There is no evidence that New Testament believers were tithing. Oh, they were giving all right, giving to take care of each other's needs and the needs of the poor, and occasionally supporting their missionaries like Paul and Timothy. But nowhere in the Scriptures is there any indication that any of the believers after Pentecost were giving ten percent to the church, nor were their leaders telling them to. Their charitable behaviors were as far from the Old Testament as they are from the practices of most believers today.
But then, they didn't have to support the construction and maintenance of church buildings and properties and the salaries of paid staff. They didn't fund the air conditioning of the local meeting place or buy the buses and vans for the various departments of the ministry. If preachers stopped teaching the tithe doctrine today, the religious empire would be in big trouble. And I suppose that's one reason why they still do it. That's why they harangue the faithful into a guilty compulsion to tithe-- in direct disregard for the teachings of the Apostle Paul who said that no one should give out of compulsion (2 Corin.9:7)
A few years ago the stewardship director of my denomination spoke on tithing at our district camp meeting. He asked the crowd of 2,000+ attendees-- keeping in mind the fate of Ananias and Sapphira-- to stand up if they were practicing the ten percent tithe. I looked around as at least 95% of the people stood.
"Hmm, that's interesting", I thought to myself, "this man's intimidation just helped make liars of about 90% of the folks here" (George Barna says that only about 3% of American Christians tithe). A few weeks later the same speaker visited my local congregation and again, spoke on tithing. At one point he asserted, "some folks claim that tithing is not a New Testament principle, but I tell you it is." Immediately my ears perked up, because I had never heard anyone cite a New Testament proof for tithing. After a short hesitation he continued, "Malachi 3 says...." Dang! I rather lost interest in what he said after that.
The theme of giving in the New Testament is characterized by freedom (2 Cor. 9:7). Followers of Christ have complete freedom, with guidance from the Holy Spirit and their own hearts, to give whatever they want to whomever they want, keeping in mind that they are really only managers of all that God has blessed them with-- in reality, they don't own any of it.
One more thing-- and it's pretty radical. In one speech, Jesus told his disciples to "sell your possessions and give to the poor." (Luke 12:33) Now this is a New Testament truth, but I have never heard a pastor preach that this practice should be observed by all believers today. Perhaps it's because they might be expected to practice what they preach, and where would that leave them? (This is an example of selective literalism, which I'll post more about later.)
After Pentecost, the believers remembered the words of Christ, and they were actually doing this. They were living in common, and when there was a need, selling their belongings and giving the money to the Apostles, who were then using it to take care of everybody in the community. They were practicing a sort of a sanctified socialism, I would say.
I view the modern adherence to the ancient tithe as one small ingredient in the greater legalistic recipe that comprises the bulk of the institutional church today-- one of the many little pieces of poop in the mix. It reveals that many institutionalists today just don't get it. They don't understand grace-- or, acknowledging that salvation comes through grace, they preach a Christian life that is sustained not by grace but by works-- legalistic compliance with a set of rules.
The work of Christ is freedom, but very often the work of the established church is legalism, and thus it is anti-Christ. I'll say more on legalism later.
A few years ago the stewardship director of my denomination spoke on tithing at our district camp meeting. He asked the crowd of 2,000+ attendees-- keeping in mind the fate of Ananias and Sapphira-- to stand up if they were practicing the ten percent tithe. I looked around as at least 95% of the people stood.
"Hmm, that's interesting", I thought to myself, "this man's intimidation just helped make liars of about 90% of the folks here" (George Barna says that only about 3% of American Christians tithe). A few weeks later the same speaker visited my local congregation and again, spoke on tithing. At one point he asserted, "some folks claim that tithing is not a New Testament principle, but I tell you it is." Immediately my ears perked up, because I had never heard anyone cite a New Testament proof for tithing. After a short hesitation he continued, "Malachi 3 says...." Dang! I rather lost interest in what he said after that.
The theme of giving in the New Testament is characterized by freedom (2 Cor. 9:7). Followers of Christ have complete freedom, with guidance from the Holy Spirit and their own hearts, to give whatever they want to whomever they want, keeping in mind that they are really only managers of all that God has blessed them with-- in reality, they don't own any of it.
One more thing-- and it's pretty radical. In one speech, Jesus told his disciples to "sell your possessions and give to the poor." (Luke 12:33) Now this is a New Testament truth, but I have never heard a pastor preach that this practice should be observed by all believers today. Perhaps it's because they might be expected to practice what they preach, and where would that leave them? (This is an example of selective literalism, which I'll post more about later.)
After Pentecost, the believers remembered the words of Christ, and they were actually doing this. They were living in common, and when there was a need, selling their belongings and giving the money to the Apostles, who were then using it to take care of everybody in the community. They were practicing a sort of a sanctified socialism, I would say.
I view the modern adherence to the ancient tithe as one small ingredient in the greater legalistic recipe that comprises the bulk of the institutional church today-- one of the many little pieces of poop in the mix. It reveals that many institutionalists today just don't get it. They don't understand grace-- or, acknowledging that salvation comes through grace, they preach a Christian life that is sustained not by grace but by works-- legalistic compliance with a set of rules.
The work of Christ is freedom, but very often the work of the established church is legalism, and thus it is anti-Christ. I'll say more on legalism later.
1 comment:
Bob, I love your blog.
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