Subject: PROVE ME: God's challenge to tithers |
Bible Note: Ed, Jesus was speaking directly to the Pharisees (TEACHERS OF THE LAW) and admonishing them for their hypocrisy, because they were not honest in their dealings, and they imposed these Laws unjustly on the people (Jews). He was speaking concerning the Law and the fact that the Pharisees obsereved only the parts of the Laws that benefitted themselves. You noted Matthew 23 with in it's context Jesus is definately speaking to points of Law and not Grace or the Church. 13 "How terrible it will be for you teachers of RELIGIOUS LAW and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you won't let others enter the Kingdom of Heaven, and you won't go in yourselves. 14 Some manuscripts add How terrible it will be for you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! You shamelessly cheat widows out of their property, and then, to cover up the kind of people you really are, you make long prayers in public. Because of this, your punishment will be the greater. 15 Yes, how terrible it will be for you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. For you cross land and sea to make one convert, and then you turn him into twice the son of hell as you yourselves are. 23 "How terrible it will be for you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you are careful to tithe even the tiniest part of your income, tithe the mint, the dill, and the cumin. but you ignore the important things of the law – justice, mercy, and faith. You should tithe, yes, but you should not leave undone the more important things. ("But woe to you Pharisees! For you tithe mint and rue and all manner of herbs, and pass by justice and the love of God. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone," Luke 11:42. They pinched off leaves from a mint plant to tithe, but then cheated and robbed their fellow men, Jesus says of these hypocrites. So the real principle behind tithing is putting God first in all things, not only in our possessions, but our conduct, especially in regard to how we treat others. If we say we love God and then cheat and rob our brothers, we're the same as the Pharisees -- hypocrites.) 24 Blind guides! You strain your water so you won't accidentally swallow a gnat; then you swallow a camel! 25 "How terrible it will be for you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! You are so careful to clean the outside of the cup and the dish, but inside you are filthy – full of greed and self-indulgence! 26 Blind Pharisees! First wash the inside of the cup, and then the outside will become clean, too. 27 "How terrible it will be for you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs – beautiful on the outside but filled on the inside with dead people's bones and all sorts of impurity. 28 You try to look like upright people outwardly, but inside your hearts are filled with hypocrisy and lawlessness. 29 "How terrible it will be for you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you build tombs for the prophets your ancestors killed and decorate the graves of the godly people your ancestors destroyed. 30 Then you say, 'We never would have joined them in killing the prophets.' 31 "In saying that, you are accusing yourselves of being the descendants of those who murdered the prophets. 32 Go ahead. Finish what they started. 33 Snakes! Sons of vipers! How will you escape the judgment of hell? It really pays to put scripture in it's entire CONTEXT. Therefore Ed, I changed my mind, it is not the principle ... IT'S THE LAW. (Thank God that grace abounds) -khuck |