Associated Baptist Press – Matt Kennedy
Rich pastors not common, but not endangered species
What a life to live. The luxurious lifestyle of being a pastor! Rich pastors will never be endangered. They will always exist. Why? I don’t know? Why do you think? Is it ok that some pastors are walking around with expensive watches, and suits? If one’s earned it, don’t you think that it’s okay for them to keep what they’ve earned? Why should everyone bash on TD Jakes, Joel Osteen, and Creflo Dollar? I mean, God’s given that to them, hasn’t he? They have a right to choose to keep that which God has given them. Why should we make them feel guilty about taking so much, when we’ve taken so much in our own lives. Of course not as much as them in the amount, but proportionately, we have. At least I feel that I have.
I wish sometimes that there was no such thing as “things”. I wish it was just all dirt to me. What if they look at that stuff as dirt? Do you think that some of those pastors that live in mansions could actually be right? Do you think there’s anyone that can be justified for what they’ve got? Do you think it’s okay for any Christian to live in any mansion? How much do you think is the right amount for all pastors to make?
This article does talk about tithing. but it mainly is referring to pastor Rick Warren of Saddleback Church. He lives off of a reverse tithe. That means he lives off of 10% of what he makes and gives 90%. You’ve gotta hand it to the guy for doing this. Do you think Rick Warren is challenging other rich pastors by giving a reverse tithe? I would think Rick Warren would have more authority in finances just because he’s shown that he’s handled the grip of money so well. On the other hand, when other rich pastors are preaching tithing, it’s hard to listen.
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What is the need for the word tithes exept to distort Christian free will when it comes to giving? Why not call Christian giving offering which is found several times more often in the Bible or simply giving or gifts? The manditory Tithes were never Money in the law of moses so why call money which Christians give tithes? Why use a word which means tenth if one wants Christians to be free?
If a Christian has a choice send their kids to Christian school, loose income to home school, or give money to their local church which ministry should come first. This is the choice that so many christians have and this is why I disfavor the word tithes because it seems to indicate that ministry only happens in the local church.
Thus the current way the word is used is manipulative. Christian schools cost at least about 4000 dollars a year and homeschooling takes one bread winner out of the workforce. Both are neccisary and expencive ministries.
The Word Tithe doesnt necessarily need to be used…I agree—and I want to make sure its clear…I’m not defending none of the these Preacher Crooks who are in it for the loot of God’s people. All I’m saying is that we still must do our part to assist with Godly causes, one of which to assist with the local churches…and YES that sometimes means ministers. Along with other giving, its the only way these things can function.
Smh thankyou for your reply. Really I am not for less giving. I am radically for Christians commiting all their money to Jesus. Christians should support Their Christian Schools thier Christian entertaiment and their Christian homes along with outside ministries. Somtimes I still give to ministries where I disagree with the leader about tithes.
Luke 12:46-48 talks about the judment of Jesus twards those who use his name for crooked gain. Praise Jesus that the less wiked will recieve less punisment.
Even crooked leaders can somtimes run one good ministry which if I am visiting I cannot resist the urge to give. I know Jesus will reward me and all who give in love. Rev 22:12 I do not like it when Christian leaders preach that Christians must give 10% to local ministries or be in sin and I try not to give to those ministries but sometimes I do. Even Christians who preach the gospel for money still do good sometimes. My thoughts are that Christians should learn the joy of giving by eating the tithes and celebrating with their homes first.
Deuteronomy 14:23-29
Then once Christians are well equiped with the joy and knoledge of Christian ministry they should give to other ministries. Too many Christians give unjoyfully because they have not paid for their own ministries. Without investment they have not found the joy. They have not bought enough christan books for their kids or sent their kids to Christian schools. Where is their christian video collection, where is their collection of Christian music?
I would love to see more Christian schools and that is a great place for those called pastors today to more legitimatly get paid for preaching. Truly, any good Jesus preaching outside of forced tithes is worthy of voluntary finacial support.
I still believe Jesus calls all christians to sacrifice Smh we are in agreement on so much thank you. Please Teach others free will giving to Jesus friend.
Christ in us
For the cause of Christ…have a great year. I remain committed to giving my available resources to the Kingdom of God—and shun at all times those who steal from God’s people..whether they be in the pew or pulpit.
Would it be a preposterous suggestion to ask the church to publish its financial statements?I understand the church is not a business,and some people might view publishing financial records as tending to associate the church with business like institutions; but churches should evolve with the times, and unfortunately money and power corrupts even leaders of religion- so any measure that “helps” people stay on the right track is worth while in my opinion.Perhaps not to the extent of revealing the pastors salary per say, but at least an indication of the %amount of donations that actually reaches the poor.
I understand that tithing is as said an offering to God,which is the main purpose, but money is also very useful for helping the poor.God has given as a healthy mind, and I believe He expects us to use it, and not give blindly to a lost cause.When you see that the money you offer is being used to enrich a pastor (to an extravagant lifestyle rather than sustaining him and his family)just stop giving to him.There are multiple charitable organizations that are still on the right track, that desperately require funding.
I recently started attending a ministry, and it changed my life. It helped me see past religion, and emphasized that building a personal relationship with Jesus surpasses blind religion.I am sincerely grateful to that pastor. It pains me to say that I also discovered the wealth which he has accumulated and is living extravagantly with. I have lost the enormous amount of respect I had for him, and find myself in search of a new role model.
these pastors earned it? how? they just exploit the book of malachi then they will justify the salaries they should be earning. where does it say in the bible that a pastor should be earning an amount so they can afford to buy a multi-million $$ home & drive a luxury car with leather seats.
the would preach about self denial & contentment but they don’t practice what they preach. hypocrisy? YES! if you don’t want me to judge you then practice what you preach.
Kai Shinden:
Numbers 18:8 plainly states that God gives the tithes of the people to the priests, to use as they see fit – forever – as their just due for being annointed persons of God.
Since Numbers makes it plain that the tithe is reserved for the priests and bishops, we need not worry about it further. My bishop recently purchased a new Mercedes that was in excess of $100,000. I don’t envy him. God has blessed him with a growing and vibrant ministry, one in which most members, like myself, follow the scriptures and tithe. I wrote out a check to him personally just today that reflected 10 percent of my gross earnings for the last month.
I must admit when the bishop instructed me on tithing law 6 months ago, I was scared to do it. I didn’t think I made enough. I found that after making a few adjustments, I ended up having MORE money left over at the end of the month than I did BEFORE I started tithing so actually I’m better off financially than I was before.
God is Good, all the time!!
Tither, Is your pastor living under an old covenant or new covenant ? If he is a christian that means he cant go and pay tithes or give offerings under the old covenant system because Numbers 18:1-3 says only Arron and his children are allowed with the tribe of Levites were allowed by God to minister in the the temple. Your pastor is not allowed according to the scriptures.
Read Mathew 23:23 Jesus did not give or collect money tithes it was food.
Please be real, when Jesus said that the Jews paid their tithes with food what makes you think we can change it any time we like. Even now we are not allowed to change any part of the law given by Moses, Jesus did not sin against that law. He cancelled it for our sakes.
Kai,
Your spiritual leader is bringing you under the OT law and away from Grace. You can’t have both.
You quoted Numbers 18 as your “proof text” that tithing is demanded of NT believers. This presents at least 2 problems:
Your bishop pulls this law out from a multitude of other laws in this passage. Are you prepared to pay “the priests” 5 sheckels of silver to “redeem your firstborn”, to offer animal sacrifices, etc. If you seek to find God’s favor by obeying the law (all 613 of them), you will surely fall short, as we all would. For in the law there is only death. Life and light are found in Christ- He has set us free from the law of sin and death!
Second of all, we are ALL priests in Christ- there is no distinction 1 Peter 2:9. Perhaps more of our spiritual leaders should follow the example of Paul and work for a living. Our leaders should be models of moderation and sacrifice, not luxurious excess. The bible calls that stewardship- pastors are NOT exempt.
Indeed, the New Testament gives us much direction as to our giving. It should be Joyful, Generous, and FREEWILL! You cannot find the NT church being required to tithe.
Oh the judgment that will come to those who preach the gospel for “filthy lucre” i.e.- money.
Kai, do a study on Christian stewardship on your own. Look into what the NT says about giving, and what the early church fathers taught on stewardship. (hint- tithing was not universally demanded of Christians until 585 AD at the council of Macon)
God bless you as you study His Word.
Toddo
My mistake on the greeting of my post. This one goes out to “Tither”. Sorry for the mixup
Toddo
Amen Todo
If one meditates on the fact that all Christians are priest many things in our current Churches need to be reformed. Christ is in every Christian and every believer in Jesus is to be Jesus to his neighbor. In this system forced money tithing makes little sence.
The moneytithe doctrine of 10% of all Christian money belongs to the church is in most American evangelical churches. 1st Peter 2:9 This is a new doctrine for evangelicals with very bad fruit. 100 years ago this doctrine was much less common and Martin Luther the great evangelical reformer was against Christian tithing because of the prieshood of all believers.
Christ in Us Be the Church do not just go to fellowship.
Go and learn what this means Galatians 3:13 “Christ has redeemed us from the Curse of the Law having been made a curse for us”. That is sure plain as day to me along with Colossians 2:14 and Ephesians 2:14-15 that he blotted out took it out of the way and nailed it to His Cross. What is the it—ordinances and the laws that were required of us. Now I am happy in the freedom of His grace. How insulting to try to pay for a free Gift so your paid can make you think you did it all to be blessed and not what was done for you. It is not about you since Christ came and went to the Cross its about what He alone did!!!
I will never fault a man for making a good living. As a minister though, we must keep from becoming to flashy. There is no need to get a brand new Cadillac when a Buick drives just as good. Bank your money and moderate your lifestyle.
What is a fair salary for a pastor of a church? Some would argue it largely depends on the size of the church. Is it a mega-church with thousands of members or small town chapel with only a few hundred? Some pastors have college degrees and put in long hours tending to their members. Others have no degree but have become the pastor due to their great passion and speaking (preaching) ability. They also put in as many hours as the pastor with a degree. So which do you pay more? The pastor with the degree who gives good philisophical sermons and faithfully tends to his members or the pastor with no degree who gives fiery/passionate sermons who also faithfully tends to his members? “The Lord commanded that those who proclaim the gospel should get their living by the gospel” (1Corinthians 9:14). This quote is often used to back up the notion that a pastor should be paid because The Lord says so! But if we read further into the same passage the writer (the apostle Paul) asked, “What then is my reward?”. He answers his own question by saying, “in my preaching I may make the gospel free of charge, not making full use of my right in the gospel” (1 Corinthians 9:18). So the apostle Paul basically said according to the Lord the church should pay him, but he didn’t want to be paid. So if our pastors are supposed to be apostles for our Lord, shouldn’t they follow in the footsteps of the first apostles? If a person truly feels they are called to preach the word of God and be a apostle for God, wouldn’t they do it free of charge like Paul did?
If a congregation wants a professional full time pastor to manage the church and be on call like a doctor then yes they should be paid accordingly. The pastor is basically running a business and could be in charge of several employees/volunteers. But what is a fair payment? If the church is in New York or LA then the cost of living is obviously going to be higher than a church located in rural Arkansas or Montana. So maybe the answer is to pay the pastor what the average salary is of its members. How much more fair can you get than that?
Most preachers make an average salary for the work they do in the church. But what concerns me are the preachers who are given a salary of hundreds of thousands or millions of dollars a year. Other preachers add to their salary by selling books. These wealthy preachers ask their congregation to give to the church so the church can continue to do great things. These same pastors are living in million dollar homes, have private jets (with their own hanger) and drive very expensive cars.
When Jesus sent his apostles out he told them to “take nothing for their journey except a staff; no bread, no bag, no money in their belts; but to wear sandals and not put on two tunics”. (Mark 6:7-9) What would Jesus say to them if they came back with their belts over flowing with money, new clothes, jewelry and a nice pair of shoes? It’s ok guys, as long as you were preaching the word of God and casting out unclean spirits like I asked you too! You can keep all that stuff. Or, should these wealthy pastors do as the apostles did and make sure “there was not a needy person among them” and distribute the wealth “to each as any had need” (Acts 4:34-35). I don’t think Jesus would be happy with the wealth that these pastors have accumulated; I think He would tell them to distribute the wealth. These wealthy pastors should remember the story of Ananias and Sapphira who tried to deceive Peter about money. Peter said to Ananias,” why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back part of the proceeds of the land?” (Acts 5: 1-3). Has Satan filled the hearts of these wealthy pastors? Have these wealthy pastors forgotten that the bible says “the love of money is the root of all evils” (1Timothy 6:10). Do these wealthy pastors skip over the part of the bible that says, “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money” (Mathew 6:24). Have these wealthy pastors forgotten the example the poor widow set who gave two copper coins to her church and Jesus said of her, “Truly, I say to you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the treasury. For they all contributed out of their abundance; but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, her whole living.” (Mark 12: 42-44) Do these wealthy pastors conveniently skip over Hebrews 13:5 which says, “ Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have; for he has said, “I will never fail you nor forsake you.”
So to sum it all up I believe pastors should be paid what the average salary is of their congregation, however, a pastor who is truly only interested in serving God, preaching his word and saving peoples souls would live below his means and do great things with the extra money. He would live in an average house, in an average neighborhood living next to the average church goer who pays their salary. I don’t think Jesus would be unhappy with that. If those wealthy pastors wanted to be perfect in the eyes of Jesus he would tell them to “sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven…” (Matthew 19:21). I would suppose that these wealthy pastors would do the same thing that the rich young man did once Jesus told him those words. They would go away sorrowful, for they have great possessions (Matthew 19:22).
The one thing Jesus said to his disciples that these wealthy pastors should remember is, “Truly, I say to you, it will be hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 19:23).
I think about many times how the rich get richer and the poor get poorer, Then see Pstors living wealthy lives,but when I see this with anyone life, I just am reminded in God’s word that their are those who recieve there reward in this life, and their are those who recieve it in the next. So think about it for a moment, Jesus had nothing in his eathly life but is the King of Heaven
and all things belong to him. So if you see a wealthy pastor or any person wonder what will be stored for them in heaven if they have all what they neeed and so much more.
Thanks for the comment Fred. I like that you’ve come to see that the church should be used to give out loans. This is interesting. Not many people can see the vision that you are seeing. The truth is our nations would be in so much better shape economically if the Church took more responsibility for the welfare of people. Rather than the government doing so for us.
If you can live on 10%, that has got to be an awful lot of money. I though you have to be a doctor or lawyer to make that kind of money, nonetheless that reverse idea, seems so right but feels so wrong. Ultimate though, it is not the Church or Government, is people and people should help themselves.
-1 timothy 6:3 If anyone teaches otherwise and does not consent to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which accords with godliness, 4 he is proud, knowing nothing, but is obsessed with disputes and arguments over words, from which come envy, strife, reviling, evil suspicions, 5 useless wranglings[a] of men of corrupt minds and destitute of the truth, who suppose that godliness is a means of gain. From such withdraw yourself.[b]
6 Now godliness with contentment is great gain. 7 For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain[c] we can carry nothing out. 8 And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content. 9 But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition. 10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. -Matthew 19:16 Now behold, one came and said to Him, “Good[e] Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?”17 So He said to him, “Why do you call Me good?[f] No one is good but One, that is, God.[g] But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments.”18 He said to Him, “Which ones?”Jesus said, “ ‘You shall not murder,’ ‘You shall not commit adultery,’ ‘You shall not steal,’ ‘You shall not bear false witness,’ 19 ‘Honor your father and your mother,’[h] and, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’”[i]20 The young man said to Him, “All these things I have kept from my youth.[j] What do I still lack?”21 Jesus said to him, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.”22 But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.23 Then Jesus said to His disciples, “Assuredly, I say to you that it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. 24 And again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”
25 When His disciples heard it, they were greatly astonished, saying, “Who then can be saved?”
26 But Jesus looked at them and said to them, “With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”27 Then Peter answered and said to Him, “See, we have left all and followed You. Therefore what shall we have?”28 So Jesus said to them, “Assuredly I say to you, that in the regeneration, when the Son of Man sits on the throne of His glory, you who have followed Me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. 29 And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife[k] or children or lands, for My name’s sake, shall receive a hundredfold, and inherit eternal life. 30 But many who are first will be last, and the last first.
Hi Julio, Please read ( 1 Timothy 6:5 AMP) It is so clear and plain that we can not misunderstand it.
Peace an Grace to you
Preachers are always hollering about how everyone must submit to THEM and pay up or they’ll get their blessed assurances barbequed in hell for all eternity. But it’s PREACHERS who refuse to submit to the apostles’ godly council of Acts 15. I suspect if St. Peter could pop down from heaven at offering time, he’d whack Old Preach on the noggin with a perch and rebuke him for stealing the wages of hard-working saints who need to buy school shoes for their kids. Think of it, folks. How many senior pastors of “megachurches” (beg-a-churches) shop for school clothes at the Salvash? When was the last time some megachurch minister had HIS wife clipping coupons or cleaning motel rooms? When donkeys fly!
Well, I have just pounced some discussions which I suspect had taken place sometime ago, but reading it for the first time today, it appears to me as a fresh discussion. The question of tithing and freewill offering could well be understood if we take the pains to expaciate sincerely to the simple mind. There is no doubt in my mind that tithing was an O.T practice which could be used in principle to ecalate freewill giving today in the church. Take note of this:
1. Whatever amount you give is a certain proportion or ratio of your income or wealth.
2. I have not come across anywhere in the N.T where Jesus condemned tithing if only we understand whatever He said. That suggest to me that whenever we are teaching about tithing we should excercise a lot of retraint and wisdom not to jump in to certain conclusions.
3. It is said that in O.T. the N.T. was conceived whilst in the N.T the O.T is revealed so God’s word should be rightly interpreted.
4. That said, I would like to say this; since we are under the dispensation of grace and not the law we should teach constructively according to dispensational principles. Just God used types (figures of representations illustrating spiritual truth) in dealing with the people of Israel, the bible says they were the shadow of thing to come but the reality i.e the anti-type (fulfillment) is Jesus
5. Giving was mandatory under the O.T with a common yardstick or measure, proportion or standard – 10% irrespective of anyone’s level of blessing
6. In the N.T it is taught that we should give freely, cheerfully, bountifully, by faith, led by the Spirit of God and above all ACCORDING TO THE PROPORTION AS HOW MUCH THE LORD HAS BLESSED YOU.
7. What is interesting to me is the phrase “according to as the Lord has blessed you” Hence the ratio between what you have been blessed with and what you are led by the Holy Spirit to give is the greatest difference between Tithe and giving as led by the Spirit
8. Here is the catch: But since whatever we give is a certain ratio or % of your blessings; and God has set the pace in the O.T that 10% was the proportion and since I have better covenant, promises, blessings in Christ than Abrahamin O.T. 10% should me be my basic proportion for me to jump-start my giving in to the N.T standard of abundant life. Therefore the importance of tithe to me is that though it is not my target, focus or mandate yet I determine to give not less than 10% but always over and above it. It becomes my basic and not the standard even as I depend on the Holy Spirit to give I believe I have to give more than basic. Would the lord cause somebody to give less than 10% in the church today? I doubt it.
So tithes are consumed in my giving so let us have this basic understand and stop fighting over flimsy doctrines after all even in the O.T there tithes and offerings.
The question of rich pastors should be allowed to rest because the bible says Jesus become poor that I may be RICH and not continue to be poor. Hence If I have the blessings of God upon my life and it manefests in to any material wealth it comes from the Lord. it is left for me to be a good steward of God’s blessings and it is not for any Tom, Jack or Harry to judge my outfits. Everybody should know that he or she is not the only person that can be led by the Holy Spirit. If you have a critical spirit you shall be overshadowed by spirit of criticism and you stand in danger of passing false judgement. Do you think it is easy to manage a large congregation without problems talk less of preaching inspiring sermons each time? Why does the bible says “muzzle not the mouth of the ox that treads the corn” which Paul interpreted that the statement was in reference to the fact that “those who preach the gospel should live by the gospel” Pastors should get paid in and by the church and there is nothing wrong about that. People think that pastor’s have free access to church funds and that there is not accountablity whatsoever to anybody anytime. That is poor judgement. What is your standard of affluence may not be the same to another person. If a pastor is paid and he uses his money to buy an expensive watch what has that got to do with anybody? That does not suggest that they are not ministering to the poor. Or somebody want to see people like T.D Jakes walking the street to distribute bread or clothing before you judge them to doing well? Nobody called the pastors and they accountable to God and their congregation. People should stop all these baseless judgements. When the pastors who dress good come to the television look carefully at the appearances of their congregation. Most of them dress well and it is these people who bless the lives of the their pastors. If they have problem with their pastor’s dressing or lifestyle they will not come to hire anybody outside the church to pronounce judgement on their pastor. So, let people mind their own bussiness. If Pastors are not feeding the poor why don’t their critics go feed the poor to their own credit before God, Why would somebody condemn an innocent pastor for something he or she is not able to do?
People like pastor T.D Jakes do not specialize in giving fish to the blind men but they rather spend their resources teaching the blind men how to fish so that they feed themselves for life, how about that? Most of these pastors people condemn are highly trained professionals who might have acquired certain amount of wealth even before becoming pastors furthermore most them have other bussiness ventures like writing books, recording CDs, DVDs etc yet people take one look at them and pass very unhealthy comments. What are essence of these comments?
If Jesus lived like a poor man, the soldier would gamble for the purple robe which He wore on the way to the cross. Check Lk 8:1-3 and you would discover wealthy disciple followed Him wherever He ministered supporting Him with their substance. He had enough to support Himself and the ministry. From which cufess was Judas stealing. It is important to note that he did not carry Himself in any wanton manner but to state the He lived a poor life is an understatement except in comparison to His heavenly glory. On the cross He gave up everything for our sake so that our lives become better off.
Hi, Jesus said that we can not serve both God and money. He used a whip to throw out people conducting business in the temple. Paul warnned Timothy in ( 1Timothy 6:5-9 AMP) Jesus said that its easier for a camel to go through an eye of a needle than a rich man to enter the kingdom of God. Why did Jesus and Apostle Paul warnned us about the love of money ? You will never understand it unless you actually have a lot of money and can afford to influence people, pastors and churches then you will understand why Jesus warnned us about the love of money. If you are not wealthy financially you will never know and understand why Jesus warnned us.
I just dont sense the spirit of God most of the times about pastors who are constantly on the subject of tithing. To me this resembles the trend of this mordern society of wanting to accumulate wealth at all costs. It worries me more when pastors use the pulpit to make christians feel guilty for not paying tithe. I agree absolutely that pastors should also earn from the money they get from churches, but I also want to emphasize the importance of striking a balance. Most of the NT scriptures are about Jesus helping the poor, needy, orphans, widows etc. How many times do we see our pastors exerting the same energy in giving to the poor? How many times do we find our pastors visiting the poor in their houses with food parcels, school fees for orphans, clothes for the poor? I have come to realise that the more we look up to the pastors the likely we are to get astray. I have began to pray earnestly for God to direct me to the needy people instead of being intimidated by wealth seeking pastors.
Galatians 3:13Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree”
How can Christians be cursed by the Malachi curse and redeemed at the same time?
How does the Old Covenant God had with the Jewish nation apply to Gentiles who have been grafted into the New Covenant and Dispensation of Grace?
How is keeping one Old Covenant law out of 613 Mosaic law logical?
How is Abraham voluntarily given a one time tenth equal the practice of ongoing tithing?
How is it that Hebrews, esp. Hebrews 8:6 & 7 call Jesus a better Covenant under better promises ( the word better is used 13 times in Hebrews)!
How is it that people use Matthew 23:23 to justify tithing when it is clear Jesus was speaking to Jews still under the law because he had not gone to His Cross to fulfill the law in our place?
How is it the Church world does not understand how New Covenant Grace (unmerited favor) versus Old Covenant law-keeping for God’s favor is far better because no one could keep the law (which is why Christ had to redeem us from the curse of the law in the first place?
Why is Paul did Paul the Apostle say God loves a cheerful giver but also said to give as one as one purposes (decides) in his own heart (which was a call to voluntarily give).
Why didn’t he just say tithe?
Why was Paul so pro-Grace and anti-law keeping in Galatians?
Why don’t Pastors explain Galatians enough and instead quote a Jewish law to enforce tithing?
Why aren’t they consistence and enforce Circumcision, Sabbath observances and the other Jewish Old Testament Rituals, Feast and Ceremonies, since it was a package deal & all laws had to be kept?
Why did Paul write this bible scriptures?
Galatians 3:10 “For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that does not continued all things which are written in the book of the law to do them. (meaning all 613 laws)
Galatians 3:24 “Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.
Galatians 3:25 “But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster”.
Galatians 5:4
Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace.
James 2:10 “For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all”.
Bible illiteracy, denial and discernment is running rampart. Many people are choosing to believe anything that is said without any investigation or study of the word from Genesis to Revelation.
A recent Pew Report said more than half all Christians do not even know what the four Gospels are, what the Plan of Salvation is or even what the first book of the bible is.
Sad! very sad!