Fasting rules
- T17.1 Weekly fasts (Wednesday, Friday) from Era I; Lent from Era III (medium–high)
- T17.2 Wednesday and Friday fasts are Era I practice (Didache 8); Scripture assumes fasting without fixing days (medium–high)
Two separate measures, shown side by side; neither is combined with the other (confidence-weighted, out of 4; counts show how many of this doctrine's 2 questions each rests on; ⚠ marks coverage more than 10 points below the median, a less certain rank). This doctrine is third-order (tier weight 1). How scoring works · Scripture and tradition · Glossary · Every score with its citation
Closeness to Scripture
Closeness to the fathers
Charts: closeness to the fathers by question, and timeline
- c. 100 Didache T17.1
- c. 100 Didache T17.2
- 1646 Westminster Confession Presbyterian
T17 · Fasting rules
Practice and discipline.
Tier: Third-order (scoring weight 1). How the tiers were set: theological triage. Method: conventions. Traditions’ sources: confessional sources.
In short
Jesus expected his followers to fast but did not set days. The Didache, from around AD 100, already has Christians fasting every Wednesday and Friday; Lent followed in the 300s. The Orthodox churches keep these fasts most fully; Reformed churches fast only on special occasions.
Plan
Question: T17.1: should the church keep fixed fast days (weekly fasts, Lent)? Scripture: Matt 6:16–18; 9:15; Acts 13:2–3; 14:23; Rom 14:5–6; Col 2:16–23. Fathers: Didache 8. Question: T17.2: Should Wednesdays and Fridays be fast days?
Questions
Verdicts and trace
Weighed under the source-proximity principle: Scripture first, then the father eras I–IV.
T17.1 · Fasting rules
| Question | Verdict | Confidence | Reasoning | Key sources | Scripture (benchmark) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| T17.1 | Weekly fasts (Wednesday, Friday) from Era I; Lent from Era III | Medium–high | T17.1.1 · T17.1.3 weighing | didache-t17-s1 | T17.1.4: medium |
T17.2 · Should Wednesdays and Fridays be fast days?
| Question | Verdict | Confidence | Reasoning | Key sources | Scripture (benchmark) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| T17.2 | Wednesday and Friday fasts are Era I practice (Didache 8); Scripture assumes fasting without fixing days | Medium-high | T17.2.1 · T17.2.3 weighing | didache-t17-s2 | T17.2.4: medium |
Post-750 development
Which of this doctrine’s questions each tradition stays closest to, or departs from. Each row links to the tradition’s notes; exact scores and bases are in the reasoning.
| Tradition | Closest to the fathers on | Departs or sharpens on |
|---|---|---|
| Catholic | T17.1, partly T17.2 | — |
| Orthodox | T17.1, T17.2 | — |
| Oriental Orthodox | T17.1, T17.2 | — |
| Lutheran | partly T17.1, T17.2 | partly T17.2 |
| Anglican | partly T17.1, partly T17.2 | — |
| Presbyterian | T17.1, T17.2 | partly T17.1, partly T17.2 |
| Reformed Baptist | T17.1, T17.2 | partly T17.1, partly T17.2 |
| General Baptist | partly T17.1, T17.2 | partly T17.2 |
| Anabaptist | T17.1, T17.2 | partly T17.1, partly T17.2 |
Overall verdict
Fixed weekly fasts are Era I; traditions keeping them fit the fathers best; Scripture expects fasting but leaves its days free. T17.2: Orthodox and Oriental Orthodox keep the Didache’s days.
Verification status
Status from the score data: 1 tradition cells cite a text checked against an online source (marked verified); 17 cite the named article or practice without a separate check in this project (see each tradition’s section); 0 are not assessed.