If the prophet is instructed not to marry during the impending captivity to avoid personal grief and to spare himself the anguish of his wife's and children's suffering, then how much more significant is the Apostle's instruction that, with time being short and the end approaching, those who have spouses should conduct themselves as if they are without them (1 Cor. 7)! Thus, it is unnecessary to refute the new heretic Jovinian, as we have demonstrated that practices like bigamy and multiple marriages arise not from the law, but from indulgence. Doing good is one matter; allowing indulgence to prevent worse outcomes is another. The Apostle himself articulates reasons for wanting young widows to remarry, stating, Behold, some are led astray by the influence of Satan (1 Tim. 5:15). Yet this advocate of moderation and steadfast purity, who audaciously claims equality with God, extols third and fourth marriages—not truly marriages in my view, but rather a desperate attempt to alleviate distress, akin to the final hope for the shipwrecked. He praises them as though he grants permission to his Amazons to endure the storms of passion until old age. The reason the prophet is instructed not to marry is clear; in light of the impending siege, many will fall victim to plague, sword, and famine, creating such an overwhelming number of deceased that burial rites will become impossible, leaving corpses scattered like refuse, to attract birds and beasts. Moreover, it should be noted that wasting away from prolonged illness and weakness is also indicative of God's wrath. For this reason, Joram, the son of Jehoshaphat, succumbed to a lingering sickness (2 Chronicles 21), and the Apostle teaches that those who profane the holy place suffer long illnesses, decay, and die (1 Corinthians 11:30).
THEOSIS