in your knowledge self-control

in your knowledge self-control

ἐν δὲ τῇ γνώσει τὴν ἐγκράτειαν  

               Like a city that is broken into and without walls

Is a man who has no control over his spirit. (Proverbs 25:28)

               He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty,

And he who rules his spirit, than he who captures a city. (Proverbs 16:32)

            The word that we have here for self-control is ἐγκράτεια, enkráteia (G1467; LN88.83) and means to exercise complete control over one’s desires and actions—‘to control oneself, to exercise self- control, self-control.^[1]  It is only used four times in the New Testament.  (Acts 24:25; Galatians 5:23; 2^nd Peter 1:6_x2) While this term is used sparingly in the New Testament it was used extensively by Greek philosophers, the Stoics and the Essenes.  The sparse use of this ethical term is due to three things: (1) for Christians life is directed by God’s command, so that there is no place for autonomous self-mastery; (2) belief in creation excludes dualism, for all things are good as they come from God; and (3) salvation in Christ leaves no place for meriting salvation by asceticism.^[2]  

             ἐγκράτεια, as it relates to Christian teaching, is an act of submitting ones will to that of God’s will.  It is not a list of do’s and don’ts.  The areas that we may need to exercise self-control in are not necessarily areas of sin.  For example I know that God wants me to study His Word.  (His Will)  There are times that I do not want to.  (My will)  Self-control is when I submit my will to His Will and study when I should, not when I want to. 

            Self-control depends on the others in this list, faith, knowledge etc. just as much as they depend on self-control.  One who lacks self-control will not grow in faith, or knowledge.  On the other hand as my faith and knowledge grows my self-control will increase. 

             

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^[1] Louw, J. P., & Nida, E. A. (1996). Vol. 1: Greek-English lexicon of the New Testament : Based on semantic domains (electronic ed. of the 2nd edition.) (750). New York: United Bible societies.

^[2] Kittel, G., Friedrich, G., & Bromiley, G. W. (1995). Theological Dictionary of the New Testament (196). Grand Rapids, MI: W.B. Eerdmans.

confessions

When I was younger, much younger, I loved heavy metal rock.  To a certain extent I still do.  I have a tendency to obsess on things, though.  (I’ve seen “Howard The Duck” over one hundred times) (That is probably an understatement)  And when I was in high school  I liked to listen to Alice Cooper.  I bought every album that he ever made and listened to him almost exclusively for almost a year.  Maybe longer. 

His music fed my teenage angst, what ever that is.  Perhaps that is just another name for rebellion.  

To say that the things that Alice sang about were unhealthy is an understatement.  But I drank it in and wore it like an old comfortable coat.  By doing so I broke my mind and my spirit scaring my soul in the process. 

Some where along the way I got saved.  Alice had to go, but he would pop back up over the years when things got rough.  When I would plow looking over my shoulder or with my eyes shut.  Old things have passed away but I have a shovel and I know how to use it. 

 

Recently I have learned that Alice Cooper became a Christian somewhere along the way also.  It does me good to think that someone who had such a negative impact on my life is someone that I will have the chance to meet in heaven.