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Banquet of the Ten Virgins

Methodius of Olympus

Chapter 6

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 VI.—The Works of the Church, the Bringing Forth of Children in Baptism; The Moon in Baptism, the Full Moon of Christ’s Passion.

Now the statement that she stands upon the moon

‹ Chapter 5 Chapter 7 ›

,

as

I

consider

,

denotes

the

faith

of

those

who

are

cleansed

from

corruption

in

the

laver

of

regeneration

,

because

the

light

of

the

moon

has

more

resemblance

to

tepid

water

,

and

all

moist

substance

is

dependent

upon

her

.

The

Church

,

then

,

stands

upon

our

faith

and

adoption

,

under

the

figure

of

the

moon

,

until

the

fulness

of

the

nations

come

in

,

labouring

and

bringing

forth

natural

men

as

spiritual

men

;

for

which

reason

too

she

is

a

mother

.

For

just

as

a

woman

receiving

the

unformed

seed

of

a

man

,

within

a

certain

time

brings

forth

a

perfect

man

,

in

the

same

way

,

one

should

say

,

does

the

Church

conceive

those

who

flee

to

the

Word

,

and

,

forming

them

according

to

the

likeness

and

form

of

Christ

,

after

a

certain

time

produce

them

as

citizens

of

that

blessed

state

.

Whence

it

is

necessary

that

she

should

stand

upon

the

laver

,

bringing

forth

those

who

are

washed

in

it

.

And

in

this

way

the

power

which

she

has

in

connection

with

the

laver

is

called

the

moon

,

because

the

regenerate

shine

being

renewed

with

a

new

ray

,

that

is

,

a

new

light

.

Whence

,

also

,

they

are

by

a

descriptive

term

called

newly

-

enlightened

;

the

moon

ever

showing

forth

anew

to

them

the

spiritual

full

moon

,

namely

,

the

period

and

the

memorial

of

the

passion

,

until

the

glory

and

the

perfect

light

of

the

great

day

arise

.

Notes

1
σελήνη.
2
σέλας.
3
νεοφώτιστοι.