What is the minimal acceptable age for a person to be accepted to partake the Lord’s Supper?
There are two vital ordinances that the Church is to observed that is the baptism and the Lord’s Supper. Partaking of the bread symbolizes the breaking of Christ’s body and the cup symbolized the pouring out of Christ’s blood for us. This is why when we participate in the Lord’s Supper we are actually proclaiming what is said in I Cor. 11:26 “For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes”. Other than that it also means that we are participating in or sharing in the benefit earned for us by the death of Jesus.
There is no mention of minimal age in the Bible in partaking of the Lord’s Supper. As to my understanding after referring and gathering from the theology book, it is clearly stated that the Lord’s Supper is only taken by those who believe in Jesus Christ. That is those who have accepted Jesus as their personal saviour. This is as a sign of being Christian and continuing in the Christian life. This depends on the maturity of the young believer. It is important for this new believer to understand the real meaning of the Lord’s Supper and to partake it with great reverend. The maturity in a child is different from one to another.
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dear sis, i believe when one is truly a believer, he/she is can partake the Lord's supper therefore age is not an issue. GB
Agree, Children has different maturity level? Every parent thinks their child is smart and mature, does it means they can take communion? Can children decide for themselves when they are ready to take communion? If they take it and are not ready or they may trivialize the communion which according to Corinthian has severe consequences. Who is responsible for the trivializing of the communion? The Children, Church,parent, Pastor or who? Who should provide the guidance? What Is there a reasonable safe prescribe age?
Dear Joe,
Yes, age is not an issue but it would be more meaningful if they can understand what they are doing.
Eunice
Dear Concern Observer,
Yes, as a parents we all want to admit that our children are matured. The important thing here is the child need to know the reason why he/she taking the Lord's supper. As for me I believe that it is always the responsibility of the parents to explain to the child the meaning and the symbol behind the Lord's Supper. If we are being serious about Lord's supper, we should than be sure that our child have that maturity to partake.
Thank you for your concern and observation.
The issue of age is not important, but the issue of maturity and understanding of the child in realizing the significant of the Lord's Supper in 1 Cor 11:26 is highly concern.
Why there is so many existing ways in partaking the Lord's Supper and not just standardized one and all follow suit?
Very well said. Do you know that the Jewish parents teach their children about the torah when they are young? In the Jewish culture, parents are responsible for the faith of their children.
I think you have make a very good point here. As for the minimum age, the parents will know best.
However, how about those children that their parents were not believer? How should we decide in this case? If is possible, other reader of this blog can gives idea as well?
This blog is so interesting...
Hi Jerome, thanks for your comments. As you have read I am sharing on the issue of the minimal age to partake communion and not the method of serving.
Anyway, as for me the method of serving the communion is not an issue. what is important is the symbol and the attitude of the partaker. Do that know the real meaning of the Lord's supper?
Hi mouse,
Thank you for sharing on the Jewish parents. Truly they obey what the torah teach them. This is Godly parents.
By the way on the issue of the parents are not Christian, I believe this is where the Spiritual parents play their part, in this case the Sunday School teacher. If they have brough the child to Christ and have been doing the follow up then it is their duty to take up the responsibility to teach and decide on the Child's maturity. This is my opinion. If anyone out there have a better answer feel free to share.
I think the child should ask for it first.
When they can realise the importance of it and hunger for it then they will appreciate it. If not we run the risk of making it just another monthly ritual where many people are already doing so.
Also not all parents are good parents even if they are Christians. We see many in church just ritualising it and showing that Christianity is just form and no power. They avoid answering hard questions, don't educate them spiritually, neglect their children's spiritual development. So what makes us think that parents and these parents are also Sunday School teachers can do that? The child needs to be involved and not told, they have to yearn it not only told what it is. If not they will know it but there is no internal appreciation of it.
The comments and posts can be shallow and superficial.... There's got to be more to a topic than a straight forward answer... sounds text book...
Hi Eunice,
I agreed with you that the bible did not specifically laid down an age limit for the participation of the Lord's Supper. But the scripture in Acts 2 & 4 about believers gathering for breaking of bread. Would you accept that here also refers to families and therefore, children included. Afterall, in OT, the Moses addressed the issue that all Israelites besides comemorate Jehovah's deliverance of them from the Egyptians, they are to pass on verbally the 'good' works of God to their following generations as a reminder regardless of age. If Christ's work on the Calvary cross is instructed to be observed by believers as a rememberance of the God's atoning work through Christ, will not that be similar to the OT's instruction? Won't it be more meaningful for whole family to paticipate together or is it because of AG's Tenets of faith?
Dear Sis,
I more or less agree with you that communion should be taken by all who have accepted the Lord as their personal saviour and have come to a maturity in their Christian Life.In my church the children sometimes drink up all the unfinished communion cups is there any dire consequences.
Hi Eunice! the age of the partaker is being discussed and it seem not that important. The issue is more about the maturity, the symbol and the attitude of the partaker in knowing the real meaning of the Lord's supper.
I remember that during the forum discussion Ps.Lim do brought up the issue of a child faking about it all by the guidance of a parent, how can we deal with such a case.
Hi Guys, thanks for all the comments. I was trying to do more research on this topic but all of them are very basic and did not touch into the issues that was brought up.
1.There got to be more!
I agree that they are plenty of Sunday Christians among the parents. Most of them may not know the significant of the Lord's Supper. They need to take up the responsibility to first of all to educate themselves so that they can create interest and teach their chldren on the importants of the Lord's Supper.
2.I understand what you are saying Freddie, as said before not many parents understand the important of Lord's Supper. If this have no meaning for them, it is not possible for them to take communion together as a family.
3.Hi Raymond,
As for me I always look at the communion as sacred, we need to educate the children on this. Therefore the ladies who are preparing or clearing the balance communion should dispose it.If we keep allowing the children to drink it when they start to partake the communion it is just like drinking some juice and have no meaning for them.
4. Hi Jerome,
Yes, it was on water baptism. But it can happen on anything. Again I must say that the parents need to take up the responsibility.
I know that I keep repeating that the parents need to take up responsibility is because the parents are the steward of the children. They are accountable in all the teaching that they impart to the child not only for the worldly education but most importanly on Christian Education. It is not the duty of the Church or Sunday School Teacher. Unless the parents are unbeliever than the church can be the guide.
Thank you and God Bless.
Thanks Eunice, the parent need to hold responsibilities of the child. If the parent really ask the child to fake over it, in a matter of time seeing others going through it also, when the child come into maturity will question about his/her parent decision.
Then the issue will once again be surface up again. The parent will have a hard time to convince their faith to the child over the matter.
Hi Eunice,
Thanks for your reply. By the way how do you judge who understand and who do not understand the full meaning of the Lord's Supper? Would that not be too rigid to with-hold children to join in the whole family from paticipating the communion together? Does the Bible stipulate such a ruling?
Hi Freddie,
The way we judge who understand and who don't is by asking the member if they know why they partake Lord's supper or what does it mean to them. You will be suprise that most of the adults can't answer it. i remember while giving a Bible study, one of them said he thought it was part of a monthly ritual that we do in church. coming from a temple backgroud he have participated in many rituals so for him whatever that take place in church could be part of ritual too. This is only one example I am sure that different people have their own interpretation.
The Bible only said that they partake the Lord's supper together but not family. During my wedding I remember that we were told that the communion is also be taken together as a family. It is a pratice that not many family do. I feel that as a Chirstian family it is good to partake Lord's supper during special occasions like Easter, Christmas or even Birthdays. i don't see anything wrong with it as long as we know the meaning and the purpose of doing so.
Thank you.
God Bless You.
Yes, I can't agree with you more that "The maturity in a child is different from one to another."
Then how do we decide to let a child partake the Holy Communion or not? How do we ascertain a particular child is mature enough to appreciate the sacrament?
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