tithes

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On Thu, 24 Sep 1998 23:26:44 -0500 tlwitness@juno.com (Jerry Welch)
writes:

>Notice in Acts 15, when faced with the question of what Gentile 
>Believers should have to obey from the law that tithing was not 
>mentioned.  

The tithe is not from the law.  The tithe was before the law.  It would
stand to reason that it would not be discussed by the apostles in this
context because the tithe is not law.

Pre-Law :  Tithe of 10%

Law :  Levitical Tithe, Feast Tithe, Poor Tithe

After Law : Tithe of 10%

The reason I say this is because of 1 Cor. 9:13,14 and when I read
Hebrews 7 this is what I see.

Pre-law: Abraham paid tithes to Melchisedek

Law: The Israelites paid tithes to the Levites

Grace:  We pay tithes to Jesus

If Jesus is made a priest forever after the order of Melchisedek (Hebrews
7:17) and Abraham paid tithes to Melchisedek does it not just stand to
reason that we should pay tithes to the Lord?

The whole of Hebrews 7 is discussing how Abraham paid tithes to
Melchisedek and how the Israelites paid tithes to the Levites and now how
Jesus himself has become the high-priest of all.  The law itself has
nothing to do with paying tithes.  Paying tithes was before the law.  And
so what do you think is the point behind Hebrews 7? I think the point is
firstly that Jesus is become our high priest and the Levitical priethood
is no longer needed because Jesus IS the high priest.  But why all this
talk of tithing in Hebrews 7? If tithing was done away with as part of
the law ( which it wasn't because the tithe itself wasn't part of the
law, just the regulation for it.) why talk of tithing like this in
Hebrews 7?  The logical conclusion to draw from this is that we now pay
tithes to Jesus as Abraham paid tithes to Melchisedek before the law. 
Since we pay tithes to Jesus what should we do with the tithes?  We find
our answer in 1 Cor. 9:13,14 where it tells us that the ministers should
live of the altar as the Levites did.

The OT said that the tithe is the Lord's but I don't think the Israelites
could truly understand that.  When Jesus came and changed our heart of
stone to a heart of flesh we can truly give the tithe to Jesus.

I can't see any other conclusion that can be drawn from this. It would
seem that some are focusing on the point that the NT doesn't come right
out and command tithe.  Well, it eludes to it so greatly that to overlook
it seems definately problematic to me.  I think Bro. Cal (?) did a good
comparison to the music in the Disciples of Christ.

BTW, did you know that when us ministry people pay tithes we just throw
it up into the air and tell the Lord " Keep what you want!" and the Lord
is so good to us that he never takes ANY of it!?  Well, that's the Lord's
choice and WE certainly can't help THAT!!(Just kidding!) <G>

Lynne Yohnk

 

Lynne Yohnk

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