Not permitted to take holy communion alone

[Twinkle77]

I met up with a girl friend and we had a conversation about holy communion (bread and wine)

In Matthew 26:17-30, Jesus was eating with his twelve disciples...
It was during this time that he broke the bread and said "Take and eat; this is my body". Then he took the cup and said "Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood of the covenant which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins"..

Based on this, she said that a believer cannot have holy communion alone. There has to be 2 or more people together.
I said to her "What happens then to a believer sent by God to eg: a tribal group in some distant country and there is no other believer except him to bring the word of God to the people. Does this mean that as long as there are no other believers for years there, he cannot break break and drink the wine unto the Lord?

I don't see anywhere in the bible that says a person cannot have communion alone with the Lord
If you've seen something in the bible that one can't do it alone, please show me the passage. Thanks

 

[notuptome]

What significance are you placing on the communion? One can often commune with the Lord alone. The physical elements of the bread and the cup are unnecessary for true communion with the Lord.

For the cause of Christ
Roger

 

[Twinkle77]

What significance are you placing on the communion? One can often commune with the Lord alone. The physical elements of the bread and the cup are unnecessary for true communion with the Lord.

For the cause of Christ
Roger

Hi notuptome

I know that one can commune with the Lord alone and the most important thing is our hearts and that we surrender ourselves totally to God.
I know the breaking of bread and the drinking of the wine is a physical act but it is also a spiritual act.

This friend of mine was brought up with the concept that communion (bread and wine) is not permitted to do it alone.
She asked me to show her where in bible does it say that you can do it alone.
Of course I can't find any scriptures for that.

 

[enoch1nine]

I think all the major characters of the bible were alone with God. I think all of them broke bread and drank wine with Him.

 

[notuptome]

Hi notuptome

I know that one can commune with the Lord alone and the most important thing is our hearts and that we surrender ourselves totally to God.
I know the breaking of bread and the drinking of the wine is a physical act but it is also a spiritual act.

This friend of mine was brought up with the concept that communion (bread and wine) is not permitted to do it alone.
She asked me to show her where in bible does it say that you can do it alone.
Of course I can't find any scriptures for that.

Since the elements are symbolic why involve them? Is not the word of God bread? Is not Christ's blood the New Testament? Are we to replace Spiritual substance with symbolism? Hearts are more profoundly effected alone with God than with rituals. We must guard against the ritual becoming the object of worship in place of our Lord.

For the cause of Christ
Roger

 

[nathan3]

I see no reason why your not allowed, to do it on your own at home. If you must maybe have a Christian friend over.

But Look at it in this light, you are not alone, if Christ is there.



John 14

King James Version (KJV)

14 Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.

2 In my Father's house are many mansions: ( mansions in the Greek means resting place ) if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.

3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.

4 And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know.

5 Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way?

6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

7 If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him.

8 Philip saith unto him, Lord, show us the Father, and it sufficeth us.

9 Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Show us the Father?

10 Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works.

11 Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works' sake.

12 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.

13 And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.

14 If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.

15 If ye love me, keep my commandments.

16 And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;

17 Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.

18 I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.

19 Yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more; but ye see me: because I live, ye shall live also.

20 At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you.

21 He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.


(( Do you keep Christ commandments , do you love Him ? Then He certainly loves you .then this very much applies to you. and will manifest to you. ))

22 Judas saith unto him, not Iscariot, Lord, how is it that thou wilt manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the world?

23 Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.

abode can be resting place. and Christ is lord of the Sabbath which means rest(Luke 6:5 ; Matthew 12:8 )

24 He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father's which sent me.

25 These things have I spoken unto you, being yet present with you.

26 But the Comforter, which is the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.

27 Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

28 Ye have heard how I said unto you, I go away, and come again unto you. If ye loved me, ye would rejoice, because I said, I go unto the Father: for my Father is greater than I.

29 And now I have told you before it come to pass, that, when it is come to pass, ye might believe.

30 Hereafter I will not talk much with you: for the prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in me.

31 But that the world may know that I love the Father; and as the Father gave me commandment, even so I do. Arise, let us go hence.



I'm certain God will honor your pass over if it is done on your own, because in reality if you meat the requirements stated in the above chapter, when Christ is with you.

 

[nathan3]

Focus here too :


John 14:


15 If ye love me, keep my commandments.

16 And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;

( forever )

17 Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.



18 I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.


( I will come to you. )


That comforts me to know this fact. So I say, if you have want to, then take communion. And Comforter, the Holy Spirit,Christ, will be there also in you. so were not alone.


The time its taken that i know of is suppose to be Passover, otherwise known as, in modern times , & mistakenly so , as -easter -_- ( The time Christ gave his life for us. ) Thus becoming our passover lamb, that caused the death angel, Satan to pass over us, and we live forever, when you have that blood to Save you, in your life. ) There were two other times if im not mistaken. But I have not studied those yet.


Or take it when you feel you need it.

 

[Nautilus]

Since the elements are symbolic why involve them? Is not the word of God bread? Is not Christ's blood the New Testament? Are we to replace Spiritual substance with symbolism? Hearts are more profoundly effected alone with God than with rituals. We must guard against the ritual becoming the object of worship in place of our Lord.

For the cause of Christ
Roger

thats no reason to not perform the physical act of communion if one so desires though.

 

[kenisyes]

This is the key post in a seven page thread from last January: http://christianchat.com/bible-disc...ucharist-serious-discussion-7.html#post896340

The Catholics made the bread the Flesh of Christ. The Protestants never heard the original and made it a symbol of the Flesh of Christ. The bread is the effective celebration that WE are the body of Christ served to the world. Whether you ought to take communion alone depends on which side of that fence you personally sit on.

Of course, to a missionary preaching in Africa, or in most parts of America (Canada, Oz, UK....), he is not alone, as back at home there are many people praying for and supporting him.

 

[jerusalem]

2 Corinthians 11: 27-34 ......29 for anyone who eats and drinks without recognizing the body of the Lord eats and drinks judgement on himself 30 that is why many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have fallen asleep........this is an extremely important topic which is largely misunderstood. this set of verses should be common knowledge in the church but isn't known much less discussed in most churches. people are always asking why.........here is one very clear answer to that question

 

[notuptome]

thats no reason to not perform the physical act of communion if one so desires though.

Just saying that some lose sight of the meaning behind the rituals. Serving the ritual in place of God. Catholics imply that saving grace received through the elements in the communion.

For the cause of Christ
Roger

 

[Nautilus]

Just saying that some lose sight of the meaning behind the rituals. Serving the ritual in place of God. Catholics imply that saving grace received through the elements in the communion.

For the cause of Christ
Roger

and yet that was never the topic of this. You seem to be ignoring the post to further some agenda against something or other

 

[notuptome]

and yet that was never the topic of this. You seem to be ignoring the post to further some agenda against something or other

I am attempting to coax out the real reason one desires to receive communion? It has been compared by some to Passover which is interesting. The Passover when eaten was a family activity. Those whose family was too small to consume the Passover in its entirety were to join with others that none would be left over and need to be discarded. The communion in the church is certainly a shared event. It serves for each believer to draw closed to the Lord through self examination and draws the entire body of believers together with one another and the Lord.
The question is why does one desire to do this alone? Is there an unspoken reason? Perhaps attributing some salvitic merit to the communion? As I have said the roman catholic church ascribes salvitic merit to the communion. It does not seem like knowing the what is sufficient but one must know the why in order to understand the question.

For the cause of Christ
Roger

 

[Bookends]

To say that holy communion can't be done alone is not clearly stated in Scripture. Personally I don't see anything wrong with it, but when we see holy communion in the bible it is always done with other believers in fellowship. Therefore I would conclude that it is a practice instituted by the Christ for body by the body, in remembrance of what He did for us. But this isn't something I'd get hung up on.

 

[eternally-gratefull]

The Church in many ways has distorted the Lords Supper.

In the NT, it happened when a bunch of people sat down for dinner. They took the cup and bread and broke it either after or while eating the meal. It is the NT version of the passover meal.

It was never done as many in the church do it today.. As for doing it alone. As has been said, Nothing is said against it. But I think it was set up as a celebration meal between Gods people. and all of them remembering the thing Christ did to save us..

Remember the cross.. vs remember the passover.. think of it this way.

 

[Sophie88]

Hello, urm Holy Communion is very important and it helps us to regularly remember him who was crucified for our sins, the importance of it is in John 6:53 onwards, Jesus clearly teaches us that if we do not eat of his flesh and drink of his blood, we have no life in us, so I'd say that's a verse we should take heed to, urm I disagree with your friend, our relationship with Jesus is a personal one, so of course we are allowed to have communion alone, and yes your right, there is nowhere in the bible that says we can't take holy communion alone, so if you so wish to do this between you and your God, feel free to do so.

 

[crossnote]

If you don't mind going to a party or dinner engagement alone , I suppose it is ok.

The purpose of Communion...
1 Corinthians 11:26 For every time you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.

 

[Jackson123]

If you don't mind going to a party or dinner engagement alone , I suppose it is ok.

The purpose of Communion...
1 Corinthians 11:26 For every time you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.

I think the word alone in this case is with Jesus.

I alone as a human and Jesus make a party

commune is self mean unity and unity must at least 2 person. I and Jesus or some people and Jesus.

 

[crossnote]

I think the word alone in this case is with Jesus.

I alone as a human and Jesus make a party

commune is self mean unity and unity must at least 2 person. I and Jesus or some people and Jesus.

Serve yourself? I could see if a shut in requested communion but then there is another.
Jesus said He would not partake again until...

Matthew 26:27-29 And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it;
For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.
But I say unto you, I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine, until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father's kingdom.

But I don't care to get into a legalistic ra-ra over the gift of Communion.

 

[SolidGround]

I partake in Communion in every meal I've had since I was saved.

The Apostles write that we are to pray over every meal. Why?

Every meal should remind you of what Christ did for you.
There is a special thing that happens when we share a table with our family in Christ,
but that time that we separate aside and label as "Communion" is but a symbol of what we are to be living out daily.

It surely is a "means of grace", but in the same way that God shows us His grace in all things.