Dictionary of Bible Themes  »  5000 Humanity  »  5760 Human attitudes and behaviour  »  5771 abstinence  »  5773 abstinence, as a discipline

Israel's abstinence from certain sorts of meat

Leviticus 7:22-27; Leviticus 11:1-47; Deuteronomy 14:1-21; Acts 10:9-14 God used the food laws to teach Peter a spiritual lesson.

Israel's abstinence from other things

Exodus 19:14-15; Leviticus 16:29-31; Numbers 6:1-4 See also Exodus 31:16-17; Numbers 29:7; Judges 13:4; 1 Samuel 21:4

Abstinence from food

As an expression of repentance

1 Samuel 7:5-6; Ezra 10:6 See also 2 Samuel 1:11-12; Nehemiah 1:3-4; Joel 2:12; Jonah 3:5

Expressing a seeking after God

Acts 13:1-2 See also Matthew 4:1-2 pp Luke 4:1-2; Matthew 9:14-15 pp Mark 2:18-20 pp Luke 5:33-35; Luke 2:36-37; Acts 9:9; Acts 14:23; Romans 14:6

Temporary sexual abstinence as a form of discipline

Exodus 19:15; 1 Samuel 21:4-5; 1 Corinthians 7:5

Denial of selfish desires

Matthew 16:24 pp Mark 8:34 pp Luke 9:23 1 Peter 2:11 See also Romans 13:13

Voluntary abstinence for the sake of others

1 Corinthians 8:13 See also Acts 15:19-20,29; Acts 21:25; Romans 14:21; 1 Corinthians 9:12,19-27; Corinthians 10:15-31

Abstinence may be hypocritical

Matthew 6:16 See also Isaiah 58:3-7; Jeremiah 14:10-12; Zechariah 7:2-6; Luke 18:11-12; 1 Timothy 4:2-5

See also

4436  drinking, abstention
4544  wine
5794  asceticism
5850  excess
6732  repentance
7340  clean and unclean
8204  chastity
8339  self-control
8429  fasting
8451  mortification
8475  self-denial
8737  evil, responses to