Is Using The Word ‘Lent’ Against Biblical Teaching?
From Ask Dr. E by Michael Easley
April 2, 2026 · 13 min · Episode 290
About this episode
Dr. E discusses the biblical basis of Lent and its implications for Christian practices leading up to Easter.
Is Lent biblical? Should Christians observe it? And how should believers think about spiritual practices leading up to Easter? In this episode, Dr. E answers a question about Lent, church tradition, Easter preparation, and the finished work of Christ. While many Christians use Lent as a season of reflection before Resurrection Sunday, Dr. Easley explains why the Bible does not command Lent and why believers should be cautious when tradition begins to blur the line between grace and religious performance. Dr. E walks through the history of Lent, its connection to the early church and baptismal preparation, and how it later became associated with penance and ritual. He also addresses an important theological issue: if Jesus fully paid for our sins, what role—if any—should practices like fasting, giving something up, or special seasons of repentance play in the Christian life? Chapters 00:00 Why Lent raises important theological questions 00:19 Today’s listener question: Is using the word Lent unbiblical? 01:06 Is Lent prescribed anywhere in the Bible? 01:09 The historical origin of Lent in the early church 02:00 How Lent became connected to penance and tradition 02:43 The deeper…
People in this episode
Host: Michael Easley
Topics covered
- Lent
- Christian practices
- Easter preparation
- theological questions
- church tradition
- grace vs. performance
Keywords
- Lent
- Easter
- Christianity
- tradition
- theology
- repentance
- grace
- penance
- fasting
Mentioned in this episode
Books & works: Lent, Easter, Resurrection Sunday, the Bible, church tradition, penance, grace, fasting, repentance, forgiveness
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