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John asks:
Do you believe that it is necessary to be part of a church and/or be baptized to take communion? I think both of these are clear commands in the New Testament, so if one was not baptized and/or not united to a local body of believers would you consider this a "a known sin"?
No! There are just too many mitigating circumstances which must be considered as to why a person isn't a member of a local body, e.g., there simply isn't a church that is sound in either doctrine and/or life, which would also explain in some cases why a person hasn't been baptized; particularly in the case where a person was converted as an adult and whose parents were not believers and hadn't submitted the person for baptism as a child. Of course, not to open a Pandora's Box here, but most Baptist churches don't recognize the legitimacy of infant baptism, and thus even though a person was baptized as an infant, they would require rebaptism by immersion, to which I have been opposed quite vocally here in the past! [Linked Image]

Thus to summarily categorize either non-membership and/or not being baptized a sin I think goes beyond the teaching of Scripture. <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

However, having said that, if such an individual had a desire to continue taking communion, let's say after the first incident as a visitor, he/she should surely be approached by the Elders and find out what this person's genuine interests are, etc. Only then, from the basis such gathered information could a church make a right decision to either allow or forbid the Supper to this person, IMHO.

In His Grace,

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simul iustus et peccator

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