Egkrateia: Multi-Faceted Temperance

Temperance is a multi-faceted word.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance…
Galatians 5.22-23

egkrateia

The word temperance is egkrateia in New Testament Greek.

It can be loosely defined as self control over whatever is needed at the time, often over sensual desires.

inward temperance

The Holy Spirit helps us to control ourselves.

“It is used of the control of the athlete over his body and its desires, during the period in which he is training for the stadium athletic games.”[1]

Paul has this to say personally about being temperate.

And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible. I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air: But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.
1 Corinthians 9.25-27

Paul is speaking here of the Classic Greek Olympic Games. The person who is striving for mastery, or for preeminence in a sport, is temperate in all things. They bring their body under subjection for training. The corruptible crown is what the winner would win. They did not win gold, silver, and bronze. They won a wild Olive branch crown woven together from the sacred area near the temple of Zeus. It’s corruptible because the leaves fade and it becomes brittle. We on the other hand strive for an incorruptible crown, that crown that will be presented to us when we cross over. How much more so should we be temperate in all things?

integrity

Do we have private issues? Are we not the same person when we’re alone?

With temperance we’ll be the same in public and private, disciplined, with integrity.

Temperance develops personal holiness.

“We have to cooperate with the Spirit in disciplining ourselves if the fruit of self-control is to grow.”[2]

The Primitive Church seems to highly prize temperance. The goal is not just to develop self-control. The goal is to develop self-control so that we can become disciplined and allow the other Fruit of the Spirit to grow in our life. In some ways, self-control or temperance is seen as the preeminent Fruit of the Spirit by the Early Church.

outward temperance

Has anyone ever told you how they just, “gave someone a piece of their mind”?

Have you heard anyone say they just, “went off on someone”?

Has anyone just, “lost their cool,” or temper?

These are phrases we use to brag about how we lose our self-control, or temperance. In fact, that is what we are doing. Self control has been highly prized by the church, historically speaking. But in recent years, we have come to value moments of losing our control. We justify it often as righteous indignation.

The Holy Spirit gives us temperance in our relationships with others. It starts with an inward self-control. It works its way outward into our relationships.

One root word of temperance means strength, power, or dominion. Temperance gives us the strength and power to walk in the Spirit. Temperance gives us the dominion to rule with the Spirit.

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notes:

1. Kenneth S. Wuest, “Galatians,” in Mark – Romans – Galatians – Ephesians and Colossians, vol. 1 of Wuest’s Word Studies From The Greek New Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans, 1973), 161.
2. Stanley M. Horton, What the Bible Says About the Holy Spirit, Rev. ed. (Springfield, MO: Gospel Publishing House, 2005), 179