Continency

Is that moral virtue by which we restrain concupiscence. There is this distinction between, chastity and continence:

Chastity requires no effort, because it may result from constitution; whereas continency appears to be the consequence of a victory gained over ourselves. The term is most usually applied to men; as chastity is to women.

See CHASTITY.

SEE CHASTITY; SEE VIRGINITY.

kon´ti-nen-si (ἐγκρατεύομαι, egkrateúomai “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 egkráteia (Act 24:25; Gal 5:23; 2Pe 1:6) and adjective egkratḗs (Tit 1:8) see TEMPERANCE; TEMPERATE.