| p>A Baptist preacher, who is a great guy and good | | | | provision for His church. Let's consider the text: |
| friend of mine, said to me, "Mike, I don't understand it. | | | | Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I have |
| You people in the Churches of Christ only take | | | | given order to the churches of Galatia, even so do ye. |
| collections one time a week; you never preach on | | | | Upon the first day of the week let every one of you |
| giving, you don't pass the collection plate on | | | | lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him, that |
| Wednesday nights, you don't have church fund-raisers, | | | | there be no gatherings when I come. 1 Cor. 16:1-2 |
| you don't raise money like the rest of us (i.e. bake | | | | We see, in the New Testament, that Christians |
| sales, car-washes, spaghetti dinners, etc.), you don't | | | | received Apostolic instructions to lay by him in store, |
| hold services about raising money, but your members | | | | as God hath prospered him (v.2). Therefore, Christians |
| seem to give faithfully and liberally, and you always | | | | are to give as God hath prospered them; we are not |
| seem to have all the money you need!" (this man lives | | | | commanded to give 10%. Even though Paul's language |
| and preaches in Nashville, TN). My reply was simple. I | | | | is figurative of a command, contributions are voluntary |
| said, "W don't tithe - we just follow the New | | | | in nature, and are to be given with a cheerful in attitude |
| Testament pattern!" | | | | (2 Cor. 9:7), The text also makes the frequency crystal |
| In Genesis 14:20, we see Abraham giving Melchizedek, | | | | clear: "Upon the first day of the week (v.2). |
| God's priest, a tenth part of the spoils he'd taken from | | | | Therefore, Christians are to give as they are |
| the confederate (pagan) kings. In Genesis 28:22, Jacob | | | | prospered, voluntarily, with a cheerful attitude, and upon |
| pledged 10% of his resources to God. In Leviticus | | | | the first day of the week. When we follow the |
| 27:30-32, a tenth of the land, a tenth of everything that | | | | Apostolic example, we demonstrate our faithfulness to |
| grew on the land, and a tenth of the livestock (sheep | | | | Christ, and our obedience to the Word of God. The |
| and calf) through the vernacular, "whatsoever passeth | | | | denominational world "passes the plate every time the |
| under the rod" (v.32, KJV) was pledged. Malachi 3:8 | | | | doors are open", but again, there is no authority for |
| says, "Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. | | | | such a practice. "Upon the first day of the week" |
| But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes | | | | should be sufficient for everyone who claims to hold |
| and offerings." | | | | the Bible as their rule of faith. |
| Many religious people tout the Jewish tithe as a | | | | But how much should we give? Hebrews 1:4 says, |
| Christian doctrine and Christian law, which is erroneous. | | | | "Being made so much better than the angels, as he |
| Even more unusual, those who promote the tithe as | | | | hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name |
| some type of spiritual mandate do not fully abide by it | | | | than they". The covenant of Christ is far better than |
| themselves. The Jewish tithe required more than 10% | | | | the former law. We have direct access to Jehovah |
| of the Israelite's income; it required 10% of their land, | | | | (7:21). We have a better ministry, with better promises |
| livestock, etc. In addition, the promoters of tithing don't | | | | under a better covenant (8:6), because we had a |
| seem to abide in paying the penalty of breaking the | | | | better sacrifice (9:23), as we are "ourselves" priests (1 |
| Jewish law of tithing. The death of Christ on the cross | | | | Peter 2:5,9). |
| abrogated the Law of Moses (Rom. 10:4). The Bible | | | | When we consider these facts of faith, how could we |
| states clearly "Christ is become of no effect unto you, | | | | conclude that we could ever give less than the |
| whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are | | | | Patriarchs, or the Israelites? The tenth should be a |
| fallen from grace" (Gal. 5:4). Jesus gave us (every | | | | starting point when we consider how much to give, |
| New Testament Christian) a superior system regarding | | | | and how much the Lord has done for us. |