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Banquet of the Ten Virgins

Methodius of Olympus

Chapter 7

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 VII.—The Works of Christ, Proper to God and to Man, the Works of Him Who is One.

And now we seem to have said almost enough

‹ Chapter 6 Chapter 8 ›

on

the

fact

that

man

has

become

the

organ

and

clothing

of

the

Only

-

begotten

,

and

what

He

was

who

came

to

dwell

in

him

.

But

the

fact

that

there

is

no

moral

inequality

or

discord

may

again

be

considered

briefly

from

the

beginning

.

For

he

speaks

well

who

says

that

that

is

in

its

own

nature

good

and

righteous

and

holy

,

by

participation

of

which

other

things

become

good

,

and

that

wisdom

is

in

connection

with

God

,

and

that

,

on

the

other

hand

,

sin

is

unholy

and

unrighteous

and

evil

.

For

life

and

death

,

corruption

and

incorruption

,

are

two

things

in

the

highest

degree

opposed

to

each

other

.

For

life

is

a

moral

equality

,

but

corruption

an

inequality

;

and

righteousness

and

prudence

a

harmony

,

but

unrighteousness

and

folly

a

discord

.

Now

,

man

being

between

these

is

neither

righteousness

itself

,

nor

unrighteousness

;

but

being

placed

midway

between

incorruption

and

corruption

,

to

whichever

of

these

he

may

incline

is

said

to

partake

of

the

nature

of

that

which

has

laid

hold

of

him

.

Now

,

when

he

inclines

to

corruption

,

he

becomes

corrupt

and

mortal

,

and

when

to

incorruption

,

he

becomes

incorrupt

and

immortal

.

For

,

being

placed

midway

between

the

tree

of

life

and

the

tree

of

the

knowledge

of

good

and

evil

,

of

the

Fruit

of

which

he

tasted

,

he

was

changed

into

the

nature

of

the

latter

,

himself

being

neither

the

tree

of

life

nor

that

of

corruption

;

but

having

been

shown

forth

as

mortal

,

from

his

participation

in

and

presence

with

corruption

,

and

,

again

,

as

incorrupt

and

immortal

by

connection

with

and

participation

in

life

;

as

Paul

also

taught

,

saying

,

“

Corruption

shall

not

inherit

incorruption

,

nor

death

life

,

”

rightly

defining

corruption

and

death

to

be

that

which

corrupts

and

kills

,

and

not

that

which

is

corrupted

and

dies

;

and

incorruption

and

life

that

which

gives

life

and

immortality

,

and

not

that

which

receives

life

and

immortality

.

And

thus

man

is

neither

a

discord

and

an

inequality

,

nor

an

equality

and

a

harmony

.

But

when

he

received

discord

,

which

is

transgression

and

sin

,

he

became

discordant

and

unseemly

;

but

when

he

received

harmony

,

that

is

righteousness

,

he

became

a

harmonious

and

seemly

organ

,

in

order

that

the

Lord

,

the

Incorruption

which

conquered

death

,

might

harmonize

the

resurrection

with

the

flesh

,

not

suffering

it

again

to

be

inherited

by

corruption

.

And

on

this

point

also

let

these

statements

suffice

.

Notes

1
In Him.
2
Here, as in the previous chapter, and in many other passages, I have preferred the text of Jahn to that of Migne, as being generally the more accurate.—Tr.
3
Gen. ii. 9.
4
1 Cor. xv. 22. The words are, “Neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.”