For divergent critical views of the Abraham-Melchizedek pericope of Gn 14 see Wellhausen, Comp.'^, 1SS9, p. 211 f. ; Gunkel, Genesis, 253; Skinner, Genesis, 269 f. Against Wellhausen's theory that the story is a post-exilic attempt to glorify the priesthood in Jerusalem, Gunkel and Skinner argu< for an antique traditional basis.
ABSTIN"ENCE
ABSTINENCE
The writer of Hebrews illustrates his definition of faith (11') by three events in the life of Abraham. — (1) The patriarch left his home and kindred, and ' went out not knowing whither he went ' (He IP). His faith was a sense of the unseen and remote, as akin to the spiritual and eternal. In obedience to a Divine impulse he ventured forth on the unknown, confident that his speculative peradventure would be changed into a realized ideal. The doubting heart says, ' Forward, though I cannot see, I guess and fear ' ; the believing spirit, ' Look up, trust, be not afraid.' — (2) Abraham remained all his life a sojourner (irdpoLKos Kal TrapeirlSr]fjLos=2t'm nj, Gn 23'') in the Land of Promise (He 11^). He left his home in Chaldsea, and never found another. Wherever he went he built an altar to God, but never a home for himself. He was encamped in many places, but naturalized in none. His pilgrim spirit is related to his hope of an eternal city — a beautiful conception transferred to Genesis from the literature of the Maccabtean period (En. 9028-29, Apoc. Bar. 323-4 etc.).— (3) gy faith Abraham offered up Isaac, ' accounting that God is able to raise up, even from the dead ' (He 11'^). Here again the belief of a later age becomes the motive of the patriarch's act of renunciation. The narrative in Gn 22 contains no indication that the thought of a resurrection flashed through his agonized mind.
Literature.— F. W. Weber, Syst. der altsyn. palastin. Theol. ausTarqum, Midrasch, u. Talmud, ISSO, ch. xix. ; J. B. Lig-htfoot, Galatians, 1865, p. 158 ff. ; Sanday-Headlam, Romam^, 1902, p. 102 ff. ; W. Beyschlag-, NT Theology, 1894-96, i. 364 fif. ; A. B. Bruce, St. Paul's Conception of Christi- anity, 1896, p. 116 f. ; G. B. Stevens, Theology of the NT, 1901, p. 289; B. Weiss, Biblical Theology of the NT, 1882-83, i.
437 flf. James Strahan.
ABSTIVET^CE. — Introduction. — The whole of morality on its negative side may be included under Abstinence. Christian moral progress (sanctification) includes a holding fast {Karix^a-Oai) of the good, and an abstaining from (dir^x^cOai) every form of evil (1 Th S^'*-). "While Christianity has general laws to distinguish the good from the bad, yet for each individual Christian these laws are focused in the conscience, and the function of the latter is to discriminate between the good and the bad — it cannot devolve this duty on out- ward rules. With it the ultimate decision rests, and on it also lies the responsibility (Ro 14"*, He 5"). The lists of vices and virtues,* of 'works of the flesh' and 'fruits of the spirit,' given in the NT are not meant to be exhaustive, but typical ; nor are they given to make needless the exercise of Christian discernment. The NT is not afraid to place in the Christian conscience the decision of what is to be abstained from and what is not, because it believes in the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, and because it exalts personal responsibility. It is necessary to make this clear, because, as we shall see, the ultimate tribunal of appeal in mat- ters of abstinence in the ordinary sense (i.e. in the sphere of things indifferent) is the Christian conscience. The ideal of Christian conduct is sometimes said to be self-realization, not self- suppression; consecration, not renunciation. These antitheses are apt to be misleading. In the self with which Christianity deals there are sinful ele- ments that have to be extirpated. Christian sanc- tification takes place not in innocent men, but in sinners who have to be cleansed from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit (2 Co 7'). To purify oneself ( I Jn 3') is not simply to realize oneself ; it is to do no sin.
In all moral conduct there is suppression ; in Christian conduct there is extirpation. This nega-
• See Dobschiitz, Christian Life in the Primitive Church, Eng. tr., 1904, p. 406 S., for lists.
tive side of Christian conduct is abstinence. It is the crucifying of the flesh — death unto sin — and it is the correlative of 'living to righteousness,' ' being risen with Christ,' etc. Abstinence in this sense is an essential and ever-present moment in the Christian life.
More narrowly interpreted, abstinence is a re- fraining from certain outward actions — as eating, drinking, worldly business, maiTiage, etc. It is thus applied to outward conduct, while continence (eyKpareia) is used of inward self-restraint. Cicero makes this distinction, though, from the nature of the case, he cannot always consistently apply it (see Lewis and Short, Lat, Vict., s. v. ' Abstinentia').
We may look first at the outward side of absti- nence, and then try to And out what the Christian principles are (as these are unfolded in the apos- tolic writings) that determine its nature and its limits.
I. Ascetic practices.—!. Fasting.— (a) Fast- ing, or abstinence from food and drink, may be un- avoidable or involuntary (e.g. Ac 27-'' 22, 1 Co 4", 2 Co 6^* U'"',* Ph 412). Such fastings have a re- ligious value only indirectly. They may overtake the apostate as well as the apostle. If they are caused by devotion to Christian service, they are, like all other privations so caused, badges of fidelity ; and they may be referred to with reasonable pride by Christ's ministers (2 Co G'"- 1123). xhey ought to silence criticism (cf. Gal 6''', where St. Paul speaks of his bruises as (XTlyfxaTa tou 'l-qcrov), and they enforce Christian exhortation (Col 4'^ Eph 4'). On the principle that he who chooses the end chooses the means, such fastings are real proofs of fidelity to Christ. They are like the scars of the true soldier.