Letter 161: Since you asked what Paul means by "forbidding to marry and commanding to abstain from foods" [1 Timothy 4:3], know...
Concerning the construction of the apostolic saying where he says: "Forbidding to marry." Since you wished to learn what is meant by Paul's saying, "Forbidding to marry and commanding to abstain from foods," know that some, pretending not to know that he received the gift of knowledge and wisdom, and that he was considered to be Hermes, say that the Apostle did not master the expression but was carried to the opposite meaning. For the phrase "forbidding to marry" has been interpreted in various ways.
AI-assisted translation — This translation was produced with AI assistance and has not been peer-reviewed. See the 19th-century translation or original Latin/Greek below for scholarly use.
Latin / Greek Original
ΡΛΗ΄. – ΕΥΑΓΡΙΩ
Χρήσια ἐλπίζειν τὰ κατ’ ἀλήθειαν.
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