Abstain. Epictetus made a very wise summary of philosophy when he said, “Bear and forbear.” Stoic philosophy was summarized as: “to bear with the troubles and to abstain from the pleasures of life.” These are truly the two main duties that our apostle recommends to his Christian brothers in this letter. We will, first, explain what these sinful desires are and then consider the exhortation to abstain from them. Unchaste desires are particularly given this name, but to see these only in this passage