Ante-Nicene Fathers (Volume 6) - XIX - Methodius continued

Required reading
Ante-Nicene Fathers (Vol 6) (Available from Amazon or free here) - Commence the work of Methodius by beginning 'The banquet of the ten virgins' and reading Discourses I to IV.

My summary
Today we continue 'The banquet of the ten virgins' by Methodius.

The characters continue to affirm the virtue of virginity.  Arguments are drawn from the Bible's teaching on:
(i) animal sacrifices;
(ii) vows;
(iii) Nazirites;
(iv) the tabernacle;
(v) the parable of the ten virgins;
(vi) the bride of Christ, particularly in the Song of Songs;
(vii) the teachings of Paul in 1 Corinthians;
(viii) the period of the flood;
(ix) the woman and child in Revelation;
(x) baptism.

There is also discussion of the Greek word for 'virgin' and Greek mythical teachings.

What grabbed me
A lot of allegorical teaching today, which I'm usually reluctant to accept.

For example: 'Just as our Lord Jesus Christ commands in the Gospels, thus directing: "Let not your lights be extinguished, and let not your loins be loosed. Therefore also be ye like men who wait for their lord, when he will return from the wedding; that, when he cometh and knocketh, they may open unto him immediately. Blessed are ye, when he shall make you sit down, and shall come and serve you. And if he come in the second, or in the third watch, ye are blessed."2639 For consider, O virgins, when He mentions three watches of the night, and His three comings, He shadows forth in symbol our three periods of life, that of the boy, of the full-grown man, and of the old man; so that if He should come and remove us from the world while spending our first period, that is, while we are boys, He may receive us ready and pure, having nothing amiss; and the second and the third in like manner. For the evening watch is the time of the budding and youth of man, when the reason begins to be disturbed and to be clouded by the changes of life, his flesh gaining strength and urging him to lust. The second is the time when, afterwards advancing to a full-grown man, he begins to acquire stability, and to make a stand against the turbulence of passion and self-conceit. And the third, when most of the imaginations and desires fade away, the flesh now withering and declining to old age.'

This is eisegesis.

Next week's reading
Conclude 'The banquet of the ten virgins'.

Now it's your turn
Please post your own notes and thoughts in the comments section below.