Brief study of Philippians fragment on the issue of tithing: Is current tithing - ... there are many churches called evangelical, particularly involved in the charismatic movement whose leaders teach their members that tithing is in force for Christians? mandatory injunction. Some of them even require their members to submit their payrolls to control the contribution that the subject must make each month and sometimes banks domiciled in the amount payable to it is done automatically. In others, the donor is forced to put their money in a properly prepared in envelopes to be identified with your name and surname. Also presumed to promote the gospel of grace, but from what I can see, a little law for personal gain is not bad. I have witnessed distressing scenes of genuine extortion and manipulation of simple people, of which I could write a long treatise. For some, the end justifies the means? In many local churches that its members have an obligation to promptly deliver a tithe of their income under the claim that the Bible teaches and not do it is sin? Rob God taught ?. Because of this we will dedicate a space to study if tithing is valid for the Christian or not. , we have already seen in various parts of our study that the Mosaic law is abolished for all Christians, but much more for the Gentiles, who never had that yoke on whether.
We will not return to dwell on past arguments. All those old rules that were set over the people of Israel, and never on the Gentiles, were nailed to the cross and Christian, saved by grace enters the law of Christ, the freedom (Gal 5:. 1, 13 , St. 1:25; 2:12; 1Pe 2:16;. 2 Cor 3:17).. Freedom to act, whose boundaries are the responsibility before God and not be a stumbling block before men (Romans. 14:10, 13 and 2 Cor. 5:10), knowing that one day we will have to account to the judgment seat of everything we have done in our earthly life. Having said that, I should clarify that I do not intend to influence in any way on those brothers who know their freedom, voluntarily and without coercion or manipulation decide to dispose as they see fit for their offerings. Issues of offerings as eating meat or being vegetarian, save a certain day or none, have no mandatory standard or commandment in the new covenant. These are aspects that belong to the realm of behavior, relationship and personality cult of every Christian and how to live their faith, according to the degree of knowledge and maturity that has been reached.
Therefore we must respect any voluntary decision without criticism or other requirements, and allow each person to function within their own conscience. Israel.-'s tithe in the Old Testament we read that Israel had two types of offerings, mandatory and other voluntary and unregulated discretionary or that were not subject to any regulation, whether it was regular or quantifiable. The tithe was mandatory. Discretionary were other donations outside the tithe. . Ex 35:29, 36: 3, Lev. 22:23 and Deut. 16:10, speaking of such voluntary offerings for various purposes which came free and expontaneos hearts. Tithing was a law of Israel and an enforceable obligation. And why was required? Simply because it was compensation, consideration, for is there anything? it was not voluntary, but was imposed by God as mandatory: God chose a tribe among the twelve, that of Levi, to manage the deal, serve the people and deal exclusively with the spiritual things of the nation, not made for a voluntary offer of the tribe, but by a sovereign designation (No. 1: 48-50; 3:12.).
Under this inexcusable mission and service they receive tithes from the people, as well as offerings from the votes (Num. 18), but to change and under the same Sovereign decision the tribe of Levi was excluded from sharing Promised Land (Num. 18:20 and 21). Its part of the land was to join the portions of the other tribes, whom would work, exploit and just compensation should sustain the Levites their tithes.
Num. 18:26 says that tithes are the ¿compensation? by inheritance, the property of which they were dispossessed, although we must say more accurately excluded (Deut 18:. 1 & Num 1:47.). And in turn, the Levites occupied the priesthood and other offices related to the cult? Exclusive and in place? the people. Yet all this has nothing to do with the church. We have tried on several occasions that the covenant with Israel was a covenant of descent and earthly blessing as people and generation, prototypical in many respects, as a symbolic lectionary of the covenant, but on different areas and applications. In Heb. 7:12 says that changing the priesthood to the law was changed. In the new covenant no mandatory substitution priests but all who have freely accepted by faith and forgiveness granted by grace based on the sacrifice of Jesus Christ are priests (1 Pet. 2: 9), and we must not out of obligation but out of gratitude and responsibility respectively to offer God our spiritual sacrifices, for which we have been endowed by the Holy Spirit and empowered to access directly, without intermediaries into the very presence of God. are in this universal Christian priesthood, as well there were in the Levitical who diligently serve and those who do negligently (1ªCor. 4: 1-2). That does not make any way the diligent priests and laity neglect. So, if the priesthood were to be sustained, we should all receive the wage, and done all receive but not men, but the Lord of the harvest, which is our Lord who has called us and we appointed to be their partners, ambassadors and apostles. It is the Lord who takes care of their own. It is the same to whom we pray and present, as we have seen, our petitions and present our needs.
Abraham's tithe and Jacob.- Some proponents of collecting the required tithing Christians, seeking arguments to defend their position argue that tithing did not begin in the Mosaic law because Abraham paid tithes to Melchizedek before the Law might be given (Gen. 14:20; Heb 7: 2-12.). And Jacob also determined dedicate to God a tithe of his possessions (Gen. 28:22).We will try both cases, because this issue should be clear: The Genesis 14 is certainly ambiguous details. There is a war between a confederation of four kings and one of five kings. We could say Syrians against Palestinians.
The first confederation, the Syrian, the second defeat in a battle that took place in the vicinity of Sodom, were looted, along with the wealth of the vanquished, Lot and his family who had come in support of the sodomites . Prompted Abraham, gathers her servers, and with the help of other friends (and possibly the servants of these), pursues the Syrians until near Damascus where he gets beat them and recover the booty and captives, including his nephew. Back campaign, Abraham finds two kings, Melchizedek king of Salem (later Jerusalem) and Bera king of Sodom, and the situation appears somewhat confusing, so we can use in our story that helps the historian Josephus (Antiquities of the Jews Book I, chap. X), which somehow provides an exegesis of rabbinic thought of his time on this passage. He says that Melchizedek generously supplied the army of Abraham giving abundant blessings. And while they were celebrating the victory-he praised God for having given into his hands the enemy. Then Abraham gave the tenth of the spoils and he accepted? Upon receiving the victorious jubilant Abraham, and bless you in the name of God, the patriarch of their own volition and initiative makes him share the fruits of their victory. Meanwhile the king of Sodom said he was content to give him back that would retain people and things, but Abraham refused and, after deducting its share his allies, gave the king of Sodom everything that had belonged before the battle. From this story we can learn some things.
First, before or after Abraham never gave tithes to anyone.
Second, who delivered the goods in this particular campaign, not of property obtained daily for their work and finances.
Third, he did on his own initiative, not by precept Melchizedek, nor divine, but seeing that Melchizedek served the same God and offered sacrifices as a priest would participate in such sacrifices, although in a form complying ignored by him, but certainly prophetic, as a type of the Levitical priesthood, because as Hebrews says, even though Levi was not born in Abraham himself was its root or seed, and their covenant, the Mosaic covenant. So this tithe even in its most spiritualized part is only assimilated the Mosaic covenant, but not the church. Jacob's case is simpler. Jacob after the experience of Haram, made a conditional personal vote, a promise that had two parts. If God kept him on the trip and arrived safely to their destination, he depart from their property ten percent to God. This is a typical way of the flesh and not the Spirit, but even vote anyway this is not just another personal and free decision. This type of votes is equally typical of the old covenant: the consideration. The votes involving material offerings in exchange for granting us some material benediction request fulfilled.But in the new covenant, which is chaired by the grace and agape love, such promises are absolutely out of place. God deserves our gratitude, praise and worship not the material gifts and blessings that makes their children, but because he loved us first, when we were enemies, we were reconciled and adopted us as children, and that love is not based on considerations. If we think someone needs something from us, we must act and not bargain with God to our charity in exchange for a personal benefit. Of all and returning to the theme of Jacob, no one knows how his bargain nor under what form did reach God such promised or how long goods, it was probably through blood sacrifices on an altar was fulfilled. offerings in the Christian church .- Regarding offerings, personal decision is fundamental. The widow gave all she had on at least one occasion (Mark 12: 42-44). Zacchaeus repented for the poor spent fifty percent of his possessions (Luke 19. 8).But although the Pharisees scrupulously gave tithes to support of the priests and Levites (Mt. 23:33), were covetous (Mt. 16:14), and then did not comply with the mercy of helping those in need, not even your own family (Matthew 15: 5). mandatory tithing has been historically alien to the Christian churches, only in the eighth century Charlemagne established on his subjects a tax of ten percent for church support. summary, aside a tithe is as good as any other amount allocated one voluntarily determine if it aims to discipline regularly distribute their offerings and donations to serve primarily as a Christian needs related to:
- 1. Giving to God through the material needs of the brethren in the faith (Gal 6:10).
- 2. His part in social obligations and expenditures of local churches, and
- 3.- help ministries that feel identified and wishes to participate.
And here I mentioned three different chapters, to develop further in the following pages. But we must not forget that if one becomes law its own voluntary tithing, ie if when departed his tithe, you are presented with a need that must attend and may assist does not function that already gave the tithe, is adopting the same attitude as the Pharisees, has become a legalist. 1.- Giving to God .- Of the three sections mentioned in the previous paragraph, only the first can be called with criteria? give to God and to ?, So we have to apply in the context of Jesus' words in Matthew 25: 35-45.
In them, Jesus Christ, who is God, taught to attend to the needs of our brothers in the faith (give food, drink, accommodation, clothe, visit, etc.) for the sake of his name equals us to do such things to the same. That said, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of these my brethren, you did it to me.
And who are your siblings? Jesus also makes clear: Whoever does the will of my Father is my brother ?? (Mt. 12:50). And who is to do the will of the Father? Believe in the you have sent, Jn. 6:29. Thus the primary object of mercy and Christian solidarity begins with the household of faith. Those with whom we share the same hope. 's story social work of Christian churches in the second and third centuries was awesome. Tertullian asserts that the late second century church used to have a mayor or head of the common fund to which voluntarily contributed the faithful freely, it was who made the funds reach the needy. With them the burial of the poor, care of orphans without resources, the elderly, the sick or those sentenced for their fidelity to the Christian faith is defrayed. Another of the most important items was intended to free the slaves and rescuing prisoners by price. Though Christians never spoke against the system of slavery in the form of a widespread social or political criticism, however the via practice were concerned to help improve their living conditions could emancipate few. The Letter of Ignatius of Antioch Polycarp of Smyrna mentions that many slaves were rescued by the housing community. Used for this purpose also direct private contributions directly without going through the common box.
In the year 250, the Roman church regularly attended more than 1500 poor and of Antioch in the late fourth century to over 3000 during the plagues, the Christians were also at ringside visiting and helping populations economic means, but especially with his work, which many of them cost the lives of contagion. hospitality also stressed, and as mentioned by Dionysius, bishop of Corinth in the time of Marcus Aurelius, the Roman community attending and staying foreigners and outsiders. A large part of the economic effort of the apostolic church and immediately post-apostolic was meant as we said, the poor and needy, orphans, widows, the elderly, the sick and prisoners from lawsuits, but also for pedestrians and foreign.However we can not forget that today and in most developed countries, governments have taken on tasks welfare in those days had to be covered from the common fund of the apostolic churches. In our times, through the law, all citizens, whether Christian or not, we have an obligation to contribute through taxes for welfare benefits previously only attended performances of charity. Thus, old age pensions, widows, orphans, medical expenses, medicine, education, unemployment, care for destitute, chronically ill, large families, etc. are handled under direct and indirect tax contributions of all citizens, whether Christian or not. This contribution, as well as funds that most developed countries deliver in less developed forms of aid, either by government agencies or NGOs? S, are also out of the pockets of citizens, and therefore Christians are also providing Money and solidarity for all those purposes. However, as this is only a drop in an ocean of needs, and billions of people around the world lack the most elementary.
Our conscience must be awakened to bring greater solidarity and practical love channeled by Christian organizations of proven honesty and seriousness, being generous and not of what is left but to value, not by law of tithing or any other obligation, and by generosity to encourage voluntary God has made us often privileged to responsibly make us sensitive to the needs of all our brothers are in many parts of the world. It is also an opportunity for spiritual that own because more blessed to give than to receive. still theme with the following summary: - The cost of social coexistence (the local church) - the churches (buildings church meeting) - The theft churches. - Support for Christian ministries. - Professional and famous "ringers" - The gospel of prosperity. - Reps throughout the land. - Living by faith. - Pastors and full-time salaried workers (which is full-time ?) - Wages and spouses of workers. - Christian Business. And before the inserted text: . Economic cooperation of the Philippians to Paul 's demands as apostles of Christ offerings and collections in the apostolic church and a ploy to Mil get money to Christians: Purgatory, pecuniary penances. The economic exploitation of church services. The mandatory tithing. Greetings Paul White.
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