Fasting In Christian Spiritual Discipline

Fasting, as a Christian spiritual discipline, involves abstaining from food or other bodily comforts for a period, typically for spiritual purposes such as repentance, seeking divine favor, or cultivating intimacy with God ^[7]. While the Mosaic Law explicitly mandated only one fast—on the Day of Atonement—other fasts were observed in ancient Israel, particularly during times of national humiliation, public danger, or personal affliction ^{[4, 1]}.

The Old Testament records instances of fasting in response to God's judgments, public calamities, and the afflictions of the Church or individuals ^[1]. For example, the prophet Joel called for a public fast in response to impending danger ^[4]. Fasting was often accompanied by prayer and confession of sin ^[1]. The Psalms describe fasting as a means of humbling the soul and chastening it ^{[5, 1]}. However, the prophet Jeremiah warned against the futility of fasting without genuine repentance, stating that God would not hear their cry if their hearts were not right ^[6].

In the New Testament, Jesus addressed the practice of fasting, cautioning against hypocrisy and emphasizing that fasting should be done for God, not for human display ^{[2, 10]}. He taught that true fasting is a private act between an individual and God, who "sees in secret" and will reward accordingly ^[2]. Jesus also indicated that his disciples would fast after his departure, linking it to times of sorrow and spiritual need ^[16]. The early church continued the practice, with fasting sometimes accompanying the ordination of ministers ^[1]. The Apostle Paul also mentions fasting in the context of marital relations, suggesting that spouses may agree to abstain from sexual intimacy for a season to devote themselves to fasting and prayer ^[3].

Throughout Christian history, various traditions have articulated the purpose and practice of fasting.

Purposes and Benefits of Fasting:

Humiliation and Repentance: Fasting is frequently associated with humbling oneself before God and expressing repentance for sin ^{[5, 1]}. John Calvin, a prominent Reformed theologian, noted that fasting serves as a "sign of humiliation" and is often used publicly to confess sin and praise divine justice ^[11]. He also connected fasting to the ancient practice of criminals appearing in "supplicating posture, with a long beard, uncombed hair, and coarse clothing" to evoke commiseration, suggesting a similar posture of wretchedness before God's judgment seat ^[15].
Spiritual Preparation and Intimacy: Fasting is seen as a spiritual discipline that helps cultivate intimacy with God and prepare for spiritual encounters ^[7]. It is often linked with prayer and spiritual retreat ^[7].
Atonement and Prevention of Sin: Thomas Aquinas, a leading Scholastic theologian, identified fasting as useful for "atoning for and preventing sin, and as raising the mind to spiritual things" ^[9]. However, he also clarified that one cannot satisfy for one sin without satisfying for others, as the removal of offense requires a renewal of friendship with God ^[14].
Bodily Discipline: The Augsburg Confession, a foundational Lutheran document, teaches that Christians should "train and subdue himself with bodily restraints, or bodily exercises and labors that neither satiety nor slothfulness tempt him to sin" ^[8]. This discipline is not for meriting grace or making satisfaction for sins, but for self-control ^[8].
Seeking Divine Favor: Fasting has been observed on occasions of approaching danger or when seeking God's favor in specific circumstances ^{[1, 4]}.

Misconceptions and Cautions:

Not a Means of Righteousness: Fasting itself is not a means of earning righteousness or meriting grace ^{[7, 8]}. The prophet Isaiah condemned fasting that was not accompanied by justice and compassion (Isaiah 58:4-5), and Jeremiah warned against insincere fasting ^{[6, 7]}.
Against Ostentation: Jesus explicitly warned against making a public display of fasting to be seen by others ^{[2, 10]}. The focus should be on God, not on human approval ^[1].
Avoiding Superstition: Calvin cautioned against regarding fasting as a meritorious work or a form of divine worship in itself ^[12]. He emphasized that the heart, not just the garments, should be rent, and that abstinence should not be immoderately extolled ^[12]. He also critiqued the establishment of practices like Lent when they became overly focused on external ceremony rather than internal spiritual reality ^[12].
Contextual and Voluntary: While some fasts were appointed, many were voluntary responses to specific situations ^[4]. The Apostle Paul's instruction regarding marital fasting highlights the importance of mutual consent and a temporary nature ^[3].

Historical Development and Practice:

The early Church continued the practice of fasting, with Tertullian, a patristic writer, discussing the rationale behind earning God's favor through such "emptiness" ^[17]. He also referenced the Old Testament command to "vex your souls" on the Day of Atonement as a precedent for fasting ^[13]. Calvin noted that while sackcloth and ashes were customary signs of repentance in ancient times, the underlying principle of expressing sorrow before God remains ^[15]. He also recognized that fasting, while an "external ceremony" that found its fulfillment in Christ, remains a "useful admonition to arouse" believers and prevent spiritual sloth ^[16]. He distinguished between private fasting and public fasts appointed by pastors during "great emergency" ^{[11, 12]}.

The practice of fasting, therefore, is a multifaceted spiritual discipline in Christianity, rooted in biblical precedent and developed through theological reflection. It serves as a means of expressing humility, seeking God, and exercising self-control, while consistently being guarded against hypocrisy and legalism.

Sources

Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Fasting — Spirit of, explained -- Isa 58:6,7. Not to be made a subject of display -- Mt 6:16-18. Should be to God -- Zec 7:5; Mt 6:18. For the chastening of the soul -- Ps 69:10. For the humbling of the soul -- Ps 35:13. Observed on occasions of Judgments of God. -- Joe 1:14; 2:12. Public calamities. -- 2Sa 1:12. Afflictions of the Church. -- Lu 5:33-35. Afflictions of others. -- Ps 35:13; Da 6:18. Private afflictions. -- 2Sa 12:16. Approaching danger. -- Es 4:16. Ordination of ministers. -- Ac 13:3; 14:23. Accompanied by Prayer. -- Ezr 8:23; Da 9:3. Confession of si”
Matthew “so that you are not seen by men to be fasting, but by your Father who is in secret, and your Father, who sees in secret, will reward you. -- Matthew 6:18”
1 Corinthians “Don’t deprive one another, unless it is by consent for a season, that you may give yourselves to fasting and prayer, and may be together again, that Satan doesn’t tempt you because of your lack of self-control. -- 1 Corinthians 7:5”
Smith's Bible Dictionary “Smith's Bible Dictionary: Fasts — + One fast only was appointed by the Mosaic law, that on the day of atonement. There is no mention of any other periodical fast in the Old Testament except in (Zechariah 7:1-7; 8:19) From these passages it appears that the Jews, during their captivity, observed four annual fasts,--in the fourth, fifth, seventh and tenth months. + Public fasts were occasionally proclaimed to express national humiliation and to supplicate divine favor. In the case of public danger the proclamation appears to have been accompanied with the blowing of trumpets. (Joel 2:1-15) (See ”
Psalms “Psalms 69:10 (LITV) — When I humbled my soul with fasting, it also was to my reproach;”
Jeremiah “When they fast, I will not hear their cry; and when they offer burnt offering and meal offering, I will not accept them; but I will consume them by the sword, and by the famine, and by the pestilence. -- Jeremiah 14:12”
Luke (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Luke 5:33: 5:33 John the Baptist’s disciples: Most rabbis had students who learned from them and served them (see also Acts 19:1-7). • fast and pray regularly: Many pious Jews fasted two days a week (Luke 18:12). Fasting was associated with spiritual preparation (Esth 4:16) and repentance (2 Sam 12:22; Joel 1:14; Jon 3:5). Fasting is not a means of righteousness (Isa 58:4-5; Jer 14:12) but a spiritual discipline for cultivating intimacy with God. Fasting is often linked with prayer and spiritual retreat. • Why are your disciples always eating and drinking? The point was that t”
Augsburg Confession (Lutheran) “Augsburg Confession (Lutheran, 1530), 33 Moreover, they teach that every Christian ought to train and: 33 Moreover, they teach that every Christian ought to train and subdue himself with bodily restraints, or bodily exercises and labors that neither satiety nor slothfulness tempt him to sin, but not that we may merit grace or make satisfaction for sins by such exercises. 34 And such external discipline ought to be urged at all times, not only on a few and set days. So Christ commands, 35 Luke 21:34: Take heed lest your hearts 36 be overcharged with surfeiting; also Matt. 17:21: This kind goeth”
theology (Catholic (Scholastic)) “Aquinas, Summa Theologica, Second Part of the Second Part (Secunda Secundae), Of Fasting, Art. 3: Article: Whether fasting is a matter of precept? I answer that, Just as it belongs to the secular authority to make legal precepts which apply the natural law to matters of common weal in temporal affairs, so it belongs to ecclesiastical superiors to prescribe by statute those things that concern the common weal of the faithful in spiritual goods. Now it has been stated above (Article [1]) that fasting is useful as atoning for and preventing sin, and as raising the mind to spiritual things. And ev”
Matthew (Nonconformist/Puritan) “Matthew Henry on Matthew 6:16: We are here cautioned against hypocrisy in fasting, as before in almsgiving, and in prayer. I. It is here supposed that religious fasting is a duty required of the disciples of Christ, when God, in his providence, calls to it, and when the case of their own souls upon any account requires it; when the bridegroom is taken away, then shall they fast, Mat 9:15. Fasting is here put last, because it is not so much a duty for its own sake, as a means to dispose us for other duties. Prayer comes in between almsgiving and fasting, as being the life and soul of both. Chri”
CCEL (Reformed) “John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, section 94: any one in private, then the same thing is to be done by himself alone, or by his family. The thing, indeed, is properly a feeling of the mind. But when the mind is effected as it ought, it cannot but give vent to itself in external manifestation, especially when it tends to the common edification, that all, by openly confessing their sin, may render praise to the divine justice, and by their example mutually encourage each other. 16. Hence fasting, as it is a sign of humiliation, has a more frequent use in public than among privat”
CCEL (Reformed) “John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, section 94: and third ends. 16. Public fasting and prayer appointed by pastors on any great emergency. 17. Examples of this under the Law. 18. Fasting consists chiefly in three things—viz. time, the quality, and sparing use of food. 19. To prevent superstition, three things to be inculcated. 1. The heart to be rent, not the garments. 2. Fasting not to be regarded as a meritorious work or kind of divine worship. 3. Abstinence must not be immoderately extolled. 20. Owing to an excess of this kind the observance of Lent was established. This supe”
Schaff ANF/NPNF (Patristic) “ANF Vol 4: Tertullian IV, Minucius Felix, Commodian, Origen — CHAP. II.--ARGUMENTS OF THE PSYCHICS, DRAWN FROM THE LAW, THE GOSPEL, THE ACTS, THE EPISTLES, AND HEATHENISH PRACTICES. (part 1): For, so far as pertains to fasts, they oppose to us the definite days appointed by God: as when, in Leviticus, the Lord enjoins upon Moses the tenth day of the seventh month (as) a day of 103 atonement, saying, "Holy shall be to you the day, and ye shall vex your souls; and every soul which shall not have been vexed in that day shall be exterminated from his people."(1) At all events, in the Gospel they t”
theology (Catholic (Scholastic)) “Aquinas, Summa Theologica, Supplement (Supplementum), Of the Quality of Satisfaction, Art. 1: Article: Whether a man can satisfy for one sin without satisfying for another? I answer that, Some have held that it is possible to make satisfaction for one sin and not for another, as the Master states (Sent. iv, D, 15). But this cannot be. For since the previous offense has to be removed by satisfaction, the mode of satisfaction must needs be consistent with the removal of the offense. Now removal of offense is renewal of friendship: wherefore if there be anything to hinder the renewal of friendshi”
CCEL (Reformed) “John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, section 58: exhorts them to turn away the divine anger not only by repenting, but by giving public signs of sorrow. For as a criminal, to excite the commiseration of the judge, appears in a supplicating posture, with a long beard, uncombed hair, and coarse clothing, so should those who are charged at the judgment-seat of God deprecate his severity in a garb of wretchedness. But although sackcloth and ashes were perhaps more conformable to the customs of these times, 315 315 French, “Fust la coustume de ce temps-la, et ne nous appartienne aujou”
CCEL (Reformed) “John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, section 94: external ceremony, which, like other ceremonies, terminated in Christ. Nay, in the present day it is an admirable help to believers, as it always was, and a useful admonition to arouse them, lest by too great security and sloth they provoke the Lord more and more when they are chastened by his rod. Accordingly, when our Saviour excuses his apostles for not fasting, he does not say that fasting was abrogated, but reserves it for calamitous times, and conjoins it with mourning. “The days will come when the bridegroom shall be taken f”
Schaff ANF/NPNF (Patristic) “ANF Vol 4: Tertullian IV, Minucius Felix, Commodian, Origen — CHAP. III.--THE PRINCIPLE OF FASTING TRACED BACK TO ITS EARLIEST SOURCE. (part 1): Accordingly we are bound to affirm, before proceeding further, this (principle), which is in danger of being secretly subverted; (namely), of what value in the sight of God this "emptiness" you speak of is: and, first of all, whence has proceeded the rationale itself of earning the favour of God in this way. For the necessity of the observance will then be acknowledged, when the authority of a rationale, to be dated back from the very beginning, shall”

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