Reference

Titus 1:7

Drunkenness Condemned Permissible Use (Moderation)Total Abstinence

“For a bishop must be blameless, as the steward of God; not selfwilled, not soon angry, not given to wine, no striker, not given to filthy lucre;”

For this cause left I thee in Crete, that thou shouldest set in order the things that are wanting, and ordain elders in every city, as I had appointed thee:

If any be blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children not accused of riot or unruly.

For a bishop must be blameless, as the steward of God; not selfwilled, not soon angry, not given to wine, no striker, not given to filthy lucre;

But a lover of hospitality, a lover of good men, sober, just, holy, temperate;

Holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers.

Why This Verse Was Tagged

Drunkenness Condemned

Keyword Match

80% relevance

This verse contains specific terms directly associated with this theme.

Permissible Use (Moderation)

Multi-Signal Classification

50% relevance

This verse was identified by multiple independent signals: structural patterns, prophetic context, and vocabulary — then validated by a probability model (Snorkel).

Total Abstinence

Multi-Signal Classification

30% relevance

This verse was identified by multiple independent signals: structural patterns, prophetic context, and vocabulary — then validated by a probability model (Snorkel).

Counter-Arguments

The strongest case that this verse does not belong in this theme.

Drunkenness Condemned

The verse uses the phrase "not given to wine," which directly addresses the consumption of alcohol. While it doesn't explicitly use the word "drunkenness," the implication of not being "given to wine" is to avoid excessive consumption that could lead to drunkenness or impaired judgment, which is a core aspect of the definition. However, it doesn't explicitly mention "loss of control" or "effects of excessive drinking" in those exact words, which slightly reduces the confidence score.

Permissible Use (Moderation)

This verse does not support the theme of "Permissible Use (Moderation)" because it lists "not given to wine" as a negative characteristic to be avoided by a bishop, implying that any significant use of wine is problematic for a leader, rather than endorsing moderate use. The verse focuses on what a bishop *should not* be, rather than what is permissible for others.

Total Abstinence

The verse states that a bishop should not be "given to wine," which implies moderation or avoidance of excessive consumption, rather than a complete prohibition of wine itself.

Drunkenness Condemned

Related Verses

1 Timothy 3:3

“Not given to wine, no striker, not greedy of filthy lucre; but patient, not a brawler, not covetous;”

1 Timothy 3:2

“A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach;”

Titus 1:6

“If any be blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children not accused of riot or unruly.”

1 Timothy 3:8

“Likewise must the deacons be grave, not doubletongued, not given to much wine, not greedy of filthy lucre;”

Titus 1:8

“But a lover of hospitality, a lover of good men, sober, just, holy, temperate;”

Thematic Connections

Drunkenness Condemned Permissible Use (Moderation)Total Abstinence

Private Study Note

Add your own reflections or cross-references for this verse.