Letters to Virgins

For one who has truly made himself a eunuch for the sake of the kingdom of heaven, or lives as a virgin, is bound in every way to show himself worthy of the kingdom.

For the kingdom of heaven is not attained by word, or appearance, or name, or race, or form, or strength, or age, but by the power of faith; for the righteous man will declare faith shown actively. The one who is truly righteous by faith has active faith, growing faith, faith fully assured, faith shining in good works, so that the God of all may be glorified.

For the one who truly loves the poor listens to the one who says, “Let not almsgiving and faith fail you; bind them about your neck, and you will find favour”; and, “Provide good things before the Lord and before men.”

“The ways of the righteous shine like light; they go before and give light until the day is fully established.”

The man of God, then, must be equipped and adorned in every good work and word, and do everything decently and in order, as a pattern for those who obey him.

For the one who leads is called a leader from leading the way in action. A bare name does not bring one into the kingdom of heaven.

The young man, then, that is, the one who has made himself a eunuch for the kingdom, and the virgin, cannot be saved unless they are such in every respect as the true imitators of Christ.

For to be called a virgin and not to have the virtues corresponding, proper, and fitting to a virgin, such virginity the Lord called foolish: being without light and without oil, it is shut out of the kingdom of heaven, deprived of the joy of the bridegroom, and will be counted with those who hate the bridegroom. For she thinks herself something while she is nothing, doing nothing, and deceives herself.

But let each one test his own work and know himself, that such religion is vain: professing to have virginity and continence, but having denied its power.

And such a one clothes himself with chastity in the pure fear of the Lord.

And the one who has truly nailed his flesh from the fear of the Lord has, from the fear of the Lord, renounced “Increase and multiply,” and renounced being a man in this respect; he has denied the cares and deceits and pleasures of the world, its debauchery, drunkenness, and Babylonian confusions, and all the things of this life; he has bidden farewell to the world and to its nets, entanglements, and snares, and while walking on earth has loved to have his citizenship in heaven.

For, reaching after better things, he has bidden farewell to the world, so as to live a divine, heavenly, angelic life, in pure, undefiled, and holy religion in the Spirit of God, serving God Almighty for the sake of the kingdom of heaven.

For its sake he has also bidden farewell to the mind of the flesh.

Contend lawfully to compete, so that you may receive the crown you have chosen and march wearing the crown into the Jerusalem above.

Let us contend to conquer the flesh and its mind in the Spirit of God. Let us conquer Satan, the dragon, in Christ who strengthens us.

Let us take up the cross and follow the victory-bringing Jesus. Let us contend to run straight and confidently, so that we may lay hold of the prize of the upward call in Christ.

For everyone who runs with full assurance and not uncertainly lays hold of the crown of renunciation and the much-laboured and richly rewarded wealth of chastity. It is a great thing, then, to remain in chastity… But one must also, as has been said, have the other virtues corresponding to virginity; for virginity is higher than all.

For a virgin’s womb conceived God the Word. From this learn the glory of virginity. For those consecrated to God become imitators of Christ.

Be like John, the forerunner of Christ, the pure messenger of the Lord;

and like John who leaned on the Lord’s breast, whom Jesus loved as pure.

Paul and Barnabas and Timothy finished the course of chastity and the contest spotlessly, as true imitators of Christ.

And you will find the life of Elijah and Elisha and many others to have been likewise chaste and blameless. If, then, you wish to imitate these, imitate the elders strongly, of whom it says, “Considering the outcome of their way of life, imitate their faith”; and, “Be imitators of me, as I also am of Christ.”

The imitators of Christ imitate him strongly. For contending thus you will be able truly to form in yourselves the image of Christ in all things: in life, in conduct, in purpose, in word, in deed, in endurance, in courage, in prudence, in temperance, in righteousness, in long-suffering, in forbearance, in piety, in holiness, in continence, in faith, in hope, in most perfect love toward God.

For true eunuchhood and true virginity in the Lord is holy in body and spirit, serving the Lord without distraction and with devotion in the Spirit of God, pleasing the Lord purely and undefiled, and always anxious how to please him.

And it is in spirit toward the Lord, as it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy, says the Lord.”

For one is holy not by a bare name only, but is holy in everything, in body and spirit.

… which are sexual immorality, impurity, licentiousness, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousies, outbursts of anger, rivalries, slanders, dissensions, envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, coarse joking, foolish talk, laughter, folly, mockeries, whisperings, bitterness, wrath, clamour, blasphemies, idle talk, malice, inventions of evil, perjuries, much speaking, tangled talk, babbling, toilsomeness, vulgarities, quarrellings, lawsuits, stupidities,

pride, puffing up over birth, beauty, country, wealth, bodily strength, eloquence; rivalry with contentiousness, hatred, bearing grudges, quick temper, wrath, deceit, retaliation, gluttony, insatiability, covetousness, which is idolatry, love of money, the root of all evils, love of finery, vainglory, love of power, self-will, rashness, boastfulness, which is called pestilence, arrogance, which God opposes.

Whoever has these and the like in himself is fleshly and a son of the adversary. For “what is born of the flesh is flesh,” and “he who is of the earth speaks of the earth,” thinking earthly things. “For the mind of the flesh is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor can it be.” And in such a one the Spirit of God does not dwell.

“For my Spirit shall not abide,” it says, “in these men for ever, because they are flesh.” If, then, anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not his.

For the one who has the Spirit of God walks by the Spirit of God, and by the Spirit of God puts to death the deeds of the body, and lives to God, buffeting and bringing the flesh into subjection.

For in the man of God there is no fleshly mind, but all the saving fruits of the Spirit, in whom God dwells and walks.

In them they shine as lights in the world, holding forth the word of life, being truly the boast and glory of piety.

… so that everyone who sees you may know that you are a seed blessed by the Lord, truly a precious seed, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s possession, heirs of incorruptible and unfading promises, which eye has not seen and ear has not heard and have not entered the heart of men, which God has prepared for those who love him and keep his commandments.

For “in the hands of the idle thorns grow,” and, “the ways of the idle are strewn with thorns.”

Such are those who do no work but are busybodies, slandering

and chattering without the fear of God. Besides this they are rash in incoherent words, on the pretext, forsooth, of teaching,

understanding neither what they say nor what they confidently affirm.

And: “If you have understanding, answer your brother; but if not, put your hand on your mouth.” And if it is the time to speak, it is good to say a word in season.

For it says, “Let your speech always be seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each one.” For every word is wearisome, and “he who adds knowledge adds sorrow.” But “the one rash with his lips will fall into evils”; for “through an undisciplined tongue anger comes.” But the innocent keeps his tongue as one who loves his own soul.

For those who use flattery deceive the hearts of the innocent and lead them astray by calling them blessed.

Let us fear, then, the judgment of teachers; for greater is the judgment of those who speak and do not do, who teach knowledge falsely so called, intrude rashly into things, and are puffed up by the mind of the flesh, blind leading the blind, and both falling into the pit. For “from the issue of his word a man will be known.”

But if you have received a spiritual gift, and a word of wisdom or knowledge or teaching or prophecy or service, blessed be God, the all-rich, God who gives to all men and does not reproach… You have a gift from the Lord: serve the spiritual, who know that what you say is the Lord’s, for the building up of the brotherhood in Christ, in all humility and meekness, which is good and profitable to men.

That it is good to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and poor people with many children, and above all first those of the household of faith, is plain and undisputed to all.

And that this too is good and profitable for the brotherhood in Christ, to visit those possessed by demons and to pray over them a prayer pleasing to God, faithfully, and not with a composition of many words or practised exorcisms, for show, to please men, so as to appear eloquent or of good memory,

sounding like a flute to those possessed with chatter and babbling, and not in faith of truth, as the Lord taught: “For this kind,” he says, “comes out by earnest prayer and faith with fasting.”

Let us, then, visit the sick soberly, as we ought, in a spirit of humility.

It is good, then, to labour with suffering brothers, as has been said, through vigils and fasts and unceasing prayers. For it was said by the Lord: “Cast out demons,” along with the other healings; “freely you received, freely give.”

Hospitality is good and pleasing to God, especially toward those of the household of faith. And it says to others too: “Concerning brotherly love you yourselves are taught by God to love one another.”

That the harvest is great and the workers few is clear, since in our times there is a famine of hearing the word of the Lord. Let us therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into his harvest, but workers such as these: rightly dividing the word of truth, unashamed, blameless, faithful workers, lights of the world, working not for the food that perishes but for that which endures to eternal life; workers like the apostles… working the salvation of men.

They must, then, … wrap their hands in their own garment. And likewise the men, looking rightly with modesty, soberly and gravely in the Lord, having their right hands covered by their own garment, are to withdraw.

For it is altogether unfitting for a man who wishes to practise asceticism to eat or drink with a woman, or to be served by a woman, or to provide for women, or to have any acquaintance with them at all. Likewise it is unfitting for women under the canon to associate with men, so that no one may be scandalized through us, but that we may be without offence to all. “For knowing,” it says, “the fear of the Lord, we persuade men, but we are manifest to God.”

One must, then, flee from them as from the face of a serpent and of great sin.

One who wishes to practise this angelic way of life of the solitary life must therefore acquire the wisdom of the serpent and the innocence of the dove, so as to understand in everything what is the good, acceptable, and perfect will of God, that God may be glorified in all things through our God-fearing order and sincere way of life;

so that those who see us may know that we are a blessed and holy seed, sons of the living God, in every word, in modesty, meekness, conduct, attentiveness. Therefore let us in no word be like worldly people, in any way.

So too, then, let the leader be a pattern for the flock in all righteousness and holy conduct, living holily and justly, keeping whatever things are pure, whatever are honourable; if there is any virtue and if any praise, if any well-spoken correction for benefit, let it come from him.

And how did the Egyptian woman act? Did she not desire the form of Joseph, the truly most chaste, with fleshly desire? And when he did not consent to fulfil her desire, by her false accusation she brought the godly man into afflictions and distresses even to death.

Do you see how much affliction the Egyptian woman’s persistence of the flesh brought on the righteous man? For this reason, then, it profits us in every way to keep away from them. For meetings with them bring no profit to those who wish in truth to gird their loins.

Have you not heard of Samson the Nazirite, with whom the Spirit of the Lord went? Even such a holy man a woman destroyed, through wicked flesh and lawless desire.

For this reason we are not permitted at all to sit with a woman or to have meetings with her at all.

Likewise have you not been instructed about David, whom God found a man after his own heart, how, desiring the form of a woman, I mean Bathsheba, he fell into so many evils? For the truly holy man, seeing her bathing, coming into desire for her beauty,

how much evil did that very great man work? And he sinned against God, not only falling into adultery but also ordering her husband to be killed. Do you see what a drama of evil David, the anointed of the Lord, carried out because of desire?

Let us learn not to desire. For if such great men were caught through women, how shall we, the weak, who go along with our own frailty and pass through the midst of snares, escape?

Likewise Amnon too was wickedly killed because of his sister Tamar.

In the same way Solomon, having wisdom and understanding and largeness of heart and wealth and great glory above all men, he too was ruined through women and became an apostate from the Lord because of women.

The elders who were judges in the matter of Susanna, through persisting and gazing at another’s beauty, fell into the sea of desire and rose up against the blessed Susanna.