The need to write this article began with a situation that I thought would bring joy but instead has brought great grief. Some evangelical churches practice closed communion. This means that they do not serve the bread and wine to just anyone that enters. This is scriptural to an extent. Only those that have been born again, that is, have received the Holy Spirit as promised to those who believe in Jesus Christ, by confessing their belief can partake of the bread and wine. This can be verified by scripture. This is the basic definition of a Christian. Some churches add that one must belong at least to their denomination or even to their local congregation to partake of communion. Can this be verified by scripture? What could be the result if someone who has been made worthy to receive Christ is not permitted to follow the simple command of Christ to “this do in remembrance of me”? Luke 22:19. 1.
After fifteen years outside of a church, not having much personal access to believers, I finally found one. Having attended services twice and been invited for a third time I went. The sermon considered the breaking of the bread and mercy to Christian sinners. All were asked to bow their heads and search their hearts before the bread and wine were distributed. I also searched my heart accordingly. 1 Cor 11:28,29. Then the invitation was extended to visitors from other churches, but it was publicly uttered that I was not to participate because I belonged to no church. I tried to take the rejection in stride, knowing in my brain that they only wanted to keep the body pure, but my heart would not let me. Unfortunately and embarrassingly I broke into tears. I had been welcomed, even invited to attend the services but not to participate in the meal. I am conscious of biblical doctrine that singles out Christians that have sinned greatly. They are not allowed to participate in the bread and wine because they are not allowed to attend the assembly. This would be biblical. However, I had not sinned against anyone in the assembly, indeed had not known anyone well enough to have opportunity to do so. I do not participate in the Eucharist of the Catholics that surround me. I was hesitant to join the Pentecostal churches nearby for reasons of doctrine although I do consider them to be Christian and associate with individual believers that go there. I am without a church because I have no choice, not because I have been rejected by one. Not until now.
1 John 5: 1-12 tells us, “Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him. By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous. For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world; and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God? This is he that came by water and blood, even Jesus Christ; not by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit that beareth withness, because the Spirit is truth. For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one. And there are three that bear witness in earth, the spirit, and the water, and the blood: and these three agree in one. If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater: for this is the witness of God which he hath testified of his Son. He that believeth on the son of God hath the witness in himself; he that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son. And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.”
The witness, the Holy Spirit himself is inside every Christian. He is the proof that we are Christians and thus should have access to the body of Christ in the form of believers and also symbolically in the form of the bread and wine. Indeed, we already have had access if we believe. We cannot boast about ourselves but of what Christ has done for us. He is worthy, he is the Lamb of God and he is in us. He would not prevent us coming to him. Our Shepherd and King loves us and knows us by name. Jn 10:3.
So who can keep us from communion? This would be the work of man, not of God. If I had realized this immediately I would perhaps have been less distraught but this time I had to run the gauntlet of emotion before arriving at reason and spirit.
There is a need for a congregation to protect itself from evil outside influences, scripture entreats Christians to remain pure. But this cannot take place at the expense of the tender hearts of believing Christians. It would be better not to welcome someone into the congregation rather than welcome them but refuse the meal.
If you have let in a traveler, and it is time to eat, don’t you let him sit down and eat with you? You can ask him about his travels as you eat. If he then proves unworthy, you can send him away, or keep him if he is worthy. It is not right to let him sit at table and refuse to serve him until you have lived many months with him? It would have been better to let him sleep outside and find food for himself out there.
The only Christians that were isolated from the brethren were those that had committed grave sins against the others and/or against God himself. For example:
1 Cor 5:11-13 “But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such a one no not to eat. For what have I to do to judge them also that are without? Do not ye judge them that are within? But them that are without God judgeth. Therefore put away from among yourselves that wicked person.”
Matt 18:15-17 “Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother. But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established. And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican.”
Romans 16:17 “Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them. For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple.” Here Paul is talking about those that introduce false doctrine, not those that are trying to warn the rest, however irritating, that something is amiss. “And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.” Eph 5:11.
2 Thess 3:6 “ Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye withdraw yourselves from every brother that walketh disorderly, and not after the tradition which he received of us.”
1 Tim 6:5 “Perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness: from such withdraw thyself.”
2 Cor 11:13 “For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ.”
If a born-again baptized Christian has not been accused of these things? What then?
But after one has been bought by the blood of Christ, his body broken so that we can be healed, are we not clean? God the Father receives us not because of what we have done but because of who has done it for us. He receives us for the sake of his son who was innocent. He requires us to forgive our brothers and have mercy on them just as he had mercy on us. “Thus speaketh the LORD of hosts, saying, ‘Execute true judgment and shew mercy and compassions every man to his brother: and oppress not the fatherless, the stranger, nor the poor; and let none of you imagine evil against his brother in your heart.’” Zech 7:9-10. We must comfort those in prison and feed the hungry. Matt 25:34-40. There are many qualities that Christians are to have and the greatest of these is love. 1 Cor 13:13. Jesus left no opportunity out to help others.
Those that have been newly baptized are fed freely without expecting other proof of behavior at the beginning. We do not say to them, yes you have believed, confessed and been baptized, but that is not enough to partake of Christ. We do not say to them that they should wait until they are perfected in Christ to receive him; in that case none of us could partake. Even though one may be wary of a stranger, food is not refused him at mealtime if he has been invited in. If one will not feed strangers, then one should not invite them in. Even the heathen give their children food when they ask for it and not a stone or even a snake. Matt 7:9-12.
God promised that nothing would be withheld from us, not even his son.
Romans 8:28-39: “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified. What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God’s elect? It is God that justifieth. Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height , nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
If the Blood of Christ and the witness of the Holy Spirit is not enough then what is? He is the seal given to us by God which God will accept when the time comes. Paul tells the Ephesians, "(Christ) In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.” Eph 1:13.
Ephesians 4:1-6 “I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called, with all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love; endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.”
Let us take a hypothetical situation considering the sometimes necessary wandering in the desert. This could entail true wandering from place to place, being uprooted, losing friends, having to leave family behind in order to wander around the country or even in foreign countries.
A time in the desert can be productive. Living alone or isolated from other Christians we can read Scripture receiving manna and water from the rock. One sometimes meets other wanderers and one hopes to find oases in the desert. What might it be like coming to a church that practices closed communion as a wanderer?
It could be that one is let in the oasis, as are potential Christians. But what could happen when it is time to eat? Having the key that is only given by Jesus Christ upon belief in him, the seal of the Holy Spirit, would one be allowed to use it? The key was bought for us by the blood of Christ. Acts 20:28; 1Cor 6:19:20. If that is not enough what in heaven or on earth could buy us another?
Upon reaching an oasis you see the trees and know that there must be water, perhaps even wine and also food. You rejoice and thank God that your wandering might be at an end, or perhaps at least that you could rest for a while. There will be a fence around the water and food as well as the one that is always around the oasis. What if you showed the occupants the key that the shepherd had given you, but were not allowed to use it? What if you were invited in and asked to sit at table, but had to look on, with fork in hand when the public announcement comes that everyone is to be served but you?
This is what happened to me and I experienced unfathomable grief and humiliation because of it. Being let into the assembly but not being able to participate in communion is very humiliating. Suffering at the hands of unbelievers can be borne by every Christian, but being held away by brothers can cause a hurt much greater than this.
Wandering in the desert can be caused by sin, but traveling may be necessary. I have lived in two other countries beside the one I was born in, in five different places all together. I know what it is to wander physically, I know how the alien feels. In fact I feel doubly so because I do not feel at home anywhere on this planet and long for the kingdom to come. If I were part of an oasis myself I could not bear to cause such anguish to another brother without him being proven of a crime, without it being just.
After such a traumatic experience I would advise Christian churches to offer open communion to born-again, baptized Christians regardless of their denomination and affiliation unless of course they have committed a crime against that congregation.
If a church insists on following the doctrine of closed communion, it should warn visitors ahead of time and not invite them to services where communion takes place.
After grief came anger and a written rebuttal (not oral or physical), which made it a sin because I offended the pastor. I was provoked, but my response was my fault nevertheless. Meekness was never one of my strong points.
Of course I forgave them before God and duly apologized to the pastor but the damage had been done. Ostracism is the result. The question as to whether ostracism is deserved in this case will be addressed in another article which is referenced at the bottom of this article. When one forgives one is forgiven by God. But some injuries do not mend quickly.
This is what could happen if nourishment is denied to the elect. Need anyone experience depths of grief like this? Why should this be allowed to happen to someone else? What if they react the way I did? Humans, Christians not excluded, resemble each other and will sometimes react similarly. Otherwise there would be no practical human psychology. Before man studied it, God knew it and warned us accordingly not to step on each other’s toes if it can be avoided.
Heb 10:23-27 says, “Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;) and let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching. For if we sin willfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries.”
One would think that years of grief would prepare for such an event. But unlike Much-Afraid 2. my grief does not turn into joy, at least not yet. The pain that she felt when she took the hands of Sorrow and Suffering lessened over time, but my pain does not diminish. Each time I take their hands it hurts just as much as it did the first time. Suffering for Christ I can take with more ease, that is a burden that is lighter to carry, Sorrow unjustly at the hands of my brothers I cannot. Living in a dead world causes grief, and I do feel occasional joy at the fact of being alive and at the prospect of helping others to life as well. I have felt much grief at the hands of unbelievers and have had to forgive brothers for offenses, but no brother has ever refused me what Jesus freely offered.
Even brothers that I knew only while passing through, they knew that I had to move on, welcomed me with much warmth and bread. We ate together. They being older in the Lord taught me while we ate. They were able to offer me a welcoming table and I was able to support them financially and help them in their vocation just when they needed it. We were thus able to encourage and support each other as the scriptures command us to. 1 Th 5:11; 1 Tim 5: 1,2; 6:18; Heb 3:13. There was so much joy in those few meetings that it sustained me through years of isolation. If more proof than the key of the Holy Spirit were needed for us to trust one another at that moment there would not have been enough time to bless each other before we parted ways. We both would have lost something valuable and indeed would have been guilty of not helping one another.
The unspeakable grief that I have experienced should not be thus caused to another child of God and I cannot become part of a congregation that approves of this. Of course my behavior was not excusable, but if it happens to another, what then? It should never happen again. I cannot stand idly by and let it happen. I have suffered much grief and deception in the past and it has become my vocation not only to preach the gospel as it is for every Christian but also to warn my brothers and sisters wherever I find them and keep them from hurt and harm if I can. Love should be the hallmark of a Christian, not exclusion and isolation.
How can we request more from newcomers to our churches whether they be babies in Christ or already grown? This lack of love and mercy cannot be justified by Scripture. Jesus showed us mercy while we were still sinners. Eph 2:4-5, “But God who is rich in mercy for his great love wherewith he loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;).” We will also be judged for our actions, but as Christians that have obeyed or shirked our duties, and judgment takes place after mercy. Jn 5:28-30; Acts 17:31. Should we not do the same with others as Jesus did for us and show mercy before we show judgment? 1 Pet 4: 7-10.
Endnotes
1. This and all other quotes from Scripture taken from the King James Version.
2. Hannah Hurnard, Hinds Feet on High Places.
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