Gluttony: The Oft Ignored Sin
"For many live as enemies of the cross of Christ... their end is destruction, their god is the belly , and their glory is in their shame; their minds are set on earthly things." -Philippians 3:18-19 In Philippians 3 I came across a verse that just really jumped out at me, a verse I’d somehow never really heard before, where Paul accuses some people of idolatry by saying that their god is their belly. What does he mean by this? I don’t think we see many people going around literally worshipping their bellies. Indeed, in our culture, if anything, we are typically trying to get rid of our bellies, not venerate them. So, clearly Paul is using an analogy here. But what kind? Is this simply a verse speaking out against the sin of gluttony? I think that’s partially the case. But I think Paul has a wider scope in mind here. I think Paul is using this term to refer to all the appetites of the flesh. I think this because at the end of this verse ...