At what age are children old enough to take communion?

 

Churches such as Methodist, Presbyterian and some nondenominational churches believe that children should not be excluded from Communion because it sends the wrong message to children. They suggest that Jesus forbid the exclusion of children from His presence, so excluding children from the communion table says they are unwelcome and unloved by God.

The Catholic Church says that children can understand that communion is a mystery and should be taken with understanding, much as the position Paul took in 1 Corinthians 11:27-29, “So if anyone eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord unworthily, that person is guilty of sinning against the body and the blood of the Lord. That is why you should examine yourself before eating the bread and drinking from the cup. For if you eat the bread or drink the cup unworthily, not honoring the body of Christ, you are eating and drinking God’s judgement upon yourself.”

I do not think children that are unable to comprehend the meaning of communion should be allowed to take communion. I believe if children don’t feel they are excluded from God, it is possible that excluding them from participation at the communion table can create a healthy spirit of anticipation for later inclusion in the sacrament. Churches who believe that children should understand the sacrament before taking their first communion can encourage parents to educate their child about the sacrament, provide classes that educate children or include an explanation prior to communion and in kids’ Sunday school classes.

Some say parents should decide when their child is capable of understanding why we celebrate communion. I do not agree with that because some parents are irresponsible in taking communion themselves. It is naïve for us to think that all parents partake of communion with the right attitude. I know of people that took communion from me that took it because they would be embarrassed not to and in reality they should not have been taking it.

I have had parents in my parish tell me I have told my child when they feel they are old enough to date, drink, smoke, have sex or use drugs they can as long as they tell me in advance. I have had parents tell me I have told my child if they are going to have sex, drink, smoke or use drugs I would prefer they do it in our home. Do we want these same parents allowing their children to make the decision as to when they should take communion? I don’t think so.

I read of a man that stated, “I have been talking about our child taking communion extensively with a friend of mine. We both have daughters who are three years old. His daughter has not yet expressed an interest in taking communion. Mine has, and we have decided to allow her to participate. My friend has a real hang up about this, believing that communion is solely for those who have already made a decision to trust in Christ. I have studied the Scriptures carefully, and there seems to be nothing directly on point that would prevent our child from taking communion. Besides Jewish children in the O.T. and today partake of the Passover meal and that is similar to communion. They both are to teach about what God has done for us.”  This statement is a perfect example of why I do not want the church to allow parents to make the decision as to what age is appropriate for their child to take communion.

I cannot find an example in the New Testament where a child or a non-Christian took the Lord’s Supper. Unlike the Passover, which was eaten by the household, the Lord’s Supper was taken when the Christians gathered together to form the body of Christ. Since the Lord’s Supper is for Christians it excludes our children from partaking of it. The reason I say this is because under the New Covenant we must choose to become a Christian it is not a birthright. To choose to follow Christ implies we know what we are doing. The Passover was a command of God that the Jews were obligated to follow and under the New Covenant we are not obligated to follow Christ or take communion.

We are supposed to partake of communion in remembrance of Jesus. Just as the Passover was a reminder to the Jews of how death passed over them, which led to their freedom from slavery, the Lord’s Supper reminds us of how Jesus made eternal salvation possible for us by becoming the perfect sacrifice on the cross so we could have freedom from the bondage of sin.

When we partake of the Lord’s Supper, we proclaim His death until He comes again. Even when our children do not partake of the Lord’s Supper, when they see us partaken of it every week, they most likely will eventually ask us why we do it, and we can use that opportunity to teach them about what it represents without them partaking of it. If they do not ask we should tell them. Remember, they are not commanded to partake of it like the Jewish children were commanded to partake of the Passover.

Young children can go through motions of eating the bread and drinking the fruit of the vine, but I do not think they can fully understand what they are doing or why they are doing it. If I am correct then how can they be taking communion in a worthy manner? If they are old enough to understand the significance of the communion and everything that goes with it, then they are old enough to make a decision to become a Christian.

While we can learn much from the Old Testament, we cannot use it to justify what we do under the New Testament. The Jews under the Old Testament were commanded to observe the Passover with their household, but Christians are commanded to partake of the Lord’s Supper together when they worship God on the first day of the week. While we should encourage our children to pray, give, sing, and listen to the priest or preacher, we must not allow them partake of communion until they become Christians because they need to know what they are doing so they can partake of it in a worthy manner.

I also believe that communion has an element of ‘unity’ in it and if a child cannot understand that Christ wants ‘unity’ in the church (body of Christ) then what is the point in their taking communion with the rest of the members. Perhaps the reason the church lacks ‘unity’ is because the parents do not understand that communion is also a symbol of ‘unity’ among the church family.

Some say that a person should not take communion unless they have been baptized. I realize some churches require baptism prior to communion and as a general rule I have no problem with that, but it is not stated in Scripture that a person must be baptized before being able to receive communion. The Lord's Supper was instituted by Jesus with His disciples the evening before His crucifixion (Matthew 26:20-28). In Matthew 28:19, after our Lord's death and resurrection, He gave the Great Commission to His disciples to go into the entire world and teach His Gospel, followed with the command to also baptize the new believers.

Communion is only to be taken by believers in Jesus Christ. Baptism is intended to be an identifying mark of believers in Christ. Therefore, some churches require water baptism before a person can partake of the Lord's Supper. However, again, Scripture nowhere gives us this instruction.

Personally I would prefer baptism prior to communion, but my heart tells me that anyone who confesses faith in Jesus should be free to participate in the unifying celebration of communion. The Catholic Church requires baptism prior to communion and I certainly do not fault that view and if I were not retired I would enforce that rule.