1 Thessalonians 4:3 Douay-Rheims

For this is the will of God, your sanctification; that you should abstain from fornication;

Augustine of Hippo

A.D. 354–430 Patristic

The disease of disordered desire is what the apostle refers to, when, speaking to married believers, he says, "This is the will of God, even your sanctification, that you should abstain from fornication, that everyone of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honor, not in the disease of desire, even as the Gentiles who do not know God." The married believer, therefore, must not only not use another man's vessel—which is what they do who lust after other men's wives—but he must know that even his own vessel is not to be possessed in the disease of disordered sexual desire. Paul's counsel is not to be understood as if the apostle prohibited conjugal—that is to say, lawful and honorable—cohabitation.

Source details
A.D. 430 · on 1Thess 4:3 (ON MARRIAGE AND CONCUPISCENCE 1.8.9)

Imported from an open dataset — not yet checked against the printed edition.

Read 1 Thess 4:3 in context →