Fencing (Restricting) the Lord's Table
As of April 7th, 2024, the Village Church changed the way the Lord's Table is administered, specifically, moving from a “guarded table” to a “fenced ” or “restricted” table. In addition to this position paper, a pamphlet will be placed in the pews, and changes in the language used during the institution of the table will be made, making visitors aware of our practice and its purpose.
Preface
Over the last six months, the elders of The Village Church have been in regular conversation regarding the faithful administration of the Lord’s Table. This conversation began due to collective conviction from having observed participation of The Table in what was believed to be an unworthy manner. We have felt strong conviction that, in the serving of the elements to those who reject Christ completely or are walking in openly unrepentant sin, we have not been faithful to the Lord, His local church and those placed under our care for the right and proper worship of our Holy God. Through this, our role and responsibility in proper administration and participation came into question. We also felt conviction that our administration and practice of The Lord’s Table was not consistent with our administration and practice of Baptism. This led to months of Scriptural and historical research regarding the faithful administration and participation of the Lord’s Table and the elder’s role within this administration. We wrestled together through conversations regarding whether we were placing too much responsibility on ourselves as elders and “adding to” Scripture as we thought through the potential changes that could take place. We also wrestled through conversations regarding the desire to ensure that all those whom Christ has invited to His Table would also be welcome at The Lord’s Table in this local church, while at the same time wrestling through how to most Biblically keep those who should not be participating from participating in this local church. What follows represents the work and unified conviction of the elders. Our heart throughout this process has been to pursue the worship of our great God as faithfully as possible, in accordance with Scripture. We also have longed to pursue the care, nourishment and protection of church members as faithfully as possible, in accordance with Scripture. As you read, we pray that you will hear and share our heart for the Lord and one another in these matters.
What is the Lord's Table (Supper)?
The Westminster Confession Article 29.1 answers that question this way: Our Lord Jesus, in the night wherein he was betrayed, instituted the sacrament of His Body and Blood, called the Lord’s Supper, to be observed in His Church, unto the end of the world, for the perpetual remembrance of the sacrifice of Himself in His death; the sealing all benefits thereof unto true believers, their spiritual nourishment and growth in him, their further engagement in and to all duties which they owe unto him; and, to be a bond and pledge of their communion with him, and with each other, as members of his mystical body (Mat 26:26- 28, Luke 22: 18-20, Mark 14: 22-25, 1Co 11:23-26, 1Co 10:16-17, 21, 1 Co 12:13).
Who oversees the administration of the Lord’s Table?
The Lord's Table and Baptism are the two sacraments given to the Church. Both are elements of worship, ordained by Christ (Mat 26:26- 28, Luke 22: 18-20, Mark 14: 22-25, Mat 28:19) and to be carried out by the instruction of His Word. In both cases, these are matters of public worship, and as such, it is the elders who are called to administer the sacraments because it is their duty to oversee the local church and instruct those who gather to worship. (Acts 2:37-42, 1 Tim 3:1-7, 1 Pet 5:1-2)
How is the Lord’s Table to be administered?
When discussing how to administer the Lord’s Table, four terms have been used: open, guarded, fenced (restricted), and closed. Each term defines a view on how the table should be administered, specifically to whom and by whose authority.
Open Table- The Table is administered to all people. The authority of the Table lies in the hands of each individual.
Guarded Table- The Table is administered to all people, but is a celebration meant for Christians. The authority lies with each individual, though they should be cautioned per Paul’s challenge for self-examination in 1 Corinthians 10 and 11.
Fenced (Restricted) Table- The Table is administered to Christians, who are members of the local church where the Table is administered and other visiting Christians who have professed faith to an elder of the local church. In this case, as per the implications of Scripture, the elders of the local church exercise their Christ-given authority to administer the sacraments only to the visible church, along with a call to the visible church to examine themselves.
Closed Table- The Table is only administered to members of the local body. The authority here lies with the local body's elders, per the implications and responsibilities outlined for elders in Scripture.
Why move to a Fenced (Restricted) table?
As the elders of the Village Church examined Scripture, out of faithfulness to the Lord & His Word and out of a great desire to shepherd faithfully the flock that the Lord has placed before us, we have made the following conclusions regarding The Lord’s Table.
(1) Christians should partake of The Lord’s Table in a worthy manner:
The context of 1 Corinthians 10 and 11 was written to an audience of professing Christians (i.e., the visible church) who were instructed not to take of the Table in an unworthy manner. Even more, Hebrews 11:6 reminds us of the reality that without faith, it is impossible to please God, thus bolstering the belief that the Table can only be properly celebrated by Christians in the New Covenant.
In the New Covenant, Christians are united with Christ (1 Co 10:16), and they are to be united with the body of Christ (1 Co 10:17, 12:12-14). This reminds us that communion with Christ is both personal and corporate. Thus, a Christian’s partaking of the Lord’s Table affects both him individually and the body in which he worships. Paul’s instructions in 1 Corinthians 11:17-22, 29 make this clear. When individual believers gather corporately to celebrate the Lord’s Table, Paul commands each person to ensure he is personally in worthy relation to the Table: “Let a man examine himself” (1 Co 11:28) and in worthy relation to the other members of the body of Christ: “discerning the Lord’s body” (1 Co 11:29). This has led us to conclude that the “ open table” and “ guarded table” administrations are not sufficient in shepherding those gathering on the Lord’s Day toward a worthy participation in the Lord’s Table. Furthermore, the “closed table” administration would restrict Christians prepared to take of the Table in a worthy manner for not being members of the specific local church where the Table is being celebrated. Thus, the “fenced table” is the most faithful option.
(2) Only qualified church officers should administer the Lord's Table:
In the book of Acts, the apostles are shown to install qualified elders to rule over each local church they established before moving on to other cities to establish more churches ( Acts 6:1-6, Acts 14:19-23). Additionally, we see that the New Testament Epistles were written to Christians and elders in these local churches (1 Co 1:2, Gal 1:2, Phil 1:1, Acts 14:21-23, Acts 20:28). Thus, Paul's instructions and challenges were pointed at individuals under the care and responsibility of local elders. The New Testament also gives evidence of the apostles and elders not only proclaiming the gospel but also having an integral role in affirming the faith of individuals and “numbering” who was added to the body to define members of the visible church, thus defining who was under their care (Acts 2:38, Acts 8:12, 1 Co 3:5, Mat 16:18-19, Acts 19:1-7, 2 Tim 4:2). Thus, we conclude that the authority to admit or restrict individuals to or from the Table is in the hands of the elders of the local body.
Having arrived at these conclusions, we believe that the most faithful administration of the Table is to institute a “fenced” or “restricted” Table.
Defending “Fenced” or “Restricted” Table
In defending the decision to move to a fenced (restricted) Table, four principles about the nature of the Lord’s Table must be observed:
1. Participation in the Lord’s Table is only for God’s covenant people
The Lord’s Table in Christ’s Church should only be administered to God’s New Covenant people who have been granted saving faith in Christ and received the sign of baptism. Among many things, the Lord's Table symbolizes Christ's fulfillment of the Passover meal and stands as a replacement of that meal, carrying with it at least one common element, that being its exclusivity. At the institution of Passover, it is made explicit that the meal was only permitted for God's people who had received the sign of circumcision (Ex 12:43-49). Provisions for participating in the meal were made for strangers and sojourners who were a part of God’s covenant people and who were first circumcised (Ex 12:48-49). Thus, in the taking of the Lord’s Table, the same standards, participation in the current covenant, and the covenant sign are necessary.
2. Participation in the Lord’s Table is an act of unity
In the celebration of the Lord’s Table, 1 Corinthians 10:17 says, “There is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread.” The unity mentioned here is both local and universal. We, as covenant members of Christ’s local church, are united locally as we partake in the Lord’s Table, in addition to our obedient expressions of love, charity, hospitality, submission, etc. We are united universally when members from other congregations join us for worship and may be admitted by the elders to partake of the Lord’s Table in unity with this local church. This union, both local and universal, is first a spiritual union. It is a union in Christ, outwardly displayed in our mutual confession of faith, the pursuit of holiness, and work in proclaiming and extending the Lordship of Christ (1 Co 10:1-11:1).
3. Admission to the Lord’s Table is a matter of shepherding
The command for the elders is precise: “Shepherd the flock of God” (1 Peter 5:2). As shepherds, elders are responsible for the spiritual care of their local church by teaching His word, covering it in prayer, carrying out church discipline, and faithfully administering the sacraments. The fencing of the table and admitting those who are Christians is an act of shepherding as the Scriptural standards for admittance are applied, in addition to the warning for worthy participation of The Table proclaimed. Thus, no one should be admitted to The Table unless he or she is a member of the Village Church or has had a short interview with the elders wherein they (a) profess Christ as their Lord and Savior, (b) confess that they have been baptized in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, into Christ and His Church, and (c) are walking in obedience to God’s Word as a member of a local body. All of this serves to shepherd the local body of Christ in the worship of God, in accord with what Scripture teaches.
4. Restriction from the Lord’s Table is a matter of discipline
Admission to the Lord’s Table requires one to be in good standing with the Lord and His body, the church (1 Cor 11:17-33). For one to have the Table kept from him, if he is in Christ, is a sign of discipline and should cause him to acknowledge his sin and to pursue repentance so that he may return to the Table and be nourished by it. As has already been discussed, matters of church discipline are part of the shepherding responsibility of the elders (Mat 18:17).
Paul tells the church in Thessalonica to keep away from Christian brothers who are idle, living disorderly, and he even tells them that they should not be permitted to eat. This is done as a form of discipline for those believers living in sin so "that [they] may be ashamed" and turn away from their disorderly conduct” (2 Thess 3:6-15). If Paul had the church in Thessalonica restrict even joint fellowship as a means of discipline to those brothers caught in sin, the Lord’s Table may also be used as a means of discipline. In 1 Corinthians 5, Paul requires the Corinthians to cast out from their fellowship a sexually immoral person. He refers explicitly to not allowing the "little leaven" of this person to be present at the celebration at the Lord's Table (1 Co 5:1-13). Restricting fellowship at the Lord’s Table (1 Co 5) and in other areas (2 Thess 3:6-14) are the means permitted to the church’s elders for disciplining members.
Our Response to Four Common Objections
1.There is no explicit command in Scripture to restrict the Table from those who are not a part of the New Covenant.
While there is no explicit command regarding restriction of the Table for those who are not a part of the New Covenant people, we can confidently infer that there is an implicit command for two reasons, 1) the continuity between the Passover meal and The Lord’s Supper, and 2) a reasonable deduction from 1 Cor 10:15-22, and 11:27. To the former, we read in Exodus 12:43-49 that a foreigner (non-Israelite) must be circumcised to participate in the Passover meal. To the latter, we believe that where Scripture imposes constraints on the believer, it does not grant less constraints on the unbeliever (similar again to how God required the same qualifications to partake in the Passover meal). In other words, if God invites a faithful Christian to partake of the Lord's Table and cautions them about taking in an unworthy manner, then it serves that those who are outside the New Covenant should not partake.
2. There is no explicit command in Scripture to restrict the Table from those who aren’t members of a church.
Concerning membership in a church, we believe it is a call for all Christians to heed (1 Pet 5:5, Heb 13:17, 1 Tim 3:14-15). At the Village, membership is a basic mutual agreement, which we refer to as a covenant, wherein the member commits to live by the grace of God according to God’s call upon his life (Matt 22:36-39) and to submit to the elder’s leading insofar as it accords with Scripture (Heb 13:17, 1 Pet 5:1-3). This is a matter of practical application of the principles contained in Scripture, wherein at least one aspect of this movement, the elders are granted the knowledge of who is in their care, and the member knows to whom they are responsible thereunto.
Given this context of how we define membership, we believe that all Christians are called to join a local church body and submit to the elders there, while also using their Spirit-given gifts to bless their brothers and sisters. Consequently, to understand the clear call from Scripture to join oneself to a local church and then reject it, renders the one who acts this way to be unfaithful to Christ. Elders of the local church are then within their authority given in Scripture to discipline those persons through the restricting fellowship at the Lord’s Table (1 Co 5:1-13).
It is important to note that for those who are interested in membership at the Village, but need time to determine if it is the right decision for them, that the elders are happy to grant them access to The Table, given they have met with the elders to profess their faith, baptism & commitment to a local church. After a period of time, the elders will follow up with anyone in this process to answer any questions or concerns they have concerning covenant membership. The elders want nothing more than to welcome faithful Christians into covenant membership but understand that some will decide not to move forward with membership. If, at this point, this person wishes to remain at the Village, but will not commit to covenant membership, the elders would withhold the Table .
3. This seems oppressive and overbearing.
The elders of the Village church have no desire to be oppressive or overbearing to anyone and do not see the movement to restrict the Lord's Table as being such. The desired outcome and purpose of this change in administration is first, to uphold the sanctity of this holy sacrament by welcoming and serving all who profess true faith in Christ and are living faithfully according to the various calls to do so within Scripture (Rom 12, 1 Cor 13, Gal 5:16-6:10). And second, to exclude those who do not give a credible profession of faith from partaking of this meal which, as Scripture states, can lead to weakness, illness, and/or death for the Christian who takes in an unworthy manner (1 Co 11:27-30), and eternal damnation for the one who does not profess Christ as their Lord and Savior. As for the latter, they would only be storing up wrath for themselves on the day of judgment (Rom 2:5).
4. The elders are assuming a burden of guilt that Scripture does not place on them.
This objection is a reaction to the elder’s conviction that they are guilty of mishandling the body and blood of Christ if they willingly serve an unbeliever or a believer who is under the discipline of the church. The objector usually states that Scripture does not teach this, therefore they bear no guilt for serving anyone regardless of their worthiness because the guilt is their own. The issue with this objection is that it does not acknowledge that the elder is required to both teach the truth of God’s Word, and live and act according to it. In other words, if the elder teaches that the Lord’s Supper is only for those who have faith in Christ and are also living faithfully unto Him (1 Corinthians 10:16-17, 11:23-32), then in his administration of the Table he serves everyone without doing anything to know if this is true of them, then he willingly accepts that he will inevitably serve the unworthy. Therefore, he contradicts his word by his actions and is guilty before the Lord (Rom 14:23b).
It is important to state that the elder does not bear any guilt if he serves a person whom he has affirmed faith in, and to the best of his knowledge is living faithfully unto the Lord, when in reality the person is not living faithfully. In this case, it is sufficient to state the warnings contained in 1 Corinthians 11:27-32 prior to administering the Table, because they speak directly to this person.
Conclusion
The definitions and explanations above are not exhaustive. Still, we hope they will help you understand the thought process, beliefs, and convictions of the elders that preceded the Village Church’s change in the administration of The Lord's Table. We pray that this will lead us all to a God-glorifying, Christ-exalting worship of God and gathering of His people.
* The language and structure of this article were aided by resources on the Administration of the Lord’s Table provided by the RPCNA
*For further reading on the Lord’s Table, please reference the Westminster Confession of Faith, Chapter 29 - https://prts.edu/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/Westminster_Confession.pdf
Cover Image is by David Weber