ordained ministers

[mitziware]

should only ordained minister serve on the communion table? If so what scripture supports this

[Clanad]

No, in fact, one can participate in communion at home...The last supper, described in the Gospel accounts and further described in 1 Corinthians, 11: 23-26 indicates "as often as you do this, do so in rememberance of Me..." The implication is that it can be done anywhere at anytime. The most important prerequisite is that one is to reflect on one's heart at the moment.  The ceremony seen in most churches today is encumbered with tradition... not seen in Scripture...

[Peter Pedant]

AB is probably not the place to answer these basic q on theology. Mitz.

you will not find ordained as in ordained minister in the NT  - nor minister unless you take presbuteros (elder). Communion - nope - and table - certainly not in this sense.

Oh and the first christians were all Jews - Oh and Christian was never on Jesus' lips. First used of the followers of the son of god in antioch, end of the first century.

Sooooo....there has to be something more and one of the sources were the Councils of the early church. The first one is around 51 AD and is mentioned in the NT and decided that gentiles could be christians.

Obviously there is going to be argument about which book of the NT or letter is OK and included in the canon. I hesitate to say kosher.....and as an RC we've a few more than the protestants

I mean Mitz people have argued and burnt each other for 2000 years and here I have 15s on AB. I hope this is  some help. Clanad's quote, is of course a recycled quote, by the time Paul was writing to the Corinthians Jesus was long crucified - and I think is more attuned to discussions on the doctrine of transubstantiation -but that's me for you!

oh and the Gk word which is used for remembrance is more like re-enactment, which is why RCs go for transubstantiation and not consubstantiation.

I mean the Jesuits are good at this sort of thing - and are paid to do it! while I'm just a poor boy and my story's seldom told......

hope this helps..................PP

[rampart]

At our cathedral, a deacon (ordained of course) and a lay person (someone not ordained) get most of the communion ready. The celebrant (someone ordained) then follows the litergy of Holy Eucharist. Priests serve the bread, and someone either ordained or a lay person who is licensed gives wine.