The concept of the "Communion of Saints" is a fundamental tenet in Christian theology, emphasizing the spiritual solidarity and fellowship among believers, both living and deceased, who are united in Christ. This communion is rooted in the shared faith, sacraments, and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, which binds the faithful into one body, the Church. The Communion of Saints is contrasted with the notion of communion with the wicked, which Scripture warns against, highlighting the moral and spiritual separation that should exist between the righteous and the unrighteous.

Biblical Foundation

The Communion of Saints is biblically grounded in passages that speak to the unity and fellowship of believers. In Ephesians 4:4-6 , Paul writes, "There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all." This passage underscores the unity of believers in the body of Christ, transcending earthly divisions.

Conversely, Scripture provides clear admonitions against forming alliances or intimate associations with those who live in opposition to God's commandments. In 2 Corinthians 6:14-15 , Paul exhorts, "Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership can righteousness have with wickedness? Or what fellowship does light have with darkness? What harmony is there between Christ and Belial? Or what does a believer have in common with an unbeliever?" This passage highlights the inherent incompatibility between the values of the faithful and those who reject God's ways.

Theological Implications

The Communion of Saints implies a shared participation in the life of Christ, which is expressed through worship, prayer, and the sacraments. This spiritual fellowship is not limited by time or space, as it includes the faithful departed who are believed to be in the presence of God. Hebrews 12:1 refers to this great cloud of witnesses, encouraging believers to persevere in their faith journey.

In contrast, communion with the wicked is seen as a threat to the purity and holiness that believers are called to maintain. Psalm 1:1 states, "Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, or set foot on the path of sinners, or sit in the seat of mockers." This verse serves as a warning against adopting the lifestyle or values of those who oppose God's law.

Practical Considerations

For Christians, the call to maintain the Communion of Saints involves active participation in the life of the Church, fostering relationships with fellow believers, and engaging in communal worship and service. It also requires discernment in personal relationships and associations, ensuring that one's closest ties are with those who share a commitment to Christ.

The avoidance of communion with the wicked does not imply a withdrawal from the world or a lack of engagement with non-believers. Rather, it calls for a careful balance, where believers are in the world but not of it, as Jesus prayed in John 17:15-16 : "My prayer is not that You take them out of the world, but that You protect them from the evil one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world."

Conclusion

The Communion of Saints and the call to avoid communion with the wicked are complementary aspects of the Christian life, emphasizing both the unity of believers and the necessity of maintaining spiritual and moral integrity. Through the guidance of Scripture and the power of the Holy Spirit, Christians are equipped to navigate these relationships in a manner that honors God and upholds the witness of the Church.2 Corinthians 6:14-17
Be you not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship has righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion has light with darkness?
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Ephesians 5:11
And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Differences in Judgment About Water Baptism, no Bar to Communion ...
... why did you not shew me my evil in thus calling it, when opposed to the ... not your
left hand of it; we are talking now of communion of saints, church communion ...
/.../the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/differences in judgment about water.htm

Peaceable Principles and True: Or, a Brief Answer to Mr. D'Anver's ...
... 4. Some saints were in the church at Jerusalem, that opposed the preaching ... that baptism
with water, is neither a bar nor bolt to communion of saints, nor a ...
/.../the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/peaceable principles and true or.htm

On Prayer and The Contemplative Life
... 19, 20; on the meaning of Religion, 50; on the meaning of devotion, 53, 54; on its
causes, 60; on devotion as opposed to gloom ... Communion of Saints, 158, 164. ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/aquinas/on prayer and the contemplative life/index 2.htm

Of the Mass.
... without God's Word and apart from the communion of the ... are and remain eternally
separated and opposed to one ... with the superfluous merits of all saints and of ...
/...//christianbookshelf.org/luther/the smalcald articles/article ii of the mass.htm

Covenanting Adapted to the Moral Constitution of Man.
... disobedience is not as if that requirement were inconsistent with his natural powers,
but as opposed by their ... God prepares men for the communion of saints. ...
/.../cunningham/the ordinance of covenanting/chapter vii covenanting adapted to.htm

The Sixth Season
... be feared in the assemblies of his saints, and to ... medium in which you might walk
in communion with God ... and a vain heart, conspiring together, leave opposed me. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/flavel/on keeping the heart/vi the sixth season.htm

Andover Orthodox Creed.
... personally depraved, destitute of holiness, unlike and opposed to GOD ... admit no person
to its holy communion, before he ... up to glory, and that the saints will be ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/hayward/the book of religions/andover orthodox creed.htm

On the Third, Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth Commandments of the Church
... The saints used to go to confession very frequently, sometimes ... who does not go to
Holy Communion sometime during ... in a word, which are not opposed either to the ...
/.../kinkead/baltimore catechism no 4/lesson 36 on the third.htm

Covenant Duties.
... of God be disregarded, and so far would the government be opposed to His ... and discouraged
by all brought to receive it; and the communion of saints, by the ...
/.../cunningham/the ordinance of covenanting/chapter iv covenant duties.htm

Letter vii. --For 335. Easter-Day iv Pharmuthi, iii Kal. April; xx ...
... but not in an ascetic life opposed to sin ... For what communion has righteousness with
iniquity ... are excluded from glorifying (God) with the saints, cannot properly ...
/.../select works and letters or athanasius/letter vii for 335 easter-day iv.htm

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