"Although there is no letter “J” or J sound in the Hebrew language, there are those that insist that the name of God is Jehovah. Despite the Bible clearly saying that Jesus Christ is the only mediator between God and man, there are those that believe “priests are mediators between the holy God and profane human life, and bring offerings before God.” Even though the Levitical Priesthood is no longer in existence and Christians are not obligated to live under Old Testament laws, there are those that believe we are commanded to tithe to a local church. There are many teachings similar to these that permeate the so-called body of Christ regardless of their lack of biblical support. However, they continue to be taught and believed by many because people are more concerned with worshiping their beliefs then believing in the truth. “For if he who comes preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or if you receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a different gospel which you have not accepted—you may well put up with it (2 Corinthians 11:4)!”
It is a lot easier to accept error than stand for the truth. Standing for the truth takes effort; searching the scriptures to see if what is being taught is true or testing the spirits to see if they are from God. Many people have years of knowledge, can quote the writings of countless theologians and have their own church’s history to try and support their claims. “I tell you this so that no one may deceive you by fine-sounding arguments (Colossians 2:4).” While what these people say may sound good and even be a bit persuasive, it doesn’t mean that any of them know the Lord, much less the truths that only He can reveal through His indwelling Spirit. Saints, there are many teachings and beliefs that have been around for centuries. They are supported and taught by well educated and highly influential people. Some of them may even be our family and friends. Perhaps, we even believe and teach them ourselves. But, that is no excuse for not knowing the truth of the Bible as revealed by God through our faith in Jesus Christ. It can be difficult, if not overwhelming, to address error because of the isolation that could come from doing so. Just remember that our God is not the Author of Confusion and “If God is for us, who can be against us (Romans 8:31)?” Stand firm!"
Not unexpectedly, I received the following response:
"I always appreciate your insight however tithing is one we will agree to disagree on. I do believe Jesus confirmed tithing. Also, aside from the Pastor/teacher's being taken care of, the building still needs to have heat and lights. If no one tithes, how does the church afford to keep their doors open?”
When you believe in something that goes against the established thinking of the modern day Christian church, these are the types of responses that one gets. Everybody assumes that what they believe is the truth and, perhaps, have never questioned it. They automatically believe that because something is in mentioned in the Bible, believed by the masses, never been changed for hundreds of year and nobody has ever challenged the belief, that it must be true. There is never any thought given to whether or not they are mistaken in any way. While the point of my devotion was not tithing, tithing is one of those "sacred cows" that people hold on to and defend as if it is equal to the deity of Jesus Christ.
Before I reveal how I responded to the reply I received, I wanted to address something that I did not do in my original response. That is the idea that if a person doesn't tithe, "how does the church afford to keep their doors open?" Honestly, what does it matter if a church keeps its doors open? The church building is not the Church. The Church is the individual, born again Christians who attend that church. There is not biblical mandate that says the place that Christians gather has to be a church building nor that the funds used to "keep the doors open" is a tithe and the attendants must pay it. Besides, does a person need to be commanded to give to support their church? If they didn't feel commanded to do so would they not give? When a need arises, and you want to meet that need, then give! Whether a person admits it or not, they are giving the indication that if they were not told to do something they would not do it. And that is how many Christians live, being told what to do, when to do it and in what amounts to do it. Is anybody being led by the indwelling Holy Spirit, or are they just so conditioned to obeying commands they do not know the Spirit's role in their lives? This is something we all should think on.
As for my original response, here it is:
"I appreciate your thoughts. There is a difference between giving ten percent of your income to support your local church and tithing. It is impossible to tithe, in the biblical sense of the word, because, as I pointed out, the Levitical Priesthood is no longer in existence and tithing was a tax on the Jewish people to support to the Levites who were the governing body of the nation of Israel. They were prohibited from owning property and working, etc. Therefore, the tithe was instituted so they would have the things in order to live. The taxes we pay each April to our government is a better example of "tithing." Jesus was speaking to the scribes and Pharisees under the Law, in Matthew 23:23, about how they tithed while neglecting justice, mercy and faith. The focus was on their lack of love, not solidifying tithing for the Christian Church which didn't exist at the time. He was not speaking to New Covenant Christians.
Some have even suggested that because tithing was before the Law it is still in effect for us today. They use Abraham and Melchizedek as their reasoning. But, if you read the account, Abraham gave Melchizedek a tenth of his plunder after returning from battle. I don't believe any Christians are returning from battle and there is no Melchizedek around today for us to give to anyway. The New Covenant teaches that "Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver (2 Corinthians 9:7)." We can give what we want to give under the New Covenant; God's grace and freedom allowing us to decide what we are comfortable with giving to who we want to give it to. That is different than a command or law that we must obey. Besides, if I am commanded to tithe, what is the penalty if I do not tithe? There is no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:1). If there is no condemnation, there is no law. If there is no law, then I am free to decide what to give. That is the difference between Law and Grace. God Bless you.”
Ultimately, all of this comes down to what a person believes about the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The Christian life is not about accurately determining what God's Name is, what role a priest plays, if any, in a Christian's life, if Christians are to tithe or figuring out how a church keeps its doors open. The Christian life is about knowing your God through faith in Jesus Christ, who you are in Christ and if you're trusting Him to live His life in and through you and get His message out. When that is going on, you are not going to be concerned about all these issues that take your eyes off of Jesus Christ.
"I always appreciate your insight however tithing is one we will agree to disagree on. I do believe Jesus confirmed tithing. Also, aside from the Pastor/teacher's being taken care of, the building still needs to have heat and lights. If no one tithes, how does the church afford to keep their doors open?”
When you believe in something that goes against the established thinking of the modern day Christian church, these are the types of responses that one gets. Everybody assumes that what they believe is the truth and, perhaps, have never questioned it. They automatically believe that because something is in mentioned in the Bible, believed by the masses, never been changed for hundreds of year and nobody has ever challenged the belief, that it must be true. There is never any thought given to whether or not they are mistaken in any way. While the point of my devotion was not tithing, tithing is one of those "sacred cows" that people hold on to and defend as if it is equal to the deity of Jesus Christ.
Before I reveal how I responded to the reply I received, I wanted to address something that I did not do in my original response. That is the idea that if a person doesn't tithe, "how does the church afford to keep their doors open?" Honestly, what does it matter if a church keeps its doors open? The church building is not the Church. The Church is the individual, born again Christians who attend that church. There is not biblical mandate that says the place that Christians gather has to be a church building nor that the funds used to "keep the doors open" is a tithe and the attendants must pay it. Besides, does a person need to be commanded to give to support their church? If they didn't feel commanded to do so would they not give? When a need arises, and you want to meet that need, then give! Whether a person admits it or not, they are giving the indication that if they were not told to do something they would not do it. And that is how many Christians live, being told what to do, when to do it and in what amounts to do it. Is anybody being led by the indwelling Holy Spirit, or are they just so conditioned to obeying commands they do not know the Spirit's role in their lives? This is something we all should think on.
As for my original response, here it is:
"I appreciate your thoughts. There is a difference between giving ten percent of your income to support your local church and tithing. It is impossible to tithe, in the biblical sense of the word, because, as I pointed out, the Levitical Priesthood is no longer in existence and tithing was a tax on the Jewish people to support to the Levites who were the governing body of the nation of Israel. They were prohibited from owning property and working, etc. Therefore, the tithe was instituted so they would have the things in order to live. The taxes we pay each April to our government is a better example of "tithing." Jesus was speaking to the scribes and Pharisees under the Law, in Matthew 23:23, about how they tithed while neglecting justice, mercy and faith. The focus was on their lack of love, not solidifying tithing for the Christian Church which didn't exist at the time. He was not speaking to New Covenant Christians.
Some have even suggested that because tithing was before the Law it is still in effect for us today. They use Abraham and Melchizedek as their reasoning. But, if you read the account, Abraham gave Melchizedek a tenth of his plunder after returning from battle. I don't believe any Christians are returning from battle and there is no Melchizedek around today for us to give to anyway. The New Covenant teaches that "Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver (2 Corinthians 9:7)." We can give what we want to give under the New Covenant; God's grace and freedom allowing us to decide what we are comfortable with giving to who we want to give it to. That is different than a command or law that we must obey. Besides, if I am commanded to tithe, what is the penalty if I do not tithe? There is no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:1). If there is no condemnation, there is no law. If there is no law, then I am free to decide what to give. That is the difference between Law and Grace. God Bless you.”
Ultimately, all of this comes down to what a person believes about the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The Christian life is not about accurately determining what God's Name is, what role a priest plays, if any, in a Christian's life, if Christians are to tithe or figuring out how a church keeps its doors open. The Christian life is about knowing your God through faith in Jesus Christ, who you are in Christ and if you're trusting Him to live His life in and through you and get His message out. When that is going on, you are not going to be concerned about all these issues that take your eyes off of Jesus Christ.
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