--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: For St. Paul only says that it is better…" description: "\"For St. Paul only says that it is better to be married than to burn. Now I presume that if that apostle had known that providence would at an after day..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/21e/thomas-jefferson-43_apostles_for-st-paul-only-says-that-it-is-better_2627038.jpg" --- # For St. Paul only says that it is better to be married… ![“For St. Paul only says that it is better to be married than to burn. Now I presume that if that apostle had known that providence would at an after day be so kind to any particular set of people as to furnish them with other means of extinguishing their fire than those of matrimony, he would have…” quote by Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/21e/thomas-jefferson-43_apostles_for-st-paul-only-says-that-it-is-better_2627038.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/21e/thomas-jefferson-43_apostles_for-st-paul-only-says-that-it-is-better_2627038.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/21e/thomas-jefferson-43_apostles_for-st-paul-only-says-that-it-is-better_2627038.jpg) > “For St. Paul only says that it is better to be married than to burn. Now I presume that if that apostle had known that providence would at an after day be so kind to any particular set of people as to furnish them with other means of extinguishing their fire than those of matrimony, he would have earnestly recmmended them to their practice.” [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Jefferson critiques the notion that marriage is preferable to celibacy, suggesting alternative ways to control desire beyond matrimony. **In simple terms:** Marriage isn’t the only way to control desire. Key Takeaway Consider alternative self‑discipline methods. Themes marriage desire self‑control Mood thoughtful critical Type philosophical reflective When to use this quote - relationships - spiritual practice - self‑discipline Key Concepts religion personal liberty Questions to Reflect On - What other practices can temper desire? - How do cultural norms shape views on celibacy? A Different Perspective Not all cultures view marriage as the sole solution. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Apostle Known](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/apostle-known-2157469/) [Apostles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/apostles/) [Being married](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/being-married/) [Extinguishing Matrimony](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/extinguishing-matrimony-2157468/) [Fire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fire/) [Ifs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ifs/) [Kind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kind/) [Known](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/known/) [Marriage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/marriage/) [Married](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/married/) [Married Burn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/married-burn-2157467/) [Matrimony](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/matrimony/) [Mean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mean/) [Particular](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/particular/) [Paul Says](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/paul-says-396105/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Practice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/practice/) [Presume Apostle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/presume-apostle-2157470/) [Providence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/providence/) ## Related quotes > [The fire that is burning in my heart, I will spread that in the world ... if you get married, I will burn the era](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/prince-arya/the-fire-that-is-burning-in-my-heart-i-will-spread-that-in-the-world/) [Prince Arya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/prince-arya/) > [“As Saint Paul says, marry or burn.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-atwood/as-saint-paul-says-marry-or-burn/) [Margaret Atwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-atwood/) > [“C'mon, Paul," she says. "We all know love makes you do stupid things.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/c-mon-paul-she-says-we-all-know-love-makes-you-do-stupid-things/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [“With him, I don’t have to worry about all the other bullshit that’s going on. I don’t have to wonder why I’m not smart…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-j-klune/with-him-i-don-t-have-to-worry-about-all-the-other-bullshit-that-s/) [T.J. Klune](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-j-klune/) > [What Paul says about Peter tells us more about Paul than about Peter.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/baruch-spinoza/what-paul-says-about-peter-tells-us-more-about-paul-than-about-peter/) [Baruch Spinoza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/baruch-spinoza/) > [“When it comes to speaking about sin, Paul is clear in his message to the Jews that the law cannot justify them, that moral…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-keller/when-it-comes-to-speaking-about-sin-paul-is-clear-in-his-message-to/) [Timothy Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-keller/) > [“Give no one in all the world the power to deflect you from your goal, your aim in life, which is to express your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-murphy/give-no-one-in-all-the-world-the-power-to-deflect-you-from-your-goal/) [Joseph Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-murphy/) > [Yet do not miss the moral, my good men. For Saint Paul says that all that’s written well Is written down some useful truth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geoffrey-chaucer/yet-do-not-miss-the-moral-my-good-men-for-saint-paul-says-that-all/) [Geoffrey Chaucer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geoffrey-chaucer/) > [“Paul says that Spirit lives inside us, detecting needs we cannot articulate and expressing them in a language we cannot comprehend. When we don’t…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-yancey/paul-says-that-spirit-lives-inside-us-detecting-needs-we-cannot/) [Philip Yancey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-yancey/) > [“You sorry fucker,” Paul says. “If I didn’t love your sorry ass so much, I’d have to hate you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tammy-falkner/you-sorry-fucker-paul-says-if-i-didn-t-love-your-sorry-ass-so-much-i/) [Tammy Falkner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tammy-falkner/) > [“Paul says there is only one line. And everyone is in it. That we are all broken sinners.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-j-swoboda/paul-says-there-is-only-one-line-and-everyone-is-in-it-that-we-are/) [A.J. Swoboda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-j-swoboda/) > [“Notice that Paul says that the gospel’s power is boundless and boundaried at the same time. He says it is to everyone. It came…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-j-keller/notice-that-paul-says-that-the-gospel-s-power-is-boundless-and/) [Timothy J. Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-j-keller/) > [“Even though many boast in free will, the reality is that sin makes us a slave. And as slaves, we need someone to redeem…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-brown/even-though-many-boast-in-free-will-the-reality-is-that-sin-makes-us/) [Gregory Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-brown/) > [“We tend to remain conscious of the boundary flags for the course of this world. That slavish adherence to a course that is set…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-c-sproul-2/we-tend-to-remain-conscious-of-the-boundary-flags-for-the-course-of/) [R.C. Sproul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-c-sproul-2/) > [“Marriage is so much like salvation and our relationship with Christ that Paul says you can’t understand marriage without looking at the gospel.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-keller/marriage-is-so-much-like-salvation-and-our-relationship-with-christ-2/) [Timothy Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-keller/) ## More by Thomas Jefferson > [A man has a right to use a saw, an axe, a plane, separately; may he not combine their uses on the same piece…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/a-man-has-a-right-to-use-a-saw-an-axe-a-plane-separately-may-he-not/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [Believing with you that religion is a matter which lies solely between man and his God, that he owes account to none other for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/believing-with-you-that-religion-is-a-matter-which-lies-solely/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [ \[States and the Federal government are\] coordinate departments of one simple and integral whole... The one is the domestic, the other the foreign branch… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/states-and-the-federal-government-are-coordinate-departments-of-one/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [I am for freedom of religion, and against all maneuvers to bring about a legal ascendency of one sect over another.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/i-am-for-freedom-of-religion-and-against-all-maneuvers-to-bring-about/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [Single acts of tyranny may be ascribed to the accidental opinion of a day; but a series of oppressions, begun at a distinguished period…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/single-acts-of-tyranny-may-be-ascribed-to-the-accidental-opinion-of-a/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [“Perceiving the order of nature to be that individual happiness shall be inseparable from the practice of virtue, I am willing to hope it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/perceiving-the-order-of-nature-to-be-that-individual-happiness-shall/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [Free government is founded in jealousy, and not in confidence; it is jealousy, and not confidence, which prescribes limited constitutions, to bind down those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/free-government-is-founded-in-jealousy-and-not-in-confidence-it-is/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [Though you cannot see, when you take one step, what will be the next, yet follow truth, justice, and plain dealing, and never fear…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/though-you-cannot-see-when-you-take-one-step-what-will-be-the-next/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [A well informed citizenry is the best defense against tyranny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/a-well-informed-citizenry-is-the-best-defense-against-tyranny/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [The two principles on which our conduct towards the Indians should be founded are justice and fear. After the injuries we have done them,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/the-two-principles-on-which-our-conduct-towards-the-indians-should-be/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [Knowledge is power...knowled ge is safety...knowle dge is happiness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/knowledge-is-power-knowled-ge-is-safety-knowle-dge-is-happiness/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [There is... an artificial aristocracy founded on wealth and birth, without either virtue or talents... The artificial aristocracy is a mischievous ingredient in government,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/there-is-an-artificial-aristocracy-founded-on-wealth-and-birth/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [Nothing but free argument, raillery and even ridicule will preserve the purity of religion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/nothing-but-free-argument-raillery-and-even-ridicule-will-preserve/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [When the people are afraid of the government, that's tyranny. But when the government is afraid of the people, that's liberty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/when-the-people-are-afraid-of-the-government-that-s-tyranny-but-when/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed, by their Creator, with certain unalienable Rights,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/we-hold-these-truths-to-be-self-evident-that-all-men-are-created/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) [Explore all 2,098 Thomas Jefferson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) ## More Apostles quotes > [The writings of latter-day prophets clearly teach that the sorrows and sufferings endured by Adam and Eve upon their leaving the Garden of Eden…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-k-judd/the-writings-of-latter-day-prophets-clearly-teach-that-the-sorrows/) [Daniel K Judd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-k-judd/) > [As a Fundamentalist I had discovered while I was in college that it is possible to dismiss the entire Church as having gone off…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-howard-3rd-duke-of-norfolk/as-a-fundamentalist-i-had-discovered-while-i-was-in-college-that-it/) [Thomas Howard, 3rd Duke of Norfolk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-howard-3rd-duke-of-norfolk/) > [Amidst the flood of dangerous reading, I plead for my Master's book; I call upon you not to forget the book of the soul.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-c-ryle/amidst-the-flood-of-dangerous-reading-i-plead-for-my-master-s-book-i/) [J. 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