Month: December 2023

WHY ARE YOU TITHING?

 

  • This blog, and post, will always direct you directly to your Creator, and God’s Word (Jesus).
  • Directly means directly. No pastors, nor incorporated, so-called, “Christian” churches. Absolutely no human being between you and your Creator.

But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. 24 God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”   John 4:23-24.

God, who made the world and everything in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands.    

Acts 17:24

  • The actual Greek and/or Hebrew is in [red] and in square brackets [   ].
  • We all need reminders:   Jesus is the Word of God. The good message of John, first chapter:

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.

Verse 14:  And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace [graciousness] and truth.

Today’s topic:   WHY ARE YOU TITHING?

Abraham lived almost 4,000 years ago, before the Law was given. What he did almost 4,000 years ago (paying a tenth of his spoils) to Melchizedek (who had perpetual life) has little to do with you paying a tithe to other human beings today.

The Law came from God through Moses (about 2000 years after Abraham):

  1.     To where did God command that tithes be taken?

“Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse [house/depository], so that there may be food in My house, and test Me now in this,” says the Lord of hosts, “if I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you a blessing until it overflows.”

Malachi 3:10.

Tithes were to be taken into the storehouse (depository).

Where was the storehouse?

The priest, the son of Aaron, shall be with the Levites when the Levites receive tithes, and the Levites shall bring up the tenth of the tithes to the house of our God, to the chambers of the storehouse.

Neh. 10:38

The storehouse (depository) was in the temple.

THE PHYSICAL TEMPLE BUILDING, INCLUDING THE STOREHOUSE  (DEPOSITORY), WAS DESTROYED IN 70 A.D. YOU COULDN’T TITHE TODAY (BIBLICALLY, OR “PROPERLY”), EVEN IF YOU WANTED TO.

  1.    To whom were tithes to be paid?

“To the sons of Levi, behold, I have given all the tithe in Israel for an inheritance, in return for their service which they perform, the service of the tent of meeting.

24 For the tithe of the sons of Israel, which they offer as an offering to the Lord, I have given to the Levites for an inheritance; therefore I have said concerning them, ‘They shall have no inheritance among the sons of Israel.’”

Num. 18:21,24

Tithes were given to the Levites.

THERE IS NO PHYSICAL LEVITICAL PRIESTHOOD ON EARTH TODAY. PASTORS/MINISTERS/PRIESTS TEACHING AND COLLECTING TITHES ARE NOT LEVITES. THEY ARE ROBBING PEOPLE.

1 Corinthians 16:2-3:

On the first day of the week let each one of you lay something aside, storing up as he may prosper, that there be no collections when I come. 3 And when I come, whomever you approve by your letters I will send to bear your gift to Jerusalem. 

This was a special collection for suffering Jewish Christians in Jerusalem:

“Paul begins to give the church in Corinth specific instructions about collecting money for suffering Jewish Christians in Jerusalem. Many Bible teachers apply these as ground-level principles for how modern Christians should give to local churches and other needs” . . . . 

 . . . . . “In fact, the New Testament never commands Christians to tithe in the way the Old Testament required (Leviticus 27:30; Numbers 18:26). Jews (added: and Israelites) living under the Old Testament law were obligated to tithe, in addition to other required contributions to the temple and the priests.”

https://www.bibleref.com/1-Corinthians/16/1-Corinthians-16-2.html

To whom we should give will be covered in a future post.

In the meantime, we are encouraged to persevere in the original delegates’ (apostles’) instruction (what we refer to [generally] as the New Testament). This point cannot be overemphasized:

And they continued steadfastly [persevered] in the apostles’ [delegates’] doctrine [instruction] and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers. 

Acts 2:42

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TO REPEAT:

PERSEVERE IN THE ORIGINAL, TRUE, DELEGATES’ INSTRUCTION:

And they continued steadfastly [persevered] in the apostles’ [delegates’] doctrine [instruction] and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers. 

Acts 2:42