| Lately, the world of reformed Christian
| |
| | children.But Proverbs 20:10 clearly
|
| churches (often called "Calvinists" and
| |
| | weighs in against just such ethical
|
| "Presbyterians") has displayed a fervent
| |
| | bifurcations required by anti-theonomic
|
| preoccupation with a doctrine gaining
| |
| | positions: "Differing weights and
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| currency, which bears the name
| |
| | differing measures, the Lord detests them
|
| "paedocommunion." This heterodox notion
| |
| | both." I hasten to add here the very next
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| aspires to usurp the unanimous testimony
| |
| | verse, which in context deliberately
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| of the Holy Scripture and the solitary
| |
| | expands on it -- reads, "Even a child is
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| testimony of the confessional
| |
| | known by his doings, whether his work be
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| reformation, usually identified as
| |
| | pure, and whether it be right." And since
|
| "credo-communion."What is paedocommunion
| |
| | to do what is right means to do what God
|
| [hereafter "PC"]? It is the practice of
| |
| | has commanded, the Bible clearly teaches
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| giving the Lord's Supper to baptized
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| | that children and adults NEVER properly
|
| children, even apart from a rite of
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| | have two different ethical standards
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| passage or criterion such as confirmation
| |
| | applied to them -- as the PC position
|
| or the making of a credible profession of
| |
| | requires in its conflicting
|
| faith. Herein, unless specified more
| |
| | interpretations of "one standard for
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| particularly, however, PC refers to the
| |
| | all," and yet different standards used in
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| doctrine which advocates the practice of
| |
| | 1 Cor. 10 as set over against 1 Cor.
|
| giving the Lord's supper apart from a
| |
| | 11.Thus, we find the PC advocate cannot
|
| prior examination, rather than to the
| |
| | maintain his pet exegtical strategy in
|
| practice itself.Contrariwise, I will use
| |
| | 1st Corinthians 11, on the one hand, and
|
| "credocommunion" [hereafter "CC"] to
| |
| | the integtrity of a single ethical
|
| refer to the doctrine which advocates the
| |
| | standard required by his Theonomy, on the
|
| practice of requiring a test (criterion)
| |
| | other. How did Dr. Bahnsen say it so
|
| for cognitive and moral maturity (as
| |
| | often ... oh yes, now I remember, "You
|
| judged by the elders of a particular
| |
| | cannot have it BOTH ways."C.
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| church) as a prerequisite for
| |
| | Paedocommunion vs. the Biblical Doctrine
|
| participating in the sacrament of the
| |
| | of The Nature of Oaths and CovenantsNext
|
| Lord's supper. The following provides an
| |
| | we come to examine whether or not the PC
|
| excellent and brief overview of the
| |
| | position meshes with the biblical
|
| confessional perspective on the Lord's
| |
| | teaching on the requirements for
|
| supper. It is this position I purport to
| |
| | confirming covenants. These, we will see,
|
| defend at present, though the whole
| |
| | are different than those required for
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| confessional position is much longer,
| |
| | initiating oaths and covenants in the
|
| consisting as it does of the Westminster
| |
| | Bible. First, we note that God has given
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| Confession of Faith (1646), chapter 29
| |
| | historically two sacraments as signs and
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| and the Larger Catechism, questions #168
| |
| | seals of the various administrations of
|
| - #177. Here is the abbreviated form from
| |
| | the covenant of grace: the first
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| WCF chapter 29:I. Our Lord Jesus, in the
| |
| | initiatory and probationary, and the
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| night wherein he was betrayed, instituted
| |
| | second continuous and confirmatory; in
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| the sacrament of his body and blood,
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| | the first, the recipient of grace remains
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| called the Lord's Supper, to be observed
| |
| | passive and receptive; in the second, the
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| in his Church unto the end of the world;
| |
| | receiver of grace actively participates
|
| for the perpetual remembrance of the
| |
| | in the oath-based ritual in question.The
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| sacrifice of himself in his death, the
| |
| | two trees in the garden of Eden provide
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| sealing all benefits thereof unto true
| |
| | examples: the trees of life, and of the
|
| believers, their spiritual nourishment
| |
| | knowledge of good and evil. The first
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| and growth in him, their further
| |
| | showed a kind of probation and the other
|
| engagement in and to all duties which
| |
| | signified and sealed one in
|
| they owe unto him; and to be a bond and
| |
| | righteousness. The Old Covenant likewise
|
| pledge of their communion with him, and
| |
| | displays two sacraments, (initiatory and
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| with each other, as members of his
| |
| | probationary). Those circumcised into the
|
| mystical body.III. The Lord Jesus hath,
| |
| | Mosaic covenant took on this initiatory
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| in this ordinance, appointed his
| |
| | rite to enter the OT Church, the people
|
| ministers to declare his word of
| |
| | of Israel.Israel's sacrificial system,
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| institution to the people, to pray, and
| |
| | summed up in the Passover, continued
|
| bless the elements of bread and wine, and
| |
| | throughout the life of Israel, confirming
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| thereby to set them apart from a common
| |
| | the life promised by the covenant Lord.
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| to an holy use; and to take and break the
| |
| | Here, the sacrificer waxed reckless only
|
| bread, to take the cup, and (they
| |
| | at his own injury (2 Samuel 6:5-15 and
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| communicating also themselves) to give
| |
| | Lev 10:1-3).The New Covenant also
|
| both to the communicants; but to none who
| |
| | displays two sacraments where Baptism
|
| are not then present in the
| |
| | corresponds to circumcision (See
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| congregation.The title above indicates
| |
| | Colossians 2:12-13), both of which
|
| that the doctrine of PC incurs a
| |
| | function as a sign and seal of the
|
| "transcendental failure." What I mean by
| |
| | covenant of grace. Neither confers grace
|
| this maybe better understood with a brief
| |
| | merely by the elements themselves.After
|
| history of the idea of a
| |
| | -- and only after (note the
|
| "transcendental." This referred with
| |
| | biconditional) -- one's probation is
|
| German philosopher, Immanuel Kant, to the
| |
| | fulfilled, he may be confirmed in his
|
| most basic categories (i.e. modes, etc)
| |
| | rights and priviledges of the second
|
| of human perception, or (in more modern
| |
| | sacrament, which, in the case of the NT
|
| terms) ways in which people are
| |
| | is the Lord's Supper.These examples, both
|
| "hardwired" to view and interact with the
| |
| | from the Older and Newer covenants
|
| world. A more obscure Dutch theologian,
| |
| | provide instances of a more general point
|
| one Cornelius Van Til, used the idea in a
| |
| | about making and taking oaths (of which
|
| novel way by applying these not to
| |
| | covenants are a subset). The making of
|
| people, but to the worldviews -- basic
| |
| | any oath by one recognized as a domestic
|
| units of thought which form an
| |
| | inferior in the Bible (i.e. a wife, son
|
| interpretive matrix for understanding
| |
| | or daughter) is subject to judicial
|
| what kind of world this is (metaphysics),
| |
| | review and nullification by the federal
|
| how we know what we know (epistemology),
| |
| | head of the house.Numbers 30:3-5 reads:If
|
| and how we ought to live our lives
| |
| | a woman also vow a vow unto the LORD, and
|
| (ethics). For Dr. Van Til,
| |
| | bind herself by a bond, being in her
|
| transcendentals comprise the most basic
| |
| | father's house in her youth; And her
|
| parts of a worldview, which woven
| |
| | father hear her vow, and her bond
|
| together properly provide the
| |
| | wherewith she hath bound her soul, and
|
| foundational picture of the world that
| |
| | her father shall hold his peace at her;
|
| enables us to make sense out of life's
| |
| | then all her vows shall stand, and every
|
| experiences."Transcendentals" thus render
| |
| | bond wherewith she hath bound her soul
|
| human experience intelligible to us.
| |
| | shall stand. But if her father disallow
|
| Without them, one's attempts to account
| |
| | her in the day that he heareth; not any
|
| for the different features of what we
| |
| | of her vows, or of her bonds wherewith
|
| wake up to in the morning (the unity of
| |
| | she hath bound her soul, shall stand: and
|
| our experience and yet the many different
| |
| | the LORD shall forgive her, because her
|
| kinds of particular things making up that
| |
| | father disallowed her.D. Common
|
| experience, called the "problem of the
| |
| | Objections to Credocommunion
|
| one and the many" by some) would leave
| |
| | Overcome.Some have alleged that this
|
| some or all such features of reality
| |
| | position requires an arbitrariness on the
|
| unexplained. Thus, transcendentals
| |
| | part of the elders since the Bible
|
| skillfully interlaced into a cognitive
| |
| | provides no objective way to decide when
|
| framework -- as with the Christian
| |
| | a child may begin taking the Lord's
|
| worldview -- provide the elemental
| |
| | Supper. I answer that a non-arbitrary
|
| interpretive components sufficient to
| |
| | marker of delineating readiness for the
|
| "make sense of it all."But for the
| |
| | Lord's supper does in fact exist in the
|
| transcendentals to render an account
| |
| | Bible: nature itself. With puberty comes
|
| coherent, they must be related to each
| |
| | physical development, including the
|
| other in a consistent fashion. For a
| |
| | ability to think in terms of abstract and
|
| worldview to accomplish its "interpretive
| |
| | moral reasoning. This then provides the
|
| function," it cannot permit internal
| |
| | obvious point at which elders ought to
|
| dissonance among its many parts, for this
| |
| | begin an inquiry for readiness on the
|
| would ruin its claim to coherence. Each
| |
| | part of the child in concert with the
|
| part of the worldview in question must
| |
| | assessment of the head of the
|
| sweetly comport with the others -- both
| |
| | house.Moreover, Paul regularly appeals in
|
| the transcendental, or more basic parts,
| |
| | the Scripture to such markers offered
|
| as well as those more peripheral, in
| |
| | from nature, saying things like "does not
|
| order to manage the "consent of all the
| |
| | even nature teach us..." . In the case of
|
| parts." Thus any worldview whose basic
| |
| | maturity as readiness for communion, the
|
| elements relate to each other like Larry,
| |
| | Scripture (Luke 2:41) agrees with
|
| Moe and Curly (dissonantly) necessarily
| |
| | this."And when he was 12 years old, they
|
| cannot provide the transcendentals -- for
| |
| | went up [to the passover] according to
|
| some of its parts would logically exclude
| |
| | the custom." That this was Jesus first
|
| some transcendental elements, thus
| |
| | trip to Passover is manifest from the
|
| promoting "epistemological chaos."Now how
| |
| | context, and in this most commentators
|
| is any of this profitable to this
| |
| | agree. J. Jeremias, in his landmark
|
| discussion? It implies that one may test
| |
| | Jerusalem in the Time of Jesus, throws
|
| the veridicality (truthfulness) of any
| |
| | some valuable light on this custom. He
|
| doctrine by superimposing it, as it were,
| |
| | says, "...we may conclude (from Luke
|
| upon the Christian worldview to see if it
| |
| | 2:41) that it was custom among people
|
| implies the other parts of that
| |
| | from a distance to bring their children
|
| worldview, so that one may see clearly
| |
| | when they reached twelve years of age."
|
| whether it relates to the biblical
| |
| | (p. 76) Before twelve years of age, they
|
| outlook either by the consent of all the
| |
| | remained at home.Some have challenged
|
| parts (logical coherence) or else by the
| |
| | that all the privileges of membership in
|
| dissent of many of the parts (logical
| |
| | the covenant community belong to all the
|
| dissonance). When we attempt this -- and
| |
| | saints, and that covenant children (being
|
| we will do so shortly -- our exercise
| |
| | saints) should be admitted to the Lord's
|
| clearly falsifies the counterfeit
| |
| | Table.I answer that this overlooks the
|
| doctrine of paedocommunion, identifying
| |
| | obvious point that one may not
|
| it as an element foreign to the biblical
| |
| | necessarily undertake every covenant
|
| perspective -- as we shall see.Our first
| |
| | privileges from the moment of his entry
|
| test for the PC doctrine finds it wholly
| |
| | into the covenant community (i.e.
|
| incompatible with a biblical doctrine
| |
| | Church). Although each person (saint) in
|
| accepted by most advocates of PC, one
| |
| | principle has every spiritual blessing in
|
| typically dubbed "postmillenial
| |
| | Christ from the moment of his or her
|
| eschatology."A. Paedocommunion v.
| |
| | baptism, yet he does not inherit them all
|
| Postmillenial EschatologyPC advocates
| |
| | at once in practice -- but only in
|
| promote as a reason for yielding to their
| |
| | principle. Likewise, he obtains all his
|
| view the idea that the early Christian
| |
| | spiritual gifts from the moment he is
|
| Church unanimously or generally promoted
| |
| | born again, but this does not entitle him
|
| PC for the first nine centuries of its
| |
| | to begin preaching the gospel -- even if
|
| history. Moreover, they often give
| |
| | he is so called -- without first
|
| various reasons for why the Reformed
| |
| | undertaking intellectual preparation and
|
| confessions at present unanimously reject
| |
| | certification by elders of the
|
| PC in favor of CC. This means that both
| |
| | church.Examples of "delayed privileges"
|
| sides are agreed, at least, that the
| |
| | in the Bible include the facts that:* No
|
| Christian church's confessional position
| |
| | male can go to war to fight for his
|
| presently is CC, not PC.This places an
| |
| | country until he reaches the age of 20.*
|
| interesting question before us then.
| |
| | No minister may begin ministering in an
|
| Given postmillenial eschatology's demand
| |
| | official ecclesiastical post until he
|
| that the Church must grow in the grace
| |
| | reaches the age of thirty, (see the
|
| and knowledge of our Lord Jesus
| |
| | Levitical age requirement and the Lukan
|
| progressively over time (corporate
| |
| | account of the age at which Jesus began
|
| sanctification), which should we tend to
| |
| | ministering) even though he receives the
|
| favor, that of the early (far less
| |
| | gifts for ministry at the moment he is
|
| doctrinally mature) or the much later and
| |
| | born of the Spirit.* No one may "practice
|
| much more learned church? Or, put
| |
| | the theology" (Ahem) of the Song of
|
| differently, which view identifies the
| |
| | Solomon until he or she is first
|
| era of greater grace and sanctification
| |
| | married.E. Paedo-communion vs. Salvation
|
| in the Church, the second or the
| |
| | by Grace alone through FAITH alone.The
|
| seventeenth century? By answering the
| |
| | classical reformed (and biblical)
|
| question consistently with the
| |
| | formulation of the grace communicated by
|
| postmillenial outlook, the progress of
| |
| | the sacraments comes to the heart of the
|
| the corporate sanctification of the
| |
| | believer who participates rightly via the
|
| Church would require us to favor the CC
| |
| | sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit who
|
| position.B. By What Standard?
| |
| | indwells every regenerate saint. But the
|
| Paedocommunion vs. Theonomic EthicsMany,
| |
| | doctrine of PC seeks to circumvent this
|
| if not most, of the advocates for the PC
| |
| | understanding by making the Lord's supper
|
| position hold to the biblical position
| |
| | efficacious in the life of the
|
| ordinarly dubbed "Theonomy," the biblical
| |
| | UNbelieving saint also -- the saint
|
| view which maintains the principle of
| |
| | before he is old enough even to
|
| continuity as a rule for distinguishing
| |
| | understand the gospel, and, therefore
|
| which of the laws of the Older Testament
| |
| | (ordinarily) to possess saving faith. The
|
| continue to bind men and women to the
| |
| | Scripture says plainly enough that faith
|
| performance thereof, and which laws do
| |
| | comes by hearing, and hearing by the word
|
| not, in the Newer Testament. This
| |
| | of God [preached]. By making the
|
| principle simply affirms that unless
| |
| | sacramental grace efficacious APART from
|
| abrogated or qualified by a New Testament
| |
| | the faith-imparting work of the Spirit
|
| passage, or by the logical force of
| |
| | results in (i.e. implies) affirming the
|
| several such passages combined, Older
| |
| | doctrine of "mechanistic grace" common
|
| Testamental laws continue to bind men to
| |
| | referred to by people addicted to Latin
|
| perform them as orginially given.This
| |
| | as "ex opere operato."But this has the
|
| implies, and Theonomists like the late
| |
| | easy and swift refutation that
|
| Dr. Greg Bahnsen state so explicitly in
| |
| | mechanistic grace is a "yes or no"
|
| their works, that God judges all men by
| |
| | proposition in which it would not be
|
| the one and same standard -- the law of
| |
| | possible to receive baptism in an
|
| God -- which may be known by a proper
| |
| | "unworthy manner" - you either do or do
|
| application of the principle of
| |
| | not receive it - and no one would ever
|
| continuity in studying out the various
| |
| | die from participitating in such a
|
| texts -- together with other sound rules
| |
| | version of the Lord' s Supper the wrong
|
| for properly interpreting the Word of
| |
| | fashion. This is because the curse as
|
| God. So far, so good. But PC advocates
| |
| | well as the blessing attending holy
|
| quickly run up against an enigma created
| |
| | communion remain the work of the Spirit
|
| by one of their very own exegetical
| |
| | of grace.But since faith is in fact a
|
| necessities.Now PC proponents need to
| |
| | biblical prerequisite for receiving the
|
| circumvent the CC requirement for
| |
| | blessing of communion, so also is the
|
| children to show themselves able to
| |
| | proper understanding of the gospel
|
| examine and assess the moral quality of
| |
| | (intellectual maturity), since faith
|
| their lives against the standard of God's
| |
| | comes by hearing and understanding the
|
| Word as a way of preparing to partake of
| |
| | Word of the Lord.CONCLUSION: From this
|
| the Lord's supper in a worthy manner. The
| |
| | brief introduction and internal critique
|
| perennially disputed passage in question
| |
| | of a counterfeit doctrine and the
|
| reads, "But let a man examine himself,
| |
| | positions normally associated with it in
|
| and so let him eat of that bread, and
| |
| | a Christian (Theonomic-Postmillenial)
|
| drink of that cup . . ." Here, PC
| |
| | worldview, it should be apparent almost
|
| adherents quickly point out that this
| |
| | immediately that the doctrine of
|
| must not apply to children (for it says
| |
| | paedocommunion contradicts several major
|
| "man") and the early typological
| |
| | features of biblical teaching, denying in
|
| counterpart (see 1 Cor. 10:1 ff) surely
| |
| | principle the consent of all the parts.
|
| included children without requiring such
| |
| | Therefore, the Bible necessarily teaches
|
| a test.If we grant this position, however
| |
| | the doctrine of credocommunion, and the
|
| (simply for the sake of argument), we may
| |
| | Westminster divines once again win the
|
| quickly note that none of the persons --
| |
| | day. These were wise men.Carson Day has
|
| children OR ADULTS -- in the typological
| |
| | written some 1.3 gazillion articles and
|
| shadow of "spiritual food and drink" in
| |
| | essays on all manner of topics. These aim
|
| the previous chapter had to meet any such
| |
| | to glorify God and offer people real help
|
| cognitive criterion; yet in 1 Corinthians
| |
| | to live wisely and well. You can visit
|
| 11, PC advocates expect us to accept the
| |
| | Carson's websites at (The Omniblog,
|
| view that God has now chosen to require
| |
| | where Carson blogs everything) or
|
| one communion standard for adults, and a
| |
| | (Carson's Day Trading Outpost). Thanks
|
| different one (none at all), for
| |
| | for stopping by.
|
