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What does the New Testament say about tithing (giving) for a Believer? |
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This
is a common question based on the Old Testament command to Israel to tithe
from their God-given substance. Tithing was for Israel like a tax is to
our country. Israel was to operate as a theocratic kingdom with God as
their Leader. (Of course, they choose to have a human king instead. But
this is another issue). This tax was a very vital part of Israel's
physical nation. The tithe/tax was a part of the social code of the Law.
(The 10 commandments were part of the moral code of the Law). I find it
interesting that most Christians say the church is not bound [meaning,
necessary to keep] to the social code of the Old Testament Law. The social
code included diet [what they can and cannot eat], childbirth, military
service, tithe/tax, sanitation rules and others. The tithe is the only
rule/law they try to maintain. They would say, Christ fulfilled the Law
(Mt.5:17-18; Ro.10:4; 1Co.5:7). And to this they are correct. But they are
inconsistent when they say that the tithe is still for today. This is like
saying Christ did not completely fulfill the Law. Christ merely fulfilled
everything except the tithe. To do this they have to place tithing in some
other category. I certainly do not know what that category may be. This is
why there is no command in the New Testament to tithe. One passage in the New Testament that is used to teach Christian
giving is in 1 Corinthians 9. Paul teaches that we are to give to Apostles
and/or missionaries. Apostles and missionaries travel proclaiming the
gospel message to the lost. The principle is that those whose function is
constantly on-the-move, such as apostles and missionaries, should
be supported. Clearly a mobile person cannot easily support himself. In
contrast, an elder (whether you call them pastor, preacher, teacher,
bishop, priest, etc.) is stationary. There is no passage in the New
Testament which teaches Christians to provide a salary to someone who
teaches/preaches the Word of God. Those who are stationary can procure and
maintain full-time employment/income. First
Timothy 5:17, teaches that some elders are worthy of “double honor.”
Because we have moved so far from the New Testament pattern some assume
“honor” to mean “pay”. The word used here (Gr. time) means
“honor”. This word is not correctly translated “pay” anywhere in
the New Testament. The word for pay or wages is (Gr. misthos). Paul
used this word in 1 Timothy 6:1 where he commands slaves to “honor”
their masters. If honor means to pay, then slaves are to pay their masters
a wage. This does not follow or make sense. Also, 1 Timothy 5:18 teaches
that in the same way an ox deserves grain, and a laborer wages, so an
elder deserves honor. Verse 19 makes more sense that two or more witness
must substantiate an accusation against an elder. If “honor” means
“pay” then verse 19 is awkward. It makes sense for verse 19 to
continue the idea of verse 17 of honor for an accusation brings dishonor. For
a great treatment of these passages visit: We do not need a tithe to support the physical needs of the church. The Gospel and the teaching of God’s Word should always be free. Giving in the New Testament is to be a free will offering. No one should be paid to teach and preach the Word of God. I know this sounds extreme in our culture today. This just shows how far we have gone away from the New Testament pattern. The New Testament pattern for giving is always for a specific and known need. They knew exactly who and why they were giving. There was no general fund. In fact, they did not need any money for a “church” building or program for they met in homes. To
get a “better”, and “bigger” picture of the New Testament pattern
go to:
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How do Christians know
that the new testament is inspired? |
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| There are many reasons we believe the Bible is inspired. I refer to the Bible, because we believe both the Old Testament and the New Testament are inspired. Inspired means God-breathed. That is, the words in the Bible were given directly from God. Although they were given directly from God, God allowed the human penmen to interject some of their personality traits and vocabulary. The New Testament claims to be inspired (2 Timothy 3:13). Also, the New Testament claims the Old Testament to be inspired as well (2 Peter 1:20-21). Now, of course, the above references are internal evidences. That is, these are references from the Bible itself telling us that they are inspired. Though they may be internal, they still stand. External evidences are those outside of Bible references. We certainly see historical evidences which includes the indestructibility of the Bible, and the accuracy of the very words. No other book can claim sure preservation and accuracy. There are web sites that actually claim the Bible to be full of errors. These attacks are consistently based on incomplete understanding, wrong assumptions, and simply unbelief. When we study these so-called error, we discover how consistently accurate the Bible really is. Anytime we find a so-called error, it is actually because of our misunderstanding. In fact, whenever we do not understand any portion of Scripture, it appears on the surface, to be confusing or in error. However, as we continue to study the passage, the meaning becomes clear. Anyone who has studied the Bible for some time, is amazed at the depth and insights we discover in the Bible. There are volumes written on this subject, and I am not sure how involved you want to be with this question. I hope this helps as you seek answers to your questions. If you still have questions or need further clarification, let me know. The following link may be helpful as you
continue to ask questions, and desire to understand more:
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What is the relationship of salvation and the gospel with the covenant that God made with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob? -DE |
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| The common element is God's grace. God unconditionally chose Abraham to be the beginning of a new nation He will use to bless the world. It is unconditional on Abraham's part. God chose Abraham. The covenant God made with Abraham is not the same as we have today. God's promise to Abraham is nationalistic, that is, an earthly promise. Salvation and the gospel today is a spiritual promise based on our faith in Christ. God chose to bless Abraham without anything required on Abraham's part. We are blessed, or saved, today as a result of our faith. | |
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| Daniel 9:26 says that Messiah was to be "cut off" after 62 weeks, or 434 years, NOT 69. Please explain. -paul | |
| You ask a fine question. The
answer can be found in verse 25 where the text refers to a 7 week period and
a 62 week period. I read the text to mean exactly 7 weeks and 62 weeks in
that order. That is the 7, weeks and the 62 weeks equals 69 weeks. If the
text says that there would be 7 weeks until messiah the Prince comes, then I
would have to look at the 7 weeks to figure out the event. But the fact that
the 7 weeks and the 62 weeks are seen together, they simply mean 7+62. Thus,
Messiah the Prince will come after the 62 weeks (understanding that the 7
weeks is tied to the 62 making 69 actual weeks). There is no event at the 62
week mark, though some refer it to the end of the Old Testament canon.
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| What is the modern theory of Proto, Deutero, and Trito Isaiah? -jb | |
| The "Deutero-Isaiah" theory is
the claim that parts of Isaiah were written later than others. Specifically
this theory claims that there were three individual authors, whose works
were later compiled together under the name of the first author, the "real"
Isaiah (known as Proto-Isaiah by adherents to the theory). Isaiah wrote ca.
700 BC. The Deutero-Isaiah ("Second Isaiah") was allegedly written around
545 BC, and Trito-Isaiah ("Third Isaiah") around 500 BC. This kind of
reasoning denies the inspiration of the Bible, by ascribing portions of
Scripture to have been written under false pretenses. A holy God will not
work this way with His creation. The following link may be helpful as you
continue understand more:
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