saintjonny
Puritan Board Freshman
Ok, throughout Church history, people have taken this verse:
As a commandment that a person must be aware of forgiveness of sins and the cross and coming in a spirit of repentance in order to receive the Lord's Supper. As such churches throughout the years have barred non-Christians and even sometimes un-baptised or non-members.
But the thing is this verse doesn't refer to that, but they refer to the spirit it is taken in the sense of not being greedy, not fighting to get the meal, but eating as a loving community where we put each other first. The context makes this clear as that is the issue Paul has been addressing with the Corinthians, and he goes on to say:
So my question is this. On what basis do we not give the Lord's Supper to non-Christians? I have even heard it proposed that if we allow non-Christians to partake, then it's a physical and practical communication of the gospel in that it allows them to see how the gospel creates a community of love and grace in Christ. What do you think?
(And obviously this is going to be shot out of the water in your mind if you hold a higher view of the Lord's Supper such that it is more than just a symbol of remembrance.)
Therefore whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner, shall be guilty of the body and the blood of the Lord. (1 Cor. 11:27, NASB)
As a commandment that a person must be aware of forgiveness of sins and the cross and coming in a spirit of repentance in order to receive the Lord's Supper. As such churches throughout the years have barred non-Christians and even sometimes un-baptised or non-members.
But the thing is this verse doesn't refer to that, but they refer to the spirit it is taken in the sense of not being greedy, not fighting to get the meal, but eating as a loving community where we put each other first. The context makes this clear as that is the issue Paul has been addressing with the Corinthians, and he goes on to say:
So then, my brethren, when you come together to eat, wait for one another. If anyone is hungry, let him eat at home, so that you will not come together for judgment. The remaining matters I will arrange when I come. (33-34, NASB)
So my question is this. On what basis do we not give the Lord's Supper to non-Christians? I have even heard it proposed that if we allow non-Christians to partake, then it's a physical and practical communication of the gospel in that it allows them to see how the gospel creates a community of love and grace in Christ. What do you think?
(And obviously this is going to be shot out of the water in your mind if you hold a higher view of the Lord's Supper such that it is more than just a symbol of remembrance.)