What Is Temperance in the Bible? Strength Within

Listen now to a much-needed word. The fruit of the Spirit is temperance — the Greek word is egkrateia (G1466, temperance), strength within, the ruling of one's own self. It is not the strength that captures a city; it is the strength that rules a spirit. This study sets two ways before you. Look at a king who could not rule himself: for a vegetable garden he lay down on his bed, turned his face away, and would not eat any food — and in the end he sold himself. And he is not alone. Saul feared the people. Balaam loved wages. Eve saw and took. David sent and took. Each one set something above the voice of God, and each one gave himself away to get it. Then look at the Son. He was hungry, and would not command the stones. He saw all the kingdoms, and would not bow. He was insulted, and did not insult back. Though he was a Son, he learned obedience. And here is your comfort: this ruling of yourself is not your work alone — it is the fruit of his Spirit, and God is faithful to make a way of escape. Search it out.

THREE QUESTIONS THIS STUDY ANSWERS:

(My personal thoughts — makar (H4376, to sell) is the word spoken over Ahab; apodidomi (G591, to sell) is the word written about Esau. Two languages, one and the same bargain: a person gives himself away for the thing he desires. Temperance is keeping yourself, so that you are not sold.)

OPENING ANCHOR

(My personal thoughts — notice where temperance stands: among the fruit of the Spirit. It is not first of all a work of man; it is fruit. egkrateia (G1466, temperance) is strength within — one's own self ruled. Where the Spirit lives, this fruit grows, and against such things there is no law.)

1. WHEN SELF-CONTROL IS ABSENT — AHAB

1. 1 Kings 21:1-4Modern Bible↗Strong's↗ And it came to pass after these things, that Naboth the Jezreelite had a vineyard, which was in Jezreel, hard by the palace of Ahab king of Samaria. And Ahab spake unto Naboth, saying, Give me thy vineyard, that I may have it for a garden of herbs, because it is near unto my house: and I will give thee for it a better vineyard than it; or, if it seem good to thee, I will give thee the worth of it in money. And Naboth said to Ahab, The LORD forbid it me, that I should give the inheritance of my fathers unto thee. And Ahab came into his house heavy and displeased because of the word which Naboth the Jezreelite had spoken to him: for he had said, I will not give thee the inheritance of my fathers. And he laid him down upon his bed, and turned away his face, and would eat no bread.

2. 1 Kings 21:7Modern Bible↗Strong's↗ And Jezebel his wife said unto him, Dost thou now govern the kingdom of Israel? arise, and eat bread, and let thine heart be merry: I will give thee the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite.

3. 1 Kings 21:20Modern Bible↗Strong's↗ And Ahab said to Elijah, Hast thou found me, O mine enemy? And he answered, I have found thee: because thou hast sold thyself to work evil in the sight of the LORD.

(My personal thoughts — a king, and he could not rule himself. A whole kingdom was his, yet a vegetable garden made him depressed and took away his appetite. The word is makar (H4376, to sell): he gave himself away to get his desire. This is temperance absent — the man does not own the desire; the desire owns the man.)

2. THE PATTERN OF SELLING THYSELF — ANY THING VALUED ABOVE OBEDIENCE TO GOD

1. 1 Samuel 15:24Modern Bible↗Strong's↗ And Saul said unto Samuel, I have sinned: for I have transgressed the commandment of the LORD, and thy words: because I feared the people, and obeyed their voice.

3. Genesis 3:6Modern Bible↗Strong's↗ And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.

4. 2 Samuel 11:2-4Modern Bible↗Strong's↗ And it came to pass in an eveningtide, that David arose from off his bed, and walked upon the roof of the king's house: and from the roof he saw a woman washing herself; and the woman was very beautiful to look upon. And David sent and enquired after the woman. And one said, Is not this Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite? And David sent messengers, and took her; and she came in unto him, and he lay with her; for she was purified from her uncleanness: and she returned unto her house.

(My personal thoughts — notice the one pattern in four lives: Saul feared, Balaam loved, Eve saw, David took. Not one of them was forced. Each one valued a thing above the voice of God, and gave himself away to get it. The thing is different; the bargain is the same.)

3. CHRIST — THE PERFECT EXAMPLE OF SELF-CONTROL

3. 1 Peter 2:22-23Modern Bible↗Strong's↗ Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously:

(My personal thoughts — Ahab had a kingdom and no rule over himself; the Son had all power and full rule. He humbled himself — tapeinoo (G5013, to make low). He was insulted — loidoreo (G3058, to revile) — and did not answer back. Self-control is not weakness; it is strength bowed to the will of God, even to the point of death.)

4. WHAT TEMPERANCE BRINGETH FORTH — THE FRUIT AND THE CROWN

1. 2 Peter 1:5-6Modern Bible↗Strong's↗ And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness;

2. 1 Corinthians 9:24-25Modern Bible↗Strong's↗ Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain. 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.

3. Titus 2:11-12Modern Bible↗Strong's↗ For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;

(My personal thoughts — notice the order: temperance is added to knowledge, and patience is built on temperance. And grace teaches: the same grace that brings salvation teaches us to say no to worldly lusts and to live soberly — sophronos (G4996, soberly), with a sound mind. Those who run for a perishable crown are temperate — egkrateuomai (G1467, to be temperate) — in all things; how much more should we be, for an imperishable one.)

4. 1 Kings 21:20Modern Bible↗Strong's↗ And Ahab said to Elijah, Hast thou found me, O mine enemy? And he answered, I have found thee: because thou hast sold thyself to work evil in the sight of the LORD.

5. Hebrews 12:16-17Modern Bible↗Strong's↗ Lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright. For ye know how that afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected: for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears.

(My personal thoughts — of all the men in this study, the word sold is written about two only: Ahab and Esau. A king traded righteousness for a vegetable garden; a firstborn traded his inheritance for a single meal. The book of Kings ends Ahab with judgment, but Hebrews alone follows Esau further — into the day he tried to get the blessing back with tears, and found no place of repentance. Do not sell yourself; some trades cannot be bought back.)

7. Genesis 3:6Modern Bible↗Strong's↗ And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.

8. Matthew 4:3-4Modern Bible↗Strong's↗ And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread. But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.

Matthew 4:8-10Modern Bible↗Strong's↗ Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me. Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.

(My personal thoughts — the same three gates: the flesh, the eyes, the pride of life. At the tree the woman saw, desired, took, and ate. In the wilderness the Son was tempted at the same gates, and answered every one, It is written. Where the first man fell, the obedience of one has made many righteous.)

CLOSING

1 Corinthians 10:13Modern Bible↗Strong's↗ There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.

(My personal thoughts — here is the whole study in one line: temperance, egkrateia (G1466, temperance), is fruit of the Spirit — yourself ruled by his strength. Ahab sold himself, makar (H4376, to sell); Esau sold his birthright; Saul, Balaam, Eve, and David each valued a thing above the voice of God. But the Son ruled himself even to death, and by the obedience of one many are made righteous. And God is faithful: you will not be tempted beyond what you can bear, and with the temptation he makes a way of escape. Add temperance to your knowledge, and run for the imperishable crown.)

GREEK KEYWORDS

HEBREW KEYWORDS

PRACTICE QUIZ

HOW THIS STUDY BRANCHES

→ How the city is kept: he who has no rule over his own spirit is like a city that is broken down, and without walls (Proverbs 25:28); and he who rules his spirit is better than he who takes a city (Proverbs 16:32).

Temperance — The Foundation — KJV Bible Study

OPENING WORD