THE FULL ARTICLE — from the International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (1915), general editor James Orr — public domain, printed whole.

kon'-ti-nen-si (egkrateuomai "to have self-control" or "continency" the Revised Version (British and American), "to contain" the King James Version): Paul, although he would that all men were like himself unmarried, yet advises that they should marry if they cannot control their sexual passions, and hold them in complete subjection to Christian motives (1Co 7:9). The same Greek verb is used in 1Co 9:25, and translated "is temperate" (the King James Version and the English Revised Version) of the athlete who during the period of training abstains from all indulgence in food, 'drink, and sexual passion. For the general principle as expressed in substantive egkrateia (Ac 24:25; Ga 5:23; 2Pe 1:6) and adjective egkrates (Tit 1:8) see TEMPERANCE, TEMPERATE.

T. Rees