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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 Child of the Woman in the Apocalypse Not Christ, But the Faithful Who are Born in the Laver.

If any one, for there is no difficulty

‹ Chapter 6 Chapter 8 ›

in

speaking

distinctly

,

should

be

vexed

,

and

reply

to

what

we

have

said

:

“

But

how

,

O

virgins

,

can

this

explanation

seem

to

you

to

be

according

to

the

mind

of

Scripture

,

when

the

Apocalypse

plainly

defines

that

the

Church

brings

forth

a

male

,

while

you

teach

that

her

labour

-

pains

have

their

fulfilment

in

those

who

are

washed

in

the

laver

?

”

We

will

answer

,

But

,

O

faultfinder

,

not

even

to

you

will

it

be

possible

to

show

that

Christ

Himself

is

the

one

who

is

born

.

For

long

before

the

Apocalypse

,

the

mystery

of

the

Incarnation

of

the

Word

was

fulfilled

.

And

John

speaks

concerning

things

present

and

things

to

come

.

But

Christ

,

long

ago

conceived

,

was

not

caught

up

to

the

throne

of

God

when

He

was

brought

forth

,

from

fear

of

the

serpent

injuring

Him

.

But

for

this

was

He

begotten

,

and

Himself

came

down

from

the

throne

of

the

Father

,

that

He

should

remain

and

subdue

the

dragon

who

made

an

assault

upon

the

flesh

.

So

that

you

also

must

confess

that

the

Church

labours

and

gives

birth

to

those

who

are

baptized

.

As

the

spirit

says

somewhere

in

Isaiah

:

“

Before

she

travailed

,

she

brought

forth

;

before

her

pain

came

,

she

was

delivered

of

a

man

-

child

.

Who

hath

heard

such

a

thing

?

who

hath

seen

such

things

?

Shall

the

earth

be

made

to

bring

forth

in

one

day

?

or

shall

a

nation

be

born

at

once

?

for

as

soon

as

Zion

travailed

,

she

brought

forth

her

children

.

”

From

whom

did

he

flee

?

Surely

from

the

dragon

,

that

the

spiritual

Zion

might

bear

a

masculine

people

,

who

should

come

back

from

the

passions

and

weakness

of

women

to

the

unity

of

the

Lord

,

and

grow

strong

in

manly

virtue

.

Notes

1
It is hardly necessary to observe, that amid many interpretations of the passage, this which Methodius condemns is probably the true one, as it is certainly the most natural.—Tr. [It is certainly worth observing, that Methodius has on his side a strong following among the ancients; the interpretation the translator favours having little support save among modern defenders of the late pontiff’s bull Ineffabilis. Elucidation II.]
2
Isa. lxvi. 7, 8.
3
In the LXX. “a male.”