Bible Questions and Answers
Published 11/01/2011
I have a question about giving in the church - I'm interested in tithing in the New Testament. I would like to write to you about a few comments you have made regarding tithing on your site. First of all, let me say that I appreciate your approach to the problems of uncertain issues. With your obvious intelligence and education, you certainly leave readers with the feeling that their personal beliefs actually matter. Again, I agree with you on this issue.
Second, let me say that tithing is not described in the New Testament. Any argument to this effect is needed more than any passage to support someone's position. I am concerned about your comment on the passage in Matthew that the tithe is in question:
Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you give a tenth of the harvest of anise, mint and cumin to God, but neglect the more important teachings of the law: justice, mercy and faith. But this is exactly what should be done, without neglecting that. (Matthew 23:23)
You state: “Jesus is speaking to Jews living under the old law. I'm not sure it's worth trying to apply these words to us."
The premise you put forward is that it doesn't apply because it was pre-New Testament times. Jesus certainly neither approves nor disapproves of it. Although superficially commenting on Matthew 23 as a passage about tithing, I understand your point. However, an assumption is an assumption.
Therefore, accepting your reasoning, any passage in the Gospels must be considered within the framework of the Old Testament, because. The New Covenant was not established until the day of Pentecost. This would mean that John 13:34-35 is not actually a New Testament teaching because it was spoken under the laws of the Old Testament. Matthew 28:18-20 cannot be applied because... this was said before the day of Pentecost.
I also think you are wrong that the apostles used the Old Testament in a number of ways to support New Testament teachings, such as supporting ministers. The Bible says that whatever was written before was written for our instruction (Romans 15:4). The Old Testament has many amazing parallels with the New Testament, such as the building of the temple and the saving of souls that became the living temple of God. I'm just saying that sometimes you can be too simple. An assumption is an assumption.
Answer:
Tithing in the New Testament and modern church practice
Good point. I would only make the following distinction: the entire Old Testament is the word of God for us, but not the entire Old Testament is the commandment of God for us Christians. If a commandment is not repeated in the New Testament, we are free from fulfilling it.
It is strange that there is no mention of tithing in the book of Acts or the letters of the church fathers. John 13:34-35, Matthew 28:19-20, etc. written before the day of Pentecost, but appear in various forms in the writings after the day of Pentecost. Moreover, they imply a new order of things; whereas in Matthew 23 Jesus comments on the old order of things. Can you see the difference?
Interestingly, very few Bible scholars believe that the New Testament teaches tithing. Who teaches this the most? Church leaders are those who promote various church programs. Many Christian churches and denominations defend this practice. And yet I believe that this is more from pragmatism than from theology.
Douglas Jacoby, December 3, 2003
Translation: Olga Kuroedova
I. The teaching of the Old Testament law on tithing:
What was considered a tithe?
Lev.27:30-32 “And every tithe of the earth, of the seed of the earth, and of the fruit of the tree, belongeth unto the LORD: it is holy unto the LORD; If anyone wants to redeem his tithe, then let him add a fifth of it to the price. And every tithe of herds and flocks, of all that passes under the rod, the tenth, must be dedicated to the Lord; should not distinguish whether something is good or bad, and should not replace it; if someone replaces it, then both it and its replacement will be holy and cannot be redeemed.”
This passage indicates that a tithe of land includes: - a tenth of the fruit of the land, - a tenth of the fruit of trees, and - a tenth of the fruit of livestock.
What was the purpose of tithing?
Numbers 18:21-32 “...and to the sons of Levi, behold, I have given tithes of all that Israel had as an inheritance for their service, because they ministered in the tabernacle of meeting; and the children of Israel shall not henceforth approach the tabernacle of meeting, lest they bear sin and die: let the Levites correct the services in the tabernacle of meeting, and bear their sin. This is an everlasting statute throughout your generations; but among the children of Israel they shall have no inheritance; Because I give the tithe of the children of Israel, which they offer as an offering to the Lord, to the Levites as an inheritance, therefore I said to them, “They will not receive an inheritance among the children of Israel.” And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: Speak to the Levites and say to them: When you take from the children of Israel the tithe that I gave you from them as an inheritance, then you shall offer an offering of it to the Lord, a tithe of the tithe, and your offering will be credited to you. as bread from the threshing floor and as taken from the winepress; So you also will present an offering to the Lord of all your tithes which you take from the children of Israel, and you will give of them the offering of the Lord to Aaron the priest. From all that is given to you, offer an offering to the Lord, from all the best that is sanctified. And tell them: When you bring the best of this, it will be credited to the Levites as that which is received from the threshing floor and that which is received from the winepress; You may eat this in every place, you and your families, for this is your wages for your labors in the tabernacle of meeting; and you will not bear sin for it when you bring the best of this; and what is dedicated by the children of Israel you shall not defile, and you shall not die.”
This passage demonstrates the purpose of the tithe for the people of Israel. The tithe was supposed to go to the needs of the Priests and Levites - the ministers in the tabernacle of meeting, and later - the Temple of God. This is also evidenced by Ezekiel 44:29-30 “They [the Levites] shall eat of the grain offering, of the sin offering, and of the trespass offering; and everything that is cursed in Israel belongs to them. And the firstfruits of all your fruits and of every kind of offering, whatever your offering may consist of, belong to the priests; and give the first fruits of what you ground to the priest, so that a blessing may rest upon your house.”
So, the tithe of the Israelites went to support the existence and ministry of the Levites. The Levites, in turn, were called to give God a tithe of the tithe they received. The tithes of the Levites went to subsidize the priests: “And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: Speak to the Levites and say to them: Whenever you take from the children of Israel the tithe that I gave you from them as an inheritance, then you shall offer an offering offering of it to the Lord, tithe of tithe, - and this offering of yours will be counted to you as bread from the threshing floor and as taken from the winepress; So you also will present an offering to the Lord of all your tithes which you take from the children of Israel, and you will give of them the offering of the Lord to Aaron the priest. Of all that is given to you, offer an offering offering to the Lord, of all the best things that are sanctified” (Num. 18:25-29).
Why was tithe collected from the people for the priests and Levites?
When the people of Israel came to the promised land, the Lord divided the entire land between the tribes of Israel. He gave each tribe its inheritance. But not all 12 tribes received land, but only 11. The Levites - that is, the descendants of Levi - did not receive a land inheritance in the Promised Land, since the Lord chose them and set them apart to serve God: Numbers 18:22-24 “... the children of Israel shall not henceforth to approach the tabernacle of meeting, so as not to bear sin and die: let the Levites correct the services in the tabernacle of meeting and bear their sin. This is an everlasting statute throughout your generations; but among the children of Israel they shall have no inheritance; Because I give the tithe of the children of Israel, which they offer as an offering to the Lord, to the Levites as an inheritance, therefore I said to them, “They will not receive an inheritance among the children of Israel.” Joshua 18:7 “...but the Levites have no portion among you, for the priesthood of the Lord is their inheritance.”
Where were the tithes given?
Deuteronomy 12:5-7, 11-12, 17-18 “...but to the place which the Lord your God will choose from among all your tribes, that His name may dwell there, you shall return, and there you shall come, and there you shall offer your burnt offerings, and your sacrifices, and your tithes, and the offering of your hands, and your vows, and your freewill offerings, and the firstborn of your herds and your flocks; and you shall eat there before the Lord your God, and you and your families will rejoice in all that your hands have done, with which the Lord your God has blessed you. ...then whatever place the Lord your God chooses for His name to dwell there, there you shall bring everything that I command you: your burnt offerings and your sacrifices, your tithes and the offering of your hands, and everything chosen according to your vows that you have promised. Lord; And rejoice before the Lord your God, you and your sons and your daughters, and your male and female servants, and the Levite who is in the midst of your dwellings, for he has no part or inheritance with you. … You may not eat in your dwellings the tithes of your bread, and of your wine, and of your oil, and of the firstborn of your herds and of your flocks, and of all your vows which you have promised, and of your freewill offerings, and of the offerings of your hands; But you shall eat this before the Lord your God in the place that the Lord your God will choose—you, and your son, and your daughter, and your manservant, and your maidservant, and the Levite, and the stranger who is within your gates, and rejoice before the Lord your God in all that has been done with your hands.”
This passage indicates that the Lord commanded the Israelites to bring their tithes to the Jerusalem Temple - the dwelling place of the Lord God.
The prophet Malachi called on the unbelieving tithes and offerings of the Israelites to bring everything they owed God to the “house of storehouse” – the house of God: Mal.3:8-12 “Is it possible for a man to rob God? And you are robbing Me. You will say: “How are we robbing You?” Tithes and offerings. You are cursed with a curse, because you - all the people - rob Me. Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, so that there may be food in My house, and test Me in this, says the Lord of hosts: Will I not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out blessings upon you until there is abundance? For your sake I will rebuke the devourers from destroying the fruits of the earth from you, and the vine in your field will not lose its fruit, says the Lord of hosts. And all nations will call you blessed, for you will be a desirable land, says the Lord of hosts.”
Tithe Year
Deuteronomy 26:12-15 “When you have separated all the tithes of the produce of your land in the third year, the year of tithes, and have given it to the Levite, the stranger, the orphan, and the widow, that they may eat in your gates and be satisfied, then you shall say before the Lord your God, I I took away the holy thing from my house and gave it to the Levite, the stranger, the orphan and the widow, according to all Your commandments that You commanded me: I have not transgressed Your commandments, nor forgotten; I did not eat from it in my sorrow, nor separated it from uncleanness, nor gave it to the dead; I obeyed the voice of the Lord my God, I did everything that You commanded me; Look down from Your holy habitation from heaven, and bless Your people Israel and the land that You have given us - just as You swore to our fathers to give us a land flowing with milk and honey.” This passage indicates that every third year was considered a year of tithing. During this year, tithes were collected locally and put into a local tithe store to feed local Levites, strangers, orphans and widows.
Additional Scriptures on Tithing:
Nehemiah 10:32-39 “And we made it a law for ourselves to give of ourselves a third of a shekel a year for the needs of the house of our God: for the showbread, for the everlasting grain offering, and for the everlasting burnt offering, for the Sabbaths, for the new moons, for the feasts. , for sacred things and for sin offerings for the atonement of Israel, and for everything done in the house of our God. And we cast lots for the delivery of firewood, the priests, the Levites and the people, when which generation of ours, at appointed times, from year to year, should bring them to the house of our God, so that they would burn on the altar of the Lord our God, according to what is written in the law. And we have committed ourselves to bring to the house of the Lord every year the firstfruits of our land and the firstfruits of every fruit from every tree; also to bring into the house of our God, to the priests who serve in the house of our God, the firstborn of our sons and of our cattle, as it is written in the law, and the firstborn of our herds and flocks. And we will bring the firstfruits of our ground bread and our offerings, and the fruit of every tree, wine and oil, to the priests into the storehouses of the house of our God, and tithes of our land to the Levites. They, the Levites, will take tithes in all the cities where we have agriculture. With the Levites, when they take the Levitical tithe, there will be a priest, the son of Aaron, so that the Levites will take tithes from their tithes to the house of our God in the rooms set apart for the storeroom, because to these rooms both the sons of Israel and the Levites must deliver what they bring. as a gift: bread, wine and oil. There are sacred vessels, and serving priests, and doorkeepers, and singers. And we will not leave our God at home.”
Nehemiah 12:44-45 “The same day men were assigned to the storerooms for the offering of firstfruits and tithes, to gather from the fields around the cities the portions prescribed by law for the priests and Levites, because the Jews rejoiced to see the priests and Levites standing. who performed the service of their God and the works of purification and were singers and gatekeepers according to the institution of David and his son Solomon.”
The Old Testament tithe was a way of expressing gratitude to God for everything a person had, as well as acknowledging that God was the owner of everything.
Honoring the Lord with material goods in Old Testament times was an integral part of worship, which did not go unnoticed and unrewarded by God: Proverbs 3:9-10 “Honor the Lord with your wealth and with the firstfruits of all your increase, and your barns will be filled with abundance, and your winepresses they will overflow with new wine.”
Tithing on unearned income (stocks, investments, etc.) in the New Testament
How is tithing described in the New Testament - what does the Bible say about tithing income from stocks and various investments? I studied the Bible, trying to understand the difference between tithing from firstfruits (by which I mean my salary) and “honoring the Lord with what I have” (income from stocks, investments, pensions, etc.) d.). I usually tithe in proportion to my wealth. I would really like to understand if there is a difference between “firstfruits” and “havings”, in the language of the Bible.
Answer:
You, of course, can draw a parallel between “firstfruits” and your income in matters of tithing, but how do you confirm the validity of such a comparison? The doctrine of firstfruits is closely related to agriculture, as is the entire tithe system in the Bible. I hope you don't want me to go into all the detail about tithing here. Therefore, I will limit myself to the question of whether a Christian should donate to the church some portion of his unearned income (i.e., those payments that were mentioned).
How God rewards us for giving
In 2 Corinthians 9:6-15, Paul makes some compelling arguments that God rewards giving and that every Christian should serve with his own material resources.
1. “At the same time I will say: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly; and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully” (v. 6)
There are laws of harvest that take place not only in nature, but also in the spiritual sphere. Paul, illustrating this fact, draws attention to a peasant who is sowing in the spring. This man knows that what he sowed in the spring he will reap in the fall. This is one of the simple, unchanging and obvious laws.
In addition, any farmer understands that the yield will be determined in proportion to the sowing. If he is careless and sows sparingly, he will reap sparingly, and on the other hand, if he is prudent to sow correctly and abundantly, he will accordingly reap generously.
But it is also an important principle in all areas of Christian life, most clearly manifested in the field of charity. Giving is not a matter of extravagance, but of sowing. This is not a loss, but an investment. It is clear that this is also a matter of faith. No farmer sows without the simple, everyday faith that he will have something to harvest in the fall. If he did not have faith, he would not sow at all.
In Galatians, Paul speaks specifically about income through donations:
“Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. Whatever a man sows, that he will also reap: he who sows to his flesh will reap corruption from the flesh, but he who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. Let us not become weary in doing good, for in due season we will reap if we do not give up” (6:7-9).
In this passage, which is predominantly associated with the subject of giving, the apostle points out that there are two types of sowing and, accordingly, two types of harvest.
There is sowing, the harvest of which is flesh:
“He who sows to his flesh will from the flesh reap corruption” (Gal. 6:8).
There is no income from this kind of “charity”. The carnal Christian spends his resources to satisfy personal desires. Such a person should not expect anything from the Lord. This is a kind of “corrupt business”.
In other words, those who might be rewarded, but they think that they are investing in the work of the Lord, in fact do not produce anything for the Kingdom of Heaven, except that they build something out of hay and straw that will burn in the fire when tested at the Judgment Seat of Christ (see 1 Cor. 3:12-15). And if you carefully analyze the situation with Christian investments, then the reasons for, so to speak, “inattention” on the part of God lie, first of all, in our motives. What we give to the Lord, how we give and why - these are questions that deserve our close attention. Also important is the importance of what a person gives to God.
Having touched on the negative point, the apostle then points out that there is sowing, which is sown for spiritual harvest:
“Whoever sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life” (Gal. 6:8).
This harvest is possible only for those who manage their resources faithfully and truly in a Christian manner. And when we respond to the inspiration of the Spirit in love, consciously managing the ministry with donations, then we begin to add interest to the treasury of eternal life that we already have in Christ. We already have, because no one can earn the gift of eternal life by personal works of righteousness,
“For by grace you have been saved, through faith; and this not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not by works, so that no one can boast” (Eph. 2:8-9).
There is a whole block of Scripture quotations that shows that we can add to spiritual capital, so to speak, natural capital through the ministry of giving. And there is no other area of Christian life where the potential of God’s gifts is so fully and comprehensively realized than in sacrificial giving. Introduce me to a stingy Christian and I will show you a man whose Christian life has dried up. On the other hand, bring me to a believer who has tasted the joy of personal sacrifice, and I will point to a person who is one example of a fruitful Christian life.
I am convinced that one of the reasons why the devil causes resistance and discontent among some of God's people is that these Christians sometimes do not know how to properly carry out this important ministry. The core of the gospel is the principle of sacrifice. Heaven could never have been enriched by the community of the redeemed if Jesus had not given Himself, even to the death of the cross. And by the same token, we will never be able to enrich the church or our personal lives without sacrifice. There is no fruit without service through donations.
2. “Everyone [give] according to the disposition of his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion; For God loves a cheerful giver” (v. 7)
Charity, sacrificial giving is not only a discipline that develops the ability to live a fruitful life, but it is also a service that gives joy. Discontent is always associated with stinginess, but joy and a cheerful disposition go hand in hand with generosity. Having experienced such joy, Paul says that charity must be done consciously, with the willingness of our hearts:
“Everyone [give] according to his heart’s desire.”
God has given quite detailed instructions on how we should give:
“On the first day of the week let each of you lay aside for himself and save as much as his wealth allows” (1 Cor. 16:2).
The degree of our prosperity reveals the true meaning of our goal setting and planning. The “disposition” of the heart implies inattention and callousness, and, consequently, a joyless state. Every action in our Christian experience is, among other things, a deepening of the joyful state. So let us give generously.
Moreover, we must give without grudges. Admit it: who among us has not experienced a spirit of reluctance and even rebellion, when we believed that donating to the cause of God was just another obligation? And charity with an irritated heart is not a sacrifice. Therefore, there is neither joy nor harvest from such sowing. In this case, God allows us to bring our reluctance to give (and this is the kind of repentance God requires and deserves) to the cross until this desire to give joyfully and selflessly is born in our souls.
Let us note that there is also a category of believers who sacrifice, guided by the motive: “What will others think of me if I abstain from material service.” Will such a person experience pleasure and joy?
God will certainly not appreciate such investments. After all, His goal is to teach Christians to give joyfully and willingly, and not to preserve the reputation, status, good name of this or that church member.
The Lord Jesus Christ formulated the joy of giving:
“It is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35).
Interestingly, you will not find this amazing statement in the written Gospels. Yet Paul uses it in his letter to the elders of Ephesus, so that their homes may have the blessing that comes through the ministry of giving and sacrificing. He is saying, in effect, that if only these brothers would be taught the principle of joy through giving, their lives would be truly happy.
In every local church of Jesus Christ there are people who are willing to share testimonies of how this spiritual law is being lived out in their lives. They never knew what it was to truly rejoice until they learned to give according to the disposition of their hearts, without grief or coercion.
3. “God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that you, always having all sufficiency in everything, may have an abundance for every good work” (v. 
The miracle of abundance happens when we give, not when we take. In other words, when God can trust His people with money, then He will ensure that we always have enough for ourselves and even more for others. Therefore the apostle quotes Psalm 113:9 to confirm this divine principle:
“As it is written: “He was wasted, he gave to the poor; his righteousness endures forever” (2 Cor. 9:9).
This law has not changed since then. I repeat, we give to God, who Himself answers our personal needs: “So that you may always have all contentment in everything.”
The God of Elijah is still the same God today. When the prophet placed himself under God's guidance, he never felt want, although the land suffered from famine. And even when the stream of Horath dried up and the ravens stopped bringing their daily meal, God provided Elijah with his daily bread:
“Arise, and go to Zarephath of Sidon, and remain there; I commanded a woman there, a widow, to feed you” (1 Kings 17:9).
David could later testify:
“I was young and old, and I have not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his descendants asking for bread” (Ps. 37:25).
During the days of our Lord's earthly sojourn He presented an argument to His disciples with the question:
“When I sent you without bag, and without scrip, and without sandals, did you lack anything?” They answered: “Nothing” (Luke 22:35).
Then the apostle Paul sums it up:
“I’m not saying this because I’m in need, because I’ve learned to be content with what I have. I know how to live in poverty, I know how to live in abundance; learned everything and in everything, to be filled and to suffer hunger, to be both in abundance and in lack (Phil. 4:11-12).
And again:
“My God will supply all your need according to his riches in glory through Christ Jesus” (Phil. 4:19).
So, we see that God takes upon Himself not only the obligation to satisfy our personal needs, but also to multiply our real resources, “so that you may always have all sufficiency in everything.” It is clear from this verse that God is personally responsible for the extent to which these resources are multiplied, for the promise is clear and certain: He multiplies the seed that is sown. Therefore, we can safely say that sacrificing is not the path to impoverishment, but, on the contrary, to enrichment.
Indeed, the Lord Jesus confirms that sacrifice is the guarantee of gain. He says:
“Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, shaken down, pressed together, and running over, will be poured into your lap; For with the same measure you use, it will be measured back to you” (Luke 6:38).
This, of course, should not be a motive for service, lest we spoil the entire ethical value of the law. But our Lord offers this certainty: the ability to give and sacrifice is not a one-way street. This is a mutual process that can turn into a vast flow of blessings from the Lord.
There are times when God may take our gifts and lay them up as treasures in heaven. After all, some give without understanding the reasons (you have to sacrifice and that’s it!); others give realistically to improve their affairs; while a certain portion of people give out of love for God and after careful consideration, consciously and willingly and, most importantly, without expecting dividends from heaven.
Someone said:
“If you want to be rich, go for it; if you want to be poor, take it! If you want abundance, lavish it; if you want to be needy, put your savings in a box!”
Well, life experience only shows the truth of these words, because the Bible says:
“Some pour generously, and more is added to [him]; and the other is thrifty beyond measure, and yet becomes poor. A charitable soul will be satisfied, and whoever gives [others] something to drink will also be given something to drink.” (Prov. 11:24,25).
God is able to increase the fruits of our righteousness. In other words, He motivates us to give and then uses the gifts He has blessed us with to become fruits of righteousness for others. Let us emphasize: the people to whom we give are not only blessed materially, God also blesses them spiritually, because our giving bears the fruit of righteousness. This is, in the highest sense, sowing into the spirit.
4. “Whoever gives seed to the sower and bread for food will give abundance to what you sow and will multiply the fruits of your righteousness, so that you will be rich in all things in all generosity, which through us produces thanksgiving to God... Thanks be to God for His ineffable gift!” (vv. 10,11,15)
Gratitude is a tremendous part of Christian stewardship. When God works in our hearts, material giving becomes worship. Then we truly experience grace. There is no greater evidence for a person to be filled with the Spirit than his praise to God. When Paul exhorts the believers in Ephesus to “be filled with the Spirit” (5:18), he immediately adds: “Giving thanks always for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ (5:20).
And therefore the Bible makes it clear that there is no greater enrichment of the human person in the aggregate than the spirit of gratitude. After all, our main gain in heaven will be the worship and praise of God. Let us remember that we find the most insightful thoughts in the New Testament in the words of the apostle that God
“having predestined us to be sons as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the good pleasure of his will, to the praise of the glory of his grace, with which he has graced us in the Beloved” (Eph. 1:5,6).
The blessing that comes from the service of giving brings with it thanksgiving. Thus Paul concludes in these two chapters his great teaching on Christian stewardship combined with the high concept of gratitude. It shows that this reward satisfies the soul,
“so that you may be rich in all kinds of generosity, which through us produces thanksgiving to God.”
There is nothing more beautiful in the world than gratitude to God, which comes through our ability to enrich others. This level of gratitude is rare among Christians today, but it is part of God's purpose for His children. His own heart was never satisfied until He gave all to redeem mankind, so the true believer can never be truly satisfied until he reaches the point where he realizes that he lives for the sake of another, filling his own soul with thanksgiving to God.
Paul expresses this gratitude when he says:
“I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who gave me strength, because He recognized me as faithful, appointing me to serve, who was formerly a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and an offender, but was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance, in unbelief” ( 1 Timothy 1:12,13).
The highest reason for his thanksgiving was that God had delivered him from fanatical self-centeredness and religious cruelty to serve others for the glory of God.
This gratitude not only satisfies the soul, but also edifies the church:
“For the work of this ministry not only fills the poverty of the saints, but also produces abundant thanksgiving to God in many; for, seeing the experience of this service, they glorify God for your obedience to the gospel of Christ that you profess, and for your sincere fellowship with them and with everyone” (2 Cor. 9:12,13).
Through gratitude the church is not only edified in the ministry of praise, but also in the ministry of prayer, for Paul goes on to say:
“Praying for you, according to his will, for the abounding grace of God among you” (2 Cor. 9:14).
Next, I want to point out that gratitude for the rewards of giving ultimately magnifies the Lord:
“Thanks be to God for His ineffable gift!” (2 Cor. 9:15).
This is truly a climactic moment, highlighting the whole subject of giving ministry. Every time we give with gratitude, we can reflect the God who gave His only begotten Son to save people. The apostle further expands on the topic by stating:
“For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that although He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that through His poverty you might become rich” (2 Cor. 8:9).
Through these words we reach the concept of great unmerited grace. God sent us His Son from the glorious heavens into earthly darkness. At the deepest level, we are introduced to the incredible poverty to which our Lord went so that we could be introduced into the riches of His grace. Now, whenever we give, we reflect God's self-sacrifice, and this should fill us with untold gratitude to our Lord.
Who among us does not want to live a fruitful life full of joy, benefit and gratitude? But Paul argues that this cannot happen and will not happen until we learn how to give, not only ourselves and our spiritual gifts for service, but also everything that constitutes our property (property, finances, etc.) .
Indeed, the more we study this topic, the more it becomes apparent that the true measure of our willingness to obey the Lord Jesus Christ is the measure of our discipline and devotion in the Christian community. We can talk until the Day of Judgment that we have become Christians, but we are practically useless until we show evidence of our obedience through our material service.
Stefan F. Alford, Myrtle Newspaper
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III. Tithing outside the Old and New Testaments
Tithing is not an innovation of the Old Testament Law, as many people think and claim. The practice of giving a tenth of one's income to God existed among many peoples of the ancient world. This is evidenced by the fact that Abraham (a Chaldean by nationality) gave a tenth of the spoils to Melchizedek - “the king of Salem” and “the priest of the Most High God.” This is stated in Genesis 14:17-20 “When he was returning from the defeat of Chedorlaomer and the kings who were with him, the king of Sodom came out to meet him in the valley of Shaveh, which is now the king’s valley; and Melchizedek, king of Salem, brought out bread and wine - he was a priest of the Most High God - and blessed him, and said: Blessed is Abram of the Most High God, Lord of heaven and earth; and blessed be God Most High, who hath delivered thy enemies into thy hand. Abram gave him a tenth of everything.”
Jacob later vowed to give God a tithe of all he had if God would be with him always, provide him with food, and bring him back to his father’s house in peace: Gen. 28:20-22 “And Jacob made a vow, saying: If God will be with me and will keep me on this journey that I am going on, and will give me bread to eat and clothing to wear, and I will return to my father’s house in peace, and the Lord will be my God, then this stone that I have set monument, will be the house of God; and of all that You, O God, give me, I will give You a tenth.” Notice that this happened long before the Law that God gave to the people of Israel through Moses. Thus, we see that the doctrine of tithing is not limited to the command of the Old Testament Law. Therefore, the doctrine of tithing cannot be abolished by the New Testament.
