Christian Monks_

The Bible News Prophecy Program discusses whether Christians should live as monks. Monks live alone, focus on themselves, and generally don't help others. The Bible teaches that Christians should reach out and touch others, expressing their uniqueness by serving and loving others. Monasticism is not supported in the Bible. Jesus warns against being lukewarm and encourages Christians to support the work of the church and love their neighbors. Monastic practices like tonsure are not supported by biblical teachings. Christians should live justly, love mercy, fear God, and keep His commandments. Jesus' parable of talents emphasizes the importance of working with others and bearing fruit. This is the Bible News Prophecy Program, bringing you news and analysis of world events in the light of Bible prophecy. The following program is brought to you by the Continuing Church of God. This is Steve Dupuis for the Bible News Prophecy Program, with Dr. Bob Teel. Dr. Teel, should Christians go off and live as a monk? No. Well, why not? And what exactly is a monk, anyway? According to Wikipedia, a monk comes from a Greek word which means single or solitary. It's a man who's a member of a religious order who lives in a monastery. It says a monk usually lives his life in prayer and contemplation. It's an ancient concept seen in many religions and in philosophy. And while the word can be applied to both men and women, an English monk, usually used for men, where nuns are typically used for female monasteries. But basically, monks live alone. They generally just take care of themselves and their focus is on themselves. In pagan religions, monks are often called holy men. What triggered this is something I got from the Temple Institute yesterday in their newsletter. It started off by saying, be holy for God is holy. They said, this is a tall order. It says one of the words needs to be distinct or unique. And so God, by definition, is holy and He is unique. He is one. How are we supposed to express our uniqueness to attain holiness? Are we supposed to separate ourselves from others, become recluses, live as monks, far from the maddening crowd? Astonishingly, the Bible prescribes the opposite. We obtain our uniqueness not by removing ourselves from society, resisting ourselves from others, but by reaching out and touching others. And that's what the Bible teaches us. Now, as far as the Bible, I want to go to Genesis 1 and read verse 31. God saw everything He made very good. So it was evening and morning to sixth day. Yet, what's the one and only thing God mentioned in that creation that wasn't good? I don't think God mentioned anything that was not good, did He? Yes, in Genesis 2, verse 18, the Lord God said, It is not good that man should be alone. I will make a helper comparable to him. A monasticism is a move away from what's good and toward what's not good. God does not want people to be hermits. Can you give us some scriptures pointing to that from the New Testament? Yes. In what's called the Sermon on the Mount, Matthew chapter 5, starting in verse 14, Jesus said, Now, Jesus said, Matthew 19, 19, Also, in Romans chapter 15, starting in verse 1, the Apostle Paul taught that we who are strong ought to bear with the scruples of the weak and not to please ourselves. Let us each please his neighbor for his good leading to his edification. In order to help others, we must support them and not just try to please ourselves. Monks don't strive to please others for their good leading to edification. Monks mainly attempt to please themselves, although sometimes they produce things like beer or wine to support themselves. Although some thought the Apostle Paul endorsed monasticism, he argued against it, for example, in 1 Corinthians 5, verse 9 and 10, where he said, I certainly didn't mean that the sexually immoral people of this world were sources of idolatrous. Since then, you would need to go out of the world. But didn't Paul himself take a Nazarite vow which resulted in shaving the hair on his head? Yes, but that was temporary. And those vows are only temporal. They're not supposed to be permanent. It's not a permanent lifestyle. Remember, Paul said, Christians are not supposed to go out of the world, which is what the monks do. Let me also add that many Christians will not be physical monks, but become spiritual monks. They don't believe they ought to be subject to hierarchical church governance. They don't believe they need to support any church organization. They think they're better off on their own, and that's basically what the monks teach. Does Jesus give us any end-time Christians any warnings to that effect? Yes. Jesus warned that most end-time Christians would be Laodicean. The Greek word Laodicea is made up of two, which means the people decide. They decide what's important. And in Revelation chapter 13, starting in verse 14, Jesus says to the angel of the church, the Laodiceans, plural, so there's different ones. Right. These things says, the faithful and true witness, I know your works. But you're neither cold nor hot. I wish you were cold or hot, but you are lukewarm. You're not cold or hot. I will vomit you out of my mouth. Because you say, I'm rich, wealthy. I need nothing. I don't need to be part of some church. You don't know that you're wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked. Jesus says, I counsel you to buy gold, refine, and acquire. Which, in this case, should be in support of true work. You may be rich. As many as I love, Jesus said, I review and chasten. Therefore, be zealous and repent. He's talking to Christians. He says, He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. So, what better option does the Bible offer Christians, rather than being a Laodicean? One of the things the Spirit said to the churches was talking to the Philadelphians. Philadelphia is made up of two words that mean, love the brethren. Philadelphian Christians support the end time work to fulfill the commission that Jesus gave in Matthew 24-14, Matthew 28-19-20 about reaching and teaching the world. They don't live just for themselves, but to love and serve others. Laodiceans often get weary about doing good. They don't seem to understand what Apostle Paul wants people to do. For example, in Galatians 6, starting in verse 9, He warned, Let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we will reap if we do not lose heart. Therefore, as we have an opportunity, let us do good to all, especially those who are households of faith. Like monks, Independent Laodiceans are not truly doing good to all who are part of the household of faith. We're also warned by Apostle John, 1 John 4, starting in verse 20, If someone says, I love God and hates his brother, he's a liar. He who does not love his brother who he has seen, how can he love God who he hasn't seen? And this is the commandment we have from him, that he who loves God must love his brother also. Living as a hermetic monk doesn't fit with that. It's a selfish thing to do. It generally doesn't show love to our neighbor. Oh yes, I know, sometimes they have some good work projects. As far as monasticism itself goes, this was not a practice of the early church. The Catholic Encyclopedia talks about it starting to develop in the late 3rd, early 4th century and said it really came to the West around 340, which is in the 4th century. So, monasticism as we see it now was certainly not part of the original faith. There's a place in Cappadocia, Turkey, by the way, they've got these pillars of stone that they have little caves in them. Monks will live individually there and sometimes meet together but basically just live for their own self. They're not so far from civilization. They weren't helping anybody or assisting others. And many also, by the way, get what's called a tonsure. They get their head cut, their hair cut a certain way. Wikipedia says tonsure is the traditional practice of Christian churches cutting and shaving their hair from the scalp of various monks, etc. But they claim that the origin's not clear but back in the 7th, 8th century they had three different forms of it. Is there any biblical support for the practice of tonsure? No, actually the opposite. Leviticus chapter 21, verse 5 says to the priests they should not make any bald place on their heads which is basically what the tonsure is. And so this is something that's not supposed to be done. The pagan priests of the Egyptian god Isis did this and claimed to be an exact imitation of that. Also, it was an old practice of the priests of Nithra in the 4th century, which is probably why it picked up in the Greco-Roman Catholics after that. Anyway, the tonsure is in conflict with Leviticus 21 and although some people might say, well those things were done away either Jesus or his apostles thought Christians should do that or look like pagan priests. And those who do so give groups like the Muslims reasons to question and dismiss the whole idea of Christianity. Well, if Christians aren't supposed to be recluses or cut images of the sun into their hair, how are Christians supposed to live? Well, this is like a 9a. What is good? What does God require of us? Do justly, love mercy, love humbly the Lord our God. Ecclesiastes 12.13 the conclusion of the matter is to fear God and keep his commandments for this is man's all. But I wanted to talk about a parable Jesus gave in Matthew 25 a parable of talents. And one went trading which means he was interacting with others he doubled what he got he got a great reward but one was like a monk he had it, he held it in verse 24 it says I knew you were a hard man and I was afraid, I took your talent and I hit it in the ground here, you can have it back Jesus answered and said to him you wicked and lazy servant you ought to have done something else with it well, the monk were the independent Christians like the man who hid his talent Jesus calls him wicked and lazy the servant never took enough time to prove all things and serve where God would have wanted him to serve Jesus expects us to work with others and to bear fruit don't deceive yourself you should better off alone as a lot of people have Jesus said if you love him you're supposed to keep his commandments as mentioned before, Jesus also warned that Christians needed to not be lukewarm about supporting the work of the church what work of the church? well, if you're a Christian someone did something to help you get reached and it wasn't that lukewarm about it I hope and you know, Jesus said if you want men to do to you, do to others you're not supposed to be physical or spiritual servants I want to also go further as to what your purpose is we have a booklet called the mystery of God's plan why did God create anything? why did God make you? and we quote for example in the book of Romans that all members don't have the same function individually God has set members each one of the bodies he's pleased so we're different, we're unique and who are we? we are ones who can give and that's something we should be able to do eternally and that was even known in the 1800s or the last century by the church of God's seventh day a true Christian builds characters now so through the tests, opportunities and trials of this life we will help to have a better tomorrow ultimately God has special plans for you personally God made you to give love in an individual way so do it better if you're not living as a hermit that description of the purpose and meaning of our own personal individual creation is exciting what should we do personally? we need to be living by faith and obedience to God we also should take into account Galatians 6 verses 7 to 8 not to be deceived God's not mocked wherever you sow one will reap monks sow to the flesh God has a plan for all of us and it has to do with what we do and our works we're not called to live as monks at this time we're never told to live like the pagan monks did while most of the world including Wikipedia by the way believes that original Christianity is a compromise of paganism that doesn't represent the presence of Jesus obviously things like a tonsure will be a sign that people aren't doing what they're supposed to do but the idea of a permanent monastic lifestyle is neither scriptural nor consistent with the teachings or the practices of 1st or 2nd century Christians the Bible shows that Christians are to love their neighbors which means we tend to have neighbors that we can love and assist by the way we don't profess Christ a monastic lifestyle is in conflict with that sadly many who claim Christianity don't hold to its original teachings and sadly many end time Christians also don't hold to the right teachings when it comes to loving one another and supporting the work of reaching others don't be like them God has a plan for you don't sell yourself short by living as a physical or a spiritual monk thank you Dr. Teal for more interviews with Dr. Teal in addition to written as well as audio articles visit our website at this is Steve Dupuy for the Bible News Prophecy Program