(1990). Bibliotheca Sacra, 147.
!e Practice of Fasting in
the New Testament
Curtis C. Mitchell
Professor of Biblical Studies
Talbot School of !eology, La Mirada, California
Is religious fasting a legitimate practice for
today? If it is, how and why should it be prac-
ticed? !is article studies each reference to fast-
ing in the New Testament to seek answers to
these questions.
Fasting as Practiced and Taught
in the Gospels
Anna’s fasting (Luke 2:37)
!e first mention of fasting in the New Testa-
ment is in connection with the presentation of
the infant Jesus at the temple (cf. Exod 13:2–15;
Num 18:15–16). Two godly people, Simeon and
Anna, were a"racted to the infant. Anna’s con-
stant service to God is called “fastings and
prayers” (Luke 2:37). Νηστείαις (“fastings”) has
the literal meaning of “not having eaten,” “being
without nourishment.”
1
!e word most gener-
ally has the special religious sense of fasting.
2
In this instance fasting is looked on favorably.
It is said to be one way of “serving” God (Anna
was “serving night and day with fastings and
prayers”). !ere is no indication that she was
required to do this. Rather her “fastings and
prayers” were prompted by a felt need. Perhaps
she was so burdened that the Messiah come that
she spontaneously devoted much of her time to
“fastings and prayers.”
BSac 147:588 (Oct 90) p. 456
Jesus’ Fasting
Jesus practiced fasting when He was tempted
by Satan (Ma" 4:1–11; Mark 1:12–13; Luke 4:1–4).
During these tumultuous 40 days of loneliness,
satanic a"ack, and the presence of wild beasts,
“He ate nothing” (Luke 4:2). !e phrase οὐκ
ἔφαγεν οὐδὲν, with the emphatic negations
ὄυκ…οὐδὲν and a constantive aorist, paints a
strong assertion: total abstinence from food.
3
But was this a fast? Luke did not use the word
“fasting,” but Ma"hew did. He used the aorist
participle νηστεύσας (“had fasted,” Ma" 4:2),
which Vincent contends is used throughout the
New Testament to indicate “abstinence for reli-
gious purposes.”
4
!is is true of verbs from
νηστεύω, but not of the noun νηστεία. It seems
doubtful that νηστεία is used in a religious sense
in 2 Corinthians 6:5 and 11:27, where most
English translations (except the KJV) render
νηστεία by the word “hunger” or similar words
such as “starving” or “gone without food.”
5
Arndt
1
!eological Dictionary of the New Testament, s.v. “νῆστις,
νηστεύω, νηστεία,” by J. Behm, 4:924.
2
William F. Arndt, !e Gospel according to St. Luke
(St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1956), p. 95.
3
Ray Summers, Commentary on Luke (Waco, TX: Word
Books, 1972), p. 52; cf. A. T. Robertson, Word Pictures in the
New Testament, 6 vols. (Nashville: Broadman Press, 1930),
2:49; Henry Alford, !e Greek New Testament, 4 vols.
(reprint, Chicago: Moody Press, 1958), 1:98, 475; Alfred
Plummer, A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the
Gospel according to S. Luke, International Critical Com-
mentary (New York: Scribners, 1906), p. 72.
4
Marvin R. Vincent, Word Studies in the New Testament, 4
vols. (reprint, Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publish-
ing Co., 1946), 1:288; cf. Wayne Barton, “Toward an
Understanding of Fasting in the New Testament” (!D
diss., New Orleans Baptist !eological Seminary, 1954),
p. 88.
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and Gingrich list these two verses under the non-
religious uses of νηστεία.
6
!erefore one can say
with relative certainty that Jesus was engaged in
a religious fast. Every translation and commen-
tary reviewed by this writer concurred that Jesus
was fasting in a religious sense during the 40
days.
However, Jesus’ fast was not a mere ascetic
exercise of self-denial. Ma"hew 11:19 makes it
clear that Jesus never engaged in such practices.
7
As with the Old Testament prophets, Jesus fasted
when faced with a time of intense spiritual need.
During the remainder of Jesus’ public ministry
He kept the Mosaic Law, and this
BSac 147:588 (Oct 90) p. 457
would have involved a fast each year on the Day
of Atonement. Aside from that, however, most
feel there is not the slightest hint that Jesus
fasted. Before Christ’s terrible struggle in Geth-
semane He feasted, rather than fasted,
8
with His
disciples. !erefore this writer cannot concur
with Paul Martin when he contends that fasting
was a key element in Jesus’ spiritual journey.
9
Jesus’ Instructions on Fasting
(Ma! 6:16-18)
!e subject of fasting was not a central issue
in the teachings of Jesus. He never commanded
fasting or propounded any detailed regulations
concerning the practice. Beyond question, how-
ever, Christ radically changed the way fasting
was to be carried on as well as the relative impor-
tance of the practice.
10
When He dealt with the
subject, it was usually in response to the practice
as observed by the Jews.
11
His instruction in
Ma"hew 6:16–18 is a case in point.
!ese verses, part of the Sermon on the
Mount, are part of a section in which Jesus dealt
with what some have referred to as the three pil-
lars of Jewish piety: almsgiving, prayer, and fast-
ing (Ma" 6:1–18).
12
Wimmer rightly contends
that these verses are a unit.
13
However, he
5
In 2 Corinthians 11:27 the NASB translates λιμῷ as
“hunger” and νηστείαις πολλάκις as “o#en without food.”
!e KJV renders those words as “hunger” and “fastings.”
6
William F. Arndt and F. Wilbur Gingrich, eds., A Greek-
English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early
Christian Literature (Chicago: University of Chicago
Press, 1957), p. 538; cf. !eological Dictionary of the New
Testament, s.v. “νῆστις, νηστεύω, νηστεία,” by J. Behm,
4:925.
7
Alan Hugh McNeile, !e Gospel according to St. Ma"hew
(Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1980), p. 38; cf. D.
Edmond Hiebert, Mark: A Portrait of the Servant
(Chicago: Moody Press, 1974), p. 40; and R. C. H. Lenski,
!e Interpretation of St. Ma"hew’s Gospel (Minneapolis:
Augsburg Publishing House, 1961), p. 58.
8
!eological Dictionary of the New Testament, s.v. “νῆστις,
νηστεύω, νηστεία,” by J. Behm, 4:932.
9
Paul Martin, “!e Benefits of Fasting,” Christian Cen-
tury, March 30, 1977, p. 299; cf. David E. Briggs, “Biblical
Teaching on Fasting” (!M thesis, Dallas !eological
Seminary, 1953), p. 20.
10
!eological Dictionary of the New Testament, s.v. “νῆστις,
νηστεύω, νηστεία,” by J. Behm, 4:931; cf. M. M. Fink, Jr.,
“!e Responses in the New Testament to the Practice of
Fasting” (PhD diss., Southern Baptist !eological Semi-
nary, 1974), p. 171, and Encyclopedia of Religion and Ethics
(1927), s.v. “Fasting (Christian),” by A. J. Maclean, 5:765.
11
Fink, “!e Responses in the New Testament to
the Practice of Fasting,” p. 273.
12
D. C. Simpson, “!e Book of Tobit,” in the
Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha of the Old Testament,
ed. R. H. Charles, 1:197.
13
Joseph F. Wimmer, Fasting in the New Testament
(New York: Paulist Press, 1982), pp. 66-67.
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wrongly argues that almsgiving (vv. 2–4), prayer
(vv. 5–13), and fasting (vv. 16–18) are of equal
importance.
14
!is view is unacceptable for two
reasons: (1) Almsgiving and fasting are each
mentioned in only three verses, whereas nine
verses are devoted to prayer. (2) A cursory sur-
vey of the four Gospels reveals a tremendous
amount of teachings, commands, and practices
concerning prayer, while very li"le space is
devoted to almsgiving and fasting. Of the three
practices (almsgiving, prayer, and fasting), fast-
ing has been the most disjunctive and debated in
the history of the church.
15
BSac 147:588 (Oct 90) p. 458
Ma"hew 6:16 begins with ̔ ́Οταν δὲ (“And
whenever”). !is indicates a change from one
subject to another, but to a related one.
16
Having
given instruction on prayer, Christ turned to the
subject of fasting. Implicit in the words “And
whenever you fast” is the assumption that fast-
ing would be a part of the religious life of the dis-
ciples, but Jesus never commanded the disciples
to fast. He simply assumed that they would do
so.
17
Since the time of Moses the Israelites had
been required to fast annually on the Day of
Atonement (Lev 16:29; 23:29). !e Old Testament
also speaks favorably of other special fast days in
which the entire nation humbled themselves
before God (1 Sam 7:5–6; Jer 14:12). In fact at least
once God even commanded emergency fasting
(Joel 2:12).
By New Testament times, fasting had been
encumbered by additional regulations. Some
Jews fasted two days each week throughout the
entire year (Luke 18:12). Such weekly fasts were
observed on !ursdays and Mondays, because
according to tradition, Moses ascended Mount
Sinai on !ursday and descended on Monday.
18
Jesus said the hypocrites ἀφανίζουσιν
(“neglected”) “their appearance” (Ma" 6:16). !e
idea in ἀφανίζουσιν is “to conceal or mask” the
true visage, by a form of outward humiliation.
19
To appear humble and sorrowful these hyp-
ocrites poured ashes on their heads, allowed
their hair to become disheveled, and did not
wash. So fasting, like prayer and almsgiving, was
reduced to a hypocritical system. Some practiced
this type of fasting as a means of seeking to gain
the reputation of being godly.
20
“In order to be
seen” (ὅπως φανῶσιν, v. 16), they disfigured their
external appearance so as to appear to be fasting.
!is was deliberately planned hypocrisy.
21
In response to all this hypocrisy, Jesus
said, “!ey have their reward in full.” !e verb
ἀπέχουσιν is present in form but aorist in
14
Ibid., p. 72.
15
Fink, “!e Responses in the New Testament to
the Practice of Fasting,” p. 2.
16
A. B. Bruce, “!e Synoptic Gospels,” in !e Expositor’s
Greek Testament, ed. W. R. Nicoll, 4 vols. (reprint, Grand
Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1974), 1:122.
17
Fink, “!e Responses in the New Testament to
the Practice of Fasting,” p. 190.
18
Herman N. Ridderbos, Ma"hew, Bible Students
Commentary (Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing
House, 1987), p. 135. Also see !eological Dictionary of the
New Testament, s.v. “ην
͂
στις, νηστεύω, νηστεία,” by J. Behm,
4:933; Hiebert, Mark: A Portrait of the Servant, p. 73.
19
Lenski, !e Interpretation of St. Ma"hew’s Gospel,
p. 273.
20
Alford, !e Greek New Testament, 1:64; cf. Vincent, Word
Studies in the New Testament, 1:45; Fink, “!e Responses
in the New Testament to the Practice of Fasting,” p. 191.
21
Robertson, Word Pictures in the Greek
New Testament, 1:55.
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BSac 147:588 (Oct 90) p. 459
meaning.
22
!e verb ἀπέχω (“to have in full”) has
a commercial sense: “to receive a sum in full and
give a receipt for it.”
23
It means a person had
received his due and was entitled to nothing else.
Jesus then told His followers how to engage in
fasting that would meet God’s approval. !ey
were to anoint their heads and wash their faces.
In Jewish thinking anointing one’s head and
washing one’s face was not done for daily
hygiene or cosmetic reasons. Rather they were
reserved for joyous occasions.
24
So unusual reli-
gious sorrow within should be compensated for
by outward signs of an opposite sort.
25
Reality in
the sight of God rather than appearance in the
sight of man must be the believer’s desire.
26
!e words “your [singular] Father,” used twice
in verse 18, point to the personal relationship
between the individual and God. !is is else-
where expressed powerfully by the use of the
Aramaic term ̓ ́Αββα, which can be translated,
“Daddy” (Mark 14:36; Rom 8:15). Wimmer cor-
rectly concludes, “!e same familiarity is found
in the expression ‘thy Father’ of this verse .”
27
His observation seems all the more tenable when
it is remembered that with Aramaic being the
common language of Palestinian Jewry, Christ
probably spoke these words originally in Ara-
maic. Acts of piety such as fasting must be per-
formed solely and exclusively for the disciples’
“Father” with no concern for one’s reputation
before others.
28
God “is in secret,” and He “sees
in secret.” !e double use of ἐν τῷ κρυφαίῳ in
Ma"hew 6:18 emphasizes the hiddenness of vir-
tuous acts in order to be performed for God
alone.
29
!ese secret acts are noticed by God and will
be rewarded by Him. !e passage closes with the
assuring words ἀποδώσει σοι (“will reward you”).
!e concept of rewarding good and punishing
evil was clearly taught in the Old Testament, but
the method of reward is somewhat mysterious
and complex. !e concept of reward and pun-
ishment being accomplished a#er death in escha-
tological
BSac 147:588 (Oct 90) p. 460
times was not spelled out until in the apocryphal
2 Maccabees 7:9–36.
30
!e idea of eschatological
reward is seen in the future tense of ἀποδώσει
(“will reward”). !e rest of the New Testament
emphasizes this concept of reward in the life to
come.
31
As with almsgiving and prayer, Jesus’ follow-
22
Hiebert, Mark: A Portrait of the Servant, p. 75;
cf. Robertson, Word Pictures in the Greek
New Testament, 1:55.
23
Arndt and Gingrich, A Greek-English Lexicon of
the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature,
p. 84.
24
!e Interpreter’s Dictionary of the Bible, s.v.
“Anoint,” by S. Szikszai, 1:138–39.
25
Robert H. Gundry, Ma"hew (Grand Rapids: Wm. B.
Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1982), p. 11; cf. Fink, “!e
Responses in the New Testament to the Practice of Fast-
ing,” p. 191.
26
Alford, !e Greek New Testament, 1:64; cf. Ridderbos,
Ma"hew, p. 135, and Wimmer, Fasting in the
New Testament, p. 62.
27
Wimmer, Fasting in the New Testament, p. 64.
28
Ibid.
29
Ibid., p. 65.
30
Ibid., p. 68.
31
Cf. Ephraim E. Urback, !e Sages: !eir
Concepts and Beliefs, trans. Israel
Abrahams (Jerusalem: Magnes Press, 1975), 2:436–44.
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ers could and would practice fasting as an act of
private piety. His main concern was their inner
spirit with which fasting was performed. !ey
were to be pure in motive as they fasted and not
to fast as a means of gaining approval from oth-
ers.
Jesus Questioned regarding
Fasting (Ma! 9:14-17; Mark 2:18-22;
Luke 5:33-39)
When John the Baptist’s disciples asked Jesus
why His disciples did not fast, He gave them a
powerful and intriguing answer. On the surface
this answer seems straightforward and simple,
yet more has been wri"en on this incident than
about any other New Testament reference to the
practice of fasting.
32
In Ma"hew’s account the questions are asked
by the disciples of John the Baptist. He was noted
for his severity regarding food (Ma" 11:18; Mark
1:6; Luke 7:33), and it is quite understandable that
his disciples would have fasted.
33
Luke depicted
the questions as coming from the Pharisees
(Luke 5:30, 33) and Mark wrote that the questions
came from both groups (Mark 2:18).
Whereas Ma"hew and Mark record a question
that calls for an answer, Luke’s account records a
simple statement that has the force of a question.
In all three accounts there is the clear assump-
tion that Jesus’ disciples were doing something
wrong.
34
!e phrase οἱ δὲ σοὶ (“but yours,” Luke
5:33) indicates a sharp contrast in conduct
between Jesus’ disciples and those of John and
the Pharisees.
35
An important observation is that Jesus and
His disciples did not conform to the common cus-
toms of traditional Judaism. !eir conduct
reveals a clear-cut breach with existing religious
practice.
36
!is
BSac 147:588 (Oct 90) p. 461
one issue concerning fasting brought into focus
the whole question of Jesus’ a"itude toward
Jewish tradition.
37
!is is also evident in the two
following analogies of placing a new patch on old
cloth and pu"ing new wine in old wineskins
(Ma" 9:16–17; Mark 2:21–22; Luke 5:36–38).
Christ’s teaching could not be blended with rab-
binic traditions. It was not a question of
“both/and” but of “either/or.”
Jesus responded, “!e a"endants of the bride-
groom cannot mourn as long as the bridegroom
is with them, can they?” (Ma" 9:15). !en He
added, “But the days will come when the bride-
groom is taken away from them, and then they
will fast.” He viewed fasting as a sign of mourn-
ing, which is inconsistent with the joy of the
bridegroom’s presence.
38
Jeremias noted, “It is
32
Fink, “!e Responses of the New Testament to
the Practice of Fasting,” p. 199.
33
Charles H. H. Scobie, John the Baptist
(Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1964), pp. 139-41.
34
Charles B. Cousar, “Luke 5:29–35, ” Interpretation 40
(January 1986): 59; cf. R. C. H. Lenski, !e Interpretation
of St. Luke’s Gospel (Minneapolis: Augsburg Publishing
House, 1961), p. 313.
35
Robertson, Word Pictures in the Greek
New Testament, 1:78.
36
Bruce, “!e Synoptic Gospels,” 1:152.
37
!eological Dictionary of the New Testament, s.v. “νῆστις,
νηστεύω, νηστεία,” by J. Behm, 4:933; cf. Robert Alan Cole,
!e Gospel according to St. Mark, ed. R. V. G. Tasker (Grand
Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1988), p. 71,
and Hiebert, Mark: A Portrait of the Servant, p. 75.
38
Israel Abrahams, Studies in Pharisaism and the Gospels
(Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1967), p. 123;
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generally accepted…that…the…bridegroom
stands allegorically for the Messiah.”
39
Certainly
a natural reading of the Gospels gives the
impression that Christ so designated Himself in
this passage.
40
It has been suggested that the
Lord was possibly deliberately adopting John the
Baptist’s own metaphor (John 3:29). !is would
have been of special interest to John’s disciples.
In the Old Testament the relationship of Yah-
weh and Israel is o"en presented in terms of
matrimony. Surveying these passages Jeremias
concludes, “!is is all the material there is and
none of the passages cited contains a clear
instance of the Messiah/bridegroom allegory.”
41
However, there seems to be li#le doubt that those
Jews who heard this parable would conclude that
Jesus, as the Bridegroom, was making a veiled
claim to deity. However, this should present no
great problem because He did this on a number
of occasions (John 8:58; 10:30; 14:9; 18:6, 8). In fact
the Jews accused Him of this
BSac 147:588 (Oct 90) p. 462
very thing (10:33). So for the evangelicals who
believe in the inerrant, verbally inspired Bible,
no problem exists. However, for the biblical
scholars who do not approach the Scriptures
with this perspective, the problem is kno#y.
42
Possibly Jesus did not intend to give a precise
symbolism to the “bride,” the “bridegroom,” and
the “wedding feast.” He was simply making the
point that when things were going well there
was no reason to fast, but in times of sorrow His
disciples would indeed fast. Similarly in the
story of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:29–37) it is
not necessary to look for a symbolic meaning for
each person involved (“certain man,” “priest,”
“Levite,” and “Samaritan”). Jesus was simply
answering the question, “Who is my
neighbor?” (Luke 10:29). So in this instance (Ma#
9:14–17) Jesus was simply answering the question
about why His disciples were not fasting.
!e phrase “so long as” (Mark 2:19) indicates
that the wedding condition would not be perma-
nent. When “the bridegroom is taken away from
them,” there would be a time of mourning for
“they will fast” (v. 20).
43
Regardless of how ἀπαρθῇ (“taken away”) was
understood by the audience, Jesus’ point was
clear. He presented a contrast between wedding-
like joy and funerallike mourning. !e words
“then they will fast” are a prediction, not a com-
cf. J. O’Hara, “Christian Fasting, Mark 2:18–22, ” Studies
in Comparative Religion 19 (July 1967): 93; Dictionary of
Christ and the Gospels, s.v. “Fasting,” by F. Homes Dudden,
p. 579; Alistair Kee, “!e Question about Fasting,” Novum
Testamentum (July 1969): 163.
39
!eological Dictionary of the New Testament,
s.v. “νύμφη, νυμφίος,” by J. Jeremias, 4:1101.
40
Vincent Taylor, !e Gospel according to Mark, 2d ed.
(Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1981), p. 210; cf. Nor-
man Perrin, !e Kingdom of God in the Teaching of Jesus
(Philadelphia: Westminster Press, 1963), p. 62; Werner
Georg Kümmel, Promise and Fulfillment: !e Eschatologi-
cal Message of Jesus (Naperville, IL: Alec R. Allenson,
1957), p. 77; C. H. Dodd, !e Parables of the Kingdom (New
York: Scribners, 1961), p. 89.
41
!eological Dictionary of the New Testament, s.v. “νύμφη,
νυμφίος,”by J. Jeremias, 4:1103.
42
For a discussion of various a#empts, see Fink, “!e
Responses in the New Testament to the Practice of Fast-
ing,” pp. 202-7, and Wimmer, Fasting in the New
Testament, pp. 89-97.
43
J. A. Ziesler, “!e Removal of the Bridegroom: A Note
on Mark ii:18–22 and Parallels,” New Testament Studies 19
(1973): 192; cf. O’Hara, “Christian Fasting, Mark 2:18–22, ”
p. 91.
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mand. Nowhere does the New Testament com-
mand fasting.
!e main point is that fasting should not be
practiced because Jewish or church tradition
demands it, but fasting should be practiced in
times of sorrow. Since believers today are not
under the Mosaic Law, there is to be no regularly
scheduled fasting. Christian fasting should not
be compulsory. It may be practiced because of a
felt need, not out of the requirement to observe a
rigid command. When practiced as a feat of reli-
gious superiority or merit (Luke 18:12), fasting is
an odious bit of self-righteousness.
44
Initially the
early church observed fasting as a voluntary reli-
gious practice, but soon it degenerated into a
supposedly meritorious obligatory formality.
45
BSac 147:588 (Oct 90) p. 463
Fasting as Practiced and Taught
in the Book of Acts
Fasting Following Saul’s
Conversion (Acts 9:8-11)
Possibly the first reference to fasting in the
Book of Acts is in connection with the dramatic
conversion of Saul on the road to Damascus.
A"er his unusual experience Saul was le"
blinded. He was led into the city of Damascus,
where for three days he was “without sight, and
neither ate nor drank” (Acts 9:9). Because
νηστεύω, the usual word for religious fasting is
not used in Acts 9, many have concluded that
Saul was either unable to eat or did not think
about eating because he was suffering from
shock.
46
True, the verb νηστεύω is always used in the
New Testament of religious fasting. However,
religious fasting may sometimes be referred to in
other ways. In Luke’s account of Jesus’ tempta-
tion, he wrote that “He ate nothing during those
days” (Luke 4:2). Yet Ma$hew clearly stated that
Christ “fasted” (Ma$ 4:2). Since Luke referred to
Jesus’ fasting by the words, “He ate nothing,” this
same writer could also have described Saul’s fast-
ing as a time in which he “neither ate nor drank.”
Many consider those three days experienced by
Saul as a time of religious fasting.
47
Apparently
it was voluntary, having been dictated by an
44
James Morrison, A Practical Commentary on the Gospel
according to St. Mark (London: Hodder and Stoughton,
1889), p. 51; Norval Geldenhuys, Commentary on the
Gospel of Luke, !e New International Commentary on
the New Testament (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans
Publishing Co., 1951), p. 198.
45
Ibid.
46
Alford, !e Greek Testament, 1:100; cf. David Brown,
“Acts-Romans,” in A Commentary Critical, Experimental
and Practical on the Old and New Testaments, ed. Robert
Jamieson, A. R. Fausset, and David Brown, 6 vols.
(reprint, Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing
Co., 1974), 6:43; and Robertson, Word Pictures in the New
Testament, 3:118.
47
R. C. H. Lenski, !e Interpretation of the Acts of the
Apostles (Minneapolis: Augsburg Publishing House,
1961), p. 358; cf. I. Howard Marshall, !e Acts of the Apos-
tles, Tyndale New Testament Commentaries (Grand
Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1950), p. 170;
Go$hard Victor Lechler, “!e Acts of the Apostles,” in
Commentary on the Holy Scriptures, Critical, Doctrinal and
Homiletical, by John Peter Lange, 12 vols., vol. 9: John-Acts
(reprint, Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House,
n.d.), p. 167; Frederic Randall, !e Acts of the Apostles in
Greek and English (London: Macmillan & Co., 1897), p. 227;
and Robert H. Smith, “Acts,” in !e Concordia Commen-
tary, ed. Walter J. Bartling and Albert E. Glock (St. Louis:
Concordia Publishing House, 1970), p. 150.
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(1990). Bibliotheca Sacra, 147.
inward impulse.
48
In a time of crisis, in a time of felt need, Saul
voluntarily fasted. !is is precisely what Jesus
practiced and taught (Ma" 9:14–15). In this
instance fasting was accompanied by prayer.
Fasting Associated with the
First Missionaries (Acts 13:1-3)
Acts 13 begins by stating that the church
at Antioch was served by a group of
prophets and teachers.
49
Antioch at that
time was a
BSac 147:588 (Oct 90) p. 464
significant city, the capital of Syria and the chief
seat of eastern civilization.
50
Luke wrote that
the church there was
“ministering” (λειτουργούντων, Acts 13:2). Given
the breadth of this Greek word, why was it neces-
sary to add “and fasting” (καὶ νηστευόντων)? Per-
haps it was because the church, burdened for the
needs of the world, gathered on this occasion for
special prayer with fasting.
51
As a result of their
ministering and fasting, “the Holy Spirit said
[either directly, or as most feel, through one of
the prophets
52
], Set apart for Me Barnabas and
Saul….”
Before they were officially commissioned by
the laying on of hands, there was a period of fast-
ing and prayer. !is combination of fasting and
prayer was common in Judaism, but in New Tes-
tament times the two seldom occurred together
among Christians. On only four occasions in the
New Testament were the two linked. Two of
these refer to commissioning or ordination ser-
vices, one refers to the practice of the godly
woman Anna (Luke 2:37), and another is in con-
nection with Saul’s conversion (Acts 9:9–12).
To imply, as some do, that fasting is an essen-
tial ingredient in effective prayer cannot be sub-
stantiated biblically. In the New Testament much
is said about prayer but very li"le about fasting.
Prayer is commanded but fasting is not. !e Book
of Acts refers to many instances of prayer where
no indication of fasting is mentioned. In one of
the most powerfully dramatic prayer meetings
recorded in the entire Bible (Acts 4:23–31) there is
not the slightest hint of fasting. When the apos-
tles delegated some of the affairs of the infant
church, it was to enable them to devote them-
selves “to prayer, and the ministry of the
word” (6:4). !ey did not say, “We will devote
ourselves to prayer, fasting, and to the ministry
of the word.”
Why then did the believers fast when they
commissioned Barnabas and Saul as missionar-
ies? Carter and Earle suggest that fasting on that
occasion emphasized “a state of uninterrupted
concentration which made it possible to ascer-
tain the will of the Lord.”
53
48
Marshall, !e Acts of the Apostles, p. 170.
49
Ibid., p. 214.
50
Melancthon W. Jacobus, Notes on the Acts of the Apostles
(New York: Carter, 1859), p. 235.
51
Brown, “Acts-Romans,” p. 86; James M. Stifler, An
Introduction to the Study of the Acts of the Apostles (New
York: Fleming H. Revell, 1892), p. 75; Robertson, Word
Pictures in the New Testament, 3:178; and Marshall, !e
Acts of the Apostles, p. 216.
52
R. J. Knowling, “!e Acts of the Apostles,” in !e
Expositor’s Greek Testament, ed. W. Robertson Nicoll, 5
vols. (reprint, Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publish-
ing Co., 1974), 2:235; cf. Jacobus, Notes on the Acts of the
Apostles, p. 233; and Paton J. Gloag, A Critical and Exegeti-
cal Commentary on the Acts of the Apostles (1870; reprint,
Minneapolis: Klock and Klock, 1979), 2:5.
53
Charles W. Carter and Ralph Earle, !e Acts of
8Exported)from)Logos)Bible)Software,)4:41)PM)December)28,)2014.
(1990). Bibliotheca Sacra, 147.
BSac 147:588 (Oct 90) p. 465
However, since the will of God had already
been clearly revealed (Acts 13:2), why did
they need to fast to discern the Lord’s will?
!ere is no record of fasting and laying on of
hands in connection with the appointment of
Ma"hias as an apostle (Acts 1:24–26). Likewise at
the appointment of men to help with the distri-
bution of food the believers prayed and laid
hands on their heads, but no mention is made of
fasting (6:1–7). Yet here (13:3) at the commission-
ing of foreign missionaries and again at the ordi-
nation of elders in local churches (14:23), fasting
was involved.
Was the fasting practiced to demonstrate to
God the gravity and solemnity of this occasion?
Was it done to indicate humility and inadequacy
with respect to the task to which Paul and Barn-
abas were being sent? One cannot be sure. But
clearly Christ taught that fasting should be moti-
vated by a serious felt need (Ma" 9:14–15).
Fasting at the Ordination of Elders
(Acts 14:23)
A#er Paul and Barnabas completed the first
officially church-sponsored foreign missionary
effort, they visited each church they had estab-
lished to be sure proper leadership was set in
place. !is became a pa"ern for the Apostle
Paul.
54
In connection with the ordination of elders in
each church, Paul and Barnabas, “having prayed
with fasting…commended them to the
Lord” (Acts 14:23). !e word used for prayer is
προσεύχομαι, the broadest term for prayer in the
New Testament. It can include petition and
intercession as well as praise, adoration, and
thanksgiving. Since this praying was with refer-
ence to commending the churches (or the elders)
to the Lord, it was probably intercessory in
nature.
!e prayer of commi"al was done μετὰ
νηστειῶν (“with fastings”). !is grammatical
structure indicates in both Greek and English
that fasting in this instance was secondary to the
praying.
55
!is accords with the place of fasting
elsewhere in the Book of Acts.
What was the purpose of the fasting? Lenski
ventured the opinion that fasting was an aid to
the praying.
56
However, if this were the case,
why was fasting not mentioned in connection
with the choosing of the seven (Acts 6:6) or in
connection with the replacement of the 12th
apostle (1:24), which was of greater significance
than the ordination of elders? If fasting is an
effective aid to meaningful prayer, why then is it
mentioned in the same context with prayer in the
entire New Testament on only four occasions?
As has been demonstrated, fasting was
in response to a felt need
BSac 147:588 (Oct 90) p. 466
of some sort. Perhaps in this case Paul and Barn-
abas, realizing the immense problems facing
these young churches and elders in a demoni-
cally dominated pagan environment, felt bur-
dened to the point of fasting as well as praying on
these occasions.
!us fasting is presented as an accepted obser-
vance in the church in the Book of Acts.
57
Yet the
the Apostles (Grand Rapids: Zondervan
Publishing House, 1959), p. 175.
54
Marshall, !e Acts of the Apostles, p. 216.
55
Lenski, !e Interpretation of the Acts of the Apostles,
p. 587.
56
Ibid.
9Exported)from)Logos)Bible)Software,)4:41)PM)December)28,)2014.
(1990). Bibliotheca Sacra, 147.
fact that fasting is mentioned in only three chap-
ters would seem to indicate that fasting was the
exception and should not be presented as the
generalized picture of the church in its early
beginnings. Munch feels that Acts 2:42–47 more
accurately sets forth such a generalized picture.
58
Fasting as Practiced and Taught
in the Epistles
!e New Testament Epistles say nothing
about religious fasting. Even Hebrews 13:16,
which mentions praise, thanksgiving, and well-
doing as sacrifices pleasing to God, does not
include fasting.
59
True, the noun νηστεία is used by Paul in 2
Corinthians 6:5 and 11:27. However, in both
verses the context of the terms clearly indicates
that they are used in a nonreligious sense. Along
with beatings, imprisonments, tumults, labors,
sleepless nights, hardships, thirst, cold, and
exposure, Paul also experienced hunger. In this
context the word νηστεία does not mean “fasting”
but simply that on occasion Paul went hungry.
60
!e absence of references to religious fasting
outside the Synoptic Gospels and Acts implies
that the practice was not considered significant
in the church so long as the Apostles were alive.
61
Paul did not even mention fasting as a form of
religious piety.
62
In Romans 14 and Colossians 2, Paul discussed
ascetic and ritualistic tendencies in the churches,
but said nothing about fasting. !is leaves the
impression that the question did not even arise,
at least in the Hellenistic congregations.
63
Equally significant is the fact that the General
Epistles (Heb.; James; 1 and 2 Pet.; 1, 2, and 3 John;
Jude) and Revelation make no mention of
fasting.
64
Especially amazing is
BSac 147:588 (Oct 90) p. 467
the lack of any reference to fasting in
Hebrews, James, and 1 Peter, which
were addressed to Jewish Christians.
Again, fasting was practiced in the early
church. Clearly it has a place in Christian piety,
but that it had a frequent place is open to serious
question.
Fasting in the Postapostolic Church
Amazingly Christianity quickly departed from
the personal, inward, and spiritual emphasis
found in the New Testament. Fasting is a case in
point. !e earliest hints in post-New Testament
writings indicate a return to the external, legalis-
tic, ritualistic practice of fasting. Evidently as
time elapsed a"er the death of the Apostles, the
church succumbed to the religious pressures of
the Jewish and pagan world around them, and
fasting became a full-blown practice.
65
!is is
not to say there was no objection to such a sys-
tem,
66
but from the second century on, “there is
57
Barton, “Toward an Understanding of Fasting in
the New Testament,” p. 163.
58
Johannes Munch, !e Acts of the Apostles, !e Anchor
Bible (Garden City, NY: Doubleday & Co., 1967), p. 22; cf.
Wimmer, Fasting in the New Testament, p. 190.
59
!eological Dictionary of the New Testament, s.v. “νῆστις,
νηστεύω, νηστεία,” by J. Behm, 4:933.
60
Fink, “!e Responses in the New Testament to
the Practice of Fasting,” p. 147.
61
Ibid., p. 169.
62
Ibid., pp. 265-66.
63
!eological Dictionary of the New Testament, s.v. “νῆστις,
νηστεύω, νηστεία,” by J. Behm, 4:933.
64
Fink, “!e Responses in the New Testament to
the Practice of Fasting,” p. 148.
65
Ibid., p. 287.
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(1990). Bibliotheca Sacra, 147.
no longer any clear awareness of the way in
which Jesus viewed fasting.”
67
Almost all the
church fathers encouraged the practice of fast-
ing.
68
A graphic illustration of the postapostolic
church’s effort to support their excessive empha-
sis on fasting can be seen in the a"empt to add
the word “fasting” to the original text of Scrip-
ture. Most textual critics (both liberal and con-
servative) since Tischendorf agree that the word
νηστεία (“fasting”) was added in Ma"hew 17:21;
Mark 9:29; and 1 Corinthians 7:5 and that
νηστεύων (“fasting”) was added to “praying” in
Acts 10:30.
69
#ese textual additions clearly indi-
cate the church’s growing interest in the practice
of fasting a$er the first century.
70
#e church began to establish mandated peri-
odic fasts. #ey simply took over the Jewish prac-
tice of fasting two days a week, changing the
days from Mondays and #ursdays to Wednes-
days and Fridays.
71
#ey observed numerous col-
lective fasts including the paschal fasts, and they
o$en elevated the fasts to the status of a
BSac 147:588 (Oct 90) p. 468
church ordinance. Even their individual
fasts were caught up in the growing
ascetic tendencies of the time.
72
With the Reformation and its return to the
Bible as the only source of faith and practice, a
large section of Christendom extricated itself
from the estimations of fasting that prevailed
during the Middle Ages.
73
Concerning fasting,
Luther said, “We do not, therefore, object to fast-
ing itself, but to the fact that it is represented as a
necessary duty and that specific days have been
fixed for its performance.”
74
It appears that
Protestant Christianity today may have gone to
the extreme of almost totally disregarding what
the New Testament says about fasting. In fact
one writer proclaims that the examples of the
practice and teaching of fasting found in the
Synoptic Gospels and Acts “do not appear to be in
keeping with the original intents of the New Tes-
tament authors.”
75
Apparently many evangeli-
cals have received no instruction on the subject.
#is too is unfortunate.
Conclusion
As in almost all religions, people in both
Judaism and Christianity have viewed fasting as
an “‘ascetic exercise’ which serves to purify man
and bring him closer to God.”
76
Closely related to
66
Barton, “Toward an Understanding of Fasting in
the New Testament,” pp. 57-58.
67
!eological Dictionary of the New Testament, s.v. “νῆστις,
νηστεύω, νηστεία,” by J. Behm, 4:935.
68
Wimmer, Fasting in the New Testament, p. 52.
69
For a discussion of the textual questions regarding
these passages, see Fink, “#e Responses in the New
Testament to the Practice of Fasting,” pp. 121-43.
70
Wimmer, Fasting in the New Testament, p. 94.
71
!e Didache 8. 1.
72
Wimmer, Fasting in the New Testament, p. 93; cf.
Fink, “#e Responses in the New Testament to
the Practice of Fasting,” p. 287.
73
Fink, “#e Responses in the New Testament to the
Practice of Fasting,” p. 287; cf. Barton, “Toward an
Understanding of Fasting in the New Testament,” p. 61.
74
Cyclopedia of Biblical, !eological, and
Ecclesiastical Literature, s.v. “Fasting,” 3:492.
75
Fink, “#e Responses in the New Testament to
the Practice of Fasting,” p. 283.
76
Encyclopedia Judaica, s.v. “Fasting and Fast Days,”
6:1194; cf. Wimmer, Fasting in the New Testament, p. 117;
and Paul Martin, “#e Benefits of Fasting,” Christian
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(1990). Bibliotheca Sacra, 147.
this, many view fasting as a way to make their
prayers more effective.
77
Wimmer states that
this was emphasized by the church fathers. He
approvingly quotes Augustine as saying, “Do you
wish your prayer to fly toward God? Give it two
wings: fasting and almsgiving.”
78
No doubt because of Christ’s response to
the disciples concerning a difficult case
of demon possession, many say fasting
makes prayer
BSac 147:588 (Oct 90) p. 469
more effective. When the disciples said that they
had been unable to exorcise the demon, Christ
said, as recorded in the King James Version,
“Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer
and fasting” (Ma# 17:21; Mark 9:29). However, as
discussed earlier most textual scholars agree that
the word “fasting” was not part of Jesus’ original
statement. James 5:16 states, “$e effective
prayer of a righteous man can accomplish
much.” Paul reported that Epaphras was “labor-
ing earnestly…in his prayers” (Col 4:12). But in
neither of these nor in any other of the many
New Testament passages pertaining to effective
prayer is fasting discussed.
Even a cursory survey of fasting in the Old
Testament demonstrates that the “widest pur-
pose by the nation or individuals was to avert or
terminate a calamity by eliciting God’s compas-
sion.”
79
When calamity struck, a fast was pro-
claimed. It was a spontaneous reaction to emer-
gencies. In the Old Testament a fast was a means
of demonstrating a humble heart, a repentant
spirit. A fast without true humility and repen-
tance was “valueless and senseless.”
80
Demon-
strating humility and repentance was true of the
mandatory fast on the Day of Atonement. On
that day the Israelites were to “humble [their]
souls” (Lev 16:29, 31).
Since fasts in the Old Testament were in
response to calamities and were to demonstrate
humility and repentance, it would seem that the
same purpose and a#itudes would hold true for
New Testament believers. Jesus hinted that this
should be the purpose for fasting among His dis-
ciples. His disciples would fast a%er the bride-
groom was taken away (Ma# 9:14–15; Mark
2:18–20; Luke 5:33–35). $e removal of a bride-
groom from his bride would normally be looked
on as a tragedy that would evoke a felt need. In
times of tragedy and heartache, Jesus’ disciples
would fast.
Fasting then is a legitimate response to dan-
gers, trials, heartaches, or sorrows. “$at which
seems to characterize Christian fasting in the
New Testament was abstinence during crisis
experiences.”
81
In times of physical or spiritual
need Christians realize their inadequacy and in
humility and repentance look to the Lord. $ese
Century, March 30, 1977, p. 300.
77
Briggs, “Biblical Teaching on Fasting,” pp. 400-441.
78
Wimmer, Fasting in the New Testament, p. 114; cf.
Glenda Hope, “Why Fast for Lent—or Anytime?” !e
Witness, March 1987, pp. 12-13; Martin, “$e Benefits of
Fasting,” p. 298; !eological Dictionary of the New Testa-
ment, s.v. “νῆστις, νηστεύω, νηστεία,” by J. Behm, 4:934;
and Barton, “Toward an Understanding of Fasting in the
New Testament,” p. 18.
79
Encyclopedia Judaica, s.v. “Fasting and Fast Days,”
6:1190; cf. Fink, “$e Responses in the New Testament to
the Practice of Fasting,” p. 194.
80
Encyclopedia Judaica, s.v. “Fasting and Fast
Days,” 6:1194.
81
Barton, “Toward an Understanding of Fasting in
the New Testament,” p. 171.
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