Those things which are of secondary importance, such as fastings, vigils, withdrawal from the world, meditation on Scripture, we ought to practice with a view to our main object, i.e., purity of heart…. Abbot Moses taught fasting and the other spiritual disciplines to achieve purity of heart in order to contemplate God’s pure love: Cassian’s conversations with monastics in the desert of Scete in Egypt in 420 AD give us a clue to the purpose of fasting. Let not your fasts be with the hypocrites (probably referring to the Jewish Synagogue), for they fast on the second and fifth day of the week but ye shall fast on the fourth day, and the preparation day (Friday).(Chap 8, 1).įasting supported communion with God through bodily humiliation. Specific instructions are given for frequent fasts: Church fasts are required in The Didache for the sake of church persecutors, and 2-day fasts are required for those being baptized and the baptizer. It is simply called, The Didache (the Teaching).
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After fasting, the Antioch church unified behind this new mission.Ī church discipline manual discovered in 1873 dating back to the first century purports to be teaching from the Twelve Apostles to the Gentiles. After a revelation about gentile missions, they completed their fast, prayed and then commissioned Barnabas and Saul. Perhaps one of the Antioch prophets received a revelation. The text does not disclose how the Spirit spoke.
The Holy Spirit spoke to the Antioch church leaders as they were fasting. Why did the Antioch Church fast while they worshipped? Was fasting a regular practice in the early church, or did they hold a special fast to seek new direction for missionary outreach? What purpose did fasting serve? What are the implications of fasting for the church today?įasting was a normal practice in early Christian worship.
Mercy Hill Church will fast and pray during Fervent Pray Week. Fervent Prayer Week echoes an Antioch church experience recorded in Acts 13:1-3, where the Holy Spirit showed up in the middle of a church fast and worship service.
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