©
1999 James A. Fowler
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FASTING
I. Scriptures pertaining to fasting in New Testament.
Matt. 4:2 - Jesus "had fasted
forty days and forty nights" (Lk. 4:2)
Matt. 6:16,17,18 - "when you fast,
do not put on gloomy face...to be seen fasting by men, but
when you
fast wash your face, so that you may not be seen fasting by men,
but by your
Father
who is in secret."
Matt. 9:14,15 - (John's disciples to
Jesus) "Why do we and Pharisees fast, but Your disciples
do not fast?"
When bridegroom is taken away they will fast." (Mk. 2:18-20;
Lk. 5:34,35)
Matt. 17:21 - "this kind (of demon)
does not go out except by prayer and fasting"
(Questionable
manuscript evidence; not in parallel of Mk. 9:29)
Lk. 18:12 - (Pharisee) "I fast twice
a week"
Acts 13:2,3 - (Christians in Antioch)
"When they had fasted and prayed and laid hands on them,
they sent
them (Paul and Barnabas) on their way."
Acts 14:23 - (Paul and Barnabas) "appointed
elders, having prayed with fasting"
(KJV) - Matt. 17:21; Mk. 9:29; Acts 10:30;
I Cor. 7:5 (Not in best manuscripts).
II. Fasting in the old covenant.
A. Reasons for
1. seek
God's will - Judges 20:26
2. seek
deliverance or protection - II Chron. 20:3; Ezra 8:21-23
3. penitence
- II Sam. 12:16-23; Neh. 9:1; Dan. 9:3,4
4. humility
- I Kgs. 21:27-29; Ps. 69:10
5. express
sorrow - I Sam. 31:13
6. times
of mourning - II Sam 1:12; 12:21; Isa. 31:13
7. religious
rite
a.
to rejoice and show appreciation - Esther 9:31
b.
Day of Atonement - Lev. 16:29; 23:27-32
B. Abuses of
1. Hypocritical
fasting - Isa. 58:3-7; Jere. 14:12
2. Selfish
fasting - Zech. 7:5,6
3. Became
meritorious religious exercise in itself.
4. Pharisees
required on Mondays and Thursdays
C. Prophesy of fasting being superseded.
1. Zech.
8:19 - "the fasts will become joy and gladness"
III. Invalid reasons for fasting.
A. Fasting is NOT
1. a means
of coercing or bribing God, forcing God's hand, pushing God's
buttons, showing
our
sincerity so that God will work on our behalf, and do what we
desire, and give us the
result
we want.
2. a way
to enhance "soul power"
3. a way
to seek additional "blessings" (Eph. 1:3), or "spirituality"
4. a "spiritual"
means of weight loss, a "divine diet plan," a nutritional
regulation, a way to
"purify
the body"
5. a means
of cleansing oneself in repentance.
6. a means
of overcoming temptation.
7. a means
of determining God's will.
8. a "spiritual
discipline," a mark of "spirituality"
9. a test
of faith and fellowship
10. a legalistic
means of spiritual "obedience" to be imposed or regulated
by the church.
11. an ordinance
of the church
12. a requirement
of new covenant Christianity.
B. Why religion uses fasting.
1. External,
visible appearances
2. Self-abasing;
self-abnegation; self-affliction
3. A show
of self-denial, humility .
4. To demonstrate
the earnestness of their prayers.
5. Demonstrates
dedication, commitment, wholeheartedness
6. Requires
self-discipline; something to "do" - performance, "works"
IV. The Christian and the practice of fasting.
A. The religious practice of fasting
has been superseded by the joy that is in Christ Jesus.
1. Fasting,
as a religious exercise, is a thing of the past in the old covenant.
2. The
old patterns cannot hold the new
a.
New garment (Mk. 2:21)
b.
New wine (Mk. 2:22)
3. There
are no commands for fasting made by Jesus or writers of the New
Testament.
4. Fasting
is not to be regarded as having any meritorious value as an activity
in its own
right
before God.
B. If a Christian does choose to abstain
from food (or other activities) such a decision and such
activity
should:
1. Be voluntary,
freely chosen; not obligatory.
2. Be done
in secret; not ostentatious
3. Not
be regarded as having any spiritual value or benefit before God.
4. Be done
in accord with "counting all things but loss in view of
the surpassing value of
knowing
Christ Jesus my Lord" (Phil. 3:8).
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