What is required before receiving Communion?

Friends,

The Catechism asks: what is required of them who come to the Lord's Supper?

"To examine themselves, whether they truly repent of their former sins, stedfastly purposing to lead the new life; have a living faith in God's mercy through Christ, with a thankful remembrance of His death; and be in charity with all men".

How far must a baptised, confirmed Christian go in repenting before communing? How does he know his soul is ready to receive the Body and the Blood of the Saviour? How much faith is enough? How much repenting is enough?

 

What we should be asking is ... what does Scripture say about the Lord's Supper?

 

There are already other topics on that subject, friend. This one is for scrupulosity.

 

You asked the question ... "The Catechism asks: what is required of them who come to the Lord's Supper?"
I replied ... "What we should be asking is ... what does Scripture say about the Lord's Supper?"
I ask this question ... Is it Christ-Like to dismiss another because you do not like the response?
The Catechism is a "human institution" not a biblical institution!

 

I was not dismissing you sir, but pointing to a distinction in the topic. The essence of the Lord's Supper is different from how we human beings approach its celebration, is it not?

At any rate, the Catechism is based on the Scriptures. The title of this topic still stands, however, independent of the Catechism. Let us ask the Scriptures, then, what is required of a man in his heart and mind before approaching the Lord's Table?

 

"what is required of a man in his heart and mind before approaching the Lord's Table?"
Patiently awaiting reference from Scripture. Be Blessed

 

I'm the one with the question... Do you have an answer?

 

I have already stated my answer .. there is nothing in Scripture (to my knowlege) that tells us what is required. The church makes the rules and that is what should be followed. To say that the Catechism is based on Scripture is a very loose interpretation at best.

I'm not disputing the Catechism nor am I disputing anything you say ... I simply say, If you join the club, you follow the rules as set down by that club. Each Church has it's own set of rules and regulations, dogma, tradition and reason ... they all believe that they have the truth ... My only truth is what I believe to be true ... my truth may not be that of another!

 

I'm afraid this means we can have nothing meaningful to say to one another on any subject, then... it's simply impossible.

Christ is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. If there is not One Truth in all, there is nothing.

I apologize if I dismissed to you, brjohn. We are both Hell-deserving sinners, and do not grasp the mercy of God - but He has called us to that mercy in Christ, so we must be fair, balanced, and good to one another. Sorry for my attitude.

 

Which Catechism because the Catechism is Roman Catholic isn't it and we are Anglicans and we are not bound by the same 'rules' for want of a better word. Most priests seem to be happy that we are there. They have to be celebrating the Eucharist every service whether they want to or not. We can select and there are times when we don't want to be there and can role over in bed on a Sunday Morning. Our Priests can't and Roman Catholics on Catholic Answers have lots of obligation questions as thus. For us to be there is our main requirement and I do not use the Catechism before and Eucharist because although an abridge copy was given to me 25 years ago at confirmation class it isn't that Anglican and we do not have to seek confession before service if we broken any of them and yes I do confession at times becasue I need to hear I'm forgiven sometimes but nothing to do with Eucharist because its all covered in the Eucharist. Anglicans do not need to respond to the Cathechism before each Eucharist do we? Its the first I've heard if we do and been going to Anglican Church for 25 years. Yes some people have their own preparation and prayers but is it the Catechism or is it something they worked for themselves over the years. I don't because I believe in God and my prayer life has radically changed this year for the better and God accepts me as I am so why follow through something that isn't going to help me at the Eucharist? I am not knocking it. Just as said before, as an Anglican we are not actually obligated to respond to Catechism and confessions aren't automatically available to those people who feel as though they have sinned against the Catechism so why beat ourselves up with God when God loves us all and what he wants is our hearts at the Eucharist?

 

rhiannon, it's from the Anglican Catechism of the 1662 Book of Common Prayer. It attempts to teache us what our dispositions and beliefs should be in soul and heart. It isn't recited at any Service.

By the way, I think "just rolling over in bed" on Sunday, by our own will, is a horrible abridgement of the fellowship Christians are called to. We're a communion, the holy Body of Christ... we should be together, gathered...

You bring up an interesting subject in Confession, however.

 

@rhiannon .. the Anglican Church / Episcopal Church does have a Catechism. You will find it at the back of the prayer book. Many churches, because they have very few young people no longer teach the Cetechism through prepraration for Confirmation ... as a matter of fact, many churches no longer have Confirmation Classes.
We have all come short of the glory of God and if God were a mean and hateful God waiting to slay all sinners then none of us would have any hope ... we hear the words that we are all Hell-deserving sinners ... that is how the church has beat people into submission from its inception. As for me ... I believe that God is a God of mercy and willing to forgive anything, without reservation .... my God, is an Awesom God .. not a Vengful God!

 

I admit I do not like how Roman Catholics use confession and how they seem to think that everything will help them get into Heaven is their worry and there may be RC's that genuinely do confession for their time on Earth and nothing to do with Heaven. But if we are following the Catechism then what do you do when you broken a rule. Anglicans yes we can go straight to God and the Service helps us to do so without extra confession but as I say, I need to individually hear it from time to time and it gives me a chance spiritually talk things through about my sins my life etc and yes hear that I am forgiven. I don't do any of it for entry to Heaven because I believe that 'we' are half way there as such but I also think faith isn't something to be had to get us into Heaven but faith is to be had because believe in God in his own right.

 

Calvin's commentary:

28. But let a man examine himself. An exhortation drawn from the foregoing threatening. "If those that eat unworthily are guilty of the body and blood of the Lord, then let no man approach who is not properly and duly prepared. Let every one, therefore, take heed to himself, that he may not fall into this sacrilege through idleness or carelessness." But now it is asked, what sort of examination, that ought to be to which Paul exhorts us. Papists make it consist in auricular confession. They order all that are to receive the Supper, to examine their life carefully and anxiously, that they may unburden all their sins in the ear of the priest. Such is their preparation! I maintain, however, that this holy examination of which Paul speaks, is widely different from torture. Those persons, after having tortured themselves with reflection for a few hours, and making the priest -- such as he is -- privy to their vileness, imagine that they have done their duty. It is an examination of another sort that Paul here requires -- one of such a kind as may accord with the legitimate use of the sacred Supper.

You see here a method that is most easily apprehended. If you would wish to use aright the benefit afforded by Christ, bring faith and repentance. As to these two things, therefore, the trial must be made, if you would come duly prepared. Under repentance I include love; for the man who has learned to renounce himself, that he may give himself up wholly to Christ and his service, will also, without doubt, carefully maintain that unity which Christ has enjoined. At the same time, it is not a perfect faith or repentance that is required, as some, by urging beyond due bounds, a perfection that can nowhere be found, would shut out for ever from the Supper every individual of mankind. If, however, thou aspirest after the righteousness of God with the earnest desire of thy mind, and, trembled under a view of thy misery, dost wholly lean upon Christ's grace, and rest upon it, know that thou art a worthy guest to approach the table -- worthy I mean in this respect, that the Lord does not exclude thee, though in another point of view there is something in thee that is not as it ought to be. For faith, when it is but begun, makes those worthy who were unworthy.

29. He who shall eat unworthily, eateth judgment to himself. He had previously pointed out in express terms the heinousness of the crime, when he said that those who should eat unworthily would be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord Now he alarms them, by denouncing punishment; for there are many that are not affected with the sin itself; unless they are struck down by the judgment of God. This, then, he does, when he declares that this food, otherwise health-giving, will turn out to their destruction, and will be converted into poison to those that eat unworthily

He adds the reasons because they distinguish not the Lord's body, that is, as a sacred thing from a profane. "They handle the sacred body of Christ with unwashed hands, (Mark 7:2,) nay more, as if it were a thing of nought, they consider not how great is the value of it. They will therefore pay the penalty of so dreadful a profanation." Let my readers keep in mind what I stated a little ago, that the body is presented to them, though their unworthiness deprives them of a participation in it.

 

Again ... these are not the words of Christ ... they are man-made regulations many, many years after the death of Christ! People seem to forget ... the Bible is not the written word of God .. it is a collection of letters and stories written by humans to control humans. If your going to quote scripture why do you just choose the one that fits what you want people to hear. Read the Gospel's ... even the apostle's don't agree with each other and even they fought amongst themselves. Does anyone really believe that God made each one of these men "perfect" so that the bible could be written?

 

brjohnbc, if you don't believe the Bible is the word of God at all, and was just written by men to control men, why are you a Christian? Are you a Christian?

 

Yes, I am a Christian and I did not say I didn't believe in the bible. Please do not read things into my statements that are not really there!
I do believe in the bible ... just not that it is God Breathed as compared to God Inspired. Any theologian will tell you that the bible has changed drastically since its inception and interpretation time after time. In the original manuscripts there were not always words that were not identifiable and could only be translated as "guesses" at best.
It makes me cringe when people say it is the "literal Word of God" ... if it were the literal word then why are they not following everything word for word. It is used by Conservatives to get across their point of view, just as it is used by Liberals to get across their point of view and it's used by the Church to keep people in 'order' ... that is why the church has been able to get away with all the things they have gotten away with.
As for me ... I use the bible to 'Order' my everyday life. The bible contains all that is needed for salvation! It should not be used to control other people. The Conservatives in the Anglican Church say the Established Anglican Church has lost its way ... maybe so, but until they can show me that they are living a Godly Life in strict accordance with every part of the bible .. not just what they pick and choose, then I will have to stay the course and live my life accordingly.
Be Blessed
P.S. .... It always strikes me as funny when someone says something that is contrary to anothers belief on a subject their Christianity is automatically suspect?

 

Sheer, vile and utter heresy.

 

You may want to re-word that.