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Matthew
Matthew
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Is it not a sin to withhold communion from those who might think a little differently about the specific nature of the Eucharist?

I would argue that there is a misconception here (and this seems to be the root of your question).

As one source (see below) says: "The celebration of Holy Communion is also a public act of confession. When you receive the Sacrament at a church's altar, you are giving public testimony that you agree with that church's doctrinal position." (Emphasis added.) Another: "Communion creates and defines our community, our being one with one another in Christ". Another: "Those Christians who remain outside of [our] Church are, by definition, not in full union (communion) with [our] Church" and "[if those people commune with us, they] are saying with their body, 'I am in full union with the Church,' when in fact they are not. Reception of the greatest gift Christ intends to give to us therefore becomes an act of dishonesty and occasion of sin." Still another: "It would be shameful hypocrisy on our part if we would have those who actually profess a different faith than we do join us at the Lord's Altar" and "Close communion seeks to prevent a profession of confessional unity in faith where there is, in fact, disunity and disagreement".

Practicing closed communion is not the same as forbidding someone from taking communion. It isn't saying "you may not have communion", but "it is not appropriate that you should take communion with us". The very word suggests why this should be: communion is an expression of unity in faith. If one does not have unity in faith with another, one should not partake of communion what that other person, but with other Christians with which one does share faith. For the same reason, most Christians who practice closed communion would not merely exclude Christians of another faith from their own churches, but would exclude themselves from communing outside their church. (Note that "church" here is roughly synonymous with "denomination", not a specific congregation.)

Further reading (mostly taken from Google):

Note that, from what I know / can tell, the stance on closed communion of all of these bodies is fairly consistent, despite their doctrines having other (sometimes quite extreme) differences. (All also note that "open" communion is a modern invention of non-Lutheran protestant churches that was never practiced in the historical church prior to the reformation.)

Is it not a sin to withhold communion from those who might think a little differently about the specific nature of the Eucharist?

I would argue that there is a misconception here (and this seems to be the root of your question).

As one source (see below) says: "The celebration of Holy Communion is also a public act of confession. When you receive the Sacrament at a church's altar, you are giving public testimony that you agree with that church's doctrinal position." (Emphasis added.) Another: "Communion creates and defines our community, our being one with one another in Christ". Another: "Those Christians who remain outside of [our] Church are, by definition, not in full union (communion) with [our] Church" and "[if those people commune with us, they] are saying with their body, 'I am in full union with the Church,' when in fact they are not. Reception of the greatest gift Christ intends to give to us therefore becomes an act of dishonesty and occasion of sin." Still another: "It would be shameful hypocrisy on our part if we would have those who actually profess a different faith than we do join us at the Lord's Altar" and "Close communion seeks to prevent a profession of confessional unity in faith where there is, in fact, disunity and disagreement".

Practicing closed communion is not the same as forbidding someone from taking communion. It isn't saying "you may not have communion", but "it is not appropriate that you should take communion with us". The very word suggests why this should be: communion is an expression of unity in faith. If one does not have unity in faith with another, one should not partake of communion what that other person, but with other Christians with which one does share faith. For the same reason, most Christians who practice closed communion would not merely exclude Christians of another faith from their own churches, but would exclude themselves from communing outside their church. (Note that "church" here is roughly synonymous with "denomination", not a specific congregation.)

Further reading (mostly taken from Google):

Note that, from what I know / can tell, the stance on closed communion of all of these bodies is fairly consistent, despite their doctrines having other (sometimes quite extreme) differences. (All also note that "open" communion is a modern invention of non-Lutheran protestant churches that was never practiced in the historical church prior to the reformation.)

Is it not a sin to withhold communion from those who might think a little differently about the specific nature of the Eucharist?

I would argue that there is a misconception here (and this seems to be the root of your question).

As one source (see below) says: "The celebration of Holy Communion is also a public act of confession. When you receive the Sacrament at a church's altar, you are giving public testimony that you agree with that church's doctrinal position." (Emphasis added.) Another: "Communion creates and defines our community, our being one with one another in Christ". Another: "Those Christians who remain outside of [our] Church are, by definition, not in full union (communion) with [our] Church" and "[if those people commune with us, they] are saying with their body, 'I am in full union with the Church,' when in fact they are not. Reception of the greatest gift Christ intends to give to us therefore becomes an act of dishonesty and occasion of sin." Still another: "It would be shameful hypocrisy on our part if we would have those who actually profess a different faith than we do join us at the Lord's Altar" and "Close communion seeks to prevent a profession of confessional unity in faith where there is, in fact, disunity and disagreement".

Practicing closed communion is not the same as forbidding someone from taking communion. It isn't saying "you may not have communion", but "it is not appropriate that you should take communion with us". The very word suggests why this should be: communion is an expression of unity in faith. If one does not have unity in faith with another, one should not partake of communion what that other person, but with other Christians with which one does share faith. For the same reason, most Christians who practice closed communion would not merely exclude Christians of another faith from their own churches, but would exclude themselves from communing outside their church. (Note that "church" here is roughly synonymous with "denomination", not a specific congregation.)

Further reading (mostly taken from Google):

Note that, from what I know / can tell, the stance on closed communion of all of these bodies is fairly consistent, despite their doctrines having other (sometimes quite extreme) differences. (All also note that "open" communion is a modern invention of non-Lutheran protestant churches that was never practiced in the historical church prior to the reformation.)

added 437 characters in body
Source Link
Matthew
Matthew
  • 11k
  • 24
  • 50

Is it not a sin to withhold communion from those who might think a little differently about the specific nature of the Eucharist?

I would argue that there is a misconception here (and this seems to be the root of your question).

As one source (see below) says: "The celebration of Holy Communion is also a public act of confession. When you receive the Sacrament at a church's altar, you are giving public testimony that you agree with that church's doctrinal position." (Emphasis added.) Another: "Communion creates and defines our community, our being one with one another in Christ". Another: "Those Christians who remain outside of [our] Church are, by definition, not in full union (communion) with [our] Church" and "[if those people commune with us, they] are saying with their body, 'I am in full union with the Church,' when in fact they are not. Reception of the greatest gift Christ intends to give to us therefore becomes an act of dishonesty and occasion of sin." Still another: "It would be shameful hypocrisy on our part if we would have those who actually profess a different faith than we do join us at the Lord's Altar" and "Close communion seeks to prevent a profession of confessional unity in faith where there is, in fact, disunity and disagreement".

Practicing closed communion is not the same as forbidding someone from taking communion. It isn't saying "you may not have communion", but "it is not appropriate that you should take communion with us". The very word suggests why this should be: communion is an expression of unity in faith. If one does not have unity in faith with another, one should not partake of communion what that other person, but with other Christians with which one does share faith. For the same reason, most Christians who practice closed communion would not merely exclude Christians of another faith from their own churches, but would exclude themselves from communing outside their church. (Note that "church" here is roughly synonymous with "denomination", not a specific congregation.)

Further reading (mostly taken from Google):

Note that, from what I know / can tell, the stance on closed communion of all of these bodies is fairly consistent, despite their doctrines having other (sometimes quite extreme) differences. (All also note that "open" communion is a modern invention of non-Lutheran protestant churches that was never practiced in the historical church prior to the reformation.)

Is it not a sin to withhold communion from those who might think a little differently about the specific nature of the Eucharist?

I would argue that there is a misconception here (and this seems to be the root of your question).

As one source (see below) says: "The celebration of Holy Communion is also a public act of confession. When you receive the Sacrament at a church's altar, you are giving public testimony that you agree with that church's doctrinal position." (Emphasis added.) Another: "Communion creates and defines our community, our being one with one another in Christ". Another: "Those Christians who remain outside of [our] Church are, by definition, not in full union (communion) with [our] Church". Still another: "It would be shameful hypocrisy on our part if we would have those who actually profess a different faith than we do join us at the Lord's Altar" and "Close communion seeks to prevent a profession of confessional unity in faith where there is, in fact, disunity and disagreement".

Practicing closed communion is not the same as forbidding someone from taking communion. It isn't saying "you may not have communion", but "it is not appropriate that you should take communion with us". The very word suggests why this should be: communion is an expression of unity in faith. If one does not have unity in faith with another, one should not partake of communion what that other person, but with other Christians with which one does share faith. For the same reason, most Christians who practice closed communion would not merely exclude Christians of another faith from their own churches, but would exclude themselves from communing outside their church. (Note that "church" here is roughly synonymous with "denomination", not a specific congregation.)

Further reading (mostly taken from Google):

Note that, from what I can tell, the stance on closed communion of all of these bodies is fairly consistent, despite their doctrines having other (sometimes quite extreme) differences.

Is it not a sin to withhold communion from those who might think a little differently about the specific nature of the Eucharist?

I would argue that there is a misconception here (and this seems to be the root of your question).

As one source (see below) says: "The celebration of Holy Communion is also a public act of confession. When you receive the Sacrament at a church's altar, you are giving public testimony that you agree with that church's doctrinal position." (Emphasis added.) Another: "Communion creates and defines our community, our being one with one another in Christ". Another: "Those Christians who remain outside of [our] Church are, by definition, not in full union (communion) with [our] Church" and "[if those people commune with us, they] are saying with their body, 'I am in full union with the Church,' when in fact they are not. Reception of the greatest gift Christ intends to give to us therefore becomes an act of dishonesty and occasion of sin." Still another: "It would be shameful hypocrisy on our part if we would have those who actually profess a different faith than we do join us at the Lord's Altar" and "Close communion seeks to prevent a profession of confessional unity in faith where there is, in fact, disunity and disagreement".

Practicing closed communion is not the same as forbidding someone from taking communion. It isn't saying "you may not have communion", but "it is not appropriate that you should take communion with us". The very word suggests why this should be: communion is an expression of unity in faith. If one does not have unity in faith with another, one should not partake of communion what that other person, but with other Christians with which one does share faith. For the same reason, most Christians who practice closed communion would not merely exclude Christians of another faith from their own churches, but would exclude themselves from communing outside their church. (Note that "church" here is roughly synonymous with "denomination", not a specific congregation.)

Further reading (mostly taken from Google):

Note that, from what I know / can tell, the stance on closed communion of all of these bodies is fairly consistent, despite their doctrines having other (sometimes quite extreme) differences. (All also note that "open" communion is a modern invention of non-Lutheran protestant churches that was never practiced in the historical church prior to the reformation.)

Source Link
Matthew
Matthew
  • 11k
  • 24
  • 50

Is it not a sin to withhold communion from those who might think a little differently about the specific nature of the Eucharist?

I would argue that there is a misconception here (and this seems to be the root of your question).

As one source (see below) says: "The celebration of Holy Communion is also a public act of confession. When you receive the Sacrament at a church's altar, you are giving public testimony that you agree with that church's doctrinal position." (Emphasis added.) Another: "Communion creates and defines our community, our being one with one another in Christ". Another: "Those Christians who remain outside of [our] Church are, by definition, not in full union (communion) with [our] Church". Still another: "It would be shameful hypocrisy on our part if we would have those who actually profess a different faith than we do join us at the Lord's Altar" and "Close communion seeks to prevent a profession of confessional unity in faith where there is, in fact, disunity and disagreement".

Practicing closed communion is not the same as forbidding someone from taking communion. It isn't saying "you may not have communion", but "it is not appropriate that you should take communion with us". The very word suggests why this should be: communion is an expression of unity in faith. If one does not have unity in faith with another, one should not partake of communion what that other person, but with other Christians with which one does share faith. For the same reason, most Christians who practice closed communion would not merely exclude Christians of another faith from their own churches, but would exclude themselves from communing outside their church. (Note that "church" here is roughly synonymous with "denomination", not a specific congregation.)

Further reading (mostly taken from Google):

Note that, from what I can tell, the stance on closed communion of all of these bodies is fairly consistent, despite their doctrines having other (sometimes quite extreme) differences.