Never Saw a Female

“And the Lord God said, ‘It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him’.” [Genesis 2:18]

Probably the only healthy man in modern history who never saw the form or heard the voice of a woman was Mihailo Tolotos. Mihailo was a monk who died in 1938 at the age of 82 in one of the monasteries atop Mount Athos, in Greece. When his mother passed away during his birth, Mihailo was taken the next day to Athos, a piece of land jutting out into the Aegean Sea. The monk never once, throughout his entire life, left this monastic colony, which for more than 900 years has strictly excluded all females, animals as well as humans. This tradition dates back to the founding of the monastery nine centuries earlier.

Is it good for man to be alone? Not according to Genesis 2:18. But with the rising divorce epidemic it might make you wonder if marriage is still a good idea. Jesus quotes Genesis 2:24 and says, “For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh” (Matthew 19:5), supporting the institution of marriage.

The apostle Paul certainly does not insist on everyone getting married, and supports celibacy as a positive lifestyle for serving the Lord (see 1.Corinthians 7:7). But would Paul recommend a lifetime of seclusion? In an interesting application of Genesis 2:24, the apostle says, “For we are members of His body, of His flesh and His bones. ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.’ This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church” (Ephesians 5:30-32).

In the Bible, a woman is used as a symbol for God’s people. “I have likened the daughter of Zion to a lovely and delicate woman” (Jeremiah 6:2). God’s church is described as a woman in Revelation 12:1. Perhaps Paul’s counsel to Mihailo Tolotos would be to stay connected to God’s people and not live in isolation from the body of Christ. It is not good for anyone to be separated from the church, especially as we near the time of Jesus’ return.

“And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together … so much more as you see the Day approaching” (Hebrews 10:24,25).