We also don't ask people to give to local and global ministries "above and beyond" a specified amount they give to the church because we don't feel that's a biblical command. It's not anti-Biblical, mind you. I don't think churches who handle their finances that way are going against something explicit in Scripture. The Bible doesn't describe a specified amount we are supposed to give to the local church before we give to anyone else.
Don't forget, the local church in the first century had an infrastructure that was exponentially less financially taxing. They met in homes, and seem to have had "volunteer" or possibly bivocational pastors. They weren't trying to maintain building funds and the salary of a youth pastor and worship leader.
In fact, I'm not aware of a single passage in the New or Old Testament that specify an amount to be given to the church. I'll go even farther: I'm not aware of a passage in the New Testament that even speaks of giving anything monetarily to the local church. At least the vast majority of the New Testament passages that talk about giving money, including 1 Corinthians 9:9-12; 2 Corinthians 8-9, and others are actually spoken in the context of parachurch ministries.
The call for people to give a specific percent to the local church normally comes from the Old Testament model of tithing. However, in order to do that we have to say that the local church is the equivalent of the Old Testament temple, and that we are the equivalent of Old Testament Jews. I just can't go there.
You might also find it interesting that most Bible scholars disagree on the amount of a person's income to which the word "tithe" refers, but that virtually nobody believes that amount was ten percent. (Most believe it was closer to 30 percent).
I just can't find a biblical command that tells people they have to give a specific percent to the local church before they give to what God is doing someplace else. The local church is not the hope of the world - Jesus is. And we're called to give cheerfully to support ministries that take the message of Jesus Christ and Him crucified (1 Corinthians 2:2) to the world, whether they're a local church, local parachurch ministry, or global ministry of some kind.
Should you give to your local church? Absolutely - I'll deal with that tomorrow, but let me say "absolutely" today because I love my job, and have a child who goes through diapers like they're going out of style. You absolutely should give to your local church - but you're not held by the Bible to a specific percent before you can give to another ministry.
6 comments:
So who determined that the Jews were supposed to give 10-30%? was it a command from God or an agreed upon amount from the religious leaders?
if it was from God, i'd have to believe that it's still what He desires since He doesn't change...
if it was from the religious leaders, then i can totally see freedom in how much one can give and freedom in who they choose to support.
I "absolutely" enjoy this post, it sheds light on things I had never given a second thought to before.
Lisa,
It's a command by God - not the religious leaders. The specifics were a part of the Law. But don't forget: although you're absolutely right that God doesn't change, the ways God deals with mankind certainly do.
God doesn't demand sacrifices, or dietary restrictions, or many of those aspects of the Law today since its Fulfillment has come.
I do understand and believe that the Law has been fulfilled, that we aren't required to keep the Law(not that it's possible anymore), and that we can be saved without observing those laws. But don't the Old Testament laws reveal God's ideal for us? Or was their sole purpose to force us to realize our own inability to meet His standards?
I understand the way grace works. I know God wants us to experience that extreme portion of His love and not try to earn our way into His grace. But if God has laid out an ideal, wouldn't we benefit to adhere to it?
Like going to the dentist. I could abstain from sugary sweets all my life because ideally, it would prevent cavities. But if I enjoy a Starburst every now and then, the dentist can still fix my teeth. Bad example I know, but I'm sure you get the gist.
See, I don't think keeping the Law was ever possible. It was a tutor to bring us to Christ (Galatians 3:24), and to help us know sin (Romans 7:7). It was supposed to help us know that we couldn't keep God's standard.
I don't think it is God's ideal in the sense you're thinking of it - it was supposed to point us to God's ideal. For example: God called for sacrifices (a part of the Law), but they aren't His "ideal" (Isaiah 1:11-17; Hosea 6:6). His "ideal" was that the Law would remind people that they have to depend on Him, set themselves apart as Holy, and rely on God for salvation.
yeah, those who thought they were keeping the Law were missing the point of the Law. Jesus makes that abundantly clear when He spoke to the religious leaders of His day. So I'm assuming grace from God had to play a role in the salvation of those who lived before Jesus' death.
I guess His ideal just has to do with us making Him our go-to person in all things. He really just wants a relationship with us. If we have that, we'll see things differently and act differently from those who don't have that relationship.
Seems so simple...
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