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True Greatness  /  What Would Alexander Campbell Say to the Church Today?  /  Discussion Questions
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Question 7
In discussing “communion,” Campbell points out the inconsistency of Christians who freely unite at the “Family Altar” or prayer meetings but would “rather be caught with publicans and sinners” than share the Lord’s Table; what do your own communion boundaries reveal about what you believe the Table *means*, and what fears or loyalties drive those boundaries?
Another way to ask: Campbell notes some Christians pray together but refuse to share the Lord’s Table. What do your own limits on communion show about what you think the Table means, and what fears or loyalties shape those limits?

Direct Answer Campbell’s critique suggests that many Christians treat the Lord’s Table as a badge of sect identity rather than a shared act among disciples—since they can pray together but refuse to break bread together. Your boundaries may reveal whether you see the Table as “the communion” of your group or as fellowship among those who truly belong to Christ.

Support from Transcript:

  • Campbell says Baptists and Pedo-Baptists “confine communion to the Lord’s Table” and even call it “the communion.”
  • He notes they may unite at the “Family Altar” and in “monthly concerts for prayers,” having “full communion in prayer and praise.”
  • Yet if the Table is furnished, they would “rather be caught…with publicans and sinners” than sit with those same Christians.
  • He calls this “something inconsistent,” showing the boundary is not simply about shared worship.
  • He wrestles with whether they should “cease…communion in prayer…or…go the whole length,” indicating the Table boundary exposes deeper loyalties and fears.
Discussion Follow-ups What do you fear would be communicated if you shared the Table with certain believers—approval of error, betrayal of your group, or loss of identity? How does Campbell’s distinction between the act and total endorsement address that fear?

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