Robbing God
Have you ever sat in a church service and been accused of robbing God? Unfortunately, many of us have. The preacher uses a scripture from Malachi 3:8-12 to prove his point if you're not giving your whole tithe to his local church, you're robbing God.
I've got good news for you, you're not a God robber if you don't tithe! A careful study of scripture reveals the Old Testament tithe is not applicable to New Testament believers. The coming of Christ and the Law of the Spirit (Romans 8:2) has superseeded the Law of Moses. It's wrong to enforce tithing on Christians, it's legalism in its purest form.
The scripture used in Malachi has a parallel passage in Deuteronomy 26:12-15 which confirms that Malachi refers to the "whole tithe". Now the "whole tithe" is the only tithe that was given away and that was only on the third year. The Levites took the third year tithe to the temple in Jerusalem and gave it to the temple priests (Numbers 18:26-28).
The Hebrew word "'outsar" translated "storehouse" in Malachi 3:10 is the same word in Nehemiah 10:38. The "storehouse" refers to a temple warehouse, described in Nehemiah 13:5, as a place for keeping tithed grain, frankincense, temple vessels, wine and oil. The tithe in question was probably the tithe payable by the Levites, not the tithes payable by the people. Malachi was not rebuking the common people ("And now this admonition is for you, O priests." 2:1); he was rebuking the Levites!
It's a dangerous and extreme stretch to say the "storehouse" in Malachi 3 is the local church in the New Testament. Our walk with God through Jesus Christ is not about rigid legalistic regulations imposed by a pastor who is taking scripture grossly out of context. That results in spiritual abuse, control and unfair manipulation of God's people.
It is fair to say this passage in Malachi doesn't apply to us as Christians in the age of grace. Even if it did though, it would apply to pastors not giving a tithe from the tithe of the people. Now isn't that ironic?
If you want to give 10%, 15%, 20% or whatever you so desire of your income, that's fine, you're free to do that. Christians are to be generous, to give joyfully, cherrfully and without compulsion. Amen!
I've got good news for you, you're not a God robber if you don't tithe! A careful study of scripture reveals the Old Testament tithe is not applicable to New Testament believers. The coming of Christ and the Law of the Spirit (Romans 8:2) has superseeded the Law of Moses. It's wrong to enforce tithing on Christians, it's legalism in its purest form.
The scripture used in Malachi has a parallel passage in Deuteronomy 26:12-15 which confirms that Malachi refers to the "whole tithe". Now the "whole tithe" is the only tithe that was given away and that was only on the third year. The Levites took the third year tithe to the temple in Jerusalem and gave it to the temple priests (Numbers 18:26-28).
The Hebrew word "'outsar" translated "storehouse" in Malachi 3:10 is the same word in Nehemiah 10:38. The "storehouse" refers to a temple warehouse, described in Nehemiah 13:5, as a place for keeping tithed grain, frankincense, temple vessels, wine and oil. The tithe in question was probably the tithe payable by the Levites, not the tithes payable by the people. Malachi was not rebuking the common people ("And now this admonition is for you, O priests." 2:1); he was rebuking the Levites!
It's a dangerous and extreme stretch to say the "storehouse" in Malachi 3 is the local church in the New Testament. Our walk with God through Jesus Christ is not about rigid legalistic regulations imposed by a pastor who is taking scripture grossly out of context. That results in spiritual abuse, control and unfair manipulation of God's people.
It is fair to say this passage in Malachi doesn't apply to us as Christians in the age of grace. Even if it did though, it would apply to pastors not giving a tithe from the tithe of the people. Now isn't that ironic?
If you want to give 10%, 15%, 20% or whatever you so desire of your income, that's fine, you're free to do that. Christians are to be generous, to give joyfully, cherrfully and without compulsion. Amen!
Labels: Christian tithe, manipulation, spiritual abuse
posted by <> at 4:45 AM
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