LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 2016, Page 346

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346

THEOLOGY AND CHURCH RELATIONS

Whereas, This is the only book known among us to address this
topic, but it does not represent the official theological position of the
Synod; therefore be it
Resolved, That the English District of The Lutheran Church—
Missouri Synod memorialize the 2016 LCMS convention to assign
to our two seminaries the task of evaluating the theological implications of the practice of cremation; and be it further
Resolved, That the seminaries render a published opinion to be disseminated and considered by our Synod during her 2019 convention.
English District
Farmington, Michigan
5-10

To Avoid Practice of Communing Infants
and Very Young Children
Whereas, Paul says in 1 Corinthians, “Whoever, therefore, eats
the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will
be guilty concerning the body and blood of the Lord. Let a person
examine himself, then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup.
For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and
drinks judgment on himself. That is why many of you are weak and
ill, and some have died” (11:27−30); and
Whereas, Some children at an early age may be able to so examine themselves, but infants are unable to discern the body and blood
of the Lord, as 1 Corinthians 11 requires; and
Whereas, The Great Commission requires the church to make
disciples both by first baptizing them in the name of the triune God,
and then teaching them to observe all that our Lord has commanded
us (Matthew 28:18−20), including the Lord’s Supper. This teaching
cannot happen yet in the case of infants and very young children, and
this catechetical component must precede admission to the Lord’s
Supper; and
Whereas, Our Lutheran Confessions further provide direction regarding admission to the Lord’s Supper: “As we treated Holy
Baptism under three headings, so we must deal with the second sacrament in the same way, stating what it is, what its benefits are, and
who is to receive it. All these are established from the words by which
Christ instituted it. So everyone who wishes to be a Christian and go
to the sacrament should be familiar with them. For we do not intend
to admit to the sacrament and administer it to those who do not know
what they seek or why they come” (LC V 1−2). Infants and very
young children are unable to comprehend what God promises in the
Lord’s Supper or its benefits. Nor do they “know what they seek or
why they come”; and
Whereas, No one should be forced to commune, and infants and
very young children are incapable of expressing their desire to participate in the Sacrament of the Altar. As stated in the Large Catechism,
“Now, it is true, as we have said, that no one should by any means be
forced or compelled to go to the Sacrament, lest we institute a new
murdering of souls” (LC V 42); and
Whereas, Infants and the very young have not been, and are
not capable of being, examined by their pastor or the church. The
Augsburg Confession states, “All those able to do so partake of the
Sacrament together. This also increases the reverence and devotion
of public worship. No one is admitted to the Sacrament without first
being examined. The people are also advised about the dignity and
use of the Sacrament, about how it brings great consolation to anxious consciences, so that they too may learn to believe God and to
expect and ask from Him all that is good. This worship pleases God
2016 Convention Workbook

[Colossians 1:9–10]. Such use of the Sacrament nourishes true devotion toward God” (AC XXIV 5−8); and
Whereas, “Christ commands us, ‘Do this in remembrance of
Me’ (Luke 22:19). Therefore, the Mass was instituted so that those
who use the Sacrament should remember, in faith, the benefits they
receive through Christ and how their anxious consciences are cheered
and comforted. To remember Christ is to remember His benefits. It
means to realize that they are truly offered to us. It is not enough
only to remember history. (The Jewish people and the ungodly also
remember this.) Therefore, the Mass is to be used for administering
the Sacrament to those that need consolation. Ambrose says, ‘Because
I always sin, I always need to take the medicine’” (AC XXIV 30−33);
and
Whereas, The CTCR has twice in recent years researched and
written two opinions on the practice of admitting infants and young
children to the Lord’s Supper, first in Response to Concerns of
the South Wisconsin District Circuits 18 and 19 Regarding Infant
Communion (1997) and more recently in Knowing What We Seek and
Why We Come (2014); and
Whereas, The congregations and pastors who are members of the
LCMS must require of communicants the sort of careful self-examination required by Paul in 1 Corinthians 11. To this end, and for the
sake of those who wish to partake of the Lord’s Supper, congregations and pastors must admit to this Sacrament only those persons
who are of sufficient age and discretion to examine themselves; and
Whereas, The practice of communing infants (paedocommunion)
is not in harmony with Holy Scripture and the Lutheran Confessions;
and
Whereas, Those who wish to extend the blessings of Holy
Communion to infants or very young children are not adequately
considering the special biblical purposes and conditions of this
Sacrament; therefore be it
Resolved, That the LCMS in convention affirms that the two
CTCR opinions, Response to Concerns of the South Wisconsin
District Circuits 18 and 19 Regarding Infant Communion (1997)
and Knowing What We Seek and Why We Come (2014), are faithful
to Scripture and consistent with confessional Lutheran practice since
the Reformation; and be it further
Resolved, That while the 2016 LCMS convention recognizes that
there is no precise numerical age for first communion required by
Scripture or the Confessions, worthy reception does involve conscious
self-examination and catechetical instruction so that communicants
know what they seek to receive at Christ’s altar and why they come to
the Sacrament coupled with pastoral examination to encourage worthy use of the Sacrament; and be it further
Resolved, That the communing of infants and very young children
prior to their instruction and examination in the faith is contrary to
Scripture and the Lutheran Confessions and should not be the practice of LCMS congregations and pastors; and be it finally
Resolved, That for the sake of the unity of Holy Scripture, for the
unity of practice and doctrine for all LCMS congregations, and for
the steadfast Christian faith of all our congregations’ members, this
convention strongly urges all LCMS pastors and congregations to
avoid the practice of communing infants and very young children.
Concordia
Louisville, KY