09/02/2026
You Are Fat So You Must Be Guilty Of The Sin Of Gluttony!
The word "glutton" is found only twice in the KJV (Deuteronomy 21:20; Proverbs 23:21). Likewise, the word "gluttonous" is only found twice in the KJV (Matthew 11:19; Luke 7:34). By comparison, the ASV, NKJ, and ESV include Proverbs 23:20; 28:7; and Titus 1:12. Upon looking up "glutton" in a Bible dictionary and other references, we learn that the word means something far deeper than just someone eating too much at a meal, or being heavy in bodyweight.
In the Unger's Bible Dictionary, "glutton" means, "(Hebrew from zalal), "to shake," to "be loose morally”. A debauchee (one who is involved in debauchery - Deuteronomy 21:20; Proverbs 23:21); is "gluttonous" (Proverbs 23:20; 28:7), a “free liver”, one who is unrestrained (Matthew 11:19; Luke 7:34). The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia defines “glutton” (zalel in the Hebrew) as; “To shake or pour out, to be lavish, a squanderer." (Deuteronomy 21:20; Proverbs 23:21). In Greek, (phagos), it is defined as “an eater, a glutton.”
The Holman Bible Dictionary defines gluttony as "...greedy and voracious eating... associated with stubbornness, rebellion, disobedience, drunkenness, and wastefulness” (Deuteronomy 21:20). When Jesus was accused of being "a glutton and a drunkard" (Matthew 11:19) it was in the sense of being one given to loose and excessive living. Gluttony makes one sleepy, leads to laziness, and eventually to poverty (Proverbs 23:21).
Properly understood, defining gluttony simply as being “guilty of eating too much” does not give an accurate picture of what God condemns. Overeating is but a symptom of the larger problem of laziness, of being idle, of having a sense of entitlement, having loose morals, and being unrestrained. All these actions are condemned by God and are included in the meaning of "gluttony". Many people in our society are not overweight and yet in numerous ways fit this definition. Once understood, all should examine themselves to make sure that, in this land of plenty, they are not gluttons.
Jesus said, “Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment” (John 7:24). Righteous judgment includes knowing the facts about a person’s medical condition. What do you know about their metabolism? What do you know about surgeries, sickness, or other health issues that may affect their ability to gain or lose weight? What do you know about the person’s effort to lose weight? Determining another person’s spiritual condition simply by their appearance/bodyweight is a sin!
Often when a sermon is preached against such sins as immodesty, use of to***co, drinking alcohol, forsaking the assembly, etc., some try to justify these actions by saying; "People today are also guilty of eating too much, so how about preaching on gluttony? Isn't that a sin, too?" When sins such as debauchery, loose living, laziness, etc., are condemned (Acts 24:25; Philippians 4:6), then gluttony has been condemned! Do not embarrass yourself by ignorantly accusing your preacher of ignoring this sin. It just makes those who understand the topic wonder if you have something to hide.
Tim Kidwell – Branson church of Christ
