Part 2: The Divine Ladder: You Could Fall Off

Interest in the ancient mystics and ascetics has grown among evangelicals over the past quarter-century. Last week, we began this journey into that past with “Part 1: The Desert Fathers and Mothers: A Model for Christians?” Next up in Part 2…

John Climacus and the Ladder
One of the main practices of those in the desert and later by monks was extreme asceticism, which involved remaining celibate as well as abuse of the body through not eating, not drinking liquids, and sometimes even harsh beatings of the body.

John Climacus (570-649 AD) is a significant figure in the tradition of the Desert Fathers and Mothers. He lived in the Egyptian desert first with a community of monks, and later in solitude for 40 years. He authored a book on the supposed wisdom of the Desert Fathers and on asceticism, The Ladder of Divine Ascent, which became a guide for monasteries, especially in the Orthodox churches, so Climacus is also known as “Saint John of the Ladder.” This is a guide on attaining spiritual perfection.

“The Ladder of Divine Ascent is an ascetical treatise on avoiding vice and practicing virtue so that at the end, salvation can be obtained. Written by Saint John Climacus initially for monastics, it has become one of the most highly influential and important works used by the Church as far as guiding the faithful to a God-centered life, second only to Holy Scripture.

There is also a related icon known by the same title. It depicts many people climbing a ladder; at the top is Jesus Christ, prepared to receive the climbers into Heaven. Also shown are angels helping the climbers, and demons attempting to shoot with arrows or drag down the climbers, no matter how high up the ladder they may be. Most versions of the icon show at least one person falling.”¹”The Ladder of Divine Ascent,” Orthodox Wiki

There are famous paintings of this ladder, showing monks clinging desperately to the ladder as demons try to knock them off. The ladder is viewed as a metaphor for the need to climb a ladder via certain practices, including asceticism. The Orthodox churches believe in using this book as a guide during the Lenten season. ²Page numbers given are from The Ladder of Divine Ascent, (1982, the Missionary Society of St. Paul the Apostle, NY; Harper & Harper, 1959, NY, NY)

The book gives 30 steps, and each point under each step is numbered. These steps give spiritual and moral advice or make proverbial statements that cover everything, including sleep, solitude, gluttony, purity, prayer, angels, demons, money, pride, the monk community, and more.

Ascetism and The Ladder
It seems one of the major misunderstandings of John Climacus and the other monks in the desert is to view the body as an evil or hindrance to spiritual life. There are many statements in both The Sayings of the Desert Fathers and in Climacus’ Ladder book that show this.

Climacus writes that the flesh is impure and that Paul called the flesh “death” (89) and references Rom. 7:24, but that verse must be read in context of the passage and in the context of other writings of Paul and of the New Testament. Paul is referring to the sin nature and his natural tendency to sin.

Climacus writes approvingly of penitents standing on their feet to avoid sleep; people praying with their hands tied behind their backs, bent to the earth; some were striking their foreheads on the earth; others were “continually beating their breasts;” and there are more instances (48).

“Be malicious and spiteful against the demons and at constant enmity with your body. The flesh is a headstrong and treacherous friend. The more you care for it, the more it injures you” (73).

“Those who aim at ascending with the body to heaven, need violence indeed and constant suffering…” (9).

Climacus references Matt. 11:12 for this statement. The meaning of this verse is debated, but it has nothing to do with Climacus’ assertion.

This view about the body is Neoplatonic or Gnostic in nature, permeated the views of the monks in the desert (and to a certain extent, monks in later times). They therefore would cause deliberate pain or suffering to their bodies by not eating, not sleeping, or even injuring themselves.

Tales Hard to Believe
Like the Desert Fathers book, there are tales that are hard to believe.

Fragrant Feet
One is about a monk named Menas in a monastery where Climacus was living. Menas died, and on the third day after his death, a fragrance arose from his coffin. They opened the coffin and “we all saw that fragrant myrrh was flowing like two fountains from his precious feet,” (31).

The Talking Dead
Another story recounts a tale Climacus heard from another monk about a monk named Acacius, whose teacher abused and beat him so that he had black eyes and scars. He died after nine years, and when the teacher was told, he did not believe it, so he was taken to Acacius’ tomb. He asked Acacius in the tomb if he was really dead, and Acacius answered! This caused the teacher to feel terror, and he ended up living in a cell near the tomb, admitting he was a murderer.

This story recounts not only a dead man speaking but also physical abuse, which apparently is not remarked on.

The Jesus Prayer
John Climacus is credited with starting what is called the Jesus Prayer, “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.”

“Another Desert Father, John Climacus, established a method based on this idea, involving the constant repetition of a single word or short phrase which would help to drop below the chatter of the mind to the open receptivity of the heart. This method influenced what became known as the Jesus Prayer: “Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me”, described in the 19thC Russian spiritual classic, The Way of the Pilgrim. It was also an inspiration for the Benedictine, Fr John Main in the 20th century, who having learned mantra meditation from Hindu scholar Swami Satyananda in India, was heartened to discover something similar in the Christian practices of the Desert Fathers and Mothers. Fr Main went on to formulate Christian Meditation, employing a similar technique of repetition of a sacred word, a technique which continues to grow in popularity in our own time.”³”The Desert Fathers and Mothers – Who Were They?,”Dominic Cogan

Please note that John Main (1926-1982) learned mantra meditation from a Hindu (similar to the use of Hindu and Buddhist meditation methods in the movement started by Thomas Keating, Basil Pennington, and William Meninger). The Jesus Prayer is practiced in the Eastern Orthodox churches but has migrated into evangelical churches through the spread of Contemplative Spirituality.

Repeating the Jesus Prayer is said to be praying unceasingly, as commanded in First Thessalonians 5:17. However, woodenly repeating a prayer is not what this verse is talking about. The verse is about a prayerful attitude and seeking God in all matters.⁴See short video, “What does it mean to pray without ceasing?”

Solitude
Living in solitude was considered by the desert fathers and by John Climacus to be the best way (and they often imply the only way) to be close to God and become more spiritual. This is why they sought the desert and usually lived alone.

What is called the practice of solitude has become a chief teaching among Contemplatives today, including Richard Foster, John Mark Comer, Ruth Haley Barton, Tim Mackie, the late Thomas Keating, and others. Silence is often seen as a natural result of, and companion to, solitude, and is also highly extolled.

In the Ladder, Climacus devotes Step 27 to solitude. There are online audios which read these steps, such as this one or this one where you can read this Step for yourself, as well as the whole book itself (the Steps are called “Chapters” on the menu but then listed as “parts” when you click on it).

“A monk living with another monk is not saved as a solitary monk would be. When a monk is alone he has need of great vigilance and of an unwandering mind. When not alone, the other often helps his brother; but an angel assists the solitary.”

“Those whose mind has learned true prayer converse with the Lord face to face, as if speaking into the ear of the Emperor. Those who make vocal prayer fall down before Him as if in the presence of the whole senate. But those who live in the world petition the Emperor amidst the clamour of all the crowds. If you have learned the art of prayer scientifically, you cannot fail to know what I have said.”

“The celestial powers unite with him whose soul is quiet, and dwell lovingly with him. And the opposite to this is obvious.”

“Those who are thoroughly versed in secular philosophy are indeed rare; but I affirm that those who have a divine knowledge of the philosophy of true solitude are still more rare.”

“He who has attained to solitude has penetrated to the very depth of the mysteries, but he would never have descended into the deep unless he had first seen and heard the noise of the waves and the evil spirits, and perhaps even been splashed by these waves. The great Apostle Paul confirms what we have said. If he had not been caught up into Paradise, as into solitude, he could never have heard the unspeakable words. The ear of the solitary will receive from God amazing words. That is why in the book of Job that all-wise man said: ‘Will not my ear receive amazing things from Him?‘”

Biblical Response to the Practice of Solitude
The selected statements copied and pasted above on solitude are not based on Scripture, even though references are made to the Bible in some of them.

Solitude is a particular state for Contemplatives, viewed as necessary for connection to God. It should be a regular practice in order to be more spiritual, according to these Contemplative teachers. They do not mean just to be alone, but to also attain an interior silence (via certain methods) and to be still. Prayer is often linked to being in solitude.

Biblical Texts Misused
Biblical texts are consistently misused by Contemplatives to promote solitude:

“But you, when you pray, go into your inner room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.” (Matt. 6:6)

A simple reading of the previous verses shows us that Matthew 6:6 is a contrast to the picture of the hypocrites in verse 5 who pray publicly to get attention. Jesus is saying in essence not to show off when praying, and to not pray in order to impress God or men.

Jesus was not talking about interior silence or withdrawing into oneself when he said we should go to the inner room, as some claim. The inner room was a small room in houses where people could go for private prayer. Jesus is being literal here. (The writer of this article personally heard Thomas Keating give this incorrect teaching; go to section “Enter Keating’s Inner Room”).

Several texts about Jesus going off by himself are cited by Contemplatives.

Except for the reference in John, these passages state that Jesus left to pray. That Jesus went to pray alone is not grounds for the practice of solitude. Jesus was always with his disciples and often with crowds who besieged him for healing. It was only natural that he would want to be alone to pray.

What about the John 6 passage?
Jesus went to be alone in John 6 right after he had miraculously fed the 5,000.

Verse 15 then states:

“So Jesus, knowing that they were going to come and take Him by force to make Him king, withdrew again to the mountain by Himself alone.”

Jesus knew that the crowds wanted him to be king and were going to be violent. But Jesus was on earth to atone for sins, and the crucifixion had not happened yet. So, he left to get away from the crowds and be alone. We do not know if he prayed, but it is reasonable to assume he did pray, considering what was going on and considering the other passages that tell us he went off by himself to pray.

Thwarting God
John Mark Comer, for example, teaches that solitude is essential for “life with God.” Many Contemplatives teach that unless we have silence and solitude, we cannot hear God.

However, there are numerous accounts of God reaching people who are in the midst of very noisy and busy environments, such as Gideon, Moses, Jonah, Paul, and others. Is God hampered by a noisy environment, or by your thoughts? If one is restless and distracted, can that keep God from speaking to anyone if he so desires? This is separate from the question of whether one should expect God to speak to them; it concerns God’s ability to speak to whom he wishes at any moment, regardless of what the person is doing or where they may be. Contemplatives would have one believe that God is thwarted by one’s distractions, noise, or busyness.

There is nothing wrong with being alone to contemplate God or the Bible, or to pray. But if one is alone to do these things, it is the Holy Spirit who will assist them to grow closer to God and to grow more Christ-like, not the solitude.

No Biblical Instruction
There is no biblical instruction or basis for the practices of solitude, or of silence and stillness. Several CANA articles have addressed this (such as here, here, here, here, and several listed here.

In every case, across all the Contemplative writings I have read and heard, attempts to use biblical texts to support Contemplative practices have failed because the passage is taken out of context, misinterpreted, given a different meaning, or not applicable.

The Bible’s Response to Asceticism
In Colossians, we read:

“These are matters which have, to be sure, the appearance of wisdom in self-made religion and self-abasement and severe treatment of the body, but are of no value against fleshly indulgence.” Col. 2:23

The Greek word translated as “severe” in the above passage is apheidia, meaning neglect and an “unsparing” treatment of the body. Those practicing these harsh methods thought, like the monks, that they could attain some kind of purification of bodily sins and lusts, and even merit for their suffering. But God denounces this as of “no value.”

In First Timothy, speaking on practices of denying marriage and food, Paul writes against this, saying:

But the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons, by the hypocrisy of liars, who have been seared in their own conscience, men who forbid marriage and advocate abstaining from foods which God has created to be gratefully shared in by those who believe and know the truth.” 1 Tim. 4:1-3

It is right to be celibate outside of marriage, but in this case, it was being advocated as lifelong because physical relations were viewed as evil by the early Gnostic-type groups, and also it became the rule for monastic living. The Benson Commentary on Bible Hub writes:

“This false morality was very early introduced into the church, being taught first by the Encratites and Marcionites, and afterward by the Manicheans, who said marriage was the invention of the evil god; and who considered it as sinful to bring creatures into the world to be unhappy, and to be food for death. In process of time the monks embraced celibacy, and represented it as the highest pitch of sanctity. It is a thing universally known, that one of the primary and most essential laws and constitutions of all monks, whether solitary or associated, whether living in deserts or in convents, is the profession of a single life, to abstain from marriage themselves, and to discourage it all they can in others.”

As Paul also writes in First Timothy:

“…for bodily discipline is only of little profit, but godliness is profitable for all things, since it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.” 1 Tim. 4:8

Most commentators agree that the “bodily discipline” refers to the harsh austerities being practiced on the body five verses earlier. One cannot have spiritual sanctification through the practices of men. Transformation is by the Holy Spirit, who uses God’s word, prayer, fellowship with other Christians, and worship to mold one more into the image of Christ.

While Jesus called anyone who wanted to follow him to deny self, this is not done with asceticism. Denying self involves putting Christ above self and anything else. It is about devotion to Christ, not deliberate harsh treatment of oneself.

Some may cite in support of asceticism the Nazirite vow of the Old Testament or the fact that Elijah and John the Baptist lived in harsh conditions as prophets. However, the Nazirite vow was given by God, and Elijah and John were called by God to be prophets and lived in special circumstances according to how God called them to live. They were not trying to practice harsh asceticism to be holy, nor did they live based on their own ideas.

Finally, fasting may be viewed by some as asceticism, but it is a voluntary practice (usually in conjunction with prayer in the Old Testament) for a limited time and not to gain merit with God. It is not harsh treatment or self-injury if done biblically. Since it is for a limited time, it does not really fall into the category discussed here, which involves more intense and possibly lifelong practices of harsh treatment to the self.

Asceticism is based on efforts by the flesh (the fallen self), not the Spirit. It is not taught in Scripture and is not honoring to God.

RESISTING THE CONTEMPLATIVE PUSH: THE ESOTERIC VS. THE BIBLE
If a pastor or church leader is promoting the desert fathers, the Jesus Prayer, John of the Ladder, or any other contemplative source, keep in mind that nothing in Scripture legitimately supports these ideas or practices. In truth, these practices derive from mysticism.

Mysticism is by nature esoteric. That is, it is secretive and not able to be communicated with the mind or words, but must be sought inwardly and experienced, usually through certain practices (forms of meditation that involve putting the mind in neutral, mantras, or other methods). As “Spirituality and Esotericism: Two Sacred Currents of the Soul,”which supports such ideas, states:

“Esotericism, by contrast, offers a more structured and selective path. It involves the study of mystical texts, sacred correspondences, ritual practice, and symbolic systems. The seeker often progresses through initiatory grades, each unveiling deeper layers of insight. Esotericism asks, ‘What is the hidden order behind the visible world? And how can I align with it?’”⁵“Spirituality and Esotericism: Two Sacred Currents of the Soul”;The Mystic: Embracing the Sacred

The above describes the view about the “truths” allegedly hidden behind the visible world that this writer had for many years in the New Age. So, I am quite familiar with this thinking.

Mysticism and its esoteric spirituality are by nature contrary to God and his revelation. God’s word is offered to all and is meant to be read in a normal fashion (not looking for codes or hidden messages) and reflects God’s character. God does not play esoteric games, hide behind enigmas, nor is he a cipher challenging us to unlock ineffable secrets.

The fact that God’s word and character do not support or reflect the desert fathers’ mystical teachings, asceticism, or esoteric methods for reaching Him is the significant thing to know and remember.Ω

Before trusting Christ, Marcia Montenegro was a professional astrologer and was involved in Eastern and New Age practices for many years. Through her ministry, Christian Answers for the New Age, Marcia speaks around the country and on radio and writes on New Age and occult topics. She has a Masters in Religion from Southern Evangelical Seminary, Charlotte, NC, and serves as a missionary with Fellowship International Mission, Allentown, PA. Based in Arlington, VA, she is the mother of an adult son and the author of SpellBound: The Paranormal Seduction of Today’s Kids (MCOI Publishing LLC, 2024). She is also co-author of Richard Rohr and the Enneagram Secret (MCOI Publishing, 2020) with Don and Joy Veinot You can find her online at: CANA or on Facebook at Christian Answers for the New Age

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