Joe,
I never wanted to interpret 2 Thes 3:20 as referring to infants. I only did that to make a point. Whenever we read 2 Thes 3:20 we don't question the fact that this is an "adults only" passage. We say, "Of course an infant’s eligibility to eat food at the family table cannot be based upon his ability to work." That would be both insane and ridiculous.
But again the 1 Cor 11 passage says that "A man must examine himself." Why do we automatically assume this is both a "child and adult" passage?
Again I agree that "Repent and be baptized" is meant for adults. I whole heartedly agree with that! This only begs the question again. Why is "let a man examine himself" not only meant for adults?
Since a man MUST examine himself (1 Cor 11:28) to partake of the Lord’s Table the argument cannot be “the possibility of future judgment doesn't keep us from obeying the Lord and baptizing our children,” but one of disobeying the holy writ, as written. Your argument has no foundation in light of 1 Cor. 11:28.
This is precisely what I'm debating. Is "a man" referring to the adult or both adults and infants?
And please don't even begin to tell me that infants practiced the Passover in the OT – your explanation of how they drank at least 4 cups of wine would be very amusing to say the very least
Are you saying that each person eating the Passover was required to drink 4 cups of wine a piece? I did not understand this to be the case, but would like to know more.
Is it Jesus who needs to remember, or his disciples? The context shows that it is the disciples (poured out for you) and thus the Lord’s Table is for the “the disciples of Christ” in the New Covenant who profess Christ as Savior and not for those who are merely members of the covenant (infants).
If Jesus is saying "Do this as My memorial" then it is specifically Jesus who is remembering? The bow in the clouds is for the promise to the world that it will be safe from destruction of the flood. But that protection comes through God's remembering His covenant.
Genesis 8:
12And God said, "This is the sign of the covenant that I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all future generations: 13I have set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and the earth. 14When I bring clouds over the earth and the bow is seen in the clouds, 15I will remember my covenant that is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh. And the waters shall never again become a flood to destroy all flesh. 16When the bow is in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth." 17God said to Noah, "This is the sign of the covenant that I have established between me and all flesh that is on the earth."
I put the recipients in bold face because they are mentioned here several times too just like in Corinthians but the memorial, I think, is clearly for God.
I am all for the people of God to exam themselves at the table, but the problem at Corinth is that some folks are excluding other folks for whatever reason it may be. Chapter one deals with some of this as some say that they are of Apollos and some are of Christ and some are of Paul, but Paul says that we are all of the same loaf (1 Cor 10:17). Furthermore Paul starts chapter 10 with the eating and drinking of Israel in the wilderness that we cannot help but think that it included the children.
I Cor 10:1-5
1I want you to know, brothers,[a] that our fathers were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea, 2and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, 3and all ate the same spiritual food, 4and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank from the spiritual Rock that followed them, and the Rock was Christ. 5Nevertheless, with most of them God was not pleased, for they were overthrown in the wilderness.
When there was starvation throughout the camp, do we suppose that the children ate the manna? When there were only waters of bitterness do we not suppose that the children also drank from the "spiritual Rock that followed them" that Rock being Christ? The warning against judgment tells us that just because we are all eating and drinking together does not mean that we get a free pass.
Suppose a 90 year old grandfather who has been active in the church, has been seen to have a credible profession of faith for his entire life, and is in good standing, suppose he becomes senile or suffers from Alzheimer’s disease, are we to deny this weak old man in his years the opportunity to commune just because his intellect is sub par? Judgment will definitely come because of disobedience just as in rejection of baptism. The point of the passage is to quit being disobedient not to quit coming to the table. Of course if someone is not baptized, excommunicated they should not be allowed to partake because they are not apart of the body. However, does our Lord not bid the babes to come to him? Does our Lord not bid the feeble and even the weak to come taste and see? What does it say about our understanding of the gospel when we reject the weaker baptized members of our body?
I do not wish to reject, overlook, or misinterpret any of God's word.
Faris
