Abbot Pantalemon at Wadi Kadesha, Lebanon
“Fr. Ernesto suggested above that we should look to the monastics of the early church. But is that Biblical? Where in the Bible does it say we should withdraw from society and exclude the rest of the world, and live lives of poverty?”
The first example of monasticism (Eastern style, not Western) is John the Baptist, who lived a life of poverty, simple eating, simple clothing, and probable isolation until the last two or three years of his adult life. “For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, `He has a demon.'” (Matthew 11:16)
Harking farther back are those who took the Nazarite vow in the Old Testament, the Nazir (female: Nezirah). We believe that there is a New Testament equivalent, without the ceremonial parts of the vow. Interestingly enough, a modern rabbi explains a Nazir as, “A nazir was a man who would isolate himself from certain material luxuries for purposes of spiritual heightenings. (A female nazir was called a nezirah; pronounced neh-ZEE-rah.)” Does not that definition sound just like a monk? The vow could be for life as with the Judge Samson and the Prophet Samuel.
Monks (male or female) have a special ministry among us, of calling us, like John the Baptist, back to a life of self-disciplined growing in righteousness. Not everyone is called to a life of poverty. After all, the second part of the quotation from Matthew 11:16-19 above is that Jesus came drinking and eating and was called a glutton and a winebibber. But, some are, indeed, called to such a life. Too many arguments by American Evangelicals (such as Osteen) imply that poverty is somehow wrong. Monks stand against such teachings and remind us that our Lord Jesus had no place to lay his head.
One evangelical commentator says, “The vow of the Nazarite is a pattern for Christians to follow today. Not the growing of the hair, etc., but the spiritual representation of it. God is calling the Church to something that is quite foreign to many of us – a turning from self-indulgence, and a desire to take whatever reproach may come so that we may be holy vessels that God can use to do things beyond our own power.” We believe that this pattern is brought to life among us in a special way by our monks. But, that pattern–not the poverty nor the habit nor the self-isolation, but the turning from self-indulgence–is for all of us, not just for some.
I would not agree that monks, “withdraw from society and exclude the rest of the world. . .” They do withdraw from society, but Eastern monasticism has a very rich history of monks becoming “elders” and “returning” to teach even Kings how to follow the Lord.
Note that in Numbers 6:8, the Nazir is called “holy unto the Lord” and yet brings a sin offering at the end of the period of the vow. There is a commentators’ argument about whether the Nazir brings a sin offering for himself or for the people. It is not worth going into other than to mention that we believe that monks do have a special ministry of intercessory prayer.
I hope this answers some of your questions.
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