Question:
How do you handle children and the communion service? Should children who are not baptized take of the bread and the wine? We are blessed with a lot of children in our home church, and they look longingly at the bread and the juice. Should it be offered to them?
Answer:
Seventh-day Adventists have historically never excluded anyone from the communion service. They have followed the Biblical example of Jesus, on the night of the Last Supper in the upper room. Matthew 26:20–25 tells the story of the disciples coming together with Jesus around the Passover table. Verse 21 tells us that Jesus told them that one of them would betray Him. In John’s gospel, we are told that while all the “Is it I?” questions were being asked, John is lying on Jesus’ bosom, and he is prompted to ask who it is. Jesus plainly reveals to them that Judas is the betrayer.
I bring all of this out for the reason that Judas was living a life and filling a role of a devil. In other words, the devil was in attendance at this Last Supper experience. That Last Supper served as a model of the present day communion service, and there was a devil present that ate the bread and drank the wine. This is why we never close communion service to anyone.
On the other side, there is a certain responsibility that comes with maturity. Judas was a grown man and could understand as a man. It was up to him to examine himself in the light to the truth, which was right before him.
The apostle Paul has been quoted as restricting this service with the words in 1 Corinthians 11:27. Many have taken this text and used it to exclude others or themselves from the communion service, because they felt that they were not worthy to partake. Friend, no body is worthy! Our most righteous righteousness is nothing but filthy rags. This text is not even talking about our worthiness. It is talking about how the communion service is being conducted. If there was ever a time when we should be at the communion service, it should be when we feel the most unworthy. That is when the grace of God is the most manifested. These people were acting in a manner unfitting a Christian. This counsel came to correct what they were doing, not to exclude them for who they were.
As far as children are concerned, there is nothing in the Word that forbids the taking of the bread and the juice. But there is a responsibility of the parents to guide them into an understanding and into a commitment as a follower of Jesus. If a child has the full grasp of what salvation and the death of Christ on the cross of Calvary are all about, as it concerns them, then let them partake. Many parents do not teach their children these important concepts. If these children do not understand, they should not participate, but the why needs to be explained to them.
While the communion service is a sacred and solemn service, it should not close out anyone. For those who can reason, they should be left alone. For children who cannot understand the plan of salvation, the parents should be their guides. The age of that understanding is usually the age of baptism.
That is why these two events are generally tied together. This should not be a divisive issue.
Pastor Mike Baugher is Associate Speaker for Steps to Life Ministry. If you have a question you would like Pastor Mike to answer, e-mail it to: landmarks@stepstolife.org, or mail it to: LandMarks, P. O. Box 782828, Wichita, KS 67278