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The Case for Covenant Communion
What is the status of baptized children when it comes to the sacrament of the Lord's Supper? Are they to be treated the same as unbelievers and kept from the table until they can profess certain things about Christ or about the bread and the wine? Do they exist in something of a third category, somewhere between believer and unbeliever? Or do they belong at the Lord's table by right of their baptism? If covenant children belong to Christ, is there any good reason to functionally excommunicate them? These questions and more are explored in The Case for Covenant Communion, a collection of works by Douglas Wilson, Gregg Strawbridge, Robert Rayburn, Jeffrey Meyers, Tim Gallant, James Jordan, Ray Sutton, Rich Lusk, Peter Leithart, Blake Purcell and Steve Wilkins. Approaching the subject from biblical, theological, historical and pastoral perspectives, these essays will challenge readers to think about this subject in new ways and hopefully reconsider the common practices of the Church in this age.
- GenresTheologyEcclesiology
210 pages, Paperback
Published January 1, 2006
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
May 7, 2019
Excellent. Some chapters are more helpful than others, but I think the case made for the practice of paedocommunion is powerful.
May 28, 2019
Meyers, Rayburn, Jordan and Gallant have very helpful essays on paedocommunion.
January 9, 2024
Some of the chapters were great, some were good. Book is worth purchasing just for the article by Jeff Myers, "Presbyterian, Examine Thyself."
Second read through entire book in January 2024. Still great.
Second read through entire book in January 2024. Still great.
April 17, 2009
A good book with articles from several perspectives. I liked most of the articles. Robert Rayburn's article, which is attached as an appendix, is worth the price of the book.
May 23, 2019
With the exception of a few not wholly helpful chapters, this is a great collection for anyone wanting to know why very young children should not be excluded from the Lord's Supper. The authors provide comprehensive biblical arguments establishing that children always were included in the festal meals of God's people and nowhere were they subsequently excluded. The same reasons for baptizing infants apply with equal force to allowing them table fellowship with the other saints.
Those who deny infants and young children (and sometimes even young teenagers and the mentally handicapped) participation in the elements tend to rely extremely heavily on 1 Cor 11 and the supposed need to "examine oneself" in order to partake. The authors show clearly that this argument relies on very faulty exegesis of the chapter as well as a seriously misguided idea of what type of examination is in view. (It is also true that the command to examine is only a command to those who can, just like the command to work in order to eat does not apply to infants incapable of labor.)
Liked it a lot. With larger print and a couple of subtractions I would have given it 5 stars.
Those who deny infants and young children (and sometimes even young teenagers and the mentally handicapped) participation in the elements tend to rely extremely heavily on 1 Cor 11 and the supposed need to "examine oneself" in order to partake. The authors show clearly that this argument relies on very faulty exegesis of the chapter as well as a seriously misguided idea of what type of examination is in view. (It is also true that the command to examine is only a command to those who can, just like the command to work in order to eat does not apply to infants incapable of labor.)
Liked it a lot. With larger print and a couple of subtractions I would have given it 5 stars.
August 17, 2024
All the essays were not equally helpful, but they are all still very good.
Robert Rayburn's appendix essay on the (neglected) doctrine of covenant succession in Presbyterian theology is necessary and striking.
Overall this is a thought-provoking study, and worth reading by anyone interested in this complicated subject.
Robert Rayburn's appendix essay on the (neglected) doctrine of covenant succession in Presbyterian theology is necessary and striking.
Overall this is a thought-provoking study, and worth reading by anyone interested in this complicated subject.
April 22, 2018
Some of the essays were undeniably spot on. Others left me wanting.
January 9, 2022
Made a good case for paedocommunion. Probably needs an essay or two from some anti-paedocommunion guys, just to provide some context for the pro-paedo essays. Some really good essays in here though.
May 9, 2024
Oddly hostile tone to this thing…
July 18, 2024
An absolutely superb work. Were I not already persuaded of this biblical practice, I most certainly would be now.
February 10, 2013
Canvases all of the major topics of controversy and gives clear argumentation. It isn't the most in-depth treatment, but probably one of the better introductory reads for those wanting to get the pro paedocommunion position.
March 11, 2009
Sturdy.
September 11, 2011
Very good book on paedocommunion... best to date.
December 10, 2012
Good collection of essays... some very convincing in looking at the biblical data whereas a few were either a little too confusing or a little too snarky
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews