Opening the library…

Home Bible Corpus Discover You

Search the Bible

Banquet of the Ten Virgins

Methodius of Olympus

Chapter 3

About this work

A literary symposium in which ten women offer speeches on virginity, creation, Scripture, virtue, and Christian perfection, consciously adapting the form of a classical philosophical banquet.

Author: Methodius of Olympus
Date: Late 3rd century
Origin: Eastern Mediterranean
Genre: Dialogue

Chapter III.—By the Circumcision of Abraham, Marriage with Sisters Forbidden; In the Times of the Prophets Polygamy Put a Stop To; Conjugal Purity Itself by Degrees Enforced.

If, however, any one should venture to

‹ Chapter 2 Chapter 4 ›

find

fault

with

our

argument

as

destitute

of

Scripture

proof

,

we

will

bring

forward

the

writings

of

the

prophets

,

and

more

fully

demonstrate

the

truth

of

the

statements

already

made

.

Now

Abraham

,

when

he

first

received

the

covenant

of

circumcision

,

seems

to

signify

,

by

receiving

circumcision

in

a

member

of

his

own

body

,

nothing

else

than

this

,

that

one

should

no

longer

beget

children

with

one

born

of

the

same

parent

;

showing

that

every

one

should

abstain

from

intercourse

with

his

own

sister

,

as

his

own

flesh

.

And

thus

,

from

the

time

of

Abraham

,

the

custom

of

marrying

with

sisters

has

ceased

;

and

from

the

times

of

the

prophets

the

contracting

of

marriage

with

several

wives

has

been

done

away

with

;

for

we

read

,

“

Go

not

after

thy

lusts

,

but

refrain

thyself

from

thine

appetites

;

”

for

“

wine

and

women

will

make

men

of

understanding

to

fall

away

;

”

and

in

another

place

,

“

Let

thy

fountain

be

blessed

;

and

rejoice

with

the

wife

of

thy

youth

,

”

manifestly

forbidding

a

plurality

of

wives

.

And

Jeremiah

clearly

gives

the

name

of

“

fed

horses

”

to

those

who

lust

after

other

women

;

and

we

read

,

“

The

multiplying

brood

of

the

ungodly

shall

not

thrive

,

nor

take

deep

rooting

from

bastard

slips

,

nor

lay

any

fast

foundation

.

”

Lest, however, we should seem prolix in collecting the testimonies of the prophets, let us again point out how chastity succeeded to marriage with one wife, taking away by degrees the lusts of the flesh, until it removed entirely the inclination for sexual intercourse engendered by habit. For presently one is introduced earnestly deprecating, from henceforth, this seduction, saying, “O Lord, Father, and Governor of my life, leave me not to their counsels; give me not a proud look; let not the greediness of the belly, nor lust of the flesh, take hold of me.” And in the Book of Wisdom, a book full of all virtue, the Holy Spirit, now openly drawing His hearers to continence and chastity, sings on this wise, “Better it is to have no children, and to have virtue, for the memorial thereof is immortal; because it is known with God and with men. When it is present men take example at it; and when it is gone they desire it: it weareth a crown and triumpheth for ever, having gotten the victory, striving for undefiled rewards.”

Notes

1
Ecclus. xviii. 30.
2
Ecclus. xix. 2.
3
Prov. v. 18.
4
Jer. v. 8.
5
Wisd. iv. 3.
6
Ecclus. xxiii. 1, 4, 6.
7
Wisd. iv. 1, 2.