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Why do we practice closed communion?
Closed Communion is the Scriptural and historic Christian practice
of communing only those who confess the corporeal presence of Christ
in the sacrament of the altar, and who are joined to an altar which
is in confessional Church fellowship with our own. Hence we
understand individual Christians according to the altar to which
they are joined in their home congregations and not as "lone
rangers."
Sometimes people will call this practice “Close” rather than
“Closed” Communion. But the proper word can be seen by testing out
what the opposite is. The opposite of “close” is “far.” The opposite
of “closed” is “open.” The terminology of “closed” comes from the
early church practice of having a little benediction for those still
receiving instruction (catechumens), those under church discipline,
and any visitors. Immediately following the sermon those were
dismissed and a deacon would cry out, “the doors, the doors!” and
the doors to the sanctuary would be CLOSED and locked for the
Service of Holy Communion for communicants, which was never a public
spectacle. The term is also drawn from the parable of the wise and
foolish virgins in Matthew.
Closed communion has historically been practiced by all the churches
which teach that Christ’s body and blood are truly given and
received in the Holy Supper. It is not exclusively a Missouri Synod
practice. Most protestants do not practice it because they view the
Lord’s Supper as something we do and which is only a symbol or
simply a vague “spiritual” presence of Christ. Holy Communion is not
only an individual matter. Not only do individual Christians have a
responsibility to examine themselves (I Cor. 11), but pastors also
have a responsibility in addition to this. The Apostle Paul writes
of the responsibility of pastors in this in I Corinthians 4:1: “Let
a man so consider us, as ministers of Christ and stewards of the
mysteries of God.” Paul also wrote in Romans 16: “Now I urge you,
brethren, note those who cause divisions and offenses, contrary to
the doctrine which you learned and avoid them.” Therefore pastors
and communicants each have responsibility in seeing to it that
individuals commune with benefit and with integrity within the
confession of the church.
The famous German Lutheran theologian, Hermann Sasse, once wrote:
"There is actually more unity of the church present where Christians
of differing confession honorably determine that they do not have
the same understanding of the Gospel, than where the painful fact of
confessional splintering is hidden behind a pious lie."
(borrowed with permission from the Epiphany Lutheran Church
website)
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