WSC 97
Westminster Shorter Catechism
Q97. What is required for the worthy receiving of the Lord's Supper?
It is required of them that would worthily partake of the Lord's Supper, that they examine themselves of their knowledge to discern the Lord's body, of their faith to feed upon him, of their repentance, love, and new obedience; lest, coming unworthily, they eat and drink judgment to themselves.
Proof texts
- 1 Cor. 11:28-29 — [28] Let a person examine himself, then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup. [29] For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment on himself.
- 2 Cor. 13:5 — [5] Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you? — unless indeed you fail to meet the test!
- 1 Cor. 11:31 — [31] But if we judged ourselves truly, we would not be judged.
- 1 Cor. 10:16-17 — [16] The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ? [17] Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread.
- 1 Cor. 5:7-8 — [7] Cleanse out the old leaven that you may be a new lump, as you really are unleavened. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed. [8] Let us therefore celebrate the festival, not with the old leaven, the leaven of malice and evil, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.
For discussion
- The Assembly cited 1 Cor. 11:28-29 in support of this answer. Read it in context — how does it bear on what is claimed here?
- 5 passages are cited here. Which does the most work, and is anything claimed that the proofs do not obviously carry?
- WLC Q149 treats the same ground. What does it add, and why might it put things differently?
- WLC Q171 treats the same ground. What does it add, and why might it put things differently?
Read alongside
WLC Q149 · WLC Q171 · WLC Q174 · WLC Q175 · WCF 27.1 · HC Q65 · BC 8.1 · BC 8.2 · BC 8.3 · 1689 28.1