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“Thou hast given a banner to them that fear thee, that it may be displayed because of the truth.” Psalm 60:4

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Home / About Us / What We Contend For / The Lord’s Supper

The Lord’s Supper

The Lord Jesus Christ instituted two sacraments for the New Testament Church: Baptism and the Lord’s Supper. Whereas Baptism points to the work of the Holy Spirit applying salvation, the Supper points to the work of Christ accomplishing salvation. Baptism is a picture of regeneration – “the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost” (Titus 3:5). The Lord’s Supper is a picture of the death of Christ – “For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord’s death till He come” (1 Cor. 11:26).

The Lord’s Supper is a precious, but solemn, ordinance. Therefore the Free Presbyterian Church of Scotland does not administer it lightly, as it is so often done these days in evangelical and even professedly reformed churches. The following distinctives can be noted:

  • Before someone can sit at the Lord’s Table in the Free Presbyterian Church, they must meet with the Kirk-Session (the minister and ruling elders of the local congregation) and be interviewed about their profession of Christ. This is not conducted as an inquisition, but in order to assist the person desiring to come to the Lord’s Table, and also for the office-bearers to fulfil their duty to the Head of the Church, the Lord Jesus Christ, who has committed to them the “keys” to open and bar the way to the sacraments of the visible Church. Read more about this in this article: Why do the minister and elders interview intending communicants?
  • The modern practice of completely open, unrestricted, or loose access to the Table is not practised in the Free Presbyterian Church of Scotland. Neither is the opposite extreme, of Closed (or Close) Communion, where no one is allowed to come to the Table but those of our own denomination or even congregation. Instead, proper Biblical order is maintained by Restricted Communion, where only those who have an accredited profession of Christ are permitted to the Table. This article compares these different approaches, and explains the reasons for restricting access to the Table to only properly qualified persons: Restricted Communion.
  • At every service in which the Lord’s Supper is to be dispensed, the minister will “fence the Table” at some length, before the communicants go forward to sit at the Table. This Scriptural requirement is explained in the linked article.
  • All congregations of the Free Presbyterian Church continue to hold Communion Seasons every time the Lord’s Supper is administered. With preparatory services on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, the Lord’s Supper is dispensed on the Lord’s Day, followed by a thanksgiving service or services on Monday. See this account of the communion season in Sydney in September 2014 for an example.
  • The frequency of holding the Lord’s Supper. In each congregation the Supper is dispensed only once or twice each year. Compared with most churches today, this is relatively infrequent. It is not because the Supper is undervalued, but because it is rightly and Scripturally valued that the Supper is not held more frequently.

About Us

  • Who We Are
    • The Free Presbyterian Church of Scotland – Why It Exists Today
    • The Free Presbyterian Church Catechism
      • A Catechism of the History and Principles of the Free Presbyterian Church of Scotland – PDF
      • 1. Origins of the Free Presbyterian Church (1-13)
      • 2. The Westminster Confession of Faith (14–22)
      • 3. The Declaratory Act and the Free Church (23–53)
      • 4. The Infallibility of Scripture (54-67)
      • 5. Erroneous Doctrines (68-77)
      • 6. Innovations in Worship (78-93)
      • 7. Church and State (94-104)
      • 8. Church office-bearers (105-130)
      • 9. Church Courts (131-140)
      • 10. Church Unity (141-149)
      • 11. Modern Religious Cults (150-159)
      • 12. Modern Errors (160-170)
      • 13. Evolution (171-175)
      • 14. Christ’s Second Coming (176-179)
      • Appendix 1. Deed of Separation 1893
      • Appendix 2. Free Church of Scotland Declaratory Act 1892
      • Appendix 3. FP Synod Resolutions
      • Appendix 4. Questions put to Office-bearers and Formula to be signed by them
      • Appendix 5. Memorandum on the Church of Scotland Enabling Bill 1920
    • The Declaratory Act Controversy
      • Declaratory Act – Reasons for Separation
      • How the Declaratory Act changed the Constitution of the Free Church
      • Explanatory Criticism of the Declaratory Act
      • The Consequences of the Declaratory Act
      • The Declaratory Act and Admission into Office in the Free Church
      • The Constitutional Aspects of the Declaratory Act
      • A Brief History of the Free Presbyterian Church of Scotland
  • What We Contend For
    • Our Free Presbyterian Heritage
    • The Authorised Version
      • The Importance of the Authorised Version for the Church in Britain
      • 2015 Synod Resolution on Versions of the Bible
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      • The Pope and the Constitution of the United Kingdom
      • The Pope as the Head of a False Religion
      • Papal Infallibility
      • The Pope in Scripture
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    • Church Discipline
      • The Purposes of Church Discipline
      • The Church’s responsibility to administer Biblical discipline faithfully
      • The benefits of exercising Church discipline
      • Accusations Levelled against a Church Exercising Discipline
    • Baptism
      • Subjects of Baptism – by Rev. William MacIntyre
      • Mode of Baptism – by Rev. William Macintyre
      • Should Infants be Baptised?
    • The Lord’s Supper
      • Why do the minister and elders interview intending communicants?
      • Restricted Communion
      • Fencing the Table
    • Our Separate Stance
    • The Sabbath
      • Why the Sabbath should Still be Kept
      • How the Sabbath should be Kept
      • Sabbath or Lord’s Day – not “Sunday”
      • What about using Public Transport on the Sabbath?
    • Family worship
      • Family worship – a recent overview
      • Family worship – a recent address to young people
      • Family worship – a convicting appeal from C H Spurgeon
      • Family worship – a wartime appeal from more than a century ago
      • Family worship – a review
      • Family worship – another wartime appeal
      • Family worship – an illustration of its power
    • Distinctions between Male and Female
      • Men and Women Equal in Value
      • The Distinct Roles of Men and Women
      • Can women lead in public prayer?
      • Distinct Clothing for Men and Women
      • Long hair for women and short hair for men
  • What We Believe
  • How We Worship
    • Order of Service
    • The Right Way to Worship
      • Standing for Prayer
      • The Charismatic Movement – The Gifts have Ceased
    • The Regulative Principle of Worship
      • Does the Bible tell us how we are to Worship?
      • The Importance of the Regulative Principle for Today
      • The Regulative Principle as defined by the Scottish Reformers and others
    • Exclusive Psalmody
      • Does the Bible tell us What to Sing?
      • Why Psalms Only
    • No Musical Instruments
      • Musical Instruments in Worship
    • No Christian “Festivals”
      • Should Christians Celebrate Christmas?
  • How We Are Organised
    • Church Courts
    • Scripture does teach the right form of Church Government
    • The Apostolic Church – Which Is It?
      • Statement of the Question
      • Meaning of the word Church
      • Government of the Church
      • Apostolic Principles
      • The First Principle
      • The Second Principle
      • The Third Principle
      • The Fourth Principle
      • The Fifth Principle
      • The Sixth Principle
      • Application of the Test
      • Application of the Test to Prelacy
      • Application of the Test to Independency
      • Application of the Test to Presbytery
      • Application of the Test – Result
  • Important Documents
    • The Scots Confession
    • The First Book of Discipline
    • The Second Book of Discipline
    • The National Covenant
    • The Solemn League and Covenant
    • The Westminster Confession of Faith
    • The Larger Catechism
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    • The Directory for Public Worship
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    • The Sum of Saving Knowledge
    • The Directory for Family Worship
    • The Claim Declaration and Protest
    • The Protest
    • The Deed of Separation 1893
  • Frequently Asked Questions

Calendar

  1. 9 Mar - Meeting of Presbyteries: Western and Northern
  2. 16 Mar - 17 Mar - Synod Committee meetings
  3. 23 Mar - Meeting of Presbytery: Outer Isles

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Latest Articles

  • Approaching Judgments – Part 6
  • Youth Conference 2021
  • Special Offers on New Books for March

Recently Added Audio

  • Our responses to what Christ says 11 Oct 2020
  • Nehemiah and the fear of God 11 Oct 2020
  • Who is worthy to open the book? 20 Sep 2009
  • Lazarus at the table with Christ 20 Sep 2009
  • Sons of God 27 Dec 2020
  • Mine eyes have seen thy salvation 27 Dec 2020
  • Direction for Joshua 4 Oct 2020
  • God pleased to use preaching 4 Oct 2020
  • Enduring by faith 27 Dec 2020
  • I was brought low 3 Jan 2021

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Messages from Captivity: Sermons from Ezekiel 1-24 by Allan W MacColl, £6.79
A Day’s March Nearer Home: Autobiography of J Graham Miller edited by Iain H Murray £12.79
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Rev Keith M Watkins
[email protected]

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FP Manse, Tarbert
Isle of Harris, HS3 3DF
UK

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Free Presbyterian Manse, Ferry Road, Leverburgh, Isle of Harris, HS5 3UA, UK.
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