Tithing…Is it a command?

[Pliny]

Originally Posted by Sean

Someone asked when the "tithe" ended......Heb. 7...


To whom also Abraham gave a tenth part of all; first being by interpretation King of righteousness, and after that also King of Salem, which is, King of peace; 3 without father, without mother, without descent, having neither beginning of days, nor end of life; but made like unto the Son of God; abideth a priest continually.

4 Now consider how great this man was, unto whom even the patriarch Abraham gave the tenth of the spoils.

Now let us look at the context of Heb. 7......keep an eye on the bold print.....
7 For this Melchisedec, king of Salem, priest of the most high God, who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings, and blessed him; 2 to whom also Abraham gave a tenth part of all; first being by interpretation King of righteousness, and after that also King of Salem, which is, King of peace; 3 without father, without mother, without descent, having neither beginning of days, nor end of life; but made like unto the Son of God; abideth a priest continually.

4 Now consider how great this man was, unto whom even the patriarch Abraham gave the tenth of the spoils.
5 And verily they that are of the sons of Levi, who receive the office of the priesthood, have a commandment to take tithes of the people according to the law, that is, of their brethren, though they come out of the loins of Abraham:

It clearly states that tithing is of the LAW OF MOSES!

6 but he whose descent(Melchisedek had descendants) is not counted to them received tithes of Abraham, and blessed him that had the promises.


7 And without all contradiction the less is blessed of the better. 8 And here men that die receive tithes;(Jewish priests under the LAW) but there he receiveth them, of whom it is witnessed that he liveth. 9 And as I may so say, Levi also, who receiveth tithes, payed tithes in Abraham. 10 For he was yet in the loins of his father, when Melchisedec met him.

11 If therefore perfection were by the Levitical priesthood, for under it the people received the law, what further need was there that another priest should rise after the order of Melchisedec, and not be called after the order of Aaron? 12 For the priesthood being changed, there is made of necessity a change also of the law. 13 For he of whom these things are spoken pertaineth to another tribe, of which no man gave attendance at the altar. 14 For it is evident that our Lord sprang out of Juda; of which tribe Moses spake nothing concerning priesthood.

15 And it is yet far more evident: for that after the similitude of Melchisedec there ariseth another priest, 16 who is made, not after the law of a carnal commandment, but after the power of an endless life. 17 For he testifieth, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec. 18 For there is verily a disannulling of the commandment going before for the weakness and unprofitableness thereof. 19 For the law made nothing perfect,


NINE times, the word tithe or tenth is used. The exegesis of the passage here is about the TITHE, and what has become of it. This passage is the telling us that the tithe, which is of the Law, has been DISANULLED.





The tithe was the mechanism that drove the Levitical priesthood, it could not operate without it.
Malachi shows us that.....(the "Law" is crying out for funding there).
You take away the tithe...you take away(defund) the Law of Moses.
The "theme" of Hebrews is to do exactly that.
Put an end to the temple worship.... This chapter is the "defunding" chapter.

I asked when tithing is said to have ceased. Thank you for your response.

However, your emphasis on "tithing" here is wrong. This chapter is not about tithing. It's about the pre-eminence of Christ and His priesthood. Incidentally, Abraham gave tithes to Melchizedek prior to the covenant of circumcision. Also since we are on the subject of tithing and Abraham gave tithes to Melchizedek, and all the Levites as well, and Christs priesthood is patterned after Melchizedek and Melchizedek received tithes then Christ's priesthood receives tithes as well. Thank you for allowing me to demonstrate that point.

[FlamingZword]

Originally Posted by Pliny

I asked when tithing is said to have ceased. Thank you for your response.

However, your emphasis on "tithing" here is wrong. This chapter is not about tithing. It's about the pre-eminence of Christ and His priesthood. Incidentally, Abraham gave tithes to Melchizedek prior to the covenant of circumcision. Also since we are on the subject of tithing and Abraham gave tithes to Melchizedek, and all the Levites as well, and Christs priesthood is patterned after Melchizedek and Melchizedek received tithes then Christ's priesthood receives tithes as well. Thank you for allowing me to demonstrate that point.

Excellent response.

[Sean]

Originally Posted by Pliny

I asked when tithing is said to have ceased. Thank you for your response.

However, your emphasis on "tithing" here is wrong. This chapter is not about tithing. It's about the pre-eminence of Christ and His priesthood. Incidentally, Abraham gave tithes to Melchizedek prior to the covenant of circumcision. Also since we are on the subject of tithing and Abraham gave tithes to Melchizedek, and all the Levites as well, and Christs priesthood is patterned after Melchizedek and Melchizedek received tithes then Christ's priesthood receives tithes as well. Thank you for allowing me to demonstrate that point.

Look at the passage again, the MAJORITY of the text is the Law and tithing, the CONCLUSION in verse 18-19 is the DISANNULMENT of the tithing Law. See how you shut your eyes to the HIGHLIGHTED words that were laced through the text and focused on the minor point?



BTW. The minor point is simply saying that Jesus came through the back door and not through the family of AARON. Thats it!



Referencing post #1039




Please notice the word "commandment" and "law" here....

5 And verily they that are of the sons of Levi, who receive the office of the priesthood, have a commandment to take tithes of the people according to the law, that is, of their brethren, though they come out of the loins of Abraham:




18 For there is verily a disannulling of the commandment going before for the weakness and unprofitableness thereof.

19 For the law made nothing perfect, but the bringing in of a better hope did; by the which we draw nigh unto God.

[Originalist]

Originally Posted by Pliny

I asked when tithing is said to have ceased. Thank you for your response.

However, your emphasis on "tithing" here is wrong. This chapter is not about tithing. It's about the pre-eminence of Christ and His priesthood. Incidentally, Abraham gave tithes to Melchizedek prior to the covenant of circumcision. Also since we are on the subject of tithing and Abraham gave tithes to Melchizedek, and all the Levites as well, and Christs priesthood is patterned after Melchizedek and Melchizedek received tithes then Christ's priesthood receives tithes as well. Thank you for allowing me to demonstrate that point.

Isn't that just an assumption? And if Christ receives tithes based on that assumption, wouldn't he receive them one time as Melchizedek did from Abraham, and would it not have to be on spoils? How do we pay them personally to our Melchizedek? Abraham paid them personally to Melchizedek and not to some go between. So your analogy really does not work here at all. Are you really building a doctrine for the New Testament church on this? Furthermore, where do we see where God commanded Abraham to pay these tithes, as in "instituting" this? Something that occurred once is not an institution. And if we are the children of Abraham by faith, aren't we also credited as Levi of having paid these tithes?

[Praxeas]

Do I have to close this thread?

[shag]

Please don't close the thread, Prax.


Men, let brotherly love continue for one another, ok?

Let's stay with it and strive to ultimately resolve this.

Building up one another instead of tearing down one another thru a difference of opinion, I believe is what Christ desires(requires?) of us.



Traditional,
Please start using bible when you post on this thread. It would bring much more to the resolve.

[Sean]

He does not want to know...that is the thing that will judge him some day

[Originalist]

Originally Posted by Sean

He does not want to know...that is the thing that will judge him some day

And what is frightening, and that I am agonizing to come to grips with, is that probably 80% of pastors at least would have the same smug, arrogant, and unaccountable attitude about this doctrine that Pliny and Flaming have. The tithe as taught by the likes of them IS our "indulgences" system that Luther exposed. I see no other option than to withdraw from the denominational ranks and begin crying out against it.

[Sean]

Originally Posted by Originalist

And what is frightening, and that I am agonizing to come to grips with, is that probably 80% of pastors at least would have the same smug, arrogant, and unaccountable attitude about this doctrine that Pliny and Flaming have. The tithe as taught by the likes of them IS our "indulgences" system that Luther exposed. I see no other option than to withdraw from the denominational ranks and begin crying out against it.

Brother, it is highly likely they are not part of the Lords' TRUE church. They are so messed up doctrinally, they have little resemblance of the ORIGINAL church. The only way any one of us can know we are the true bride is by our doctrine and experience being exactly the same as the early church. They get a big "F" on the test of doctrinal similarity.

[Pliny]

Originally Posted by Originalist

And what is frightening, and that I am agonizing to come to grips with, is that probably 80% of pastors at least would have the same smug, arrogant, and unaccountable attitude about this doctrine that Pliny and Flaming have. The tithe as taught by the likes of them IS our "indulgences" system that Luther exposed. I see no other option than to withdraw from the denominational ranks and begin crying out against it.

You obviously have no idea what "indulgences" were. And speaking about arrogance let's talk about yours shall we? Saying people have a, what was the phrase you used? Something about a "low moral character". Yeah that's not smug or arrogant is it?

See Luke 6:42.