Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!swrinde!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!mips!dimacs.rutgers.edu!aramis.rutgers.edu!athos.rutgers.edu!christian From: sobarr@sdcc13.ucsd.edu (Carlos Saul Menem) Newsgroups: soc.religion.christian Subject: Re: Tithing Message-ID: Date: 2 Apr 91 08:35:32 GMT Sender: hedrick@athos.rutgers.edu Organization: University of California, San Diego Lines: 43 Approved: christian@aramis.rutgers.edu In article murphy@mips.com (Mike Murphy) writes: >Here's a topic we haven't discussed in a while: tithing. > >A couple questions: >1) Do you think all Christians should tithe 10%, or is that an >Old Testament concept now superceded by Christ? >2) Some Christians use the Malachi 3:10 verse to say that >our full tithe should go to our "storehouse", the local church. For me, it seems that tithing went out in the new testament, and the apostles introduced a common order of things. (Acts 2:44, 4:32-37 and the poor story of Ananias and Sapphira 5:1-11). Christ himself told one "follower" to "sell what-soever thou hast and give to the poor..."(Mark 10:21 [1-22]). The two verses that I can find in the NT that talk about tithing refer to the Jews observing it, but forgetting higher laws (Matt. 23:23), and in the parable of the Pharisee and publican where the Pharisee syas that he obeys the law fasting twice a week, and giving tithes of all that he posses (Luke 18:12). {Heb 7:2 also refers to tithing, but this is in talking about Abraham}. I would venture to say in my LDS thinking that tithing is a good practice inthat we must give up a portion of our goods to further the earthy kingdom, but that it is a "lesser law" and that we should be willing to give up all as the apostles taught. As pointed out by the scriptures in Mark and Luke, it must be done with real intent, and not just to comply with the law. It's interesting to note that the early Mormon chuch (mid-latter 1800's) had the law of consecration and the united order, but were later replaced by the law of tithing due to the selfishness of men (thus a lesser law). But none the less, Mormons use Malachi 3:10 to show that the law of tithing is of God (The modern day scripture would be D&C 119 which says that tithing "shall be a standing law unto them forever" v.4) The tithing is put into a general tithing fund of the Church and used to further the work of the Lord. Some of this goes into the world wide welfare system (storehouse) which is used to feed, cloth and help the needy of all nations and faiths. en Cristo un pecador steve