The Communion Service by John Norton Loughborough

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Dec 28, 1911

The Communion Service

By John Norton Loughborough

J. N. LOUGHBOROUGH

BEFORE me are the questions, “Did the Saviour in instituting the ordinance of humility—the washing of feet—and the Lord’s Supper design them to be a test of Christian character? and did he empower his church to exclude from the sacrament all who might not stand complete in all the will of the Lord?”

Whatever the Saviour did on that occasion is safe for us to follow, for he said, “I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you.” John 13:15. One thing is certain in the teachings of Christ, that he never empowered his people to sit in judgment here on the fate of their fellows. He said, “Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.” Matt. 7:1, 2. Webster’s definition of judging is: “To examine and pass sentence on; to try; to condemn.” Luke’s record of this discourse of Christ is: “Judge not, and ye shall not be judged; condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned.” Luke 6:37. But, it might be asked, “Did not Christ say of false prophets, ‘Ye shall know them by their fruits’?” Matt. 7:16. Yes, but he did not say, Ye shall exclude all from your fellowship who are striving to serve the Lord, if they do not in everything come up to your standard of judgment.

Paul met those in his time who were placing themselves upon the judgment-seat to condemn others who did not meet their idea of things. He said of such, “But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged of you, or of man’s judgment. . . . But he that judgeth me is the Lord. Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts: and then shall every man have praise of God.” 1 Cor. 4:3-5.

Still later the apostle said to the Roman brethren, “But why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at naught thy brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment-seat of Christ. For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God. So then every one shall give account of himself to God. Let us not therefore judge one another any more: but judge this rather, that no man put a stumbling-block or an occasion to fall in his brother’s way.” Rom. 14:10-13.

But to return to the sacrament question. What is the institution? and what place does it occupy in the gospel plan? Of this we read, “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?” 1 Cor. 10:16. The words of our Saviour when instituting the communion were, “For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do show the Lord’s death till he come.” 1 Cor. 11:26. As the repentant sinner, in the past dispensation, came with his innocent lamb, confessed his sins, and in offering that blood showed his faith in the Saviour to come, so, in partaking of the bread and wine in the sacrament, our faith looks back to the cross, and accepts the blood of Christ, the innocent victim, as a propitiation for our sins.

It may be said, “Does not the apostle speak of an examination of those partaking of the Lord’s Supper?” Yes, but he says, “Let a man examine himself.” He does not say others must examine him, lest they become polluted with something about him which they imagine is wrong. Let us see what is implied in his examination. “But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup. For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body.” 1 Cor. 11:28, 29. By reading this whole chapter we see that the apostle was correcting an abuse of the communion service. He

said: “When ye come together therefore into one place, this is not to eat the Lord’s Supper. For in eating every one taketh before other his own supper: and one is hungry, and another is drunken.” 1 Cor. 11:20, 21. They had turned the occasion into a feast of their own, instead of making it a special occasion of calling to mind the humiliation and death of Christ.

Did the Saviour, in instituting the communion service, limit it to those only who stood clear from all sin? Let us see the condition of his communicants. There was Judas. What was his condition? ‘Six days before the passover,’ immediately after the feast at Simon’s house, he ‘went unto the chief priests, and said unto them, What will ye give me, and I will deliver him unto you? And they covenanted with him for thirty pieces of silver. And from that time he sought opportunity to betray him.’ John 12:1; Matt. 26:14-16. Of the disciples at that time it is said, ‘And there was also a strife among them, which of them should be accounted the greatest.’ Luke 22:24. Here surely was a situation! Fit subjects were these for the ‘judgment’ of Christ, if he wished to leave an ‘example’ for us to follow in examining, and judging our brethren. Here was Judas, with revenge upon the Saviour in his heart, and the other disciples striving who should be accounted the greatest. Christ washed the feet of every one, and said to each, Take, eat of this bread, and drink of this cup.

We will quote from another source respecting the feast at Simon’s house, and what followed, ‘Six days before the passover,’ we read, ‘he [Judas] went directly from that supper to the chief priests, and agreed to betray him [Christ] into their hands.’—Spirit of Prophecy, also, Desire of Ages.

Again, ‘when Judas had become annoyed at the implied rebuke of Jesus because of his covetous spirit upon that occasion of Mary’s anointing his head with the costly ointment, he yielded to the temptation, and gave Satan easy access to his mind.’—Spirit of Prophecy.

‘He [Judas] finally became so penurious that he made bitter complaint because the ointment poured upon the head of Jesus was expensive. He turned it over and over in his mind, and counted the money that might have been placed in his hands to expend if that ointment had been sold. His selfishness grew stronger until he felt that the treasury had really met with a great loss in not receiving the value of the ointment money. He finally made open complaint to Christ. The Saviour rebuked him for his covetousness. This rankled in the heart of Judas, until for a small sum of money, he consented to betray his Lord.’—Id.

‘After Judas had closed the contract by which he agreed to betray his master into the hands of those who thirsted for his life, he mingled with the other disciples as if innocent of wrong, and interested himself in the preparation for the Passover. The betrayer thought that his purpose was hidden from his Master. . . . He only became more firmly settled in his plans as the discovery of his guilt was made apparent.’—Id.

It may be said that ‘when Christ washed Judas’s feet, and gave him the emblems of the Lord’s body and blood, the sin of Judas had not been made known to the disciples.’ It was not the disciples that washed his feet, nor the disciples that gave him the emblems of Christ. It was the Saviour himself who knew from the beginning who should betray him. John 6:64. ‘He knew who should betray him; therefore said he, Ye are not all clean.’ John 13:11.

Again we read: ‘Judas the betrayer was present at the sacramental service. He received from Jesus the emblems of his broken body and his spilled blood. He heard the words, “This do in remembrance of me,” and sitting there in the very presence of the Lamb of God, the betrayer brooded over his dark purposes, and cherished his sullen, revengeful thoughts.

‘At the feet-washing, Christ had given convincing proof that he understood the character of Judas. ‘Ye are not all clean,’ he said. These words convinced the false disciple that Christ read his secret purpose.’—Spirit of Prophecy.

‘Though Jesus knew Judas from the beginning, he washed his feet, and the betrayer was privileged to unite with Christ in partaking of the sacrament. A long-suffering Saviour held out every inducement for the sinner to receive him, to repent, and to be cleansed from the defilement of sin. . . . It was because the disciples were erring and faulty, that he washed their feet, and all but one were thus brought to repentance.

‘Christ’s example forbids exclusiveness at the Lord’s Supper. It is true that open sin excludes the guilty. This the Holy Spirit teaches [I Cor. 5:10]. But beyond this none are to pass judgment. God has not left it with men to say who shall present themselves on these occasions. Who can distinguish the tares from the wheat? ‘Let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup.’ [I Cor. 11:28.]

‘There may come into the company persons who are not in heart servants of truth and holiness, but may wish to take part in the service. They should not be forbidden.’—Id.