Repentance and Worthiness to Partake in Communion
Repentance and Worthiness to Partake in Communion
The question of whether one must repent before partaking in Communion is a contested issue across Christian traditions. The debate centers on the prerequisites for worthy participation in the Lord's Supper.
The practice of self-examination before Communion is rooted in 1 Corinthians 11:28, which instructs believers to "examine themselves" before eating the bread and drinking the cup [2]. This self-examination is linked to repentance, as seen in the biblical call to "repent therefore and be converted, for the blotting out of your sins" (Acts 3:19) [1].
The Eastern Orthodox tradition, as represented by John of Damascus, emphasizes the importance of repentance and confession before partaking in Communion. According to John of Damascus, the sacrament of Communion is closely tied to the sacrament of Penance [8].
In contrast, some Reformed traditions, such as those represented by John Calvin, emphasize the importance of self-examination but do not necessarily link it to a specific sacrament of Penance. Calvin's Institutes highlight the need for believers to examine themselves before partaking in Communion, citing 1 Corinthians 11:28 [7].
The Anglican tradition, as reflected in the Thirty-Nine Articles of Religion, also emphasizes the importance of worthy reception of Communion. Article 28 states that "the unworthy receivers... eat and drink judgment to themselves" [6].
The Lutheran tradition, represented by the Augsburg Confession, emphasizes the importance of faith and repentance in receiving Communion. Article X of the Augsburg Confession states that "the sacrament is given with the Word, that it may strengthen faith" [9].
While traditions differ on the specifics of repentance and worthiness to partake in Communion, they agree on the importance of a genuine and heartfelt approach to the sacrament. All positions emphasize the need for believers to approach Communion with reverence and a commitment to their faith [2, 4, 5].
The hermeneutical commitment to Scripture and the historical context of the early Christian church drive the differences in interpretation. The various traditions draw on different scriptural anchors, such as 1 Corinthians 11:28, Acts 3:19, and Matthew 3:8, to support their positions [2, 1, 3].
Sources
- Acts “Acts 3:19 (Darby) — Repent therefore and be converted, for the blotting out of your sins, so that times of refreshing may come from [the] presence of the Lord,”
- Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Communion of the Lord's Supper — Prefigured -- Ex 12:21-28; 1Co 5:7,8. Instituted -- Mt 26:26; 1Co 11:23. Object of -- Lu 22:19; 1Co 11:24,26. Is the communion of the body and blood of Christ -- 1Co 10:16. Both bread and wine are necessary to be received in -- Mt 26:27; 1Co 11:26. Self-examination commanded before partaking of -- 1Co 11:28,31. Newness of heart and life necessary to the worthy partaking of -- 1Co 5:7,8. Partakers of, be wholly separate to God -- 1Co 10:21. Was continually partaken of, by the Church -- Ac 2:42; 20:7. Unworthy partakers of Are guilty of”
- Matthew “Matthew 3:8 (LITV) — Therefore, bring forth fruits worthy of repentance.”
- Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Self-Examination — Enjoined -- 2Co 13:5. Necessary before the communion -- 1Co 11:28. Cause of difficulty in -- Jer 17:9. Should be engaged in With holy awe. -- Ps 4:4. With diligent search. -- Ps 77:6; La 3:40. With prayer for divine searching. -- Ps 26:2; 139:23,24. With purpose of amendment. -- Ps 119:59; La 3:40. Advantages of -- 1Co 11:31; Ga 6:4; 1Jo 3:20-22.”
- Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Communion With God — Is communion with the Father -- 1Jo 1:3. Is communion with the Son -- 1Co 1:9; 1Jo 1:3; Re 3:20. Is communion with the Holy Spirit -- 1Co 12:13; 2Co 13:14; Php 2:1. Reconciliation must precede -- Am 3:3. Holiness essential to -- 2Co 6:14-16. Promised to the obedient -- Joh 14:23. Saints Desire. -- Ps 42:1; Php 1:23. Have, in meditation. -- Ps 63:5,6. Have, in prayer. -- Php 4:6; Heb 4:16. Have, in the Lord's supper. -- 1Co 10:16. Should always enjoy. -- Ps 16:8; Joh 14:16-18. Exemplified Enoch. -- Ge 5:24. Noah. -- Ge 6:9. Abraham. -- Ge 18:33. J”
- Thirty-Nine Articles of Religion (Anglican) “Thirty-Nine Articles of Religion (Anglican, 1571), 28.Of the Lord's Supper.: 28.Of the Lord's Supper.”
- CCEL (Reformed) “John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, section 109: Index of Scripture References Genesis 1:2 1:26 1:27 1:31 2:7 2:7 2:17 2:18 2:23 2:23 3:7 3:9 3:12 3:15 3:15 3:15 3:22 4:4 4:7 4:10 4:13 6:3 6:5 6:6 6:18 7:21 8:21 9:6 12:12 12:17 14:18 14:18 15:1 15:1 15:5 15:17 16:9 17:7 17:7 17:10 17:10 17:13 17:15 17:27 18:2 18:23 20:3 20:7 21:1 21:12 21:24 22:1 22:8 22:16-18 23:4 23:19 24:7 24:10 26:27 27:28 27:38-39 28:12 28:20 29 30:2 31:19 31:20 31:40-41 32 32:10 32:13 32:29-30 33 34 36:22 37:18 37:28 37:33 38:18 42 43 43:14 45:5 47:9 47:9 47:29-30 48:14 48:16 49:5-6 49:18 Exodus 2:12 3:2 3”
- CCEL (Eastern Orthodox) “John of Damascus, An Exact Exposition of the Orthodox Faith, section 105: 45:12 45:14 48:12 53:4-5 53:8 53:8 53:8 53:9 61:1 61:1 64:4 65:1-2 65:2 65:13-16 65:16 65:16 66:1 66:1-2 66:1-2 66:7 Jeremiah 1:6 17:9 23:22 23:24 Ezekiel 27:23 37:7 44:2 Daniel 1:8-16 2:15 2:22 3:20 3:23 6:16 10:2 11:37 12:1-3 Hosea 1:6-7 13:4 13:4 Amos 3:6 Micah 1:3 Zechariah 9:9 Malachi 1:11 3:6 3:6 3:6 3:6 4:2 4:2 4:6 Matthew 1:21 1:21 1:23 1:23 1:25 2:20 3:11 3:15 3:17 3:17 3:17 3:17 3:17 3:17 3:17 3:17 4:2 4:4 5:3 5:5 5:8 5:17 5:17 5:17 6:25 6:26 6:33 7:6 7:18 7:23 8:3 8:3 8:30 9:2 9:4 10:6 10:15 10:16 10:22 10:28 ”
- Augsburg Confession (Lutheran) “Augsburg Confession (Lutheran, 1530), Article X. Of the Lord's Supper.: Article X. Of the Lord's Supper.”