What do you say about tithes and offering, has it gone with the old testament?
By Purity
@pureme (1528)
2 responses
@HebrewGreekStudies (1646)
• Canada
12 Feb 17
A tithe as part of the Levitical priesthood, strictly speaking is not performed, as the rest of the Sacrifices. Strictly speaking a tithe in the Old Testament was the paying of Israelites a 10th of their agricultural produce to the Levites and Aaronic priesthood for the Temple-strictly speaking, the Temple is not standing, so that mitzva (commandment) is not performed in that manner.
However, it is an ordinance of Christ that those who are taught the Word of God should share in their blessings with the teacher and Christ said that those who proclaim the Gospel should live from the Gospel, as St. Paul also states. So that giving, is a command of Christ. There is no set amount for that or minimum amount, but if one would give a 10th, that custom of giving a 10th predates the Mosaic Law (ie, Abraham, Jacob)...as well as alms and charity (btw, in the Law of Moses, part of the tithe did go to the poor every few years).
So even if one said the Levitical tithe commanded in the Law of Moses is no longer applicable, a Christian's giving to God still is, as is the command for charity.
1 person likes this
@HebrewGreekStudies (1646)
• Canada
12 Feb 17
@pureme yeh, that debate pops up every now and again, what he is saying is not new-things like this tend to go in cycles, and to be fair some churches DO abuse members and live in luxury off of ppl (often off of poor people;/), but part of the ministry of the early church was also collecting alms for the poor, which St. Paul mentions in the Epistles-this was done at the administrative level and there was even a particular ministry term he devoted to this (diakonos) which dealt specifically with that and this is a major theme in 1 and 2 Corinthians, the collection for the saints, and whether one calls it a "tithe" or not, the commandment of Christ re. those in the Ministry of the Word or pastorial ministry is clear.
But that does not mean we have the right to live in luxury off of people.
That is one of the reasons why clergy in some instances are under vows of simplicity-our wage is so that we can live, food, clothing, shelter, but not luxury...and the command of Christ re. how pastors behave over their flocks does show accountability-we will be accountable if we abuse or exploit His children.
1 person likes this
@pureme (1528)
•
12 Feb 17
@HebrewGreekStudies God bless you sir, I've been blessed by comments.
So I conclude that we can still give tithes as a measurement of what we should bring, and that should be the lowest.
We should go to a truth church, not where church members will be a victim of such barbaric acts.
We should not bother about the way the tithe is spent as everyone will give an account of what we do with the church money.
1 person likes this
@pureme (1528)
•
12 Feb 17
Thanks for an in depth response, there's a Preacher presently on instagram, abusing churches that collect tithes from church members, he said people don't need to pay tithes again, he said the pastors are enriching their pocket with the tithe they give.
Coming back home, if you only give what you feel like giving, won't the Preacher says church members should not give to the church at all?
1 person likes this
