Fasting

Dr. Couch, what do you think of fasting today? ANSWER:  Fasting is not commanded by the Lord. And if one traces all the various references out, you find that this was mainly a Jewish practice, though we have several mentions of those in the church fasting.    On some of the references we have a manuscript and a textual Greek issue. For example, the NAS rightly translates 2 Corinthians 6:5 and 11:27 as "hunger" rather than fasting. Where it is mentioned in Acts 27:9 it is very Jewish, though the apostle Paul seems to have been honoring it while on his trip by sea to Rome. Ger makes the brief comment: On Paul's trip, the celebration of "Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement ("the Fast, ten nesteian) had already come and gone."    Most of the references of fasting are found in the very Jewish context of the Gospels. There are only a few references made concerning those in the church fasting, as I have already mentioned. We find the church leaders fasting in Acts 14:23 and also in 13:2-3. This will shock many reading this question, but Christ and the disciples did not practice fasting regularly, or at all. The disciples of John the Baptist asked Christ why His own disciples did not fast. He answered: "The attendants of the bridegroom (Christ) cannot mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them, can they? But the days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast" (Matt. 9:14-15). This may imply that the disciples would indeed fast after His ascension!    The Bible does not make fasting mandatory, and, we find that only the church leaders in some occasions actually fasted. I do not want to judge anyone about this issue. Fasting is up to the conscience of the believer. But it is my experience that those who fast often do it with a little bit of legalism or extra spiritual piety thrown into the mix. They almost brag about their fasting. Of course, they do not have to do this, and I would not want to say that all who feel they should fast from time to time, are doing so from a super spiritualized position.    The main issue is how one walks in fellowship with his Lord. We all should be aware that if necessary, we can take that extra time to be in communication with Him. Fasting originally began be the fact that one was so burdened and convicted about certain issues in their life, they could not eat! Their hunger had left them and they just wanted to spend time speaking with the Lord. In time, fasting became a "ceremony" or a practice that showed how burdened one was over a problem or issue.    Thanks for asking.    Dr. Mal Couch

What is the Purpose of Fasting?

Dr. Couch, the Muslims fast. I was wondering what is the NT teaching on fasting, and, what is the purpose of fasting? 

 

    Fasting is a picture of something that can emotionally be happening to a person who is under great spiritual or emotional suffering. One does not wish to eat but simply go away and bury themselves in grief. This became a kind of ritual among the very emotional people of OT times, but it carried over into the times of the Jews in the NT period as well. 

    There are two basic words in the NT for fasting: (1) Asitos is used only once in Acts 24:16. A related word, asitia is used only once also and is translated in Acts 27:21 as a long abstinence. Asitos has the idea of not eating. (2) The more common word, used thirty times in its noun and verb form, is neestuo. By seeing where this word is used in the NT we get the idea that it really had an OT orientation. 

    Fasting was not as prevalent in the dispensation of the church age, though as a practice it has not gone away and is still viable for those who wish to do so. Out of the thirty uses of the word neestuo only eight times is it mentioned in the dispensation of the church (Acts 10:30; 13:2-3; 14:23; 27:9; 1 Cor. 7:5; 2 Cor. 11:27). This means that the practice is downplayed and was not as prevalent among Gentile Christians. 

    In giving up food the one fasting is saying to the Lord, “I am going to concentrate on prayer and seeking your favor. I am not even interested in eating!” In fasting Christ did not eat for forty days (Matt. 4:2). When fasting one was not to appear pious and morbidly gloomy (6:16). Those who did were seeking sympathy and wanted people to say, “Oh, are they not spiritual?” To make themselves look religious some of the Pharisees fasted more than once during the week (Luke 18:12). As already mentioned fasting was connected with deep and concentrated prayer (Acts 13:3). 

    I would never tell someone not to fast, though in my personal experience, those who fast often many times brag about their fasting and use it as a practice of “works.” “I fast and you don’t!” Fasting is not a cheap way to cover up going on a diet! It should be practiced because someone is really under conviction and terribly concerned about a burning spiritual issue. God knows our heart and He knows whether fasting is genuine or just for a show! 

Thanks for asking.

Dr. Mal Couch