THE EARLY CHRISTIAN AUTHORITIES ON MARRIAGE, WOMEN, AND VIRGINITY
St. Paul in the New Testament
1 Corinthians 7 (St. Paul to the Corinthians)
Douay-Rheims 1899 American Edition (DRA)
Chapter 7
1 Now concerning the thing whereof you wrote to me: It is good for a man not to touch a woman.
2 But for fear of fornication, let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband.
3 Let the husband render the debt to his wife, and the wife also in like manner to the husband.
4 The wife hath not power of her own body, but the husband. And in like manner the husband also hath not power of his own body, but the wife.
5 Defraud not one another, except, perhaps, by consent, for a time, that you may give yourselves to prayer; and return together again, lest Satan tempt you for your incontinency.
6 But I speak this by indulgence, not by commandment.
7 For I would that all men were even as myself: but every one hath his proper gift from God; one after this manner, and another after that.
8 But I say to the unmarried, and to the widows: It is good for them if they so continue, even as I.
9 But if they do not contain themselves, let them marry. For it is better to marry than to be burnt.
Ephesians (St. Paul to the Ephesians)
Chapter 5
22 Let women be subject to their husbands, as to the Lord:
23 Because the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ is the head of the church. He is the saviour of his body.
24 Therefore as the church is subject to Christ, so also let the wives be to their husbands in all things.
25 Husbands, love your wives, as Christ also loved the church, and delivered himself up for it:
26 That he might sanctify it, cleansing it by the laver of water in the word of life:
27 That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy, and without blemish.
28 So also ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife, loveth himself.
29 For no man ever hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, as also Christ doth the church:
30 Because we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones.
31 For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife, and they shall be two in one flesh.
32 This is a great sacrament; but I speak in Christ and in the church.
33 Nevertheless let every one of you in particular love his wife as himself: and let the wife fear her husband.
Timothy 1 (St. Paul to Timothy)
Chapter 2
9 In like manner women also in decent apparel: adorning themselves with modesty and sobriety, not with plaited hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly attire,
10 But as it becometh women professing godliness, with good works.
11 Let the woman learn in silence, with all subjection.
12 But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to use authority over the man: but to be in silence.
13 For Adam was first formed; then Eve.
14 And Adam was not seduced; but the woman being seduced, was in the transgression.
15 Yet she shall be saved through childbearing; if she continue in faith, and love, and sanctification, with sobriety.
St. Jerome from Against Jovinian
St. Jerome argued against marriage, reasoning from 1 Corinthians 7 (above).
7. Let us turn back to the chief point of the evidence: "It is good," he says, "for a man not to touch a woman." If it is good not to touch a woman, it is bad to touch one: for there is no opposite to goodness but badness. But if it be bad and the evil is pardoned, the reason for the concession is to prevent worse evil. But surely a thing which is only allowed because there may be something worse has only a slight degree of goodness. He would never have added "let each man have his own wife," unless he had previously used the words "but, because of fornications." Do away with fornication, and he will not say "let each man have his own wife."
THE EARLY CHRISTIAN AUTHORITIES ON MARRIAGE, WOMEN, AND VIRGINITY
St. Paul in the New Testament
1 Corinthians 7 (St. Paul to the Corinthians)
Douay-Rheims 1899 American Edition (DRA)Chapter 7
1 Now concerning the thing whereof you wrote to me: It is good for a man not to touch a woman.2 But for fear of fornication, let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband.
3 Let the husband render the debt to his wife, and the wife also in like manner to the husband.
4 The wife hath not power of her own body, but the husband. And in like manner the husband also hath not power of his own body, but the wife.
5 Defraud not one another, except, perhaps, by consent, for a time, that you may give yourselves to prayer; and return together again, lest Satan tempt you for your incontinency.
6 But I speak this by indulgence, not by commandment.
7 For I would that all men were even as myself: but every one hath his proper gift from God; one after this manner, and another after that.
8 But I say to the unmarried, and to the widows: It is good for them if they so continue, even as I.
9 But if they do not contain themselves, let them marry. For it is better to marry than to be burnt.
Ephesians (St. Paul to the Ephesians)
Chapter 5
22 Let women be subject to their husbands, as to the Lord:23 Because the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ is the head of the church. He is the saviour of his body.
24 Therefore as the church is subject to Christ, so also let the wives be to their husbands in all things.
25 Husbands, love your wives, as Christ also loved the church, and delivered himself up for it:
26 That he might sanctify it, cleansing it by the laver of water in the word of life:
27 That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy, and without blemish.
28 So also ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife, loveth himself.
29 For no man ever hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, as also Christ doth the church:
30 Because we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones.
31 For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife, and they shall be two in one flesh.
32 This is a great sacrament; but I speak in Christ and in the church.
33 Nevertheless let every one of you in particular love his wife as himself: and let the wife fear her husband.
Timothy 1 (St. Paul to Timothy)
Chapter 2
9 In like manner women also in decent apparel: adorning themselves with modesty and sobriety, not with plaited hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly attire,10 But as it becometh women professing godliness, with good works.
11 Let the woman learn in silence, with all subjection.
12 But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to use authority over the man: but to be in silence.
13 For Adam was first formed; then Eve.
14 And Adam was not seduced; but the woman being seduced, was in the transgression.
15 Yet she shall be saved through childbearing; if she continue in faith, and love, and sanctification, with sobriety.
St. Jerome from Against Jovinian
St. Jerome argued against marriage, reasoning from 1 Corinthians 7 (above).
7. Let us turn back to the chief point of the evidence: "It is good," he says, "for a man not to touch a woman." If it is good not to touch a woman, it is bad to touch one: for there is no opposite to goodness but badness. But if it be bad and the evil is pardoned, the reason for the concession is to prevent worse evil. But surely a thing which is only allowed because there may be something worse has only a slight degree of goodness. He would never have added "let each man have his own wife," unless he had previously used the words "but, because of fornications." Do away with fornication, and he will not say "let each man have his own wife."