Introduction
Who is eligible to partake of the Lord’s Supper (a.k.a. Communion) is a perennial, and often heated, debate. Is the Lord’s Supper intended only for Christians, or should it be made available to whoever wishes to partake of it? Is there any time when a Christian should be barred from taking of the Lord’s Supper? What about children? These can be sensitive and divisive questions, but they are important. The Bible expresses the gravity of the Lord’s Supper when Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 11:27, “Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty concerning the body and blood of the Lord.”
A Serious Topic for Serious Consideration
To be “guilty concerning the body and blood of the Lord” is no light matter. The Lord’s Supper, for Paul, was something to be taken seriously, and so it should be for us as well. Any idea of “for the non-Christian it’s just grape juice and a cracker” needs to be dispelled. We cannot be flippant about a matter that the Bible takes seriously.
This article will argue that the Lord’s Supper is meant exclusively for Christians and that there are extreme circumstances under which even a Christian should be barred from partaking of the Lord’s Supper.
Avoiding Extremes
There are two extremes that should be avoided. One is limiting who can partake of the Lord’s Supper to only those who are members of that particular congregation. That seems to be a denial of the universality of the Church. The second is opening communion to any and all, regardless of their faith and baptism. This second extreme disregards the meaning and importance of the Lord’s Supper and can serve to blur the line between Christian and non-Christian.
The Meaning of the Lord’s Supper
The Lord’s Supper can be divided into three aspects: past, present, and future. We remember past events, especially Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection. We reflect on present realities such as our union with other believers, and our union with Christ. And we look forward to Jesus’ return: “For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes” (1 Corinthians 11:26).
All three of these aspects have salvific meaning for the Christian. For the non-Christian, on the other hand, these aspects of the Lord’s Supper have no salvific meaning. The non-Christian, at the very least, has not accepted Jesus as their Lord. Even if they happen to believe in the factual reality of Jesus death and resurrection, they have not accepted Jesus’ saving lordship in faith. As such, the non-Christian has no union with Christ and is not part of Christ’s body, the Church. The non-Christian will experience the reality of Jesus’ return, but for him it will be a “day of judgment and destruction” (2 Peter 3:7) and he will not be saved from “the wrath to come” (1 Thessalonians 1:10). This being the reality, it is hard to imagine a person taking the Lord’s Supper in a more unworthy manner than that of the non-Christian.
Covenant Renewal
The Lord’s Supper also serves as a time of covenant renewal. When Jesus instituted the Lord’s Supper he declared, “This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood” (Luke 22:20). When we partake of the Lord’s Supper, we are renewing the New Covenant. We remember God’s grace given to us, and we also remember our faith and loyalty declared to God, particularly at our baptism. If a person has not entered into the New Covenant through faith and baptism, then they do not have any reason to partake of the Lord’s Supper, which is the reminder and renewal of that covenant.
A Constant Reminder
The Lord’s Supper is a weekly reminder. For the Christian, it is a reminder of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, of our current communion with Christ and his Church, and of Jesus’ pending return. The Lord’s Supper also serves as a reminder for the non-Christian. It is a reminder that they do not have communion with Christ, that they remain in their sins, that Jesus’ return will bring for them wrath, not salvation.
Reminder of the Gospel
However, the Lord’s Supper is also a reminder for the non-Christian that the debt of their sin was paid for, should they only accept that grace in faith. We do a disservice to the non-Christian by encouraging them to partake of the Lord’s Supper. Let the clear line between damnation and salvation remain. Make sure the non-Christian knows that there is a Savior, but that until they accept his lordship in faith they do not have access to that atoning blood.
The Priority of Baptism
There are two rites in the Christian’s life that are sanctioned by the New Testament: baptism and the Lord’s Supper. Baptism is the rite of entrance – it is the moment of new birth, a one-time event. The Lord’s Supper is an ongoing rite, a weekly renewal and reminder. The New Testament knows nothing of an unbaptized Christian, so to say that the Lord’s Supper is meant for Christians only is to say it is meant only for those who have gone through the entrance rite of baptism.
There is no reason to make an exception to this rule. If a person wishes to partake of the Lord’s Supper as a member of Christ’s body, the Church, then they need to enter through the door specified by the Lord: baptism. If a person is able to partake of the Lord’s Supper in the proper manner (i.e. with faith in Christ, reflecting appropriately on the meaning of Jesus’ life, death, resurrection, and pending return) then they have all of the prerequisites for baptism. Let that person first be baptized, then welcome them to the Lord’s Supper.
Teaching With Patience
Members of a congregation should let the significance of the Lord’s Supper, and who should partake, be known. They should also use the opportunity of the Lord’s Supper to teach non-Christians the gospel. A congregation should not sit idly by watching non-Christians take of the Lord’s Supper without taking advantage of the teaching opportunity. But, as Paul advised Timothy, let the teaching be done in patience (2 Timothy 4:2).
What About Children?
As has been shown, the Lord’s Supper requires self-awareness and reflection. Facts need to be known and affirmed, and a person needs to have a personal faith in Jesus and his atoning work. Considering this, it seems a best course of action to not allow a child to participate in the Lord’s Supper until they are baptized. If the child is old enough to have the ability of self-awareness and reflection to partake of the Lord’s Supper, then they should be old enough to profess their faith in Christ and be baptized.
Gauging Spiritual Maturity
Wanting to eat the cracker and drink the juice is common among children, but does not itself indicate they should participate. But, if a child wants to participate, and can articulate why they are wanting to do so with appropriate understanding, let them be baptized and then partake of the Lord’s Supper. Once a child has a desire to participate and understands the significance of the Lord’s Supper, that provides a good indication they are ready for baptism. In this way, not allowing a child to participate until after they are baptized is a good way to remind the child that a step needs to be taken in their spiritual life and also gives the parents a good gauge on the child’s spiritual maturity.
Excluding a Rebellious Christian from the Supper
Under extreme circumstances, a Christian can be barred from partaking of the Lord’s Supper. The only biblically warranted circumstance that would result in this barring is blatant, unrepentant sin. If a person is living in unrepentant sin, we are supposed to talk to them individually, then as an intimate group, then as a congregation. If that person, even after being formally addressed by the congregation, refuses to repent of their ongoing sin, they are to be removed from the congregation, including the Lord’s Supper, until they do repent.
Hand Them Over, That They May Repent
Paul uses the phrase “hand them over to Satan” (1 Corinthians 5:5) for this type of removal. This “handing over”, of necessity, would include not allowing that person to partake of the Lord’s Supper. After all, that person is now in the category of the non-Christian because they are rejecting the atoning work of Christ by their refusal to repent. Just like with the non-Christian, it would be a disservice to allow that person to continue partaking of the Lord’s Supper as if everything were okay in their spiritual life when they have, in fact, separated themselves from Jesus by their refusal to repent.
The objective of barring a rebellious Christian from the congregation and the Lord’s Supper is to show physically the spiritual reality of their separation from Christ. This is done in hope that the recognition of that reality will lead the person to repentance. Once that person repents of their sin, then they will be welcomed back to the Church and to the Lord’s Supper.
Conclusion: Open to All Christians, But Only Christians
The Lord’s Supper is a wonderful time of reflection and renewal for Christians. We are reminded of the events of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection. We reflect on what those events mean for us and on our current unity with Christ and his body, the Church. And we look forward to Jesus’ return when we will be able to celebrate the Marriage Supper of the Lamb (see Revelation 19).
All of these aspects of the Lord’s Supper have salvific significance, but only for the Christian. The non-Christian does not have the hope of eternal life, they do not have unity with Christ, and the atoning work of Jesus does not apply to them. Therefore, they cannot partake of the Lord’s Supper in a worthy manner.
Let the Lord’s Supper be a reminder to the Christian of God’s love and the hope that we have in Christ. Let it be a reminder to the non-Christian that a sacrifice was made for them, but until they accept Christ’s lordship in faith, that sacrifice will not be a covering, but a condemnation at Jesus’ return.
Postscript: What Does it Mean to Partake in a Worthy Manner?
Partaking of the Lord’s Supper in a worthy manner is to take it with faith in Jesus’ atoning work, his physical resurrection, and his pending return. It appears that the problem in the Corinthian church was that they were partaking of the Lord’s Supper while being self-focused, instead of Christ-focused.
Some people have the mistaken idea that if they are aware of any sin in their lives then they are not worthy of taking the Lord’s Supper. This is a very false notion. In a sense, none of us is worthy of taking the Lord’s Supper, at least not on our own merit. But we serve a gracious Lord, and he has invited us to partake of his table. The Lord’s Supper is a weekly reminder of God’s love for us in the sending of his Son to die for the forgiveness of our sins.
If a person is arrogantly participating in unrepentant sin, then no, that person is not partaking of the Lord’s Supper in a worthy manner. They are rejecting the blood of Christ (Hebrews 10:26-31). But the continued struggle against sin in a Christian’s life does not disqualify them from the Lord’s Supper. For the Christian, the Lord’s Supper should be a reminder of God’s grace and our continued need for grace. It should encourage us to strive after holy and godly lives.
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