# LCMS Convention Workbook_St. Louis Missouri_1983_S345 # Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration) THEOLOGICAL DOCUMENTS with our human sense or reason Here we take our intellect Captive in obedience to Christ. as we do in other articles also and accept this mystery in no other way than by faith and as itis revealed in the Word (FC Ep Vil. 42) D. A Brief Excursus on Communion Practice in the Earty Church Long before St. Augustine's City of God, the church fathers reflected in their writings the conviction that the Christian community was in but not of this world. They were convinced that God was best honored and the church best served when this distinction was held before the faithful Thus, in dealing with Communion practices. the fathers everywhere underscored the tmportance of Preparing for the sacred meat and dis- tancing oneself from the salads which the secularism of that day served up The earliest reference to Communion practice. Didache 9. breathes this spirit when it pointedly distinguishes between “the church” and “the dogs” As this piece fof bread] was scattered over tne hills and then was Drought together and made one s0 jet your Church be brought together trom the ends of tne eartn into your Kingdom For yours is the glory and the power through Jesus Christ forever You must not let anyone eat or rink of your Eucharist except those baptized in the Lord’s name For in reference to this the Lord said. ‘Do not give what is sacred to dogs © Indeed. as one reads further, this document from the early second century distinguishes between those within the fellowship as to the times when Communion couid be rightly received and those instances where Communion would be improper On every Lord's Day—nhis special day—come together ang break bread and give thanks. first confessing your sins so that your sacrifice May be pure Anyone at variance with his neighbor must not JOIN yOu. unti! they are reconciled. lest your sacrifice be defiled For it was of this sacrifice that the Lord said. Always and everywhere offer me a pure sacrifice forlama great King. says the Lord and my name is marveled at by the nations * Its necessary to first “confess your sins.” so that one s participation in the Eucharist might be “pure " Itis also required that no lurking grudge within the heart of the believer protane the Holy Supper. As one moves from this earliest material into the subsequent patris- tic literature. there 's great continuity in theological! attitude and empha- sis. Repeated comments on the administration of Holy Communion sup- Early Carstar Fatners trans ana ed Cyr Aicnarasor in The Ldrary of Crr sian Classics Vol + .Philadeipnia The Westminster Press 1953: 9 175 ford op 178 really present in the Supper of our Lora under the form of bread and wine ang are there distributed and received The contrary doctnne is therefore rejected /AC X) 3. The Lord's Supper strengthens faith Thus the Lord's Supper was instituted in the church so that as this Sign reminds us of the promises of Christ the remembrance might strengthen our faith and we might pubiicly confess our faith and an- nounce the blessings of Christ. as Paul Says (1 Cor 1126). As often as you do this you prociaim tne Lord's death ‘Ap IV. 210) 4 The Lord’s Supper imparts power for Christian living For nere in the Sacrament you receive from Christ S$ lps the forgiveness of sins. which contains and conveys God's grace and Spirit with all his gifts protection. detense, aNd power against death and the devi! and all evils ‘LC V. 70) 5. The Lord’s Supper is an act of thankful adoration The principal use of the sacrament is to make clear that ternfied consciences are the ones worthy of it and how they Ought to use it There is also a sacrifice since one action can nave several Ourposes Once faith nas Strengthened a conscience to see its liberation from terror. then it really gives thanks for the blessing of Chnist's suffering It uses the ceremony itself as praise to God. as a demonstration of its gratitude. and a witness of its high esteem for God's gifts Thus the ceremony becomes a sacrifice of praise Ap XXIV 73-74) 6 The Lord's Supper is a celebration of Christian fettowship After the Last Supper. as he was about to begin his bitter passion Nd death for our sin. in this sad last hour of his fife. this truthful and almighty Lord. our Creator and Redeemer Jesus Christ. selected nis words with great deliberation and care in ordaining ana instrtuting this most venerable sacrament. which was to be observed with great rever- ence and obedience until the end of the world and Which was to be an abiding memorial of his bitter passion and death and of ai! his btess- tings. a Seal of the new covenant. a comfort for all Sorrow:ng hearts. and a true bond and union of Christians with Christ their head and with one another (FC SO Vil. 44) Port a restrictive admission policy with respect to Eucharistic fellowship Two themes run throughout the patristic treatises and tracts First, a life which manifests clear rebellion against the Gospel by “willful and gross” sins constitutes a wali to God-pleasing fellowship Secondly teaching which detracts from Christ's Person and work or fails to heed His voice in the Prophetic and apostolic Scriptures is similarly regarded as a fracture of fellowship.” An excellent summary of the church fathers writings relative to Com- munion practices is given in Werner Elert’s Eucharist and Church Fellow- Ship in the First Four Centuries. This Study repeatedly demonstrates that the early church perceived Communion fellowship as confession of a common faith. It was unthinkable from their perspective. that one who taught faise doctrine could be admitted to the Lord's Table. * E. The Contessional Witness The Lutheran Confessions are a superb repository of Biblical exposition and teaching concerning the Lord’s Supper. Our symbols dwell at length on the manitotd benefits of Holy Communion !. The Lord's Supper offers and conveys forgiveness of sins By tnese words forgiveness of sins. life. and Salvation are giver to us in the sacrament. for where there is forgiveness of sins. there are also life and salvation (SC VI. 6) The people are also admonished concerning the value and use of the sacrament and the great consolation it offers to anxious con- sciences. that they may learn to believe In God and ask for and expect whatever 1s good from God ‘AC XXIV. 7) 2. The Lord's Supper offers the truly present body and blood of Christ It is taugnt among us that the true body and blood of Chrrist are Onger Contra Celsum il 51 *0 Yertuinar De Praescr:iptione Haereticorum 411 ff Cyril of Jerusalem Carecheses Mystagogicae. | 4 * Werner Etert Eucnarist and Church Feliowsnip in tne Frst Four Centuries St Louis Concordia Pupiishing House 1966) 9 133 The procedure of excluding the neretics trom the Eucharist meant that tM early Church haa devised a means of dealing with the anonymous heretic The jocal congregation or bisnoc personally could indeec impose tne regular restrictions But the anonymous heretic particularly the laymar was not known locally As a defense against this sort of thing the church developed a system of written credentials that were presented In tme year 306. the Counc! of Elvira used tne term letters of feilowship "These were cerificates intended tor travelers to give proof of their identity as they came to another Dlace and there sought to participate in tne celebration of tne Eucharist The Counc. of Carthage :345—48) rected that no person grerical OF lay Could commune in anotner congregation without a letter trom his bisnor Tw things were :nvoived in these cevtit.cates or letters first a deciaration that there was NO IMpecimenttcoamans being received ang that he enjoyed tu. Church fellowship in his nome congregation trereby permitting nis admission to the celebration of the Euchar-st and secondly by presenting his certticate re came unger the care of the bishop of the new congregation Il. Practice of the Lord's Supper A. Protogue How does one address the many practical questions that arise in Conjunction with the celebration of Holy Communton? As Lutherans we approach such a task froma unique theological posture. In submitting to the full authority of Holy Scripture as correctly expounded in the Luth- eran Confessions. Lutheranism avoids both that iegalism which negates the Gospel by binding consciences with human ordinances (Galatians) and that libertarianism which would destroy good order in the church {1 Corinthians) A marvelous treatment of the perimeters of evangelical practice is set forth in the Formula of Concord. its tenor will be assumed in our subsequent discussion We further believe. teach. and confess that tne community of God In every place and at every time nas the night. authority. and power to change. to reduce. or to increase ceremonies according to its cir- cumstances. as long as it does so without frivolity and offense but in an orderly and appropriate way as at any time may seem to be most Profitable. beneficial. and salutary for good order. Christian discipline. evangelical decorum. and the edification of tne church Paul instructs us how we can with a good conscience give In and yield to tne weak in faith in such externat matters of indifference (Rom 14) and demon- Strates it by his own example ‘Acts 16.3. 21.26. 1 Cor 9 10) (FC SO X 9) 8. Practice in Accord with the Words of Institution 1, Consecration Its clear from our review of the Scriptural passages and their con- fessional exposition. that the church must follow the Lord's guidance in speaking the Words of Institution over the elements in Holy Communion {1 Cor. 11 23-26) Thus the pastor seeks to “do this” in accord with the Lord's instruc- bons (1 Cor. 11:24-25). It would not be Proper. then. to distribute the bread and wine as the Sacramentaily present body and biood of Jesus without first Pronouncing Jesus words over the elements * Nor, if the Hermann Sasse writes Pernaps nothing reveals the profound aiHerence between Lutner’s and 2wingli s understanding of the sacramental words more than the fact that for Luther and the Lutheran Church the words of INSUTUTION Nave always Deen aiso the words of consecration. while Zwingl: and alt Reformed churches reyect the dea that the elements are consecrated by reciting the words of Christ’ 1 Tavs 4s My Body D 164) In keeping with the centrality of the sacramentai verba the consecration should be Spoken over ail tne elements To separate by distance or iituegical action a portion of the bread or of the wine i)