Friday, July 12, 2013

On Tithing #2


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.


[1] John Calvin, Institute of the Christian Religion, 

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