Hotspots: Malachi 3:10 Part II

Some questions/observations about these two heavyweight champs:

Malachi 3:
  • Is there even a present day “storehouse”?
  • You are now the house of the Lord.
  • OT = prove Me, NT = trust Me.
  • Jesus provided an open heaven for us.
  • We are blessed w/ every spiritual blessing.

2 Corinthians 9
  • You reap what you sow, sparingly or bountifully.
  • Give as you purpose in your heart.
  • Your heart is not wicked, it's obedient (Romans 6:17
  • Don't give out of compulsion, guilt or fear.

I love how the following website puts it & for more in depth study go here: 


The tithe has been adapted to our church culture and economy.

Per the Law, the tithe is flocks, herds, fruits and grains, brought by farmers, to the temple storehouse in Jerusalem, to feed the old covenant priesthood who are from the tribe of Levi, Aaron and sons.

To port the tithe to the new covenant, at least 5 adaptations must be made: 
  1. flocks, herds, fruits and grains must be changed to money
  2. farmers are changed to all wage earners 
  3. the temple storehouse is changed to the local church building 
  4. the priesthoods of Levi and Aaron are changed to the clergy 
  5. the people are reduced from a royal priesthood to the laity

These extensive adaptations of scripture deny a basic tenet for the interpretation and application of scripture cited by the Apostle Paul, who wrote “do not go beyond what is written” (1 Corinthians 4:6), a tenet of handling scripture which is also echoed in Revelation 22:18-19.

James 1:8
“a double minded man is unstable in all his ways”

I've visited several different fellowships in my life & in many of them there's an offering envelope & guess which verse is usually printed on it? Bing! That's right: Malachi 3:10. In a couple of them both Malachi 3:10 & 2 Corinthians 9:7-8 were printed on there, though 2 Corinthians was in a smaller font & Malachi was larger & bolder (nothing like a little subtle manipulation).

This is the way I believe the Bible teaches the subject:

You cannot mix law & grace, period.
You cannot have grace living & law giving, period.

You either have: 
  1. law living & law giving (Malachi 3:10) or
  2. grace living & grace giving (2 Corinthians 9:7-8).

  • Is the law good, holy, righteous, perfect & honorable? Absolutely (various verses). 
  • Is the law still in effect? Absolutely (Matthew 5:18).
  • Are we dead to the law/released from it? Absolutely (Galatians 2:19, Romans 7:4-6).
  • Are we under the law? Absolutely not (Romans 6:14).
  • Are we under grace? Absolutely (Romans 6:14, Galatians 5:18).

Here's the one thing that clinches it & should settle the matter once & for all: 

Jesus Himself said tithing is a matter of the law (Matthew 23:23).

Now if Jesus, who is God & who is the Word of God, 
places tithing under the law then who are we 
to take it out from where He placed it & put it anywhere else?

It seems pretty clear to me that 2 Corinthians 9 is the Christian's standard of giving, not Malachi 3. Grace-based, Spirit-led giving always trumps Law-based, obligatory "giving".

Concluded in Part III



      

Comments

Popular Posts