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Dear Friends in Christ,
Closed communion is an unloving practice that hinders the Church’s outreach.
Closed communion is a loving practice that proclaims the Gospel.
(For the sake of this article “closed communion” means that we commune people who are fellow members in good-standing of Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod congregations. We commune those who publicly, by their congregational membership, confess all the doctrines we confess, not just the doctrine of the Lord’s Supper. I use the term “closed” because that is the historic term. The term “close” communion comes from Baptist theology.)
So, which is it? Although the first statement is a common sentiment, the second statement is the true statement. This month, I’ll speak about the love of practicing closed communion. Next month, I’ll address how closed communion preaches the Gospel.
Practicing closed communion is loving to the unbeliever and to the heterodox believer. St. Paul says in 1 Corinthians 11 that the person who eats or drinks in an unworthy manner sins against the Lord’s Body and Blood. He also writes that anyone who eats or drinks without discerning Christ’s Body eats and drinks judgment on himself. Giving the Lord’s Supper to an unbeliever would be leading that person into sin. That is not loving. Giving the Lord’s Supper to a believer who believes Christ’s Body and Blood are merely symbolized by the bread and wine would be serving them God’s judgment. This also is not loving.
Closed communion is a loving practice to your brothers in the neighboring congregations, our District, and our Synod. I liken the Synod to marriage. All congregations and pastors voluntarily joined the Synod. There was no shotgun wedding. No one is forced to belong to the Missouri Synod. Instead, congregations and pastors willingly make their vows to the other congregations and pastors of the Synod to be faithful in doctrine and practice according to the Holy Scriptures and our confessional writings in the Book of Concord. Now I’m going to ask some pointed questions. How much unfaithfulness would you tolerate in your marriage? Could your spouse ever convince you that his watching of pornography or her weekend affair was loving? Those are blunt questions, but if you would not tolerate marital unfaithfulness, which is only for our time on earth, what should your attitude be toward heavenly unfaithfulness, which is for eternity?
The Missouri Synod allows pastoral discretion for communing under exceptional circumstances. Since these are exceptions, they should be rare and undertaken with diligent discernment. It is helpful for our synodical “marriage” if a pastor discusses these exceptional cases with his brothers in the Circuit. That shows love for the congregations and pastors that might be affected by those decisions.
That briefly is how closed communion is a loving practice. Next month, I’ll show how practicing closed communion preaches Christ.
In Christ,
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