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speratus said:
I'm not proposing any hard and fast rule on the content of the examination. Questions from the catechism are merely a suggested starting place. The principle is established by Acts 2:42; Romans 16:17; 1 Cor. 11:18-20 etc.. The holy Catholic Church is without any division, continues stedfastly in the Apostle's doctrine and in breaking of bread, marks and avoids those who cause divisions and offenses, etc.

The elders, called by Christ as the stewards of the mysteries, determine the questions to be asked to comply with the aforementioned scriptures. Not me!
Not ONE of the verses you referenced makes any mention whatsoever about examining someone the way you have proposed in order to be qualified to partake of the Lord's Table.

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Acts 2:42 (ASV) "And they continued stedfastly in the apostles' teaching and fellowship, in the breaking of bread and the prayers."

Romans 16:17 (ASV) "Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them that are causing the divisions and occasions of stumbling, contrary to the doctrine which ye learned: and turn away from them."

1 Corinthians 11:18-20 (ASV) "For first of all, when ye come together in the church, I hear that divisions exist among you; and I partly believe it. For there must be also factions among you, that they that are approved may be made manifest among you. When therefore ye assemble yourselves together, it is not possible to eat the Lord's supper:"
What is all too clear is that YOU have fabricated a requirement of men which the Bible knows nothing about as a means to either allow or reject those who would come to the Lord's Table. As I have stated so many times before concerning any and all practices which would bar Christ's sheep who desire to heed HIS voice from coming to HIS table, it is not YOUR church nor YOUR Lord's Table, but it belongs to the LORD Jesus Christ and it is HE alone Who can regulate who is to come. And, HE has established the guidelines, i.e., one must profess faith in Him, examine himself/herself and not be under discipline by the church. Anything more than that is contrary to the will of Christ and is a serious affront to Him and a sin against those whom HE has called. This type of Pharisaical behaviour would effectively bar every new believer and babe in Christ; those who are most needy of Christ's affection and comfort, from the Table. Shame on you!!

The following two passages of Scripture describe in principle that which you seek to do by requiring an individual to pass a doctrinal examination before being allowed to partake of the Lord's Table:


Mark 7:9-13 (ASV) "And he said unto them, Full well do ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your tradition. For Moses said, Honor thy father and thy mother; and, He that speaketh evil of father or mother, let him die the death: but ye say, If a man shall say to his father or his mother, That wherewith thou mightest have been profited by me is Corban, that is to say, Given [to God]; ye no longer suffer him to do aught for his father or his mother; making void the word of God by your tradition, which ye have delivered: and many such like things ye do."

Acts 15:7-11 (ASV) "And when there had been much questioning, Peter rose up, and said unto them, Brethren, ye know that a good while ago God made choice among you, that by my mouth the Gentiles should hear the word of the gospel, and believe. And God, who knoweth the heart, bare them witness, giving them the Holy Spirit, even as he did unto us; and he made no distinction between us and them, cleansing their hearts by faith. Now therefore why make ye trial of God, that ye should put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear? But we believe that we shall be saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, in like manner as they."



In His grace,

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simul iustus et peccator

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