Closed Communion? Admission to the Lord's Supper in Biblical Lutheran Perspective

by Matthew C. Harrison, John T Pless, Matthew C. Harrison;John T. Pless (Editor)

The faithful practice of closed Communion is challenged in our day both culturally and ecclesiastically. As Western culture careens down a path of individualism and autonomy, the privatization of faith leads many to regard participation in the Sacrament as a matter of personal entitlement. But the issue of admission to the Lord's Supper is neither a matter of personal entitlement nor based on notions of being a welcoming and affirming church. Rather, it entails questions regarding both the nature of the Sacrament and of the character of the Church. The essays brought together in Closed Communion? Admission to the Lord's Supper in Biblical Lutheran Perspective are both old and new. Taken together, they bear testimony to a common Lutheran conviction and serve to assist both pastors and laity in understanding the biblical and confessional basis for closed Communion.

Genres: Theology

520 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 18, 2017

Reviews

[Dan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I guess I started slowly reading through this two years ago when I began my ministry. 😂

The crucial thing here is that I came looking for more theology on why communion must be closed “horizontally” as it were, and not just because of a person’s lack of belief in the Real Presence.

Unfortunately, this book really is thick with articles and chapters about communion needing to be closed for the sake of those who do not believe the bread and wine are Christ’s body and blood.

For most pastors and lay people, that is self explanatory.

But I was looking for reasoning as to why “altar fellowship is church fellowship.”

To be honest, it did me more good to have read through the Bible 4 times in the 2 years I read this tome in regards to that topic.

I won’t be too harsh though, many of these articles and chapters are hard to find elsewhere, and many of the sections are excellent.

As always, CFW Walther steals the show. There’s a reason as to how he built up the Missouri Synod with such a strict communion policy 😉
True Communion is established through agreement in doctrine 👨🏻‍🍳 💋 👌🏻

I appreciated the articles from Werner Elert, Hermann Sasse, Jeffrey Gibbs, Martin Luther, Martin Chemnitz, etc.
I don’t know how I feel about the essay by Joel Biermann. In this article, he seems to go beyond the scriptures with his interpretations and binds consciences with those interpretations, not the scriptures themselves.

Overall, I think the time invested was worth it. However, I think I’ll only be returning to a few texts as reference in the future.

[Nick · Rating 5 out of 5]

Closed Communion? Admission to the Lord's Supper in Biblical Lutheran Perspective is an outstanding and deeply worthwhile read. While it will certainly be valuable for clergy, I found it equally beneficial for lay readers who want a fuller understanding of why the Church’s practice of admission to the Lord’s Supper matters. In a time when there is increasing pressure toward open communion, this collection offers a thoughtful and encouraging defense of closed communion—not as an unwelcoming posture, but as a practice rooted in the nature of the Sacrament, the confession of the Church, and pastoral care.

What impressed me most was the breadth of the book. The essays do not merely offer modern arguments; they place the question within the wider history of the Church, reaching back through the Lutheran Reformation and even into the witness of the ancient church fathers. The book also includes substantial biblical and exegetical work, including careful attention to Greek terms and key passages related to the Lord’s Supper. Other readers have similarly noted the value of its treatment of 1 Corinthians 11 and its usefulness for thinking through church fellowship and admission to the Sacrament, and I found those sections especially helpful in clarifying the theological stakes of the issue.

Despite the depth of the material, the editors have arranged the essays in a way that builds understanding gradually. The book is historical, theological, biblical, and practical all at once. Only one article struck me as especially academic, but even that remained approachable when read slowly and carefully. The final two essays were particularly useful because they address the very real challenges congregations face today: how to speak with members and visitors clearly, charitably, and faithfully when practicing closed communion.

By the end, this book had significantly deepened my understanding of what Holy Communion is and why Lutheran practice treats it with such seriousness. It helped me see the Sacrament not in isolation, but within the larger context of Word, Baptism, confession, and the life of the Church. For anyone seeking a careful, reverent, and biblically grounded explanation of closed communion from a Lutheran perspective, this is a book I would highly recommend.

[Rick Stuckwisch · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a valuable and worthwhile collection of essays, all pertaining (to varying degrees) to the topics of Church Fellowship and Closed Communion. The essays differ rather widely from one another, which gives the book overall a somewhat uneven character. But there is much to be gained in working through the material provided here, which is not readily available elsewhere. The topic is a pressing and important one, and it is dealt with here on the basis of Scripture and the Lutheran Confessions. A must read, really, for any Lutheran pastor, entrusted with the stewardship of the Mysteries of God.

[Jeremiah Lindsay · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well worth the price. Definitely makes you look at historical and Scriptural practices about why closed Communion is the correct practice for the care and restoration of souls. This compilation selects from great sources, and even if some of the essays cite the same content, it just goes to show they look back to what is a historic and correct practice in the Church.

[Jim Hagemn · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Helpful Resource

Closed Communion: Admission to the Lord’s Supper in Biblical Lutheran Perspective is a book that shows abundantly the biblical and historical roots and practice of closed communion. It offers essays and documents to make its case.