---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It is a paradox that men will gladly…"
description: "\"“It is a paradox that men will gladly devote time every day for many years to learn a science or an art; yet will expect to win a knowledge of the gosp..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a94/g-homer-durham-110241_books_it-is-a-paradox-that-men-will-gladly-dev_995444.png"
---

#  It is a paradox that men will gladly devote time every day…

![“It is a paradox that men will gladly devote time every day for many years to learn a science or an art; yet will expect to win a knowledge of the gospel, which comprehends all sciences and arts, through perfunctory glances at books or occasional listening to sermons. The gospel should be studied…” quote by G. Homer Durham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a94/g-homer-durham-110241_books_it-is-a-paradox-that-men-will-gladly-dev_995444.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a94/g-homer-durham-110241_books_it-is-a-paradox-that-men-will-gladly-dev_995444.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a94/g-homer-durham-110241_books_it-is-a-paradox-that-men-will-gladly-dev_995444.png)

> ““It is a paradox that men will gladly devote time every day for many years to learn a science or an art; yet will expect to win a knowledge of the gospel, which comprehends all sciences and arts, through perfunctory glances at books or occasional listening to sermons. The gospel should be studied more intensively than any school or college subject. They who pass opinion on the gospel without having given it intimate and careful study are not lovers of truth, and their opinions are worthless.””

G. Homer Durham

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Argues that studying the gospel deserves more rigorous effort than secular subjects, warning that superficial study leads to false opinions.

**In simple terms:** Gospel study must be deep, not superficial.

Key Takeaway

Prioritize thorough spiritual study.

Themes

faith education study discipline truth spirituality

Mood

solemn instructive

Type

sermon

When to use this quote

- church education
- personal study
- seminary curriculum

Key Concepts

theology critical thinking religious practice

Questions to Reflect On

- How can one balance gospel study with other learning?
- What methods ensure deep understanding?

A Different Perspective

May overlook value of broader knowledge.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Christianity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/christianity/) [Communication](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/communication/) [Education](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/education/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/)

## Related quotes

> [Now that you have the knowledge of the gospel, you're called to do better.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-glenn/now-that-you-have-the-knowledge-of-the-gospel-you-re-called-to-do/)

[Mike Glenn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-glenn/)

> [“May the knowledge of the Gospel, the power of salvation transform our lives to walk in the light.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/may-the-knowledge-of-the-gospel-the-power-of-salvation-transform-our/)

[Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/)

> [To have peace and love in a marriage is a gift that is next to the knowledge of the gospel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther/to-have-peace-and-love-in-a-marriage-is-a-gift-that-is-next-to-the/)

[Martin Luther](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther/)

> [To have peace and love in marriage is a gift which is next to the knowledge of the Gospel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther/to-have-peace-and-love-in-marriage-is-a-gift-which-is-next-to-the/)

[Martin Luther](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther/)

> [“It is seldom that we know anything accurately on any subject that we have not made matter of careful study," said Mr. Monk, "and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-trollope/it-is-seldom-that-we-know-anything-accurately-on-any-subject-that-we/)

[Anthony Trollope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-trollope/)

> [If one's careful study of the facts shows that the Catholic Church is correct about Jesus-his life, teachings, death, and Resurrection-then why not give…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-e-olson/if-one-s-careful-study-of-the-facts-shows-that-the-catholic-church-is/)

[Carl E. Olson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-e-olson/)

> [“For the Bible, despite all its contradictions and absurdities, its barbarisms and obscenities, remains grand and gaudy stuff, and so it deserves careful study…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-l-mencken-2/for-the-bible-despite-all-its-contradictions-and-absurdities-its/)

[H.L. Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-l-mencken-2/)

> [“Only through the careful study of historical documents can we prevent the distortion of where we came from and who we are as a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-carson/only-through-the-careful-study-of-historical-documents-can-we-prevent/)

[Ben Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-carson/)

> [To the present writer a careful study of the facts now available seems to leave no doubt that civilization was born at the southeast…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-henry-breasted/to-the-present-writer-a-careful-study-of-the-facts-now-available/)

[James Henry Breasted](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-henry-breasted/)

> [These are facts the heart can feel; yet they call for careful study before they become clear to the intellect.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/these-are-facts-the-heart-can-feel-yet-they-call-for-careful-study/)

[Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/)

> [I pray that wherever we are and whatever duties we have in the priesthood of God, we will be united in the cause to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-b-eyring/i-pray-that-wherever-we-are-and-whatever-duties-we-have-in-the/)

[Henry B. Eyring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-b-eyring/)

> [“some of my good Baptist brethren in Georgia had done a little preaching from the pulpit against the KKK, I would have a little…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-moss/some-of-my-good-baptist-brethren-in-georgia-had-done-a-little/)

[Norman Moss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-moss/)

> [“God hates Hell. He hates the idea of people going there. He hates it so much that He was willing to take on human…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evan-minton/god-hates-hell-he-hates-the-idea-of-people-going-there-he-hates-it-so/)

[Evan Minton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evan-minton/)

> [I think, here's what I've realized from interviewing people, and I've been very open about my Catholicism and my love of Christ and I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-mohr/i-think-here-s-what-i-ve-realized-from-interviewing-people-and-i-ve/)

[Jay Mohr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-mohr/)

> [Christianity was never meant to be defined by its disciplines, but by its passions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-johnson/christianity-was-never-meant-to-be-defined-by-its-disciplines-but-by/)

[Bill Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-johnson/)

## More by G. Homer Durham

> [We have come to this earth upon a mission ... that we may have power to go forth and warn the nations of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-homer-durham/we-have-come-to-this-earth-upon-a-mission-that-we-may-have-power-to/)

G. Homer Durham

Explore all 2 G. Homer Durham quotes

## More Books quotes

> [I think a new world will arise out of the religious mists when we approach our Bible with the idea that it is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aiden-wilson-tozer/i-think-a-new-world-will-arise-out-of-the-religious-mists-when-we/)

[Aiden Wilson Tozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aiden-wilson-tozer/)

> [If I had a dollar for every time I couldn’t sleep, I could buy a billion locks and finally read a book in peace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aesop-rock/if-i-had-a-dollar-for-every-time-i-couldn-t-sleep-i-could-buy-a/)

[Aesop Rock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aesop-rock/)

> [If what I write is literature, I guess you'd better emphasize the 'litter.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lydia-lunch/if-what-i-write-is-literature-i-guess-you-d-better-emphasize-the/)

[Lydia Lunch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lydia-lunch/)

> [My sentences got sharper and my stories more efficient, and I gradually learned to imagine the reader more clearly and to empathize with that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-thompson-walker/my-sentences-got-sharper-and-my-stories-more-efficient-and-i/)

[Karen Thompson Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-thompson-walker/)

> [Young men, especially in America, write to me and ask me to recommend “a course of reading.” Distrust a course of reading! People who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-lang/young-men-especially-in-america-write-to-me-and-ask-me-to-recommend-a/)

[Andrew Lang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-lang/)

> [“Within the pages of books, I've journeyed to Mandalay, the Milky Way and Santa Fe, without once having to leave my armchair.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-ansbro/within-the-pages-of-books-i-ve-journeyed-to-mandalay-the-milky-way/)

[Kevin Ansbro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-ansbro/)

> [The Rosary is the book of the blind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fulton-j-sheen/the-rosary-is-the-book-of-the-blind/)

[Fulton J. Sheen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fulton-j-sheen/)

> [“Tacitus did not write a most dangerous book. His readers made it so.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-k-krebs/tacitus-did-not-write-a-most-dangerous-book-his-readers-made-it-so/)

Christopher K. Krebs

> [“Take some books and read; that’s an immense help; and books are always good company if you have the right sort.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louisa-may-alcott/take-some-books-and-read-that-s-an-immense-help-and-books-are-always/)

[Louisa May Alcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louisa-may-alcott/)

> [Reader, if you are gifted with nerves like mine, aspire to any character but that of a wit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-lamb/reader-if-you-are-gifted-with-nerves-like-mine-aspire-to-any/)

[Charles Lamb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-lamb/)

> [I have many who keep me going, I am very fortunate in this sense. There is nothing like a child who knows more about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/floyd-cooper/i-have-many-who-keep-me-going-i-am-very-fortunate-in-this-sense-there/)

[Floyd Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/floyd-cooper/)

> [I think books in which people are really happy and things are going well are probably the most challenging novels there are to write,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-quindlen/i-think-books-in-which-people-are-really-happy-and-things-are-going/)

[Anna Quindlen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-quindlen/)

> [It's like the query letter problem that I just mentioned, magnified a hundredfold. You might be good at telling a story, but that doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/it-s-like-the-query-letter-problem-that-i-just-mentioned-magnified-a/)

[Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/)

> [“Be careful about reading health books. Some fine day you'll die of a misprint.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/markus-herz/be-careful-about-reading-health-books-some-fine-day-you-ll-die-of-a/)

Markus Herz

> [But editors are still the world's readers. And thus the eyes of the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betsy-lerner/but-editors-are-still-the-world-s-readers-and-thus-the-eyes-of-the/)

[Betsy Lerner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betsy-lerner/)

[Browse all 59,485 Books quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“It is a paradox that men will gladly devote time every day for many years to learn a science or an art; yet will expect to win a knowledge of the gospel, which comprehends all sciences and arts, through perfunctory glances at books or occasional listening to sermons. The gospel should be studied more intensively than any school or college subject. They who pass opinion on the gospel without having given it intimate and careful study are not lovers of truth, and their opinions are worthless.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "G. Homer Durham"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-homer-durham/it-is-a-paradox-that-men-will-gladly-devote-time-every-day-for-many/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Books"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-homer-durham/it-is-a-paradox-that-men-will-gladly-devote-time-every-day-for-many/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a94/g-homer-durham-110241_books_it-is-a-paradox-that-men-will-gladly-dev_995444.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a94/g-homer-durham-110241_books_it-is-a-paradox-that-men-will-gladly-dev_995444.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a94/g-homer-durham-110241_books_it-is-a-paradox-that-men-will-gladly-dev_995444.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“It is a paradox that men will gladly devote time every day for many years to learn a science or an art; yet…” — G. Homer Durham",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "G. Homer Durham",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-homer-durham/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“It is a paradox that men...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-homer-durham/it-is-a-paradox-that-men-will-gladly-devote-time-every-day-for-many/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-homer-durham/it-is-a-paradox-that-men-will-gladly-devote-time-every-day-for-many/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
