http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BgmIcm-o2oY
I'm interested to see what people think about closed communion. Is it right or wrong or is it neither? Should it be challenged?
My opinion is that I can udnerstand both sides of the argument as to wether communion should be open or closed and I'm not sure, but I do think they should know what they are doing.
So what do you guys think of this video?
The video is wrong on multiple levels. Firstly, he says the practice of closed communion goes back to the early church fathers, and that you should only have communion with those with whom you agree. What he doesn't tell you is that the early church had a universal belief. They did not have denominations, if you were a Christian then you were a part of the church. If you left Ephesus and went to Corinth, you simply got a letter from the bishop at Ephesus before you left showing that you were a Christian, and presented it to the bishop at Corinth when you arrived and you could partake of communion. The video suggests barring communion among Christians based on theological issues, this was "NOT" a practice of the early church. What this does is force division in the church which in my opinion is a sin. Paul rebuked the Corinthians for having divisions and When Jesus prayed for believers in John 17, the one thing He prayer for was that His followers would be one.
The video also brings up the issue of harm. This is taken out of context. It seems to me he doesn't understand what Paul is saying. He speaks of giving the communion and the recipient getting a blessing or being cursed. Jesus didn't teach that. Firstly, Paul is speaking to believers, so this issue doesn't even concern unbelievers. So, why is this man in the video concerned about the recipient being cursed. I wonder if he is intimately informed on the lives of those to whom he gives the communion. What Paul was speaking of in 1 Corinthians 11, is the issue of the divisions among them (which this video is promoting) and their conduct. They were coming to the communion meal and were abusing it. Some were coming with this big elaborate feast while others, such as the poor barely had anything. Paul is trying to bring unity to this church and he admonishes them to eat at home, not to bring this big feast when there are other who have nothing. That is the abuse that Paul is speaking of. As I said, Jesus' prayer was for unity and this church was not unified. Imagine how the poor felt at the communion. They come in and have practically nothing and they see the wealthy with this big feast and celebration, knowing that they cannot partake of it. This certainly would foster division among the members.
There is also the issue of the "Real Presence" that the video speaks of. The early church did believe in the "Real Presence", however, their communion was not closed to protect this understanding, it is simply something they believed. If you didn't believe that you weren't barred from communion. He says that if one doesn't believe in the "Real Presence" they are not welcome at his altar. Where did Jesus ever preach that one must believe in the "Real Presence"? Where did Peter, Paul, John, James, or any of the other writers of the New Testament ever preach that one must believe in the "Real Presence"? Did any on them ever preach about what Christians are to beleive regarding the communion? Jesus simply said "do this in rememberance of me", He didn't give any instructions on how often to do, how to do it, where to do it, what we must believe when we do it. Nothing, just " do this in rememberance of me"
You see, it is this kind of thinking that causes the divisions we have in the church today. Men creating their own doctrines and dividing Christ's church. The man in the video suggested that if he had communion with a Baptist he would be condoning the Baptist doctrine or if he had communion with a Roman Catholic he would be condoning the Catholic doctrine. Well, the communion at Jesus time was a meal, Let's apply this line of thinking to Jesus. I wonder if the man in the video would agree with the Pharisees, that if Jesus ate with sinners that he would be condoning their sin.You see, Jesus had communion with those who were siiners.
No, as Christians we should be doing things to bring the chruch together not to divide it. I can fellowship and have communion with a Protestant or Catholic or Eastern Orthodox because we are brothers in Christ. We may not agree on some things and we may be wrong,but we are Christian brothers. All of the denominations in he church today have basically rendered it ineffective. The world looks at the church and see all of this division and infighting and says why would I want to be a part of that? We tell them you need Jesus, and they say you guys can't even agree among yourselves what it means to have Jesus yet you are telling me I need Jesus. Some say you need to be baptized, some say you don't, some say you can lose salvation, some say you can't, some say you can only have communion with those who agree with your theology, some say you can't. How in the world is a lost world going to understand Chrsitianity if those who purport to be Chrsitians can't even agree?
No, we need to do away with all of this division and start a process of reconciliation. The American church needs to rid itself of "PRIDE" and seek the truth of God's word, we need to be willing to admit we could be wrong, rid ourselves of our pet doctrines, and seek to come to a true understnading of what the Scriptures really say. Remember, Jesus prayed that we would be one, what are we going to say when we face Him?
Let me finish by saying that communion is "Only" for believers, so the only ones that should be barred from communion are those who are not believers.