Thank you for sharing, Righthander your present concerns & for the dilemma you find yourself in, having a wife that is not EO as you. You are heirs of the grace of life & one flesh & one body, just as their is ONE BODY of Christ & He is the ever living, ever working, ONLY HEAD of His body.
If she isn't EO, then she can't partake of the Eucharist or Lord's Supper in the EO, only you can, since it is exclusive, which I don't believe is the Lord Jesus Christ's intent according to Scripture. I think most people missed this in this thread. So HOW are you AND her to partake of the Lord's Supper as one? You have much more to consider here than just participation in the Eucharist.
But that being said, I don't see where you committed a sin in the eyes of the Lord, provided you both examined yourself first & then partook. But in the eyes of the EO, according to their doctrines & teachings of men there, you have. If you are going to submit yourself to their teaching & authority, then you have voluntarily chosen to follow that churches teaching & need to follow through with their course of correction.
However, that leaves your wife OUT. She cannot participate ever--in the Lord's Supper in any EO church, since she is not EO. You STILL have a dilemma. The Lord said TO PARTICIPATE OFTEN to ALL His followers. If you do & she can't, that will grieve both your hearts. If she participates elsewhere & you can't as EO, that will again grieve both your hearts & there is division.
Some choices will need to be made between the two of you.
I can understand concerning partaking in the Lutheran local assembly as you both did, TOGETHER. I grew up in a Lutheran assembly, was baby baptized & confirmed & presently attend a Lutheran local assembly. BUT...
In case we might be wondering whether denominations are one of those things that “have always been this way,” I thought it might be interesting to consider what one of the original reformers had to say about the notion of dividing into named groups. In studying the teachings of Martin Luther, one of the things he taught, that is seldom quoted or even discussed is this:
"I ask that people make
NO REFERENCE TO MY NAME; let them call themselves Christians, NOT Lutherans. What is Luther? After all, the teaching is not mine. Neither was I crucified for anyone. St. Paul, in I Cor. 3, would not allow the Christians to call themselves Pauline or Petrine but Christian. How then should I--poor stinking maggot-fodder than I am--come to have people call the children of Christ by my wretched name? Not so, my dear friends; let us ABOLISH ALL PARTY NAMES & CALL OURSELVES CHRISTIANS."
Martin Luther, “A Sincere Admonition to All Christians to Guard Against Insurrection & Rebellion” (1522),
Luther’s Works, Vol. 45, p. 70.
What happened? Men did it anyway, contrary to Martin Luther himself & look at what evil door it opened up in every direction. 'The error of the Nicolaitans.' The error clear back in the prophet Samuel's days. The error clear back in the wilderness with the Israelites.
I Samuel 8:6ff But when they said, “Give us a king to lead us,” this displeased Samuel; so he prayed to the LORD. And the LORD told him: “Listen to all that the people are saying to you; it is not you they have rejected, but they have REJECTED ME AS THEIR KING.
8As they have done from the day I brought them up out of Egypt until this day, forsaking Me & serving other gods, so they are doing TO YOU.
9Now listen to them; but WARN THEM SOLEMNLY & let them know what the king who will reign over them will claim as HIS RIGHTS...”
But the people refused to listen to Samuel. “No!” they said. “We want a king over us. Then we will be LIKE ALL THE OTHER NATIONS, with a king to lead us & to go out before us & fight our battles.”
The saddest thing of all is that people want to follow people not Christ. They reject Him in the guise of man-made structure & administration. We want a man to represent the body of Christ, not Christ Himself. Christ continues to build HIS CHURCH, OF WHICH HE IS THE TRUE HEAD, NOT a mere man. Are you a spirit-born member of His church, His one body or a man-made structure with many rules & regulations & garb & titles? Sigh. God have mercy on us!
Rom 12:18 If it can be done, as much as is possible on your part, live in peace with all men.
I Cor 10:29-33 But if someone tells you, “This food was offered to idols,” then do not eat it, for the sake of the one who told you & for the sake of conscience—I do not mean your conscience, but his. For why should my liberty be determined by someone else’s conscience? If I partake in the meal with thankfulness, why am I denounced because of that for which I give thanks? So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all to the glory of God. Don't become a stumbling block (offensive) to Jews, Greeks or the church of God, just as I try to please everyone in all I do. For I am not seeking my own good, but the good of many, that they may be saved.
Rom 14:5 One man regards a certain day above the others, while someone else considers every day alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. He who observes a special day does so to the Lord; he who eats does so to the Lord, for he gives thanks to God & he who abstains does so to the Lord & gives thanks to God.
7For none of us lives to himself alone & none of us dies to himself alone. If we live, we live to the Lord & if we die, we die to the Lord. So whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord. For this reason Christ died & returned to life, so that He might be THE LORD of both the dead & the living.
10Why, then, do you judge your brother? Or why do you belittle your brother? For we will all stand before God’s judgment seat. It is written: “As surely as I live, says the Lord, every knee will bow before Me; every tongue will confess to God.” So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God.
Luke 9:46-50 Then an argument started among the disciples as to which of them would be the GREATEST. But Jesus, knowing the thoughts of their hearts, had a little child stand beside Him. And He said to them, “Whoever welcomes this little child in My name
WELCOMES ME & whoever welcomes Me welcomes the One who sent Me. For whoever is the least among all of you, he is the greatest.”
49“Master,” said John, “we saw someone driving out demons in Your name & we tried to STOP HIM,
BECAUSE HE DOES NOT ACCOMPANY US.” “DO NOT STOP HIM,” Jesus replied, “for whoever is not against you is for you.”
Matt 18:1-7,10 At that time the disciples came to Jesus & asked, “Who then is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” Jesus invited a little child to stand among them. “Truly I tell you,” He said, “UNLESS YOU CHANGE & become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever welcomes a little child LIKE THIS IN MY NAME WELCOMES ME.
6BUT...if anyone causes one of these little ones WHO BELIEVE IN ME TO STUMBLE, it would be better for him to have a large millstone hung around his neck & to be drowned in the depths of the sea. Woe to the world for the causes of sin. These stumbling blocks must come, but woe to the man THROUGH WHOM THEY COME! Beware that you don’t look down on any of these little ones. For I tell you that in heaven their angels are always in the presence of my heavenly Father.
Mark 9:33-41 Then they came to Capernaum. While Jesus was in the house, He asked them, “What were you discussing on the way?” But they were silent, for on the way they had been arguing about which of them was the greatest. Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve & said, “If anyone wants to be first, he must be the last of all AND the servant of all.”
36Then He had a little child stand among them. Taking the child in His arms, He said to them, “Whoever welcomes one of these little children in My name welcomes Me & whoever welcomes Me welcomes not only Me, but the One who sent Me.”
38John said to Him, “Teacher, we saw someone else driving out demons in Your name & we tried to stop him, because he does not accompany us.”
39“Do not stop him,” Jesus replied. “For no one who performs a miracle in My name can turn around & speak evil of Me. For whoever is NOT against US IS FOR US. Indeed, if anyone gives you even a cup of water because you bear the name of Christ, truly I tell you, he will NEVER lose his reward.
Mark 5:18-20 As He was getting into the boat, the man who had been possessed by the demons BEGGED TO GO WITH HIM.
BUT...
Jesus would NOT allow him. “Go home to your own people,” He said, “and tell them how much the Lord has done for you & what mercy He has shown you.”
So the man went away & began to proclaim throughout the Gadarenes (Decapolis) how much Jesus had done for him. And everyone was AMAZED.
Luke 8:34-39 When the herdsmen saw what had happened, they ran away & reported it in the city AND OUT IN THE COUNTRY.
The people went out to see what had happened & they came to Jesus & found the man from whom the demons had gone out, sitting down at the feet of Jesus, clothed & in his right mind & they became FRIGHTENED.
36Those who had seen it reported to them how the man who was demon-possessed had been made well. And all the people of the COUNTRY of the Gerasenes AND the surrounding DISTRICT asked Him to leave them, for they were GRIPPED WITH GREAT FEAR.
And He got into a boat & returned. But the man from whom the demons had gone out was BEGGING HIM THAT HE MIGHT ACCOMPANY HIM. BUT...
He sent him away, saying, “Return to your house & describe what great things God has done for you.” So he went away, proclaiming throughout the whole city what great things Jesus had done for him.
When the Lord Jesus Christ, the Head & Savior of the Church, the one flock of the Chief Shepherd, the one congregation, the one body of spiritually born again followers of the Lamb of God, the one body that is the dwelling place of God in the Spirit, all those who are baptized by the Holy Spirit into this one body--
TAKES THE LORD'S SUPPER AGAIN IN THE KINGDOM OF GOD--(Luke 22:10-20; Matt 26:26-30; Mark 14:22-26; I Cor 11:17-34)
There will be no denominations, there will be no Orthodox Church, there will be no Roman Catholic church, there will be no Lutheran church, there will be no Baptist church. There will only be people of every tribe & tongue & ethnicity & nation, standing before the Lord, from every little jungle or island tribe of people of different dialects, who ALL CALL UPON THE NAME OF THE LORD. Those are saved, those are the ones washed in the blood of the Lamb with clean linen garments. They will be the WORTHY ONES able to share in the Supper of the Lamb.
If Christ does that when His kingdom comes, as all believers sit with Abraham, Isaac & Jacob, then He designed it the same on earth, that all believers would PARTICIPATE in both the wine & the bread, even as Abraham did with Melchizedek.
Do this AS OFTEN as you drink it, in REMEMBRANCE OF ME. As OFTEN as Christians PARTICIPATE, they proclaim the Lord's death UNTIL HE COMES AGAIN.
It is NOT unbelievers that are sick & some dying, it is believers, because they (in Corinth as the example) were acting in the flesh not in the Spirit when partaking & not FIRST examining themselves BEFORE partaking.
For this cause many
are weak & sickly
AMONG YOU & MANY SLEEP. For if we would judge ourselves, we should NOT be judged.
The teaching of the Lord as Paul passed it down (I Cor 11:24), was that all believers gathered together in one place--WOULD PARTAKE, after examining themselves & making corrections in their celebration of the Lord's Supper, because what they were doing at that time, was not celebrating the Lord's Supper. (I Cor 11:20)
The Lord wasn't seeking to be exclusive but inclusive as it was such a special time to share with HIS DISCIPLES, whether then or now.
I Cor 11:28 So then, you should each examine yourself FIRST AND THEN EAT THE BREAD AND DRINK FROM THE CUP.
I Corinthians 11:17-19 Now in this that I declare
unto you I praise
you not, that ye come together not for the better, but for the worse.
FOR FIRST OF ALL, when ye come together in the church, I hear that there be
DIVISIONS AMONG YOU & I partly believe it.
19For there must be also heresies among you, that they which are 'APPROVED' may be made manifest among you.
I Cor 1:10-13 I appeal to you,
BROTHERS, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree together, so that there may be
NO DIVISIONS AMONG YOU & that you may be united in mind & conviction. My brothers, some from Chloe’s household have informed me that there are
QUARRELS AMONG YOU.
12What I mean is this: Individuals among you are saying, “I follow Paul,” “I follow Apollos,” “I follow Cephas,” or “I follow Christ.” Is Christ
DIVIDED? Was Paul crucified for you? Were you baptized into the name of Paul?
Matt 23:1-15 Then Jesus said to the crowds & to his disciples,
2“The scribes & the Pharisees sit ON MOSES' SEAT, so do & observe whatever they tell you, but not THE WORKS they do. For they preach, but do not practice. They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear & lay them on people’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to move them with their finger.
5They do all their deeds to be SEEN by others. For they make their phylacteries broad & their fringes long & they love the place of honor at feasts & the best seats in the synagogues
& greetings in the marketplaces & being called RABBI BY OTHERS.
8But YOU are NOT to be called rabbi, for you have one Teacher
AND YOU ARE ALL BROTHERS.
9And call no man your father on earth, for you have one Father, who is in heaven. Neither be called instructors, for you have one instructor, the Christ. The greatest among you shall be your servant.
12Whoever exalts himself will be humbled & whoever humbles himself will be exalted.
13“But WOE to you, scribes & Pharisees, hypocrites! For you SHUT the kingdom of heaven in people’s faces. For you neither enter yourselves nor allow those who would enter to go in. Woe to you, scribes & Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel across sea & land to make a single proselyte & when he becomes a proselyte, you make him twice as much a child of hell as yourselves.
Rev 2:6,7, Yet this you {THE church AT Ephesus} have: you hate the
WORKS OF THE NICOLAITANS, WHICH I ALSO HATE. He who has an ear, let him hear
WHAT THE SPIRIT SAYS TO THE CHURCHES.
Rev 2:15,16 So also you {THE church AT Pergamum} have some who
HOLD TO THE TEACHINGS OF THE NICOLAITANS. Therefore repent. If not, I will come to you soon & war against them with the sword of My mouth. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.
Nico--'ruler over' and laitans--'laity' or the common believers,
THE BROTHERS OR BRETHREN of the one body of Christ wherever they were gathered as THE CHURCH of Jesus Christ, His body. All the apostles said they were slaves of Christ & those bishops/presbyters/overseers/elders (all used interchangeably in Scripture) were servants of Christ & then those that were recognized, qualified & appointed by the church were servants of their brethren. (I Peter 5:1-5)
Leadership as taught in the NT Scriptures concerning the various local churches is mentioned in the plural not the singular. The only time the word for pastor is used in the singular is in reference to Christ as the 'Chief Shepherd.'
I Pet 5:1 So I exhort the BISHOPS (ELDERS) among you...
Titus 1:5 For this reason I left you in Crete, so that you should set in order the things that are lacking & APPOINT BISHOPS (ELDERS) IN EVERY CITY as I commanded you...(not one bishop IN EVERY CITY or an area but BISHOPS, PLURAL.
Acts 11:30 This they did, sending their gifts to the elders (bishops) with Barnabas & Saul.
Acts 20:17 Now from Miletus he sent TO EPHESUS & called the
ELDERS (BISHOPS) OF THE CHURCH to come to him.
Acts 14:23 And when they had ordained them BISHOPS (ELDERS) IN EVERY CHURCH & had prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord, on whom they believed.