Awkward #3 Tithing

Tithing is presented by church leaders as a command for New Testament believers.  It was, in fact,  the Jewish taxation system and included mostly livestock and crops.  You have to do some study on Biblical Jewish culture to find this.  So unless you lived 2000 years ago in Israel, tithing is not a believer's responsibility. That said, giving is.  The difference being that our giving is managed by the Holy Spirit where Tithing is a calculated amount based upon Law. People who say 'Jesus mentioned tithing' forget that he was speaking to those in Israel 2000 years ago who were under Law.  We no longer need the Law as prescriptive command now we have the Lawgiver living in our hearts.  

Some claim that because Melchizedek was tithed to by Abraham before the Law so tithing predates Law. So based upon this we should tithe.   How many more Jewish customs and traditions do we replicate because they occurred before the Law?  This claim is a last ditch attempt by church leaders who need money to operate their church.  Making rules around money to suit the system and structure of 'church' is not new.  The Roman Catholics said that Priests couldn't marry.  The sole reasoning was because when the Priest died, the church could have their property.   So the leaders made up rules to dictate the financial security of the organisation.  

When a leader gets up to tell you tithing is a command for you today, it's the same thing. They have bills and wages to pay and the accepted system is to 'chip in.'  Scripture is used wrongly to have you fund the vision. However examining the Scriptures to find this is true, one would then be tempted with the other problem in all of this.  The other problem is shutting down sensitivity to giving altogether.  It is just as easy to declare our income well and truly "New Testament" and never seem to hear the Holy Spirit speaking to our hearts about giving.  

I'm not pretending for one minute that those who still tithe will recalibrate their giving based on biblical teaching.   The problem is way too complex for that.  Happily giving your tithe etc and never questioning it speaks of having been taken in hook line and sinker by a systemized approach to church.  I heard a well respected leader say that Jesus was a businessman and his ministry was wealthy.  What lengths will people go to twist the Scripture to justify amassing wealth!  I will cover the 'prosperity gospel' in another writing.  

Theres not much more to say about this except that the merging of men's ideas and Biblical truth always clash where money is concerned.  The traders in the Temple courts saw Jesus' reaction to inappropriate use of Holy things.  We have been warned.

Gary Ward