What does the Bible say about gluttony?

Examples:

The Bible passages below can be used in sermons, prayers, pastoral care, or worship planning focused on gluttony. 

• Deuteronomy 21:20, gluttony and rebellion (parents shall reveal when their son is a glutton and a drunkard)
• Deuteronomy 32:15, gluttony and scoffing (Jeshurun grew fat, bloated, and gorged; he abandoned and scoffed at God)
• Amos 6:1-7, gluttony and lounging (woe to those who spend all their time feasting and lounging)
• Philippians 3:19, gluttony brings shame (a description of enemies of Christ whose god is the belly and whose minds are set on earthly things) 

Warnings:

• Proverbs 23:20-21, drunkard and glutton (don't join those who drink too much wine or gorge themselves on meat)
• Proverbs 28:7, gluttony and shame (companions of gluttons bring shame to their parents)
• Ephesians 5:18, gluttony and debauchery (don't get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery) 

Drunkenness vice lists:

• Romans 13:13, gluttony and drunkenness (walk as in the day, not in reveling and drunkenness)
• 1 Corinthians 5:11, gluttony and idolatry (don't associate with brothers and sisters who are greedy, idolaters, drunkards, etc.)
• Galatians 5:21, gluttony and drunkenness (strife, envy, drunkenness, carousing, etc.)
• 1 Timothy 3:2-3, gluttony and drunkenness (a bishop must be self-controlled, not a drunkard, not violent, etc.) 

Sermon ideas about gluttony

Blunting our hunger for God? 

What can a sermon on gluttony say to listeners today? The desert fathers who first numbered the deadly sins included gluttony because they were convinced that various human appetites are linked. Gluttony seemed to them a part of Roman food orgies that included other debaucheries, and they were convinced that gluttony blunts the hunger and thirst for God. So they counseled us to savor food and drink just enough to nourish but not enough to sate. 

Five gluttonous errors 

Medievals distinguished five gluttonous errors: eating too soon, too expensively, too much, too eagerly, and with too much fuss. 

Wastefulness 

Like avarice, gluttony is wasteful. In some countries, wastefulness is considered a national sin. 

Addiction 

Gluttony in food and drink may become addictive. Because addictions are progressive and subject to the tolerance effect, they easily become injurious, disabling, or even fatal. In addiction, people trap themselves by attempting to relieve distress with the very thing that caused it. That's the demonic feature of addiction. 

Self-control and gratitude 

The opposite of gluttony in Galatians 5:23 and 2 Peter 1:6 is self-control, which is probably a requirement for gratitude. The person who eats slowly and reflectively may preserve the joy of simple treats, such as a ripe apple on a crisp October day. 

Antidotes to gluttony 

• For gluttony of excess: try diminished calorie allowances and expanded eating times; avoid buffet restaurants, church pancake breakfasts, and hotdog-eating contests 

• For gluttony of delicacy: attend the places and events just listed; practice periodic fasting and prayer; consider attending 12-step program meetings; buy only one new cookbook a year; prepare a humble meal once a week 

Excerpts about gluttony 

Following are sample excerpts from Zeteosearch sermon resources about gluttony: 

• "Gluttony dulls our spiritual senses. Overeating makes us sleepy or nauseous. Over-drinking make us sleepy or giddy or sometimes nasty. How can we walk in the presence of God when we're in that condition?" Article about Theology by Bill Olnhausen from Fr. Bill's Orthodox Blog  

• "Of course, we are mindful of the fact that here in the western world too much food – too much rich food – is a problem; but we are well aware of the fact that there are a lot of places in the world where people cannot get decent food; they cannot feed their children; they do not overindulge; they could not get enough no matter how hard they try. So, that too is a reminder that food and drink is finally a gift." Article about Scripture (podcast) by Scott Hoezee and David Bast from Groundwork  

• "Gluttony is not simply a single negative action or unrestrained impulse. It is a pattern of behavior formed when negative actions or unrestrained impulses become habitual." Scripture Meditation or Sermon by Ian Lasch from Earth and Altar