The Greek adjective egkrates (ἐγκρατής) means self-controlled, temperate, or disciplined — one who has mastery over their own impulses and desires. It appears only once in the New Testament (Titus 1:8) in the list of qualifications for an elder/overseer, indicating that self-control is considered a fundamental character trait for church leadership.
The placement of egkrates in the elder qualifications of Titus 1:8 is theologically significant. Paul lists it among virtues like hospitality, righteousness, and holding firmly to sound doctrine — suggesting that self-control is not merely a personal virtue but a prerequisite for spiritual leadership. A leader who cannot govern their own impulses cannot govern God's household. The Stoic philosophers valued self-control (sophrosyne) as the chief virtue; the New Testament builds on this but grounds it not in human willpower but in the indwelling Spirit. The Spirit-filled leader is egkrates — held in order by divine grace.