsiness” (Proverbs 23:21). The wise man addressed the sluggard (lazy person) and said, “How long will you lie down, O sluggard? When will you arise from your sleep? ‘A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest’—your poverty will come in like a vagabond and your need like an armed man” (Proverbs 6:9-11). Gluttony is about more than just food; it involves focusing on food and neglecting the work that one is responsible for doing.
Gluttony Is Indicative of a Lack of Self-Control
In his first letter to the church in Corinth, Paul contrasted food with sexual immorality: “Food is for the stomach and the stomach is for food, but God will do away with both of them. Yet the body is not for immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord is for the body” (1 Corinthians 6:13). He then went on to warn them to “flee immorality” (1 Corinthians 6:16-18). They needed to exercise self-control in order to please God – self-control in sexual relations to keep this within the confines of marriage (Hebrews 13:4), as well as self-control in eating so that it would be used for the strength of the body (Acts 9:18-19).
Christians must have self-control in order to please God. It is one of the virtues we are to add to our faith (2 Peter 1:5-8). It is also part of the fruit of the Spirit that we display as we follow the Lord (Galatians 5:22-23). We are “not [to] be mastered by anything” (1 Corinthians 6:12), including food. Instead, we are to use it for its proper purpose.
Gluttony Reflects a Carnal Mindset
Paul told the Philippians of some “whose god is their appetite [belly, KJV]” (Philippians 3:19). This description is certainly not limited to gluttony, but the mentality would include it. It involves a focus on carnal things rather than spiritual things. Paul warned about this in his letter to the saints in Rome: “For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace” (Romans 8:6).
Setting our minds on spiritual things will cause us to think a certain way about food:
- We must recognize that life is more than food – Jesus said, “For this reason I say to you, do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?” (Matthew 6:25). Of course, food is necessary for our survival here, but our existence includes more than just this life on earth.
- Serving God in His kingdom ought to be a higher priority than food – Paul told the Romans, “For the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit” (Romans 14:17). He then wrote, “Do not tear down the work of God for the sake of food” (Romans 14:20). In that context, he was discussing passing judgments on matters of liberty. Yet the basic principle applies to our topic here. Food should not be so important to us that it causes us to jeopardize our place before God in His kingdom.
- We are to work for the food that leads to eternal life – Jesus said, “Do not work for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you…” (John 6:27). This was not an instruction to neglect physical labor (cf. 2 Thessalonians 3:10). Instead, it was an admonition about the importance of partaking of Christ and His word. Jesus went on to say, “I am the bread of life. Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. This is the bread which comes down out of heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die. I am the living bread that came down out of heaven; if anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread also which I will give for the life of the world is My flesh” (John 6:48-51). He then explained further, “It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing; the words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life” (John 6:63). As food provides nourishment for our earthly lives, we must allow Christ through His word to provide nourishment for our spiritual lives, leading to eternal life.
Conclusion
Christians must avoid gluttony. At the same time, we need to recognize that this is not a prohibition against enjoying food. Again, food is a blessing from God. Instead, this is a charge for us to be good stewards, hardworking, self-controlled, and spiritually minded.
