Expert: Brent Jobe, DVM - 11/10/2008

Question
QUESTION: In the new testament, Jesus fasts.  Is this necessary or
commanded by God, or Jesus to continue this in our day?

ANSWER: Hi, Karen:

Thank you for your question:  it pertains to something that I hadn't thought much about lately.  I do not believe that there is a general command to fast at a certain time; rather, I believe it to be an individual matter.  It seems that fasting was practiced at a time of sorrow and also at times of deep thought.  After the New Testament went into effect, it is only mentioned in Acts 13 and 14, I believe - and these example are connected to prayer.

I would very much contend that it is an individual matter.  If a person is in deep sorrow or faced with some difficult decisions, and he or she believes fasting will help in some way, then by all means, he or she could try it.  Also, do not forget that Jesus lived and died as a Jew under the Old Law; the Jews did practice fasting, but their old Law was nailed to the cross.  I find no specific nor generic command to us to fast at any certain time or for any certain reason.  But I also see nothing wrong with practicing it - unless it is damaging one's health.  I see it as a personal, individual decision about which there is no right or wrong answer:  personally, I have done it without even realizing it.  When my grandmother died, I did not feel like eating for three or four days - and I didn't.

If you would like to look into the subject in greater detail, then just let me know.  Hope you have a great day.

Best wishes,

Brent Jobe, DVM

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Hello Brent Jobe,
Who were some of the the Saints in the New testament era?  Are there any people at this time to be considered Saints?
I want to thank you beforehand for answering my questions.

Answer
Hi, Karen:

I very accidentally ran across this description of saints while reading the book "God's Prophetic Word" by Foy E. Wallace, 1946 edition, p. 122.  The context is that of Jude 3: "...that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered to the saints."  Here is Brother Wallace's commentary on the word "saints."

"The word 'saints' refers to the whole company of believers framed into the new testament church.  The word 'saint' is used in the sense of the believer.  The apostle refers to members of the church as saints.  He complimented them with that term.  It does not mean that we should call ourselves saints, as a name, as if we were deifying ourselves.  The apostles simply referred to the body of Christ, the members of the church as a company of saints.  It comes from the word 'sanctified.'  Why are members of the church santified?  Because they have obeyed the gospel and are set apart to the service of God.  Why are they called saints?  Simply because a saint is one who has been separated from a sinful life by obedience to the gospel.  They have received the faith and have obeyed the gosopel.

The Roman Catholic contention is that there are no living saints.  In order to be a saint in Catholic liturgy, one must be dead; in fact, dead for many years.  The youngest dead person to be canonized by the Catholics was Teresa, canonized twenty-seven years after her death.  After saints have thus been canonized, Catholics can select one of them to and through whom to pray, to get the souls of their loved ones out of purgatory!  One must have a patron or matron saint for 'influence' to get a soul out of purgatory.  Then pray - and pay!  Pay a while and pray a while, and then pray some more and pay some more.  Pray long enough, and pay long enough, perchance your loved one may finally be extricated from the prison pyres of purgatory!  The abominations of Rome!  What an idea of saints!  That a person must be dead to be a saint - dead long enough for everyone else to be dead also who ever knew about their defects - then canonized and, 'presto,' a saint!  That is the Catholic sainthood."

Thus concluded Foy Wallace's comments on saints in Jude 3.  It was odd that I ran across that so accidentally in a book that gave no indication that saints would even be mentioned, but when I saw it, I immediately thought of you and your question.  I believe Mr. Wallace said about the same thing I did - just in a different way - and I believe his writing to be correct.  I hope this helps.

Best wishes always,

Brent Jobe, DVM