Should a church request or collect tithes?

   The "tithe" is defined by God as a tenth, "And all of the tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land, or of the fruit of tree, is the Lord's, it is holy unto the Lord...and  concerning the tithe of the herd, or of the flock, even whatsoever passeth the rod, the tenth shall be holy unto the Lord" (Lev. 27:30-32). We further read a purpose for the tithe: "And, behold, I have given the children of Levi all the tenth in Israel for an inheritance for their service which they serve, even the service of the tabernacle of the congregation" (Num. 18:21). Because the tribe of Levi had no inheritance in the new land, as did the other tribes, the  "tithe" of the other tribes went to support them.

   The law of the tithe was, of course, a part of the law which God gave to Israel through Moses. That law was "nailed to the cross" (Col.2:14) and died when Christ died. That law, which included the laws of the tithe, animal sacrifices, sabbath days, feast days, etc., was taken away in order that the New Testament (that of Christ) could be established (Heb. 7:12,17-18; 8:6-13; 9:12-15; Rom. 7:1-7) The tithe was not a gift or a free will offering under the Law of Moses, it was a TAX in every sense of the word. Instead of taxing believers today, the Lord instructs us in His gospel that each Christian is to "lay by him in store, as he may prosper" (1st Cor. 16:2). Instead of telling us a set amount, or percentage, the Lord instructs: "Let each man give according as he hath purposed in his heart: not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver" (2nd Cor. 9:7-8).  As our Lord said, "it is more blessed to give than to receive" (Acts 20:35).

   Because the law of "the tithe" was taken away with the other parts of the old law, does that mean it is wrong to request or collect tithes today? The answer is rather clear, yes it is wrong for a church to request or collect tithes. The church has no role in the tithe system or any other Old Testament mandate. For the church to request or collect tithes is a tacit acceptance of the practice and poses the question, what will the church do with the money? Tithing is more then collecting 10%, it also consist of a proper use of the funds. The law of Moses does not allow for man to decide what to do with the tithe, it was to be used for a specific purpose, the support of the tribe of Levi. For the church to deviate from this purpose shows contempt for the Word of God. To many of this current generation it may seem a minor issue, but our desire should be one of respect for the Word of God and not a liberal attitude towards it.

Addendum (4-10-2016)

  The following remarks concern some troubling trends I believe are becoming all to common at the South Baton Rouge Church of Christ.

  Periodically over the last couple of years I have noticed that during the passing of the collection trays certain overhead images have been displayed stating that now was the time for the gathering of the tithes and offerings. At first I dismissed it as an oversight by the leadership, but as the months passed it kept reappearing. At a meeting about another issue, I asked about this and was surprised to hear their response.  I was told that there was nothing they could do about the overheads since it was a set pattern of images that the church paid a media company named "Graceway" to use. My reply was simple, why not change the image or company. Their answer was that it was not changeable and had to be used as made. Believing that answer  rather glib I pressed the issue. To my dismay I was told that the leadership sees no problem with the notion of requesting or collecting tithes as long as it is not forced. My answer was basically the same as this post and turned to another topic. After the meeting I pulled up the Graceway Media website and found that all of there images are changeable. I felt lied to by the elders, all of them since they were all in accord with the answer given me. 

  After seeing the "tithes and offerings" images again, I entered into a short e-mail discourse with Mark Hadley. Again the same answers were used, both that the leadership had no control over the overheads and that it was a moot issue since they saw no problem with requesting tithes as long as you define tithing as giving in a "rhythm". It is this cavalier approach to scripture that concerns me the most. My intention with this letter is not to cause dissent but to point out what appears to me a willful act of disregard to a clear Biblical teaching. I have no desire to discuss this during worship services but if any brother or sister would like to respond they may do so by posting a comment on this blog or contacting me personally.  

   

Mary's Great Advice.

   When we think of getting advice we envision a long conversation at the kitchen table, listening to a parent or counselor about an important issue we are dealing with. Yet some of the greatest advice can be as simple as, "Whatever He says, do it" (John 2:5). No deep theological issues to tackle, no multiple verse discourses, not even a short sermon to sit through, just five simple words.

   After spending 31 years as a Christian and listening to countless sermons, attending numerous seminars and reading volumes of books about Christianity, Mary's advice cuts through all the clutter and exposes how simple the Christian life can be. It is our following of Jesus that matters, it is our commitment to do "whatever He says" that will be accepted as true faith, "If we obey God's commands, then we are sure that we know Him, If some one says he knows Him but does not obey His commands, such a person is a liar and there is no truth in him" (1st John 2:3-4). 

   What if the wedding servants would have ignored Mary's advice, what would have been the outcome? What if the servants would have thought, "If he is so great, let him make wine from thin air", what would have happened? It was the filling of the jars with water that was the necessary act of obedience. The wine was not payment for filling the jars, just the proper response to the command. All the best advice in the world means nothing it not taken to heart and acted upon.

   It is easy to forget how little God asks of us, we seem to expect some complex or difficult command from God. But instead the Bible states, "Everything you were taught can be put into a few words: respect and obey God. This is what life is all about." (Ecclesiastes 12:13 CEV). So let us follow the advice of Naaman the leper's servants and just obey (2nd Kings 5).   

   

   

Just Milk?

   Many Christians will go through their entire spiritual lives feeding only on the milk of the word. They will spend years and even decades learning over and over again the simplest messages of what God has given us, never getting to the meat of the scriptures.

   "For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you have need again for someone to teach you the elementary principles of the oracles of God, and you have come to need milk and not solid food. For everyone who partakes only of milk is not accustomed to the word of righteousness for he is a babe. But solid food is for the mature, who because of practice have their senses trained to discern good and evil" (Hebrews 5:12-14) God certainly wants His children to grow up in the understanding of His will. This maturing will lead to teaching or sharing the Word of God with others. Some stay immature and never grow to a level of maturity. 

   The problem may lie with the church and its teachers. "Preach the word, be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires; and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths (2nd Tim. 4:2-4). Paul tells preachers their job is to preach the word at all times and in all situations, because some would prefer to chase myths and pleasing doctrines, not truth. If a teacher fails to preach the word, then certainly his audience will be fed something besides meat. So, the church and its teachers should also be careful to preach deeper truths. Some only want to hear the shallow stuff, the first principles. "Therefore leaving the elementary teaching about the Christ, let us press on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, of instruction about washings and laying on of hands, and the resurrection of the dead and eternal judgement" (Heb. 6:1-2). The author of Hebrews doesn't leave us to guess about milk and meat. Milk is laying again the foundation of repentance, of washings (or baptism), of miracles and the second coming. Many believers want to hear sermons only on these issues and not much else. But still they are for the immature. That is, these are issues non Christians and new Christians need to learn. A person who has been in the kingdom for years should know these things. So, a teacher should push himself to go deeper and ask his audience to dig into the meatier issues of the Gospel.

   However, ultimately any growth you experience will be up to us. Paul spells this out, "But even though we, or and angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to that which we have preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so I say again now, if any man is preaching to you a gospel contrary to that which you received, let him be accursed" (Gal.1:8-9). The apostle says false teachers will be cursed for their false doctrine. But he warns the Galatians to be good listeners. The churches of Galatia should have recognized truth and therefore should have recognized false teaching. In other words, God expects listeners to be responsible for what they hear and how they hear. "For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror; for once he has looked at himself and gone away, he has immediately forgotten what kind of person he was. But one who looks intently at the perfect law, the law of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, this man shall be blessed in what he does" (James 1:23-25). A preacher or teacher should hold up the word, the milk parts and the meat parts. But the listener must decide to look into the word and apply it or not. Maturity in any individual believer will depend on getting good, solid, meaty teaching. But the listener is responsible for digesting and applying that teaching.    

Does Sincerity Save?

    God tells us who will enter the gates of heaven:"Blessed are they that do His commandments,  that they may have a right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city" (Rev. 22:14). Regardless of what we may think about it the word of God impresses upon us this fact: Only those who do the Father's will are going to be heirs of heaven. Jesus said, "Not everyone that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy by thy name, and by thy name cast out demons, and by thy name do many mighty works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity" (Matthew 7:21-22). These were religious people, religious teachers, but most of all sincere - but in spite of all they did, they were lost because they had not done what Jesus said.

   Jesus asks, "Why call ye me Lord, Lord, and do not  the things which I say?" (Luke 6:46). The same truth is found later, "Hereby we know that we know Him if we keep His commandments. He that saith, I know His and keepeth  not His commandments, is a liar and the truth is not in him. (1st John 2:3-4) There must be more than talk, we also must do what the Lord says. "But be ye doers of the word and not hearers only, deluding your own selves" (James 1:22)

   Actually, the above question leads us to the erroneous idea. "Sincerity saves - it matters not what one believes just as long as he is conscientious." Or this false statement: "Surely God wouldn't reject a man who was honestly doing what he thought was right." This idea just puts a premium on man's ignorance and dethrones the value of truth and right. It actually makes error as good as truth, as long as one is sincere. Such a doctrine would make Saul of Tarsus just as righteous while he was persecuting the church as he was later when he served Christ in that church! But Saul, formerly the devoted and conscientious leader of the Jews, wrote after becoming a Christian, "I have lived before God in all good conscience until this day... I persecuted the church of God, and made havoc of it ... Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief" (Acts 23:1, Gal. 1:13, 1st Tim. 1:15). He was sincere, but wrong!

  We must be sincere in serving God. But we must also be sincerely right to please God. It is still true that Christ is, "Unto all them that obey Him the author of eternal salvation" (Heb. 5:9). There is no substitute for obedience - just doing what the Lord said - not even sincerity. Many sincere people have been misled. How tragic it would be to spend a lifetime of zealous effort in a cause fostered by Satan!        -Johnny Ramsey

Does Doctrine Even Matter?

   What we teach determines whether we and others will be saved or lost: "Take heed to yourself, and to your teaching. Continue in these things; for in doing this you shall save both yourself and them that hear you" (1st Tim. 4:16). Doctrine and teaching mean exactly the same thing. Love, real or feigned, cannot change the truth. Jesus prayed to the Father, "Sanctify them with the truth, the word is truth" (John 17:17). We are told that the gospel is "the power of God unto salvation" (Romans 1:16). We are commanded to "preach the word" (2nd Tim. 4:2). The church is to be "the pillar and ground of the truth" (1st Tim. 3:15), and we are charged "not to teach a different doctrine" (1st Tim. 1:3). Only sound doctrine can keep the church as Christ wants it.

   It is becoming popular among some to down-play the importance of doctrine. It is common to hear statements such as, "Doctrine has nothing to do with salvation. Love is what really counts." But contrast that with what Jesus said, " If you love me, you will keep my commandments... He that has my commandments, and keeps them, it is he that loves me... If a man loves me, he will keep my words" (John 14:15,21,23). The only way to show love is to obey the doctrine of Christ. The apostle Paul tells us to "speak the things which befit sound doctrine" (Titus 2:1). A major reason the church is in trouble in so many areas today is a disdain for the commandments of God (Hebrews 5:9, Rev. 22:14).

Is simple obedience a work of merit?

  To those who would label, "works of merit" the simple obedience to God's path of salvation, beware you are on shaky ground.

   God has always expected man to obey His commands as the avenue to His blessings. This concept is so common that it can be considered tacit. When the ancient Hebrews were dying from the serpent bites (Numbers 21:9) God commanded them to look upon the brass snake to be healed. It was the act of gazing at the snake that was the point of healing. Having faith that God would heal them was not enough. God wanted them healed under His terms. Without their obedience, they would have died in the wilderness. The gazing was not an attempt at earning the healing just the point of contact with the healing.

   The healing of the blind man at the Pool of Siloam (John 9:7) is another clear example of a necessary act of obedience. The blind man was told to go and wash. If he would have decided that he could just stay where he was and have faith that he would be healed, he would have died blind. His washing was not an attempt to merit the healing, just common sense obedience, nothing more and to label it a work is foolish.

   There are countless examples in the Bible of this simple concept:

a. Naaman the leper washing seven times to be healed. (2nd Kings 5)

b. Peter catching the fish after dropping the net (John 21:6)

c. Saul being healed after finding Ananias (Acts 22:10-13)

d. Elijah fleeing to the Brook of Chorath to be fed. (1st Kings 1:7)

e. The Jews covering their door frames with blood for the angel of death to pass over them. (Exodus 12:23)

f. etc. etc. etc.

 

   When the Bible proclaims that we must confess Jesus as Lord to be saved (Matthew 10:32) and your rebuttal is, "no that would make it a work, believing is enough". You are on the wrong side of the gospel.

   When Jesus states that we must repent to avoid hell (Luke 13:4) and your response is, "well repenting is important but its believing that saves you, repenting happens after you are saved." You are on the wrong side of the gospel.

   When Peter declared that we must be baptized for the remission of sins (Acts 2:38 & Mark 16:16) but you insist that baptism is only done as a response to being saved. You are on the wrong side of the gospel.

   When the scriptures tell us to be on guard and not lose our salvation (Matthew 10:22 & Rev. 3:5) but you reply, "Christians can never fall from grace no matter what he or she does, thinks or believes." You are on the wrong side of the gospel.

   Obedience to God's plan of salvation is not a option, but necessary to enter the Kingdom of God. So if you find yourself arguing against the clear meaning of these verses, beware! You may find yourself without your wedding garment at the banquet (Matthew 22:11-13) with the words "away, I never knew you" (Matthew 7:23)  ringing in your ears.  

   Again, faithful obedience leads to salvation not salvation leads to faithful obedience.