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Fasting In The Bible

Fasting In The Bible. What d oes t he bible r eally s ay about t his topic ? 2 Tim 2:15.

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Fasting In The Bible

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  1. Fasting In The Bible What does the bible really say about this topic? 2 Tim 2:15

  2. Mt 6:16. "Moreover, when you fast, do not be like the hypocrites, with a sad countenance. For they disfigure their faces that they may appear to men to be fasting. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. Luke 5:33 Then they said to Him, "Why do the disciples of John fast often and make prayers, and likewise those of the Pharisees, but Yours eat and drink?" Luke 18:12 'I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess.' Acts 14:23 So when they had appointed elders in every church, and prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord in whom they had believed.

  3. Acts 10:30 So Cornelius said, "Four days ago I was fasting until this hour; and at the ninth hour I prayed in my house, and behold, a man stood before me in bright clothing, Acts 13:3 Then, having fasted and prayed, and laid hands on them, they sent them away. 1Co 7:5 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.

  4. Fasting & Customs • Holy kissing(Romans 16:16; 2 Cor. 13:12) • 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. 2:15)

  5. Fasting & Customs • Foot Washing (Jn. 13:1-17) • Custom of necessity/hospitality • Traveling on dirty roads. . .dirty feet • Often given to sojourners (Gen. 18:4; 19:2; 24:32; 43:24; Jud. 19:21; 1 Tim. 5:10) • Foot washing is not a part of worship, is it? No! Some sectarians are doing it, but that’s not a part! • Disciples were already practicing foot washing. Jesus gave a spiritual principle through a cultural practice—humility (v. 12ff)

  6. Fasting & Customs • Fasting (Matt. 6:16-18) • Practice customarily associated with mourning (Neh. 1:4; Esther 4:3; 9:31) • Associated with the wearing of sackcloth and ashes (Neh. 9:1; Ps. 35:13) • Afflicts the soul and body (Ps. 69:10) • Done during times of adversity (Ps. 109:22-25)

  7. 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.), #Lev 23:26-32 It is called "the fast" #Ac 27:9 (Easton’s Revised Bible Dictionary)

  8. National Fast (during captivity) capture of Jerusalem (Jer. 52:6, 7) • 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 8:18, 19 burning Jerusalem (Jer. 52:12, 13) Gedaliah murdered (Jer. 41:1, 2) siege of Jerusalem (Jer. 52:4)

  9. 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 9:1 compare Nineveh (Jonah 3:5-9)

  10. Individuals Fasting(for various reasons) • Hanna provoked by another (1 Sam. 1:6, 7) • Jonathan disgusted with his father and grieving for David (1 Sam. 20:34) • David mourning for Abner (2 Sam. 3:35) • David during his child’s sickness (2 Sam. 12:16) • Ahab at the preaching of Elijah (1 Kin. 21:27)

  11. 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 Saul’s death (1 Sam. 31:13) • Daniel fasted three weeks (Dan. 10:2, 3) • Moses, Elijah and Jesus fasted 40 days (Ex. 34:28; 1 Kin. 19:8; Matt. 4:2)

  12. Binding Fasting As A Religious Commandment? • IF SO: • when would we be required to fulfill the commandment • giving & Lord’s supper on first day of the week (1 Cor. 16:1, 2; Acts 20:7) • praying always (Lk. 21:36; 1 Thess. 5:17; 2 Thess. 1:11) • baptism when one first believes, repents, confesses (Acts 2:38; 8:36-38) • when would we command brethren to fast?

  13. 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?

  14. 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. 6:17, 18)?

  15. Fasting: One’s Personal Liberty • In the New Testament Jesus didn’t bind fasting on the disciples; He simply regulated it • It is therefore left as a personal choice

  16. Why Fast? • May help with developing self-control • Could be a part of disciplining the body (1 Cor. 9:24-27) • Perhaps: If we can withhold ourselves from what we need (food), we can with better strength withhold ourselves from what we don’t need (sin).

  17. 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

  18. Colossians 2:20-23 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 using—according 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.

  19. 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. 11:27; cf. 6:5) • 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

  20. Why Fast? • Because of some strain of time, an important event, or some special circumstance • Ac 14:23 So when they had appointed elders in every church, and prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord in whom they had believed.

  21. 1 Corinthians 7:5, 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)

  22. Fasting • Why not to fast (Religiously) • To lose weight • For better health • To brag about devoutness • Matt. 6:16-18 • Because others are doing it

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