圍護聖餐桌 Fencing of the Table
摘自OPC教會會刊，Ordained Servant 第4卷第2期（1995年4月）
William B. Kessler  誠之譯自：https://opc.org/OS/html/V4/2e.html
https://yimawusi.net/2022/02/24/fencing-of-the-table/
 
所有的改革宗教會都同意，對於那些吃喝主的聖餐的人，應該給予一定的監督和警告。監督和警告是聖經所規定的。當哥林多人聚在一起吃喝主的晚餐時，保羅對他們提出了嚴肅的警告:「27 所以，無論何人不按理吃主的餅、喝主的杯，就是干犯主的身、主的血了。28 人應當自己省察，然後吃這餅、喝這杯。29 因為人吃喝，若不分辨是主的身體，就是吃喝自己的罪了。30 因此，在你們中間有好些軟弱的與患病的，死的也不少。」（林前十一27-30）。
All Reformed churches would agree that some oversight and caution ought to be extended to those who partake of the Lord’s Supper. Oversight and warning are mandated by Scripture. Paul gives a solemn warning to the Corinthians when they gather to partake of the Lord’s Supper: “Therefore whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner, shall be guilty of the body and the blood of the Lord. But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For he who eats and drinks, eats and drinks judgment to himself, if then he does not judge the body rightly. For this reason many among you are weak and sick, and a number sleep” (1 Cor. 11:27-30).
 
當保羅這樣告誡哥林多人的時候，他就是在圍護主的聖餐。圍護聖餐，單純是為了對那些聚集在聖餐儀式上的人進行適當的牧養，同時也是一種警戒。圍護有兩方面的功能。它一方面是為了約束而分別，另一方面是為了聚集並保護。當主的餐桌得到圍護時，那些參與可恥的罪、不悔改其罪的罪人都要受到約束，而悔改的罪人則受邀前來領受聖餐。
When Paul admonishes the Corinthians in this way, he is fencing the Lord’s supper. The fencing of the Supper is simply administering the appropriate pastoral care along with a warning towards those who have gathered at a communion service. A fence has a two-fold function. It separates in order to restrain, on the one hand, and to gather and to protect, on the other hand. When the table of the Lord is fenced, those involved in scandalous, unrepentant sin are to be restrained, while repentant sinners are invited to come and partake of the sacred meal.
 
經常有人提出的問題是，應該如何管理餐桌的圍欄？當有訪客在場，並希望與我們的會眾一起分享聖餐時，這個問題就變得尖銳起來。有些教會認為，僅僅從餐桌上發出警告就算是圍護了。換句話說，讓某人參加聖餐的決定完全交由個人良心來判斷。以這種方式管理圍欄的問題是，個人的良心可能是蒙昧無知的，或者更糟糕的是，良心已經枯萎了。
The question that is often raised is, how should one administer the fencing of the table? The question becomes poignant when visitors are present and desire to partake of the Supper with our congregations. Some sessions are persuaded that a mere warning from the table is a sufficient fence. In other words, the decision to let someone commune is left up to the individual’s conscience. The problem with administering the fence in this way is that the individual may have an uninformed conscience, or worse, a seared conscience.
 
我有一位天主教鄰居，他開始上教會。我知道他信靠的不是耶穌，而是自己的善行。他很想和我們一起吃喝主的聖餐。他已然把它看成是一場彌撒。如果完全任憑他自己的良心，他內心不悔改的狀況就會得到加強，而教會也會意識到一種不聖潔的聯合。一個需要角力的問題是：牧師和長老們僅僅在聖餐桌上宣佈警告，是否就是履行了他們監督的責任，約束不悔改的人，保護餐桌和聖徒群體的聖潔？
I had Catholic neighbor who started to attend church. I knew he was not trusting in Jesus but in his good works. He very much desired to join us in the Lord’s Supper. He still viewed it as a mass. If left to his own conscience, the unrepentant condition of his heart would have been reinforced while the church would have been aware of an unholy amalgamation. A question that needs to be wrestled with is this: are the elders fulfilling their responsibility of oversight in restraining the unrepentant and protecting the sanctity of the table and the communion of the saints merely by announcing a warning from the table?
 
在康涅狄格州新鎮的信正長老會的牧長會一直在糾結這個問題。以下是牧長會管理主的聖餐桌圍欄的方式：
The session at Community Orthodox Presbyterian Church in Newtown, Connecticut has wrestled with this question. Here is how the session administers the fencing of the Lord's Table.
 
1. 在早上的崇拜中，我們邀請任何來訪者與牧師或長老面談，討論他們是否可以參與聖餐。
1. In the morning service we invite any visitors to speak to the minister or to one of the elders concerning how they might participate in the communion supper.
 
2. 我們是在晚上的禮拜中慶祝主的聖餐。這使我們在下午的崇拜之間有時間坐下來，以較輕鬆的方式與人交談，而沒有早上所面對的時間壓力。我們通常不讓來訪者領聖餐，除非他已與牧長會見過面、談過話。
2. We celebrate the Lord’s Supper during our evening service. This gives us the time in the afternoon between the services to sit down and speak with people in a less hurried way, without the pressure that would face us in the morning. We do not serve a visitor, usually, unless he has met with the session.
 
3. 我們會簡單地詢問來訪者，以確定他們是否已經受洗，以及他們是否能夠對基督信仰作出可靠的表述。
3. We briefly examine the visitors to determine if they have been baptized and if they can give a credible profession of faith in Christ.
 
4. 然後我們會詢問他們的教會背景。如果他們不是當地信奉聖經的教會（即傳講真福音的教會）的成員，我們鼓勵他們成為這種教會的成員。當訪客日後繼續來訪問我們教會時，長老們會明確指出，委身當地教會，擁有會籍是非常必要的。我們願意繼續讓他們領六個月的聖餐，但有一個前提，就是在這段期間後，我們會再次詢問他們在做出此種承諾方面的進展。
4. Then we inquire about their church background. If they are not members of a local Bible-believing church (one that preaches the true gospel), we encourage them to become members of such a church. When guests continue to visit our church, the elders make it clear that committed membership in a local church is imperative. We are willing to continue to serve them the supper for six months with the understanding that after that period of time we will inquire again about their progress in making such a commitment.
 
5. 當我們慶祝聖餐時，我們會發出與崇拜指南一致的警告。
5. When we celebrate the Supper we give a warning that is consistent with the directory for worship.
 
有些人可能會反對這種圍護聖餐桌的方式，認為這種方式過於窺探個人隱私、律法主義，過分嚴厲。我需要回應的是，當我們圍護聖餐桌的時候，我們對待來訪者的方式是很重要的。對我們的牧長會來說，這是一個與來訪者見面、交談並表達我們對他們的牧養關懷的機會。在主的聖餐前，大多數（如果不是全部）與會眾見面的來訪者都表示，長老們能花時間並表現出這樣的牧養關懷是多麼的幸運。我們有許多來自靈恩派和浸信會的來訪者。其中有幾位對於從主的聖餐顯示出來的認真態度表示感謝，這是他們自己教會所缺乏的。在舉行聖餐之前事先與來訪者會面，是我們領受指教的時候，當我們聽見上帝如何有效地呼召許多人，在基督裏得著救贖的信心時，我們就感到歡喜快樂。我還可以補充一點，上帝已經豐盛地祝福這個會眾的成長。當我們一起慶祝主的聖餐時，我們的聖餐禮拜乃是充滿著莊嚴和深深的喜樂。
Some may object to this way of administering the fence as being overly-prying, legalistic and harsh. I need to respond by saying that when we fence the table the manner in which we approach our visitors is all important. For our session it is an opportunity to meet with, talk to, and show our pastoral concern for those visiting the church. Most, if not all, visitors who have met with the session before the Lord’s Supper have indicated what a blessing it was for the elders to take the time and to show such pastoral concern. We have had many visitors from charismatic and Baptist churches. Several of them have expressed their gratitude for the seriousness that is shown towards the Lord’s Supper, which is missing in their own congregations. The times of meeting with visitors beforehand have been times when instruction has been given and great joy felt as we hear how God has effectually called many to saving faith in Christ. I might add that God has richly blessed this congregation with growth. Our communion services are filled with a solemnity and a deep joy as we celebrate the Lord’s Supper together.