Fasting

1
(No Transcript)
2
Fasting Customs

• Holy kissing (2 Cor. 1312)
• Custom of congeniality
• Not a part of worship (vis. song service prayer
  service preaching service kissing service?)
• Some commands regulate a current practice that
  was already going on
• Must rightly divide the word of truth (2 Tim.
  215)

3
Fasting Customs

• Foot Washing (Jn. 131-17)
• Custom of necessity/hospitality
• Traveling on dirty roads. . .dirty feet
• Often given to sojourners (Gen. 184 192
  2432 4324 Jud. 1921 1 Tim. 510)
• Accompanied the taking care of their animals
  (ibid.)
• Is not a part of worship
• Disciples were already practicing foot washing. .
  .Jesus gave a spiritual principle through a
  cultural practicehumility (v. 12ff)

4
Fasting Customs

• Fasting (Matt. 616-18)
• Practice customarily associated with mourning
  (Neh. 14 Esther 43 931)
• Associated with the wearing of sackcloth and
  ashes (Neh. 91 Ps. 3513)
• Afflicts the soul and body (Ps. 6910)
• Done during times of adversity (Ps. 10922-25)

5
Fasting

• Commanded on the day of atonement
• The sole fast required by the law of Moses was
  that of the great Day of Atonement (q.v.), Le
  2326-32 It is called "the fast" Ac 279
• (Eastons Revised Bible Dictionary)

6
National Fast (during captivity)

• 18 Then the word of the LORD of hosts came to
  me, saying,
• "Thus says the LORD of hosts The fast of the
  fourth month, The fast of the fifth, The fast of
  the seventh, And the fast of the tenth, Shall be
  joy and gladness and cheerful feasts For the
  house of Judah. Therefore love truth and peace.
• Zechariah 818, 19

capture of Jerusalem (Jer. 526, 7)
burning Jerusalem (Jer. 5212, 13)
Gedaliah murdered (Jer. 411, 2)
siege of Jerusalem (Jer. 524)
7
Local Fast (after captivity)
Now on the twenty-fourth day of this month the
children of Israel were assembled with fasting,
in sackcloth, and with dust on their
heads. Nehemiah 91
compare Nineveh (Jonah 35-9)
8
Individuals Fasting (for various reasons)

• Hanna provoked by another (1 Sam. 16, 7)
• Jonathan disgusted with his father and grieving
  for David (1 Sam. 2034)
• David mourning for Abner (2 Sam. 335)
• David during his childs sickness (2 Sam. 1216)
• Ahab at the preaching of Elijah (1 Kin. 2127)

9
Fasting Times

• Jonathan ate no food the second day of the month
• David would not eat anything until sundown
• Inhabitants of Jabesh Gilead fasted seven days
  over Sauls death (1 Sam. 3113)
• Daniel fasted three weeks (Dan. 102, 3)
• Moses, Elijah and Jesus fasted 40 days (Ex.
  3428 1 Kin. 198 Matt. 42)

10
Binding Fasting As A Religious Commandment?

• IF SO
• when would we be required to fulfill the
  commandment
• giving Lords supper on first day of the week
  (1 Cor. 161, 2 Acts 207)
• praying always (Lk. 2136 1 Thess. 517 2
  Thess. 111)
• baptism when one first believes, repents,
  confesses (Acts 238 836-38)
• when would we command brethren to fast?

11
Binding Fasting As A Religious Commandment?

• How long would we preach for brethren to fast?
• 1 day?
• 1 week?
• 3 full weeks?
• 40 days?
• often?
• once a month, quarter, year?

12
Binding Fasting As A Religious Commandment?

• IF SO,
• those who refuse to do so are disobedient/sinning
  and need discipline
• how would we know if brethren are fasting when
  such an act is to be done without anyone noticing
  (Matt. 617, 18)?

13
Fasting Ones Personal Liberty

• In the New Testament Jesus didnt bind fasting on
  the disciples He simply regulated it
• It is therefore left as a personal choice

14
Why Fast?

• May help with developing self-control
• Could be a part of disciplining the body (1 Cor.
  924-27)
• Perhaps If we can withhold ourselves from what
  we need (food), we can with better strength
  withhold ourselves from what we dont need (sin).

15
HOWEVER

• submitting to ordinances of do not touch, taste,
  handle and the neglect of the body are of no
  value against the indulgence of the flesh

16
Colossians 220-23
20 Therefore, if you died with Christ from the
basic principles of the world, why, as though
living in the world, do you subject yourselves to
regulations 21 "Do not touch, do not taste, do
not handle," 22 which all concern things which
perish with the usingaccording to the
commandments and doctrines of men? 23 These
things indeed have an appearance of wisdom in
self-imposed religion, false humility, and
neglect of the body, but are of no value against
the indulgence of the flesh.
17
Why Fast?

• some may have had no choice because of their
  environment
• in weariness and toil, in sleeplessness often,
  in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold
  and nakedness (2 Cor. 1127 cf. 65)
• he hungered and was thirsty when there was
  nothing to eat or drink
• he fasted in preferring the salvation of men over
  physical wants and satisfactions

18
Why Fast?

• Because of some strain of time, an important
  event, or some special circumstance
• Ac 1423 So when they had appointed elders in
  every church, and prayed with fasting, they
  commended them to the Lord in whom they had
  believed.

19
1 Corinthians 75, 6

• 5 Do not deprive one another except with consent
  for a time, that you may give yourselves to
  fasting and prayer and come together again so
  that Satan does not tempt you because of your
  lack of self-control.
• But I say this as a concession, not as a
  commandment.
• temporary depravation of physical affection
  food
• but do not deprave yourself of prayer

permission (KJV) concurrence (YLT) consenting
(Darby)
20
Fasting

• Why not to fast (Religiously)
• To loose weight
• For better health
• To brag about devoutness
• Matt. 616-18
• Because others are doing it.