Tithing??

heron said:

We are set free from the law of sin and death, but Jesus said that He came to fulfill the Law.

Mt 5:17
Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill.

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Matthew 5:17-18 states Christ came to fulfill the law and not abolish it.

This is where some education in law is useful. What does fulfill mean? What does abolish mean?

Let me give an example. A legal contract is enforceable under the law. Let’s say you hire a contractor to build a swimming pool in your back yard. Once the contractor has completed the job, and everything in that contract has been completed, the contract has been fulfilled. The contractor’s job is to fulfill the contract, not abolish it. He fulfills it by completing the terms, bringing it to an end.

Consider:

Hebrews 8:13 (KJV) - In that he saith, A new covenant, he hath made the first old. Now that which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish away.

Colossians 2:14 (KJV) - Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;

Galatians 5:18 (KJV) - But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.

Galatians 3:19 (KJV) - Wherefore then serveth the law? It was added because of transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator.

Until the Seed to whom the promise referred had come. In other words, until Jesus came and fulfilled the law.

Galatians 3:23-25 (KJV)
23But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed.
24Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.
25But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.

Galatians 3:10-14 (KJV)
10For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them.
11But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith.
12And the law is not of faith: but, The man that doeth them shall live in them.
13Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:
14That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.

IF you still think the law of tithing is valid today, FOLLOW IT, don't change it. FOLLOW IT - a tenth of crops and animals.

Leviticus 27:30-33, Numbers 18: The First Tithe - a tenth of crops and animals and commanded to take the tithe to the Levites.

Deuteronomy 14:22-27: The Second Tithe aka The Festival Tithe - a tenth of crops, plus add to that the firstborn animals, and take for the yearly feast.

Deuteronomy 14:28-29: The Third Tithe aka The Three-Year Tithe aka The Poor Tithe - a tenth of crops, kept at home, and invite the Levites, widows, orphans, stranger to eat.

Now, tell me. Which of the above three tithes commanded by God do you follow?

All three tithes came from ASSETS from God's miraculous increase, NOT income from man's labor.

heron said:

These stories were sequential and close:

Luke 11:39
But give that which is within as charity, and then all things are clean for you.
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Luke 12:15
Then He said to them, "Beware, and be on your guard against every form of greed; for not even when one has an abundance does his life consist of his possessions."

21 "So is the man who stores up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God."

33 "Sell your possessions and give to charity; make yourselves money belts which do not wear out, an unfailing treasure in heaven, where no thief comes near nor moth destroys.

For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

48 From everyone who has been given much, much will be required; and to whom they entrusted much, of him they will ask all the more.

Mark 10

Good Teacher, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?

Jesus said to him...
You know the commandments: Do not commit adultery, do not commit murder, do not steal, do not bear false witness, do not defraud, honor your father and mother. Ex. 20:12-16

Luke 18 (Same story continued)
When Jesus heard this, He said to him, "One thing you still lack; sell all that you possess and distribute it to the poor, and you shall have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me."

But when he had heard these things, he became very sad, for he was extremely rich. And Jesus looked at him and said, "How hard it is for those who are wealthy to enter the kingdom of God! "For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."

They who heard it said, "Then who can be saved?" But He said, "The things that are impossible with people are possible with God."

Peter said, "Behold, we have left our own homes and followed You."

And He said to them, "Truly I say to you, there is no one who has left house or wife or brothers or parents or children, for the sake of the kingdom of God,who will not receive many times as much at this time and in the age to come, eternal life."



Luke 19
8 Zaccheus stopped and said to the Lord, "Behold, Lord, half of my possessions I will give to the poor, and if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I will give back four times as much." And Jesus said to him, "Today salvation has come to this house, because he, too, is a son of Abraham.

Matthew 22
Then He said to them, "Then render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's; and to God the things that are God's."
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What belongs to God? Clearly Jesus had something in mind.

The story was followed by...

And He looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the treasury. And He saw a poor widow putting in two small copper coins. And He said, "Truly I say to you, this poor widow put in more than all of them; for they all out of their surplus put into the offering; but she out of her poverty put in all that she had to live on."
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Differentiation on giving... Sacrifices were for sin offerings, and tithes were out of gratefulness for God's provision

Deut 12:6 There you shall bring your burnt offerings, your sacrifices, your tithes, the contribution of your hand, your votive offerings, your freewill offerings, and the firstborn of your herd and of your flock. ​

This is a differentiation of the laborer from the owner. A business owner should not deprive his workers of the product/service they worked on. Today we see many restaurant servers often get a free meal, department store clerks get a percentage discount, college employees get partial tuition waivers, salesmen get free samples.

Picture migrant workers picking peaches, and not being allowed to eat any while they work in the hot sun.

De 12:17 Deuteronomy 12:7,12,18,You are not allowed to eat within your gates the tithe of your grain or new wine or oil, or the firstborn of your herd or flock, or any of your votive offerings which you vow, or your freewill offerings, or the contribution of your hand. De 14
Tithes
Be sure to set aside a tenth of all that your fields produce each year.

Eat the tithe of your grain, new wine and oil, and the firstborn of your herds and flocks in the presence of the LORD your God at the place he will choose as a dwelling for his Name, so that you may learn to revere the LORD your God always.

But if that place is too distant and you have been blessed by the LORD your God and cannot carry your tithe (because the place where the LORD will choose to put his Name is so far away), then exchange your tithe for silver, and take the silver with you and go to the place the LORD your God will choose.

[Not a modern conversion as we assume]

Use the silver to buy whatever you like: cattle, sheep, wine or other fermented drink, or anything you wish. Then you and your household shall eat there in the presence of the Lord your God and rejoice.

And do not neglect the Levites living in your towns, for they have no allotment or inheritance of their own.

At the end of every three years, bring all the tithes of that year's produce and store it in your towns, so that the Levites (who have no allotment or inheritance of their own) and the aliens, the fatherless and the widows who live in your towns may come and eat and be satisfied, and so that the LORD your God may bless you in all the work of your hands.

12 "When you have finished paying all the tithe of your increase in the third year, [a different tithe] the year of tithing, then you shall give it to the Levite, to the stranger, to the orphan and to the widow, that they may eat in your towns and be satisfied.

"You shall say before the Lord your God, `I have removed the sacred portion from my house, and also have given it to the Levite and the alien, the orphan and the widow, according to all Your commandments which You have commanded me; I have not transgressed or forgotten any of Your commandments.

`I have not eaten of it while mourning, nor have I removed any of it while I was unclean, nor offered any of it to the dead. I have listened to the voice of the LORD my God; I have done according to all that You have commanded me.

`Look down from Your holy habitation, from heaven, and bless Your people Israel, and the ground which You have given us, a land flowing with milk and honey, as You swore to our fathers.'

"This day the Lord your God commands you to do these statutes and ordinances. You shall therefore be careful to do them with all your heart and with all your soul.

"You have today declared the Lord to be your God, and that you would walk in His ways and keep His statutes, His commandments and His ordinances, and listen to His voice.

"The Lord has today declared you to be His people, a treasured possession, as He promised you, and that you should keep all His commandments; and that He will set you high above all nations which He has made, for praise, fame, and honor; and that you shall be a consecrated people to the Lord your God, as He has spoken."

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Jesus teach against being greedy, he teach to give. But never, ever he said one single word about tithing. never ever he tough to tithe. there is not any single verse in all the Bible, NT or Gospel that is telling us to tithe. Not even one.

Offcouse those false teachers are execiced in taking other verses and changing it meaning, mixin them with human thinking. But ones again it is proved that you have not a legitimate text to support the false doctrine of christian tihte.

heron said:

Differentiation on giving... Sacrifices were for sin offerings, and tithes were out of gratefulness for God's provision

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that is a hughe lay.

Before you give all those quotes from the OT get a concordance and read all the NT scriptures, including the entire Book of Hebrews that tell us very plainly the law if done away with in Christ.

John
NZ