With a Subtitle: To Be Paid For Next 700 Million Years
A brief Excerpt: To Be Paid For Next 700 Million Years
Words of Wisdom from the Babylon Bee – Churchgoer Pledges $700 Million In Tithes With $1 Per Year – To Be Paid For Next 700 Million Years
The word tithe appears 36+ times in the Old Testament and actually means 10% …
2 Chronicles 31:5 - As soon as the command was spread abroad, the people of Israel gave in abundance the firstfruits of grain, wine, oil, honey, and of all the produce of the field. And they brought in abundantly the tithe of everything.
However, the concept of the tithe in the New Testament is more the dream and prayer of pastors rather than part of the Word of God. Further, the “storehouse” (Nehemiah 13:12-13), also an Old Testament term for where the supplies need to be held, has been translated into “the local church” by pastors and Finance Committees.
Jesus fulfilled the Mosaic Law by living a perfect life. He died on the cross as payment for our sins which is why He said …
Matthew 5:17 - “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.
And, this is why the tithe is not found in the New Testament. However, much to the relief of church staff, Christians are still commanded to give to their local fellowship …
1 Corinthians 9:13-14 - Do you not know that those who are employed in the temple service get their food from the temple, and those who serve at the altar share in the sacrificial offerings? In the same way, the Lord commanded that those who proclaim the gospel should get their living by the gospel.
The question remains, is 10% of gross pay what God is asking for? And the answer is, of course, not so straightforward. For example … what does “double honor” mean …?
1 Timothy 5:17-18 - Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in preaching and teaching. For the Scripture says, “You shall not muzzle an ox when it treads out the grain,” and, “The laborer deserves his wages.”
Is that 20% … and then, what about the poor and other deserving groups? Is that what they mean by tithes (to the local church) AND offerings (to everyone else)? And, what about the widow’s mite when she gave all she had to the Lord by way of the church (Mark 12:41-44)? Or the Rich Young Ruler who could have been a disciple of Jesus if he had only given “all that he had to the poor” (Matthew 19:16-30)? After all, God owns it all anyway, right (Psalm 50:10)?
The bottom line for New Testament believers is to give (i.e. tithes and offerings) as one is prompted to by the Holy Spirit. To be a cheerful giver.
2 Corinthians 9:7 - Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.
However, the Scriptures are clear that supporting the local church and other worthy ministries should be part of the Christian experience, and God knows both your heart and the size of your wallet.
2 Corinthians 9:6 - The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.
Our true treasures are not the accumulated toys of this world but what we do with our wealth, as it is a part of what we have on the other side of the grave in the storehouse of treasures in Heaven.
Salvation – Eternal Life in Less Than 150 Words
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