Is gluttony a sin?

[TonyChanYT]

Oxford:

gluttony, noun
(disapproving) the habit of eating and drinking too much

Deuteronomy 21:

18“If a man has a stubborn and rebellious son who will not obey the voice of his father or the voice of his mother, and, though they discipline him, will not listen to them, 19then his father and his mother shall take hold of him and bring him out to the elders of his city at the gate of the place where he lives, 20 ESV / 4 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful And they shall say to the elders of his city, ‘This our son is stubborn and rebellious; he will not obey our voice; he is a glutton and a drunkard.’ 21Then all the men of the city shall stone him to death with stones. So you shall purge the evil from your midst, and all Israel shall hear, and fear.

He is a glutton
זוֹלֵ֖ל (zō·w·lêl)
Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular
Strong's 2151: To shake, to quake, to be loose morally, worthless, prodigal

H2151 is actually a verb, not an adjective. Pulpit explained:

Gluttony and drunkenness were regarded by the Hebrews as highly criminal. The word rendered by "glutton," ... includes other kinds of excess besides eating. It designates one who is prodigal, who wastes his means or wastes his person by indulgence.

This kind of wasteful gluttony is a sin. This notion is not identical to the Oxford dictionary meaning of the English word gluttony. Another Hebrew word "nephesh" (H5315) is sometimes used for this modern idea of gluttony, NIV Proverbs 23:

2 and put a knife to your throat if you are given to gluttony.

English Standard Version

and put a knife to your throat if you are given to appetite.

a [great] appetite.
נֶ֣פֶשׁ (ne·p̄eš)
Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 5315: A soul, living being, life, self, person, desire, passion, appetite, emotion

Having a big appetite is not a sin in itself but it is not wise to follow through with it.

Now let's look at the NT.

Titus 1:

12 One of the Cretans, a prophet of their own, said, “Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons."

Thayer's Greek Lexicon:

STRONGS NT 1064: γαστήρ

1. the belly ...
   2. Latinuterus, the womb ...
   3. the stomach; by synecdoche a glutton, gormandizer, a man who is as it were all stomach

Even Jesus was accused of being "all stomach", Luke 7:

34 The Son of Man has come eating and drinking, and you say, ‘Look at him! A glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’

It is not wise to give in to a big appetite, Philippians 3:

18 For many, of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears, walk as enemies of the cross of Christ. 19Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things.

Philippians 3:

19 Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is set on earthly things.

Titus 1:

8 But hospitable, a lover of good, self-controlled, upright, holy, and disciplined.

Bottom line, 1 Corinthians 10:

31 So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.

 

[dev553344]

Drinking is not a sin. The bible clarifies which type of drinking is a sin. It is a sin to drink during the day when you should be working to help out and provide for yourself.

The bible also clarifies that being rich is very difficult to enter heaven. Day drinking instead of working and being rich are both forms of gluttony.

The apostles lived in harmony with the members and worked during the day to support themselves. That is spelled out by Paul in the new testament. Also each gave up his riches for the community and all had what they needed. That is perfect living in harmony with God's teachings. The opposite is gluttony.

 

[Randy Kluth]

It really depends on how one defines "gluttony." When the Bible mentions it in association with a life of rebellion against God, then obviously it is a sin. Bu if it involves only an addiction to eating such that a person regularly eats far more than he or she needs, I would not expose it as a sin, personally. It is, of course, unwise to get addicted to anything.

One can be addicted to buying cars, or capitulate to any kind of excess. It can be the result of how one is raised. A parent can over-feed his or her child, and the child grows up thinking it is normal to eat too much, even when the child has stopped growing.

Just about everything we do is out of whack, and can be excessive. We have a Sin Nature, and are not by nature completely disciplined. We can learn to be disciplined, but it is like fighting uphill.

We tend to resist being told what to do. We have an inherent problem with self-discipline in all areas, but I wouldn't categorize everything we do in excess as a "sin."

It's much better to identify sins that are clear indicators of outright rebellion against God, including clear violations of another person's rights, which God has commanded us not to do. That way we treat the real problem, which is a violation of God's holiness rather than problems of discipline.

We may clean up our gluttony problem, but that doesn't necessarily get us Saved. What gets us Saved is mending our relationship with God, and submitting to His Word. If we start with correcting our relationship with God, as servant to our Lord, then we can learn how to lean on Him for help in self-discipline.

It may be a hindrance in preaching the Gospel to people if we begin with an attempt to bring them under strict self-discipline. A person needs to "get Saved," as a priority. This will bring him or her in close contact with God's Word so as to learn to use it in all other matters.

 

[Lambano]

I remember this line from Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle's reboot of Inferno:

"Gluttony is paying too much attention to the things of this world, especially in matters of diet. It's not the amount that counts; it's the obsession."

 

[avemaria81]

Yes, it's one of the 7 deadly sins. Handy mneumonic: PLAGGES: pride, lust, anger/wrath, greed, gluttony, envy, sloth.

 

[TonyChanYT]

Yes, it's one of the 7 deadly sins.

verse?

 

[avemaria81]

verse?

There's no single verse for the Seven Deadly Sins. It's a Catholic "little t" tradition -- Orthodox tradition, too.

 

[TonyChanYT]

There's no single verse for the Seven Deadly Sins. It's a Catholic "little t" tradition -- Orthodox tradition, too.

Let proposition P1 = Gluttony is a deadly sin.

True?

 

[avemaria81]

Let proposition P1 = Gluttony is a deadly sin.

True?

Yes, true

 

[TonyChanYT]

Yes, true

Define deadly sin

 

[Phoneman777]

Drinking is not a sin. The bible clarifies which type of drinking is a sin. It is a sin to drink during the day when you should be working to help out and provide for yourself.

The bible also clarifies that being rich is very difficult to enter heaven. Day drinking instead of working and being rich are both forms of gluttony.

The apostles lived in harmony with the members and worked during the day to support themselves. That is spelled out by Paul in the new testament. Also each gave up his riches for the community and all had what they needed. That is perfect living in harmony with God's teachings. The opposite is gluttony.

So, Solomon didn't know what he was talking about when he said not to even LOOK upon it after the grape juice has turned into booze?

 

[dev553344]

So, Solomon didn't know what he was talking about when he said not to even LOOK upon it after the grape juice has turned into booze?

There has been a people in the bible that refrained from alcohol. But clearly later on Jesus and all the other people of his time enjoyed alcoholic beverages.

I always gotta laugh when people claim someone is saying a person from the bible didn't know what they were talking about. It's like a slander campaign of sorts isn't it?

 

[Phoneman777]

There has been a people in the bible that refrained from alcohol. But clearly later on Jesus and all the other people of his time enjoyed alcoholic beverages.

I always gotta laugh when people claim someone is saying a person from the bible didn't know what they were talking about. It's like a slander campaign of sorts isn't it?

Nah, I'm just havin a bit of fun. I do, however, have to disagree with you on Jesus allowing booze for us.

Doesn't make sense that Jesus would tell Solomon we can't look at booze but then come here in person and tell us it's OK.

Did you know there was no booze at the Last Supper or at the Cana wedding?

 

[dev553344]

Did you know there was no booze at the Last Supper or at the Cana wedding?

If you read the scriptures then clearly you cannot deny that there was alcohol content in that wine. Interesting that you deny that fact.

 

[Ziggy]

Gluttony = Hoarding

Filling up ones owns belly.
God calls us to serve, to be charitable, to share, to give.
Gluttony is the opposite.

 

[Phoneman777]

If you read the scriptures then clearly you cannot deny that there was alcohol content in that wine. Interesting that you deny that fact.

In preparation for Passover, what were the Israelites commanded to do with anything associated with fermentation products - yeast, baked goods, old grape juice, etc. - according to the Law of Moses? So, how could there have been even a single drop of booze in the "wine" (aka "grape juice") Jesus served at the Last Supper? Understand?

Likewise, it's not reasonable to conclude the same God Who told Solomon to tell us not to even LOOK upon booze would come in the Person of Jesus and contradict Himself by turning water into booze.

 

[dev553344]

In preparation for Passover, what were the Israelites commanded to do with anything associated with fermentation products - yeast, baked goods, old grape juice, etc. - according to the Law of Moses? So, how could there have been even a single drop of booze in the "wine" (aka "grape juice") Jesus served at the Last Supper? Understand?

Likewise, it's not reasonable to conclude the same God Who told Solomon to tell us not to even LOOK upon booze would come in the Person of Jesus and contradict Himself by turning water into booze.

No offense really. I just see it differently. That concept has been debated in depth in other threads and I have heard both sides of the story. It is clear to me there was in fact alcohol in the wine. See: Was wine non-alcoholic in Jesus's time?

See also: Did Jesus drink wine/alcohol? | GotQuestions.org

 

[Phoneman777]

No offense really. I just see it differently. That concept has been debated in depth in other threads and I have heard both sides of the story. It is clear to me there was in fact alcohol in the wine. See: Was wine non-alcoholic in Jesus's time?

See also: Did Jesus drink wine/alcohol? | GotQuestions.org

Best way to hash out a multifaceted argument is to address each point one at a time to see in the end which way the "Scales of Truth" tip. Did the Mosaic Law allow for booze to be present at the Last Supper?