# Is it the elders job to withhold communion?



## earl40 (Jul 14, 2015)

Would it be possible to do such in our Reformed Churches today and how did they do it in the past, if they did indeed do such?


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## Bill The Baptist (Jul 14, 2015)

The responsibility of the elders is to make clear the biblical qualifications for partaking of communion, however I do not believe it is the elders job to physically prevent anyone from doing so. Prior to communion, I always present what the Bible says regarding this matter and then leave it up to the individual people as to whether or not they choose to partake.


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## Pergamum (Jul 14, 2015)

I would agree with Bill, since we are told to examine ourselves (barring gross and scandalous sin requiring disfellowship or discipline by the elders). Yet, historically, ours was not the majority view (and I am sure those older theologians had good reasons for being stricter): http://www.reformedreader.org/puritans/sabbath.puritan.newengland/sabbath.puritan.newengland.chapter10.htm



> A very extraordinary custom prevailed in several New England churches. Through it the deacons were assigned a strange and serious duty which appeared to make them all-important and possibly self-important, and which must have weighed heavily upon them, were they truly godly, and conscientious in the performance of it. In the rocky little town of Pelham in the heart of Massachusetts, toward the close of the eighteenth century and during the pastorate of the notorious thief, counterfeiter, and forger, Rev. Stephen Burroughs, that remarkable rogue organized and introduced to his parishioners the custom of giving during the month a metal check to each worthy and truly virtuous church-member, on presentation of which the check-bearer was entitled to partake of the communion, and without which he was temporarily excommunicated. The duty of the deacon in this matter was to walk up and down the aisles of the church at the close of each service and deliver to the proper persons (proper in the deacon's halting human judgment) the significant checks. The deacon had also to see that this religionistic ticket was presented on the communion Sabbath. Great must have been the disgrace of one who found himself checkless at the end of the month, and greater even than the heart-burnings over seating the meeting must have been the jealousies and church quarrels that arose over the communion-checks. And yet no records of the protests or complaints of indignant or grieving parishioners can be found, and the existence of the too worldly, too business-like custom is known to us only through tradition.
> 
> Many of the little chips called "Presbyterian checks" are, however, still in existence. They are oblong discs of pewter, about an inch and a half long, bearing the initials "P. P.," which stand, it is said, for "Pelham Presbyterian." I could not but reflect, as I looked at the simple little stamped slips of metal, that in a community so successful in the difficult work of counterfeiting coin, it would have been very easy to form a mould and cast from it spurious checks with which to circumvent the deacons and preserve due dignity in the meeting.
> 
> ...



https://books.google.com/books?id=FKWOjwhjXsEC&pg=PA323&lpg=PA323&dq=communion+tokens+puritans&source=bl&ots=ueo1oS4bAV&sig=7nhiJdwB2yAEogsCx1zMtYoLvMo&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0CEAQ6AEwBWoVChMI1cGpoM_bxgIVQTuICh3-5AT4#v=onepage&q=communion%20tokens%20puritans&f=false


http://www.history.pcusa.org/history-online/topics-note/communion-tokens



> In the Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A., the use of tokens began to decline after 1825. By 1860 most congregations no longer used them. Churches that were more conservative in worship-such as the United Presbyterian Church of North America and the Reformed Presbyterians-often used tokens into the late 1800s and early 1900s.



A treatise was published that I would love to find:
Communion Tokens: Their History and Use, With a Treatise on the Relation of the Sacrament to the Vitality and Revivals of the Church. Mary McWhorter Tenney. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Publishing House, 1936.


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## earl40 (Jul 14, 2015)

Also did not Jonathan Edwards take this very seriously and withheld communion to those who he believed to be unfit? How exactly did he do this? Did he pass the bread out himself or was it simply understood who was allowed and the times he lived in the people dared not partake unless it was allowed?


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## johnny (Jul 14, 2015)

I am not an elder,
But I am a member of the Board and in good standing. 

Occasionally during the evening service, (due to lack of participants)
I was asked to help with communion and once had to exercise restraint to a 
non-confessing attendee who was a muslim and was coming to the church out of interest.

When its as clear cut as that then its not a problem but how does one account for visitors 
who have not announced themselves before the service and who may be or may not be
communicant members from another congregation?


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## Scott Bushey (Jul 14, 2015)

earl40 said:


> Would it be possible to do such in our Reformed Churches today and how did they do it in the past, if they did indeed do such?



If there is a censure in place, the table is to be withheld. 

Ch 30 WCF

'I. The Lord Jesus, as king and head of his Church, hath therein appointed a government in the hand of Church officers, distinct from the civil magistrate.
II. To these officers the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven are committed, by virtue whereof they have power respectively to retain and remit sins, to shut that kingdom against the impenitent, both by the word and censures; and to open it unto penitent sinners, by the ministry of the gospel, and by absolution from censures, as occasion shall require.

III. Church censures are necessary for the reclaiming and gaining of offending brethren; for deterring of others from like offenses; for purging out of that leaven which might infect the whole lump; for vindicating the honor of Christ, and the holy profession of the gospel; and for preventing the wrath of God, which might justly fall upon the Church, if they should suffer his covenant, and the seals thereof, to be profaned by notorious and obstinate offenders.

IV. For the better attaining of these ends, the officers of the Church are to proceed by admonition, suspension from the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper for a season, and by excommunication from the Church, according to the nature of the crime, and demerit of the person.'


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## Pergamum (Jul 14, 2015)

This link seems to connect the tokens and need to examine others with gathered meetings of several churches where the elders were not closely familiar with those in attendance:



> “The use of Tokens had its origin in the churches of Scotland. At the commencement of the Reformation in the country, the Lord’s Supper was administered four times in each year. Afterwards, for reasons altogether insufficient, as I suppose, that ordinance came to be administered less frequently ; in none more than twice. The consequence of this arrangement was, that, whenever the ordinance was dispensed in each church, it was made an ecclesiastical occasion. The pastors of three, four, or five neighboring churches left their own pulpits on that day, went to the aid of their brother, and took the mass of their congregations with them, to enjoy the privilege of communing with their sister church. The sacramental service was commonly preceded by preaching on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, one of which days was observed as a Sacramental Fast ; and the Monday following the Sabbath as a day of Thanksgiving. This, of course, gave rise to much preaching, which rendered the presence and aid of several ministers highly desirable, if not necessary. When the Sabbath came, the Ministers, Ruling Elders and Communicants of four or five different churches were all assembled, and gathered round the same sacramental table. In these circumstances, the question arose, How should those who were really communicants, in good standing, be distinguished from unworthy intruders, who belonged to no church, and were perhaps even profligate ; but who, from unworthy motives, might thrust themselves into the seats of worthy communicants, and thus produce disorder and scandal? To meet this difficulty, the plan was adopted, to deposite [sic]in the hands of each pastor and his elders, a parcel of cheap metallic pieces, called “Tokens,” which they were to dispense to all the known members of their own church, who were in attendance, and wished to commune. Thus, although not a quarter part of the communicants were personally known to the pastor or elders of the church in which the sacramental service occurred ; yet those cheap and convenient little certificates of church membership, (for such they were intended to be) being received by each communicant, from the minister and elder of his own church, prevented imposition and secured regularity and order.



https://continuing.wordpress.com/2009/08/03/passports-to-the-table-samuel-miller-on-tokens-1837/


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## Peairtach (Jul 14, 2015)

Communion tokens or cards were common place in Scotland. I don't know if they still are. Very necessary when there were large numbers of communicants, sometimes travelling from near or far. Those who didn't get them were those who weren't communicant members or were suspended from taking communion because of presumptuous/scandalous sin.

The largest collection of communion tokens in the world belongs to Perth Museum.

We - at Knox Free Church, Perth - have sometimes had people "suspended from church privileges" in past years. If the session finds them guilty of presumptuous sin, they may be barred from the Lord's Supper for 6 months or a year or until they show signs of repentance. 

Sent from my HTC Wildfire using Tapatalk 2


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## Peairtach (Jul 14, 2015)

Pergamum said:


> This link seems to connect the tokens and need to examine others with gathered meetings of several churches where the elders were not closely familiar with those in attendance:
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Where communion was only held once a year in a congregations and consisted of a five day communion season, people would come from near and far for fellowship and spiritual feasting. Houses would be opened for hospitality and some houses that were suitable for e.g. five would cater for twenty.

The days of a full communion season are loosely denominated thus:

Thursday - Fast Day

Friday - Self-Examination 

Saturday - Preparation

Sabbath - The sacrament is celebrated and the sermon preached at the communion service is called the "action sermon".

Monday - Thanksgiving

Sent from my HTC Wildfire using Tapatalk 2


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## MW (Jul 14, 2015)

The question in the thread title might lead in the wrong direction. The question should be, Who has the responsibility to administer communion? If nobody administers the communion there will be no communion. If it falls to any persons in particular it understandably falls to those who are responsible for the conduct of public worship. In Presbyterianism, which acknowledges Jesus Christ the only head of the church, the presbyters are understood to be the ones exercising spiritual oversight and therefore responsible for the conduct of public worship. It falls to the presbyters, then, to follow the instructions of the head of the church, and admit to the communion those who are qualified by the head of the church to enjoy this privilege.


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## Ed Walsh (Jul 14, 2015)

MW said:


> It falls to the presbyters, then, to follow the instructions of the head of the church, and admit to the communion those who are qualified by the head of the church to enjoy this privilege.



Agreed!

The whole model of the people sitting in their seats with the elders serving them may be inappropriate.

The PCA speaks of the “Lord’s Table” four times in the BOC, and of the people “approaching” the table (chapter 33-4, and 42-6) with the elders already in place. This is probably left over language from former times. Anyway, I never visited a church that did it this way.

The way we do it now communicates by the actions that the people have oversight while the elders submit to their authority. But the picture of the elders presiding over the Table with the communicants “approaching the Table” may be a more suitable picture depicting just who is in charge around here.

I am aware of the be-all and end-all verse on the subject; 1 Corinthians 11:28, …let a man examine himself…” I think we let this verse say too much. There are many verses that teach that we should submit to authority and that elders should exercise authority. (Hebrews 13:17. 1 Peter 5:2,3)

And this authority is always outward, not of the heart. 1 Samuel 16:7 is not a bad trait of man (and elders), it is just a statement of the fact that “man looks on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart.” I think elders have a right and duty to take oversight of the Lord’s Table. Is the person a church member? Is he baptised? Is he scandalous in life? 1 Cor 11:28 picks up where man leaves off. 1 Cor 2:11 For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? Only the man himself knows the “plague of his own heart.” (1 Kings 8:38)

From my experience, I have concluded that the usual model as practised at least by the OPC and PCA, makes the elders look like a bunch of helpless wimps, while some people (supposedly) under their charge partake to their own hurt. (1 Corinthians 11:29,30)


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## Ask Mr. Religion (Jul 14, 2015)

Pergamum said:


> A treatise was published that I would love to find:
> Communion Tokens: Their History and Use, With a Treatise on the Relation of the Sacrament to the Vitality and Revivals of the Church. Mary McWhorter Tenney. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Publishing House, 1936.


First chapter:

http://www.materialreligion.org/documents/aug98doc.html


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## earl40 (Jul 14, 2015)

MW said:


> The question in the thread title might lead in the wrong direction. The question should be, Who has the responsibility to administer communion? If nobody administers the communion there will be no communion. If it falls to any persons in particular it understandably falls to those who are responsible for the conduct of public worship. In Presbyterianism, which acknowledges Jesus Christ the only head of the church, the presbyters are understood to be the ones exercising spiritual oversight and therefore responsible for the conduct of public worship. It falls to the presbyters, then, to follow the instructions of the head of the church, and admit to the communion those who are qualified by the head of the church to enjoy this privilege.



Indeed it is their job, and I see the way we pass communion, that I have seen, in our local Presbyterian churches in Central Florida appears to not be conductive to the idea of withholding the bread from those who should not partake.


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## MW (Jul 14, 2015)

earl40 said:


> Indeed it is their job, and I see the way we pass communion, that I have seen, in our local Presbyterian churches in Central Florida appears to not be conductive to the idea of withholding the bread from those who should not partake.



Without a "table" it is hard to identify the Lord's "supper" and its participants, 1 Cor. 10:18-21. Likewise, the distance between minister and people is suggestive of something being done "for" the people rather than "with" them in "communion," vv. 16-17.


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## timfost (Jul 14, 2015)

earl40 said:


> Would it be possible to do such in our Reformed Churches today and how did they do it in the past, if they did indeed do such?



Heidelberg:

"82. Are they, then, also to be admitted to this Supper who show themselves by their confession and life to be unbelieving and ungodly? No, for thereby the covenant of God is profaned and His wrath provoked against the whole congregation; therefore, the Christian Church is bound, according to the order of Christ and His Apostles, to exclude such persons by the Office of the Keys until they amend their lives."

Heb. 13:17:
"Obey those who rule over you, and be submissive, *for they watch out for your souls, as those who must give account*. Let them do so with joy and not with grief, for that would be unprofitable for you."


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## Backwoods Presbyterian (Jul 14, 2015)

As Americans we are hardwired to think backwards on this issue.


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## Pergamum (Jul 14, 2015)

Does any church now use communion tokens or some means of showing that they have been reviewed by the elders and seen fit to partake? Do many churches review their members beforehand?


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## kodos (Jul 15, 2015)

It is our practice at DRPC to have all communicants come to a table, with our minister (Rev. Koller) seated with us (I like how Rev. Winzer ably points out the distance between minister and communicant otherwise; also remember that it was our Lord's own example to have been seated with his disciples). 

The elders (Andrew and myself) distribute the elements to each person at the table. We practice communion quarterly, so it gives us time to visit with the members of the church before we celebrate the Supper. Visitors are told that they need to speak with the elders 30 minutes before the service in order to partake of communion, or else to abstain.

It is a special time for us, as we get to sit with each other and see that special bond that we have in Christ, as we partake spiritually of his body and blood. I have certainly enjoyed celebrating communion in this fashion with the other communing members of our congregation.


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## johnny (Jul 15, 2015)

It is our practice at DRPC to have all communicants come to a table, 
with our minister (Rev. Koller) seated with us.

This is an excellent post Kodos but please forgive me for being curious as to what size of table
would accommodate a whole congregation, also, do mothers leave their children or do parents take turns.

Just wondering the specifics.

Thanks


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## Jake (Jul 15, 2015)

Pergamum said:


> Does any church now use communion tokens or some means of showing that they have been reviewed by the elders and seen fit to partake? Do many churches review their members beforehand?



I have participated at the Lord's Supper at three churches where I was more formally reviewed by the session prior to my admittance (RPCNA, PCA, and FCC congregations). At the former two, no common table was used, but the elders only brought/made available the elements to those who had been admitted. The elders knew well enough who had been admitted that they did not need tokens. In the FCC, we have a common table, so those who have been admitted are invited to the table. There too, in the congregation I have been in, there was not a need for a token because the elders knew who had been admitted.


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## Verkehrsteilnehmer (Jul 15, 2015)

kodos said:


> It is our practice at DRPC to have all communicants come to a table, with our minister (Rev. Koller) seated with us (I like how Rev. Winzer ably points out the distance between minister and communicant otherwise; also remember that it was our Lord's own example to have been seated with his disciples).
> 
> The elders (Andrew and myself) distribute the elements to each person at the table. We practice communion quarterly, so it gives us time to visit with the members of the church before we celebrate the Supper. Visitors are told that they need to speak with the elders 30 minutes before the service in order to partake of communion, or else to abstain.
> 
> It is a special time for us, as we get to sit with each other and see that special bond that we have in Christ, as we partake spiritually of his body and blood. I have certainly enjoyed celebrating communion in this fashion with the other communing members of our congregation.



This above post shows the elders fencing the Table. Contrast this with the common practice in most reformed churches of the minister warning the congregation and visitors, believer and unbeliever alike (not the elders) to do their own fencing.
Dave
PHX
OPC


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## Verkehrsteilnehmer (Jul 15, 2015)

MW said:


> earl40 said:
> 
> 
> > Indeed it is their job, and I see the way we pass communion, that I have seen, in our local Presbyterian churches in Central Florida appears to not be conductive to the idea of withholding the bread from those who should not partake.
> ...



In reference to the distance between minister and people, I think this is the trend as reformed churches have moved toward the liturgical progression of two climaxes in the liturgy: the absolution ceremony and communion with the sermon in the middle. 
Dave
PHX
OPC


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## Bill The Baptist (Jul 15, 2015)

Verkehrsteilnehmer said:


> kodos said:
> 
> 
> > It is our practice at DRPC to have all communicants come to a table, with our minister (Rev. Koller) seated with us (I like how Rev. Winzer ably points out the distance between minister and communicant otherwise; also remember that it was our Lord's own example to have been seated with his disciples).
> ...



This is certainly an ideal situation, but it is still ultimately up to the individual since a person could easily deceive the elders. This is why Paul tells us to examine_ ourselves_ and to judge _ourselves_ in 1 Corinthians 11.


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## Nicholas Perella (Jul 15, 2015)

Bill The Baptist said:


> still ultimately up to the individual



I would not say it is "ultimately", because the elders have a responsibility also. 1 Co. 11 is an inclusion to what happens in the Church not something separate or ultimate.


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## Alan D. Strange (Jul 15, 2015)

Earl:

That's a bit of a common misconception with respect to Jonathan Edwards. I address Edwards's position on this in this essay:http://www.midamerica.edu/uploads/files/pdf/journal/14-strange.pdf.

Peace,
Alan


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## kodos (Jul 15, 2015)

johnny said:


> This is an excellent post Kodos but please forgive me for being curious as to what size of table
> would accommodate a whole congregation, also, do mothers leave their children or do parents take turns.
> 
> Just wondering the specifics.
> ...



Hi John,
We use the tables that are set out for our fellowship lunch that we have each Lord's Day between our services - they are folding tables that can be moved easily and we put a tablecloth on them on the Lord's Days when we celebrate communion. We can seat around 40 people at the tables (I think). Parents leave or bring children at their own discretion. The littlest ones are usually with their communing parents (but obviously do not partake). Older children who are non communing will remain in their seats, and often will watch the other little children.

Hope this helps!


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## Grant Van Leuven (Jul 15, 2015)

Westminster Confession of Faith 29.8: _Although ignorant and wicked men receive the outward elements in this sacrament; yet, they receive not the thing signified thereby; but, by their unworthy coming thereunto, are guilty of the body and blood of the Lord, to their own damnation. Wherefore, *all ignorant and ungodly persons, as they are unfit to enjoy communion with Him*, so are they unworthy of the Lord's table and *cannot*, without great sin against Christ, while they remain such, partake of these holy mysteries, or *be admitted thereunto.*_

Westminster Larger Catechism Q&A 173: _May any who profess his faith, and desire to come to the Lord's supper, be kept from it? A. Such as are found to be ignorant or scandalous, notwithstanding their profession of the faith, and desire to come to the Lord's supper,* may and ought to be kept from that sacrament, by the power which Christ hath left in his church*, until they receive instruction and manifest their reformation._

It seems perhaps that "how" this could be done is partly in view in the question. We practice monthly communion presently, and the week before and the day of the service of the Lord's Supper we have this in the bulletin:

The LORD’S SUPPER: Communicant Members of PECA will partake after next week’s [tonight's] evening service. Visitors who are baptized and communicant members covenanted and in good standing within an evangelical church may partake after visiting with the elders beforehand to share about their faith, fellowship, and understanding of the Lord’s Supper. Elders are available to meet after morning worship, or before evening worship upon advance request.​
We have had plenty of visitors willing to do this, and we are probably fairly "liberal" in our willingness to admit after such a chat (and we help those who are shy along with the answers to the questions). We also have some visitors that complain about this policy, but it's pretty obvious they are not members in a visible church, which disqualifies them (but the goal is to lead them into covenant with Christ and His Church, either with us or someone else, for out of the Visible Church there is no ordinary possibility of salvation, WCF 25:2). We consider this "Session Controlled Communion" policy and practice not only required by Scripture, but also evangelical (if a person can't or won't speak with the elders and talk about their faith, church membership, and the meaning of the elements and the service, they are not likely Christians, don't understand Church scripturally, and need to do some soul-searching and Bible reading).


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## earl40 (Jul 15, 2015)

Alan D. Strange said:


> Earl:
> 
> That's a bit of a common misconception with respect to Jonathan Edwards. I address Edwards's position on this in this essay:http://www.midamerica.edu/uploads/files/pdf/journal/14-strange.pdf.
> 
> ...



I have read this and will revisit it once again. Thank You Pastor Strange.


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## earl40 (Jul 15, 2015)

Alan D. Strange said:


> Earl:
> 
> That's a bit of a common misconception with respect to Jonathan Edwards. I address Edwards's position on this in this essay:http://www.midamerica.edu/uploads/files/pdf/journal/14-strange.pdf.
> 
> ...



So may I assume Pastor Edwards attempted to place tighter restrictions than his grandfather, and would have used the same method of restricting communion as others did at that time?


"Edwards was fired because he sought to restrict access to
communion, to be sure, but he sought to restrict access because he
believed that visible sainthood was not in evidence in many of his
parishioners; and they knew that he thought this about them and
they did not like it."


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## Jerusalem Blade (Jul 15, 2015)

When I pastored (after planting) the International Evangelical Church (Reformed) in Limassol, Cyprus, I had to deal with a couple who were openly living in sin (she not divorced from a husband, and her boyfriend cohabiting with her) who wanted to partake of the table (she the daughter of a pastor in another country). I met with them privately to tell them they would not be allowed to, as they were living in open sin and unrepentant. I was friends with them and often visited them (mostly him though) to seek their conversion, and repentance. They were offended, but I reminded them that the Scriptures were exceedingly clear on the matter, and this was God’s decree and not mine.

Another young baptized woman, daughter of a member, got herself a Hindu boyfriend and would stay out with him late at night, defying her mother’s wishes. I spoke with her and her mom and told her that if she was being sexually intimate with this man she could not come to the table, lest doing so she bring judgment upon herself and wrath upon the congregation for admitting her. It was a small congregation, and I made sure to know—as best I could—the hearts and lives of the members.

I was helped in this by Sam Waldron’s _Exposition of the 1689 Confession_, the section, “The liabilities of unworthy reception”, pp 371 ff. In the fear of God I acted so.


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## Unoriginalname (Jul 16, 2015)

Jerusalem Blade said:


> lest doing so she bring judgment upon herself and wrath upon the congregation for admitting her. It was a small congregation, and I made sure to know—as best I could—the hearts and lives of the members.



I think that is a key thing left out in discussions on the Lord's Table. Elders must fence the table or they are allowing for sin which does affect the whole of the congregation. Fencing the table to the best of the elders abilities is part of their duty to look after the spiritual well being of the congregation.


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## TexanRose (Jul 24, 2015)

Pergamum said:


> Does any church now use communion tokens or some means of showing that they have been reviewed by the elders and seen fit to partake?



Yes, the congregations of the Free Presbyterian Church of Scotland still use tokens.


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