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Is it a mandate for a Christian to pay tithes?

There are some Christians and Christian churches that believe that Christian members must pay tithe while other Christians and some Christian churches also believe that Christians should not be made to pay tithe. Addressing this issue of tithing will help to understand whether Christians should be told or asked to pay tithes. Even in some churches all new members are made to swear an oath to be faithful in paying of their tithes. My understanding and believe about this subject, based on the Bible is that, Christians should be encouraged to give but whether a Christian will be willing to give a tenth or whatever percentage should be to them to decide in their hearts, but not to be told to give a tenth of their income as a requirement of a Christian. WHAT IS TITHE? Tithe is said to be in many churches, the giving of a tenth of ones income to the church as an offering to God, which is a command. Now many Christians and Christian churches who are in support of the idea that every Christian must pay tithe and that it is an obligation or a mandate by God for every Christian to pay, will normally quote Malachi 3 to support their view and that those who do not pay tithes are cheating or robbing God. Malachi 3:8-9; Should people cheat God? Yet you have cheated me! But you ask, what do you mean? When did we even cheat you? You have cheated me of the tithes and offerings due to me. 9~ You are under a curse, for your whole nation has been cheating me. Now to help understand tithing and its application to Christians, there are many points I will like to point out.

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To begin, I will like to establish if tithing was a command and therefore part of the law given to the Israelites by God through Moses. Leviticus 27:30-32 and 34; 30 One tenth of the produce of the land, whether grain from the fields or fruit from the trees, belongs to the LORD and must be set apart to him as holy. 31 If you want to buy back the LORDs tenth of the grain or fruit, you must pay its value, plus 20 percent. 32 Count off every tenth animal from your herds and flocks and set them apart for the LORD as holy. 34 These are the commands that the LORD gave through Moses on Mount Sinai for the Israelites. Deuteronomy 12:11; you must bring everything I command you-your burnt offerings, your tithes, your sacred offerings, and your offerings to fulfil a vow-to the designated place of worship, the place the LORD your God chooses for his name to be honoured. Malachi 3:7-8; 7 Ever since the days of your ancestors, you have scorned my decrees and failed to obey them. Now return to me and I will return to you, says the LORD of Heavens Armies. But you ask, How can we return when we have never gone away? 8 ..........You have cheated me of tithes and offerings due to me. Now from the above verses given, it is very clearly that tithing was part of the Law God gave to the Israelites through Moses. So therefore, tithing was or is part of the Law. It should also be noted that, offering as stated in Malachi 3:8 was mainly about the offerings God commanded the Israelites through Moses to offer to Him God, and some of these offerings were, Grain offerings in Leviticus 2, Peace offering in Leviticus 3, Sin offerings in Leviticus 4, Guilt offerings in Leviticus 5 and
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many others. These offerings were all part of the instructions God gave to the Israelites through Moses. Now, most of those fellow Christians in support of tithing as a mandate or a command for a Christian, normally do say that Abraham was the first to tithe. Well, I will come to this later on but before that, what does the New Testament says about the law. Galatians 3:24-26; 24 Let me put it another way. The law was our guardian until Christ came; it protected us until we could be made right with God through faith. 25 And now that the way of faith has come, we no longer need the law as our guardian. 26 For you are all children of God through faith in Christ Jesus. Galatians 5: 1 and 13; 1 So Christ has truly set us free. Now make sure that you stay free, and dont get tied up again in slavery to the law. 13 For you have been called to live in freedom, my brothers and sisters. But dont use your freedom to satisfy your sinful nature. Instead, use your freedom to serve one another in love. Galatians 3: 2 and 10; 2 Let me ask you this one question: Did you receive the Holy Spirit by obeying the law of Moses? Of course not! You received the Spirit because you believed the message you heard about Christ. 10 But those who depend on the law to make them right with God are under his curse, for the scriptures say, Cursed is everyone who does not obey all the commands that are written in Gods Book of the Law. From the above verses, it is clear that as Christians, thus, followers of Christ, we no longer need the law (including tithing) as our guardian but our Christian life is based on faith. Thus faith will guide us to give and how much we even decides to give.
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Now Galatians 3:10 do talk about those who depend on the law to make them right with God are under a curse, for the Scriptures say, Cursed is everyone who does not obey all the commands that are written in Gods Book of the Law. Now about those fellow Christians who believe that every Christian must pay tithe as a mandate or as a command by God through Moses, the question is, do these fellow Christians obey the other commands of the law?, like the command of the Sabbath day, the Passover and the others in the Gods Book of the Law given to the Israelites through Moses. If not, then they should read Galatians 3:10 again. Again, some who believe that every Christian must tithe, will say, concerning the above that, But Christ has rescued us from the curse pronounced by the law. As in Galatians 3:13; But Christ has rescued us from the curse pronounced by the law. When he was hung on the cross, he took upon himself the curse for our wrong doing. For it is written in the Scriptures, Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree. Yes, Christ has rescued us from the curse of the law, thus if only one believes he/she is set free from the law and does not practise the law or any of the commands under the law. But if you practise any of the commands of the law, then you are bind by the curses that comes with the law. Reading Galatians 3.10,24-26 and Galatians 5:1 again may help you to understand it better. Also as I go on things may become clearer. I will like to point out that, every command and instructions in the Gods Book of the Law given to the Israelites through Moses, did come with a curse, as can be seen in Deuteronomy 29:12, 14-15, 24-25; 12You are standing here today to enter into the covenant of the LORD your God. The LORD is making this covenant, including the curses. 14 But you are not the only ones with whom I am making this covenant with its curses.15 I am making this covenant with you who stand here today in the presence of the LORD our
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God, and also with the future generations who are not standing here today. 24 And all the surrounding nations will ask, why has the LORD done this to this land? Why was he so angry? 25 And the answer will be, This happened because the people of the land abandoned the covenant that the LORD, the God of their ancestors, made with them when he brought them out of the land of Egypt. Also, Malachi 3:8-9, which is specifically about tithe. 8...................You have cheated me of tithes and offerings due to me. 9 You are under a curse, for your whole nation has been cheating me. So if you believe that it is a command to be paying tithe as Christian, then if for some reason(s) you fail to pay, note that you are cursed. Also, even if you believe Christians must pay tithe and as a Christian you do pay tithe without missing your payment, but fail to observe the other commands and instructions of the law, you are cursed as well as stated in Galatians 3:10 Now, about Abraham and Jacob, giving a tithe. About Abraham, Genesis 14:17-20 (note that at this time Abraham was named as Abram). 17 After Abram returned from his victory over Kedorlaomer and all his allies, the King of Shaveh (that is, the Kings valley). 18 And Melchizedek, the king of Salem and priest of God Most High, brought Abram some bread and wine. 19 Melchizedek blessed Abram with this blessing: Blessed be Abram by God Most High, creator of heaven and earth. 20 And blessed be God Most High, who has defeated your enemies for you. Then Abram gave Melchizedek a tenth of all goods he had recovered. From the above, it should be noted that by this time the Law of Moses was not in place.
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Now Abram gave a tenth of all goods he had recovered, based on his faith. Abram decided on his own and purely by faith to give the tenth of what he had recovered. It should also be noted that, before this war, Abram was a rich man. Genesis 13:2; (Abram was very rich in livestock, silver, and gold.) Though Abram was very rich and blessed by God, given of a tenth was not something he did monthly or yearly, but the only instance he did this (given of a tenth) was after the war and it is important to note that he did it out of faith, to show appreciation. No one did ask Abram to give a tenth of what he recovered but he did it out of his own and his faith in God. Abraham was someone who was full of faith. Genesis 15:6; And Abram believed the LORD, and the LORD counted him as righteous because of his faith. This is the kind of faith God wants us as true descendants of Abraham and followers of Christ to show. Galatians 3:5-7; 5 I ask you again, does God give you the Holy Spirit and work miracles among you because you obey the law? Of course not! It is because you believe the message you heard about Christ. 6 In the same way, Abraham believed God and God counted him as righteous because of his faith. 7 The real children of Abraham, then are those who put their faith in God. From the above, it is made clear that Abraham was counted as righteous because of his faith in God and not by obeying any law. So he gave a tenth on that particular time, not because he was asked to give, but by his faith, he decided that, that was what he wanted to give. So in the same way, as descendants of Abraham, we should give based on our faith and by faith it could be any percentage, either a tenth or more or less, that we decide in our hearts to give, but it should not be because we are told by our Churches or other fellow Christians to give a tenth of our income every month or every year because it is a command.
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Therefore if a Christian should tithe every month or yearly because he/she believes its a command (law) in the Bible for every Christian to do, or he/she does it because his/her church request him/her to pay tithe as a mandate for every Christian, then this will not be by faith, but they will be doing it because they believe it is a command they must obey or because they are told to do it as a command. Galatians 2:21; I do not treat the grace of God as meaningless. For if keeping the law could make us right with God, then there was no need for Christ to die. So we see, if one thinks obeying the law or some of the commands of the law, for instance tithing, could make him/her appear as righteous before God, then what he or she will be saying or meaning is that, there was no need for Christ to die. Again reading Galatians 3:10; which are quoted somewhere above will help. Now, giving by faith is what Paul teaches in 2nd Corinthians 8 & 9. For instance 2nd Corinthians 9:7; You must each decide in your heart how much to give. And dont give reluctantly or in response to pressure, For God loves a person who gives cheerfully. Thus this ring a bell about how Abraham gave out of faith, thus, he gave cheerfully and not under the pressure of anyone and also Abraham decided in his heart what he wanted to give. God has given us the freedom as in Galatians 5:1 & 13; (quoted somewhere above) to be able to decide in our hearts how much to give when we decide to give as stated in 2nd Corinthians 9:7; also stated above. I will return to 2nd Corinthians 8 & 9 later on. Now concerning Jacob vow to give a tenth of everything to God. Genesis 28:20-22; 20 Then Jacob made this vow. If God will indeed be with me and protect me on this journey, and if he
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will provide me with food and clothing, 21 and if I return safely to my fathers home, then the LORD will certainly be my God. 22 And this memorial pillar I have set up will become a place of worshiping God, and I will present to God a tenth of everything he gives me. Again, the first thing to note is that it was Jacob himself who decided on his own to make a vow to God to give God a tenth of everything if God will take him safely back to his fathers place and also if God will provide for him food and clothing on his journey. Now the vow Jacob made to God was to give a tenth of everything and what I mean is that Jacob was specific about the word everything and this was based on his faith. It should also be noted that, before Jacob made this vow, God had already promised him and God did not make this promise by demanding a tenth of everything Jacobs get on his journey. Genesis 28:13-14; 13 At the top of the stairway stood the LORD, and he said, I am the LORD, the God of your grandfather Abraham, and the God of your father, Isaac. The ground you are lying on belongs to you. I am giving it to you and your descendants. 14 Your descendants will be as numerous as the dust of the earth! They will spread out in all directions- to the west and the east, to the north and the south. And all the families of the earth will be blessed through you and your descendants. Jacob was blessed because of the covenant God had made with Abraham. (Genesis 28:1-4). You can read this to confirm. It should be noted that it was a vow Jacob made, in the sense that he expected something from God and in return did vow to give a tenth of everything God gives him. Also as stated already, he made this vow on his own and mainly because he wanted something from God and he decided to choose a tenth, and it was between him alone and God. Because of Jacobs vow does not mean I should or a Christian should have the same vow with God.
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Now different people also do make vows to God and they do choose for themselves what they will give in return to God if God should answer their request. Judges 11:30-31,34-35; 30 And Jephthah made a vow to the LORD. He said, If you give me victory over the Ammonites, 31 I will give to the LORD whatever comes out of my house to meet me when I return in triumph. I will sacrifice it as a burnt offering. 34 When Jephthah returned home to Mizpah, his daughter came out to meet him, playing on a tambourine and dancing for joy. She was his one and only child; he had no other sons or daughters. 35 When he saw her, he tore his clothes in anguish. Oh, my daughter! he cried out. You have completely destroyed me! Youve brought disaster on me! For I have made a vow to the LORD, and I cannot take it back. Also, 1st Samuel 1:10-11; 10 Hannah was in deep anguish, crying bitterly as she prayed to the LORD. 11 And she made this vow: O LORD of Heavens Armies, if you will look upon my sorrow and answer my prayer and give me a son, then I will give him back to you. He will be yours for his entire lifetime, and as a sign that he has been dedicated to the LORD, his hair will never be cut. So as can be seen from the Bible, different people do make different vows. Just because Jacob made a vow to give a tenth does not mean Christians should be made to tithe as a mandate. Now about the purpose of tithing as a command and therefore part of the law God gave the Israelites through Moses. God gave the command of tithing to the Israelites to serve a specific need or needs as with all the commands and instructions of the law God gave them, for instance the Sabbath day.

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The purpose of tithing is made clear in Deuteronomy 14:28-29; 28 After the end of every third year, bring the entire tithe of that years harvest and store it in the nearest town. 29 Give it to the Levites, who will receive no allotment of land among you, as well as to the foreigners living among you, the orphans, and the widows in your towns, so they can eat and be satisfied. Then the LORD your God will bless you in all your work. Numbers 18:24; because I have given them the Israelites tithes, which have been presented as sacred offerings to the LORD. This will be the Levites share. That is why I said they would receive no allotment of land among the Israelites. Deuteronomy 26:12; Every third year you must offer a special tithe of your crops. In this year of the special tithe you must give your tithes to the Levites, foreigners, orphans, and widows, so that they will have enough to eat in your towns. From the above verses, it is clear what the purpose of tithing were. Thus to give the Levites and also on the third year during the special tithing, part of the tithes were to go to foreigners living among the Israelites, the orphans and to widows. Again, what most of the fellow Christians who say it is a mandate for a Christian to pay tithe, do ask is, if Christians do not pay tithe, how do we or Christians take care of their Pastors or Priests, the orphans, widows and the less privilege who lives among us. As I have already made known, it is not a mandate for a Christian to pay tithe but by faith we decide within our hearts how much we want to give. Now concerning the question of, how to take care of the Pastors or Priests, orphans the widows and the rest. As Christians our main call is to love one another and therefore to take care of the needy and the poor.

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Paul in 2nd Corinthians chapters 8 & 9 do encourage us to give. As Christians we should know that giving to support the needy and the poor as well as giving for the growth of the church is very important part of a Christian life. But this giving will have to be done purely based on faith. 2nd Corinthians 9:7; You must each decide in your heart how much to give. And dont give reluctantly or in response to pressure, For God loves a person who gives cheerfully. Paul do urge Christians to give but not under pressure or reluctantly. So giving is something important for a Christian to do, no matter how much more or less one have, but must do that on ones own by faith but not because of any command. Paul also makes it clear to us Christians that, though we decide on our own how much to give, when we actually gives more , the more blessings we get from God and when we give less the less blessings we do get from God as well. I must state that the more or less here is not in terms of the amount one gives, but the proportion one gives out of what one has. For instance, if a Christian who have $100 should give $50 which is 50% of all that he/she has and another also gives $500 out of his/her $10,000 which happens to be 5%, the one who gave $50 which was 50% of his/her fortune (thus, based on all they have) will be blessed more than the one who gave $500 which happens to be 5% of his/her fortune (thus based on all they have). So it is not just the amount but the proportion you give out of what you have. To support the above with the Bible; 2nd Corinthians 8:11; Now you should finish what you started. Let the eagerness you showed in the beginning be matched now by your giving. Give in proportion to what you have.

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2nd Corinthians 9:6; Remember this-a farmer who plants only a few seeds will get a small crop. But the one who plants generously will get a generous crop. Luke 21:1-4: 1 While Jesus was in the Temple, he watched the rich people dropping their gifts in the collection box. 2 Then a poor widow came by and dropped in two small coins. 3 I tell you the truth, Jesus said, This poor widow has given more than all the rest of them. 4 For they have given a tiny part of their surplus but she, poor as she is, has given everything she has. Christians as can be seen from the above verses, are encouraged to give and give in proportion to what we have and the more we give the more blessings we will get. So if Christians can be made to understand this, Christians will give by faith and their giving will take care of the needs of Pastors or Priests, orphans, widows, foreigners (refugees, asylum seekers, etc) and others who are in need as well as the poor. Tithing should not be a mandatory for Christians or churches should not ask their members to pay tithe. It should be left with the members how much they want to give, either above 10% or below 10% of their fortune (thus, based on all they have). Reading 2nd Corinthians 9: 7 again can help for a better understanding. Again, if Christians are made to understand the true meaning of giving through faith and not through the law (tithing), needs would be met. Paul again gives or share more emphasis on giving as Christians to help the needy and the poor but at the same time, deciding how much to give within ones heart and not by under any command.

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2nd Corinthians 8:7-8; 7 Since you excel in so many ways-in your faith, your gifted speakers, your knowledge, your enthusiasm, and your love from us-I want you to excel also in this gracious act of giving. 8 I am not commanding you to do this. But I am testing how generous your love is by comparing it with the eagerness of the other churches. 1st Corinthians 16:2; On the first day of each week, you should each put aside a portion of the money you have earned. Dont wait until I get there and then try to collect it all at once. From 2nd Corinthians 8:7-8, again, Paul makes it clear that it is not a command or a mandate to give, but with love, one should give to the needy, thus deciding in your heart by faith, how much you want to give. Also in 1st Corinthians 16:2; Paul again makes an interesting statement which is, Put aside a portion of the money you have earned. You note that Paul used the word a portion and not the portion. A portion means, whatever or any amount or any portion each decides to put aside every week, therefore it does not mean any specific portion like say 10% or 5%. If Paul had used the words, The portion, then that would have meant, he was talking about a specific portion or amount or percentage, but he said a portion. For instance, in the Bible it clearly states that, Jesus Christ is The Way. This means that Jesus Christ is the only way and therefore the only specific way through to the Father. If the Bible has said the LORD Jesus Christ is A Way, this would have meant, there are many other ways and the LORD Jesus Christ is just one of the many ways. Therefore the use of the word a portion is very important to note in Pauls letter in 1st Corinthians 16:2; Another point to note about people being urged to tithe is about the blessings and the curses in Malachi 3.

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Now about the blessings in Malachi 3, Thus Malachi 3:9-10; 9 You are under a curse, for your whole nation has been cheating me. 10 Bring all the tithes into the storehouse so there will be enough food in my Temple. If you do, says the LORD of Heavens Armies, I will open the windows of heaven for you. I will poor out a blessing so great you wont have enough room to take it in! Try it! Put me to the test! As I said earlier, this verse is normally used to encourage Christians to tithe. Normally, Christians are told by fellow Christians who believe that a Christian must tithe, that if they do not tithe, it means they are cheating God and when they do tithe, the above blessing in Malachi 3:10; will come to them. It should be noted that LEVITICUS 26 (you can read that), talks about the blessings and curses/punishments of Gods commandments and the blessing and the curse stated in Malachi 3 was not really an entirely new thing but was referring to Leviticus 26, thus it was a summary of Leviticus 26. Now concerning this blessing in Malachi 3:10; as you read 2nd Corinthians 9, you will come across this same blessing as mentioned in Malachi 3:10; using different words but the same meaning, and this blessing in 2nd Corinthians 9 is for everyone that gives and gives by faith, by deciding in ones heart how much to give and giving generously. Now let see what is in 2nd Corinthians 9:7-8, 11; 7 You must each decide in your heart how much to give. And dont give reluctantly or in response to pressure, For God loves a person who gives cheerfully. 8And God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others. 11 Yes, you will be enriched in every way so that you can always be generous. And when we take your gifts to those who need then, they will thank God.

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Now before I get to the point I want to establish, lets see the similarities in the blessing in Malachi 3:10; and the one in 2nd Corinthians 9:8 & 11. Malachi talks about, ..........I will pour out a blessing so great you wont have enough room to take it in. This means, the blessing they will receive from God will meet their needs and over what they need and cant contain, therefore plenty being left over. Now if you come to 2nd Corinthians 9:8; the same thing is said here, .............Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others. Here also the use of plenty left over could also mean, being blessed by God and having more than you need and therefore not having enough room to take it in, as in Malachi 3:10. Now that it is established that the blessing in Malachi 3:10; is the same in 2nd Corinthians 9:8; I will move on to my point and even before that, it should be noted that in Malachi 3, the blessing comes with a curse. That is if the Israelites do tithe they will be blessed and if they did not, then they will be cursed. But the good thing in 2nd Corinthians 9, and for that matter, we Christians is that, the blessing here does not come with any curse, but we are make to be aware that the more we give the more blessing we get and with this giving, you decide in your heart how much you want to give. Now to the main point I want to make concerning the above is that, the teachings in 2nd Corinthians 9, should teach us Christians that, that is what the LORD God expects from us when it comes to giving for us to receive that special blessing from the LORD, and not the command of tithing which was part of the law of Moses. As Christ came to live on earth and died for us, we are set free from the law therefore we give by faith and through that we are blessed.

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So now if you want blessing from God that will meet your needs and plenty left over and therefore you will not have enough room to take it in, as a Christian, I believe you know what to do. As said earlier, I will suggest that Christians should be made aware of the teachings in 2nd Corinthians chapters 8 and 9 as well as 1st Corinthians 16:1-4; about giving and I believe by the grace of God, Christians will give to meet the needs of the Churches. Another point concerning why it is not a mandate for Christians to pay tithe. From the time Christianity began (that is, after Christ had died and resurrected), with all the teachings in the Bible from this time, there is no teachings of tithing when it comes to the teachings of giving. Now if tithing was a major part of Christianity when it comes to giving, I believe it would definitely have been thought in the Bible by at least one of the Apostles or followers of Christ who brought the message of Christ (therefore Christianity) to the world including the Gentiles. Every major thing Christians have to know and do, be it Giving as Paul thought us, Faith, Love, Marriage, Divorce and the rest are thought or written about for us Christians and anyone who want to follow Christ to know. When it comes to the New Testament, the LORD Jesus Christ himself made a few statements about tithing. For example, Luke 11:42; What sorrow awaits you Pharisees! For you are careful to tithe even the tiniest income from your herb gardens, but you ignore justice and the love of God. You should tithe, yes, but do not neglect the more important things. Some of those who say it is a command or a mandate for Christians to tithe normally do use this verse to try to support their case. Saying that, if tithing was not to be practised by Christians, Jesus Christ would not have told the Pharisees, You should tithe, yes in Luke 11:42 above.
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But reading Luke 11:42 and the Bible in general, by the grace of God who gives understanding to His WORD, there is far more to this statement in Luke 11:42; than we are sometimes made to understand by these fellow Christians who say a Christian must tithe. The first thing to note is that, Jesus Christ was talking to the Pharisees and these people were practitioners of the law of Moses and under the law of Moses, tithing was what was used to take care of the Levites, foreigners, orphans and widows, that was why Jesus said yes, because the needs of these people mentioned above needed to be taken care of. Also, it should be noted that, during the life of Jesus Christ, the Law of Moses was still being practised, including Tithing, the Sabbath day, the Passover and the rest. So as Christ did not tell the Pharisees to stop the Passover ceremonies, observation of the Sabbath day, which was all part of the law, thus it mean as Christians, we should practise the Passover ceremonies and the rest? Another interesting thing to note about Luke 11:42; is the words the LORD Jesus Christ did use. .........You should tithe, yes, but do not neglect the more important things. The LORD did not even say, Important things, but He said, More important things. We should note the words more important things which Jesus Christ did use. In other words, the LORD was telling the Pharisees that, tithing (as part of the law and for that matter all the law) were not important or better still, were less important and therefore the more important things were justice and love. Christ said this because He knew that very soon the Law of Moses was going to come to an end as the guide for Gods children and that after His death and resurrection we will be free from the law. Therefore He was telling the Pharisees that something (thus, tithing which was part of the law) that were no longer going to be the guide for Gods children was not that
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important but rather they should hold on to the more important things which were justice and love and these were going to be our new commandment from Christ and therefore our new guide as God children. That is why I believe Jesus Christ used the words, the more important things. Just to support what I am saying with the Bible. John 4:19-21; 19 Sir, the woman said, You must be a prophet. 20 So tell me, why is it that you Jews insist that Jerusalem is the only place of worship, while we Samaritans claim it is here at mount Gerizim, where our ancestors worshiped. 21 Jesus replied, Believe me, dear woman, the time is coming when it will no longer matter whether you worship the Father on this mountain or in Jerusalem. Now, it was one of the instructions God gave to the Israelites when He took them from Egypt, that when they get to the promise land, He will show them where to build His Temple to worship Him and that happened to be in Jerusalem and therefore that was the only place they could go to worship Him. 2nd Chronicles 6:6; But now I have chosen Jerusalem as the place for my name to be honoured, and I have chosen David to be king over my people Israel. When the woman asked Jesus Christ about the right place of worship, though Gods instruction to the Israelites was for them to worship or honour God at the designated place in Jerusalem, Jesus said,...... the time is coming when it will no longer matter, whether you worship the Father on this mountain or in Jerusalem. What did Christ meant when He said the time is coming, or what was the time He was referring to. Well that time is when He died and resurrected and that is when our bodies became the temple of God. It should be noted that it was after Christ was crucified on the cross that the new covenant came into effect.
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Hebrews 9:16-17; 16 Now when someone leaves a will, it is necessary to prove that the person who made it is dead. 17 The will goes into effect only after the persons death. While the person who made it is still alive, the will cannot be put into effect. The point I want to make is that, the above verse in John 4 goes to prove that, Jesus Christ knew that the commands and instructions of the law was in the short period of time not going to be what guides the people and that when that time comes, true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth, that is why I believe He made or told the Pharisees to rather concentrate on more important things (justice and love) because the time was coming when the commands and instructions in the law of Moses including tithing and the place of worship will no longer matter as it does not really matter now as we live by faith in Jesus Christ. You also noticed that when the woman asked Jesus Christ whether Jerusalem was the only place of worship as the Jews claim, Jesus did not say to the woman, no, because at that time, that was the instruction given to the Jews by God. But Jesus made the woman to know that, a time is coming soon when the commands of the law and instructions of the prophets will no longer matter, therefore it was less important where to worship and as Christ was talking about tithing, it was also less important as He made it clear because a time was coming when tithing will no longer matter. Thank God this time has come and we no longer have only one place of worship and that we can worship God at anywhere and at anytime. In the same way, we no longer have to practise the command of tithing (which comes with it blessing and curse) which is part of the law, but we give according to what we decides in our hearts to give and as we give and give generously under no pressure or command, we are blessed by the LORD.
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As you read further I believe it will become clearer to you in terms of understanding the point am making. Another thing I will like to talk about is Luke 16:16-17; 16 Until John the Baptist, the law of Moses and the messages of the prophets were your guides. But now the Good News of the Kingdom of God is preached, and everyone is eager to get in. 17 But that doesnt mean that the law has lost its force. It is easier for heaven and earth to disappear than the smallest point of Gods law to be overturned. From Luke 16:16-17 above, Jesus Christ makes something clear here, that the law of Moses and the messages of the prophets (For instance the one in Malachi 3) were our guides until John the Baptist came. That is as John the Baptist came, it did signal the coming of the Messiah, because John the Baptist came purposely to prepare the way for the Messiah and the Messiah came purposely to set us free from the law, therefore it meant as John the Baptist came, it meant the Messiah was coming and as the Messiah was coming, it meant the end of the law of Moses and the messages of the prophets being our guides. Again, some of the fellow Christians who say tithing is a command or a mandate for every Christian are very quick to point out the verse 17 of Luke 16 when the verse 16 is read to them. To quote Luke 16:17; again. But that doesnt mean that the law has lost its force. It is easier for heaven and earth to disappear than for the smallest point of Gods law to be overturned. Now these fellow Christians point they normally draw from Luke 16:17; above is that, Jesus made it clear that even the smallest point of Gods law cannot be overturned and that the law and for that matter, the law of tithing is still in force. We can go back to what Paul said in Galatians concerning observing or depending on the law. To quote Galatians 3:10; again, But those who depend on the law to make them right
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with God are under his curse, for the Scriptures say, Cursed is everyone who does not observe and obey all the commands that are written in Gods Book of the Law. Now, those who try to use the Luke 16:17; to support their claim that Christians must tithe and if they do not, they are cheating or robbing God, the question is, how many of the other commands that are written in Gods Book of the Law do they observe and obey? Because, if you are not able to observe and obey all the commands written in Gods Book of the Law, you are cursed, according to the Scriptures. Now to explain Luke 16:16-17 further. As we read Luke 16:17; I believe Jesus message or the meaning of it as He was speaking with them was that the law still do carry the blessings or benefits and its curses or punishments that comes with every command in the law, therefore the law has not lost its force. In other words Jesus was telling them that the law has not lost its power, thus the blessings or benefits and curses or punishments that made the law necessary to observe. He was saying to them, for instance, tithing which is part of the law of Moses, has still not lost it force of blessing when one obeys it and a curse when one fail to observe and obey it. Concerning the issue of every part of the law comes with a curse, you go back to the notes and re-read Deuteronomy 29:12, 14-15, 24-25. Still about Luke 16:17, Jesus said, It is easier for heaven and earth to disappear than for the smallest point to be overturned. Again I believe Jesus Christ point or message was that, no part or point of the law or the messages of the Prophets can be changed or taken off. For instance, with tithing, it comes with a blessing and a curse, therefore no point of it can be changed or taken off or overturned, therefore, with tithing, the cursing part of it cannot be ignored or taken off or overturned. It stays like that forever. It also means that all points or commands in the
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law as well as all the messages of the Prophets are there or were given for a purpose and therefore, none of the commands can be ignored or changed or overturned at the expense of the other commands as Jesus said even the smallest point cannot be overturned, therefore meaning all the points (all the commands) are important and one cannot obey some and ignore some, thus if one decides to obey the law. Again reading Galatians 3:10; will help clarify the last point made. Now it should be noted that, despite the law has not lost its force and also not even the smallest point of it can be overturned as said by Jesus, Jesus made it clear in Luke 16:16; Until John the Baptist came, the law and the messages of the Prophets were our guides (thus, those who believe in Him). Therefore, though the law has power and the smallest point of it cannot be overturned, that power or force does not apply to those who do not live by the law or any part of the law for that matter. Romans 4:15; For the law always brings punishment on those who try to obey it. (The only way to avoid breaking the law is to have no law to break!) Linking Romans 4:15 to Luke 16:16-17; Jesus has given us the opportunity not to break any part or point of the law by saying in Luke 16:16; that the law is no longer our guide. For example, part of the law which is tithing, comes with a blessing and a curse as its punishment, as I have already explained, therefore to overcome the punishment (curse) that comes with tithing, one do not have to observe or practise the law of tithing. It should also be noted that because one cannot choose to obey some of the commands of the law and ignore some, because if one does that, one will be under a curse for not obeying all the commands of the law, as it is made clear in Galatians 3:10 (see page 3). Therefore one can pay his/her tithes always and on time and may not miss a payment, but if that person do not observe all the other commands in the law
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as well, the person will still be under a curse. Therefore to get oneself from all these punishments, one does not have to obey the law which includes tithing. Therefore why will you like to be under a curse by practising just part of the law (tithing) when you can be free from any curse or punishment by not practising any part of the law at all. If it is blessing that comes with tithing we are looking for which as stated in Malachi 3, then why not practise giving by faith (decide in your heart, how much to give and give generously) as in 2nd Corinthians 9:6-7; and get this same blessing in Malachi 3:10, which is stated in 2nd Corinthians 9:8 & 11 and which does not comes with any curse. I will explain this further later on, with Mathew 5:17-18; in the Bible and this will give more understanding to what I have been talking about so far. Before I do that I will like to look at another point that our fellow Christians who say a Christian must tithe do normally say. They normally say that tithe was there before the law and therefore Christians must tithe. When they say tithe was there before the law, they normally mean when Abraham gave a tenth of what he had taken from the battle to Melchizedek, as can be seen in Genesis 14: 20 and Hebrews 7: 2. Sometimes these fellow Christians go further to say that tithing has a spiritual dimension to it and that is why we must tithe. Now to make some few points to clarify the above statements often made by these fellow Christians who say a Christian must tithe. The first point we should know is that tithing is or was part of the Law of Moses given by God, as I have already provided verses from the Bible in this paper on pages 1 and 2 and this cannot be denied. The second point is that, God is Spirit and therefore all the commandments in Gods Book of the Law giving through Moses
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has spiritual dimensions to them as they came from God who is Spirit. John 4:24 For God is Spirit, so those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth. The third point is that these fellow Christians, as they say tithing existed before the Law and therefore practising it does not mean practising the Law giving by God through Moses, what I have realised is that anytime they want to preach or teach or explain why Christians must tithe, they will always quote Malachi 3:6-12, from the Bible which was a message from the Prophet of God who was specifically and clearly referring to the Law. Also when they want to quote from the bible why or the reasons why tithes need to be collected, they often do quote Numbers 18:24; Deuteronomy 14:28-29 and Deuteronomy 26:12, (these verses can be found in pages 8 and 9 of this paper) which happens to be part of the instructions under the Law. Also when one defaults in paying tithe for a particular month or period, they are made to know that, they will have to pay an interest of 20% on the default tithe. Again when these fellow Christians make this point they do quote the Bible and the chapter or verse they quote also happens to be part of the instructions God gave Moses and therefore part of God Book of the Law giving by God through Moses. This can be found in LEVITICUS 27;30-31 and 34; 30 One tenth of the produce of the land, whether grain from the fields or fruit from the trees, belongs to the LORD and must be set apart to him as holy. 31 If you want to buy back the LORDs tenth of the grain or fruit, you must pay its value, plus 20 percent. 34 These are the commands that the LORD gave through Moses on Mount Sinai for the Israelites. So you see, almost everything they will quote from the Bible to support tithing comes from the Law, thus the commands giving to Moses by God, but they still want to say that tithing for Christians is not about practising the Law (Commands giving to
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Moses by God), but it did exist before the Law. But as I have said, it is always the writings or teachings of the Law giving by God through Moses that they always use to teach or preach or explain why Christians must tithe. The fourth point is that, when one reads the Bible, by Gods grace you come to know and understand that, among the commands giving to Moses by God, it is not only tithing that existed before the Law (thus, when Abraham gave Melchizedek a tenth of all the goods he had recovered, Genesis 14: 17-21). But some of the commandments also existed before the Law was established or to say, before the commands that the LORD gave through Moses for the Israelites. Genesis 17: 9-14; 9 Then God said to Abraham, Your responsibility is to obey the terms of the covenant. You and all your descendants have this continual responsibility. 10 This is the covenant that you and your descendants must keep: Each male among you must be circumcised. 11 You must cut off the flesh of your foreskin as a sign of the covenant between me and you. 12 From generation to generation, every male child must be circumcised on the eight day after his birth. This applies not only to members of your family but also to the servants born in your household and the foreign-born servants whom you have purchased. 13 All must be circumcised. Your bodies will bear the mark of my everlasting covenant. 14 Any male who fails to be circumcised will be cut off from the covenant family for breaking the covenant. Leviticus 12: 1-3; 1 The LORD said to Moses, Give the following instructions to the people of Israel. 2 If a woman becomes pregnant and gives birth to a son, she will be ceremonially unclean for seven days, just as she is unclean during her menstrual period. 3 On the eighth day the boys foreskin must be circumcised. From the above verses from the Bible we can see that the practice of circumcision did exist (as seen in Genesis 17:9-14)
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before the Law or before Gods commands through Moses to the Israelites (as seen in Leviticus 12:1-3). Another command which was part of the commands God gave through Moses to the Israelites, but did exist before these commands were given, therefore existed before the Law can be seen in Genesis 1:31; Genesis 2:1-3; Exodus 20:8-11, Exodus 31:12-18 and Exodus 35:1-3. Genesis 1:31 Then God looked over all he had made, and he saw that it was very good! And evening passed and morning came, marking the sixth day. Genesis 2:1-3 So the creation of the heavens and the earth and everything in them was completed. 2 On the seventh day God had finished his work of creation, so he rested from all his work. And God blessed the seventh day and declared it holy, because it was the day when he rested from all his work of creation. Exodus 20:8-11; 8 Remember to observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. 9 You have six days each week for your ordinary work, 10 but the seventh day is a Sabbath day of rest dedicated to the LORD your God. On that day no one in your household may do any work. This includes you, your sons and daughters, your male and female servants, your livestock, and any foreigners living among you. 11 For in six days the LORD made the heavens, the earth, the sea, and everything in them; but on the seventh day he rested. That is why the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and set it apart as holy. Exodus 31:12-18; 12 The LORD then gave these instructions to Moses: 13 Tell the people of Israel: Be careful to keep my Sabbath day, for the Sabbath is a sign of the covenant between me and you from generation to generation. It is given so you may know that I am the LORD, who makes you holy. 14 You must keep the Sabbath day, for it is a holy day for you. Anyone who desecrates it must be put to death; anyone who works on that day will be cut off from the community. 15 You have six
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days each week for your ordinary work, but the seventh day must be a Sabbath day of complete rest, a holy day dedicated to the LORD. Anyone who works on the Sabbath must be put to death. 16 The people of Israel must keep the Sabbath day by observing it from generation to generation. This is a covenant obligation for all time. 17 It is a permanent sign of my covenant with the people of Israel. For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, but on the seventh day he stopped working and was refreshed. 18 When the LORD finished speaking with Moses on Mount Sinai, he gave him the two stone tablets inscribed with the terms of the covenant, written by the finger of God. Exodus 35:1-3; 1 Then Moses called together the whole community of Israel and told them, These are the instructions the LORD has commanded you to follow. 2 You have six days each week for your ordinary work, but the seventh day must be a Sabbath day of complete rest, a holy day dedicated to the LORD. Anyone who works on that day must be put to death. 3 You must not even light a fire in any of your homes on the Sabbath. Now from the above (Genesis 1:31 and Genesis 2:1-3) we can see that observing of the Sabbath day as holy also existed before the Law (Exodus 20:8-11; Exodus 31:12-18 and Exodus 35:1-3) came into effect. It existed even before Abraham was born. The Almighty God himself was the first to observe the Sabbath day. So it can even be said that the practice of the Sabbath day which was or is part of the Law was more significant than tithing, because as said earlier, God himself was the first to observe it before it became part of the Law. So we can see that it was never only tithing that existed before the law and therefore became part of the commandments the LORD gave through Moses to the Israelites. So again the question is why do these fellow Christians want Christians or urge their Christian members to tithe, but do not
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practice the other commandments of the Law. Again we can re read Galatians 3:2 &10 and Galatians 5:1&13 (on page 3 of this paper) and understand why we need to stay free from the Law as Christ by His death has given us this freedom. Glory be to God. Now about Mathew 5:17-18, but before I come to Mathew 5:1718; I will like to talk about Malachi 3: 10 again. Malachi 3:10; ...........!Put me to the test! Now Malachi 3:10; is also a particular verse that is normally used to encourage Christians to practise tithing as an obligation for a Christian. This statement is normally used; Tithing as in Malachi 3:10 is the only place in the Bible that God says we should test him with tithing and see if we will not receive the blessings of tithing. As I have already made it known earlier on that the blessing in Malachi 3:10 is the same as in 2nd Corinthians 9:8 & 11. Now about the word, test. To test someone about something means, there is doubt about the person you are trying to test concerning whatever you may be testing the person for. Therefore you test to find out if that person is capable of passing whatever you are trying to find out from them. For example, Driving Test. Now why do fellow Christians urge other fellow Christians to test God. Testing God simply means you doubt what God says He is. Yes, I know it is in Malachi 3:10; which states clearly that, Put me to the test! Now to find out why this words Put me to the test! or Test me and see was used in Malachi 3:10; From reading the whole of Malachi 3, it is made very clear that the Prophet of God was speaking to the Israelites, who were no longer obeying Gods Law given to them through Moses as they
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should have. From Malachi 3, you could see that God was very angry with the people and the people were even referred to as cheaters. In other Bibles they were referred to as people robbing God, thus robbers. These people as I said were no longer following the decrees of the LORD. Malachi 3:7; Ever since the days of your ancestors, you have scorned my decrees and failed to obey them. Now return to me, and I will return to you, says the LORD of Heavens Armies. But you ask, How can we return when we have never gone away? The LORD was speaking to people who were no longer following His instructions and I must say no longer believed in Him. So the LORD in other words was saying, you cheats or you robbers, you who do not know me, you who do not believe in me, you who doubts me, test me if you want to know that I Am who I have said I Am. Now a Christian who prays, sings, worship and says all the time that, God is great, God is all powerful, God is the covenant keeping God and all the other great words to glorify God, then turn around to say, I want to test you God or say am testing you God with my tithes, just because it is in Malachi 3. Now we can learn from Jesus Christ, who was with God, came from God, knew God very well and therefore believed totally in God, and what He teaches us as His true followers about testing of God. Mathew 4:5-7; 5Then the devil took him to the holy city, Jerusalem, to the highest point of the Temple, 6 and said, If you are the Son of God, jump off! For the Scriptures say, He will order his angels to protect you. And they will hold you up with their hands so you wont even hurt your foot on a stone.

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7 Jesus responded, The Scriptures also say, You must not test the LORD your God. Now Jesus himself who is the Son of God and comes from God and therefore believes in God, tells us that, You must not test the LORD your God. We should therefore as Christians try to stop quoting scriptures or urging our fellow Christians to quote these scriptures in a wrong way. So next time someone should ask you to test God with your tithes, just know this as a true believer and follower of Jesus Christ, You must not test the LORD your God. Now to come to an interesting point and this may be the last, but not the least! I will like to quote Luke 16:16-17; Galatians 5:1 again which will help in understanding the point am about to make. Luke 16:16-17; 16 Until John the Baptist, the law of Moses and the messages of the prophets were your guides. But now the Good News of the Kingdom of God is preached, and everyone is eager to get in. 17 But that doesnt mean that the law has lost its force. It is easier for heaven and earth to disappear than for the smallest point of Gods law to be overturned. Galatians 5:1; So Christ has truly set us free. Now make sure that you stay free, and dont get tied up again in slavery to the law. Now the Bible says, The law has not lost it force and also, even the smallest point of the law cant be overturned, as in Luke 16:17, but at the same time, the same Bible says in Luke 16:16 that, the law is no longer your guides and also in Galatians 5:1, It says we are set free from the law by Christ. Though I have tried to explain the above verses already, to get a deeper

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understanding, I will like to quote Mathew 5:17-18; and explained further. Mathew 5:17-18; 17 Dont misunderstand why I have come. I did not come to abolish the law of Moses or the writings of the prophets. No, I came to accomplish their purpose. 18 I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not even the smallest detail of Gods law will disappear until its purpose is achieved. Others versions of the Bible do use the word Fulfil instead of accomplish which have the same meanings. Now what does this mean, and also the question is, did Jesus Christ fulfilled or accomplished the law of Moses and the writings of the Prophets? The answer to the above question is Yes Christ has accomplished or fulfilled the law of Moses and the writings of the Prophets. In fact Christ came purposely to fulfil the law. Christ did this by obeying God totally and therefore not sinning and also by the ultimate sacrifice He made on the cross. Now Christ has accomplished the law of Moses and the writings of the prophets (of which tithing was part of the law) on our behalf. That is why the Bible says we are free. In fact Christ came purposely to fulfil or accomplish the law of Moses and the writings of the prophets so that you and I could be set free from the law, thus when we believe in Christ. Now you and I has also fulfilled the law of Moses (of which tithing is part) and the writings of the Prophets, by our faith in Christ. Thus as Christ lives in us and we live in Him, as He has fulfilled or accomplished the law of Moses and the writings of the Prophets, we also have. The verse 18 of Matthew 5, thus Matthew 5:18; ............,not even the smallest detail of Gods law will disappear until it is achieved.
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From the above Christ was saying not even the smallest detail of Gods law will disappear UNTIL IT IS ACHIEVED (meaning until it is fulfilled or accomplished). Thank God Christ has achieved all that or fulfilled all that on our behalf and therefore we are free indeed from the law (of which tithing is part) and the writings of the Prophets. So how can you say you have accomplished or fulfilled the law of Moses and the writings of the prophets (because Christ is in you and you in Him,) and still try to be right with God in trying to practice or obey the command of tithing which was part of the law. Again reading Galatians 3:10 may help. There is this song we do sing most times as Christians, and the song goes like; He Paid the debt He did not owe, I owe the debt I could not pay. The Good News is that He has paid our debt, be it, Tithing, Offerings of first fruits of everything we have, Sin offerings, Peace offerings, the Passover ceremonies, etc. Now as Christ came to fulfil or accomplish the law, after accomplishing it (meaning those who have faith in Him are free because they too have accomplish the law), Christ gave us a new commandment. John 13:31,34-35; 31 As soon as Judas left the room, Jesus said, The time has come for the Son of Man to enter into his glory, and God will be glorified because of him. 34 So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. 35 Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples. So now we know we are free from the Law of God giving through Moses (of which tithing is part) and the writings of the prophets and we now have a new commandment.

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To explain a bit further especially when it comes to tithing, what the death of Christ really means for all who believes in Him (Jesus Christ). Hebrews 7:8-10 &12; 8 The priests who collect tithes are men who die, so Melchizedek is greater than they are, because we are told that he lives on. 9 In addition, we might even say that these Levites-the ones who collect tithe-paid a tithe to Melchizedek when their ancestor Abraham paid a tithe to him. 10 For although Levi wasnt born yet, the seed from which he came was in Abrahams body when Melchizedek collected the tithe from him. 12 And if the priesthood is changed, the law must also be changed to permit it. Now from the above verses, though Levi was not born and therefore all the Levites were not born by then, the verse 9 considers the Levites to also have paid a tithe to Melchizedek when Abraham paid a tithe to Melchizedek, mainly because Levi as in the verse 10, was a descendant of Abraham and all the Levites were also descendants of Levi, therefore when Abraham paid the tithe it is considered that the Levites also paid a tithe to Melchizedek. Now during the Old Testament time (thus from Moses time), priests could only come from the tribe of Levi, thus only the Levites could become priests. Now by the grace of God as Jesus Christ came to die for us, all who believe in Him are referred to as His holy priests as Christ is the High Priest. 1 Peter 2:5 And you are a living stones that God is building into his spiritual temple. Whats more, you are his holy priests. Through the mediation of Jesus Christ, you offer spiritual sacrifices that please God. Again by the grace of Jesus Christ all who believe in Him are referred to as true children of Abraham. Galatians 3:29 And now that you belong to Christ, you are the true children of Abraham. You are his heirs, and Gods promise to Abraham belongs to you.
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Now from the above verses, we can see that like the Levites, all who belongs to Christ and believe in Him are holy priests and true children of Abraham, therefore as the Levites were credited for paying a tithe to Melchizedek mainly because their father Abraham paid a tithe to Melchizedek, in the same way it can be said that all those who belong to Jesus Christ also paid a tithe to Melchizedek when Abraham paid the tithe to Melchizedek because we are priests like the Levites and also children of Abraham like them. So in Christ we are free from the Law. It is Important to note, as I have already explained, that as Christians, giving is part of the act of love and we are encouraged to give and be blessed as Paul teaches in 2nd Corinthians 8 and 9 and also our giving to show love is by faith and as said, by giving what you decides in your heart to give and give generously as the more you give the more blessing you get. I know there are a lot of really good Christian churches that teaches that their members should pay tithes as its a requirement from God. Now we should be careful as members to know that just because our churches may be good does not mean everything done or not done are all good, because there may be somethings that may need change or improved. The Book of Revelation should prompt us to know that the letters written were all addressed to churches, most of whom Jesus Christ (in a revelation) said were doing well but still were lacking in some places that they needed to change or improve and therefore Christ had a complaint or complaints against most of them. Now, before I end, I will like to make this last but not the least point. It should be noted that Jesus Christ represents the very first fruits of everything. When you read John 1: 1-3 & 14 and John 3:16, you get to know and understand that before the world was created Jesus Christ existed, and also Jesus Christ is
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the first and only son of God and therefore the first fruit of God. Jesus Christ was crucified and therefore was sacrificed for all mankind. Therefore as the Sacrificial Lamp, when Jesus Christ was crucified, all who believe in Him were set free from the Law. Christ was crucified once and for all. Hebrews 9:12 With his own blood-not the blood of goats and calves-he entered the Most Holy Place once for all time and secured our redemption forever. Now just to quote from the Bible, John 1:1-3 & 14 and John 3:16 in reference to the point made above. John 1:1-3 & 14; 1 In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He existed in the beginning with God. 3 God created everything through him, and nothing was created except through him. 14 So the Word became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Fathers one and only Son. John 3:16 For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. I will therefore ask that every Christian should try reading their Bible as often as possible, but most importantly do ask for the Holy Spirit to grant you understanding as you seek His Word which is Life.

References: New Living Translation (HOLY BIBLE) Note: All the Bible quotes was from the, New Living Translation (Holy Bible)

Is it a mandate for a Christian to pay tithes? : B. Kofi Amoabeng (kofiamoabeng@ymail.com) Page 35

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Is it a mandate for a Christian to pay tithes? : B. Kofi Amoabeng (kofiamoabeng@ymail.com) Page 36