Expert: Brian Thompson - 8/2/2010

Question
Three question
1).Why did Paul come out against Mosaic keeping and promoted Grace over Law to Christians in Galatians.
2) Why use Matthew 23:23 to enforce tithing when Jesus was clearly speaking to Pharisees still under the law before he fulfilled the law on the Cross.
3). Why is Abraham and Jacob used as an example of tithing when it was a one time voluntarily act and not even commanded by God (like male circumcision which you Pastors don't promote).
I think inquiry minds want to know. There is nothing wrong with tithing as a Principle but just don't lie and call it a law.      
 
Galatians 5:4 "You who are trying to be justified by law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace".

Galatians 3:10 "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 observe and obey all the commands that are written in God's Book of the Law."


Galatians 3:11 "Clearly no one is justified before God by the law, because, "The righteous will live by faith."

John 1:16 "For of His fullness we have all received, and grace
upon grace". (means grace heaped upon Grace)

John 1:17 "For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ".

Galatians 3:13 "Christ has Redeemed us from the CURSE of THE LAW"

Answer
Why has your tirade against tithing been directed to me

let me take your points one by one


1).Why did Paul come out against Mosaic keeping and promoted Grace over Law to Christians in Galatians.


Paul is speaking to gentiles in most of his epistles and Mosaic law is not applicable to gentiles it is a matter of covernant between Israelites and God, Therefore Paul emphasises Grace and redemption through Jesus Christ


2) Why use Matthew 23:23 to enforce tithing when Jesus was clearly speaking to Pharisees still under the law before he fulfilled the law on the Cross.

I don't emphasise this teaching as a reason why we should tithe but rather to see that Jesus was saying tithing will not make you righteous, if you would keep the Law you must keep all of it.

3). Why is Abraham and Jacob used as an example of tithing when it was a one time voluntarily act and not even commanded by God (like male circumcision which you Pastors don't promote).

Unfortunately many preachers fail to understand the significance of these stories and try to place tithing in that context and so point to a first reference to a principle. I don't think Jacob is an example of tithing but of self interest and manipulation and Abraham gave what was not his anyway so I don't see it as a reason for tithing.

I think inquiry minds want to know. There is nothing wrong with tithing as a Principle but just don't lie and call it a law.

Who calls tithing a Law? It was Law for the Israelite because of the Mosaic covenant, but in the New covenant we are under Grace. At Antioch the Holy Spirit did not include tithing in the requirements for gentile Christians and no Christian writer of the New Testament mentions it as a requirement. Now it is either a given, or it is void, there is no middle ground of being all right as a Principle. If you tithe expecting a blessing you are under Law, if you tithe as a convenient calculation of your giving, what are you doing? I prefer the principles of 2 Corinthians 9, then the issue of tithing doesn't come up