The book of Hebrews
was
written to clarify the impact the new spiritual administration of Christ in the
church:
“I will put my laws into their minds, and write them on their hearts, and I
will be their God, and they shall be my people (Heb 8:10).” Hebrews
7 addresses the topic of tithing by pointing to the change of priesthood from
the sons of Levi who were allowed to collect tithes, to one after the order of
Melchizedek not Aaron, where Jesus is the High Priest. This change of
administration, which is superior, necessitated the change of the Law (Heb
7:12). So that the church today continues to tithe according to the law of
indestructible life or what Romans 8: 2 call the law of the spirit of life. So
that according to Hebrews 7:8 “In the one case tithes are received by mortal men, but in
the other case, by one of whom it is testified that he lives.” We see great
significance in today’s church requiring tithing under Christ’s priesthood who
is alive and rules from within the heart of His disciples to implement the law
written not on tablets of stone but on their hearts.
Paul
argues that grace is not a guarantee to sin (Roman 6:1). Equally grace cannot
be reason enough to abandon the obligation to support God’s work through
tithing. According to Calvin, grace doesn’t annul tithing even in the new order
but should in this regard provide the ability from within for believers to give
without struggle, as it is the intention of the New Testament.[1] The fact that the Old Testament Law is
written in our hearts shows that the major difference between the Old and New
covenant gravitates around the issues of obedience. The New Testament believer
has enhanced ability to obey since the law is written in his heart as opposed
to the Old Testament counter part, who could consider the law foreign. The New Testament
believer owns the law. The Old Testament one is opposed to it.
