Brothers+

At Good Shepherd's inquirers class, a young married
man with small children asked the question, "Will my
children be excommunicated from your church?"  The
young man has a higher view of the sacrament than the
leaders in his denomination.  He also has an
understanding of covenant that takes literally Acts
16:31.  He expressed his belief that a baptized child
should welcomed to take communion and that only if he
renounces Christ is he outside of the covenant.

When I moved to the Indianapolis area, Jan 30 2003, a
priority item in the mind of many was the need for
inquirer's and confirmation classes.  In fact, nearly
the entire congregation met for a number of weeks to
review the basics of the faith, sacraments, Creeds and
Traditions.  When we discussed sacraments, I pointed
out the variety of views held by Roman Catholics, the
Orthodox and the variety of Anglicans about when a
child may take Holy Communion.  

The Good Shepherdites were accustomed to having
children not participate at communion until they had
completed a confirmation class at about age 12.  

As the class of 20-30 year old inquirers that I am
working with now has moved along, they have shown
great interest in sacraments and how they relate to
the Good News.  Their questions and interest have
forced me to reconsider my own understanding of
Covenant Theology.  At least two of the fathers in the
group look upon the Covenant as being not only with
the "New Israel" but also with individual families. 
Acts 16:31 was given as an example.  That particular
passage was never troublesome to me, as I was thinking
in terms of each individual in the housebold being
baptized into Christ becoming members of the household
of faith, "the blessed company of all faithful
people."  I wasn't thinking interms of covenant with
that specific household.

The young father's intense question, "would you
excommunicate my child by refusing Holy Communion"
made me re-think what it means to be a Christian
family.

In looking into the Greek word "oikos" used over a
hundred times in the New Testament, I found the
following Scriptures in Luke, Acts and the Epistles of
particular interest:

Lu 1:33    And he shall reign over the house of Jacob
for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.  
Lu 1:69    And hath raised up an horn of salvation for
us in the house of his servant David;  
 Lu 8:39    Return to thine own house, and shew how
great things God hath done unto thee. And he went his
way, and published throughout the whole city how great
things Jesus had done unto him.  
Lu 10:5    And into whatsoever house ye enter, first
say, Peace be to this house.  
Lu 11:17    But he, knowing their thoughts, said unto
them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought
to desolation; and a house divided against a house
falleth.  
Lu 19:5    And when Jesus came to the place, he looked
up, and saw him, and said unto him, Zacchaeus, make
haste, and come down; for to day I must abide at thy
house.  
Lu 19:9    And Jesus said unto him, This day is
salvation come to this house, forsomuch as he also is
a son of Abraham.  
Ac 2:36    Therefore let all the house of Israel know
assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye
have crucified, both Lord and Christ.  
Ac 2:46    And they, continuing daily with one accord
in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house,
did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of
heart,  
Ac 5:42    And daily in the temple, and in every
house, they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus
Christ.  
Ac 10:2    A devout man, and one that feared God with
all his house, which gave much alms to the people, and
prayed to God alway.  
Ac 11:14    Who shall tell thee words, whereby thou
and all thy house shall be saved. 
Ac 16:15    And when she was baptized, and her house
hold, she besought us, saying, If ye have judged me to
be faithful to the Lord, come into my house, and abide
there. And she constrained us 
Ac 16:31    And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus
Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.  
Ac 16:34    And when he had brought them into his
house, he set meat before them, and rejoiced,
believing in God with all his house 
Ac 18:8    And Crispus, the chief ruler of the
synagogue, believed on the Lord with all his house;
and many of the Corinthians hearing believed, and were
baptized.  
Ac 21:8    And the next day we that were of Paul's
company departed, and came unto Caesarea: and we
entered into the house of Philip the evangelist, which
was one of the seven; and abode with him.  He had four
unmarried daughters , who possessed the gift of
prophecy.
Ro 16:5    Likewise greet the church that is in their
house. Salute my wellbeloved Epaenetus, who is the
firstfruits of Achaia unto Christ.  
1Co 1:16    And I baptized also the house hold of
Stephanas: besides, I know not whether I baptized any
other.  
1Co 16:19    The churches of Asia salute you. Aquila
and Priscilla salute you much in the Lord, with the
church that is in their house. 
Col 4:15    Salute the brethren which are in Laodicea,
and Nymphas, and the church which is in his house 
1Ti 3:4    One that ruleth well his own house, having
his children in subjection with all gravity;  
1Ti 3:5    (For if a man know not how to rule his own
house, how shall he take care of the church of God?)  
1Ti 3:12    Let the deacons be the husbands of one
wife, ruling their children and their own house s
well. 
2Ti 1:16    The Lord give mercy unto the house of
Onesiphorus; for he oft refreshed me, and was not
ashamed of my chain:  
2Ti 4:19    Salute Prisca and Aquila, and the house
hold of Onesiphorus. 
Tit 1:11    Whose mouths must be stopped, who subvert
whole house s, teaching things which they ought not,
for filthy lucre's sake.  
Phm 1:2    And to our beloved Apphia, and Archippus
our fellowsoldier, and to the church in thy house:  
Heb 3:6    But Christ as a son over his own house;
whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and
the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end.  
Heb 8:8    For finding fault with them, he saith,
Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when I will
make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with
the house of Judah:  
Heb 8:10    For this is the covenant that I will make
with the house of Israel after those days, saith the
Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write
them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and
they shall be to me a people:  
Heb 10:21    And having an high priest over the house
of God;  
Heb 11:7    By faith Noah, being warned of God of
things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an
ark to the saving of his house; by the which he
condemned the world, and became heir of the
righteousness which is by faith.  

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In the line up of New Testament Scripture where the
term oikos apparently can mean more than simply a
material structure for habitation, it is interesting
that it is Luke-Acts and the Epistles sent to Gentile
communities that ekklesia in the oikos, baptism of the
oikos and salvation of the oikos is mentioned. 
Perhaps this isn't included in Matthew and Mark
because it was taken for granted that entire
households of faith was the tradition in Israel?  Each
family met at home for the Sabbath celelbration.  

Godly Households.  Households of ekklesia.  Households
in the covenant. Households united in faith and
households in which the believing spouse may
"sanctify" an unbelieveing spouse and bring salvation
to a household.

I wonder, do we deny the little ones in those
households the Bread of Heaven?

Has anyone written a recent essay or book on Covenant
Theology and addressed the issue of children and
Eucharist; and also family covenants with our Lord?

Charles+