Who Should Be Admitted To The Lord's Supper?
Can we refuse the Lord’s Supper to a True Believer?
From January 1999, we have printed articles on the Person and Work of
the Holy Spirit. This Person of the Godhead is pleased to make an
assembly His residence on earth. His very character is holiness, “For
the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are” (1 Cor 3:17).
Can we refuse the Lord’s Supper to a true believer? This is a
frequently asked question. To some, reception of everyone who comes
seems to be a kinder method, but is it scriptural? It is even suggested
that in refusing fellowship to anyone, we are professing a higher level
of godliness than other believers. This is not true. We believe there
are many believers in denominations who may have a deeper devotion to
the Lord than we manifest. However, reception to an assembly is not a
one-way street. It means reception to the assembly, but it also means
reception of the assembly, its beliefs and practices, by the one
received.
What if an Unknown Believer Comes to Break Bread?
We should treat every believer we ever meet with love and kindness,
but if an unknown person presents themselves for reception how do we
know if he is a genuine believer? Those who say that we can receive all
who are truly saved, clean in life and sound in doctrine fail to explain
how brethren can know if these things are true of a person who as a
stranger appears at the door. Only life works prove reality (Matt 7:20).
There is a second problem. He may profess to want to break bread on
this day, what does he do on the other 51 Lord’s Days of the year? This
introduces the subject of continuing steadfastly in the apostles’
doctrine, the fellowship, the breaking of bread and the prayers (Acts
2:41-42). It is plain in the NT pattern that the Lord’s supper is not an
individual but an assembly privilege. We never receive to the supper,
but to the fellowship of the assembly. This fellowship is steadfast and
continuous, not spasmodic.
An Assembly is an Entity
An assembly is made up of a number of believers in a given location.
It has a within and a without (1 Cor 5:12-13). It has shepherds who are
known by the assembly and know every sheep and lamb in the little flock
(1 Thess 5:12-13; 1 Peter 5:1-4). How could shepherds teach or guide
believers they do not even know? How could they carry out discipline? A
true believer may be outside of an assembly either by being put away (1
Cor 5:9-13); or because of being unlearned (1 Cor 14:23-25).
Asking Questions
Do we have the right to question a person about his salvation
experience, his beliefs or his life? The Jerusalem assembly had apostles
in it, yet they used caution and refused fellowship to Paul until these
three questions were answered fully (Acts 9:26-28). Then he was “with
them,” that is, he continued steadfastly in assembly fellowship.
Distinctions Between the Body and an Assembly
It has been taught that all that are in the great spiritual body of
Christ are automatically in assembly fellowship. But there are numerous
distinctions between the body and a local assembly. The
body is entered at conversion, an assembly is entered by reception (1
Cor 12:13,; acts 2:41). Every true believer is in the body, but there
are believers who are outside of an assembly (1 Cor 5:11, 14:25). In the
body there is neither male nor female (Gal 3:28). But in an assembly,
women are silent (1 Cor 12:34). It is impossible to be separated from
the body (Rom 8:38-39), but it is possible to be put away from an
assembly (1 Cor 5:11-13). Nothing false can ever enter the body (Matt
16:18, but an assembly is warned against wolves and false teachers
entering it (Acts 20:29). The body has perfect unity (John 17:21), but
an assembly might have schisms (1 Cor 3:3). There are many more such
distinctions.
This article appeared in Truth & Tidings magazine in 1999
