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scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!
for ye pay tithe of mint and anise
and cummin, and have omitted the
weightier matters of the law, judg–
ment, merey, and faith: These ought
ye to have done,
and not to leave the
other undone"
(Mattbew 23:23).
Jesus did not condemn them for
paying tithes. He approved of their
doing so. But they should not have
neglected judgment, merey and
faith!
Sorne might argue that Jesus was
only talkiog to the Jews of his day.
They might deny that his words ap–
ply to
all
Christians or to all people
living in our time.
Is there direct biblical evidence
that tithing is still a valid financia!
law governing all the world?
The Tithing Question
The apostle Paul, who was sent by
Jesus Christ to the Gentiles, faced
the tithing question squarely. He
carried the good news of God's
coming Kíngdom throughout the
Mediterranean world. He traveled
to Cyprus, Asia Minor (modero day
Turkey), Greece, Italy, Spain, and
other lands.
Somehow, Paul's journeys had to
be financed. A great deal of money
was needed to carry out the com–
mission Jesus Christ gave bis
church.
Paul knew he had authority to
collect tithes from the converts in
the areas where he preached. He
told the Christians at Corinth, a
depraved city of ancient Greece,
"Who serves as a soldier at his own
expense? Who plants a vineyard
without eating any of its fruit? Who
tends a tlock without getting sorne
of the milk?"
He continued: "If we have sown
spiritual good among you, is it too
much if we reap your material bene–
fits? . .. Do you not know that those
who are employed in the temple ser–
vice get their food from the temple,
and those who serve at the altar
share in the sacrificial offerings?
In
the same way, the Lord commanded
that those who proclaim the gospel
PLAIN TRUTH
Moy
1973
should get their living by the gospel"
(l
Corinthians 9:7, 11-14, RSV).
Paul plainly compared the minis–
ters of Christ with the priests and
Levites of the Old Testament who
received tithes and served in the af–
fairs of the temple.
Just as the priests and Levites
were paid for their services from the
tithes and offerings of ancient Israel,
the New Testament ministry of
Jesus Christ js to receive tithes of
the people to carry on the work of
the min.istry.
This truth is made plain in the
New Testament book of Hebrews.
In chapter 7, Paul briefly discussed
the history of the tithing principie.
He explained how Abraham tithed
to Melchizedek, priest of the most
high God (verses 1-6), and that
Levi, the father of the Levites of the
Old Testament, figuratively "payed
tithes in Abrabam" to Melchizedek
(verses 9-10).
However, Christ carne, replacing
the Levítica! priesthood and rein–
stating the Melchizedek priesthood
(verses 11, 15-17, 21-28). Paul con–
tinued, "For the priesthood being
changed, there is made of necessity
a change also of the law [that is, a
change in the tithing law)" (He–
brews 7: 12). Paul explains it to
mean that since Christ has come,
the Levitical priesthood is no longer
the instrument through which God
does
his
work. The Levites were not
chosen to publish and preach the
good news of the kingdom of God.
Hence they were no longer to re–
ceive the tithes of God's people.
Rather, Christ and his New Testa–
ment ministers should receive the
tithe so that the work of the living
God may be accomplished! Thus,
the tithing law has never been abo–
lished! It is still in effect today. The
financia! principie of tithing, like all
of God's righteous law, is "holy,
just, and good" (Romans 7: 12).
lt
is
a spiritual principie regulating
man's financia! relationship with the
Creator God (Romans 7: 14). And
that which is spiritual is eterna!
(11 Corinthians 4: 18).
Tithing, then, is a New Testament
command!
The Purpose of Tithing
But what is the purpose for this
fi–
nancia! Jaw of God? What does it
accomplish?
Tithing is not merely a "little"
commandment of God, a trivial
matter of no significance. It is,
rather, an important test command–
ment!
Jesus said, "For where your trea–
sure [and that includes your money
or pocketbook] is, there will your
heart be also" (Matthew 6:21). l f a
person's heart is truly wrapped up
in the things of God and sincerely
desires God's work to be accom–
plished above all else in life, then he
will have a financia! part in God's
work. Tithing is a test of whether or
not a man's or woman's heart is
really in the work of the living God.
Títhing is also a test of faith. It re–
quires a certain amount of faith in
order to obey this financia! law,
even when to all outward appear–
ances, one's income seemingly won' t
stretch far enoogh to cover all ex–
penses and debts. Under such cir–
cumstances, tithing becomes a real
test of an individual's faith and will–
ingness to obey God, despite out–
ward conditions.
But for those who pass that test,
tithing is a wonderful, spiritual op–
portunity and a key to receiving
bountiful blessings from God!
God says to aH peoples, Christian
and non-Christian alike, "Will a
man rob God? Yet ye have robbed
me. But ye say, Wherein have we
robbed thee?
In tithes and offerings.
Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye
have robbed me, even this whole
nation" (Malachi 3:8-9).
Because God's people (including
all those today who descend from
the ancient nation called the House
of Israel, the ten so-called "lost''
tribes) have failed to pay him his
tenth of their income, they are un–
der a curse. Notice that this message
of Malachi applies directly to the
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