“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law.” – Galatians 5:22–23 (BSB)
“Everyone who competes in the games trains with strict discipline. They do it for a crown that is perishable, but we do it for a crown that is imperishable.” – 1 Corinthians 9:25 (BSB)
“Like a city whose walls are broken down is a man who does not control his temper.” – Proverbs 25:28 (BSB)
“Therefore prepare your minds for action. Be sober-minded; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.” – 1 Peter 1:13 (BSB)
This virtue applies to every area of life: food, drink, speech, sexuality, ambition, and rest. Fr. Isaac Rehberg (ACNA, All Saints San Antonio, TX) explains, “Temperance doesn’t mean abstaining from good things, but handling them with restraint, purpose, and gratitude. It frees the heart from slavery to impulse.” (Holy Habits and Virtue, 2021)
Temperance is formed by training the soul to obey the Spirit rather than the flesh. It is strengthened through fasting, prayer, confession, and worship. Canon George Grant (ACNA, Parish Presbyterian Church, TN) teaches, “Temperance is the habit of holiness in the small things—choosing quiet over rage, patience over indulgence, and sobriety over distraction.” (Recovering Anglican Piety, 2019)
The Church has long emphasized temperance through both teaching and liturgical practice. Fr. Caleb Evans (Anglican Orthodox Church, St. Stephen’s Mission, GA) writes, “The liturgical year teaches temperance through its seasons—Lent disciplines our appetites; Easter trains our joy. The Church forms the body and the soul together.” (Spiritual Discipline and Christian Joy, 2020)
Fr. Thomas Buchan (Anglican Union, St. Mark’s Anglican Church, VA) concludes, “Temperance is Christ’s character in us. He was never ruled by hunger, anger, or fear. To follow Him is to learn mastery of self through surrender to God.” (Virtue in the Life of Christ, 2022)
“The man who cannot control his appetites is a slave. But the temperate man is free, even in poverty.” – Basil the Great, On the Ascetical Life, c. 370 AD
“Let your body be your servant, not your master. Temperance teaches the body to obey the soul, and the soul to obey God.” – John Chrysostom, Homily on Matthew, c. 390 AD
“Temperance prepares the soul for virtue. It clears the mind, subdues the flesh, and makes room for prayer.” – Cyprian of Carthage, On the Discipline of the Christian Life, c. 250 AD
An Anglican Catechism (Expanded) offers over 350+ Scripture-based answers to the core truths of the Christian faith. Each entry includes biblical texts, theological insight, and reflections from historic and contemporary Anglican voices. Rooted in the classical tradition, it is designed for teaching, discipleship, and spiritual formation.
An Ancient Worship Movement invites readers into the rich, historic worship of the early Church rediscovered through the Anglican tradition. This book calls believers into a deeper, Spirit-filled encounter with Christ through timeless practices.
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