New Covenant Tithing

New Covenant Tithing

Some say we can ignore any OT commandments, rules, or requirements previously issued by YHWH unless they are reiterated in the new testament. We (UCG) do not agree with, or use, this formula. But, since it is so popular we are willing to address certain points of God's instruction for living using these humanly devised standards.

Today, let’s discuss the case for tithing in the new covenant.

A Change to the Law Regarding Priests

Hebrews is the book which addresses the transition from old to new covenant. In it we learn the risen Christ has taken over the role of high priest from the sons of Aaron and Levi. That change means many of the regulations and instructions regarding the relationship of God’s people to the priesthood have also changed. The eternal office of priesthood has not been done away with under the new covenant... it has been upgraded, made better Hebrews 7:11-22.

Note: the fault is not with the laws given by God. The fault is with the people. Now we have a new way that better deals with the frailties of humanity. Beginning with a new high priest who is better equipped to help us …  eternal and raised to glory yet having shared in our humanity… understanding our weakness.

Priestly Functions

The priesthood (with the high priest at its head) is primarily associated with:

· Administering sacrifices for atonement, rites of cleansing, and offerings to God. The high priest operates on behalf of the people as their representative before God.

· Providing instruction, guidance, and judgment to the people. He operates on behalf of God as His representative(s) to the people.

· Receiving a tithe from the people. The tithe is for the Priest’s livelihood.

The book of Hebrews addresses all three of these priestly functions, updating and incorporating them into the new covenant under Christ as the new high priest. For now, we are only going to go over the matter of tithing.

Tithes Given to the Priest of the Most High God

The new testament argument for tithing is found in Hebrews 7:1-10. Before reading this section let me breakdown the argument:

· The office of high priest to the Most High God is an eternal office... and the position is always filled by someone. First eternal, then mortal, now eternal.

· The risen Christ has now taken back the role of high priest to the Most High God from the sons of Aaron and  Levi. This ordination is based on God's oath (recorded in Psalm 110). The oath is superior in authority to the regulation found in the covenant.

· The duties, responsibilities, and rights of the high priest have passed to the new priesthood; sacifice, cleansing, instruction, and tithing.

· Therefore, tithes formerly given to the Levitical priesthood should be given to the priesthood of Mechizadek

Let's read Hebrews 7:1-10

The Priesthood is Eternal

Before the old covenant ratified at Sinai there was a priest of the Most High God located in Salem... the place name was later changed to Jerusalem.

The one fulfilling the role of high priest in the days of Abraham is pre-incarnate Christ. We know this by how that High priest is described... ETERNAL without beginning or end of days... UNCREATED without father or mother...LIKE the Son of God... KING of peace/righteousness. Similar to John 1:1 which says the word (eternal and uncreated) was with God and the word was God... Hebrews 7: 1-3 tells us Melchizadek was high priest to God, and Melchizadek was God.

A priest after the order of Melchizadek appears to mean an administration in which a priest having eternal life occupies the role. Before Sinai there was a such a priesthood (and He received tithes)... Then, during the Sinai covenant there was a mortal priesthood (they received tithes)... now after Sinai there is once again an high priest with eternal life (He receives tithes).

Hebrews 7:8 in the case of the old covenant tithes are collected by men subject to death, in the case of the order of Mechizadek tithes are collected by one who is eternal.

The office of priest is eternal, likewise the duties, responsibilities of the priesthood are eternal: sacrifice, cleansing, instruction... AND collecting tithes.

480 year before Sinai Abraham the father of the faithful paid tithes to eternal Mechizadek... for 1,500 years during the Sinai covenant the chosen people of Israel paid tithes to the mortal sons of Aaron and Levi... under the new covenant (in place for almost 2,000 years) who shall pay tithes to the eternal High priest after the order of Melchizadek? ... The children of faith!

The Children of Faith

Galatians 3:6-9 the children of faith is the body of believers who make up the Church… Chosen by God not by regulation but by what we believe and do.  Such children of faith are blessed along with faithful Abraham. Remember the wording in Hebrews 7:6 [Mechizadek] received the tithe from Abraham and Melchizadek blessed Abraham.

John 8:39-41 Abraham's faith lead him to tithe to the eternal High Priest. The children of faith will do likewise... tithing is one of the notable works of Abraham.

Genesis 12:3-4 (abraham believed and obeyed), 18:18 (he will teach his children to keep the way of YHWH), 22:15-18 (obey = heard, agreed with, consented to and performed), 26:4-5 (God's voice gave Abraham stuff to do, which he performed in faith).

As children of faith we will do the works of Abraham… including pay our tithes to our eternal High Priest who is after the order of Melchizadek.

How Do I Pay Tithes to Christ?

Jesus Christ is our living, active high priest... yet He is presently in the third heaven at the right hand of God and will not return to earth until the appointed time. Whereas, Abraham could go to Salem and give tithes to God's priest... Israel could go to the temple... where would a new covenant believer pay tithes to Christ as their High Priest?

WHERE - The bible tells us that the new covenant temple is the Church... a spiritual house built from precious living stones which are the chosen of God... 1 Peter 2:4-5a Christ Himself is the chief cornerstone verse 6 (also Ephesians 2:20).

So if tithes are brought to the temple... new covenant tithes are brought to the Church of God.

But, when Abraham went to Salem he didn't just leave his tithes in a basket by the front door of the temple, he gave them to the living priest… Israel gave their tithes not to the temple itself but to the sons of Aaron and the sons of Levi...Who shall the new covenant beliveer give their tithe to?

WHO - The bible tells us that although the resurrected Christ is in the third heaven until the time of His return he has a bodily presence here on earth which is the body of believers.

1 Corinthians 12:27-29 and Ephesians 4:11-13 - the Church is operating as Christ's bodily presence on earth, here and now. The Church as a whole represents Christ's presence in the here and now... and within the Church, some are ordained to perform specific roles... some of these tasks line up with the responsibilities of the priests. Christ has delegated some priestly functions to subordinate representatives.

Within Israel there was one man who was high priest... yet there was also an entire administration of lesser priests and Levites organized to help out with instruction, conduct of the worship service, performing cleansing rites, and collection of tithes. Even the sacrifices were not all performed by the high priest alone. [ring diagram]

Within the body of Christ (our present High Priest) there is a delegation of tasks and responsibilities. For example; some are appointed teachers (a priestly function), some pastoring (guidance was another priestly function), some administrators (conduct of worship service and temple maintenance)... etc. etc.

Romans 15:15-16 Paul saw the work he performed within the Church (as pastor and teacher) as a form of priestly function.

Note: the usual word for ministering is diakanos. Here Paul specifically uses Greek words that specifically refer to the functions of a priest… lietourgos and hietourgos. KJV translates all of these as minister and thereby misses the implication (ESV and NIV get it right, NLT botches it).

1 Corinthians 9:7-14 Paul equates the wages due to the ministry within the Church of God to the wages due to the priests under the old covenant system.

Note: Paul’s personal decision to refuse payment was the exception to the rule within the Church. Paul did this 1) as an example to members who were living off the welfare system 2) to sidestep accusations that he shaped his message based on where the money came from.

Those who are ordained to perform as teachers, pastors, and administrators within the Church are worthy of steady wages just as the priests and Levites were in Israel. So, we give our tithes to the Church of God... we give these tithes to those appointed to administer the process... as was done in Israel (the church in the wilderness)... with the end goal that we provide support to the work God is doing... through and among His Church.

Freewill Offerings

Some reject what Hebrews 7 points to and say that the new covenant system of financial support for the Church is through freewill offerings alone. A common path is to cite the collection Paul takes up in 2 Corinthians 8 as an example. But, that offering was not taken up to pay wages earned and payments due among the ministry and workers within the Church... that was a freewill offering to alleviate hardship among the members in the Jerusalem area.

Freewill offerings are what a person gives above and beyond a tithe. They are not the same.

When Paul argues that the ministry have a right of support from the other members... that very different from a freewill offering. A full-time teacher within the Church does not stand up, deliver His message and put his hat upside down on the ground for people to throw money into like a street busker. That's not wages.

Furthermore, what kind of instruction do you think that will lead to? Its an open door for people to preach and teach what generates the most income. Preaching that way is always a temptation… tithes or no tithes... but why make it worse?

Conclusion

The case for tithing under the new covenant is presented for all to see in Hebrews 7 explaining tithing as an ongoing feature of the priesthood over God’s people.  What is that argument...

· There always has been and always will be a High Priest of the Most High God.

· The risen Christ has taken up the role of High Priest after the manner of Melchizadek replacing the sons of Aaron and Levi

· With the change to the priesthood comes a change to the administration of that priesthood. This affects the administration of sacrifice, instruction, and specifically tithing.

· The children of faith will tithe to their eternal high priest after the order of Mechizadek.

· Christ considers the Church of God to be the current temple and body of the High Priest. Therefore the children of faith will present their tithes to His Church. Hebrews 7:8.