One pastor said that in his church anybody can take communion…children, visitors, anyone. I don’t think that’s how it is supposed to be. 2 – I visited a church and at the end of the service they gave me the bread and the wine (juice) to do it at home. They didn’t even know if I was converted to Christ. Is that right? 3 – If a couple is not married but have accepted Jesus as savior, can they take the Lord’s Communion or must they get married first before doing Communion?
It was in the upper room that the Lord Jesus sat with His disciples and made known His desire that we would remember Him. His words were simple as we read in Matthew 26:26-28, “And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body. And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it; For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.” In these few words, the Lord took a loaf of bread and gave it to us as an emblem of His body. He also took a cup of wine and gave it to us as an emblem of His blood.”
This ‘remembrance feast’ was revealed in greater depth to the Apostle Paul by the Lord and he wrote in 1 Corinthians 11:23-28, “For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, That the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread: And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me. After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me. For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord’s death till he come. Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup.”
To try to answer each of your questions and concerns, let’s look at them one by one.
ANYBODY CAN TAKE COMMUNION…CHILDREN, VISITORS, ANYONE. The local church is given the privilege and responsibility to guard the integrity of the Lord’s Supper. We call it the Lord’s Supper, because it is His. This supper belongs to the Lord, and we need to maintain the godliness and holiness that rightfully belongs to it. 1 Timothy 5:22 tells us to, “Lay hands suddenly on no man, neither be partaker of other men’s sins: keep thyself pure.” We should not be so quick to accept those whom we do not know. To welcome them into the church group through the communion service without knowing if they are saved, if they are living immorally, or if they are holding false doctrines, we could be exposing the assembly to the leaven of sin that affects all the assembly. 1 Corinthians 5:6 says, “…Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump?” Leaven represents sin in the Bible and if the church group allows sin into its midst, it becomes part of the group and dishonors the Lord. Children who are so young that they do not understand the seriousness and preciousness of the Lord’s Supper should be taught until they reach the age and maturity where they can spiritually and intelligently partake.
DISTRIBUTING THE BREAD AND WINE SO ONE CAN REMEMBER THE LORD AT HOME. I have never heard of this practice, but it does not show the truth of fellowshipping together with fellow saints in remembering the Lord. 1 Corinthians 10:16-17 says, “The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ? For we being many are one bread, and one body: for we are all partakers of that one bread.” The word ‘communion’ here is better translated ‘fellowship.’ We establish fellowship with those that we remember the Lord with. To practice this remembrance feast by yourself denies fellowship with others and does not have the quality of communion when one does it by himself/herself.
IF A COUPLE IS NOT MARRIED BUT HAVE ACCEPTED JESUS AS SAVIOR, CAN THEY TAKE THE LORD’S COMMUNION OR MUST THEY GET MARRIED BEFORE DOING COMMUNION? If these two are both believers on the Lord Jesus Christ, are not living in sin, and are in agreement doctrinally with the group they are gathering with, there is no reason they must wait until they are married to remember the Lord. 1 Corinthians 11:28 tells us, “But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup.” If there is nothing in either life that would prohibit them from worshipping the Lord, then they should “eat of that bread, and drink of that cup.” (CC) (615.4)