Yes, a blog dedicated to the theology of tithing. The reason this topic has garnered this level of attention from me is that I believe this has the potential to do damage to the church. If Christians believe that they are still bound by the law they are missing the point of Christ fulfilling the law.
I do not dispute the fact that the Old Testament has many many examples of the tithe. I also am not saying that the Old Testament has nothing to say to the believer. What I am saying is that it is wrong for a church to pick and choose which parts of the law to make compulsory for believers. When you think of "the law" do you think of the ten commandments or do you think of the 613 commandments (Mitzvot) contained in the Old Testament?
I am also not arguing against giving. I am arguing for the right kind of giving. Notice my description of the tithing doctrine as "compulsory?" This is intentional. In II Corinthians Paul tells us that God loves a cheerful giver. He tells us we should not give under compulsion. What does compulsory mean? Compulsory means required or mandatory. Another form of the word is used in the passage of the NASB translation is compulsion, this has a bent towards meaning coercion.
So with all respect to the pastors out there who have accepted the doctrine of the compulsory tithe simply because it seems to make sense... Are you even open to the remote idea that perhaps this doctrine is heresy when you sit it next to the scriptures? It is possible that you have been teaching a false doctrine? Is it possible that your teaching has done damage to the lives and souls of others? To be a fair, it is probably I who am more accurately termed a heretic, so much of the church has accepted this false doctrine and my being one of the dissenters, makes me the heretic. Martin Luther was a heretic.
A great question.
ReplyDeleteWe as believers have God's spirit in us...the Spirit of Truth.
All believers have this question to answer ....If Jesus says I am FREE of the obligation to give (Mat 17:23)(Mat 10:8) why does the pastor say 'You have to tithe'?
We need to learn to READ the word...and let God speak to us as His children (John 10:27) ...rather than listening to the voice of the hirelings.
Chris
Hello, I am Jewish and it puzzles me why modern Christians tithe. Only Levites received tithes because they had no allotted land. Only foodproducts were tithed and money was only carried if the distance to the local temple was too far to carry produce, even THEN it was turned back into produce once the temple was reached. I understand your Yeshua became the curse for you, eradicating the need for Jewish laws. Many orthodox Jews laugh as the Western Christian's fixation with tithing today. We see it as a way for pastors and churches to finace their churches. That is not what tithing was for.
ReplyDeleteHi Saidy Allon
DeleteWhen one first hears the Gospel...that Yeshua fulfilled ALL the righteous requirements of the Law on our behalf then one is flooded with a sense of peace (Rom 5:1-2).....it is like laying all your burdens on Him...and finding the weight of them literally lifted off of you.
Then over the years as one sits under false teaching you find yourself being burdened again....it is the yoke of the Law which you have received that brings a sense of condemnation and a sense that nothing we can do is enough to please God.
This is proof that we have moved out of our simple faith walk with God...the same one Noah and Abraham had...where God leads us in relationship of simple trust of child knowing His Fathers unconditional love for Him. We are burdened by religion of Christianity just as much as Jews are by the Law.
It is when we learn again that the love of God for us is NOT dependant on our merit but on HIM alone because that is His very heart towards His people...that we find rest and peace with God.
As beautiful as the Law is...nothing beats this simple faith walk with God. I have heard Him whisper my name audibly to draw me to times of prayer and worship ... and I have heard him loudly call out to me when I am in danger. This never happens in 'church' as it seems that my whole being becomes 'religious'.
There is no joy in religion...but oh what joy there is to know that my Heavenly Father loves me so.
God bless you in your search for the rest that Yeshua alone can provide