+ A Look at the Divine Liturgy +

Examination of Communicants &

Closed Communion

By The Rev. Peter C. Bender, Pastor of Peace Lutheran Church &

Director of Concordia Catechetic Academy, Sussex, WI

This Explanation is found in Lesson 24 of Lutheran Catechesis, published by CCA.

The Words 'For You" Require All Hearts to Believe

The Word of God clearly teaches that the Lord's Supper is to be received only by baptized Christians who confess their sins in repentant faith and believe in Christ and the words of His testament: “This is My body, which is given for you... this cup is the new testament in My blood which is shed for you for the forgiveness of sins.” The words “for you” in the Sacrament require this faith of all communicants. Communicants who do not have this faith eat and drink the body and blood of Christ to their judgment (1 Corinthians 11:27 -29). Communicants who receive the Sacrament in faith eat and drink Christ's body and blood to their abundant blessing. The Church has always taken seriously the spiritual oversight of the Lord's Table. Pastors are called “servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God” (1 Corinthians 4:I). They are called to “keep watch over” their members, their congregations, and their catechumens in the administration of Christ's Word and sacraments, “as men who must give an account” before the Lord (“What the Hearers Owe Their Pastors”––Hebrews 13:17).

Closed Communion

Faithfulness to the Lord and love for those who might receive the Sacrament “unworthily” is the motivation for the Church's historic practice of closed Communion. Christians do not become Christians “by their own reason or strength,” nor do they remain Christians apart from the Holy Spirit who works faith through Word and sacrament. Christians are converted by the preaching of the Gospel and Baptism. Their faith continues to be sustained by the external Word of Christ or it dies. This is why catechesis is to be taken seriously by the Church and her ministers. In his preface to the Small Catechism, Luther lamented the lack of faith and understanding among the people and pastors in the congregations of his day. If they did not know, at the very least, the Ten Commandments, the Creed, and the Lord's Prayer, and understand how they were to be used in the Christian's life, they should not be admitted to the Sacrament. This "pattern of sound words" (2 Timothy 1:13), laid down in the ancient catechism, is the Christian's tutor in the Word of God that keeps his faith firmly grounded in Christ. “Those who refuse to learn,” wrote Luther, “are to be told that they are denying Christ and do not belong to Him. They are not to be admitted to the Sacrament, accepted as sponsors in Baptism, or allowed to exercise Christian liberty in any way” (Preface to the Small Catechism)

The spiritual welfare of souls was Luther's motivation for what might appear harsh language. He understood that Christians need faithful catechesis and preaching in order for true faith in Christ to be sustained, and that without true faith there would be no worthy reception of the Lord's Supper.

The practice of closed Communion is concerned with two fundamental questions for all communicants:

                    Do they confess faith in Christ alone and in the words of His   

                    testament for their salvation?

                    Do they belong to a church whose preaching and teaching will

                    nurture and sustain them in that faith?

These questions are related and dependent upon each other. Without faith in Christ and the words of His testament, there can be no worthy reception of the Sacrament. But the question of one's church membership is also important. For unless a Christian's faith is being fed by faithful preaching of the Gospel, his faith in Christ cannot long endure.

Who Is to Be Admitted to the Sacrament?

The Lord's Supper is open only to:

1. a)those who have been baptized with water in the name of the Father and  of the Son and of the Holy Spirit;
   

2. b)those who confess faith in Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who died for them and shed His blood for them upon the cross for the forgiveness of their sins;
   

100. c)those who confess faith in the words instituting the Sacrament, namely, that
     

    Christ gives them His true body and blood in the Sacrament for the

    forgiveness of their sins, eternal life, and salvation;

500. d)those who are penitent sinners, that is, not under church discipline, and not
     

    harboring grudges or refusing to forgive a brother who has sinned against   

    them; and

5. e)those who confess the faith of the church at whose altar they are communing.
   

It is important to note that bearing grudges and refusing forgiveness to a brother is a denial of the very words of the Sacrament. One cannot claim faith in the body and blood of Christ given and shed for his forgiveness, and deny that same forgiveness to his brother. Such impenitence is a rejection of the very nature of the Holy Communion as the gift of salvation by grace alone. This must be taken seriously by the pastor in the administration of pastoral care to his own members, catechumens, and visitors.

The Examination before Admission to the Lord's Table

It has always been the responsibility of the local pastor to examine the confession of faith of those who desire to commune. He does this for his own members and catechumens after instruction in the faith and before admission to the Lord's Table, and he does it for visitors and guests in the congregation who desire the Sacrament. Until recent times, admission to the Lord's Table was never left to the feelings of the individual. It is irresponsible and unloving toward potential communicants for pastors not to take this responsibility seriously. It would be like a doctor who allows patients to prescribe their own medications and administer their own medical care without his examination and diagnosis of their condition.

The Christian Questions with Their Answers from the Small Catechism provide a basic outline for the pastor's examination of those who desire to receive the Lord's Supper:

Do you believe that you are a sinner? Yes, I believe it. I am a sinner. How do you know this? From the Ten Commandments, which I have not kept. Are you sorry for your sins? Yes, I am sorry that I have sinned against God. What have you deserved from God because of your sins? His wrath and displeasure, temporal death, and eternal damnation. Do you hope to be saved? Yes, that is my hope. In whom then do you trust? In my dear Lord Jesus Christ. Who is Christ? The Son of God, true God and man.... What has Christ done for you that you trust in Him? He died for me and shed His blood for me on the cross for the forgiveness of sins... How do you know this? From the holy Gospel, from the words instituting the Sacrament, and by His body and blood given me as a pledge in the Sacrament.... Do you believe, then, that the true body and blood of Christ are in the Sacrament? Yes, I believe it. What convinces you to believe this? The word of Christ: Take, eat, this is My body; drink of it, all of you, this is My blood.... Why do you wish to go to the Sacrament? That I may learn to believe that Christ, out of great love, died for my sin, and also learn from Him to love God and my neighbor.

These are not all the questions from the Christian Questions with Their Answers, nor will all of them necessarily be asked by the pastor in every case. They provide a basic outline for the kinds of questions the pastor needs to ask in his examination of catechumens and potential communicants. The catechism itself indicates that these questions were "prepared by Dr. Martin Luther for those who intend to go to the Sacrament."

In addition to these questions, the pastor will want to ask the visitor about his church membership. He does this because he recognizes the importance of Christians belonging to churches that will support and nurture them in their faith. It is quite possible for a visitor to confess the faith of a “worthy communicant,” as outlined above, but be asked by the pastor not to commune. The pastor would do this, not because the person “is unworthy and unprepared” and would thereby eat and drink to his judgment, but to give witness to that Christian that the church to which he belongs does not support the confession of faith that he has just made! We rejoice with him in his confession, but we ask him not to commune. We do this in order to make the clear statement that a church's confession matters, both for the honor of Christ and for the Christian's continued spiritual welfare. We take seriously the need for him, and all Christians, to be joined to a pulpit and altar where “the Gospel is preached in its purity and the holy sacraments are administered according to the Gospel” (Augsburg Confession, Tappert, VII, 32:1).

The Responsibility of Members of the Congregation

To commune at a church's altar is to say “AMEN” to the faith that is taught and confessed in that church. Members of a Lutheran congregation should not commune in other churches who do not share their confession of faith. It is not the faith of the communicant that makes the Sacrament a sacrament, but the Word of Christ that is faithfully preached and administered in that place. It is false for a Christian to conclude, “I know what the Sacrament is in my heart, so even if this church teaches something different, I'm going to commune there anyway.” This dishonors Christ and does not give witness to the fact that it is His Word alone that makes the Sacrament what it is. When Christians do this they are relying upon the thoughts and feelings of their own hearts, rather than upon the Word of Christ. The only ground of certainty for faith is in Christ's objective Word. When Christians commune “willy-nilly” in congregations of church bodies which do not confess the faith, they arc saying that the teachings of Christ do not matter. The Word of God gives a strict warning in this regard: “Whoever transgresses and does not abide in the doctrine of Christ does not have God. He who abides in the doctrine of Christ has both the Father and the Son. If anyone comes to you and does not bring this doctrine, do not receive him into your house nor greet him; for he who greets him shares in his evil deeds” (2 John l:9-11). This is why church fellowship is important. We are united with churches who faithfully confess the Gospel of Christ, for it is the Gospel alone that sustains faith.

When Christians visit sister congregations within their synod, it is proper to announce to the pastor the desire to commune at the Lord's Table in that congregation before approaching the altar. Members of the congregation should also assist visitors who come with them to the Divine Service. They should know and understand why closed Communion is practiced. They should make arrangements for their visitor to speak with the pastor before the Divine Service. Members should take the initiative to contact their pastor in advance of the Divine Service, so that an adequate time for consultation can be arranged. This is very important, particularly if there is a question in the mind of the member concerning the “worthy reception” of that visitor at the Lord’s Table. If the visitor is a repeat visitor and known to the pastor, individual discussions may not be necessary each time. Circumstances and knowledge of the visitor will determine the extent of the pastor's examination. The pastor will take great care in training the elders and ushers in the congregation, so that they can assist him in the faithful administration of the Sacrament.

Closed Communion is the ancient practice of the Church. Though often misunderstood, it is born out of love for Christ and every potential communicant. It is the practice of responsible spiritual care that ensures health to the whole body and each individual member of Christ.

See also Lutheran Service Book Pastoral Care Companion, "Guidelines for Pastoral Examination of Catechumens Before the Rite of First Communion or Before the Rite of Confirmation" p. 664 ff. Available from Pastor Anderson.