Communion Rules
At any point in your life, have you wondered if you could partake in communion? It kind of depends on what church you grew up in which is kind of weird to consider that churches have different rules regarding the Lord’s supper. This past Super Bowl featured a commercial for JEEP starring Harrison Ford. In the commercial, Ford begins with, “The longest thing we ever do is live our lives, but life doesn’t come with an owner’s manual. Might have been nice, huh?” The reality is that life does come with an owner’s manual, written by the Owner and Author of life. We can turn to the scriptures for guidance on countless issues which is why it so baffling that churches have different rules regarding communion. Paul gave some guidance to the church at Corinth in 1 Corinthians 11 regarding this matter.
“For I received from the Lord Himself that [instruction] which I passed on to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night in which He was betrayed took bread; and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, ‘This is (represents) My body, which is [offered as a sacrifice] for you. Do this in [affectionate] remembrance of Me.’ In the same way, after supper He took the cup, saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant [ratified and established] in My blood; do this, as often as you drink it, in [affectionate] remembrance of Me.’ For every time you eat this bread and drink this cup, you are [symbolically] proclaiming [the fact of] the Lord’s death until He comes [again].
So then whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in a way that is unworthy [of Him] will be guilty of [profaning and sinning against] the body and blood of the Lord. But a person must [prayerfully] examine himself [and his relationship to Christ], and only when he has done so should he eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks [without solemn reverence and heartfelt gratitude for the sacrifice of Christ], eats and drinks a judgment on himself if he does not recognize the body [of Christ]. That [careless and unworthy participation] is the reason why many among you are weak and sick, and a number sleep [in death]. But if we evaluated and judged ourselves honestly [recognizing our shortcomings and correcting our behavior], we would not be judged. But when we [fall short and] are judged by the Lord, we are disciplined [by undergoing His correction] so that we will not be condemned [to eternal punishment] along with the world.
So then, my brothers and sisters, when you come together to eat [the Lord’s Supper], wait for one another [and see to it that no one is left out].”
So what’s the guideline for taking communion. I think it is clear that you must be a believer, otherwise how can you know what you are doing? We used to go into a rehab facility for inmates and addicts and we would do church for them and we would always bring communion. We would explain what the communion was and what Jesus did for them. One resident asked us once, “Doesn’t it say in the Bible that you shouldn’t take this if you don’t believe it?” I think that is a fair estimation of what Paul is saying here.
“So then whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in a way that is unworthy [of Him] will be guilty of [profaning and sinning against] the body and blood of the Lord. But a person must [prayerfully] examine himself [and his relationship to Christ], and only when he has done so should he eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks [without solemn reverence and heartfelt gratitude for the sacrifice of Christ], eats and drinks a judgment on himself if he does not recognize the body [of Christ]."
You must believe in what Jesus did for you in order to take communion, but on top of that, communion should be taken with solemn reverence and heartfelt gratitude for the sacrifice of Christ. This is a serious matter. There are entire churches that don’t have solemn reverence for Christ! Communion should be taken very seriously. When you take communion you should prayerfully examine yourself and your relationship with Christ. Notice there are few outcomes that Paul hints to when we examine ourselves and our relationship with Christ during this communion time. One: if we evaluate and judge ourselves honestly, recognize our shortcomings and correct our behavior, then we won’t be judged. Two: if we fall short and we are judged by God, we will be disciplined so that we will not be condemned. So many people are afraid of discipline from the Lord but the Scriptures tell us God disciplines those He loves. It is better to be disciplined than condemned. Three: if you are taking communion in a way that is unworthy of Christ, if you are careless and flippant about it, you are “profaning and sinning against] the body and blood of the Lord.” Paul even suggests that this lackadaisical attitude about communion may be the cause of weaknesses and sicknesses in people with such an attitude toward communion.
So the next time you have the blessed opportunity to partake in the Lord’s supper, do it with the proper attitude and solemn reverence it deserves. And if anyone tells you a different rule or qualifier for taking communion, remind them of what Peter and the apostles said in Acts 5:29 - “We must obey God rather than any human authority.”