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Banquet of the Ten Virgins

Methodius of Olympus

Chapter 5

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 V.—The Gifts of Virgins, Adorned with Which They are Presented to One Husband, Christ.

Now, those who sing the Gospel to senseless

‹ Chapter 4 Chapter 6 ›

people

seem

to

sing

the

Lord’s

song

in

a

strange

land

,

of

which

Christ

is

not

the

husbandman

;

but

those

who

have

put

on

and

shone

in

the

most

pure

and

bright

,

and

unmingled

and

pious

and

becoming

,

ornament

of

virginity

,

and

are

found

barren

and

unproductive

of

unsettled

and

grievous

passions

,

do

not

sing

the

song

in

a

strange

land

;

because

they

are

not

borne

thither

by

their

hopes

,

nor

do

they

stick

fast

in

the

lusts

of

their

mortal

bodies

,

nor

do

they

take

a

low

view

of

the

meaning

of

the

commandments

,

but

well

and

nobly

,

with

a

lofty

disposition

,

they

have

regard

to

the

promises

which

are

above

,

thirsting

for

heaven

as

a

congenial

abode

,

whence

God

,

approving

their

dispositions

,

promises

with

an

oath

to

give

them

choice

honours

,

appointing

and

establishing

them

“

above

His

chief

joy

;

”

for

He

says

thus

:

“

If

I

forget

thee

,

O

Jerusalem

,

let

my

right

hand

forget

her

cunning

.

If

I

do

not

remember

thee

,

let

my

tongue

cleave

to

the

roof

of

my

mouth

;

if

I

prefer

not

Jerusalem

above

my

chief

joy

;

”

meaning

by

Jerusalem

,

as

I

said

,

these

very

undefiled

and

incorrupt

souls

,

which

,

having

with

self

-

denial

drawn

in

the

pure

draught

of

virginity

with

unpolluted

lips

,

are

“

espoused

to

one

husband

,

”

to

be

presented

“

as

a

chaste

virgin

to

Christ

”

in

heaven

,

“

having

gotten

the

victory

,

striving

for

undefiled

rewards

.

”

Hence

also

the

prophet

Isaiah

proclaims

,

saying

,

“

Arise

,

shine

,

for

thy

light

is

come

,

and

the

glory

of

the

Lord

is

risen

upon

thee

.

”

Now

these

promises

,

it

is

evident

to

every

one

,

will

be

fulfilled

after

the

resurrection

.

For

the

Holy

Spirit

does

not

speak

of

that

well

-

known

town

in

Judea

;

but

truly

of

that

heavenly

city

,

the

blessed

Jerusalem

,

which

He

declares

to

be

the

assembly

of

the

souls

which

God

plainly

promises

to

place

first

,

“

above

His

chief

joy

,

”

in

the

new

dispensation

,

settling

those

who

are

clothed

in

the

most

white

robe

of

virginity

in

the

pure

dwelling

of

unapproachable

light

;

because

they

had

it

not

in

mind

to

put

off

their

wedding

garment

—

that

is

,

to

relax

their

minds

by

wandering

thoughts

.

Notes

1
Ps. cxxxvii. 5, 6.
2
2 Cor. xi. 2.
3
Wisd. iv. 2.
4
Isa. lx. 1.
5
O Jerusalem.
6
Commentators have remarked the allusion to Phil. iii. 11. See Migne’s note. The thought of the marriage of the heavenly bridegroom, Christ, to His virgin bride, the Church, at the second Advent, when “the dead shall be raised,” was obviously present to the mind of the writer.