A thought on tithing

[DaveC519]

Originally Posted by AreYouReady?

hello Dave.

Thanks for your discussion.

However, scripture twisting is a fine art many preachers use to convince people that they should practice the levitical law of tithing.

No doubt it was not your intention to inject an ad hominem into your statement above.
And perhaps you didn't yet have the opportunity to follow the link I included to my post where I said I was NOT arguing for a Levitical tithe?

Even though I do not agree with you, you do make some fine points in your discussion...points I've heard for 35 years, but you give no clear scriptures that 'commands' tithing in the New Testament church. Corinthians 9 is not a command for tithing.

Certainly not, except for that word diatasso (also discussed in the same post) which was more often than not translated as "command"- a command given to the church to support the ministry IN LIKE MANNER as the priests who waited upon the altar. And what was that system which supported them? The tithe.

So, yes, other than those clear statements from Paul on how the ministry was to be supported, he simply wasn't forthcoming at all!

But even if the Bible used the word tithe in these passages...you would get produce and animals. Many preachers would not accept that.

You would if one was arguing for a continuation of the Levitical tithing system. But since neither Paul nor myself are arguing that....

I am well aware that Jesus did not practice the Melchizedek priesthood while he walked this earth. He never commanded tithing either. And you will not read where He or his disciples gave a tithe while he ministered.

What we're dealing with is something that Paul wrote many years later which applies to the church. The Apostle Peter viewed Paul's writings to be on the same level as other Scripture (2Pet 3:16), and I do, too. So, if Paul said it, then I hold it to be authoritative.

I feel pretty sure that the disciples took goods and lived off the giving of people. The bible does not say they got paid in silver or gold. Peter said he had none. Jesus lived what people gave to him also. People willingly shared what they had back then. The attitude of giving was with a cheerful heart...not out of necessity.

I highly encourage everyone to obey the commands of our Lord with a cheerful heart, and diatasso in 1Cor 9:14 is most definitely a command.

Problem is, most preachers today would not live like Jesus or the Apostles or accept anything other than silver and gold, or as in our case right now, the legal tender of federal reserve notes. I've heard it preach that if you don't have money for the rent...tithe anyway. That is not even scriptural. I Peter 5:2 is the epitome of a preacher who will preach without a monetary reward. (Somehow I just believe that God would take good care of these type of preachers)

I cannot speak for most preachers, nor am I in a place to judge their hearts. I prefer to leave that up to the Righteous Judge, Jesus Christ the Lord.

The rest of what I was going to post ... well many of you who preach tithes would not accept the words I would have written.

You couldn't take it.

Yeah....see... there's that ad hominem thing again. When one employs a logical fallacy, it only serves to weaken their argument, not strengthen it. Care to try again?