Visiting a church that practices intinction

[Romans922]

I don't like to disagree with you Matthew as I am usually in agreement with you, and what I am saying is a tangent, but Roman Catholic anything is not valid because it is not Christian and is no Church at all. But, having said that, I understand your argument and if you were using another analogy I would probably agree.

 

[MW]

I don't like to disagree with you Matthew as I am usually in agreement with you, and what I am saying is a tangent, but Roman Catholic anything is not valid because it is not Christian and is no Church at all. But, having said that, I understand your argument and if you were using another analogy I would probably agree.

I suppose, whether one agrees with this traditional position or not, that at the very least the traditional categories of valid and lawful, true and pure, help to give some light on the question. For myself, I would maintain that the failure to understand the protesting relationship of the Reformed Church to the Roman Church is probably the reason why there is some confusion on the nature of the visible church and its worship today.

 

[Reformed Musings]

As an officer of the church (PCA), I'd have to abstain and let the local session or representative thereof know why. That would be the case even if offered a choice off to the side as if I were a lesser brother. I don't even see the logic in doing it both ways in a church. Either you believe in intinction or you don't. To me, offering a choice is like saying, "Well, we believe weakly both ways." Really?

Andrew has clearly expressed the view that I hold. We can parse the issue until the cows come home, but it comes ultimately down to obedience to our Lord's CLEAR commands as I argued on the floor of GA last year. Andrew and Scott1 cited the relevant Scriptural passages and BCO excerpts that recognize the commands. I'm not sure how our Lord could have been any clearer in His institution of the sacrament.

1 Sam 15:22: "And Samuel said, “Has the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to listen than the fat of rams." It isn't approximation or accommodation to the culture or circumstances, but obedience to His explicit commands that delights God. If we believe that worship is about honoring and glorifying God, then how do we do so with disobedience?

With great respect to my friend Lane, I don't see three positions on this switch. I simply see binary - either we honor God through obedience in our worship or we don't. If our practice is based in disobedience, then our practice is not valid and therefore dishonors God. Is that not our bottom-line basis for the regulative principle - do what He has commanded and do not do what He has not commanded? No one has yet shown me where God commanded intinction. I've see lots of parsing of words to squeeze intinction in as allowable, but no commands. I do, however, see explicit commands to EAT and DRINK separately and that's therefore the only allowable practice in Scripture and the BCO regardless of what happens to the current BCO amendment.