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Frequency of communion

In short
  • T05.1 Weekly (Lord’s Day) celebration with the people communing: Era I–II norm (high)
  • T05.2 Both kinds to all (Matt 26:27; Cyprian, On the Lapsed 25) (high)

Two separate measures, shown side by side; neither is combined with the other (confidence-weighted, out of 4; counts show how many of this doctrine's 2 questions each rests on; ⚠ marks coverage more than 10 points below the median, a less certain rank). This doctrine is third-order (tier weight 1). How scoring works · Scripture and tradition · Glossary · Every score with its citation

Closeness to Scripture

1 Lutheran2/2 cells 100% 2/2 q
2 Oriental Orthodox⚠ 1/2 cells · low coverage 100% 1/2 q
3 Presbyterian⚠ 1/2 cells · low coverage 100% 1/2 q
4 Reformed Baptist⚠ 1/2 cells · low coverage 100% 1/2 q
5 General Baptist⚠ 1/2 cells · low coverage 100% 1/2 q
6 Orthodox2/2 cells 83% 2/2 q
7 Anglican2/2 cells 83% 2/2 q
8 Anabaptist2/2 cells 83% 2/2 q
9 Catholic2/2 cells 50% 2/2 q

Closeness to the fathers

1 Lutheran2/2 cells 100% 2/2 q
2 Oriental Orthodox⚠ 1/2 cells · low coverage 100% 1/2 q
3 Presbyterian⚠ 1/2 cells · low coverage 100% 1/2 q
4 Reformed Baptist⚠ 1/2 cells · low coverage 100% 1/2 q
5 General Baptist⚠ 1/2 cells · low coverage 100% 1/2 q
6 Orthodox2/2 cells 70% 2/2 q
7 Anglican2/2 cells 70% 2/2 q
8 Anabaptist2/2 cells 70% 2/2 q
9 Catholic2/2 cells 50% 2/2 q
Charts: closeness to the fathers by question, and timeline
Closeness to the fathers, by question (0–4). Hatched = not assessed in the category file. Click a question for its verdict.
01234Catholic · T05.1: 2/4 — Daily Mass, but lay communion required only annually (Lateran IV, 1215)2Orthodox · T05.1: 2/4 — Weekly liturgy; lay communion infrequent in classic practice2Oriental Orthodox · T05.1: not assessedLutheran · T05.1: 4/4 — Apology XXIV.1: 'masses are celebrated every Lord's Day and on the other festivals, in which the Sacrament is offered to those who wish to use it' (verified)4Anglican · T05.1: 2/4 — 1662 rubric: communicate 'at the least three times in the year'2Presbyterian · T05.1: not assessedReformed Baptist · T05.1: not assessedGeneral Baptist · T05.1: not assessedAnabaptist · T05.1: 2/4 — GAMEO, 'Communion' (C. Krahn; J. D. Rempel): by the 17th century 'usual for Mennonites in northern Europe to celebrate communion twice a year while Mennonites in south Germany and Switzerland celebrated it once a year' (reputable scholarship)2T05.1conf. highCatholic · T05.2: 2/4 — Trent XXI ch. 1: laity 'not obliged, by any divine precept, to receive ... under both species' (verified) (practice since widened)2Orthodox · T05.2: 4/4 — not assessed: the doctrine page does not state this tradition's position on this question4Oriental Orthodox · T05.2: 4/4 — not assessed: the doctrine page does not state this tradition's position on this question4Lutheran · T05.2: 4/4 — AC XXII 'Of Both Kinds' (verified)4Anglican · T05.2: 4/4 — Art. XXX 'Of both kinds' (verified)4Presbyterian · T05.2: 4/4 — not assessed: the doctrine page does not state this tradition's position on this question4Reformed Baptist · T05.2: 4/4 — not assessed: the doctrine page does not state this tradition's position on this question4General Baptist · T05.2: 4/4 — not assessed: the doctrine page does not state this tradition's position on this question4Anabaptist · T05.2: 4/4 — not assessed: the doctrine page does not state this tradition's position on this question4T05.2conf. high
CatholicOrthodoxOriental OrthodoxLutheranAnglicanPresbyterianReformed BaptistGeneral BaptistAnabaptistnot assessed
When the cited witnesses spoke (approximate dates) and where later traditions fixed their positions. Filled dot = consensus question; hollow orange = a question on which the fathers varied. Each item links to its source note or post-750 note.
1002003004005006007001000125015001700post-750 (compressed)Didache (c. 100) · T05.1Didachec. 100 · T05.1Justin Martyr (c. 155) · T05.1Justin Martyrc. 155 · T05.1Cyprian (c. 252) · T05.2Cyprianc. 252 · T05.2Apology of the AC (1531) · LutheranApology of the AC1531 · Lutheran
  1. c. 100 Didache T05.1
  2. c. 155 Justin Martyr T05.1
  3. c. 252 Cyprian T05.2
  4. 1531 Apology of the AC Lutheran

T5 · Frequency of communion

Weekly, monthly, quarterly.

Tier: Third-order (scoring weight 1). How the tiers were set: theological triage. Method: conventions. Traditions’ sources: confessional sources.

In short

The earliest Christians celebrated the Lord’s Supper every Sunday, with everyone present receiving it. Scripture shows the same pattern without commanding a frequency. Later, many churches, Catholic, Orthodox, Anglican and Reformed alike, came to have the people receive only a few times a year.

Plan

Question: T05.1: should the Lord’s Supper be celebrated, with the people communing, every Lord’s Day? Scripture: Acts 2:42, 46; 20:7; 1 Cor 11:20–26. Fathers: Didache 14; Justin, 1 Apology 67. Question: T05.2: Should the cup be given to all communicants?

Questions

  • T05.1 Frequency of communion
  • T05.2 Should the cup be given to all communicants?

Verdicts and trace

Weighed under the source-proximity principle: Scripture first, then the father eras I–IV.

T05.1 · Frequency of communion

QuestionVerdictConfidenceReasoningKey sourcesScripture (benchmark)
T05.1Weekly (Lord’s Day) celebration with the people communing: Era I–II normHighT05.1.1 · T05.1.3 weighingdidache-t05-s1 · justin-martyr-t05-s1T05.1.4: medium

T05.2 · Should the cup be given to all communicants?

QuestionVerdictConfidenceReasoningKey sourcesScripture (benchmark)
T05.2Both kinds to all (Matt 26:27; Cyprian, On the Lapsed 25)HighT05.2.1 · T05.2.3 weighingcyprian-t05-s1T05.2.4: high

Post-750 development

Which of this doctrine’s questions each tradition stays closest to, or departs from. Each row links to the tradition’s notes; exact scores and bases are in the reasoning.

TraditionClosest to the fathers onDeparts or sharpens on
CatholicT05.1, T05.2partly T05.1, partly T05.2
OrthodoxT05.1, T05.2partly T05.1
Oriental OrthodoxT05.1, T05.2partly T05.1
LutheranT05.1, T05.2—
AnglicanT05.1, T05.2partly T05.1
PresbyterianT05.1, T05.2partly T05.1
Reformed Baptistpartly T05.1, T05.2—
General Baptistpartly T05.1, T05.2—
AnabaptistT05.2—

Overall verdict

Weekly communion of the people is the Era I–II pattern; the classic Lutheran order (Apology XXIV) kept it best, while infrequent lay communion in other traditions departs. T05.2: all but the classic Catholic position give the cup to all.

Verification status

Status from the score data: 4 tradition cells cite a text checked against an online source (marked verified); 9 cite the named article or practice without a separate check in this project (see each tradition’s section); 5 are not assessed (T05.1 Oriental Orthodox, T05.1 Presbyterian, T05.1 Reformed Baptist, T05.1 General Baptist, T05.1 Anabaptist), with the reason given in the reasoning page.