by Hazel
As we have already established, tithing under the Old Covenant was required for the support of the Levitical priests and their families, for sponsoring religious feasts and festivals and for taking care of the poor and needy. Obedience to the Old Covenant Law in these matters was rewarded by physical and material blessings, but failure to obey them was punished by the removal of such blessings.
However, as New Covenant believers we have already received a far better spiritual blessing than any physical or material blessings Old Covenant believers received. Since Jesus paid the price for our sins making the cross a finished work, how can we by our actions earn further blessings from God? Aren’t we already the inheritor’s of “all things” in Christ (2 Peter 1:3)?
Although the New Testament is silent on tithing being part of any New Covenant lifestyle it is very vocal on the subject of giving. Therefore, how much more willing ought we to be to give from a heart of thankfulness for the eternal spiritual blessings we have freely received in Christ? To ever think or imagine, “If I don’t tithe, or I don’t give I’ll loose favor with God,” negates the very reason that Jesus died. The “blessing” we have already received from Him is eternal life (John 17:1-3; 1 John. 5:20). What could be greater than that?
Under the New Covenant God desires a love relationship with us, not a legal obligation from us. We are being empowered by the Spirit to give out of love for God without any minimum expectation. Because we have been freed from the law of sin and death (Rom. 8:2), we are released into the law of the spirit of Life! Everything we are and everything we have belongs to Him. Surely God deserve more than we could ever possibly give
Giving in the Early Church
I believe the principle of sacrificial and voluntary giving established in the early church stemmed from their clear understanding that the precious blood of Jesus had redeemed them from their futile attempts at trying to obey the Law of Moses.
· For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake” (1 Peter 1:18-20).
Let’s look at some New Testament examples of how redeemed believers gave intentionally of themselves and their possessions out of sincere love for one another, because they had “been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God” (I Peter 1:23).
· “Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common (a localized practice of the early church). They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need” (Acts 2:43-45).
· “All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of their possessions was their own, but they shared everything they had. With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And God's grace was so powerfully at work in them all that there were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned land or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales and put it at the apostles' feet, and it was distributed to anyone who had need” (Acts 4:32-35).
· “During this time some prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch. One of them, named Agabus, stood up and through the Spirit predicted that a severe famine would spread over the entire Roman world. (This happened during the reign of Claudius.) The disciples, as each one was able, decided to provide help for the believers living in Judea. This they did, sending their gift to the elders by Barnabas and Saul” (Acts 11:27-30).
· “Now I commit you to God and to the word of his grace, which can build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified. I have not coveted anyone's silver or gold or clothing. You yourselves know that these hands of mine have supplied my own needs and the needs of my companions. In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: 'It is more blessed to give than to receive.’” When Paul had finished speaking, he knelt down with all of them and prayed. They all wept as they embraced him and kissed him. What grieved them most was his statement that they would never see his face again. Then they accompanied him to the ship” (Acts 20: 34-38).
· “After an absence of several years, I came to Jerusalem to bring my people gifts for the poor and to present offerings” (Acts 24:17).
· “Now, however, I am on my way to Jerusalem in the service of the Lord's people there. For Macedonia and Achaia were pleased to make a contribution for the poor among the Lord's people in Jerusalem. They were pleased to do it, and indeed they owe it to them. For if the Gentiles have shared in the Jews' spiritual blessings, they owe it to the Jews to share with them their material blessings. So after I have completed this task and have made sure that they have received this fruit, I will go to Spain and visit you on the way” (Romans 15:25-28).
· “In the same way, the Lord has commanded that those who preach the gospel should receive their living from the gospel. But I have not used any of these rights” (1 Corinthians 9:14-15).
· “Nevertheless, those who receive instruction in the word should share all good things with their instructor. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers” (Galatians 6:6, 10).
· “Now about the collection for the Lord's people: Do what I told the Galatian churches to do. On the first day of every week, each one of you should set aside a sum of money in keeping with your income, saving it up, so that when I come no collections will have to be made” (1 Corinthians 16:1-2).
· “And now, brothers and sisters, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the Macedonian churches. In the midst of a very severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity. For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability… Last year you were the first not only to give but also to have the desire to do so. Now finish the work, so that your eager willingness to do it may be matched by your completion of it, according to your means. For if the willingness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what one does not have. Our desire is not that others might be relieved while you are hard pressed, but that there might be equality. At the present time your plenty will supply what they need, so that in turn their plenty will supply what you need. The goal is equality, as it is written: “The one who gathered much did not have too much, and the one who gathered little did not have too little” (2 Corinthians 8:1-15).
· “Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion (‘anagke’ under constraint, coercion, or distress), for God loves a cheerful (hilarious, prompt, and willing) giver” (2 Corinthians 9:7).
. “James, Cephas and John…gave me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship when they recognized the grace given to me… All they asked was that we should continue to remember the poor, the very thing I had been eager to do all along” (Galatians 2:9-10).
. “And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased” (Hebrews 13:16).
. “This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for one another. If any one of you has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in you? Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth” (1 John 3:16-18).
. “For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: "Love your neighbor as yourself” (Galatians 5:14).
. “Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ” (Galatians 6:2).
Giving versus Tithing in the Church Today
After reading these New Testament examples of giving in the early church we can’t help but come to the conclusion that giving willingly and sacrificially images the character of God. Just as redeemed believers in the early church were no longer constrained by the obsolete rules and regulations of the Old Covenant in their practice of giving, neither should we be.
But many believers in the church today are constrained by the obsolete rules of the old covenant. Why is this? How did the old covenant mind-set regarding tithing become a part of the new covenant community when it was absent in the early church? Why do many church leaders teach that tithing is not only mandatory for church membership, but also that the historical church has always taught tithing. Let’s take a look at the historical facts and see how this change came about in the next chapter.
Summary:
. Old Covenant tithing has been replaced by New Covenant giving.
. Redeemed believers no longer give under the fear of being “cursed” (Galatians 3:13), because we are not under the Old Covenant law anymore—not for tithing, not for obeying Sabbath laws, not for burning sacrifices, not for any of those things the Israelites were required to do.
. Redeemed believers should never give out of guilt.
. Redeemed believers should never give to “get” a blessing from God because the blessings are already ours in Christ.
. From the way so many in the early church gave of their means to help those who were in need we can safely say that their giving far exceeded that of an Old Covenant tithe.
. No guilt tactics were ever used by Paul to coerce believers into giving.
. Although Paul waived his right to be financially supported by the church at Corinth where he ministered the gospel, ministers of the gospel today have the right to expect provision, “for workers are worth their keep” (Matthew 10:10).
. Redeemed believers share a deep love for one another
. Giving to the needs of the poor and presenting offerings for the work of ministry is done out of our love for God’s children.
. Setting a sum of aside in advance to help meet the need of helping people is being a responsible steward.
. Putting money aside for a church building fund was not mentioned in the early church!
. The fruit of the Spirit (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control) cannot be regulated by a percentage, because against such there is no law (Galatians 5:22-23).
. The New Testament never gives a certain percentage point as an obligatory and required standard for our giving.
. Voluntary giving from the heart is what Abram and Jacob were doing before the institution of the Law, voluntary giving from the heart is what the early church did, and voluntary giving from the heart is what all believers are to be doing today.
. Believers are free to give the amount they choose to give as the Spirit leads them.
. Christ is the standard of the believer’s giving who gave 100% of Himself—, including His very life in order to redeem sinful man.
. Believers are freed to give sacrificially.
. Anyone using the old covenant tithing laws to try and coerce people into guilt-based giving is totally out of line with the new covenant gospel of Jesus Christ.
As we have already established, tithing under the Old Covenant was required for the support of the Levitical priests and their families, for sponsoring religious feasts and festivals and for taking care of the poor and needy. Obedience to the Old Covenant Law in these matters was rewarded by physical and material blessings, but failure to obey them was punished by the removal of such blessings.
However, as New Covenant believers we have already received a far better spiritual blessing than any physical or material blessings Old Covenant believers received. Since Jesus paid the price for our sins making the cross a finished work, how can we by our actions earn further blessings from God? Aren’t we already the inheritor’s of “all things” in Christ (2 Peter 1:3)?
Although the New Testament is silent on tithing being part of any New Covenant lifestyle it is very vocal on the subject of giving. Therefore, how much more willing ought we to be to give from a heart of thankfulness for the eternal spiritual blessings we have freely received in Christ? To ever think or imagine, “If I don’t tithe, or I don’t give I’ll loose favor with God,” negates the very reason that Jesus died. The “blessing” we have already received from Him is eternal life (John 17:1-3; 1 John. 5:20). What could be greater than that?
Under the New Covenant God desires a love relationship with us, not a legal obligation from us. We are being empowered by the Spirit to give out of love for God without any minimum expectation. Because we have been freed from the law of sin and death (Rom. 8:2), we are released into the law of the spirit of Life! Everything we are and everything we have belongs to Him. Surely God deserve more than we could ever possibly give
Giving in the Early Church
I believe the principle of sacrificial and voluntary giving established in the early church stemmed from their clear understanding that the precious blood of Jesus had redeemed them from their futile attempts at trying to obey the Law of Moses.
· For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake” (1 Peter 1:18-20).
Let’s look at some New Testament examples of how redeemed believers gave intentionally of themselves and their possessions out of sincere love for one another, because they had “been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God” (I Peter 1:23).
· “Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common (a localized practice of the early church). They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need” (Acts 2:43-45).
· “All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of their possessions was their own, but they shared everything they had. With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And God's grace was so powerfully at work in them all that there were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned land or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales and put it at the apostles' feet, and it was distributed to anyone who had need” (Acts 4:32-35).
· “During this time some prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch. One of them, named Agabus, stood up and through the Spirit predicted that a severe famine would spread over the entire Roman world. (This happened during the reign of Claudius.) The disciples, as each one was able, decided to provide help for the believers living in Judea. This they did, sending their gift to the elders by Barnabas and Saul” (Acts 11:27-30).
· “Now I commit you to God and to the word of his grace, which can build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified. I have not coveted anyone's silver or gold or clothing. You yourselves know that these hands of mine have supplied my own needs and the needs of my companions. In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: 'It is more blessed to give than to receive.’” When Paul had finished speaking, he knelt down with all of them and prayed. They all wept as they embraced him and kissed him. What grieved them most was his statement that they would never see his face again. Then they accompanied him to the ship” (Acts 20: 34-38).
· “After an absence of several years, I came to Jerusalem to bring my people gifts for the poor and to present offerings” (Acts 24:17).
· “Now, however, I am on my way to Jerusalem in the service of the Lord's people there. For Macedonia and Achaia were pleased to make a contribution for the poor among the Lord's people in Jerusalem. They were pleased to do it, and indeed they owe it to them. For if the Gentiles have shared in the Jews' spiritual blessings, they owe it to the Jews to share with them their material blessings. So after I have completed this task and have made sure that they have received this fruit, I will go to Spain and visit you on the way” (Romans 15:25-28).
· “In the same way, the Lord has commanded that those who preach the gospel should receive their living from the gospel. But I have not used any of these rights” (1 Corinthians 9:14-15).
· “Nevertheless, those who receive instruction in the word should share all good things with their instructor. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers” (Galatians 6:6, 10).
· “Now about the collection for the Lord's people: Do what I told the Galatian churches to do. On the first day of every week, each one of you should set aside a sum of money in keeping with your income, saving it up, so that when I come no collections will have to be made” (1 Corinthians 16:1-2).
· “And now, brothers and sisters, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the Macedonian churches. In the midst of a very severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity. For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability… Last year you were the first not only to give but also to have the desire to do so. Now finish the work, so that your eager willingness to do it may be matched by your completion of it, according to your means. For if the willingness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what one does not have. Our desire is not that others might be relieved while you are hard pressed, but that there might be equality. At the present time your plenty will supply what they need, so that in turn their plenty will supply what you need. The goal is equality, as it is written: “The one who gathered much did not have too much, and the one who gathered little did not have too little” (2 Corinthians 8:1-15).
· “Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion (‘anagke’ under constraint, coercion, or distress), for God loves a cheerful (hilarious, prompt, and willing) giver” (2 Corinthians 9:7).
. “James, Cephas and John…gave me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship when they recognized the grace given to me… All they asked was that we should continue to remember the poor, the very thing I had been eager to do all along” (Galatians 2:9-10).
. “And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased” (Hebrews 13:16).
. “This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for one another. If any one of you has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in you? Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth” (1 John 3:16-18).
. “For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: "Love your neighbor as yourself” (Galatians 5:14).
. “Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ” (Galatians 6:2).
Giving versus Tithing in the Church Today
After reading these New Testament examples of giving in the early church we can’t help but come to the conclusion that giving willingly and sacrificially images the character of God. Just as redeemed believers in the early church were no longer constrained by the obsolete rules and regulations of the Old Covenant in their practice of giving, neither should we be.
But many believers in the church today are constrained by the obsolete rules of the old covenant. Why is this? How did the old covenant mind-set regarding tithing become a part of the new covenant community when it was absent in the early church? Why do many church leaders teach that tithing is not only mandatory for church membership, but also that the historical church has always taught tithing. Let’s take a look at the historical facts and see how this change came about in the next chapter.
Summary:
. Old Covenant tithing has been replaced by New Covenant giving.
. Redeemed believers no longer give under the fear of being “cursed” (Galatians 3:13), because we are not under the Old Covenant law anymore—not for tithing, not for obeying Sabbath laws, not for burning sacrifices, not for any of those things the Israelites were required to do.
. Redeemed believers should never give out of guilt.
. Redeemed believers should never give to “get” a blessing from God because the blessings are already ours in Christ.
. From the way so many in the early church gave of their means to help those who were in need we can safely say that their giving far exceeded that of an Old Covenant tithe.
. No guilt tactics were ever used by Paul to coerce believers into giving.
. Although Paul waived his right to be financially supported by the church at Corinth where he ministered the gospel, ministers of the gospel today have the right to expect provision, “for workers are worth their keep” (Matthew 10:10).
. Redeemed believers share a deep love for one another
. Giving to the needs of the poor and presenting offerings for the work of ministry is done out of our love for God’s children.
. Setting a sum of aside in advance to help meet the need of helping people is being a responsible steward.
. Putting money aside for a church building fund was not mentioned in the early church!
. The fruit of the Spirit (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control) cannot be regulated by a percentage, because against such there is no law (Galatians 5:22-23).
. The New Testament never gives a certain percentage point as an obligatory and required standard for our giving.
. Voluntary giving from the heart is what Abram and Jacob were doing before the institution of the Law, voluntary giving from the heart is what the early church did, and voluntary giving from the heart is what all believers are to be doing today.
. Believers are free to give the amount they choose to give as the Spirit leads them.
. Christ is the standard of the believer’s giving who gave 100% of Himself—, including His very life in order to redeem sinful man.
. Believers are freed to give sacrificially.
. Anyone using the old covenant tithing laws to try and coerce people into guilt-based giving is totally out of line with the new covenant gospel of Jesus Christ.
2 comments:
I looked up the famous and often-quoted-before-money-collection passage in 2nd Corinthians 9 where it talks about sowing generously and reaping generously versus sowing sparingly and reaping sparingly.
I was interested to find that the word "generously" is also translated as "blessing"!
That would make it,
"Whoever sows blessing will reap blessing, whoever sows sparingly will reap sparingly."
"Sparingly" can be understood by Paul's earlier use of "grudgingly" -- it is the opposite of freely blessing someone from the heart.
Blessing someone means giving something to them for their sake, not for your own. Yes, God rewards this kind of thing, but God has called us to receive His heart -- the heart that unselfishly gave His Son for us because He loved us so much. As Max Lucado said, Jesus would rather die than go to heaven and spend eternity without you!
This is also why Paul quoted Jesus (in Acts) as having said, "It is better to give than to receive." When we give for the sake of others instead of for our own sakes, we share in the pure agape-love joy of God who gives blessing, who pours out His soul for us.
But when we give for the sake of getting reward, we are giving as the hypocrites did in Matthew 6. Instead Jesus says, "Do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret."
It's interesting to then look at that New Covenant principle of sowing "blessing" and translate it into the modern church's teachings about mandatory tithe and prosperity. The modern teaching would then bend Paul's words to make them into law -- a law of blessing? And an amount of blessing? You must bless 10%??
Probably the worst aspect of this kind of giving is not only that it doesn't seek the Spirit, but it also robs us of the interpersonal "Body-building" that God meant us to have. In other words, God meant us to share in the joy of blessing one another face to face (as far as it is possible). At times His Spirit may call us to give to an institution, but this is not the "norm" at all. The Body of Christ is strengthened when we personally bless one another and when we are personally blessed by one another. This is the "edification" of the Church.
The lack of personal giving in the church is perhaps one reason that many churches can be found in middle-class affluency and prosperity while there are many unreached & unloved poor people not far away, sometimes right across the street. We are comfortable giving to "missions" across the world, but ask us to give to someone face to face, or to someone we'd rather yell "Get a job, ya bum!" to -- ask us this and we will be much less inclined to give, don't you think?
I'll finish this comment by sharing a little joy the Lord gave me which continues to testify to me of what His joy is supposed to be like.
Years ago at my old church in Maryland, I bought a couple CDs for two friends in my band at church for Christmas. I knew they would like the CDs (because we always listened to them when we rode in my car!) and I knew they would be completely surprised because guys usually don't give each other Christmas presents! When I gave them the CDs, our youth pastor (whom I love in the Lord and as a brother) was with us and was shocked, "But they didn't get you anything!" I responded by telling him to shut up and shusshing him with a smile, "I know! That's the idea!" The sheer surprise and un-asked for blessing I was able to give to my two brothers in Jesus that day still brings me joy even now as I type of it! It is a taste of His joy!
Not two years later when I was a missionary in Osaka, my future wife and I helped out homeless people in Osaka for about six months near our then-church, particularly during the winter months. However, when we passed homeless people in other parts of the city that we were passing through, we tried to do something. Sometimes we bought a hot sweet-potato from a street vendor, or other times a hot drink from a vending machine. The homeless person was always surprised but almost always accepted. We would then walk away so as not to embarass them, but we would duck around a corner and watch them begin to eat or drink what we'd given them! And that was our joy! We were blessed to see them blessed! Forget whatever we had "paid" to purchase their potato or drink. That was nothing compared to the joy of seeing them enjoy the unexpected blessing! That was a taste of God's grace of giving!
I love what you said here Ramone, "Blessing someone means giving something to them for their sake, not for your own. Yes, God rewards this kind of thing, but God has called us to receive His heart -- the heart that unselfishly gave His Son for us because He loved us so much."
When we give expecting nothing in return God returns more that we can ever possibly give! Himself!
One of His hilarious givers...
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