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Children at the Lord's Supper

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Children at the Lord's Supper C ALVIN T HEOLOGI C AL S EMINARY FORUM S PRING 2 0 0 7 Children at the Lord’s Supper C ALVIN T HEOLOGI C AL S EMINARY from the president FORUM Cornelius Plantinga, Jr. Providing Theological Leadership for the Church Volume 14, Number 2 Spring 2007 Dear Brothers and Sisters, REFLECTIONS ON CHILDREN AT THE LORD’S SUPPER An issue of The Unesco Courier reminds us that for most of human history, travelers have needed the food, drink, and shelter of strangers. They couldn’t 3 travel any distance without it, and in hard climates it often “meant the difference Children at the Lord’s Supper between life and death.” and Reformed Theology by Lyle D. Bierma The Courier tells of one culture after another whose rituals of hospitality go back for centuries. For instance, to this day Bedouin people in the Arabian des- 5 ert keep a campfire going all night in order to attract travelers to it. A generous United, Separated, Re-united: host might even light a second fire on a nearby hilltop so that travelers can see it The Story of Baptism and the Lord’s Supper for miles. When a visitor arrives, the host doesn’t offend him by prying into the by David M. Rylaarsdam purpose of his journey. He doesn’t even ask how long his guest means to stay. He simply offers him a place by the fire, and maybe a mat, but in any case food and 7 drink. Children at the Lord’s Supper and the Key Text of Always food and drink. Handing food to a guest is momentous. When you pass 1 Corinthians 11:17-34 food to another person you are saying, “I want you to live.” In fact, handing food by Jeffrey A.D. Weima to another is a sacramental act. It binds you together as giver and receiver of life. 9 That’s why the Bible talks about food so much. There’s food all over the place Children at the Table: in the Bible: fruit trees in Paradise, a Passover meal at the Exodus, manna in the Some Provisional Answers to the Practical Questions desert, gleaning laws in farmers’ fields, multiplication of loaves and fishes in the by John D. Witvliet desert, breakfast on the beach with the resurrected Lord, and parables that are fragrant with cookery and with promise of banquets to come. DEPARTMENTS At the center of all this is God, giver and host. God keeps providing for all of us pilgrims in the desert because he wants us to live. In fact, he wants us to thrive. In Continuing Education ........ .12 the mystery of communion with God, Jesus Christ not only gives and hosts, but News....................... .13 in fact offers himself as our meal so that we spiritually eat and drink our God. The Formation for Ministry ....... .14 point is that for us travelers, such hospitality may mean the difference between life and death. The Calvin Theological Seminary Forum is published in Winter, Spring and Fall editions. And if we are traveling with small children? Does Jesus have anything for Calvin Theological Seminary, 3233 Burton St. SE, them? Is the bread of heaven meant for them as well as for us? Grand Rapids, MI 49546. The Forum is available at www.calvinseminary.edu Editorial Committee: John Cooper, Editor; Mariano Last summer the CRC graciously said Yes. In this issue of Forum four thought- Avila, John Bolt, Duane Kelderman, Kathy Smith Designer: Paul Stoub, Stoub Graphics ful colleagues help us ponder questions and implications of this remarkable Cover Photo: Paul Stoub affirmation. Photography: Stephen Huyser-Honig, Kathy Smith © 2007 Calvin Theological Seminary Grace and peace, PublicatiONS Mail AgreemeNT NO. 40063614 ReturN UNdeliVerable CANadiaN addresses TO: CalVIN TheOLOgical SemiNary 3475 MaiNway, LCD STN 1 BurliNgtON, ON L7M 1A9 email: [email protected] 2 C ALVIN T HEOLOGI C AL S EMINARY FORUM • SPRING 2007 REFLECTIONS REFLECTIONS ON CHILDREN AT THE LORD’S SUPPER Children at the Lord’s Supper and Reformed Theology hen the CRC synod The answer to Q&A 81 rests always stressed that God’s spe- decided last summer to heavily on a common interpreta- by Lyle D. Bierma cial relationship with believ- “allow for the admission of tion of 1 Corinthians 11:27-29. Professor of ers and their children, rooted all baptized members to To be displeased with ourselves Systematic Theology in the covenant with Abraham the Lord’s Supper,” many because of our sins, we must in Genesis 17, is essentially the were surprised at how quickly the measure examine ourselves before we same in both the Old and New Wwas passed. It should be remembered, how- come to the Supper (v. 28). In Testaments. There is one com- ever, that the CRC has been wrestling with this way, we will not partici- munity of God throughout all this issue ever since 1984. Major studies pate in the Lord’s Supper in an redemptive history, and children of the question came before Synods 1986, unworthy manner (v. 27) and are full members of that com- 1988, and 1995—all with majority and thus eat and drink judgment to munity. As we say in the form for minority reports, and all with extensive ourselves (v. 29). Since very small the baptism of children, “God biblical and theological arguments on both children are not capable of such graciously includes our children sides. What Synod 2006 did was point the self-examination, the argument goes, they in his covenant, and all his promises are for denomination in a new direction—but on should be excluded from the table. them as well as for us.” a biblical-theological basis that has been As Professor Weima points out else- On that basis we have long argued that under construction for twenty years. Since where in this issue, however, there is anoth- since children of believing parents in the many in the CRC are probably not familiar er way of understanding 1 Corinthians 11 Old Testament received the sacrament of with the theological grounds for this new that does not necessarily require the exclu- initiation into the covenant community practice, we shall briefly introduce some sion of children from the Lord’s Supper and (circumcision), covenant children today of them here. may even open the door to their inclusion. should receive the sacrament of initiation The traditional Reformed position is We will not repeat the details or merits that has replaced circumcision (baptism). summarized in Heidelberg Catechism of that interpretation here. The growing Why, then, would the same not apply to Q&A 81: shift to this other interpretation, however, the sacrament of nurture? If in the Old Q. Who are to come to the Lord’s opens the way for an appeal also to some of Testament covenant children participated table? the theological emphases in our tradition, in the household and communal celebra- A. Those who are displeased with them- especially the Reformed understanding of tions of the Passover (Exod. 12:3-4, 21-26) selves because of their sins, but who the covenant and the sacraments. and other sacred meals of remembrance nevertheless trust that their sins are (Deut. 12:6-7), they should also be wel- pardoned and that their continuing The Nature of the Covenant come at the New Testament counterpart to weakness is covered by the suffering Synod 2006 decided to open the Lord’s these feasts: the Lord’s Supper. Members and death of Christ, and who also desire table to all baptized members “on the basis of the Old Covenant community were “all more and more to strengthen their faith of their full membership in the covenant baptized into Moses in the cloud and in and to lead a better life. Hypocrites and community.” (See the Acts of Synod 2006, the sea,” and they “all ate the same spiritual those who are unrepentant, however, eat pp. 727-731, for the complete record of food and drank the same spiritual and drink judgment to themselves. synod’s action on this matter.) We have drink” from Christ (1 Cor. 10:1-4). ▼ 3 C ALVIN T HEOLOGI C AL S EMINARY FORUM • SPRING 2007 REFLECTIONS ON CHILDREN AT THE LORD’S SUPPER Children at the That pattern did not lenges for the CRC in the years ahead will Lord’s Supper ▼ suddenly change in be to educate its members about this theo- the New Covenant. ● logical basis and to deal with the theologi- In other words, as critics of infant bap- cal objections that are sure to arise. tism have often pointed out, it seems as if There is one But an even bigger challenge, perhaps, we in the Reformed tradition are incon- will be to come to terms with our con- sistent when we appeal to the unity of the community of God fessions on this issue. As a confessional testaments to support infant baptism but denomination we look upon our statements not children at communion. Exclusion of throughout all of faith as reliable summaries of biblical children from the Lord’s table suggests a teaching and the framework for our theo- discontinuity between the Old and New redemptive history, logical thinking. As we have already seen, Testaments that seems to undermine the the Heidelberg Catechism grants entry to very continuity on which the case for infant and children are the Lord’s Supper only to those who are baptism is built. displeased with their sins. And the Belgic full members of that Confession states that Christ instituted the The Nature of a Sacrament sacrament of the Supper “to nourish and When it comes to the doctrine of the community.
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