Day 4 - Acts 14:23

A Fasted Journey for Spiritual Renewal

Day 4

“And when they had appointed elders for them in every church, with prayer and fasting they committed them to the Lord in whom they had believed.” -Acts 14:23

Does your church go through a rigorous selection, appointing and commitment period for it’s elders? Even if it does, does your church do so with fasting and prayer, or just with prayer? Or maybe neither😬? I can’t say I have been intimately involved with the vetting and selection process for elders at any church that I have attended, however, I have also not heard of any of them, or of any church for that matter, that follows this example laid out in Acts. I’m not saying they don’t exist, because there probably are some, but I do find it peculiar as I continue to learn and reflect on fasting from a biblical perspective.

Why are the vast majority of churches not following this biblical example and model? Again, I cannot point to anything in the OT or NT that mandates Believers fast. However, as we are already starting to see, there are clear examples in both the OT and NT where those who endeavored to follow the one true God did fast. Of today’s verse, the Geneva Study Bible says, “The apostles committed the churches which they had planted to proper and special pastors, who they appointed not rashly, but with prayers and fastings preceding their choice: neither did they thrust them upon churches through bribery, or lordly superiority, but chose and placed them by the voice of the congregation.”

Another difference I see in churches I have attended is even the method of selecting elders. I don’t think that I’ve ever even attended a church that takes the congregation’s input on eldership even, save one or two (with all the church hopping as a kid after leaving the Lutheran sect, then with living in various places as an adult, I have been to a number of churches for extended periods of time).

Ellicott’s Commentary on this verse says that the Greek word for “appointed,” also used in 2 Corinthians 8:19, “certainly seems to imply popular election (election by show of hands), which is, indeed, the natural meaning of the word.” I have been at churches, that do not use this type of method for choosing elders, that have clearly been infiltrated in the leadership roles. I certainly think the modern, Western church has strayed in many ways from how the apostles established and set up the early church. That being said, “popular election” has it’s pitfalls too; especially if many in the congregation lack discernment, wisdom, and knowledge about those who may be offered up as potential church leaders.

That being said, at this juncture in Acts, Paul and Barnabas, having been set aside for this very work by the Holy Spirit (Acts 13:2), were themselves present to assist in helping make these decisions and choose appropriate leaders. When Paul and Barnabas were set aside, they too were fasting. My study bible says fasting “is often connected with vigilant passionate prayer,” as we saw in the example from Ezra yesterday. It goes on to say that fasting “includes either a loss of desire for food or the purposeful setting aside of eating to concentrate on spiritual matters.”

I can’t say that I have a loss of desire for food as day 4 comes to a close, but that the setting aside of eating to concentrate on spiritual matters is becoming more important as I get hungrier.

I am not a medical professional. This journal is about my spiritual path and about that which the Lord has placed on me. This is not medical advice, nor was this fast done for any medical purpose. If you have a medical interest, seek medical advice. If you have particular health concerns, seek medical advice and/or conduct your own research. Any fasting advice, effects, realizations or anything else related to my fast come from my personal reflection and experience. If you are considering fasting, consulting with a healthcare provider may be appropriate for you.