Quote:
Originally Posted by Backwoods Presbyterian  Sorry for all those looking for a Thesis on intinction. I am not going to be able to do that in the next hour or so but if you wait I'll get it to you 
Suffice to say here is the gist:
The Lord's Supper is clearly two separate acts with two elements. The Body and The Blood. Intinction necessarily is a singular act with two elements. However this is not an argument based on the "amount" of each element but the separation of the elements into two acts is necessary.
In anecdotal side argument intinction is nothing more than in most cases a "pragmatic" solution to time issues not a theological one and pragmatism should never be a primary reason for anything done in Worship. |
I appreciate your obvious desire to be as true to the origins of the Supper as is practicable, Benjamin. I guess I'm just having trouble seeing intinction (or rather, taking the Body and Blood together as opposed to separately) as a
theological consideration.
Here's what the WLC says about how the bread and wine are to be taken . . .
Quote:
Q. 169. How hath Christ appointed bread and wine to be given and received in the sacrament of the Lord’s supper?
A. Christ hath appointed the ministers of his Word, in the administration of this sacrament of the Lord’s supper, to set apart the bread and wine from common use, by the word of institution, thanksgiving, and prayer; to take and break the bread, and to give both the bread and the wine to the communicants: who are, by the same appointment, to take and eat the bread, and to drink the wine, in thankful remembrance that the body of Christ was broken and given, and his blood shed, for them.
|
It seems to me that taking the bread and wine by intinction falls within the bounds of the Westminster Standards, the necessary elements being the words of institution, thanksgiving/prayer, bread, and wine.
As far as doing so for reasons of pragmatism or convenience, again, I don't know that we can say that those are the
primary concern. The primary concern is faithfulness to Christ's command. He said to take Communion, with the words of institution, bread and wine, thanksgiving, and prayer. After that, I would think that the elders of the church are free to choose the mode in which the Supper is administered.