Bible Questions Answered:
“Pastor, I'm wondering just what your
definition of temperance is. Thank you.”
Alex/ Long Beach, California U.S. A.
Bible Answer:
Temperate:
Moderate in
indulging the appetites; not self-indulgent; abstemious, esp. in the
use of alcoholic liquors. Moderate in one's actions, speech, etc..:
self-restrained. Moderate or restrained .
(New World
Dictionary)
Bible Texts:
I Corinthians
9:25 KJV
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.
*Temperate-Greek:
Egkrateuomai (Eng-krat-yoo'-om-ahee): To
exercise self-restraint (in diet and chastity): be temperate.
(All Greek &
Hebrew definitions: Abbingdon's Strong's Exhaustive Concordance Of
The Bible.)
Acts 24:24,25
KJV
24 And after certain days, when
Felix came with his wife Drusilla, which was a Jewess, he sent for
Paul, and heard him concerning the faith in Christ.
25 And as he reasoned of
righteousness, temperance*, and judgment to come, Felix
trembled, and answered, Go thy way for this time; when I have a
convenient season, I will call for thee.
*Temperance-Greek:
Egkrateia (Eng-krat-i-ah): Self-control.
Galatians
5:22-25 KJV
22 But The Fruit Of The Spirit is
love, joy, peace, long suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
23 Meekness, temperance*:
against such there is no law.
24 And they that are Christ's have
crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.
25 If we live in The Spirit, let us
also walk in The Spirit.
*Temperance-Egkrateia:
Self-Control.
Titus 1:8 KJV
But a lover of hospitality, a lover
of good men, sober, just, holy, temperate*;
*Egkrates
(Eng-krat-ace): Strong
in a thing (masterful), i.e. self-controled (in appetite, etc.):
temperate.
Titus 2:2 KJV
That the aged men be sober, grave,
temperate*, sound in
faith, in charity, in patience.
*Temperate-Greek:
Sophron (So-frone): Safe (sound) in mind, i.e. self-controlled
(moderate as to opinion or passion): discreet, sober, temperate.
II Peter 1:5-8
KJV
5 And beside this, giving all
diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge;
6 And to knowledge temperance*;
and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness;
7 And to godliness brotherly
kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.
8 For if these things be in you, and
abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful
in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
*Temperance-Greek:
Egkrateia: Self-Control.
Temperate:
Moderate in
indulging the appetites; not self-indulgent; abstemious (moderate),
esp. in the use of alcoholic liquors. Moderate in one's actions,
speech, etc..: self-restrained. Moderate or restrained .
(New World
Dictionary)
The Temperance movement started in 1826, and grew in size and
purpose. Basically it was the prohibition of alcohol and went on from
the early 18th century to the early 19th century.
But Biblical prohibition, entails, much more that just alcohol.
Self-control, self restraint, pertains to every avenue of existence,
be it what we drink, what we eat, what we say, what we do, etc. etc.
etc. In all areas of life, self-control, i.e. temperance is needed.
Today our world is a hedonistic, immoderate, and immorally excessive
in the things it does.
Hedonism: Pursuit of or devotion to pleasure, especially to
the pleasures of the senses.
God's Word, warns...
James 4:4 KJV
Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of
the world is enmity* with God? whosoever therefore will be a
friend of the world is the enemy of God.
*Enmity-Greek: Echthra (Ekh-thrath): Hostility, opposition:
enmity, hatred.
Our Lord warns....
Luke 21:34-36
NLT
34 “Watch
out! Don’t let your hearts be dulled by carousing and drunkenness,
and by the worries of this life. Don’t let that day catch you
unaware,
35 like a trap.
For that day will come upon everyone living on the earth.
36 Keep alert at all times. And pray that you might be strong
enough to escape these coming horrors (see previous verses 5-33)
and stand before The Son Of Man.”
I Peter 1:7 KJV
That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of
gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be
found unto praise and honor and glory at the appearing of
Jesus Christ:
II Peter 3:13,14
KJV
13 Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens
and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.
14 Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things,
be diligent that ye may be found of Him in peace, without spot, and
blameless.
James 1:5 KJV
If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all
men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.
If true of wisdom, certainly true as well for self-control!
"ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth
not; and it shall be given him.
“ Keep alert at all times. And pray that
you might be strong enough to escape these coming horrors and
stand before The Son Of Man.”
Seven
Elements Of Christian Armor:
Ephesians
6:10-18 KJV
10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in
the power of His might.
11 Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may
be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against
principalities, against powers,
against
the rulers of the darkness of this world, against
spiritual wickedness in high places.
13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armor of God,
that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done
all, to stand.
14 Stand therefore, having your loins girt about (the belt)
with truth, and having on the breastplate
of righteousness;
15 And your feet shod with the preparation of the
gospel of peace;
16 Above all, taking the shield of faith,
wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the
wicked.
17 And take the helmet of salvation,
and the sword of the Spirit, which is The Word Of God:
18 Praying always with all prayer and
supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all
perseverance and supplication for all saints;
The Word Of
God:
Psalm 141:4 KJV
Incline not my heart to any evil thing, to practise wicked works
with men that work iniquity: and let me not eat of their dainties.
Proverbs 16:32
KJV
He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty; and he that
ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city.
Proverbs 20:1
KJV
Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging: and whosoever is
deceived thereby is not wise.
Proverbs
23:20,31,32 NLT
20 Do not carouse with drunkards or feast with gluttons,
31 Don’t gaze at the wine, seeing how red it is, how it sparkles
in the cup, how smoothly it goes down.
32 For in the end it bites like a poisonous snake; it stings like
a viper.
Daniel 1:8 NLT
But Daniel was determined not to defile himself by eating the food
and wine given to them by the king. He asked the chief of staff for
permission not to eat these unacceptable foods.
Luke 1:15 KJV (John The Baptist)
For he shall be great in the sight of The Lord, and shall drink
neither wine nor strong drink; and he shall be filled with The Holy
Ghost, even from his mother's womb.
Romans 6:12 KJV
Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should
obey it in the lusts thereof.
I Corinthians
3:16 KJV
Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that The Spirit Of
God dwelleth in you?
I Corinthians
6:18-20 KJV
18 Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the
body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own
body.
19 What? know ye not that your body is the temple of The Holy
Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?
20 For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your
body, and in your spirit, which are God's.
I Corinthians
9:24-27 NLT
24 Don’t you realize that in a race everyone runs, but only one
person gets the prize? So run to win!
25 All athletes are disciplined in their training. They do it to
win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize.
26 So I run with purpose in every step. I am not just
shadowboxing.
27 I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it
should. Otherwise, I fear that after preaching to others I myself
might be disqualified.
I Corinthians
10:31 KJV
Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to
the glory of God.
Galatians 2:20
KJV
I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but
Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I
live by the faith of The Son Of God, who loved me, and gave Himself
for me.
Galatians
5:19-21 NLT
19 When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results
are very clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures,
20 idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts
of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, 21 envy,
drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these. Let me tell you
again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will
not inherit the Kingdom of God.
Ephesians 5:18
KJV
And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with
The Spirit;
James 1:26 KJV
If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his
tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion is vain.
I Peter 4:3-5
NLT
3 You have had enough in the past of the evil things that godless
people enjoy—their immorality and lust, their feasting and
drunkenness and wild parties, and their terrible worship of idols.
4 Of course, your former friends are surprised when you no longer
plunge into the flood of wild and destructive things they do. So they
slander you.
5 But remember that they will have to face God, who will Judge
everyone, both the living and the dead.
II Peter 2:12-15
KJV
12 But these, as natural brute beasts, made to be taken and
destroyed, speak evil of the things that they understand not; and
shall utterly perish in their own corruption;
13 And shall receive the reward of unrighteousness, as they that
count it pleasure to riot in the day time. Spots they are and
blemishes, sporting themselves with their own deceivings while they
feast with you;
14 Having eyes full of adultery, and that cannot cease from sin;
beguiling unstable souls: an heart they have exercised with covetous
practices; cursed children:
15 Which have forsaken the right way, and are gone astray..."
I John 3:24 KJV
And he that keepeth His commandments dwelleth in Him, and He in
him...
