Of The Rats And The Giants. (Part Two)
Bolaji O. Akinyemi.
Of tithes and giving in the name of the Lord. Carnality more that anything else has taken over the space in absence of discernment of leaders made worse by the gullibility of followers. This season is a great challenge to the church which is further complicated by Believers exposure to the unofficial place of fellowship that the social media has become. Like it, or hate it, the Social Media has not come to become part of our lives it is indeed the future, the habitation of the generation next. Likely to become the address of work and residence for all, in the next 50 years if the Lord tarries in his coming.
Hence, it is folly to still pride self in a physical gathering of 100,000 against the background of exodus to online. Person who has over a million followers online, must not be taken for granted, even if all the one million are stupid. That actually is the danger not just to one, but to all. The stupidity from Canada calling for certain tribes in Nigeria and the attention given to it by both the Government and the people is a warning to us. Spiritual poison doesn’t kill just the person who eats it. A generation might be wiped out, the reason a person with influence without accountability to any authority who wedges such should be taken very serious and given deserving attention.
Mind you, followership on social media has nothing to do with being right or wrong. As a matter of fact the more stupid in thought, razz in communication, insulting in language and uncouth in presentation the more likes and followers you are likely to get.
Whatever happens to the golden rules of communication!
Eph 4:29 KJV Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.
Of the rats and the giants is the height of vulgarity among men to whom Ephesians 4:29 should compulsorily be the rule.
In matters of faith, only the scripture is right. This position calls for humility. And as Paul counselled that those who think they are standing should take heed, it is therefore needless to be loud on issues that call for consultation before correction. Read Act of Apostle chapter 15.
Let’s be very clear, I am not a regular pastor privileged to stand weekly and call for tithes. The nature of my Apostolic ministry and the admonition of the generation before mine influenced my position on the controversy prior to what it has become. Which had not allowed me the luxury of binding people to myself and ministry to pay their tithes. What was the controversy on tithes before now? It was, where to pay tithes or who to pay tithes to. Owing to the advent of non denominational Body Ministry making greater impact in the lives of Believer than their local places of worship in the 70’s and early 80’s. Though, Malachi said it should be brought to God’s house. That era, permit me to say it was an era of monkeys dey work baboons dey chop! Revival and teaching were coming from Body Ministries whence tithes and offerings were going to Local churches who weren’t leading people to Christ and discipling them. The generation before ours concluded this as to say, tithe should go to the place or person of spiritual connection and nourishment.
Controversies have being part of Christianity and it will remain so for the dynamic nature of the faith. This truth we must accept and position ourselves to embrace dialogue going forward.
The debate however has shifted from where to pay and whom to pay to. To paying or not to paying tithes.
Liberty is of essence where Christ is the Lord. No law is binding in the manner in which the law of Moses and the ordinances were given.
The law was the pride of Israel, it differentiated them from other nations but became the snag when Liberty showed up. They were so used to the law to allow Liberty his right of place in their lives.
Let’s look at a few snags that the law became in the face of the liberation from the bondage of the law that Christ is!
The Sabbath day questions.
Exo 20:8 KJV Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.
Tithe was an ordinance of lesser importance to the 10 Commandments. The demand to honour the Sabbath and keep it holy was made in the 10 Commandments, but that didn’t excuse it from the law of liberty that Christ brought us.
Mat 12:1 KJV At that time Jesus went on the sabbath day through the corn; and his disciples were an hungred, and began to pluck the ears of corn, and to eat.
Mat 12:2 KJV But when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto him, Behold, thy disciples do that which is not lawful to do upon the sabbath day.
Master’s response:
Mat 12:3 KJV But he said unto them, Have ye not read what David did, when he was an hungred, and they that were with him;
Mat 12:4 KJV How he entered into the house of God, and did eat the shewbread, which was not lawful for him to eat, neither for them which were with him, but only for the priests?
Till today the Sabbath is the greatest snare of the Jews towards opening up to the grace of liberty that Christ offers, so bad they even considered it a sin to heal on the Sabbath day.
Matt 12:10-13
The Sabbath confrontation:
John 5:8-11
The superiority of the Word made flesh stared them in the face, but they were too rooted to the stock of the law to ventilate on grace.
Rise, take up thy bed, and walk! Was his word to a man who had waited for an Angel to stir the water for 38 years.
The man did exactly what Jesus said and was healed, carried his bed as instructed and met the Jews, who questioned his authority for carrying his bed. His answer was the very words that Jesus spoke to him. The answers to the questions of life is in the Voice Of His Word.
He that made me whole, the same said unto me, “take up thy bed, and walk”.
We have transited from an era of listed Commandments written on a tablet of stone into a realm where God’s law of life in Christ Jesus is engraved on the tablet of flesh.
1Co 6:12 KJV All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any.
The word power here is to be brought under the control of a thing.
Even James the brother of the Lord and exponent of the law in the new testament interjected his thesis and submitted to the superiority of the law of liberty.
Jas 2:12 KJV So speak ye, and so do, as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty.
Before we delve into our subject which is tithes but extended to giving generally, let me conclude this foundation laying with Colossians 2: 15 – 17:
15) And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.
16) Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days:
17) Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.
The transition has occurred; from the shadow to the substance but many are still excited about chasing the shadow when they can dwell in the substance.
Now to the business of this part two. In the first part of this article I raised some rhetorical questions and gave answers not explained to some and left some unanswered, which are:
Did Christ collect tithe? Yes!
Did Jesus collect tithe? No!
Is tithes collection scriptural and should churches collect tithe?
As ministry gifts, our callings is to study the word to RIGHTLY DIVIDE, meaning to break the same down. We mash the molecular composition of the solid to soften it for easy consumption, like mashing Agidi into pap. We aren’t called to rewrite the Bible.
The basic duties of all ministry gifts; Apostle, Prophet, Pastor, Evangelist and Teacher is biblical interpretation. We are not called to help the Bible to say what we think the Bible intended to say. We are to say what the Bible is saying.
There are rules to follow in Biblical interpretation, there is what is called the rule of first mention, often it provides the foundation, thought and direction on the topic when juxtaposed with at least two or three other places in the scripture. Because out of the mouths of two or three witnesses the truth is established.
Following this pattern on tithes, we will examine first mention as our first witness.
Our 2nd witness will be its place in the ordinance of the law of Moses.
The prophet Malachi will be our third witness prophet.
Then we will balance our first witness with the reference to it in the book of Hebrew to draw our conclusions.
Watch out for the conclusion of the matter in Part 3.
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