Why Can't Protestants Take Communion in a Catholic Church

Black Cordelias ^

[NYer]

Q. Why can’t Protestants receive communion at the Catholic Church?

A. To protect them from Judgment.

1 Corinthians 11: 27 Therefore, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be
guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. 28 A man ought to examine himself before he eats of the bread and drinks of the cup. 29 For anyone who eats and drinks without recognizing the body of the Lord eats and drinks judgment on himself. 30That is why many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have fallen asleep.

Since, Protestants do not believe in the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist as we do, they do not discern or recognize that Jesus’ body is present under the appearance of bread and wine. We would be allowing them to eat and drink judgment upon themselves. The prohibtion is actually very charitable but, unfortunately, it is usually seen as a rejection.

Evidence of this interpretation of this passage is supported by St. Justin the Martyr :

“We call this food Eucharist; and no one else is permitted to partake of it, except one who believes our teaching to be true…”
-Justin Martyr -FIRST APOLOGY, 66,20–(150 A.D.)

Q. Why do we call the bread “The Host”?

A. Our use of this term, to refer to the consecrated bread, comes from the Latin word hostia, which means ‘victim’. We believe that Jesus Christ is really present in the consecrated bread and wine on our altars. The mass is a re-presentation of the sacrificial death of Jesus on the cross. Therefore, Jesus is the victim of sacrifice and we call the bread the host/victim to help us remember that it is no longer bread but the Real Presence of our Lord Jesus Christ given to us to strengthen and keep us on the journey to Heaven.

[Iscool]

"Obviously," you don't read my posts. Been there and done that, thank you anyway.

You're the one that said these spiritual connections are 'in one's head'...

[Krodg]

Your status with God is for you. It is by faith you are saved; it is not by works. Actions are an outward expression of your faith, but are not the reason you are saved.

For many, communion is a time to reflect on their own walk with God, and where they have failed, and to renew their commitment to walk in Grace and Communion with God.

All have sinned and fall short of the Glory of God - including Catholics who backslide. No one but God can forgive, and no one but God can save. And no one but a man, looking deep into his own heart, can understand the truly know his own relationship with the Lord.

That was a beautiful post and I will save it and share it with others. Thank you.

[PugetSoundSoldier]

and, after he had given thanks, broke it and said, "This is my body that is for you. Do this in remembrance of me." 25

In the same way also the cup, after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me." 26

Read the words you wrote....

THIS is my body; THIS cup is the new covenant.

Specific items that the Lord handled. Unless you claim any bread or wine can be used? But in that case are we not ignoring the words of the Lord by using the wrong items, the wrong ingredients? If it is to be literal, then make it completely literal. Otherwise it is symbolic.

Read more: Do this in remembrance of me. The Lord's OWN WORDS are to repeat as He did to REMEMBER Him. We are not given power or command to transubstantiate the host or the wine; we are commanded to repeat the sharing of bread and wine to REMEMBER His sacrifice to us.

The words you quote define this, in extremely plain and clear language. Remembrance - it's even stated during each mass. It is a reflection, not an action.

[narses]

Then why did you post those words? You claim, “It matters not to me what you believe...”, so clearly the beliefs of the Catholic Church are acceptable to God, no?

[wombtotomb]

“The idea of being saved is that once you accept Jesus, you are saved for all time. You might backslide, but assuming that your salvation was real in the first instance, it will not alter the fact that you are saved. On the other hand, if you backslide, you have to wonder whether you were really ever saved to begin with.”

The reply I am quoting from your answer above is very confusing to me personally. I believe, that no one can snatch me out of His hand. I do however, believe I am free to walk away from Him, as did Adam and Eve. I also believe that I am saved by grace, thru faith, and the evidence of this are my works. I am not saved by works, they are the evidence that my faith is not dead, and that grace is operational in my life.

I also believe that I can lose my salvation because we are created with free will by design. God did not want robots, he wanted friends. He created us in His image and we accept Him and choose to remain in His friendship.This is the purpose of seeking,asking,and knocking in scripture. He who endures to the end will be saved.

Paul puts it so eloquently by saying I have finished the race, I have run the course. I feel it is a sin of presumption to assume we are saved no matter what, otherwise, scripture is contradicted.

Nowhere in scripture does it assure us of salvation no matter what, in fact, it contstantly warns us of loss of salvation. If not possible after being truly saved, why waste their breath?

Again, I do not impune, and I know that I will probably not change minds here. I feel the need to say this, as I worry about christians who walk around with 2 presuppositions that are dangerous. one is the above, the other is the rapture. However, being we all have free will, I will not try to force anyone, nor sink to the your wrong Im right temper tantrum so often displayed here. God bless you and keep you, may his Love shine upon you. Thank you so much for your replies!

[Iscool]

Remember, If you justify this- you can be guilty of unpardonable sin against the Holy Spirit and thus send yourself to hell

There is only one unpardonable sin...Unbelief in Jesus Christ...

[PugetSoundSoldier]

Thank you. Unfortunately too many Christians of all denominations forget that we are not called to judge the world; we are called to preach the Gospel, to be witnesses, and to provide teaching and instruction to each other.

We can call on a brother in Christ who as fallen to change their ways to better model Christ and to enhance their personal communion with God, but we should NEVER believe we are called to judge their own relationship with Christ nor their state of salvation. That is between them and God alone.

If a man says he is saved, then I take it at face value. They will have to answer for their statement one day, not me.

[Proud2BeRight]

Did each party accept Christ as his savior, accept that Christ died for our sins and that He was Son of God and came back after 3 days?? If so, all else is small potatoes.

Great response SoftwareEngineer. I believe it is much more important to center on a relationship with Christ than to center on a religious organization.

[PAR35]

The Protestant churches that retain the sacrament of the Eucharist offer it to all baptized adult Christians without distinction.

No, we 'fence the table'.

"the minister, at the discretion of the Session, before the observance begins, may either invite all those who profess the true religion, and are communicants in good standing in any evangelical church, to participate in the ordinance; or may invite those who have been approved by the Session, after having given indication of their desire to participate."

The ignorant and the scandalous are also to be excluded.

[BillyBoy]

That’s a good overview of summerizing the four basic beliefs about communion, but the question is where do many large church denominations stand? Alot of them can’t be labeled as being a part of the Catholic, Calvinist, Lutheran, or Baptist movements. Which of those four ideas do they hold, or do they have their own idea? Some of these denominations include:

* Orthodox Christians
* Adventist Christians
* Anglican / Episcopalian Christians
* Charismatic Christians
* Congregational Christians
* Methodist / Wesleyan Christians
* Quaker Christians
* Waldensian Christians
* Unitarians
* Mormons

[wombtotomb]

I beg to differ, this IS my body, this IS my blood. We can captialize any word to make the emphasis. My question to you is this; You say, do this in rememberance of me, correct? Exactly what are you doing in rememberance of Him?

Would it not be the preceding, take and eat and drink his body and blood?

Rememberance in Jesus’ time was a bit different. Rememberance was a re-presentation, a kind of to make present again.
Remember in our language is to think about again. Their rembember was to not ever forget. In remembering they re-presented Jesus and his sacrifice so that you never needed to remember, you never forgot.

[PugetSoundSoldier]

The Free Methodist doctrine of communion is open to all who profess faith; that is the only restriction.

[stfassisi]

There is only one unpardonable sin...Unbelief in Jesus Christ...

Religious pride is unpardonable. The Pharisee's saw Christ work true miracles and attributed it to the work of the devil. They knew better! they were the theologians of their day and knew that only God can produce true miracles.

Those who deny the Eucharist is Christ who have full knowledge that God is capable of transubstantiation do the same thing.

[PugetSoundSoldier]

In remebrance - we symbolically partake in a communion service to remember just what He sacrificed for us. To communally remember that we are His disciples, we are called to preach the good news to our town, our state, our nation, our world like He commanded His disciples at that first last supper.

Consider this: if we’re to mimic the Last Supper directly, then should we do the rest of the Passover ritual, too? For is that not just as important in the actual Last Supper that He provided for His disciples? Why should we only pick and choose a few small parts of the entire Last Supper to recreate in order to have communion in remembrance of Him?

[PugetSoundSoldier]

Those who deny the Eucharist is Christ who have full knowledge that God is capable of transubstantiation do the same thing.

Those who insist their denomination is the only way to salvation and their doctrine is the only way to have communion with God put themselves as gods.

[X-FID]

Protestants have open communion as Jesus told us to have, whereas Catholics have closed communion.

What a crock, go into any Catholic church and try to receive Communion and see if they refuse you.

[Puddleglum]

Thanks for your definitions of the practice of the Lord’s Supper in different denominations. Join a church if you want to participate in it fully, I say. But don’t disagree with its beliefs then insist that it conform to your own.

[fishtank]

I think a visitor should respect the wishes of a “closed communion” church.

It is rude to demand to receive the Lord’s supper in a church you don’t belong to.

[stfassisi]

Consider the absolute fact that every Church Father-not even one single exception-encluding everyone that gave you New Testament canon believed that Christ was in the Eucharist.

To deny this is to deny the Bible was inspired by God!