A Faithful Sower

OPED

Do you agree with the stance taken by some Roman Catholic bishops in the United States to refuse President Joe Biden the opportunity to partake in holy communion, a position they base on Biden’s public support for a woman’s right to choose to have an abortion? Some Christians might say yes while others say no, but what does the Bible say?

These bishops are pushing to deny a fellow Catholic to participate in communion or The Lord’s Supper. “Do this in remembrance of Me” is an act the Lord directs all of His followers to do. It is a time of reflection to meditate on Jesus’s redeeming work on the cross and to contemplate the price He paid for our salvation, our sanctification, and ultimately our redemption– a day that is quickly approaching on the prophetic calendar. It is a time to ensure we are right in our relationship with the Lord.

The argument stems from the dividing line between the pro-life and pro-choice movements, and Biden politically supports pro-choice but claims to oppose abortion on a personal level. However, the church naturally supports pro-life and strongly opposes pro-choice because it opens the door to abortion. Pro-choice defends a woman’s right to choose whether to see a pregnancy through full-term or abort it, meaning terminate or otherwise take the life of an unborn infant.

The Pro-Life movement, on the other hand, upholds the sanctity of life and seeks to protect and speak out for those who cannot speak for themselves, human life in a mother’s womb. Life stems from the breath of life that God put into motion when He breathed into the nostrils of Adam, who then became a living being. God’s word, without question, upholds the sanctity of life; for example, the sixth commandment given to Moses that states, “You shall not commit murder.”

Thus, the battle between pro-life and pro-choice will likely remain ongoing until the Lord’s second coming to establish His millennial kingdom.

Since Biden’s position favors pro-choice, the Catholic bishops are pressing the church not to allow him to participate in communion, to partake of the elements in the remembrance of Jesus, but is their position biblically correct? Are they in line with Scripture and the will of God, or are they just making a political statement? After all, Biden has been in politics for 40 plus years with no known issues over him receiving communion in the past. Furthermore, what is the biblical precedent for a person to receive communion?

In 1 Corinthians 11:27-34, Apostle Paul clearly states that it’s up to the individual to self-examine, to confess and correct any sinful wrongdoing or wrong-thinking before partaking in holy communion. The apostle also clarifies that should a person take communion in an unworthy manner, that person will bring God’s judgment upon him or herself. An important thing to recognize here is what Paul did not say. He did not say that we are to judge one another to determine who is worthy or unworthy to receive communion.

Although churches observe communion in a corporate setting, it is a personal matter between the believer and God, not the church or other believers acting as a third-party intercessory. Thus, when any church or representative of Christ denies someone the opportunity to receive communion, the church or that person assumes God’s role as judge and takes the position as an intercessory between the person and God. Is that biblical?

In Matthew’s gospel, the apostle records that the veil in the temple was torn in two from top to bottom when Jesus gave up His spirit. The torn veil symbolizes that man now has direct access to God. No longer does a person need an earthly priest to intercede on their behalf to God. Our high priest is Jesus Christ, i.e., God, and we are accountable to Him and Him alone!

Put it this way; the Bible says, “Do not judge, and you will not be judged,” and another word for judge in this context is to condemn, for if we judge, so shall the Lord measure His judgment upon us according to how we measured our judgment upon others. But, unfortunately, that is the major problem we see in the world today, people judging other people.

So it prompts this question: Are these bishops judging or otherwise condemning Biden for his support for the pro-choice movement? Have any of them offered to meet with and discuss the issue with Biden face-to-face, one-on-one? Now that would be biblical! In Matthew’s gospel, the apostle records the process for church discipline. He writes:

“Now if your brother sins, go and show him his fault in private; if he listens to you, you have gained your brother. But if he does not listen to you, take one or two more with you, so that on the testimony of two or three witnesses every matter may be confirmed. And if he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, he is to be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.”

Matthew 18:15-17

The effort to deny Biden the right to receive communion appears not to be congruent with Scripture. As for the ongoing senseless slaughter of millions of innocent unborn children, this is what the LORD says: “Vengeance is Mine and retribution; In due time their foot will slip, for the day of their disaster is near, and the impending things are hurrying to them” (Deut. 32:35).

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^{A Faithful Sower Publishing is a limited liability company that is dedicated to sharing the good news of Jesus Christ and help guide people into a relationship with God and grow in that relationship. The publisher, editors, and authors achieve that end through prayer and the careful exposition of the Bible to best explain and illustrate Scripture in a meaningful engaging way so others can apply its truths to their everyday life. The mission of the the A Faithful Sower ministry team is to carry out the Great Commission issued to all who choose to follow Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord. Jesus commands us to “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation” (Mark 16:15).}

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