A common objection to more open forms of Lord’s Supper observance is the alleged inconsistency shown by those who require believer’s baptism by immersion for church membership but not for communion observance. As one who holds precisely to that position (believer’s baptism by immersion as a prerequisite for membership but not for the Lord’s Supper), this argument intrigues me. Let me offer a few thoughts on this point.
Membership in a local congregation is inherently local. You are joining a particular Christian congregation which espouses particular ecclesial distinctives. On the outside of our sanctuary, for all the world to see, are the words, “Central Baptist Church.” It is a local title containing a specific qualifier: Baptist. Thus, to join our congregation, you must agree with the Baptist distinctive of believer’s baptism by immersion.
By contrast, on the Lord’s Supper table in our sanctuary there is no such localized qualifier. Instead, there are only the words: “Do this in remembrance of me” (Luke 22:19). These are the words of Jesus and, as such, in my view, are universally applicable to those who are Jesus’. Thus, a place in our congregation necessitates agreement with our congregation. A place at the Lord’s Supper table, however, necessitates life in Christ. These two would be synonymous only if we were willing to say that only those who agree with our particular distinctives are truly in Christ…a position that no Baptist, I trust, would take.
What we see, then, is the overlap between the particular expression of the Body of Christ (our congregation) and the universal (Christ’s church) of which our particular expression is a part but not the whole. One need not be a member of the former to be a member of the latter, but one cannot be a member of the former without being a member of the latter.
There are members of The Church who are not members of the congregation…who even disagree with us on non-salvific particulars. Thus, by inviting all of those who are in Jesus to come to the table of Jesus, we are recognizing The Church beyond our church. This reminds us of the beauty, the grandeur, the power, and the unifying reality of the cross of Jesus Christ.