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NASB | Matthew 23:23 ¶ "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cummin, and have neglected the weightier provisions of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness; but these are the things you should have done without neglecting the others. |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | Matthew 23:23 ¶ "Woe to you, [self-righteous] scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you give a tenth (tithe) of your mint and dill and cumin [focusing on minor matters], and have neglected the weightier [more important moral and spiritual] provisions of the Law: justice and mercy and faithfulness; but these are the [primary] things you ought to have done without neglecting the others. |
Subject: NT tithing completely unbiblical? |
Bible Note: Dalcent, You reference the following verse to support tithing: Matthew 23 23 "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cummin, and have neglected the weightier provisions of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness; but these are the things you should have done without neglecting the others. (NAS95) Insofar as the tithe referenced here is a commandment to pay taxes to the Jewish government, are you therefore suggesting that I should also pay taxes to the Jewish government? Or simply to the US government? What's this got to do with my local church assembly? Were the Pharisees born again church members? - You afterward reference this next scripture unit in regards to tithing: Genesis 14 18 And Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine; now he was a priest of God Most High. 19 He blessed him and said, "Blessed be Abram of God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth; 20 And blessed be God Most High, Who has delivered your enemies into your hand." He gave him a tenth of all. (NAS95) Here we clearly see the origination of the tithe in the establishment and reinforcement of the Old Testament Law. But this does not make a case to the New Testament believer to support paying a tithe to the local church. In fact, there is no reference to the church here, nor does the New Testament interpret this verse as giving ten percent to one's local church assembly. - As far as arguing that the Old Covenant is still in force, except when contraindicated by the New Covenant, on what do you base this? Are you suggesting that a portion of the Law is passed away for us, while we should just live under certain parts of the Law? In other words, I should live under half of the Law, and not the other half? Further, if it would be rare for Christians today to say that we are not under the Old Testament Ten Commandments, it would only be on the basis of ignorance. If I were under the Ten Commandments today, I should therefore only live in fear that I would be executed if I pick up sticks on the Sabbath. I suggest that the organized religion today has reduced the Ten Commandments into a nice self-help philosophy text, that we should each attempt to diligently adhere to. However, the biblical Ten Commandments were a set of legal restrictions that were placed on the Jewish nation, carrying severe penalties, up to and including execution, if they were disobeyed. If I attempt to adhere to the Ten Commandments today, should I not be executed if I break any of them? Certainly so, lest I do not truly respect them, as so they were first intentioned. - I will add a verse here regarding the Ten Commandments and how they were intentioned only for wicked and perverse reprobates: 1 Timothy 1 8 But we know that the Law is good, if one uses it lawfully, 9 realizing the fact that law is not made for a righteous person, but for those who are lawless and rebellious, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane, for those who kill their fathers or mothers, for murderers 10 and immoral men and homosexuals and kidnappers and liars and perjurers, and whatever else is contrary to sound teaching, (NAS95) - Lastly, I suggest that it would be incorrect to view the New Testament revelation of the Gospel as the second half of an incomplete Old Testament. This would then infer that the New Testament gospel was only a "half-message", apart from the knowledge of the OT Law. Rather, I would suggest that the New Testament gospel is complete in and of itself, without any reference to the old. In fact, the new completely eclipses the old. Although Jewish believers had the Law as a tutor to instruct them of their sins, nonetheless the Gentiles were completely without the Law of Moses under the ministry of Paul, and yet they still could become saved, without being instructed in the Ten Commandments. Romans 2 12 For all who have sinned without the Law will also perish without the Law, and all who have sinned under the Law will be judged by the Law; 13 for it is not the hearers of the Law who are just before God, but the doers of the Law will be justified. 14 For when Gentiles who do not have the Law do instinctively the things of the Law, these, not having the Law, are a law to themselves, 15 in that they show the work of the Law written in their hearts, their conscience bearing witness and their thoughts alternately accusing or else defending them, (NAS95) That is, even if a person has absolutely no knowledge of the Law (as per the common gentile), the New Testament Gospel of grace can still save them. Peter's Jewish converts had the luxury of possessing a knowledge of the Law of Moses, but Paul's Gentile converts did not. - Blessings, Reighnskye |