A Definition of Paedocommunion
From a Reformed Perspective
As more writing comes out on paedocommunion it is necessary to define what it is.
Calvin saw the necessity of publishing statements, catechisms, testimonies for a couple reasons as you can read here. First, for mutual recognition of orthodoxy among churches. Second, to carry orthodox teaching on to posterity (we also want our children and grandchildren to have an orthodox view of paedocommunion). Third, to determine the boundaries of orthodoxy on a subject.
Calvin would disagree with me on this point of covenantal communion (or paedocommunion). Suffice it to say, I am convinced that this point is consistent with Calvin’s orthodoxy. Calvin himself was a product of his time, of a Roman Catholic Church that at that time demanded a confirmation in order to come to the Table.
In a moment, I will post a definition of paedocommunion that was initially submitted to Knox Presbytery of the CREC by my session in December of 2023, has had a few slight edits, and is currently in its first reading. That means that it has not been formally adopted until it has been properly edited by all the delegates to Knox Presbytery.
One of the hang-ups is that we are working on a way to start defining the practice of paedocommunion as an ecclesiastical body while still maintaining the catholicity of the church in the government structure of our communion of churches. That is, as a communion we want to be welcoming to both Calvinistic Baptists and much of the Reformed world that accepts paedobaptism, but not paedocommunion.
For more. You will find a statement that I wrote on the topic in October of 2022. You will also find a speech that I delivered in Langley, BC on children in the gospels in September of 2024.
Given that background, I want to state the Knox Statement in its current form and provide some personal commentary on it. This commentary comes from my pastoral pen. In other words. The statement is in it’s first reading in Knox. (A brief note: Only if passed by Council will it have binding authority.) The commentary is from myself.
On Paedocommunion
“As elders who hold the keys, we do not exclude baptized children from the Lord’s Table because God has incorporated them into His covenant and congregation through baptism. The covenant promises are theirs in Christ. We believe that in the sacraments God calls us to respond by faith in Christ according to our age and capacity. We affirm that faith is a necessary condition for worthy participation at the Table and that God gives such faith even to small children. Jesus said: ‘Let the little children come to me.’”
“God has incorporated them into His covenant and congregation through baptism.”
This statement uses the language of the Heidelberg Catechism. You will find that this language comes out of Q&A 74 as an answer to the question “Should infants be baptized?”: “Yes. Infants as well as adults are included in God’s covenant and people, and they, no less than adults, are promised deliverance from sin through Christ’s blood
and the Holy Spirit who works faith.”
In the Bible we find that the infants of believers were incorporated into the covenant and congregation of Christ. We see this in passages like Genesis 17:7 and Matthew 19:4. This is why Reformed Christians baptize babies. That is, we believe that they, with their parents, are incorporated into God’s covenant and congregation and that the promises of God belong also to them in Jesus Christ.
we believe that they, with their parents, are incorporated into God’s covenant and congregation and that the promises of God belong also to them in Jesus Christ.
God operates covenantally with families (Gen. 17, Acts 16:15,33, 18:8, I Cor. 1:16). He speaks to the children as part of the Church (Eph. 6:1-4). He considers them holy along with a believing parent (I Cor. 7:14). Jesus blesses the little children, heals them, and receives them in His arms throughout the gospels. Simply put, the testimony of Scripture is that the children of believers are part of Christ’s covenant and congregation.
But does it follow that children would be permitted to come to the Lord’s Table?
“As elders who hold the keys, we do not exclude baptized children from the Lord’s Table because God has incorporated them into His covenant and congregation through baptism.”
In this statement we state our belief that children should be permitted to come to the Table because God has incorporated them into His covenant and congregation through baptism.
This basis is not something that the Heidelberg Catechism states explicitly. The Heidelberg urges that all those who come to the Table grieve their sins, trust in Christ and live a godly life (Q&A 81). Of course, this does not explicitly deny the Lord’s Supper to the children or even to the infants of believers. It simply describes the “heart posture” that our children should approach the Table with, that we should approach the Table with. It describes the posture of the heart that we should teach unto our children.
“The covenant promises are theirs in Christ.”
This comes straight out of the Heidelberg: “and they, no less than adults, are promised deliverance from sin through Christ’s blood and the Holy Spirit who works faith.” (Q&A 74). We see this promise stated in Genesis 17, but also in Acts 2:39 when Peter extends the promise of the Holy Spirit to the children of believers in keeping with God’s promise to Abraham. We also see it in the blessing of the little children in the gospels as well as in the inclusion of children of at least one believer as holy in I Cor. 7:14).
Christ is the sum and substance of the sacraments. Our use of the sacraments should not lead us & our children to dead religion, but to Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.
“We believe that in the sacraments God calls us to respond by faith in Christ according to our age and capacity.”
The sacraments don’t work “ex opere operato”. This latin phrase means "from the work done" or "by the work worked". This is not the teaching of baptismal regeneration. But we believe that just as baptism is done on the basis of the covenant promise, so Christian adults as well as children must respond to that objective sign & seal by faith in Christ.
The sacraments do bind one to a life of repentance and faith. They also bind one in a formal covenant with Christ and His Church. Thus, a baptized adult is bound by covenant to respond in repentance and faith in Christ. So is a baptized baby. The faith of a 12 year old will be expressed in one manner. The faith of a 20 year old will be expressed differently, as will the faith of an 80 year old, as will the faith of a 2 year old. A Christian’s cognitive or physical disabilities should not impede him/her from passing through the waters of baptism or coming to the Table of the Lord. Table fellowship is not dependent upon the cognitive abilities, but by faith in Christ, who is the sum and substance of the sacraments. Notice that this is not faith in baptism, but faith in Christ, who is the sum and substance of Christian baptism.
In the same way, it would be wrong to say that a 1 yr old or a 2 yr old is unable to respond by faith in Christ, especially when Scripture frequently speaks of infant faith — Psalm 22:9, Psalm 71:6, Lk. 1:44, Psalm 8:1-2.
“We affirm that faith is a necessary condition for worthy participation at the Table and that God gives such faith even to small children.”
We don’t deny that one must trust in Christ to participate worthily at the Table, and that we want to see that response of faith according to age & capacity. This is true of the 1 yr old, the 10 yr old, the 30 yr old, the 50 yr old, the 80 yr old. Jesus Christ is the sole focus of our faith and the 1 yr old or the 80 yr old is complete in Him. Jesus says frankly in John 15:5: “I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.”
Some of my Three Forms of Unity colleagues would question me on the definition of faith. I affirm the Catechism’s definition of faith in Q&A 21. In the Catechism we define true faith as a sure knowledge and a wholehearted trust. I believe that this is a Biblical definition if you look at John 17:3, 17; Heb. 11:1-3; James 2:19; Rom. 4:18-21; Rom 5:1; Rom. 10:10; Heb. 4:14-16.
The question then is posited: is it possible for an infant to have true faith if they don’t have knowledge?
Who says they don’t also have knowledge according to their age and capacity? Paul tells Timothy that he has known the Scriptures from his infancy (II Tim. 3:15-17). In the Greek, the word “brephos” can mean: “(1) an unborn child, embryo, a foetus; (2) a new-born child, an infant, a babe.” Both the trust and knowledge of an infant must mature. Nevertheless, the Scriptures frequently use terminology to describe infant faith, as you see in II Timothy 3 and above. It is undeniable if you consider the testimony of Scripture, that God does indeed give the gift of faith, even to small children, even to children in the womb.
“Jesus said: ‘Let the little children come to me.’”
This comes straight out of the gospels in Luke 18:15–17; Matthew 19:13–15; Mark 10:13–16. If Jesus did not deny the children access to Him, even when parents were carrying their children to Him, then why would the church deny the children of the covenant community access to His sacraments?
None of this undoes the duty of parents to teach their children repentance from sin and faith in Christ. It does not undo the responsibility of parents that is stated throughout Scripture to raise their children in the discipline and admonition of the Lord (Deut 6, Proverbs, Eph 6). In fact, if parents do not do this, they are bringing the curses of the covenant upon the heads of their children (Hebrews), both when they bring their children to the baptismal font and the Table.
Instead, it is the task of every parent to bring their children to the feet of Jesus for discipleship and blessing, and to do so from the youngest of ages, as we see throughout the Scriptures.
Finally, notice how the whole statement begins:
“As elders who hold the keys,”
This refers to the “keys of the kingdom of heaven.” Jesus Christ has given the officers of the church oversight over the sacraments of baptism and the Lord’s Supper. He has made the officers of the church stewards of the Household of Faith. We find this in Matthew 16, Matthew 18, John 20, I Tim 3, Titus 1-2 and other passages in Scripture. This is not a transferred authority where we can do whatever we want, but a delegated authority to use His authority wisely.
In Q&A 83 of the Heidelberg Catechism we find a definition of what these keys are, in keeping with the rule of Scripture: “The preaching of the holy gospel and Christian discipline toward repentance. Both of them open the kingdom of heaven to believers and close it to unbelievers.” So the preaching from the pulpit functions as a key to bring people either to repentance or rejection of the gospel. But the officers of the church also have the authority to close the kingdom of heaven to unbelievers, who show by their doctrine and life to be apostate.
I don’t bring my children to the Table on my own authority. I do so under the oversight of elders who are seeking to faithfully obey the command of Jesus to let the little children come to Him, as well as to faithfully obey the covenantal patterns that crisscross the Bible and the history of Reformed & Christian theology. Namely, Brad Donovan, Robin Shoemaker, Jamie Soles, and myself as we sit around the table together as ordained elders in session. These are men that I honor and submit too, as we mutually submit to one another.
This is also means that if my children or any children of the church show their lives to be godless in doctrine and/or life, then the elders have the authority to bar those children from the Table. One of the problems of the church throughout history is that there has been a failure of nerve when it comes to spiritual discipline in the church. This has led to gangrenous sin which has killed particular churches in regions and even nations. It has happened in Baptist Churches, Reformed Churches and Roman Catholic Churches. According to the command of Christ (Matt 18, I Cor. 5), spiritual discipline should be happening - both in warnings from the pulpit and in elders removing those who demonstrate themselves to be unbelievers from the Table.
An Addendum on Teaching Children & my own broadly Dutch Reformed (Three Forms of Unity) Background:
It is necessary that those who adopt paedocommunion or covenantal communion as a practice also have a strong focus on Christian education. We do not accept paedocommunion in a vacuum. We accept it in the context of the ancient, orthodox creeds and confessions of Christendom. We accept it especially on the firm foundation of the Word of God, the Holy Bible. We don’t accept it due to sentimentalism and emotionalism. We accept it as a practice that must be grounded in historic Christian orthodoxy. Both orthodoxy and orthopraxy.
I am overjoyed to see my children participate in the supper. That joy is grounded in the truths of Holy Scripture.
That joy is grounded in the truths of Holy Scripture.
By Christian education, I’m not primarily referring to the act of passing off your children to a local Christian school for the teachers to do your job for you. Sure, send your children to Christian school if there is a good one locally.
I’m speaking especially of the command to fathers in Ephesians 6:4: “Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.”
We must not raise our children in fear. We must raise them by faith in the promise of God that Jesus’ blood was also shed also for our little children. If we believe in God’s promise, then it is by faith and patience that we will teach our children. We will teach them to repent of their sins, trust in Jesus Christ and live a godly life according to their age and capacity. We do so recognizing them as Christian children, as the Lord’s children. They have His brand in Christian baptism. As for me and my house we will serve the Lord. I’m not speaking for Joshua. I’m speaking for me.
I was raised in the paedobaptist, but credocommunion world. I don’t remember being baptized. I do remember professing my faith and consequently coming to the Lord’s Table for the first time at 16 yrs old. This is a bit young for the CanRC and URC world that do profession of faith generally at the age of 18. Other parts of the Reformed & Presbyterian world do profession of faith at the age of 6-8, 10-12, 14-16, 16-19, 22-24, and some have only 5-10% of the church who have “assurance of salvation” at the Table. I honor my parents for their faithful teaching, their loving administration of the Lord’s discipline in my life, and their constant drive towards repentance from sin and faith in Christ. I honor them for showing me that Christ is my all, the source and the focus of my faith. I honor them for showing me that Christ was for me from even before I remember them showing me that. That is the greatest gift any parent can give their child.
My practice has changed somewhat, even if much of the covenant theology remains the same. Christ is the center of & supreme over everything.
My practice has changed somewhat, even if much of the covenant theology remains the same. Christ is the center of & supreme over everything. Under the oversight of the elders of Christ Covenant Church of Grande Prairie, my wife and I bring our children to the Lord’s Table. Many of those principles in the paedobaptist, but credocommunion world (especially that sector) are one and the same. In fact, they are almost identical. My dad and mom were some of my best teachers, even as other teachers have added important tricks & tools for child-raising. As a result of that, I have a deep respect and appreciation for the Dutch Reformed tradition of catechesis & teaching. This is not at odds with the practice of communing covenant children.
I honour all of my theological fathers in the Dutch Reformed world. It is a world packed with theological riches, deep Christian piety: in its understanding of the implications of the gospel on family, church, culture, state. The doctrine of the covenant and covenantal child-raising has transformed generations of Christians into the image of Christ. If you are someone moving into the Reformed world, I’d recommend anything by Louis Berkhof, Herman Bavinck, Abraham Kuyper, Klaas Schilder, Groen Van Prinsterer.
The doctrine of the covenant and covenantal child-raising has transformed generations of Christians into the image of Christ.
My commentary above comes from the perspective of the Three Forms of Unity. Similar things could be said from the Westminster Standards and the 39 Articles.
It’s important that as we consider the practice of paedocommunion in the Reformed world that we also take seriously the words of the Apostle Paul to the Church in Ephesus. After all, it always strikes me as odd when Christians divide over the very signs & seals of our unity in Christ:
“I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call — one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.” (Eph. 4:1-6)
A final addendum.
One of the most powerful references to the status of the children of believers in the covenant was written in Head 1 of the Canons of Dordt in the early 1620s. This is a Synod in Dordtrecht, the Netherlands, a synod at which delegates were present from England (Anglican), Scotland (Presbyterian) & France (French Reformed). They came together to deal with the problem of Arminianism arising in the Netherlands. This is one of the statements that the Synod made on the status of the infants of believers.
Photo by Gloria Liu on Unsplash
Your comment and clarification on it being by the elders authority that children come to the table really helpfully answers one of my slight lingering questions about paedocommunion (which I hold to).
Just a quick edit that I have added.
A brief note: Only if passed by Council will the Knox Statement have binding authority.