Malachi 3: 8-10
“Will a man rob God? Yet you rob me. But you ask, ‘How do we rob you?’ In tithes and offerings. You are under a curse, the whole nation of you, because you are robbing me. Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the LORD Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it.”
This seems to be the most used scripture by the contemporary church when arguing an Old Testament standard for tithing. However, from what I have read, this verse neither gives a curse for not tithing nor sets a standard in the new covenant to tithe. The first thing I have found is that the real issue concerns motive. But before I look at that let’s look at the curse of verse 10. The curse is directed to the nation of Israel. Yes, there can be a strong correlation, but I believe there is no intended connection between the nation of Israel and those under the new covenant. From what I have read, the Jewish scribes believed this verse meant they were cursing God rather than He was cursing them. Even if I have come to a wrong conclusion about this I still can’t help but notice the greater issue was in motivation, even under the Law. The reason I feel this way is that they were not instructed to give to the tabernacle, but the storehouse. This is not a passage on tithing to the church, but rather on the importance of practicing the discipline of giving out of what God has blessed each person with. What we do unto the least we do unto God. We are taught here the importance of giving to the needy and I believe that is all.
In a very brief examination on the Old Testaments teachings on tithing, I can only come to one conclusion regarding them: the main purpose of the tithe was to support the Levitical priesthood. The Levites were responsible to minister to the people, and were prohibited from owning land, which obviously limited the ways in which they could earn income. God’s plan was that their support came from those to whom they ministered. The tithe also provided welfare for widows, orphans, etc. The second goal of the tithe was as a typing of Christ. Again, I will look for closely at this later.
2 Corinthians 3: 6
“He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant–not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.”
Turning to the New Testament, there is just as much evidence that the tithe is under the Old Covenant and does not reflect the purposes of the New. However, there is a greater emphasis, or at least clearer one, on the importance of giving as a discipline. Paul is our greatest example in post-Pentecost scriptures on how we as Christians should live. But Paul, as a Christian, rarely baptized, never circumcised, and never collected a tithe. Paul taught very clearly anything that reflected a faith that attempted to replicate the Law was evil. We are called to a higher standard in the New Covenant. Tithing, regardless of how inspirational the sermon, is an evil teaching. That is not to say preachers that preach it are evil. Neither are tithers. In fact, those that tithe out of the goodness of their hearts need to be commended for their sacrifices. But the teaching of tithing needs to be seriously examined in the church if we want to experience the intimacy of a relationship with Christ.
2 Corinthians 9: 7
“Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.”
Paul makes it clear here that giving is a matter of the heart. In fact, in addition to the numerous other references to giving by the apostles and Jesus, 2 Corinthians 8 and 9 are exclusively about giving. Now it is reasonable to assume if one’s heart is focused on God and that person is being called to give then that person will give significantly. It is also reasonable to assume if that person has found ministry at their local church God will likely call that person to give to their local church. And it is also reasonable to assume if one decides to give 10% because that is easily budgeted and because that seems to be a good biblical number that God will receive that gift graciously. However, there is a significant difference between that type of giving and the model of tithing that is often preached. The best way to distinguish the difference between tithing and giving is not by a percentage value or by evaluating legalism. Rather, the best way, in my opinion, is about motive. In the Old Testament, tithing became about something you did to receive blessings from God, despite the fact that even in the Old Testament it wasn’t about that at all. Ever since tithing has been taught in the church as a foundational practice it has been about something you do to receive a blessing from God. Some do it out of guilt, others obligation, and still others out of goodness, but the “sell” from the pulpit is that it is about opening yourself up to the blessings of God.
Giving is something we do because of what God is doing in us, not as a way to get God to do something. This is probably where understanding the old paradigm is most useful. In the old paradigm we are taught if we do A then God will do B. Despite our intentions, we were taught to be legalistic. In the new paradigm we do A regardless of B. We do it simply because we want to worship God. There is a degree of legalism that is necessary during moral development. Young believers need to be encouraged to practice giving before they even understand the meaning of it, but ultimately that individual needs to be guided out of that stage of development. The New Testament repeatedly attests to this: Matthew 10: 8b says, “Freely you have received, freely give.” Matthew 5: 42 says, “Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.” Luke 6: 38 says, “Give and it shall be given unto you.” Again in Acts 20: 35, “In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ ” And finally in I Timothy 5: 8, “If anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for his immediate family, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.”
Jesus himself is the best person to turn to when looking at tithing. The only times I can find where Jesus specifically talks about tithing is when he is addressing the Pharisees. The point is following the letter of the Law does not reflect the heart. In addition, Jesus didn’t pay a tithe. He was a carpenter/ mason and was exempt from the tithe. Neither did he pay the Temple tax (at least out of his own pocket, it came from the mouth of a fish). He is exempt from that tax because he is the Temple. The king would not need to pay a tax to himself and as His children we are exempt as well (despite the fact that the tax was specifically for the Jews).
I have said already that one of the purposes of the tithe is as a type for Christ. Christ brings us under a new order. There are no more priests for believers and no more Levites. Tithing is a type that reflects the old covenant with a misunderstanding of what the meaning of giving is about. Through Christ and the Holy Spirit we are now able to fully understand the purposes of God and the meaning of giving. Malachi 3 is another type. Both the people and the priests were polluted in their hearts, and it is of the abundance of the heart that determines men’s actions. In the 1st Century church Jesus’ teaching about the tithe were well understood. The Apostle Paul never tithed, never taught Gentiles to tithe, never collected tithes, and never accepted tithes. Although the temple and priesthood in Jerusalem remained until 70 AD, not even Jewish converts were taught to give their tithes to the Apostles rather than to the temple priests. In the Acts 15 Jerusalem Conference, where the first doctrine was established, tithing is not mentioned. According to the Encyclopedia Britannica 1963, volume 22, tithing, as a teaching in the church, did not appear until the 8th or 9th century.
As I stated at the beginning of this chapter, challenging tithing is a dangerous task. But if the teachings about the tithe are as clear as I see them to be in scripture, then one has to ask why it is such a volatile issue. For churches that strive to offer ministry founded on integrity, challenging the congregation to stop tithing and start practicing giving should not be an issue. But here is where I see that even the best churches are still strongly influenced by institutional thinking. Institutionalism drives the modern church. To encourage people to give whatever they want to give to wherever they want to give it is a challenge that I would love to see a church embrace, but unfortunately fear will not happen.
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
TITHING- Part 2
Genesis 28: 20-22
“Then Jacob made a vow, saying, ‘If God will be with me and will watch over me on this journey I am taking and will give me food to eat and clothes to wear so that I return safely to my father's house, then the LORD will be my God and this stone that I have set up as a pillar will be God's house, and of all that you give me I will give you a tenth.’”
This next passage is the story of Jacob’s tithe. The tithe that Jacob promised has a few unique features of its own that separate it from the Leviticus laws on tithing that incidentally didn’t come until many years later. The first thing we can see from Jacob’s promise is there is a condition for the tithe. Jacob said if God did His part then Jacob would tithe. This is different from the Leviticus laws because of this condition, but it is also different than what is taught in many churches regarding the tithe even though many contemporary churches use the promise of blessings from tithing as an incentive. But here is the most significant difference between Jacob’s tithe and the Levitical codes on tithing: to whom did Jacob tithe? There were no priests or temple. The only logical conclusion is Jacob gave his tithe as he saw fit. Whether it went to the poor or to those who gave him ministry we are unsure. But it is clear he didn’t give it to the church.
If one chooses to use Genesis 28 as the standard for tithing then there are a couple of elements that must be considered. The first is we give out of blessings, not to receive blessings. Jacob might have been bargaining with God to ensure safety, but Jacob also realized he can’t buy the blessings of God. When anyone claims tithing ensures one will receive blessings then they are manipulating the truth. I believe that because of God’s mercy and the natural reward of sacrifice people do experience joy when they give, even when it is under the pressure of manipulation, but tithing does not guarantee you will receive something in return. That is just a lie by the institution. The second thing we can learn is that if one does choose to tithe, it is not necessary to tithe to the church. We give where God leads us to give in the ways He leads us to give. If you are receiving ministry from your church or believe in a ministry that is offered by the church then, by all means, give to the church. If any church gives the impression that attending the church requires tithing to that church then what they are claiming is there are membership dues. To be honest, I wish there were. It would be a lot more honest.
Leviticus 27: 30-33
“A tithe of everything from the land, whether grain from the soil or fruit from the trees, belongs to the LORD; it is holy to the LORD. If a man redeems any of his tithe, he must add a fifth of the value to it. The entire tithe of the herd and flock-every tenth animal that passes under the shepherd’s rod will be holy to the LORD. He must not pick out the good from the bad or make any substitution. If he does make a substitution, both the animal and its substitute become holy and cannot be redeemed.”
The Old Testament requirements for the tithe are not listed in the Ten Commandments. They were laws that were added as Judaism became more institutional itself. The modern church doesn’t teach that Christians should practice the Levitical code because it is aware Christ came to complete the Law. There are, in fact, 612 other laws we do not practice that are in the same line as the tithe. The moral laws that we continue to teach, such as not murdering and the like, are more about holiness. Yet the modern church continues to teach the Levitical code of tithing. It is the only code that is still expected to be followed. This is interesting in and of itself, but even the Levitical code of tithing has been watered down to meet institutional goals. There are a number of interesting facts from this law on tithing which are radically different than the contemporary teachings on both the way we are expected to tithe today and how the Israelites tithed in the Old Testament.
The first thing we can see is that an Israelite who had fewer than ten cattle born to him in a year did not have to tithe them because the requirements stated that only the tenth animal that passed under the rod had to be tithed. We also see that the tithe was basically on animals and agricultural products, and was paid in kind (the product itself). If one did not wish to pay the tithe in kind, and decided to give money as a substitute, he was penalized and had to add a fifth part of the estimated value to the amount he paid. Such a law was intended to discourage payment of the tithe in money. Remember, the purpose of the tithe was to take care of the Levites, not as payment to God. The Old Testament required a priesthood which took care of ceremonial duties. Christ is the new priest and, therefore, there are no more priests to take care of. Modern ministers may need money to survive and churches may need to meet annual budgets, but the tithe was established to take care of the priesthood, not simply those who offered ministry.
In addition, we see the tithe comes from the land, not the air or sea. Fishermen, for example, were not required to tithe fish. Others were exempt from tithing as well such as tradesmen, cobblers, carpenters, potters, servants, and women. Remember, the original tithe was to take care of the priests. It met a practical need, not a religious duty. It was also the final tenth that was to be tithed, not the first tenth. This is strikingly different than what is taught in the modern church. Also, God did not require the best, only the tenth. This is another remarkably different teaching from the modern church.
Deuteronomy 26: 12
“When you have finished setting aside a tenth of all your produce in the third year, the year of the tithe, you shall give it to the Levite, the alien, the fatherless and the widow, so that they may eat in your towns and be satisfied.”
From this passage it is clear the Israelites never tithed from their poverty, but on their increase. God never intended for people to tithe on what they didn’t have, but only on the increase of what God gave them. Paul reflects in 2 Corinthians 8: 10-12, “Giving whatever you can out of whatever you have.” Paul warned about “peddling” the Word of God in 2 Corinthians 2:17. When we as leaders begin to peddle our faith, what we are in essence doing is prostituting ourselves by saying “If you give to my requirements then I will share a little bit of God with you.” We are called to preach the Word of God and make disciples. This does include teachings about giving, but not in a way that ever benefits us. We must be diligent to keep our integrity when teaching the Word of God.
Behind the veil I learned far too much about campaign drives, seasonal offerings, and annual budgets. I understand an organization must maintain itself, but when a ministry becomes an organization it is positioning itself to HAVE TO take care of itself. One of the most frustrating and manipulative things I ever saw the last church that I work at do dealt with a campaign drive to raise money for a new building that was built, but couldn’t afford. The church put together teams to visit members that had stopped coming to the church, started calling members to ask how the church could pray for them, and put together prayer vigils to pray for the health and ministry of the church. Each of these three programs were instituted by the campaign drive committee. The institution didn’t care about the health of the church, only the existence of it.
“Then Jacob made a vow, saying, ‘If God will be with me and will watch over me on this journey I am taking and will give me food to eat and clothes to wear so that I return safely to my father's house, then the LORD will be my God and this stone that I have set up as a pillar will be God's house, and of all that you give me I will give you a tenth.’”
This next passage is the story of Jacob’s tithe. The tithe that Jacob promised has a few unique features of its own that separate it from the Leviticus laws on tithing that incidentally didn’t come until many years later. The first thing we can see from Jacob’s promise is there is a condition for the tithe. Jacob said if God did His part then Jacob would tithe. This is different from the Leviticus laws because of this condition, but it is also different than what is taught in many churches regarding the tithe even though many contemporary churches use the promise of blessings from tithing as an incentive. But here is the most significant difference between Jacob’s tithe and the Levitical codes on tithing: to whom did Jacob tithe? There were no priests or temple. The only logical conclusion is Jacob gave his tithe as he saw fit. Whether it went to the poor or to those who gave him ministry we are unsure. But it is clear he didn’t give it to the church.
If one chooses to use Genesis 28 as the standard for tithing then there are a couple of elements that must be considered. The first is we give out of blessings, not to receive blessings. Jacob might have been bargaining with God to ensure safety, but Jacob also realized he can’t buy the blessings of God. When anyone claims tithing ensures one will receive blessings then they are manipulating the truth. I believe that because of God’s mercy and the natural reward of sacrifice people do experience joy when they give, even when it is under the pressure of manipulation, but tithing does not guarantee you will receive something in return. That is just a lie by the institution. The second thing we can learn is that if one does choose to tithe, it is not necessary to tithe to the church. We give where God leads us to give in the ways He leads us to give. If you are receiving ministry from your church or believe in a ministry that is offered by the church then, by all means, give to the church. If any church gives the impression that attending the church requires tithing to that church then what they are claiming is there are membership dues. To be honest, I wish there were. It would be a lot more honest.
Leviticus 27: 30-33
“A tithe of everything from the land, whether grain from the soil or fruit from the trees, belongs to the LORD; it is holy to the LORD. If a man redeems any of his tithe, he must add a fifth of the value to it. The entire tithe of the herd and flock-every tenth animal that passes under the shepherd’s rod will be holy to the LORD. He must not pick out the good from the bad or make any substitution. If he does make a substitution, both the animal and its substitute become holy and cannot be redeemed.”
The Old Testament requirements for the tithe are not listed in the Ten Commandments. They were laws that were added as Judaism became more institutional itself. The modern church doesn’t teach that Christians should practice the Levitical code because it is aware Christ came to complete the Law. There are, in fact, 612 other laws we do not practice that are in the same line as the tithe. The moral laws that we continue to teach, such as not murdering and the like, are more about holiness. Yet the modern church continues to teach the Levitical code of tithing. It is the only code that is still expected to be followed. This is interesting in and of itself, but even the Levitical code of tithing has been watered down to meet institutional goals. There are a number of interesting facts from this law on tithing which are radically different than the contemporary teachings on both the way we are expected to tithe today and how the Israelites tithed in the Old Testament.
The first thing we can see is that an Israelite who had fewer than ten cattle born to him in a year did not have to tithe them because the requirements stated that only the tenth animal that passed under the rod had to be tithed. We also see that the tithe was basically on animals and agricultural products, and was paid in kind (the product itself). If one did not wish to pay the tithe in kind, and decided to give money as a substitute, he was penalized and had to add a fifth part of the estimated value to the amount he paid. Such a law was intended to discourage payment of the tithe in money. Remember, the purpose of the tithe was to take care of the Levites, not as payment to God. The Old Testament required a priesthood which took care of ceremonial duties. Christ is the new priest and, therefore, there are no more priests to take care of. Modern ministers may need money to survive and churches may need to meet annual budgets, but the tithe was established to take care of the priesthood, not simply those who offered ministry.
In addition, we see the tithe comes from the land, not the air or sea. Fishermen, for example, were not required to tithe fish. Others were exempt from tithing as well such as tradesmen, cobblers, carpenters, potters, servants, and women. Remember, the original tithe was to take care of the priests. It met a practical need, not a religious duty. It was also the final tenth that was to be tithed, not the first tenth. This is strikingly different than what is taught in the modern church. Also, God did not require the best, only the tenth. This is another remarkably different teaching from the modern church.
Deuteronomy 26: 12
“When you have finished setting aside a tenth of all your produce in the third year, the year of the tithe, you shall give it to the Levite, the alien, the fatherless and the widow, so that they may eat in your towns and be satisfied.”
From this passage it is clear the Israelites never tithed from their poverty, but on their increase. God never intended for people to tithe on what they didn’t have, but only on the increase of what God gave them. Paul reflects in 2 Corinthians 8: 10-12, “Giving whatever you can out of whatever you have.” Paul warned about “peddling” the Word of God in 2 Corinthians 2:17. When we as leaders begin to peddle our faith, what we are in essence doing is prostituting ourselves by saying “If you give to my requirements then I will share a little bit of God with you.” We are called to preach the Word of God and make disciples. This does include teachings about giving, but not in a way that ever benefits us. We must be diligent to keep our integrity when teaching the Word of God.
Behind the veil I learned far too much about campaign drives, seasonal offerings, and annual budgets. I understand an organization must maintain itself, but when a ministry becomes an organization it is positioning itself to HAVE TO take care of itself. One of the most frustrating and manipulative things I ever saw the last church that I work at do dealt with a campaign drive to raise money for a new building that was built, but couldn’t afford. The church put together teams to visit members that had stopped coming to the church, started calling members to ask how the church could pray for them, and put together prayer vigils to pray for the health and ministry of the church. Each of these three programs were instituted by the campaign drive committee. The institution didn’t care about the health of the church, only the existence of it.
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
TITHING- Part 1
"We live in a competitive religious marketplace. You have to be competitive if you are going to attract and keep members." (John Smith, church consultant)
The first and most important thing to keep in mind as you read this chapter is it is not my intention to convince anyone to stop tithing. My goal is to show that tithing is not a biblical standard and should not be taught as such. If, however, you feel God calling you to give what you refer to as a tithe to the church which you belong then continue to do so. But you should in no way feel guilty about not tithing nor should you feel pressured to tithe. The biblical standard is to practice the discipline of giving. Giving requires much more, but it is not a religious obligation nor is the value or destination of the gift predetermined.
My interest in studying tithing happened shortly after I began working at the last church that I worked in. Two of my closest friends were fired from their position as associate ministers of their own churches because they questioned tithing as an unbiblical teaching. I was shocked at how volatile an issue it could be. Personally I was always bothered by the excessive talk about tithing in the institution, but because I felt it was a biblical teaching and it was necessary I didn’t think about it too much. Like many in the church, I felt teaching people about tithing was a teaching on spiritual disciplines that ultimately helped the person in their relationship with Christ. But as I grew in my professional role in the church and became more aware of the politics of the church the more I was concerned by what was being taught from the pulpit about tithing.
As I began to study tithing I became aware of certain truths that were unpopular. As I shared my views within my ministry I began to face some adversity of my own. Now note that I wasn’t openly proclaiming giving money to the church was wrong. I was simply sharing true biblical teachings on the tithe when it was appropriate. When I was finally fired from my last position one of the primary reasons I was given was because of my views on tithing. While discussing my position of tithing I was asked, “Who do you think you work for anyway?” Increasing people’s awareness of their responsibility to tithe, as it is approached, is one of the primary goals of the institution. This is incredibly troublesome, but is expected. The turning point of any healthy community to an institutional paradigm is when the perceived health of the church is dependent on its income. This can be motivated by greed, competition, or ignorance, but the results are always the same.
My personal study on tithing was intended to be objective. Remember, at the time of my initial study I still supported the tithe. But I found virtually no credible argument for tithing in scripture or theology. I found rhetoric and institutional growth strategies, but no reasonable justification for it. What I did find was support for tithing in the Old Testament that was either invalidated by the new covenant (both grace and the new priesthood) or New Testament teachings on the discipline of giving (which I support and is not the same thing as the tithe). My study of tithing took me to seven passages of scripture. I have chosen these passages because they are not only scripture which can be used to dispute tithing, but are often used to support tithing as well. They include scripture on Abraham’s encounter with Melchezedek, Jacob’s agreement with God regarding his tithe, Levitical codes regarding the rules on tithing as understood by the Israelites, one of the many selections from Deuteronomy, the third chapter of Malachi, Jesus’ teachings on tithing, and the early church teachings regarding the tithe. I will quickly look at each of these in biblical order.
Genesis 14: 20
“And blessed be God Most High, who delivered your enemies into your hand." Then Abram gave him a tenth of everything.”
The first passage is a significant one regarding the tithe. Genesis 14 takes place approximately 2000 years after the story of Adam and Eve from a literalist perspective. During those years there is no biblical reference to tithing. And despite the fact Abram was making money, there is also no record that Abram ever tithed as a result of some biblical law that told him to do so. When he did give one tenth, it was not of the increase of his flocks and herds, which was the tithe prescribed by the Law, but rather of the spoils of war he had gained by defeating the army from Mesopotamia. After receiving ministry from Melchezedek he gave 10% of the spoils to him and the remainder to Sodom. So even though Abraham may have given a tenth to a priest, it cannot be used as a standard of tithing. But it is a standard of giving. Abraham gave to the one that ministered to him out of free will and the leading of God. The discipline of giving has no religious connection. The priesthood of Melchezedek was postponed temporarily for the Aaronic priesthood which was religious in nature. But when Jesus reestablishes the priesthood in the order of Melchezedek, the standard of giving is also reestablished.
By looking at this passage in Genesis there are a number of things we can learn. The first is that it is unique. Leviticus requires that a tithe is agricultural or cattle. Abraham specifically gave from the plunder of war. Furthermore, there is nothing here to suggest that Abraham tithed after this encounter with Melchizedek. The next thing we can see that is unique is that Abraham gave to someone other than a Levite, as required by the Law. An understandable argument to support the tithe is Melchezedek was far before there were Levites, but he was still a priest. This is a good argument, but Melchezedek was also a king which is significantly different than what a Levite was. The point is there was no standard set by Abraham on giving to a priest. This is simply further evidence the encounter was unique. As we look at this passage in Genesis 14 and compare it with the writings in Hebrews about the Genesis 14 writings, it is obvious the point in Hebrews is we, as believers, are under a new priesthood. Genesis 14 represents a type or foreshadowing. Therefore, the argument that chapter 14 in Genesis sets a standard for tithing is, in fact, the best argument against such a requirement.
The first and most important thing to keep in mind as you read this chapter is it is not my intention to convince anyone to stop tithing. My goal is to show that tithing is not a biblical standard and should not be taught as such. If, however, you feel God calling you to give what you refer to as a tithe to the church which you belong then continue to do so. But you should in no way feel guilty about not tithing nor should you feel pressured to tithe. The biblical standard is to practice the discipline of giving. Giving requires much more, but it is not a religious obligation nor is the value or destination of the gift predetermined.
My interest in studying tithing happened shortly after I began working at the last church that I worked in. Two of my closest friends were fired from their position as associate ministers of their own churches because they questioned tithing as an unbiblical teaching. I was shocked at how volatile an issue it could be. Personally I was always bothered by the excessive talk about tithing in the institution, but because I felt it was a biblical teaching and it was necessary I didn’t think about it too much. Like many in the church, I felt teaching people about tithing was a teaching on spiritual disciplines that ultimately helped the person in their relationship with Christ. But as I grew in my professional role in the church and became more aware of the politics of the church the more I was concerned by what was being taught from the pulpit about tithing.
As I began to study tithing I became aware of certain truths that were unpopular. As I shared my views within my ministry I began to face some adversity of my own. Now note that I wasn’t openly proclaiming giving money to the church was wrong. I was simply sharing true biblical teachings on the tithe when it was appropriate. When I was finally fired from my last position one of the primary reasons I was given was because of my views on tithing. While discussing my position of tithing I was asked, “Who do you think you work for anyway?” Increasing people’s awareness of their responsibility to tithe, as it is approached, is one of the primary goals of the institution. This is incredibly troublesome, but is expected. The turning point of any healthy community to an institutional paradigm is when the perceived health of the church is dependent on its income. This can be motivated by greed, competition, or ignorance, but the results are always the same.
My personal study on tithing was intended to be objective. Remember, at the time of my initial study I still supported the tithe. But I found virtually no credible argument for tithing in scripture or theology. I found rhetoric and institutional growth strategies, but no reasonable justification for it. What I did find was support for tithing in the Old Testament that was either invalidated by the new covenant (both grace and the new priesthood) or New Testament teachings on the discipline of giving (which I support and is not the same thing as the tithe). My study of tithing took me to seven passages of scripture. I have chosen these passages because they are not only scripture which can be used to dispute tithing, but are often used to support tithing as well. They include scripture on Abraham’s encounter with Melchezedek, Jacob’s agreement with God regarding his tithe, Levitical codes regarding the rules on tithing as understood by the Israelites, one of the many selections from Deuteronomy, the third chapter of Malachi, Jesus’ teachings on tithing, and the early church teachings regarding the tithe. I will quickly look at each of these in biblical order.
Genesis 14: 20
“And blessed be God Most High, who delivered your enemies into your hand." Then Abram gave him a tenth of everything.”
The first passage is a significant one regarding the tithe. Genesis 14 takes place approximately 2000 years after the story of Adam and Eve from a literalist perspective. During those years there is no biblical reference to tithing. And despite the fact Abram was making money, there is also no record that Abram ever tithed as a result of some biblical law that told him to do so. When he did give one tenth, it was not of the increase of his flocks and herds, which was the tithe prescribed by the Law, but rather of the spoils of war he had gained by defeating the army from Mesopotamia. After receiving ministry from Melchezedek he gave 10% of the spoils to him and the remainder to Sodom. So even though Abraham may have given a tenth to a priest, it cannot be used as a standard of tithing. But it is a standard of giving. Abraham gave to the one that ministered to him out of free will and the leading of God. The discipline of giving has no religious connection. The priesthood of Melchezedek was postponed temporarily for the Aaronic priesthood which was religious in nature. But when Jesus reestablishes the priesthood in the order of Melchezedek, the standard of giving is also reestablished.
By looking at this passage in Genesis there are a number of things we can learn. The first is that it is unique. Leviticus requires that a tithe is agricultural or cattle. Abraham specifically gave from the plunder of war. Furthermore, there is nothing here to suggest that Abraham tithed after this encounter with Melchizedek. The next thing we can see that is unique is that Abraham gave to someone other than a Levite, as required by the Law. An understandable argument to support the tithe is Melchezedek was far before there were Levites, but he was still a priest. This is a good argument, but Melchezedek was also a king which is significantly different than what a Levite was. The point is there was no standard set by Abraham on giving to a priest. This is simply further evidence the encounter was unique. As we look at this passage in Genesis 14 and compare it with the writings in Hebrews about the Genesis 14 writings, it is obvious the point in Hebrews is we, as believers, are under a new priesthood. Genesis 14 represents a type or foreshadowing. Therefore, the argument that chapter 14 in Genesis sets a standard for tithing is, in fact, the best argument against such a requirement.
Monday, January 11, 2010
CONFESSION- Part 3
God’s House
Beginning in verse two of chapter three we see the analogy of a house. Still comparing Jesus and Moses, the author says Moses has honor for being the house, but Jesus has greater honor for being the architect of the house. This might seem a little confusing, especially since in a couple of verse Moses is referred to as the servant of the house. The easiest, yet most profound, way I can put it is that Moses represents the old covenant. He was its leader and founder. He served it vigilantly and was exemplary in his obedience. But regardless of his best efforts, it is still God’s covenant. Because it was designed by God it is still good. But he has the right, as the builder, to build something better. But not only is it God’s design, but Jesus’. All things are created through and for Jesus. He is the head of the house. What this means for us is serving God under some old form is still good because it is still a design of God. But the builder has built something better and has invited you to cohabitate with Him in it. But to take it a step further, the master plan was for you to live in the better house the whole time. The old house was supposed to be temporary. So, yea, it may be good and meet all your needs, but to refuse to move into the better house negates the master plan.
I am going to complicate it a little here. In verses five and six we discover it isn’t just a house that was built for us to live in, but that we are intended to be the new house. It isn’t just that God wants to bless us with more stuff, it is that he wants to perfect us just as Jesus was perfected in this life for a greater purpose. In the new house, a new identity, we can experience joy like we never have imagined and can understand pain with discernment. We can discover our destiny and know true intimacy. In verse five and six we see Moses was a servant of the house, but that Jesus is the builder of the house. From this we can learn that when we fix our eyes on Jesus, not behavior, blessings, the church, or anything else we will be perfected. By fixing our eyes on Jesus we will hold fast, we will not drift, we will be anchored deep, and we will know God. It is time that we reclaim the identity we are offered through Christ. That identity is not one of a radical church member, but as a radical disciple of Christ.
First Exposure
The author uses this chapter to begin to tell the reader what is expected from a relationship with God. Specifically, a relationship with Christ must eventually mature and move out of religious and self-benefiting behavior and into intimacy. The institutional church, however, is more of an arena for self-indulgence than an opportunity to mature. Very often, and probably more often than not, the institutional power structure has been filled by individuals who use their influence and power to meet personal goals and to exploit the resources of the church.
My first exposure to what happens behind the veil was when I was a sophomore in high school. I was the youth group president and was expected to attend administrative board meetings. The topic of the day was a heated topic about a certain Sunday school class in the church that was causing some to feel uncomfortable during worship. Our church hosted a class for a small group of mentally retarded adults who were very committed to being a part of the church. The class sat on the front pew. The adults in this class probably weren’t the best behaved people in the church, but the youth group that I was a part of which sat together was a much bigger distraction (as if that should even be a concern any way). The problem was that these individuals made others uncomfortable due to their mental retardation more than anything else. The individuals who were bothered by the presence of this class were glad to say their church hosted a class for adults with mental retardation, but just didn’t want to have to see them.
This form of ignorance and self-indulgence can be expected to be found in any group of people. But what bothered me most wasn’t that people felt this way (even though this did bother me), but that it was a topic that was being discussed in such a way that the group would eventually have to sit at the back of the church. Because those who objected to the presence of mentally retarded adults were influential and prominent leaders, justice and love were sacrificed. This wasn’t an example of everyone having a chance to share their opinion, but of those who gave money using that as a way to manipulate the ministry of the church.
Today
Beginning in verse seven of chapter three the author explores Psalm 95 to explain what we are to do with what we have learned. Within this section there are two words which are critically important for understanding our response to the invitation: Today and rest. Psalm 95, as references in Hebrews 3: 7-11 describes what has been the called the Israelites “inglorious history in the wilderness.” This might seem like a strange transition, but the purpose of this exposition is if under Moses people turned from God and it provoked God, how much more will it provoke God when we turn from Jesus? Remember, we just looked at Jesus’ supremacy over Moses, grace’s supremacy over the Law. The passage begins with a call to each of us, “Today…hear his voice”. Hebrews is no doubt a call to greater intimacy with Christ, but it is also a call to purpose. We are not merely called to a spiritual livelihood where we can boast of how well we know Jesus. The greatest evidence God is still at work in powerful ways today is in the ways Christians actively express love toward one another and beyond, advocate for justice and mercy, and are moved to care for the poor and sick. Unfortunately, as we saw at the beginning of this chapter in the statistics from George Barna, Christians are not prompted to this type of action as often as we would like to think. I blame the church for this.
The fact is that a response to a greater calling is waiting. This is a calling that goes beyond what your occupation will be. It is a call to identify yourself as a child of God. How that works itself is completely secondary. Your identity is as a child of God, not as a minister, missionary, or any other activity. It is out of this identity we minister. And this is not about heaven and hell. If you narrow a calling to know and serve God down to some form of divine prestige then you can never serve out of a genuine identity that is rooted in Christ. This new identity is about becoming what we were intended to become. That is the funny thing. It isn’t even about becoming more than we were intended to be. We were intended for this type of communion with God and purposeful living. And, this is critical, when we live as we were intended to be it may be ignominious. It can either be being seen as a weed by Christians and non-Christians alike or it could mean blending into the landscape. When our identity is rooted in Christ alone, not our ministry, we are subject to whatever Christ has called us to.
This passage still might sound a lot like hellfire and brimstone, but in fact, this is a great call to worship the true God. The time in the wilderness for the Israelites was called by one of my references, “The Great Bitterness”. For the Israelites, the time in the wilderness was for testing to see if they would trust God. Thomas Merton called the wilderness holy because humans have no use for it. He claimed the wilderness is considered holy because by the Israelites because since people have no use for it then God is able to use it for whatever He pleases. The desert is uncontaminated by agendas, theology, and personal baggage. The longer one spends in the wilderness the more they are reduced to their basic and natural self. For the Israelites, it took forty years to get to a place where they could let God work the way He wanted to. For those of us who have been burdened by the agendas and theology of the institutional church who want a way out, it requires a time in the desert as well.
When I began this journey of my own I thought it was going to be the freedom I longed for. I thought I had been rescued from an island of depression. In many ways it was the rescue I longed for, but after three years I still have a lot of baggage I am turning over to God. Every time I came to some peace with what this transition means new areas of the old covenant are revealed. I didn’t think it was going to be difficult. In many ways it is the happiest I have ever been, but especially as I look for a career I want to retreat to what is safe and predictable. But it isn’t just leaving the institution that is harder than I thought, but embracing the new covenant. It is hard to learn to let my identity rest in Christ alone. It is hard to be completely vulnerable while at the same time feel completely empowered. It is hard to know God and to be known by God. But I also know this time in my life is holy and I will treasure one day what it meant to me.
In the midst of this message on seeking God is a warning. The message is that grumbling prevents rest. The author says to either worship God (even in times of trial) or run risk of missing out on rest. The Israelites in the wilderness describe what many today feel as they seek to know God with deeper communion. Assuming you don’t give up somewhere in the process, it is a cycle of wholeheartedness in the beginning. It then moves to a period of grumbling. To say it is just a time of struggle takes the blame off of us. It is us that make intimacy difficult. Despite our grumbling, God then gives us enough provision to make it another day. Eventually we get back to a place of passionate beginnings again. Seeking forgiveness during times of grumbling and backsliding is important, but it is ultimately God who provides for us despite our failure. That is to say, it is sticking with it that builds a relationship with God. It is what we do after we confess our sin and seek forgiveness that produces maturity. Forgiveness already exists. By seeking forgiveness we are simply accepting the forgiveness. Repentance follows forgiveness, not the other way around. Contemporary Christianity, on the other hand, claims seeking forgiveness is the biggest part of the equation. Dealing with our sin is dealing with the road bumps that are a part of maturing, even if those road bumps are enormous.
With that, I encourage you to enter your personal wilderness in confidence. It is often when we do this that God is revealed. Deal with sin that needs to be dealt with. Seek a community that will nurture your maturity. Discover your purpose. But above all else, know that your time in the wilderness has a purpose of its own. Don’t try to hurry out it and don’t listen to people who tell you that it isn’t God’s will for you to be in the wilderness. With confidence, allow God to work the way He wants to work with the knowledge that on the other side is intimacy and purpose.
Beginning in verse two of chapter three we see the analogy of a house. Still comparing Jesus and Moses, the author says Moses has honor for being the house, but Jesus has greater honor for being the architect of the house. This might seem a little confusing, especially since in a couple of verse Moses is referred to as the servant of the house. The easiest, yet most profound, way I can put it is that Moses represents the old covenant. He was its leader and founder. He served it vigilantly and was exemplary in his obedience. But regardless of his best efforts, it is still God’s covenant. Because it was designed by God it is still good. But he has the right, as the builder, to build something better. But not only is it God’s design, but Jesus’. All things are created through and for Jesus. He is the head of the house. What this means for us is serving God under some old form is still good because it is still a design of God. But the builder has built something better and has invited you to cohabitate with Him in it. But to take it a step further, the master plan was for you to live in the better house the whole time. The old house was supposed to be temporary. So, yea, it may be good and meet all your needs, but to refuse to move into the better house negates the master plan.
I am going to complicate it a little here. In verses five and six we discover it isn’t just a house that was built for us to live in, but that we are intended to be the new house. It isn’t just that God wants to bless us with more stuff, it is that he wants to perfect us just as Jesus was perfected in this life for a greater purpose. In the new house, a new identity, we can experience joy like we never have imagined and can understand pain with discernment. We can discover our destiny and know true intimacy. In verse five and six we see Moses was a servant of the house, but that Jesus is the builder of the house. From this we can learn that when we fix our eyes on Jesus, not behavior, blessings, the church, or anything else we will be perfected. By fixing our eyes on Jesus we will hold fast, we will not drift, we will be anchored deep, and we will know God. It is time that we reclaim the identity we are offered through Christ. That identity is not one of a radical church member, but as a radical disciple of Christ.
First Exposure
The author uses this chapter to begin to tell the reader what is expected from a relationship with God. Specifically, a relationship with Christ must eventually mature and move out of religious and self-benefiting behavior and into intimacy. The institutional church, however, is more of an arena for self-indulgence than an opportunity to mature. Very often, and probably more often than not, the institutional power structure has been filled by individuals who use their influence and power to meet personal goals and to exploit the resources of the church.
My first exposure to what happens behind the veil was when I was a sophomore in high school. I was the youth group president and was expected to attend administrative board meetings. The topic of the day was a heated topic about a certain Sunday school class in the church that was causing some to feel uncomfortable during worship. Our church hosted a class for a small group of mentally retarded adults who were very committed to being a part of the church. The class sat on the front pew. The adults in this class probably weren’t the best behaved people in the church, but the youth group that I was a part of which sat together was a much bigger distraction (as if that should even be a concern any way). The problem was that these individuals made others uncomfortable due to their mental retardation more than anything else. The individuals who were bothered by the presence of this class were glad to say their church hosted a class for adults with mental retardation, but just didn’t want to have to see them.
This form of ignorance and self-indulgence can be expected to be found in any group of people. But what bothered me most wasn’t that people felt this way (even though this did bother me), but that it was a topic that was being discussed in such a way that the group would eventually have to sit at the back of the church. Because those who objected to the presence of mentally retarded adults were influential and prominent leaders, justice and love were sacrificed. This wasn’t an example of everyone having a chance to share their opinion, but of those who gave money using that as a way to manipulate the ministry of the church.
Today
Beginning in verse seven of chapter three the author explores Psalm 95 to explain what we are to do with what we have learned. Within this section there are two words which are critically important for understanding our response to the invitation: Today and rest. Psalm 95, as references in Hebrews 3: 7-11 describes what has been the called the Israelites “inglorious history in the wilderness.” This might seem like a strange transition, but the purpose of this exposition is if under Moses people turned from God and it provoked God, how much more will it provoke God when we turn from Jesus? Remember, we just looked at Jesus’ supremacy over Moses, grace’s supremacy over the Law. The passage begins with a call to each of us, “Today…hear his voice”. Hebrews is no doubt a call to greater intimacy with Christ, but it is also a call to purpose. We are not merely called to a spiritual livelihood where we can boast of how well we know Jesus. The greatest evidence God is still at work in powerful ways today is in the ways Christians actively express love toward one another and beyond, advocate for justice and mercy, and are moved to care for the poor and sick. Unfortunately, as we saw at the beginning of this chapter in the statistics from George Barna, Christians are not prompted to this type of action as often as we would like to think. I blame the church for this.
The fact is that a response to a greater calling is waiting. This is a calling that goes beyond what your occupation will be. It is a call to identify yourself as a child of God. How that works itself is completely secondary. Your identity is as a child of God, not as a minister, missionary, or any other activity. It is out of this identity we minister. And this is not about heaven and hell. If you narrow a calling to know and serve God down to some form of divine prestige then you can never serve out of a genuine identity that is rooted in Christ. This new identity is about becoming what we were intended to become. That is the funny thing. It isn’t even about becoming more than we were intended to be. We were intended for this type of communion with God and purposeful living. And, this is critical, when we live as we were intended to be it may be ignominious. It can either be being seen as a weed by Christians and non-Christians alike or it could mean blending into the landscape. When our identity is rooted in Christ alone, not our ministry, we are subject to whatever Christ has called us to.
This passage still might sound a lot like hellfire and brimstone, but in fact, this is a great call to worship the true God. The time in the wilderness for the Israelites was called by one of my references, “The Great Bitterness”. For the Israelites, the time in the wilderness was for testing to see if they would trust God. Thomas Merton called the wilderness holy because humans have no use for it. He claimed the wilderness is considered holy because by the Israelites because since people have no use for it then God is able to use it for whatever He pleases. The desert is uncontaminated by agendas, theology, and personal baggage. The longer one spends in the wilderness the more they are reduced to their basic and natural self. For the Israelites, it took forty years to get to a place where they could let God work the way He wanted to. For those of us who have been burdened by the agendas and theology of the institutional church who want a way out, it requires a time in the desert as well.
When I began this journey of my own I thought it was going to be the freedom I longed for. I thought I had been rescued from an island of depression. In many ways it was the rescue I longed for, but after three years I still have a lot of baggage I am turning over to God. Every time I came to some peace with what this transition means new areas of the old covenant are revealed. I didn’t think it was going to be difficult. In many ways it is the happiest I have ever been, but especially as I look for a career I want to retreat to what is safe and predictable. But it isn’t just leaving the institution that is harder than I thought, but embracing the new covenant. It is hard to learn to let my identity rest in Christ alone. It is hard to be completely vulnerable while at the same time feel completely empowered. It is hard to know God and to be known by God. But I also know this time in my life is holy and I will treasure one day what it meant to me.
In the midst of this message on seeking God is a warning. The message is that grumbling prevents rest. The author says to either worship God (even in times of trial) or run risk of missing out on rest. The Israelites in the wilderness describe what many today feel as they seek to know God with deeper communion. Assuming you don’t give up somewhere in the process, it is a cycle of wholeheartedness in the beginning. It then moves to a period of grumbling. To say it is just a time of struggle takes the blame off of us. It is us that make intimacy difficult. Despite our grumbling, God then gives us enough provision to make it another day. Eventually we get back to a place of passionate beginnings again. Seeking forgiveness during times of grumbling and backsliding is important, but it is ultimately God who provides for us despite our failure. That is to say, it is sticking with it that builds a relationship with God. It is what we do after we confess our sin and seek forgiveness that produces maturity. Forgiveness already exists. By seeking forgiveness we are simply accepting the forgiveness. Repentance follows forgiveness, not the other way around. Contemporary Christianity, on the other hand, claims seeking forgiveness is the biggest part of the equation. Dealing with our sin is dealing with the road bumps that are a part of maturing, even if those road bumps are enormous.
With that, I encourage you to enter your personal wilderness in confidence. It is often when we do this that God is revealed. Deal with sin that needs to be dealt with. Seek a community that will nurture your maturity. Discover your purpose. But above all else, know that your time in the wilderness has a purpose of its own. Don’t try to hurry out it and don’t listen to people who tell you that it isn’t God’s will for you to be in the wilderness. With confidence, allow God to work the way He wants to work with the knowledge that on the other side is intimacy and purpose.
Friday, January 8, 2010
CONFESSION- Part 2
Therefore…
Getting back to Hebrews passage I began this chapter with, the first eleven verses of this chapter explore an exposition on Psalm 95: 7-11. This is the third Psalm exposition so far in Hebrews. From the very first time that I read Hebrews I was struck by how often the word “therefore” was used. The author is clearly building an argument that is intricate. That is not to say the gospel of Christ is difficult, but making the transition from old covenant thinking to new covenant thinking is difficult. Even a couple of years ago I found myself embracing and preaching the true gospel of Christ while continuing to use old covenant thinking. I think that happens a lot in the emerging sect of Christianity. I see this often in new church communities. There will be a group of people that want to “do” church different. For a while they do a pretty good job, but because it was established out of frustration about the old form and not about an embrace of something better it is just the same thing. It is putting new wine in an old wineskin. It will corrupt itself. The majority of the time this new emerging community ends up looking just like the community they left with a smaller building and catchier music. Eventually this new church’s primary goal is to have a new, larger building.
Chapter three of Hebrews is reinforcing the sacrifice of Christ above all else. The chapter begins this by placing Christ above one of the central characters in the Old Testament, Moses. There is no one more important to the Jews. The author began by placing Jesus above the prophets. Big statement. Then he goes a step further by placing Him above the angels. Even bigger statement. Now he is taking it all the way and puts Jesus above Moses. This approach is to build an argument regarding the central issue of Hebrews, access to God. For the original readers there was a limitation to access to God which was blocked by Old Testament tradition, keeping of the Law, and the culture of Judaism. For us, access to God is often blocked by the same things: tradition, acting the right way or appearing happy, and the culture of Christianity.
I am going to begin my journey through chapter three by looking specifically at Christ’s superiority over Moses. Previously in Hebrews Jesus’ superiority over the prophets in Psalm 2 is reviewed, Jesus over the angels in Psalm 8, and now Jesus over Moses in Psalm 95. Is there more to using Psalms as the primary reference for prophets, angels and Moses than literary technique? I think so. The Psalms are a collection of poetry by people about their joys and frustrations being in a relationship with God. The author of Hebrews realized frustrations and joys are significant parts of not only knowing God, but being in his will. Old covenant thinking can be found today as much as in the Old Testament. New, old covenant thinking is so often about avoiding the frustrations of knowing God. In contemporary faith we often talk about this type of frustration, but the subtle message is very different than true intimacy. The best way that I can put it is that frustrations are okay in retrospect. It is great if a Christian can say he has struggled with doubt, but not that he is struggling with doubt. When someone expresses any frustration which is currently happening the response is to help that person see the errors of his ways, repent, and not struggle anymore. The wayward believer isn’t judged as long as they repent because of the great testimony it produces about the grace of God. But look in the Old Testament at the heroes of our faith. Jacob wrestled with God his whole life, David, the author of many of the Psalms, seemed to continue to struggle with God, and Moses seemed to argue with God on a regular basis.
I believe the author of Hebrew uses the Psalms to stress the superiority of Christ over the old covenant because true intimacy with God, the basis of the new covenant, is about the ups and the downs of a real relationship. My wife and I are not as close as we are because our life has been all grins and giggles. We have faced dealing with a son that went through a major surgeries before he was one years old. We have dealt with false accusations of child abuse toward that son due to an injury that couldn’t be explained. We have faced me being unemployed after being fired from a church and not being able to find a job. And the list goes on and on. We are close to God not only because of the multitude of blessings that He gives us, but because of the multitude of trials that He allows us to face. A critical part of intimacy with God is we struggle with His will, our sin, and the struggles of this life. It is a lie that is often used as a means of recruiting new members in the church today that becoming a Christian makes life amazing. Often what becoming a Christian means is that it makes life livable. That is not to say that life isn’t great with God. Once you experience a real relationship with God I can’t imagine why anyone would do it any other way. But for all the burdens you are able to hand over to God there is a reality of this world that is revealed.
Let’s get back to this passage. In addition to, or as a part of, Jesus’ superiority over Moses, it is also a warning against disobedience and unbelief. I think the author feels it is important to stress at this point that despite all he has written about the new relationship with God through Christ not being about old covenant behaviors, it is still about holiness. Obedience isn’t just doing what we’re supposed to do, but being in communion with God. When we are living in communion with God our behaviors will reflect that communion. When we are not living in communion with God our behaviors will reflect that as well. Communion is not an in or out type thing though. It is a process of learning to be in communion. Maturity is the process growing in communion with God. There are a lot of implications here for reconciling our behaviors with our values. Someone can have good values with bad behaviors or bad values with good behavior. We have to be careful not to equate the two. But ultimately, neither is the primary goal. If someone wants to truly develop in each area they have to get to the source: communion with God. For most of my life I used an old covenant formula to serve my needs. True communion with God can’t be about how it serves your interest. I have used the word intimacy a lot in this book, but don’t mistake that with equality. I have chosen the word communion with God for this chapter because despite the intimate relationship God wants to have with us, He is still God.
Looking at this passage in a little more detail we can see this a little clearer. The author makes a point by comparing Jesus to Moses. Among all the other reasons this is significant, just as Moses led people from bondage to the Promised Land, Jesus leads people from the bondage of the old covenant to the freedom of the new covenant. The early Christians faced two equal and opposite pressures: One is living by the Law and tradition and the other is living by the grace that they have in Christ. The author of Hebrews doesn’t diminish the Law (prophets, angels, Moses). The Old Testament standards are still the standards of righteousness in many ways. Hebrews simply makes Jesus greater. Grace is not a free pass to sin. In fact, it is a call to greater holiness than ever before. Regardless of how much I write about it is not what you do, but who you are, you are still called to perfection. Passion serves a purpose in a relationship with God. For many, traditions and rituals might serve a purpose. But ultimately the greatest test of communion is obedience.
For the original readers, the struggle was that in many ways what they had before worked. The author challenges the assumption of what seems to work. Just because something is working for you doesn’t mean it is the truth. He does this by saying that Moses is great, but Jesus is greater. The old covenant was good, but the new one is better. Remember this is a warning from the author to make sure we fix our eyes on Jesus. The author says we confess Christ therefore we need to act in accordance with what we He brings. The author is saying it is time to become a Christian. He is saying Christians need to start acting like it. For the original readers, that meant to stop relying on the traditions of the Old Testament for spiritual growth. For us it means a cultural form of faith doesn’t cut it. It means being a really good member of a church doesn’t cut it. It means that seeking the blessings of God alone doesn’t cut it. It means that it is time to fix our eyes on Christ.
My time in the institutionalized church revealed to me that the church, for the most part, isn’t ready for that type of commitment. Developing good members is more often than not the real goal. Radical obedience upsets a system and the more an institution is organized the less it can handle disruption. The churches I served in stressed radical membership, not maturity. I am now ashamed at how often I gave into the pressure to teach radical membership over radical maturity. I even now grieve for the multitudes of other ministers that at one time desired to offer discipleship and give meaning who have given into the pressures of the institution. It is only by fixing our eyes on Jesus we mature and we have the integrity to help other mature.
Getting back to Hebrews passage I began this chapter with, the first eleven verses of this chapter explore an exposition on Psalm 95: 7-11. This is the third Psalm exposition so far in Hebrews. From the very first time that I read Hebrews I was struck by how often the word “therefore” was used. The author is clearly building an argument that is intricate. That is not to say the gospel of Christ is difficult, but making the transition from old covenant thinking to new covenant thinking is difficult. Even a couple of years ago I found myself embracing and preaching the true gospel of Christ while continuing to use old covenant thinking. I think that happens a lot in the emerging sect of Christianity. I see this often in new church communities. There will be a group of people that want to “do” church different. For a while they do a pretty good job, but because it was established out of frustration about the old form and not about an embrace of something better it is just the same thing. It is putting new wine in an old wineskin. It will corrupt itself. The majority of the time this new emerging community ends up looking just like the community they left with a smaller building and catchier music. Eventually this new church’s primary goal is to have a new, larger building.
Chapter three of Hebrews is reinforcing the sacrifice of Christ above all else. The chapter begins this by placing Christ above one of the central characters in the Old Testament, Moses. There is no one more important to the Jews. The author began by placing Jesus above the prophets. Big statement. Then he goes a step further by placing Him above the angels. Even bigger statement. Now he is taking it all the way and puts Jesus above Moses. This approach is to build an argument regarding the central issue of Hebrews, access to God. For the original readers there was a limitation to access to God which was blocked by Old Testament tradition, keeping of the Law, and the culture of Judaism. For us, access to God is often blocked by the same things: tradition, acting the right way or appearing happy, and the culture of Christianity.
I am going to begin my journey through chapter three by looking specifically at Christ’s superiority over Moses. Previously in Hebrews Jesus’ superiority over the prophets in Psalm 2 is reviewed, Jesus over the angels in Psalm 8, and now Jesus over Moses in Psalm 95. Is there more to using Psalms as the primary reference for prophets, angels and Moses than literary technique? I think so. The Psalms are a collection of poetry by people about their joys and frustrations being in a relationship with God. The author of Hebrews realized frustrations and joys are significant parts of not only knowing God, but being in his will. Old covenant thinking can be found today as much as in the Old Testament. New, old covenant thinking is so often about avoiding the frustrations of knowing God. In contemporary faith we often talk about this type of frustration, but the subtle message is very different than true intimacy. The best way that I can put it is that frustrations are okay in retrospect. It is great if a Christian can say he has struggled with doubt, but not that he is struggling with doubt. When someone expresses any frustration which is currently happening the response is to help that person see the errors of his ways, repent, and not struggle anymore. The wayward believer isn’t judged as long as they repent because of the great testimony it produces about the grace of God. But look in the Old Testament at the heroes of our faith. Jacob wrestled with God his whole life, David, the author of many of the Psalms, seemed to continue to struggle with God, and Moses seemed to argue with God on a regular basis.
I believe the author of Hebrew uses the Psalms to stress the superiority of Christ over the old covenant because true intimacy with God, the basis of the new covenant, is about the ups and the downs of a real relationship. My wife and I are not as close as we are because our life has been all grins and giggles. We have faced dealing with a son that went through a major surgeries before he was one years old. We have dealt with false accusations of child abuse toward that son due to an injury that couldn’t be explained. We have faced me being unemployed after being fired from a church and not being able to find a job. And the list goes on and on. We are close to God not only because of the multitude of blessings that He gives us, but because of the multitude of trials that He allows us to face. A critical part of intimacy with God is we struggle with His will, our sin, and the struggles of this life. It is a lie that is often used as a means of recruiting new members in the church today that becoming a Christian makes life amazing. Often what becoming a Christian means is that it makes life livable. That is not to say that life isn’t great with God. Once you experience a real relationship with God I can’t imagine why anyone would do it any other way. But for all the burdens you are able to hand over to God there is a reality of this world that is revealed.
Let’s get back to this passage. In addition to, or as a part of, Jesus’ superiority over Moses, it is also a warning against disobedience and unbelief. I think the author feels it is important to stress at this point that despite all he has written about the new relationship with God through Christ not being about old covenant behaviors, it is still about holiness. Obedience isn’t just doing what we’re supposed to do, but being in communion with God. When we are living in communion with God our behaviors will reflect that communion. When we are not living in communion with God our behaviors will reflect that as well. Communion is not an in or out type thing though. It is a process of learning to be in communion. Maturity is the process growing in communion with God. There are a lot of implications here for reconciling our behaviors with our values. Someone can have good values with bad behaviors or bad values with good behavior. We have to be careful not to equate the two. But ultimately, neither is the primary goal. If someone wants to truly develop in each area they have to get to the source: communion with God. For most of my life I used an old covenant formula to serve my needs. True communion with God can’t be about how it serves your interest. I have used the word intimacy a lot in this book, but don’t mistake that with equality. I have chosen the word communion with God for this chapter because despite the intimate relationship God wants to have with us, He is still God.
Looking at this passage in a little more detail we can see this a little clearer. The author makes a point by comparing Jesus to Moses. Among all the other reasons this is significant, just as Moses led people from bondage to the Promised Land, Jesus leads people from the bondage of the old covenant to the freedom of the new covenant. The early Christians faced two equal and opposite pressures: One is living by the Law and tradition and the other is living by the grace that they have in Christ. The author of Hebrews doesn’t diminish the Law (prophets, angels, Moses). The Old Testament standards are still the standards of righteousness in many ways. Hebrews simply makes Jesus greater. Grace is not a free pass to sin. In fact, it is a call to greater holiness than ever before. Regardless of how much I write about it is not what you do, but who you are, you are still called to perfection. Passion serves a purpose in a relationship with God. For many, traditions and rituals might serve a purpose. But ultimately the greatest test of communion is obedience.
For the original readers, the struggle was that in many ways what they had before worked. The author challenges the assumption of what seems to work. Just because something is working for you doesn’t mean it is the truth. He does this by saying that Moses is great, but Jesus is greater. The old covenant was good, but the new one is better. Remember this is a warning from the author to make sure we fix our eyes on Jesus. The author says we confess Christ therefore we need to act in accordance with what we He brings. The author is saying it is time to become a Christian. He is saying Christians need to start acting like it. For the original readers, that meant to stop relying on the traditions of the Old Testament for spiritual growth. For us it means a cultural form of faith doesn’t cut it. It means being a really good member of a church doesn’t cut it. It means that seeking the blessings of God alone doesn’t cut it. It means that it is time to fix our eyes on Christ.
My time in the institutionalized church revealed to me that the church, for the most part, isn’t ready for that type of commitment. Developing good members is more often than not the real goal. Radical obedience upsets a system and the more an institution is organized the less it can handle disruption. The churches I served in stressed radical membership, not maturity. I am now ashamed at how often I gave into the pressure to teach radical membership over radical maturity. I even now grieve for the multitudes of other ministers that at one time desired to offer discipleship and give meaning who have given into the pressures of the institution. It is only by fixing our eyes on Jesus we mature and we have the integrity to help other mature.
Monday, January 4, 2010
CONFESSION- Part 1
1Therefore, holy brothers, who share in the heavenly calling, fix your thoughts on Jesus, the apostle and high priest whom we confess. 2He was faithful to the one who appointed him, just as Moses was faithful in all God's house. 3Jesus has been found worthy of greater honor than Moses, just as the builder of a house has greater honor than the house itself. 4For every house is built by someone, but God is the builder of everything. 5Moses was faithful as a servant in all God's house, testifying to what would be said in the future. 6But Christ is faithful as a son over God's house. And we are his house, if we hold on to our courage and the hope of which we boast.
7So, as the Holy Spirit says: “Today, if you hear his voice, 8do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion, during the time of testing in the desert, 9where your fathers tested and tried me and for forty years saw what I did. 10That is why I was angry with that generation, and I said, ‘Their hearts are always going astray, and they have not known my ways.’ 11So I declared on oath in my anger, ‘They shall never enter my rest.’” 12See to it, brothers, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. 13But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness. 14We have come to share in Christ if we hold firmly till the end the confidence we had at first. 15As has just been said: “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion.” 16Who were they who heard and rebelled? Were they not all those Moses led out of Egypt? 17And with whom was he angry for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies fell in the desert? 18And to whom did God swear that they would never enter his rest if not to those who disobeyed? 19So we see that they were not able to enter, because of their unbelief.
(Hebrews 3:1 – 3:19)
This is a good place to make a couple of points. It might sound that I am implying contemporary Christianity and the modern church is so messed up that the active work on God in people’s lives is impossible. That is not the case at all and here is why:
1. God is not limited by the influence of institutionalism on the local church or by individual theology. God is actively working in the lives of millions, ESPECIALLY in the church. Most growing Christians continue to worship in the institutional church that may even have really bad theology regarding grace and spiritual maturity. The institutional church is still the hub of the greatest social services and evangelistic movements in the world. In fact, many of those who have left the church for “spiritual reasons” have floundered and struggled in their faith. The institutional church, with all its problems, is still so often a dynamic and transformational environment where God builds up leaders and changes lives.
2. However, there is a revolution happening among many believers. There is, by nature, a lack of formal organization, but there is a profound emphasis on discipleship, community, and service that is changing the lives of many who were active in the church and those who were frustrated by the church before becoming part of this new movement which has taken them out of the institution and into something very different.
3. And finally, spirituality is at an all time high. People are genuinely interested in spiritual meaning and existential value. Regardless if people have previously or currently considered themselves Christians or not or a part of the church or not, the renewed interest in issues of spirituality, spiritual disciplines, and God are opening a door for God to work in new ways unseen in centuries. This is not to say that spiritualism is necessary a good thing. It is actually often counter-productive to true spiritual formation. But it has provided a unique opportunity for those in and out of the institutionalized church.
Consider research gathered by the George Barna and others from www.barna.com. But before I get to it, let me address a few things that need to be understood. People across the board consider themselves happier than ever before in America. Quality of living is astonishing, medical care is constantly improving, greater opportunities allow greater job satisfaction and leisure activities, people have more free time to travel, and we are closer than ever before to equality for all races and sexes. Despite the overwhelming problems that exist within each of these examples, we are at one of the greatest times in history, at least as Americans. But to be fair, we are more capable of medicating our sadness by illegal and legal means than ever before, there is a growing divide between the rich and poor, our planet is facing environmental disaster, and for every type of crime or problem that is fixed, new ones take their place. Even though we live in a broken world, most people are relatively happy, at least at the functional level. This is the same for Christians and non-Christians alike. Proving the success of the church by asking a member if he or she is happy doesn’t mean much for three reasons. We are not called to happiness, but holiness. Everybody says they are happy. And very few mean it.
Here is what www.barna.com reports that supports what I have stated. I will begin with a 2007 article entitled American Lifestyles Mix Compassion and Self-Oriented Behavior. This survey shows Americans are willing to sacrifice for others, but exhibit as many self-oriented behaviors. Regarding thinking about others, seventy-four percent of Americans value recycling and forty-eight percent value helping their communities. When it comes to conversations about faith, the number dropped to forty-four percent that were comfortable with it. However, when it comes to indulging own interests, roughly a third were willing to exhibit their rage and say mean things toward others. A third of the participants were also willing to engage in sexual activity that doesn’t align with Christian values. Barna found born again Christians are more likely to volunteer for their church; however, they are no more likely than average to help the poor and homeless. Born again Christians were also among the least likely groups to recycle. In evaluating fifteen moral behaviors, born again Christians are statistically indistinguishable from non-born again adults on most of the behaviors studied. This means the only things that separate a good Christian from a good citizen is that the Christian won’t recycle. Commenting on this research David Kinnaman, who directed the study of American lifestyles, commented “The respect, patience, self-control and kindness of born again Christians should astound people, but the lifestyles and relationships of born again believers are not much different than others.”
Much of this isn’t new information. Many of us have heard that the divorce rate and premarital sex rate of Christians is exactly the same as the population in general. And ask any waiter who the worse tippers are and who is the rudest customer and he will tell you it is church groups and those coming from Sunday services. And on more person experiences, many of us can testify to the fact that the vast majority of those that call themselves Christians are anything but like Christ. I am quickly approaching wanting to abandon the label of Christian for myself because it seems to mean so little. Christianity is a culture in America. The title has much less to do with the radical transformation of the mind, body, and spirit as it does the culture norms and identification that comes from it.
In fact, in a different 2007 article entitled Survey Explores Who Qualifies As an Evangelical, thirty-eight percent of Americans are willing to take the label of evangelical, but when put to a criteria test only eight percent make the cut. I live in West Texas and do a lot of my writing at a coffee shop that tends to be popular among the Christian population (evangelical Christians usually) of the city. At any given time you can see someone reading a bible or overhear a discussion on scripture. I am going to assume those that I see here are the small percentage who are “walking the walk”, but statistically, it is much more likely that when there are fifty people at this coffee shop over forty would call themselves Christians, but fewer than twenty-five have connected that label with a personal relationship with Christ, and only four people would actually be doing anything at all that reflects that label in their personal lives. Of those four, how many do you think might be growing and maturing in an intimate relationship with Christ?
It is no wonder why there are an increasing number of people who want to steer clear of institutional faith. Barna estimates the number of unchurched Americans is nearing 100 million despite a rapid increase in spiritual interest. That means that one out of every three Americans is unchurched. In the same article a new book called “Jim and Casper Go to Church” is reviewed. A few of the critical discoveries in the book were that there is a relative indifference of most churched Christians to unchurched people at church services. There is an overt emphasis upon a personal rather than communal faith journey. There is a tendency of congregations to perform rituals and exercise talents rather than invite and experience the presence of God. There is an absence of a compelling call to action given to those who attend. And finally, there is a failure to listen to dissident voices and spiritual guidance to dig deeper in one’s faith. Something is radically wrong with our “Christian society.”
I am going to take one more article from George Barna called Barna Lists the 12 Most Significant Religious Findings from 2006 Surveys. I am only going to mention a few. I encourage you to go online and read the rest. The first finding is that even though most claim to be “deeply spiritual”, only 15% of those who regularly attend a Christian church ranked their relationship with God as the top priority in their life. Pastors on the other hand believe that 70% of the adults in their congregation consider their relationship with God to be their highest priority in life. This alone speaks volumes about influences of institutionalism on the local church. Another, “while just 21% of adults consider themselves to be holy, by their own admission, large numbers have no idea what ‘holiness’ means and only one out of every three (35%) believe that God expects people to become holy.” And “seven out of ten parents claim they are effective at developing the spiritual maturity of their children, but the Barna survey among 8-to-12-year-olds discovered that only one-third of them say a church has made ‘a positive difference’ in their life.” This shows that there is no doubt that faith is important to people, but that our actions don’t reflect that value. It also shows that there is a basic ignorance about spiritual formation among people and churches.
7So, as the Holy Spirit says: “Today, if you hear his voice, 8do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion, during the time of testing in the desert, 9where your fathers tested and tried me and for forty years saw what I did. 10That is why I was angry with that generation, and I said, ‘Their hearts are always going astray, and they have not known my ways.’ 11So I declared on oath in my anger, ‘They shall never enter my rest.’” 12See to it, brothers, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. 13But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness. 14We have come to share in Christ if we hold firmly till the end the confidence we had at first. 15As has just been said: “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion.” 16Who were they who heard and rebelled? Were they not all those Moses led out of Egypt? 17And with whom was he angry for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies fell in the desert? 18And to whom did God swear that they would never enter his rest if not to those who disobeyed? 19So we see that they were not able to enter, because of their unbelief.
(Hebrews 3:1 – 3:19)
This is a good place to make a couple of points. It might sound that I am implying contemporary Christianity and the modern church is so messed up that the active work on God in people’s lives is impossible. That is not the case at all and here is why:
1. God is not limited by the influence of institutionalism on the local church or by individual theology. God is actively working in the lives of millions, ESPECIALLY in the church. Most growing Christians continue to worship in the institutional church that may even have really bad theology regarding grace and spiritual maturity. The institutional church is still the hub of the greatest social services and evangelistic movements in the world. In fact, many of those who have left the church for “spiritual reasons” have floundered and struggled in their faith. The institutional church, with all its problems, is still so often a dynamic and transformational environment where God builds up leaders and changes lives.
2. However, there is a revolution happening among many believers. There is, by nature, a lack of formal organization, but there is a profound emphasis on discipleship, community, and service that is changing the lives of many who were active in the church and those who were frustrated by the church before becoming part of this new movement which has taken them out of the institution and into something very different.
3. And finally, spirituality is at an all time high. People are genuinely interested in spiritual meaning and existential value. Regardless if people have previously or currently considered themselves Christians or not or a part of the church or not, the renewed interest in issues of spirituality, spiritual disciplines, and God are opening a door for God to work in new ways unseen in centuries. This is not to say that spiritualism is necessary a good thing. It is actually often counter-productive to true spiritual formation. But it has provided a unique opportunity for those in and out of the institutionalized church.
Consider research gathered by the George Barna and others from www.barna.com. But before I get to it, let me address a few things that need to be understood. People across the board consider themselves happier than ever before in America. Quality of living is astonishing, medical care is constantly improving, greater opportunities allow greater job satisfaction and leisure activities, people have more free time to travel, and we are closer than ever before to equality for all races and sexes. Despite the overwhelming problems that exist within each of these examples, we are at one of the greatest times in history, at least as Americans. But to be fair, we are more capable of medicating our sadness by illegal and legal means than ever before, there is a growing divide between the rich and poor, our planet is facing environmental disaster, and for every type of crime or problem that is fixed, new ones take their place. Even though we live in a broken world, most people are relatively happy, at least at the functional level. This is the same for Christians and non-Christians alike. Proving the success of the church by asking a member if he or she is happy doesn’t mean much for three reasons. We are not called to happiness, but holiness. Everybody says they are happy. And very few mean it.
Here is what www.barna.com reports that supports what I have stated. I will begin with a 2007 article entitled American Lifestyles Mix Compassion and Self-Oriented Behavior. This survey shows Americans are willing to sacrifice for others, but exhibit as many self-oriented behaviors. Regarding thinking about others, seventy-four percent of Americans value recycling and forty-eight percent value helping their communities. When it comes to conversations about faith, the number dropped to forty-four percent that were comfortable with it. However, when it comes to indulging own interests, roughly a third were willing to exhibit their rage and say mean things toward others. A third of the participants were also willing to engage in sexual activity that doesn’t align with Christian values. Barna found born again Christians are more likely to volunteer for their church; however, they are no more likely than average to help the poor and homeless. Born again Christians were also among the least likely groups to recycle. In evaluating fifteen moral behaviors, born again Christians are statistically indistinguishable from non-born again adults on most of the behaviors studied. This means the only things that separate a good Christian from a good citizen is that the Christian won’t recycle. Commenting on this research David Kinnaman, who directed the study of American lifestyles, commented “The respect, patience, self-control and kindness of born again Christians should astound people, but the lifestyles and relationships of born again believers are not much different than others.”
Much of this isn’t new information. Many of us have heard that the divorce rate and premarital sex rate of Christians is exactly the same as the population in general. And ask any waiter who the worse tippers are and who is the rudest customer and he will tell you it is church groups and those coming from Sunday services. And on more person experiences, many of us can testify to the fact that the vast majority of those that call themselves Christians are anything but like Christ. I am quickly approaching wanting to abandon the label of Christian for myself because it seems to mean so little. Christianity is a culture in America. The title has much less to do with the radical transformation of the mind, body, and spirit as it does the culture norms and identification that comes from it.
In fact, in a different 2007 article entitled Survey Explores Who Qualifies As an Evangelical, thirty-eight percent of Americans are willing to take the label of evangelical, but when put to a criteria test only eight percent make the cut. I live in West Texas and do a lot of my writing at a coffee shop that tends to be popular among the Christian population (evangelical Christians usually) of the city. At any given time you can see someone reading a bible or overhear a discussion on scripture. I am going to assume those that I see here are the small percentage who are “walking the walk”, but statistically, it is much more likely that when there are fifty people at this coffee shop over forty would call themselves Christians, but fewer than twenty-five have connected that label with a personal relationship with Christ, and only four people would actually be doing anything at all that reflects that label in their personal lives. Of those four, how many do you think might be growing and maturing in an intimate relationship with Christ?
It is no wonder why there are an increasing number of people who want to steer clear of institutional faith. Barna estimates the number of unchurched Americans is nearing 100 million despite a rapid increase in spiritual interest. That means that one out of every three Americans is unchurched. In the same article a new book called “Jim and Casper Go to Church” is reviewed. A few of the critical discoveries in the book were that there is a relative indifference of most churched Christians to unchurched people at church services. There is an overt emphasis upon a personal rather than communal faith journey. There is a tendency of congregations to perform rituals and exercise talents rather than invite and experience the presence of God. There is an absence of a compelling call to action given to those who attend. And finally, there is a failure to listen to dissident voices and spiritual guidance to dig deeper in one’s faith. Something is radically wrong with our “Christian society.”
I am going to take one more article from George Barna called Barna Lists the 12 Most Significant Religious Findings from 2006 Surveys. I am only going to mention a few. I encourage you to go online and read the rest. The first finding is that even though most claim to be “deeply spiritual”, only 15% of those who regularly attend a Christian church ranked their relationship with God as the top priority in their life. Pastors on the other hand believe that 70% of the adults in their congregation consider their relationship with God to be their highest priority in life. This alone speaks volumes about influences of institutionalism on the local church. Another, “while just 21% of adults consider themselves to be holy, by their own admission, large numbers have no idea what ‘holiness’ means and only one out of every three (35%) believe that God expects people to become holy.” And “seven out of ten parents claim they are effective at developing the spiritual maturity of their children, but the Barna survey among 8-to-12-year-olds discovered that only one-third of them say a church has made ‘a positive difference’ in their life.” This shows that there is no doubt that faith is important to people, but that our actions don’t reflect that value. It also shows that there is a basic ignorance about spiritual formation among people and churches.
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