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Methodius of Olympus, The Banquet of the Ten Virgins; or Concerning Chastity
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The Banquet of the Ten Virgins or Concerning…
Chapter IV.—Human Generation, and the Work of God Therein Set Forth.
Chapter V.—The Holy Father Follows Up the Same Argument.
Chapter VI.—God Cares Even for Adulterous Births Angels Given to Them as Guardians.
Chapter III.—Comparison Instituted Between the First and Second Adam.
Chapter V.—A Passage of Jeremiah Examined.
Chapter VII.—The Works of Christ, Proper to God and to Man, the Works of Him Who is One.
Chapter IX.—The Dispensation of Grace in Paul the Apostle.
Chapter X.—The Doctrine of the Same Apostle Concerning Purity.
Chapter XI.—The Same Argument.
Chapter XII.—Paul an Example to Widows, and to Those Who Do Not Live with Their Wives.
Chapter XIII.—The Doctrine of Paul Concerning Virginity Explained.
Chapter XIV.—Virginity a Gift of God: the Purpose of Virginity Not Rashly to Be Adopted by Any One.
Chapter IV.—The Author Goes on with the Interpretation of the Same Passage.
Chapter V.—The Gifts of Virgins, Adorned with Which They are Presented to One Husband, Christ.
Chapter VI.—Virginity to Be Cultivated and Commended in Every Place and Time.
Chapter III.—Far Best to Cultivate Virtue from Boyhood.
Chapter IV.—Perfect Consecration and Devotion to God: What It is.
Chapter V.—The Vow of Chastity, and Its Rites in the Law Vines, Christ, and the Devil.
Chapter VII.—The Church Intermediate Between the Shadows of the Law and the Realities of Heaven.
Chapter VIII.—The Double Altar, Widows and Virgins Gold the Symbol of Virginity.
Chapter III.—The Same Endeavour and Effort After Virginity, with a Different Result.
Chapter IV.—What the Oil in the Lamps Means.
Chapter V.—The Reward of Virginity.
Chapter III.—Virgins Being Martyrs First Among the Companions of Christ.
Chapter VIII.—The Human Nature of Christ His One Dove.
Chapter IX.—The Virgins Immediately After the Queen and Spouse.
Chapter III.—The Lot and Inheritance of Virginity.
Chapter VIII.—The Faithful in Baptism Males, Configured to Christ The Saints Themselves Christs.
Chapter IX.—The Son of God, Who Ever Is, is To-Day Begotten in the Minds and Sense of the Faithful.
Chapter XVI.—Several Other Things Turned Against the Same Mathematicians.
Chapter XVII.—The Lust of the Flesh and Spirit: Vice and Virtue.
Chapter III.—How Each One Ought to Prepare Himself for the Future Resurrection.
Chapter V.—The Mystery of the Tabernacles.
Chapter IV.—The Law Useless for Salvation The Last Law of Chastity Under the Figure of the Bramble.
Chapter V.—The Malignity of the Devil as an Imitator in All Things Two Kinds of Fig-Trees and Vines.
Chapter IV.—Christ Alone Taught Virginity, Openly Preaching the Kingdom of Heaven; The Likeness of God to Be Attained in the Light of the Divine Virtues.
We have already spoken of the periods of the human race, and how, beginning with the intermarriage of brothers and sisters, it went on to continence; and we have now left for us the subject of virginity. Let us then endeavour to speak of this as well as we can. And first let us inquire for what reason it was that no one of the many patriarchs and prophets and righteous men, who taught and did many noble things, either praised or chose the state of virginity. Because it was reserved for the Lord alone to be the first to teach this doctrine, since He alone, coming down to us, taught man to draw near to God; for it was fitting that He who was first and chief of priests, of prophets, and of angels, should also be saluted as first and chief of virgins.29 [This seems to me admirable. Our times are too little willing to see all that Scripture teaches in this matter.] For in old times man was not yet perfect, and for this reason was unable to receive perfection, which is virginity. For, being made in the Image of God, he needed to receive that which was according to His Likeness;30 A distinction common among the Fathers. which the Word being sent down into the world to perfect, He first took upon Him our form, disfigured as it was by many sins, in order that we, for whose sake He bore it, might be able again to receive the divine form. For it is then that we are truly fashioned in the likeness of God, when we represent His features in a human life, like skilful painters, stamping them upon ourselves as upon tablets, learning the path which He showed us. And for this reason He, being God, was pleased to put on human flesh, so that we, beholding as on a tablet the divine Pattern of our life, should also be able to imitate Him who painted it. For He was not one who, thinking one thing, did another; nor, while He considered one thing to be right, taught another. But whatever things were truly useful and right, these He both taught and did.