Im certain he will be delighted to catechize you into the Lutheran faith, after which you may join the congregation at our Lords altar. b. Christ establishes the first supper without pomp and without circumstance but rather in simplicity of meaning and execution. Learn how your comment data is processed. It includes learning the entire confession of our Faith since Communion at an altar is a confession of the unity of doctrine at that altar. Many became weak and sickly among them, and many even died (verse 30). For example, the Lords Supper communion is not our work, but in fact a work of God. Communion is to be practiced Put these first five scriptural points together, and consider their logical sum, and you will see that the popular idea of open communion goes against the abundance of Biblical evidence that we have looked at so far. Biblically speaking, the only requirement for partaking in communion is faith in Jesus Christ only. The doctrine itself does not cause divisions but rather people do when they walk contrary to it, as the Romans verse clearly states. (Matt. A person can be a member of only one local congregation of saints at a time, and it is the Lord Who places them in that body (I Cor 12:18). To me such reliances are man made. A growing number of people in our midst, including our family and friends, simply do not attend any congregation at all. What is "closed" communion? Church and Congregation: A Plea for Their Unity, by C. A. Bartol (page images at MOA) Church and congregation a plea for their unity. CLI CK HERE to subscribe to March to Zion by Email and receive updates each time new content is published. If a sincere believer wishes to commune around the Lords table, then he should hasten to his local church and assemble together with his fellow members and fellowship there after the Scriptural pattern. just saw thisglad it was posted pre-pandemic, seems issues have changed for many of us pastoring congregations. Some proponents of open communion state that as long as one believes in Christ and professes to be a Christian then they are welcome to commune at the Lords Supper. 3All that believed were together and had all things common. For those of us in other Christian churches where we have a open communion all are welcome at the table. 5:00pm, One Difference Between the Lords Supper and the Roman Catholic Mass Those outside the congregation, or church, are not part of the ordinance. And communion is the focal point of this relationship as the body of Jesus Christ (I Cor 10:15-17). Measure it againstthus saith the word of Godand see if it stands. On the other hand, some churches permit anyone to partake of communion without restriction. Jesus preached for about three and a half years leading up to His death, yet He waited to have the first communion service about a day before His crucifixion. 5They continued daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, and did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart. They did not command or offer communion to the general masses, but rather only to baptized believers and disciples that were of like belief, of the same doctrine, of one accord, and had all things common. Roman Catholicism is the Mother Church of harlots and abominations of the earth (Revelation 17:5; 18:4; 19:2; II Thess 2:3-12; Daniel 7:25), so we should not be surprised to find her promoting the following heresies with great zeal: The church is a vague, worldwide, universal collection of all sprinkled Catholics. c. With the implementation of this service the old Passover (see Exodus 12) was removed and the new Passover being the Lords supper was put into place. Clearly, we are to treat all with respect, kindness, meekness, and love, just as we would a brother. Is he quite safe? You dont merely believe that what is said of Jesus is true; you believe that Jesus IS TRUE! As St. Paul taught, those who receive the Lords Supper in an unworthy manner eat and drink to their harm and not their blessing. Likewise, we must instruct those who have not yet placed their faith in Jesus Christ to abstain from participation in the communion meal. The young missionary who had planned the opening worship service announced we would have a foot-washing service where each missionary would wash anothers feet. Visitors, no matter how orthodox or affectionate, have not been confirmed as being in common union with our convictions. But did not Paul commune with all the churches (Acts 20:7-12)? In my experience with the catholic church theyre only good at screwing up alot and they hide behind God when they do. BECAUSE IT IS SCRIPTURAL. In fact, as we have shown above, the scriptural evidence actually gives strong indication to the contrary. If the table belonged to us, we might invite whomsoever we would. In the case of closed communion, this is our foundational basis and sole point of reasoning. 2 (2019): Honoring Walter F. Taylor Jr.: A. What was God's purpose in establishing the church. Will you exclude a known atheist? These churches profess to be LCMS churches. Our Almighty Savior is the Subject of the action, and not us. Another reason I personally prefer the term closed over close is that later in this article we will contrast the two different ideas of open communion versus closed communion. We welcome all sincere visitors to our public assemblies. I will argue that the ritual today variously called Holy Communion, the Eucharist, the Mass, or the Lords In fact, Paul rebuked them fornottaking proper action.Many times when someone uses the above verse as a means to justify open communion, they do so because the idea of closed communion offends them, and their usual first response is you dont have the right to judge me. Oftentimes, this is an emotional and knee-jerk reaction to an issue that is initially offensive to them on the surface. Donate . The pastor is given authority through the church by God to open and close communion. See also Gods warning of Ezekiel in Ezekiel 3. Deciding to exclude before we invite seems to be a bit out of context. They had to be reminded of His resurrection after the fact, and they were upbraided by Jesus for their unbelief. One that eats and drinks the Lords Supper but does not discern the Lords body is in danger of eating and drinking unworthily and eating and drinking damnation to ones self. For, where there is forgiveness of sins, there is also life and salvation (SC VI). Water baptism symbolically depicts the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ and is a public profession of faith that one believes in Christ and the fact that He died, and was buried, and was raised again on their behalf. The fellowshipping of these doctrinal differences caused them to be in a divided, heretical, and schismatic state. Now it is time to turn the conversation with your family and friends to closed Communion. Currents in Theology and Mission, the Theological Journal of the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago and Wartburg Theological SeminaryCopyright 2023 Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago, 1100 East 55th Street, Chicago, IL 60615. Notice, contrary to popular belief, doctrine doesnotcause divisions. And, yes, closing communion to a person who is unrepentant or who confesses a different faith than we do might hurtbut its supposed to! Being a non practicing catholic. A Methodist does not doctrinally discern the Lords body in the same way that a Baptist does. Confession/beliefs and repentance. The Lords supper is a congregational ordinance requiring the participation of all members of a church in a full assembly in one place. Would you like me to join you when you visit with him?. Pastors are Gods called servants, set apart as representatives of Jesus Himself to preach the Scripture and Administer the Sacraments. It tells us to not count them as an enemy but admonish them as a brother. Was Judas present when Jesus announced the New Covenant. Communion, or common union, can only be had by those united in doctrine and practice around the Lord Jesus Christ. The Communion Service or the Lords Supper is believed by the Primitive Baptist to only be open to those that are members of the Primitive Baptist Church and in good standing. If we extend participation beyond our own membership, we may invite the leaven of malice and wickedness to the table, for we do not know visitors as well as our own members, and we have no discipline authority over them (I Cor 5:8). God is serious about His word and His church, and there are consequences to fellowshipping divisions, heresies, and doctrinal differences. what an excellent explanation for everyone. Thus it follows that the church ordinance known as the Lords Supper, or communion, is certainly a matter of fellowship.With the semantics now being defined and established, there are simple and clear scriptural commands given in the New Testament to avoid divisions and heresies and to not fellowship those things. 2019-03-25T12:27:15-05:00 This last part confirms for us that verse 41 was indeed referring to three thousand souls being added to thechurchafter they gladly received the word and were baptized. When the Corinthians came together in the church in this state of having divisions and heresies among them and not being united in doctrine, faith, order, and practice, it had a severe impact on the validity of the communion service. Roger W. Maslin By using this term I am not conceding that communion is the proper New Testament term for the recurring ordinance. WebPraise for Closed Communion No can be a positive word. Again, this speaks to the level of commitment and sacrifice that these particular disciples had in their obedience and willingness to serve the Lord in His church after hearing the gospel call through preaching. That is between that person and Jesus and no one else. It is never our intention to be offensive, and we hope our desire to please the Lord Jesus Christ and obey His Word did not offend you. Yes, denominations are divisions that have occurred over time because a person or a group of people departed from the doctrine of one church in order to uphold what they believe the truth to be and established another church. Professor of World Religions and Interreligious Relations, Trinity Lutheran Seminary Could you please help me with that? That question might be one of the most important questions any pastor could answer. I think it is ridiculous for an elder to approach someone before church and decide if they are worthy to take communion. Our family and friends probably know a little about Him. Since the Corinthian letter was written to the Corinthian church, we must consider the above verse within the context and framework of thechurch. His work; not ours. b. Thank you. This article argues that Communion is a Christian identity-marking rite and thus it is justifiably restricted to Christian participation. But the pastor is not work on his own behalf; he is there as Christs representative (cf. It does not assemble, sing, discipline, or commune on earth in one place, which is necessary for the Lords supper (I Cor 11:17-22). You might say, Im glad you asked about the Lords Supper. A group of IMB missionaries were meeting in a mountain retreat center in Romania. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); CLI CK HERE to subscribe to March to Zion by Email and receive updates each time new content is published! Your email address will not be published. Hello, Can you email this article to me in such a way that I can print it and also the replies? We would love to have you receive these gifts. a. It is my purpose in this article to present scriptural evidence as the basis for our commonly questioned and heavily criticized practice of closed communion. The Lords Supper is a church ordinance, and can be properly observed only as a church ordinance. That must have a bearing as pastors provide loving care for those entrusted to their care. Nor, in that case, should we want to Partaking the Lords Supper in the church is a matter of fellowship.3) Doctrine defines divisions and scripture admonishes us to not fellowship those who have caused division.Considering all three of those principles together, we have a strong conceptual case for closed communion but we have yet to see an example where the concept is applied in a real and actual church setting. Closed communion in the way that I define the term means communion of professed WebIn the WELS (Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod), closed communion is practiced, which limits communion to confirmed members. One of the central commandments being that we are to repent and be baptized. This example demonstrates that there are serious ramifications to violating those scriptural instructions. They vow to some pretty hefty things! Since church members are already on record as having This article originally appeared in print in the November 2020 issue of The Lutheran Witness. Both believers and unbelievers observed the Passover together. If you love the Lord Jesus Christ, then you are among friends. Mass is unofficially open to anyone, anywhere, in any condition, at any time. This speaks to two things: 1) steadfast commitment and discipleship, and 2) how thatdoctrineis inseparably connected tofellowshipandcommunion. This Kingdom can be considered the church for we have been given the church which is of Christ, but is also the Kingdom within the believer as Christ through the Holy Spirit dwells within us. And yet again, I cannot stress it enough, please notice theunityof faith and practice that they enjoyed. Closed Communion is one way of training/teaching/disciplining one another into a unity of faith and repentance. The Supper is the Lords Supper. And Christ desired to have this special communion and sacred service with those twelve just before He would go to suffer on the cross (Luke 22:14-15). There are basically three policies of observing communion open, close, and closed. So to summarize, I would like to reiterate the following scriptural concepts and principles:1) Doctrine indeed matters regarding church practice and church fellowship. a. Luke 22:19-20 For this article, I choose the term closed communion and define it to mean the following: Primitive Baptists maintain that only believers baptized into a WebThe meaning of CLOSE COMMUNION is Communion in the Lord's Supper restricted to the baptized members belonging to the same denomination or the same church opposed Both Catholics and Protestants require this same rule (baptism before communion), but we are different because we require a baptism satisfying Scripture. But hes good. [1] C.S. Its meant to bring a person to acknowledge his sin and to bring a person to a right/orthodox/faithful understanding. This is scriptural, as we have shown, and we seek only to follow Gods word as closely as possible. These verses (Romans 16:17-18; II Cor 6:14-17; Eph 5:11; II Thess 3:6,14-15; I Tim 6:3-5; Titus 3:10-11) must have an application, but where? San Antonio, Texas, 78270 To take one verse and apply it to all individuals without restriction, when the overall book/letter applies it to a particular church, is to violate the context and intended meaning. A distinction is made between Even if its a member of the congregation, if he is committing sin openly and without repentance, the pastor must close communion to him. Consequently, by practice, this states that doctrine does not matter and is not significant when it comes to the Lords Supper and communion. The pastor and the LCMS does not judge the heart; we do judge the outward confession (Romans 16:1718). In preceding verses, Paul has called out and rebuked the Corinthian church members for abusing the Lords Supper and communion service. For example, consider a couple other passages that were also written to the same church at Corinth:1stCorinthians 5:9-13 & 1stCorinthians 6:1-8.These two passages clearly demonstrate that the church has the right to exercise judgment and discretion amongst itself and take action in church matters. It is always best to have this conversation before the day of the Divine Service. The Lord is worthy of our most honest efforts and endeavors to worship and serve Him in His church kingdom according to what He has stated in His word. Therefore, doctrine determines who we are able to sit down with at the Lords Supper table in His church when we observe the communion service. Only one who has that right is God himself. I am sure that any genuine Christian person and Bible-believer desires the same. Isnt such citizenship obtained as soon as someone comes to faith? Christian Truth. It is a straightforward scriptural example and application of the principles and concepts that we established earlier in this article. Aslan is a lion the Lion, the great Lion. Ooh said Susan. He never commanded nor offered the ordinance of the communion service to the general public. c. Today, this message is still intended to that same audience. Who am I, who is the Pastor, who is the LCMS to judge a persons mind and heart? Likewise, taking the wine pouring and drinking. It was delivered by the Lord Jesus Christ to Paul, and he in turn delivered it to us by way of inspired Scripture (I Cor 11:17-34). We would enjoy nothing more than to worship with you and help you serve Him until He comes again. Close Communion = Members of like faith and order may partake. Almighty God Lord Jesus Christ is serving us Himself, Body and Blood, in HIS Divine Service. How does one explain that less than an hour after sins are completely forgiven in the Absolution during the Divine Service, parishioners will go to Communion for more forgiveness? This examination will always show our need for forgiveness, rescue and salvation. (See the rich young ruler for a counter-example.). There is no scriptural evidence here that any valid communion ever included unbaptized individuals or those who had departed from the apostles doctrine. WebAlternatively, the close communion view maintains that only those who are saved, properly baptized, and in fellowship with a church of like faith and order meaning As we know Jesus took communion with all. It cannot be compromised.2) Communion is equal to fellowship. The idea of closed communian is absurd. 2And they continued steadfastly in the apostles doctrine and fellowship and breaking of bread. If not at the Lords table, how are the verses of withdrawal and separation practiced in the church? Me too. Pastor, I want to invite my friend to church, but I dont know how to explain our Communion practices. He gets at this reality of Jesus when he discusses Aslan. Instead, Derrida advocates a radical openness to the advent (invention) of the wholly other (tout autre). The WELS membership is tightly defined and rather exclusive, with many defining elements. Columbus, Ohio, Vol. The wordthereforeties the context of the preceding verses to verse 20. Be it the sinner or the saint. Because whatever Jesus did, we can rest assured that it was right and perfect and irrefutably good. However, many Anglican churches now No, it is not selfish and antichristian to obey Christ. Doctrine is the foundation and basis by which a division, or heresy, is recognized, identified, and determined to have taken place, and thus is what defines the denominational distinctions and lines of fellowship pertaining to churches.In the Thessalonian passage, they were tohave no company withanybody that did notobey our word by this epistle. the Lords Supper. Therefore, we have purposed to observe communion according to the Word of God. The Case for Covenant Communion by Gregg Strawbridge, June 22, 2006, Athanasius Press edition, Paperback. Our focus is HIS Service, HIS delivery of Salvation, forgiveness of sins and eternal life in the Sacrament. (Remember, communion equals fellowship.) Thank you ! The Pastoral office has been scandalized over the past few decades, thats for sure, by both pastors who scandalize the office, and others who decide that the pastors are nothing more than employees of the church. So on and so forth. That is, we believe the Lords supper is limited to the membership of each local church. He knew Judas and his fault yet he was not denied. 19:14). I. How dare any sinner approach the Lords Table and come into direct physical contact with the King? Pauls accusations would have been baseless. If the instruction to note that man and have no company with him means anything at all, then surely it has reference to fellowship. Closed communion restricts participation to only the members of each local assembly. All participants in the supper are held to the inflexible standard of Gods infallible Word. Even as more congregations are moving Peter denied Christ three times before His death. On the other hand, if he was at the table, he bore the judgement for his sin. Consider the account at the end of John 6 in which Jesus had many disciples following Him. WebIt is noteworthy, as recorded in the Gospel accounts, that Jesus identified unbelieving Judas as His betrayer, and dismissed him from the Upper Room, after the observance of the Old Covenant Passover but before the institution of the New Covenant ordinance. Jesus Himself modeled this restriction at the first communion meal (i.e., the Last Supper) when He dismissed the only unbeliever at the table, Judas, prior to the The cross of Jesus is the only reason anyone may approach Christ the King. May a Christian observe the Lords Supper alone? Following the 1968 Lambeth decision, most Protestant churches have made a similar shift from closed to open communion. It is observed by a church in a public assembly, for it is a congregational ordinance. Web1. This same Greek word in other places in the New Testament is also translated into the English wordfellowshiptwelve times. 2)Doctrine matters! But that church does not assemble or have any function on earth. Copyright 2011-2023 Got Questions Ministries - All Rights Reserved. Therefore I say these things should be stated before Communion and each individual be thier own judge. HWko_1If~A GXKSJ%r&CS9_. 3)Participating in communion is a doctrinal statement, not just practical and symbolic.We as Primitive Baptists believe that there are two ordinances of the New Testament church of the Lord Jesus Christ: Water Baptism and the Lords Supper (communion). Can we say that we are of a mindset to be prepared to sit down and sup with the Lord because we have continued with him? Faith is personal, but its never private. He is not simply a wise man, a wonderful example of how to live a good life, but someone to be revered and respected because He is true God. While there is no doubt that these two ordinances are practical and symbolic, they are also very doctrinal. The Lords Supper, or communion, is also very symbolic. He is our substitute, Savior and Redeemer. At the same time, though, the fact still remains that Christ only communed in this very special and sacred way with His disciples and not the general multitudes.Therefore, by the example of Jesus set forth in New Testament scripture, we as Primitive Baptists maintain that a disciple is one that has professed belief in the Lord Jesus Christ, denied themselves, taken up their cross to follow after Him, been baptized into His New Testament church, and then continues to be as steadfast as possible in that capacity (John 8:31). WebThe Synod stated, for example, in 1986 "that pastors and congregations of The Lutheran ChurchMissouri Synod continue to abide by the practice of close Communion, which includes the necessity of exercising responsible pastoral care in extraordinary situations and circumstances" (1986 Res. With the mouth one confesses and is saved, writes St. Paul; we publicly confess what we believe. Rather, we must consider the larger body of the church in this matter. Explain how closed Communion is a loving practice. This goes against the scriptural evidence that we have looked at so far.Paul rebuked the Corinthian church for not discerning the Lords body properly. Aug 10, 2002 Messages: 15,460 Likes Received: 1 Mr. Spurgeon believed that church membership was limited to a baptized believer, but the table was open to all Christians. This section of scripture not only teaches us to mark and avoid them which cause divisions, but it also tells ushowdivisions arecausedANDrecognized. The Service of the Word and the Service of The Holy Supper are always focused on Christ, HIM crucified for the sins of the world and for our sins. If you are concerned that the conversation will be especially antagonistic, ask your pastor for additional guidance. In this article is the stated belief in a close communion service where only baptized believers and members of a Primitive Baptist Church are allowed to take part in The fact is, Primitive Baptists do not seek to be odd, different, judgmental, or any such thing just for the sake of being that way. (Note: Certainly this scripture intends a spiritual continuing, but for the disciples and to a degree this also intends a very literal and physical continuing as well.). Both are horrible. Doctrine does matter and has a great influence on church practice, as is demonstrated by this example. He unites us with His victory over all our enemies, making us citizens of His kingdom. This speaks again to how very important and essential that doctrine is when it comes to church practice and church fellowship. Adobe PDF Library 10.0.1 uuid:e3244d72-2260-554c-93ba-989b7d9b83ac The eleven apostles (I am omitting Judas) all lost hope and sorrowfully went back to their previous lives after Christ was crucified, put to death, and laid in the tomb. As we have already established, the communion service is definitely something that goes on within the church. WebDr. 4They sold their possessions and goods and parted them to all men. As any Bible-believing Christian should, we seek to be as in line with the scriptures as we possibly can, both in doctrine and in practice. VERSE BY VERSE What is the point? How many were still following Him right before He went to the cross? Those who partake unworthily bring judgment on themselves, leading to illness or even death (I Cor 11:29-30). This is merely an issue of semantics and preference. In the case of our own members, we generally know whether or not they are worthy to partake without bringing judgment on themselves; but with respect to visitors from other churches, we really do not know. As it was with Jesus in our first point in this article, so it was with the apostles on the Day of Pentecost.
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