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Banquet of the Ten Virgins

Methodius of Olympus

Chapter 8

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 VIII.—The Faithful in Baptism Males, Configured to Christ; The Saints Themselves Christs.

Let us then go over the ground again from

‹ Chapter 7 Chapter 9 ›

the

beginning

,

until

we

come

in

course

to

the

end

,

explaining

what

we

have

said

.

Consider

if

the

passage

seems

to

you

to

be

explained

to

your

mind

.

For

I

think

that

the

Church

is

here

said

to

give

birth

to

a

male

;

since

the

enlightened

receive

the

features

,

and

the

image

,

and

the

manliness

of

Christ

,

the

likeness

of

the

form

of

the

Word

being

stamped

upon

them

,

and

begotten

in

them

by

a

true

knowledge

and

faith

,

so

that

in

each

one

Christ

is

spiritually

born

.

And

,

therefore

,

the

Church

swells

and

travails

in

birth

until

Christ

is

formed

in

us

,

so

that

each

of

the

saints

,

by

partaking

of

Christ

,

has

been

born

a

Christ

.

According

to

which

meaning

it

is

said

in

a

certain

scripture

,

“

Touch

not

mine

anointed

,

and

do

my

prophets

no

harm

,

”

as

though

those

who

were

baptized

into

Christ

had

been

made

Christs

by

communication

of

the

Spirit

,

the

Church

contributing

here

their

clearness

and

transformation

into

the

image

of

the

Word

.

And

Paul

confirms

this

,

teaching

it

plainly

,

where

he

says

:

“

For

this

cause

I

bow

my

knees

unto

the

Father

of

our

Lord

Jesus

Christ

,

of

whom

the

whole

family

in

heaven

and

earth

is

named

,

that

He

would

grant

you

,

according

to

the

riches

of

His

glory

,

to

be

strengthened

with

might

by

His

Spirit

in

the

inner

man

;

that

Christ

may

dwell

in

your

hearts

by

faith

.

”

For

it

is

necessary

that

the

word

of

truth

should

be

imprinted

and

stamped

upon

the

souls

of

the

regenerate

.

Notes

1
The baptized.
2
Gal. iv. 19.
3
Ps. cv. 15.
4
χριστῶν.
5
Anointed.
6
Eph. iii. 14–17.