Ángel
Manuel Rodríguez
In some of our churches unbaptized children are being allowed
to participate in the ordinances of foot washing and the Lord’s Supper.
Is this practice supported by the Bible?
If
you’re asking
for a biblical passage that unambiguously clarifies your concern, the answer
is no. Many theological questions can be properly addressed only by examining
biblical principles that apply to them, or through a study of the biblical
teachings on a particular subject. Your question requires the last approach.
1. The Ordinances
Presuppose Baptism: As you know, baptism symbolizes that we broke with
a life of sin, publicly confessed Christ as Savior and Lord, and were united
to the community of believers as the body of Christ. The foot-washing service
assumes that we have experienced the full washing of the body in baptism (John
13:10; cf. Heb. 10:22). According to Paul, those who participate in the Lord’s
Supper are members of the body of Christ, the new covenant community: “Because
there is one loaf, we, who are many, are one body, for we all partake of the
one loaf” (1 Cor. 10:17, NIV; cf. 11:24, 25). It is the community of
faith, those who have already experienced the saving power of the blood of
Christ, that now comes together to break the bread and drink the wine of communion
with the risen Lord. Adventists practice open Communion; all who have committed
their lives to the Savior, independent of their particular church alliance,
may participate when visiting during the celebration of the ordinances.
Since the ordinances
are celebrated by the community of believers, their celebration should not
be simply defined as a family ceremony. The Passover was basically a family
rite; but the Lord’s Supper is a family celebration only in the sense
that the church, as the family of God, comes together in obedience to the Lord
to participate in the emblems of His sacrificial death.
2. The Ordinances
Presuppose an Understanding of Their Symbolic Meaning: The phrase “do
this in remembrance of Me” (Luke 22:19) is integral to the celebration
of the ordinances and requires a clear understanding of the death of Christ
(1 Cor. 11:24, 25). The symbols point to the broken body and spilled blood
of Christ as our only means of atonement. Through them we commemorate and keep
fresh in our minds God’s glorious redemptive act in Christ. The ordinances
also express our constant need for the Lord’s cleansing grace during
our postbaptismal walk with Him. Finally, they point to the future celebration
of the Supper with the Lord in His kingdom of glory. The Advent hope is embodied
in the ordinances and is kept alive in our inner being as we participate in
them. Those who take part in these sacred rites should have a clear understanding
of their saving message.
3. Practical Aspects
in the Celebration of the Ordinances: Parents and church leaders are responsible
to instruct children concerning the importance and sacredness of the ordinances.
Children who have grasped the significance of the saving power of the death
of Christ are ready, not only to participate in the ordinances but also to
be baptized. In other words, instead of allowing them to participate in the
ordinances before they are baptized, baptize them! Let them join us at the
table of the Lord. This requires a level of chronological and spiritual maturity
that allows children to make, under the guidance of their parents, a proper
decision. Children usually want to do what they see their parents doing, even
if they are not ready to do it by themselves. We should teach them that instant
gratification is not always correct; sometimes it is better to wait. The waiting
could be a wonderful lesson in emotional growth, character formation, and spiritual
anticipation.
Having said that, I
counsel parents and church leaders to make the celebration of the ordinances
a meaningful event for children as they wait for the moment when they can fully
join in its celebration. For instance, in places where grapes are easily accessible
it would be good to give children several grapes at the moment when the grape
juice is served to their parents. Make them feel welcome at this sacred service
as they grow in their understanding of its significance and are ready to participate
in it.
6/06
Copyright © Biblical Research Institute General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists®