New testament (spiritual) giving – Part 6

I am now getting excited in the spirit, as we begin to discuss issues that pertain to the hour in which we are living. Please note that the Gentile Church is now under a New Covenant. The old garment is worn. God has given the world a new cloth.

The old bottle of Judaism is done with. God has given us a new wine of New Testament revelation. The Hour of ritual/physical worship is gone. A new hour of worship in the Spirit is upon us (John 4:21-23). Let us now see the prescribed giving under this covenant dispensation.

There are actually 3 methods of giving:
• Calculated giving – also called Intellectual giving. It originates from our brain/intellect. That was what Cain did (Gen 4:1-7; Heb 11:4).

• Legal giving – dictated by the Mosaic Law (Heb. 10:8).

• Spiritual giving – The Holy Spirit makes the demand

Spiritual giving is part of the spiritual worship specified by Jesus in John 4:23-24. The Tabernacle is a type of Jesus and His Church. Please note how it was built. It was through spiritually-motivated free-will offerings, even under the dispensation of the Law. God was signalling His intentions on the spiritual giving of the New Testament Church (Ex. 25:1-2).

Let us establish first and foremost that there is nowhere in the New Testament records (Gospels, Epistles and the book of Revelation) where the New Testament saints are instructed to continue with the Old Testament 10 percent legalistic giving. The word “tithes” is mentioned in the New Testament three times and on examination, IT IS NOT found to be an instruction for the Christians to continue tithing.

These scriptures are:
• Matt 23:23
• Luke 18:12
• Heb 7:1-12

In Matt 23:23, Jesus was talking to the Pharisees to whom the Law was given and was soon to be made obsolete at the cross. Definitely, this is not an instruction for the believers in Christ to continue the Judaistic practice. In Luke 18:12, the context of the scripture was self-instructive. A Pharisee stood before God presenting his human efforts at trying to please God. Part of this humanistic effort is the giving of tithes. This was not enough to justify the man before God. Again, it is not an instruction to continue in a practice that could not justify before God.

Heb 7:1-12 is a different kettle of fish. Actually, I believe this scripture makes it unacceptable, if not outright sinful, for a Christian to give tithes. This scripture is comparing the priesthood of Aaron to that of Jesus. The priesthood of Aaron is of the Old, while that of Jesus is of the new order.

Even the Levites, to whom pertaineth the tithe under the Law, gave tithes to Melchizedek, while they were still in Abraham’s bosom. This shows that the Melchizedeck order of priesthood is superior to that of Aaron. There is a change in priesthood; there must of necessity be a change in the laws governing the priesthood. The Law of tithes was good for the Aaron/Levitical priesthood. It has to be changed for the Jesus priesthood (Heb 7:12).

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Bro. Kunle Adigun, Friends of the Bridegroom International Ministries (FOBIM)