Asceticism and Antony the Great

I was recently reading the Life of Antony the Great of Egypt and I was sadden by the erroneous beliefs he held. For one he believed devils and demons could be stronger than heavily hosts and had freedom to harm him physically and emotionally when Scripture says, "Greater is He (Jesus) who is in you than he that is in the world," (1 John 4:4), "Submit therefore to God and resist the devil and he shall flee," (James 4:7) and, most importantly, "Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents (serpent is the English of the Hebrew word Seraphim, which is an angel with six wings see Isaiah 6:2) and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you." (Luke 10:19). Antony's greatest sin is his account that Satan came to him and admitted he is a worm and defeated by God, something the devil never has done in all of Scripture; and if the devil had admitted his defeat it surely would have been to Christ Himself in the Wilderness, but it is contrast Satan actually tries to deceive Jesus into bowing and worshipping him see Matthew 4:1-11; and the Bible proves the enemy is convinced and deceived that he can win even after his Antichrist and False Prophet are destroyed (See Revelation 20:6-10). Antony gets spiritual warefare wrong on every level and I shouldn't have been surprised, Antony is a Coptic Christian, Coptic Christianity is a heretical sect that believes the apostasy that Jesus is only a prophet. I ask Copts to explain John 14:6 "I am the only way to the Father", Colossians 2:9 "Christ is fullness of God Head (Deity) in bodily form,", John 17, John 1:1-15 "In Beginning was the Word and the Word was God, all things were made by Him and for Him", John 10:30 "I and Father are One (in the original Greek this Oneness is essence)", John 8:48-59,  Colossians 1:10-18, Philippians 2:5-8, Hebrews 1:8 "But of the Son He says Thy throne O God is forever and ever" (read the whole chapter at bottom of post) , and the plethora of Scripture verses that attest and confess Jesus is God, Son of God, and One with God the Father.  

St. Antony and his arid brothers also deceive themselves into believing Salvation can be earned via asceticism /monasticism or holy living, when it is "by Grace we are saved and not by works lest any person boast," (Ephesians 2:8-10) and through belief in Jesus Christ, "If confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord (Lord is the English translation of the Hebrew name Jehovah, God of Israel) and believe in your heart God raised Him from the dead you shall be saved. For it is by confessing aloud and believing in the heart we are saved," (Romans 10:9-10) and, "For God so loved the world that he sent His only begotten (not made, very God of very God, Nicene Creed, begotten means to come forth from or be sent see John 17:18, John 5:37, sadly begotten has been changed in 21st century 2015-2016 to be born or made which is not what this verse is saying, so I added this clarification) Son and whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life." (John 3:16). Belief not self denial saves, the total refutation of Asceticism and Monasticism is found in Paul's letter to the Colossians, Chapter 2, verses 20-23, "If with Christ you died to the elemental spirits of the world, why, as if you were still alive in the world, do you submit to regulations? Do not handle, Do not taste, Do not touch”These rules, which have to do with things that are all destined to perish with use, are based on merely human commands and teachings. These have indeed an appearance of wisdom in promoting self-made religion and asceticism and severity to the body, but they are of no value in stopping the indulgence." It is interesting that Paul says asceticism has the "appearance of wisdom," and that the teachings of Antony the Great and Desert Fathers and Ascetics is called "The Wisdom of Desert Fathers and Mothers." I think the Holy Spirit gave Paul those words so they could perfectly refute asceticism.

Asceticism, the 'holy life' of pious self denial is as the Apostle Paul said, "self made religion." Ascetics and Monastics believe they can achieve purity and perfection and ultimately merit paradise. But this is antichrist and another gospel, "If anyone preaches another Jesus, another Gospel, and another spirit than the one we preached you put up with it too easily," (2 Corinthians 4:11), and "If we or an angel preaches another gospel than one we taught you let us be under God's curse!" (Galatians 1:8).  Antony and the many ascetics venerated by churches were antichrists, they believed they could achieve salvation through their "severity to the body." The Patristic Fathers, the Monks, the Ascetics preach a different gospel of works, when it is Grace that saves us through belief in Jesus Christ and his atoning sacrifice alone, "For Jesus is the one referred to in the Scriptures, where it says, 'The stone that you builders rejected has now become the cornerstone.' There is salvation in no one else! God has given no other name under heaven by which we must be saved." (Acts 4:11-12). Jesus Christ alone saves us from sin and damnation and makes it possible for us to enter the Divine Trinity's presence, "Yet now he has reconciled you to himself through the death of Christ in his physical body. As a result, he has brought you into his own presence, and you are holy and blameless as you stand before him without a single fault." (Colossians 1:22).

Monasticism for a time held its charms, the concept of being completely dedicated to Christ and not of this world (Romans 12) was appealing. But upon closer inspection asceticism and monasticism fall short of the true Gospel (John 3:16, Romans 10:9-10, Ephesians 2:8-9) and create a gospel of works and "self made religion" (Colossians 2:23). In many ways monasticism and asceticism is a return of Pharisees and Sadducees woeful actions that Jesus Christ confronts, "What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you shut the door of the Kingdom of Heaven in people's faces. You won't go in yourselves, and you don't let others enter either," (Matthew 23:13), "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you devour widows' houses, and for a pretense you make long prayers; therefore you will receive greater condemnation," (Matthew 23:14), "What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you cross land and sea to make one convert, and then you turn that person into twice the child of hell you yourselves are!," (Matthew 23:15), "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness. These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others," (Matthew 23:23), "What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you are so careful to clean the outside of the cup and the dish, but inside you are filthy--full of greed and self-indulgence!," (Matthew 23:25), ""Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of the bones of the dead and everything unclean, Outwardly you look like righteous people, but inwardly your hearts are filled with hypocrisy and lawlessness." (Matthew 23:27-28), "What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you build tombs for the prophets your ancestors killed, and you decorate the monuments of the godly people your ancestors destroyed. And you say, 'If we had lived in the days of our ancestors, we would not have taken part with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.'"But in saying that, you testify against yourselves that you are indeed the descendants of those who murdered the prophets," (Matthew 23:29-31), "Go ahead and finish what your ancestors started. You snakes! You brood of vipers! How will you escape being condemned to hell?," (Matthew 23:32-33), right here Jesus is urging the Pharisees to complete their ancestor's work which does happen when they crucify Jesus Christ (John 19), but Monastics and Ascetics and those who practice other gospels of merit through their works murder Christ like the Pharisees literally did again because they do not accept the free gift of Salvation through Jesus Christ and His Sacrifice alone.

I must confess when I began reading SThe Desert Fathers and Mothers, I had no knowledge that Antony the Great was a Copt, which is a people group but also a offshoot heretical church like the Nestorians, Gnostics, Arians, Manchiees, and more. The Coptic Orthodox Church in Egypt and abroad does not affirm the True Gospel, but preaches what many secular, agonistic, and atheist scholars call "the historical Jesus," and who even despite their secularism will call Jesus a prophet. Even Islam acknowledges Jesus is a prophet, the Quran has the Book of Isa (Jesus) in it and tells the Beatitudes, but Sura 153:8 in the Koran is where Christianity and Islam part ways regarding Isa. Coptic Christianity is a great example of what Emmanuel probably means by, "Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness." (Matthew 7:21-23). These words of Jesus Christ our God can be applied even more so to Antony the Great who caste out demons (allegedly) but at same time believed a false gospel that Monasticism could save his soul. Coptic Christianity is not Christianity, and like Mormonism it is another religion based on another false gospel and false Christ (2 Corinthians 11:4, Matthew 24:24). Jesus Christ is God! (Colossians 2:9, Hebrews 1:8, John 14:6, John 10:30, John 17, Phillippians 2:5-9). The Holy Bible written by those who walked with Christ and listen to His words affirms that Jesus Christ is God!

Here is a full account that proves Jesus Christ is God and Son of God!

Hebrews Chapter 1

 "Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, ² but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. ³ He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, ⁴ having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs.
⁵ For to which of the angels did God ever say,

“You are my Son,
    today I have begotten you”?

Or again,

“I will be to him a father,
    and he shall be to me a son”?

⁶ And again, when he brings the firstborn into the world, he says,

“Let all God's angels worship him.”

⁷ Of the angels he says,

“He makes his angels winds,
    and his ministers a flame of fire.”

⁸ But of the Son he says,

“Your throne, O God, is forever and ever,
    the scepter of uprightness is the scepter of your kingdom.
⁹ You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness;
therefore God, your God, has anointed you
    with the oil of gladness beyond your companions.”

¹⁰ And,

“You, Lord, laid the foundation of the earth in the beginning,
    and the heavens are the work of your hands;
¹¹ they will perish, but you remain;
    they will all wear out like a garment,
¹² like a robe you will roll them up,
    like a garment they will be changed.
But you are the same,
    and your years will have no end.”

¹³ And to which of the angels has he ever said,

“Sit at my right hand
    until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet”?

¹⁴ Are they not all ministering spirits sent out to serve for the sake of those who are to inherit salvation?"

Colossians Chapter 1

The Preeminence of Christ

¹⁵ He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. ¹⁶ For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. ¹⁷ And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. ¹⁸ And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. ¹⁹ For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, ²⁰ and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.

The Gospel of John Chapter 14

"Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. ² In my Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you?^{[b] 3} And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. ⁴ And you know the way to where I am going.” ⁵ Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” ⁶ Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. ⁷ If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him.”
⁸ Philip said to him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.” ⁹ Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? ¹⁰ Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own authority, but the Father who dwells in me does his works. ¹¹ Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or else believe on account of the works themselves.
¹² “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father. ¹³ Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. ¹⁴ If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.¹⁵ “If you love me, you will keep my commandments. ¹⁶ And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper,^[f] to be with you forever, ¹⁷ even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.¹⁸ “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. ¹⁹ Yet a little while and the world will see me no more, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. ²⁰ In that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you. ²¹ Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him.” ²² Judas (not Iscariot) said to him, “Lord, how is it that you will manifest yourself to us, and not to the world?” ²³ Jesus answered him, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. ²⁴ Whoever does not love me does not keep my words. And the word that you hear is not mine but the Father's who sent me.
²⁵ “These things I have spoken to you while I am still with you. ²⁶ But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you. ²⁷ Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. ²⁸ You heard me say to you, ‘I am going away, and I will come to you.’ If you loved me, you would have rejoiced, because I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I. ²⁹ And now I have told you before it takes place, so that when it does take place you may believe. ³⁰ I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming. He has no claim on me, ³¹ but I do as the Father has commanded me, so that the world may know that I love the Father. Rise, let us go from here.

The Gospel of John Chapter 17

“I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, ²¹ that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. ²² The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, ²³ I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me. ²⁴ Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory that you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world. ²⁵ O righteous Father, even though the world does not know you, I know you, and these know that you have sent me. ²⁶ I made known to them your name, and I will continue to make it known, that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them.”