Re: Communion — Why is it always led by an ordained minister?
All of a sudden, the usual rhythm of a Sunday service is disrupted. Instead of taking communion after the sermon, we skip right to a closing song and announcements.
Why?
Because the pastor is away that day.
But it raises an important question — why does Communion need to be administered by an ordained pastor? I mean, it seems pretty straightforward. Do the prep, say the words and pass it out.
In our denomination (PCA) we follow the Westminster Confession which teaches in 27.4 that it may only be served be a “minister lawfully ordained.” But the Confession doesn’t offer many reasons. But it does cite some Scripture passages as cross-references that help us make sense of this practice.
So why does it have to be a minister? Here are four reasons:
- Because ministers are examined in what Communion means.
When you become a minister in the PCA, you have a written and verbal exam on the sacraments. They want to ensure you have a thorough understanding of what communion and baptism mean.
Much of this flows from 1 Corinthians 11:23 where Paul writes, “I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you.” By this he means that he is not making up what Communion means, but is the heir to the proper meaning. He passes along what all Christians believe about this sacrament.
In Christianity, we want to ensure that future generations understand the Lord’s Supper accurately, so we set aside some ministers who have studied and been tested in their understanding and will communicate it appropriately week in and week out.
2. Because bad things happen when it is not taken seriously
Later in 1 Corinthians 11 Paul says that you must eat and drink (the Lord’s Supper) in a worthy manner. It shouldn’t be taken lightly, flippantly or wrongly. We are called to discern what it means and take it appropriately.
Then Paul offers the cryptic statement — “that is why many of you are weak and ill, and some have died.” (vs. 30)
We realize that in the Corinthian church, a wrong handling of the Lord’s supper has led to the judgement of God which in their case was weakness, illness and even death.
Better for us to err on the side of caution and only have lawful ministers leading the church in the Lord’s Supper.
3. Virtually all of church history has a uniform practice.
On issues where we are uncertain, church history can be a helpful guide. If you search both the traditions of the church and the systematic theology writings of the brilliant men and women of the past, you will see very few references to a church that practices communion apart from an ordained minister.
As far as we can tell, it has always been the practice of the church to have communion administered by an ordained person up until very recent times.
4. Ordination is more than just words.
Often we view ordained ministers as merely the best educated on spiritual matters, or as an employee of the church.
But if you look through the Scriptures, the Scriptures take a high view of those ordained. (Not higher as in “better”, higher as in “more serious.”)
Consider: Matthew 16:19; Matthew 18:18; 1 Corinthians 5:4–5, John 20:23.
In all of these passages, in a mysterious way there is special status and power conferred onto the apostles and those who follow them (particularly in the case of 1 Cor. 5) in ordained ministry.
So, when a minister says “this is the body of Christ given for you,” the Scriptures assume that God is spiritually endowing them with a peculiar and specific effect that is not present when a layperson does the same thing or says the same words.
These four reasons: Examination, Avoidance of Error, Church History and Ordination are four good reasons for Communion to be administered by ordained pastors only.
One Caveat:
At Resurrection Church, we don’t think unordained communion is a sin. We think this is an issue of interpretation and practice and some Christians may disagree with us in good faith. And our Book of Church Order allows some latitude for congregations who do not have a regular minister or Christians who for some reason cannot access communion. There may be times and places when it is better to take communion from an unordained person than avoiding it for too long a season.
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