Why has the Reformed church clung to a tradition of barring covenant children from the Lord's Table for 400 years and refused to seriously consider what God's Word says on this issue? This is actually nothing new. The Scriptures and history show that churchmen have abused God's people and withheld that which He commands for thousands of years! Eli's sons stole sacrifices from men and raped women who came to the tabernacle to worship God (1 Sam 2:12-36). God rebuked Israel's shepherds who "fed themselves and did not feed My ...
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Why has the Reformed church clung to a tradition of barring covenant children from the Lord's Table for 400 years and refused to seriously consider what God's Word says on this issue? This is actually nothing new. The Scriptures and history show that churchmen have abused God's people and withheld that which He commands for thousands of years! Eli's sons stole sacrifices from men and raped women who came to the tabernacle to worship God (1 Sam 2:12-36). God rebuked Israel's shepherds who "fed themselves and did not feed My flock" (Eze 34:1-10). Jesus rebuked churchmen because they "shut up the kingdom of heaven against men" and "devour widows' houses" (Matt 23:13-14). God now rebukes us for withholding the Lord's Table from the Good Shepherd's little lambs! Jesus became indignant with His disciples when they tried to hinder small children from coming to Him (Mark 10:13-16). He said, "Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of God," (Mk 10:14, Matt 19:14, Lk 18:16). Yet, based on pulling a single verse (1 Cor 11:28) out of context with its chapter and its entire book, Reformed churches cling to a tradition of forbidding young covenant children from eating at the Lord's Table until they are old enough or smart enough to articulate an intelligent and believable profession of faith. Is this not the definition of works-righteousness and earning access to Christ? How can a nursing mother have more compassion for her newborn infant than Christ has for His covenant children (Matt 7:11)? She begins feeding her infant immediately upon birth, but we tell our children that Christ will not spiritually nurture them at His Table until they are old enough or have sufficient mental ability! The Bible repeatedly teaches that children of believing parents (covenant children) belong to God, not to men, and certainly not to the devil. Paul said they are holy (1 Cor 7:14). Ancient Judaism would not even dream of calling her children "pagan!" Yet, we now think that the gospel somehow requires us to "fence the Table" against our own covenant children and treat them as less than Christian (at best) or outright pagan (at worst). This is really no different than the Half-way Covenant of Puritan New England, which completely wiped out Puritanism in only about three generations. This Half-way Covenant was rooted in neoplatonic pagan philosophy that elevated subjectivism over objective reality. What more diabolical scheme to destroy churches than to divide Christian parents against their children in the sacrament that points directly to that great work upon which Christ's church is founded! (Matt 12:25). Where did this practice come from? It began in the twelfth century with the rise of pagan superstitions and priestly sacerdotalism regarding the Lord's Supper. The church removed the cup from lay adults and barred children completely from the Lord's Table. The Reformers dealt a deathblow to the superstitions and returned the cup to laity. But they did not restore children to the Table that they had enjoyed for over a thousand years. No good reasons are given for their failure, other than perhaps they were just too preoccupied with other matters. But what excuse do we have 400 years later, other than inexcusable exegetical laziness?
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