Marriage and Virginity
therefore includes married women and it includes unmarried women, although they differ in merit, like parts of the body, one of which is more important than another without either one ceasing to be part of the body. Therefore, in speaking of the unmarried woman and saying that she should be holy in both body and spirit (1 Cor 7:34), he meant the greater holiness in body and spirit of unmarried women, and did not deny all holiness to the bodies of married women.
9. Learn then the value of what you have; or, rather, call to mind what you have learned.
Because there is another excellence that it excels, the excellence you possess is more to be esteemed than it would be if it could not be good at all without that other thing being bad or not in fact existing. In our body the eyes are of great importance, but their importance would be less if they existed alone and there were not the other less important parts of the body. In the heavens the sun outshines the moon, but does not spoil it, and star differs from star in splendor (1 Cor 15:41), but they are not in proud competition with each other. Therefore God made everything and, see, it was very good (Gn 1:31); not just "good," but "very good," and this precisely because it was everything. When each of his works was mentioned separately, it was said, God saw that it was good (Gn 1:10-25); but when everything was spoken about together, the word "very" was added, and it was said, God saw everything he had made, and saw that it was very good (Gn 1:31).
Taken separately, some things are better than others, but all of them together are better than any of them separately. So through his grace may Christ's sound teaching make you a sound part of his body. In that way, your very spirit that rules your body will neither arrogantly exaggerate the superior perfection in body and spirit that you have, nor ignorantly misunderstand it.†11
10. Just because I said that Ruth was blessed, but Anna more blessed, since Ruth married twice and Anna lived for many years after the early death of her one husband, do not think at once that you are better than Ruth.
Marriage Served a Different Purpose in the Old Testament
7. In the times of the prophets what was required of holy women was different. They had to marry, not because of the desires of the flesh, but out of obedience. The people of God had to be propagated, so that from among them Christ's prophets could precede him. Because of the