Early Christian Beliefs About Lent
Early Christians did practice pre-Easter fasting, but they did not all keep it the same way. Peter of Alexandria speaks of fasting in the Holy Lent, and the Apostolic Constitutions connect Lent with the Lord’s life and passion. Irenaeus also says churches fasted for different lengths of time, from one day to forty days.
133 early-church witnesses · 208 source quotations · compared with Scripture
What did early Christians believe about lent?
Early Christian writings do support Lent-style fasting, but the strongest early witness is that Christians fasted in different ways and linked the season to repentance, Christ’s passion, and baptismal preparation. Peter of Alexandria speaks of fasting in the Holy Lent, and the Apostolic Constitutions describe Lent as a set fast tied to the Lord’s life and passion.
At the same time, Irenaeus reports that churches differed on how long they fasted, from one day to forty days, so the practice was not uniform everywhere. The Bible passages used by these writers focus on Jesus’ forty-day fast and on fasting with repentance, which became the main model for later Lent practice. The evidence is broad on Christian fasting before Easter, but thinner on one fixed, universal Lent form in the earliest centuries.
Many more early Christian quotations, Bible passages, and source links are gathered below so you can study the evidence for yourself.
Key Takeaways
- Early Christians did fast before Easter, and some texts call this Holy Lent.
- Irenaeus says fasting lengths varied, so the practice was not uniform everywhere.
- Later writers tied Lent to Jesus’ forty-day fast, His passion, and repentance.
Questions Answered by the Sources
What did early Christians think fasting was for?
The sources repeatedly link fasting with repentance, humility, prayer, and almsgiving rather than mere outward abstinence. They present true fasting as joined to obedience and mercy.
-
Peter of Alexandria, Canonical Epistle Direct teaching
and to the sixty-ninth canon, which severely punishes those who do not fast in the Holy Lent, and on every fourth day of the week and day of preparation. Thus also does the present canon decree.
-
Apostolic Constitutions, Apostolic Constitutions Direct teaching
after which the fast of Lent is to be observed by you as containing a memorial of our Lord's mode of life and legislation.
-
Cyprian, Epistles Supporting witness
... has sacrificed and provoked our Lord, as seems clear to us. Because of her actions, on this day of paschal rejoicing, I have spent the days weeping day and night, in tears, sackcloth, and ashes, and I am still spending them this way to this very day. This will continue until the help of our Lord Jesus Christ comes to aid such a terrible shipwreck, together with the love shown through you, or through those my lords who have been crowned, from whom you are about to ask it. For I remember your former love: that you will grieve, along with all the rest, for our sisters whom you also knew well, that is, Numeria and Candida. Because of their sin, and because they have us as brothers, we ought to keep watch for them. For I believe that Christ, according to their repentance and the works they have done for our banished colleagues who came from you, and from whom you yourselves will hear of their good works, will have mercy on them when you, His martyrs, plead with Him.
-
Apostolic Constitutions, Apostolic Constitutions Supporting witness
XVIII. You should therefore fast on the days of the passover, beginning from the second day of the week until the preparation, and the Sabbath, six days, making use of only bread, and salt, and herbs, and water for your drink;
-
Apostolic Constitutions, Apostolic Constitutions Supporting witness
After which solemnities, breaking off your fast, begin the holy week of the passover, fasting in the same all of you with fear and trembling, praying in them for those that are about to perish.
-
Dionysius of Alexandria, Miscellaneous Fragments Supporting witness
However, it will be acknowledged cordially by all, that from the date of the resurrection of our Lord, those who up to that time have been humbling their souls with fastings, ought at once to begin their festal joy and gladness.
Was Lent always forty days in the early church?
No. Irenaeus says some people fasted one day, some two, some more, and some forty days, showing that early fasting was not fixed everywhere. That means the forty-day form was real, but it was not the only early pattern.
-
Irenaeus, Fragments from the Lost Writings of Irenæus Supporting witness
...lf. Some feel obliged to fast for one day, others for two days, and some for more, while others for forty days: they count both day and night hours together as their fasting day. This variety among those observing the fast didn't start in our time—it began long ago with our predecessors. Some of them probably, not being very precise in their observance, passed down the custom to future generations as it was, through simplicity or personal preference. Yet, despite this, all of them lived in peace with one another, and we also maintain peace together. Thus, the difference in observing the fast fosters the harmony of our shared faith. The presbyters before Soter who led the Church you now govern—namely, Anicetus, Pius, Hyginus, Telesphorus, and Sixtus—neither observed it in that manner themselves nor allowed those with them to do so. Despite this, those who did not observe the feast in this way remained at peace with those from other dioceses where it was practiced, even though such observance was more strongly opposed by those who did not conform to it; and no one was ever expelled from the Church over this issue. On the contrary, the presbyters who came before you and did not obs
-
Irenaeus, Fragments from the Lost Writings of Irenæus Supporting witness
For some consider themselves bound to fast one day, others two days, others still more, while others [do so during] forty: the diurnal and the nocturnal hours they measure out together as their [fasting] day.
Why did early Christians connect Lent to Jesus’ fast?
Early Christians linked Lent to Jesus’ forty days in the wilderness, where He fasted and was tempted. Justin Martyr, Irenaeus, Peter of Alexandria, and the Apostolic Constitutions all use that pattern to explain Christian fasting and discipline.
-
Justin Martyr, Dialogue with Trypho Direct teaching
...s the back, where the legs of the lamb are attached. The two goats ordered to be offered during the fast, where one was sent away as the scapegoat and the other sacrificed, similarly represented the two appearances of Christ. In the first, the elders of your people and the priests laid hands on Him and put Him to death, sending Him away as the scapegoat. In His second appearance, you will recognize in Jerusalem the one you have dishonored, who was an offering for all sinners willing to repent and keeping the fast Isaiah speaks of, breaking the violent agreements and following the other precepts he lists, which those believing in Jesus do. Additionally, you know that the offering of the two goats, required to be sacrificed during the fast, was only allowed in Jerusalem and nowhere else.
-
Peter of Alexandria, Canonical Epistle Direct teaching
...urning their fault. It is enough, I say, that from the time they humbly present themselves, another forty days should be required of them, to keep these things in their remembrance. These are the forty days during which our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, though He had fasted, was still tempted by the devil after He had been baptized. And when they have, during these days, disciplined themselves greatly and fasted continually, then let them keep watch in prayer, thinking about what the Lord said to the one who tempted Him, when he told Him to fall down and worship him: "Get behind me, Satan; for it is written, You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only shall you serve." Matthew 4:10
-
Tatian, The Diatessaron Direct teaching
...it took him out into the wilderness to be tried by the devil. And he was with the beasts. He fasted forty days and forty nights. He ate nothing in those days, and at the end of them he hungered. And the tempter came and said to him, "If you are the Son of God, speak, and these stones will become bread." He answered and said, "It is written, 'Man will not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.'" Then the devil brought him to the holy city and set him on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to him, "If you are the Son of God, cast yourself down, for it is written,"
-
Archelaus, Disputation with Manes Supporting witness
...e wilderness with five loaves. There, when Moses was tried, he was set upon the mountain and fasted forty days. Here, my Lord Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness when He was tempted by the devil, and in the same way fasted forty days. There, before the sight of Moses, all the firstborn of the Egyptians perished because of the treachery of Pharaoh. Here, at the time of the birth of Jesus, every male among the Jews suddenly perished because of the treachery of Herod. There, Moses prayed that Pharaoh and his people might be spared the plagues. Here, our Lord Jesus prayed that the Pharisees might be pardoned, when He said, "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do." There, the face of Moses shone with the glory of the Lord, so that the children of Israel could not look steadily upon his face because of the glory of his face. Here, the Lord Jesus Christ shone like the sun, and His disciples were not able to look upon His face because of the glory of His face and the intense splendor of the light. There, Moses struck down with the sword those who had set up the calf. Here, the Lord Jesus said, "I came to send a sword upon the earth," and to set a man at varianc
-
Irenaeus, Against Heresies: Book V Supporting witness
...and used the Father's commandment to help destroy and confuse the apostate angel. After fasting for forty days, like Moses and Elijah, He became hungry, first to show He was a real and tangible man—because it's human to be hungry when fasting—and second, to give His opponent a chance to attack Him. Just as in the beginning the enemy persuaded man to disobey God’s commandments with food, even though man wasn't hungry, in the end, he failed to persuade the hungry Christ to take food. When tempting Him, he said, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become bread.” But the Lord repelled him with the law's commandment, saying, “It is written, Man does not live by bread alone.” He did not comment on the enemy's words, “If you are the Son of God,” but by acknowledging His humanity, He baffled His adversary and weakened his first attack with His Father's words. Thus, the corruption of man in paradise, where both parents ate, was undone by the Lord’s lack of food in this world. Being defeated by the law, the enemy tried another assault by quoting a commandment himself. He took Jesus to the highest point of the temple and said, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down
-
Tertullian, On Fasting Supporting witness
...e other hand, he whose heart was habitually found lifted up rather than fattened up kept a fast for forty days and forty nights, beyond the power of human nature, while spiritual faith supplied strength to his body. He both saw God's glory with his eyes, and heard God's voice with his ears, and understood God's law with his heart. In this way, He was already teaching him by experience that man does not live upon bread alone, but upon every word of God. For the People, though fatter than he, could not constantly look even at Moses himself, fed as he had been upon God, nor at his leanness, sated as it had been with His glory. Deservedly, therefore, even while in the flesh, the Lord showed Himself to him, the colleague of His own fasts, no less than to Elijah. For Elijah too had, by this fact primarily, that he had imprecated a famine, already sufficiently devoted himself to fasts. "The Lord lives," he said, "before whom I am standing in His sight, if there shall be dew in these years, and rain-shower." Subsequently, fleeing from threatening Jezebel, after one single meal of food and drink, which he had found on being awakened by an angel, he too, in a space of forty days and forty
-
Apostolic Constitutions, Apostolic Constitutions Supporting witness
... even the Lord, when He was first baptized by John and remained in the wilderness, afterward fasted forty days and forty nights. But He was baptized and then fasted, because He Himself had no need of cleansing, or of fasting, or of purification, since He was by nature pure and holy. Rather, He did it so that He might bear witness to the truth to John and give an example to us. Therefore our Lord was not baptized into His own passion, or death, or resurrection, for none of those things had yet happened, but for another purpose. Therefore, by His own authority He fasted after His baptism, as being the Lord of John. But he who is to be initiated into His death ought first to fast and then to be baptized. For it is not reasonable that he who has been buried with Christ and has risen again with Him should appear downcast at His very resurrection. For man is not lord of our Savior’s ordinance, since one is the Master and the other the servant.
-
Luke 4:2 Background
Being forty days tempted of the devil. And in those days he did eat nothing: and when they were ended, he afterward hungered.
-
Mark 1:13 Background
And he was in the wilderness forty days, being tempted by Satan. And he was with the wild animals, and the angels were ministering to him.
-
Matthew 4:2 Background
And after fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry.
Did early Christians treat Lent as repentance and self-control?
Yes. Hermas says fasting is only good when the Lord’s commandments are kept, and Justin Martyr says believers were instructed to fast for the remission of past sins. Barnabas and Justin also describe the true fast as one joined to mercy, justice, and turning from sin.
-
Hermas, The Shepherd (Pastor) Direct teaching
... to do good. And I will be with all those," he added, "who have such a desire." He continued, "This fasting is very good, provided that the commandments of the Lord are kept. Then this is how you must keep the fast you intend to keep. First of all, be on guard against every evil word and every evil desire, and purify your heart from all the vanities of this world. If you guard against these things, your fasting will be complete. And you must also do the following. After you have done what is written, on the day when you fast you must eat nothing except bread and water. Then calculate the cost of the food for that day which you intended to eat, and give that amount to a widow, or an orphan, or to some person in need. In this way you will show humility, so that the one who has received help from your humility may refresh his own soul and pray to the Lord for you. If you keep the fast as I have commanded you, your sacrifice will be acceptable to God, and this fast will be recorded. And the service performed in this way is noble and holy and acceptable to the Lord. Therefore, you must keep these things in this way with your children and all your household. And by keeping them you wi
-
Barnabas, The Epistle of Barnabas Direct teaching
He then speaks to them again about these matters, “Why do you fast to Me like this day, says the Lord, so that your voice is heard with a cry? I have not chosen this fast, says the Lord, for a man to humble his soul. Nor, even if you bow your neck like a ring and dress in sackcloth and ashes, will you call it an acceptable fast.” To us He says, “Behold, this is the fast that I have chosen, says the Lord, not for a man to humble his soul, but to break every chain of iniquity, untie the fastenings of harsh agreements, free those who are bruised, tear apart every unjust deal, share your bread with the hungry, clothe the naked when you see them, bring the homeless into your house, not look down on the humble if you see them, and not turn away from your own family. Then your dawn shall break forth, and your healing shall quickly spring up, and righteousness shall go before you, and the glory of God shall surround you; and then you shall call, and God shall hear you; while you are still speaking, He shall say, Here I am with you; if you remove from yourself the chain binding others, and the spreading of hands to swear falsely, and words of murmuring, and willingly give your bread to the
-
Justin Martyr, Dialogue with Trypho Supporting witness
Therefore, learn to keep the true fast of God, as Isaiah says, so that you may please Him. Isaiah has proclaimed: ‘Shout loudly, and do not hold back: lift up your voice like a trumpet, and show my people their transgressions, and the house of Jacob their sins. They seek Me daily, and desire to know My ways, as a nation that practiced righteousness and did not forsake the judgment of God. They ask Me for righteous judgment and wish to draw near to God, saying, Why have we fasted, and You do not see? We have afflicted our souls, and You do not acknowledge? Because during your fasting days, you pursue your own desires and oppress all those who are subject to you. Look, you fast for strife and debate, and strike the humble with your fists. Why do you fast as you do today, so that your voice is heard loudly? This is not the fast I have chosen, the day for a person to afflict their soul. Even if you bend your neck like a ring or dress in sackcloth and ashes, will you call this a fast, a day acceptable to the Lord? This is not the fast I have chosen, says the Lord; instead, release every unrighteous bond, dissolve wrong covenants, free the oppressed, and avoid every unjust contract. Shar
-
Justin Martyr, The First Apology Supporting witness
As many as are persuaded and believe that what we teach and say is true, and undertake to be able to live accordingly, are instructed to pray and to entreat God with fasting, for the remission of their sins that are past, we praying and fasting with them.
Common Questions
Did early Christians have Lent?
Yes, some early Christian writings speak of Holy Lent and fasting before Easter, but the length and exact form varied by church.
Was Lent always forty days in the early church?
No. Irenaeus says some fasted one day, some two, some more, and some forty days.
Why did early Christians fast before Easter?
They linked fasting with repentance, Christ’s passion, and the example of Jesus fasting forty days in the wilderness.
Source Index for Lent
The guided sections above show the strongest quotations. This compact index highlights 155 ranked source links from 208 compiled sources for deeper study.
Source index 155 ranked links shown
Early Christian Writings 80 shown of 133
Primary-source quotations from early Christian writers and church documents.
Bible Passages 75 included
Related Bible passages saved for comparison with the early Christian quotations.
Related Resources
Course Lesson
The Violent Pursuit Striving for the Kingdom Matthew Chapter 11
Open a related course lesson for more teaching connected with Lent.
Site Page
The Parable of the Talents
Compare another early Christian topic page with related source quotations.
Site Page
The Valentinians and Gnostic Heresy
Compare another early Christian topic page with related source quotations.
Site Page
Valentinus and the Valentinians
Compare another early Christian topic page with related source quotations.