Self-Control

Occurrences in Scripture

• Galatians 5:22-23: Self-control is the last of the nine qualities listed as the fruit of the Spirit. The list stands in contrast to the list of the works of the flesh that immediately precedes it.
• Acts 24:25: As Paul "reasoned of righteousness, temperance, and judgment to come" before the governor Felix, Felix trembled. The figures involved are discussed in the article Felix and Festus.
• 2 Peter 1:6: Among the virtues leading from faith to love, the text says, "to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience."
• 1 Corinthians 9:25: Paul draws an analogy from athletics: "every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things." In 7:9 the word is used in connection with marriage.
• Titus 1:8: Self-control appears as one of the qualifications of an overseer (a church leader).

The word itself scarcely appears in the Old Testament. There are, however, passages that express the same idea, such as "he that ruleth his spirit" (Proverbs 16:32) and "he that hath no rule over his own spirit" (Proverbs 25:28).

Terminology and Background

Enkrateia is formed from elements meaning "in" and "power" and denotes the power to hold oneself in check, that is, self-control. It was also an important virtue in Greek philosophy. Aristotle discussed it in contrast to akrasia, the condition of being unable to master one's desires.

Not every occurrence of jeolje ("self-control") in the New Korean Revised Version translates the same Greek term. In 1 Timothy 3:2 and Titus 2:2, the word so rendered is a different term meaning sober, free from drunkenness, and clear-minded. In 2 Timothy 1:7, the phrase translated in Korean as "a mind of self-control" (KJV "a sound mind") renders yet another word, one meaning discretion or sound judgment.

Meaning in Scripture as a Whole

Paul does not speak of self-control merely as self-mastery achieved by human effort. He presents it as fruit that the Holy Spirit produces and places it within the framework of the conflict between the desires of the flesh and the Spirit. At the same time, he also emphasizes the believer's own discipline: "I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection" (1 Corinthians 9:27). Its goal is presented as an incorruptible crown, that is, the final reward before God.

Interpretation and Points of Discussion

• Grace and effort: The Reformed tradition tends to emphasize self-control as the fruit of sanctification, the work of the Holy Spirit. Wesleyan theology and the Holiness tradition tend to place greater emphasis on discipline and training directed toward a holy life. Nevertheless, most denominations affirm both the grace of the Holy Spirit and the believer's labor.
• Self-control and asceticism: The second-century Encratites took their name from this word and are known to have rejected marriage, meat, and wine. The church of their day repudiated them. Today many interpreters, citing 1 Timothy 4:3 and Colossians 2:20-23, explain that biblical self-control means not rejecting created things themselves but governing their use rightly.
• The cardinal virtues: The Catholic Church teaches temperance as one of the four cardinal virtues, together with prudence, justice, and fortitude.
• The question of alcohol: Interpreters differ on whether the self-control of the text means total abstinence. Many Korean denominations encourage abstinence from alcohol or make it a requirement for holding church office, whereas other denominations and believers understand it as moderation in drinking. This is discussed in more detail in the article Alcohol and Tobacco.
• The singular "fruit": Noting that the word "fruit" in Galatians 5:22 is singular in Greek, many interpreters read the nine virtues as different aspects of a single fruit.

In the Korean Church

Self-control is frequently addressed in sermons and Bible studies on the fruit of the Spirit, and 2 Timothy 1:7 is widely used as a memory verse. Traditionally, self-control has been closely associated with a culture of abstaining from alcohol and tobacco. In recent years, sermons applying it to restraint in the use of smartphones and media and in consumption have also become common. In the 1920s, under the influence of the American Woman's Christian Temperance Union, a Christian temperance movement advocating abstinence from alcohol and tobacco is reported to have arisen in Korea as well.