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Banquet of the Ten Virgins

Methodius of Olympus

Chapter 4

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 IV.—Christ Alone Taught Virginity, Openly Preaching the Kingdom of Heaven; The Likeness of God to Be Attained in the Light of the Divine Virtues.

We have already spoken of the periods of the

‹ Chapter 3 Chapter 5 ›

human

race

,

and

how

,

beginning

with

the

intermarriage

of

brothers

and

sisters

,

it

went

on

to

continence

;

and

we

have

now

left

for

us

the

subject

of

virginity

.

Let

us

then

endeavour

to

speak

of

this

as

well

as

we

can

.

And

first

let

us

inquire

for

what

reason

it

was

that

no

one

of

the

many

patriarchs

and

prophets

and

righteous

men

,

who

taught

and

did

many

noble

things

,

either

praised

or

chose

the

state

of

virginity

.

Because

it

was

reserved

for

the

Lord

alone

to

be

the

first

to

teach

this

doctrine

,

since

He

alone

,

coming

down

to

us

,

taught

man

to

draw

near

to

God

;

for

it

was

fitting

that

He

who

was

first

and

chief

of

priests

,

of

prophets

,

and

of

angels

,

should

also

be

saluted

as

first

and

chief

of

virgins

.

For

in

old

times

man

was

not

yet

perfect

,

and

for

this

reason

was

unable

to

receive

perfection

,

which

is

virginity

.

For

,

being

made

in

the

Image

of

God

,

he

needed

to

receive

that

which

was

according

to

His

Likeness

;

which

the

Word

being

sent

down

into

the

world

to

perfect

,

He

first

took

upon

Him

our

form

,

disfigured

as

it

was

by

many

sins

,

in

order

that

we

,

for

whose

sake

He

bore

it

,

might

be

able

again

to

receive

the

divine

form

.

For

it

is

then

that

we

are

truly

fashioned

in

the

likeness

of

God

,

when

we

represent

His

features

in

a

human

life

,

like

skilful

painters

,

stamping

them

upon

ourselves

as

upon

tablets

,

learning

the

path

which

He

showed

us

.

And

for

this

reason

He

,

being

God

,

was

pleased

to

put

on

human

flesh

,

so

that

we

,

beholding

as

on

a

tablet

the

divine

Pattern

of

our

life

,

should

also

be

able

to

imitate

Him

who

painted

it

.

For

He

was

not

one

who

,

thinking

one

thing

,

did

another

;

nor

,

while

He

considered

one

thing

to

be

right

,

taught

another

.

But

whatever

things

were

truly

useful

and

right

,

these

He

both

taught

and

did

.

Notes

1
[This seems to me admirable. Our times are too little willing to see all that Scripture teaches in this matter.]
2
A distinction common among the Fathers.