Should Baptism Precede Holy Communion?

SHOULD BAPTISM PRECEDE HOLY COMMUNION?

By Ezekiel Kimosop 

Does a Christian have to be baptized first before he or she can partake in holy communion?

Scripture is silent on this question. The Bible does not explicitly provide that a believer must first be baptized before they can partake of the holy communion. Matthew 28:19-20 says "And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen." (NKJV). 

The above Scripture appears to place baptism immediately after disciple-making. This perhaps suggests that believers should be baptized at the earliest opportunity once they come to faith. During the period coinciding with the Acts of the Apostles, believers were baptized immediately they converted to the faith. Philip the Evangelist baptized the Ethiopian eunuch using this approach (Acts 8:26-40). 

During his visit to Cornelius in Caesarea, Apostle Peter directed that Gentile believers should be baptized when he heard them speak in tongues and magnify God. Peter asks in Acts 10:47-48: "Can anyone forbid water, that these should not be baptized who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?” 48 And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord. Then they asked him to stay a few days." (NKJV). 

Perhaps one important question should be addressed at this point: What would perpetually keep a born again Christian from water baptism? Why would a believer not submit to the two sacraments of water baptism and holy communion as commanded in Scripture? 

Most conservative Evangelicals and mainstream Christian traditions insist that the believer must first undergo catechism before they can be baptized and be eligible to partake in holy communion. The intention is to first equip the believer with the foundational truths of the Christian faith before they are baptized and formally admitted into the communion of the congregation. The believer should however continue to seek and submit to opportunities for Christian instruction in order to grow in the knowledge of Christ. Learning and growing in Christ is a lifelong process for believers. 

Some Pentecostal and Charismatic traditions however take a liberal view arguing that the only qualification for partaking in holy communion is the believer's confession of faith in Christ Jesus. The danger with this approach is to create the impression that water baptism is either optional or can be conveniently overlooked! We should bear in mind that the two sacraments were commanded by our Lord Jesus Christ. They therefore serve God's divine purposes in the believer's life. Secondly, if baptism is undertaken without a post-baptism catechism program, the believer may be led to think that they have "made-it" and this may result in spiritual pride and retardation.  

My view is that even though Scripture is silent on the above question, God has permitted the church to draw regulations that should guide the administration of the two sacraments based on the discernment of Scripture. Believers should therefore submit to godly regulations governing the sacraments. 

No matter what approach a Christian tradition subscribes to, the holy communion celebration should be administered with reverence and decorum and in line with the directions and admonitions conveyed in 1 Corinthians 11:23-34. Secondly, we need to place a closing caveat. The holy communion celebration is exclusive to believers. Non-believers are not eligible to partake of the holy communion. 

Shalom 

© Ezekiel Kimosop 2026