Integrity – The Virtue of Virtues 313well-balanced individual leads to other qualities, such as temperance,
moderation, prudence, purity, and self-control.)
According to the Bible, the believer’s life is shaped after the image
of God. This life aims for the Kingdom of God and receives its horizon
from it. Values and virtues are manifestations of this orientation. In the
Old Testament, virtues are described in Exodus and Deuteronomy and
the books on Wisdom (Proverbs, Wisdom). The four cardinal virtues
described by the Greek philosophers are also cited in the Bible, proving
that they were ‘universally’ accepted in the Ancient World : “The vir-
tues are the results of these works, as they teach moderation and pru-
dence, justice and force, and nothing else is more useful to a man’s
life.” (Wisdom 8:7). Proverbs are “destined to gain wisdom and instruc-
tions, for understanding words of insight; for received instruction in
prudent behaviour, doing what is right and just and fair.” (Prov 1:1-3)
Paul has gathered seven virtues: three under theological teachings
(faith, love and hope), and four under classical cardinal virtues (wisdom,
courage, temperance and justice). He had brought to light that a life in
the love of Christ is a virtuous life: A new life serving God, serving the
people around you, without prejudice to brothers or sisters, not letting
down brethren and sisters, obeying to the State authorities (Romans 12-
15), the description of the gifts of the Holy Spirit and the gift of love (1
Cor. 12 and 13), the past life and the new life with Jesus-Christ (Col 3:5-
4.6) and the Unity of the body of Christ and the new life (Eph. 4-5). But
virtue is not foremost the purification and sanctification of the individu-
al, but rather the social orientation and attitude that enhances love and
community life. Let us compare the vitious^233 (old) and the virtues (new)
life in the Letters to the Colossians, Ephesians and Galatians in the New
Testament:
233
Archaic variant of ‘vicious’.