Fellowship at the Lord’s Table
The expression often heard, Fellowship at the namely, “in fellowship,” is Lord’s Table.
apt to convey to many minds an altogether unscriptural idea. It is virtually tantamount to membership of a certain body of Christians. Scripture never so uses the term “fellowship.” In days such as these, when the Church is in ruins, and the saints of God scattered, it is most important to avoid everything that tends to foster the sectarian spirit.
We feel there is a danger in some quarters of looseness, in others of narrowness. The Second and Third Epistles of John would correct both these errors. The key to the Second Epistle is found in verse 10 — “receive him not”; whereas that of the Third Epistle is in verse 8 — “we therefore ought to receive such.” True, in neither epistle is it a question of ecclesiastical reception. In the Second Epistle a woman is exhorted not to receive a heretic into her house, still less should he be received at the Lord’s table. In the Third Epistle a brother is commended for his faithfulness in welcoming a stranger brother, who came bringing the truth of God.
It is painful to hear sometimes of saints of God, sound in the faith and consistent in conduct, being refused the privilege of partaking of the Lord’s Supper because they are not “in fellowship,” as it is called, or because they may be engaged in work for the Lord “outside of ourselves.” What is this but sectarianism?
It may not be amiss to point out that not only is such narrowness altogether inconsistent with the truth of the Church, as taught in Scripture, but that it never was the custom of intelligent and spiritually-minded men amongst those who have sought to shape their course by the Scripture. All who had the privilege of knowing the late J. N. D., to whom, under God, we owe so much, are aware that while no one was more decided in the rejection of error especially where Christ’s Person was concerned, on the other hand, no one had a larger heart for all the saints of God who sought, however feebly, to respond to the Lord’s own request, “Do this in remembrance of Me.” Personally we can vouch for this, having traveled with him in many countries, and been present when well-known Christians, not yet free from denominations, desired to take the Lord’s Supper, and were gladly welcomed, and that not only in earlier days, but also the very year before his death.
In so writing we are not advocating looseness, but we arc earnestly deprecating narrowness.
ED.