Tuesday, August 22, 2006
tithing
Posted by at 12:08 PM
I'm not sure why the gentile church has the practice of tithing.
God commanded the Jews to tithe, but it doesn't look like the Torah (including tithing laws) got passed on to the gentile churches (Acts 15). The gentile churches did much more than tithe--they were filled with the Spirit ofgenerosity, so they gave as there was need.
But now the churches I've been to tell me to tithe.
Did this Mosaic law return as a church custom at some point (to meet church needs when the church wasn't being generous)?
God commanded the Jews to tithe, but it doesn't look like the Torah (including tithing laws) got passed on to the gentile churches (Acts 15). The gentile churches did much more than tithe--they were filled with the Spirit ofgenerosity, so they gave as there was need.
But now the churches I've been to tell me to tithe.
Did this Mosaic law return as a church custom at some point (to meet church needs when the church wasn't being generous)?
I'm not sure why there is a rule beyond "Give as the spirit moves you."
The cynical side of me says that Churches that have to pay the rent and pastor's salary found that the Spirit didn't seem to move according to the monthly payments, but who knows?
•10% is good if you aren't receiving any other guidance... it can be tempting to not give if you don't hear anything.
•The Israelites also did the "give as the Spirit moves you" thing when they were offering the materials for the Tabernacle, so this isn't a New Thang. Every law is a minimum; although that kind of language is what got the Pharasees in trouble with Jesus, so forget I said that ;-)