Drew’s old-school exegesis of Matthew 25: 1-13
Finally we have a text where some old school patristic exegesis actually bears some resemblance to the more recognisable ‘orthodox’ readings encountered in churches up and down the country. If we were to take a straw poll of regular pew-warmers, we would probably find that most assume that this passage is to be read allegorically, i.e. that all the aspects of the story such as the lamps and the oil are representatives of something different. This is certainly what the church fathers thought, and as such one finds an almost lascivious amount of attention paid to the ‘virgins’ and what they actually stand for in the text. (See Jon’s social-scientific reading for detail on the various other ways the Greek word Parthenos can be translated- needless to say ‘virgin’ is not an exclusive translation but most certainly an attractive one for crusty old celibates such as Origen.)
This reading therefore focuses on the multiple allegories that were applied by various New Testament scholars over the years. Each specific allegorical element will be examined in turn, with examination of the different interpretations that were assumed by the Church fathers. Of particular assistance in gathering these readings was Thomas Aquinas’ commentary Catena Aurea, the full text of which can be found online here http://www.ccel.org/ccel/aquinas/catena1.ii.xxv.html
Virgins, lamps and oil
For St Chrysostom, the virgins were actually a literal element of the parable (i.e. not representative of something else) which in his view sought to warn against the assumption that the virtue of virginity was sufficient to ‘save’ a person. As such, the virgins with oil are those also full of good deeds, almsgiving and humanity whereas those without oil were bereft of such attributes and as such destined to condemnation along with the ‘adulterers’ and other such fiendish reprobates.
Jerome widened the lens much further, reckoning the virgins to be representative of the whole of humanity. The significance of 10 represents the 5 senses that hasten towards heavenly things but also “five senses which gape after earthly husks”.
For Gregory, the virgins are the constituent members of the church, allegorically represented in ‘the kingdom of heaven’. Within the church are male and female (5 + 5) and also “bad mixed with good, and reprobate with elect” (5 +5 again).
Origen assumes the virgins to represent something more mystical, and so “The understandings of all who have received the word of God are virgins”. However, one has to act upon this understanding and confess Christ in order to reach the ‘wisdom’ that is salvation. Otherwise, even though reception of the word purifies, without acting upon it the virgins end up nothing. He alternatively supposes that the oil could be ‘the word of teaching’ without which, a person cannot last to the end of life with sufficient moral and spiritual guidance.
For Hilary though the distinction is clearer, simply a division between believers and unbelievers. The vessels are the human body into which the oil of a believer’s good work is to be poured.
Augustine swings between many allegorical alternatives. One interesting version is that the oil denotes joy (cf. Psalm 45:7). The vessels of good work are thus useless unless they stem from the joy of serving and pleasing God.
Sleep
The sleep or slumbered referred to is commonly assumed to represent death, and thus the bride-grooms coming represents the final reckoning on the day of judgment. A notable deviation from this is Origen’s who supposes that “the Word comes not speedily to the consummation of this life, the senses suffer, slumbering and moving in the night of the world.” In this regard, the oil provides patience and durability and helps to avoid despair in this life. In this schema, midnight reflects the time of their most abandoned carelessness.
The Trimming…
Similarly, the ‘trimming of the lamps’ is generally taken to be the reckoning of a person’s deeds on the day of judgment. A nice alternative comes from Hilary who supposes that the trimming is “the return of their souls into their bodies, and their light is the consciousness of good works that shines forth, which is contained in the vessels of the body.” From here, “The marriage” is the putting on of immortality, and the joining together corruption and incorruption in a new union.
The slamming of the door
The chilling end to this parable according to these allegorical readings correlates with evangelical doctrine that after the day of judgment, there is no more opportunity for good works, or for righteousness, and therefore it follows, “And the door was shut.” (see for example Jerome). Particularly damming is the verdict of Augustine that “His severity, after judgment, is as great as His mercy was unspeakable before.”
Conclusion
In conclusion, it is interesting that despite the varying different allegorical representation offered up by the Church fathers, there is a distinct lack of subversive/ alternative readings as exemplified in Becky and Susannah’s exegeses. Similarly one finds that in many mainstream readings of this parable today, there is a tacit assumption that the really rather unappealing bridegroom is Christ, and the virgins are the church or humans who either get it right or wrong. I believe that this parable graphically highlights the need for the church to engage more critically and creatively with the text in order to release it from the patriarchal and oppressive doctrinal conclusions that such allegorical readings lead us to.
Andrew Worthley
