---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Christ sayeth not, Abstain from the…"
description: "\"Christ sayeth not, Abstain from the flesh, from marrying, from housekeeping, etc., as the Papists teach, for that were even to invite the devil and all..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/39a/martin-luther-106_abstain_christ-sayeth-not-abstain-from-the-flesh_2754309.jpg"
---

#  Christ sayeth not, Abstain from the flesh, from marrying…

![“Christ sayeth not, Abstain from the flesh, from marrying, from housekeeping, etc., as the Papists teach, for that were even to invite the devil and all his fellows to a feast.” quote by Martin Luther](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/39a/martin-luther-106_abstain_christ-sayeth-not-abstain-from-the-flesh_2754309.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/39a/martin-luther-106_abstain_christ-sayeth-not-abstain-from-the-flesh_2754309.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/39a/martin-luther-106_abstain_christ-sayeth-not-abstain-from-the-flesh_2754309.jpg)

> “Christ sayeth not, Abstain from the flesh, from marrying, from housekeeping, etc., as the Papists teach, for that were even to invite the devil and all his fellows to a feast.”

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

## About This Quote

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

Abstaining from worldly pleasures, as taught by some, invites evil; true piety rejects such strictures.

**In simple terms:** Worldly abstinence invites evil.

Key Takeaway

Reject harmful religious strictures.

Themes

religion morality reformation

Mood

critical reformist

Type

theological philosophical

When to use this quote

- church practices
- personal faith
- social reform

Key Concepts

theology ethical critique

Questions to Reflect On

- What defines healthy religious practice?
- How to balance devotion and freedom?

A Different Perspective

Some find value in asceticism.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Abstain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/abstain/) [Abstain Flesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/abstain-flesh-1433565/) [Christ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/christ/) [Devil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/devil/) [Etc](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/etc/) [Fellows Feast](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fellows-feast-3122334/) [Flesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/flesh/) [Housekeeping](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/housekeeping/) [Papists](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/papists-1533965/) [Papists Teach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/papists-teach-3122335/) [Teach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/teach/)

## Related quotes

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[Jonathan Edwards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-edwards/)

> [We live only to dance. If living were not an essential prerequisite, we would abstain.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-bentley/we-live-only-to-dance-if-living-were-not-an-essential-prerequisite-we/)

[Toni Bentley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-bentley/)

> [I find it easier to abstain than do a little bit of anything. I'm not a 'little bit' kind of dame. I want it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elaine-stritch/i-find-it-easier-to-abstain-than-do-a-little-bit-of-anything-i-m-not/)

[Elaine Stritch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elaine-stritch/)

> [In doubt if an action is just, abstain.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zoroaster/in-doubt-if-an-action-is-just-abstain/)

[Zoroaster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zoroaster/)

> [All philosophy lies in two words, sustain and abstain.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/epictetus/all-philosophy-lies-in-two-words-sustain-and-abstain/)

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> [Make no mistake: Deciding to abstain from the Pledge of Allegiance does communicate something, and therefore, it is a form of speech. It's also…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kat-timpf/make-no-mistake-deciding-to-abstain-from-the-pledge-of-allegiance/)

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> [“THAT you abstain from things offered to idols, from blood, from things strangled, and sexual immorality. If you keep yourselves, from these you do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/that-you-abstain-from-things-offered-to-idols-from-blood-from-things/)

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

> [When you are near I abstain myself,but when you are away I badly miss you sweetheart.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pappi-reddy/when-you-are-near-i-abstain-myself-but-when-you-are-away-i-badly-miss/)

[Pappi Reddy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pappi-reddy/)

> [We ought to observe that practice which is the hardest of all-especially for young physicians-we ought to throw in no medicine at all-to abstain-to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-randolph-of-roanoke/we-ought-to-observe-that-practice-which-is-the-hardest-of-all/)

[John Randolph of Roanoke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-randolph-of-roanoke/)

## More by Martin Luther

> [“It was easy for you to say these things, since you either knew you were not writing to Luther, but for the general public,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther/it-was-easy-for-you-to-say-these-things-since-you-either-knew-you/)

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> [“God made man out of nothing, and as long as we are nothing, He can make something out of us.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther/god-made-man-out-of-nothing-and-as-long-as-we-are-nothing-he-can-make/)

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## More Abstain quotes

> [We ought to observe that practice which is the hardest of all-especially for young physicians-we ought to throw in no medicine at all-to abstain-to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-randolph-of-roanoke/we-ought-to-observe-that-practice-which-is-the-hardest-of-all/)

[John Randolph of Roanoke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-randolph-of-roanoke/)

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> [I find it easier to abstain than do a little bit of anything. I'm not a 'little bit' kind of dame. I want it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elaine-stritch/i-find-it-easier-to-abstain-than-do-a-little-bit-of-anything-i-m-not/)

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> [When we are in doubt whether an action is good or bad, abstain from it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zoroaster/when-we-are-in-doubt-whether-an-action-is-good-or-bad-abstain-from-it/)

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