No, we shouldn’t!

The main arguments given by those who reject tithing for today’s Christians are as follows:

1. Tithing in the Old Testament was part of a societal structure that is similar to our taxes today. However, today we are not living in a theocracy (where God is the King and we are his subjects). See Numbers 18:21

2. We are no longer under the law, we are under grace. See Romans 6:14

3. The tithes were primarily used in a sacrificial system that no longer applies. See Leviticus 27:32

Yes, we should!

Of course, the other side of the debate has their own set of arguments.

1. Tithing is still valid because Jesus didn’t come to abolish the law but to fulfill it. See Matthew 5:17

2. Jesus even told the Pharisees that they should not abandon tithing. See Matthew 23:23

3. Much like the temple, the church also has need for monetary gifts so that it can function. See 1 Corinthians 9:13-14

Before I dive into why I think both of these arguments fall short of New Testament teaching, I want to hear from you. Do you think we should or should not still be tithing? Are there other arguments you would add to the list above to support your position?

Further Reading:

• Tithing Ethos: The Habit of Giving in the Church
• The Great Commissions: John
• The Great Commissions: Matthew

This is the third in a series of posts that is looking at each of the Great Commission statements of Jesus. Interestingly only one of these is in the imperative and that was in Matthew (“make disciples”). So, once again, when we come to the Johannine Commission, we find an indicative.

John 20:19-23

In the evening of that first day of the week, the disciples were gathered together with the doors locked because of their fear of the Jews. Then Jesus came, stood among them, and said to them, “Peace to you!” Having said this, He showed them His hands and His side. So the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, “Peace to you! As the Father has sent Me, I also send you.” After saying this, He breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.”

Context: Same context as Luke, but from John’s perspective. In other words, this is the same day as the resurrection and Jesus is, for the first time, revealing Himself to all of the disciples. The text tells us that this was the first day of the week (Sunday) and that the disciples were cowering behind locked doors because they were afraid of the Jews.

Here are a few insights from this passage:

• We know Jesus now has power over the temporal world because He is able to enter a locked room. However, we can’t make too much of this as some sort of new ability of Jesus and tied exclusively to His resurrected body. Rather, this is typical Jesus in that He is able to do whatever needs to be done to bring glory to God. For example, is walking on water any more or less spectacular than being able to enter a locked room?
• “Peace to you!” might have been more of an attempt of preventing heart attacks than it was a typical greeting. What would you do if someone you thought was dead appeared in a locked room?
• After proving His identity by miraculously appearing in a locked room and then showing the disciples His wounds, Jesus says, “Peace to you!” again. The disciples must have been jumping up and down and falling all over themselves after seeing that this was, in fact, Jesus!
• The phrase Jesus speaks that is often referred to as the Johannine Commission is “As the Father has sent Me, I also send you.” So, how did the Father send the Son? The first thing that I’m reminded of is how shockingly miraculous AND humble Jesus’ first days were in the flesh. What other thoughts do you have about how the Father sent the Son?
• Jesus sends us in that same way! We are a part of a divine plan. Does this give you a sense of purpose? It’s the greatest story ever told and we are participants in that story!
• When Jesus breaths the Spirit on them, this is not Pentecost. That happens several weeks later after Jesus’ ascension. Instead, this could be a promise of the Spirit.

Conclusions: The Johannine Commission is stated very simply yet it is extremely profound. There are a lot of similarities in how we are sent and how Jesus was sent. Jesus invites us and commissions us to go into the world and be a part of reconciling the world to God. It’s our purpose. Jesus may have sent us to our job site, but He sent us there to do what He was sent to do, and not just pull down a paycheck each month. We are sent to our family, our co-workers, and our friends with a purpose. Of course, other parts of the Gospels explain more about a) how Jesus was sent and b) what our task is as a result by being sent, but this one statement lets us know that we won’t be complete if we are just living a selfish life. It’s time to join Jesus’ purpose and live sent.

What insights have you gleaned about the mission Jesus has called us to from John 20:19-23?

Further Reading:

• The Great Commissions: Matthew
• The Great Commissions: Luke
• Disciples of Jesus Multiply

In this series of posts I want to look at each of these Great Commission texts to mine them for insights into the mission that Jesus gives to us to complete.

Matthew 28:16-20

Matthew is a good place to start since Matthew is the first Gospel in our New Testament. However, that doesn’t mean that the Matthean Commission happened first. In reading through these various commissionings of Jesus, it’s clear that Jesus spent the forty days between His resurrection and ascension “commissioning” and teaching, and training His disciples on a number of matters. He spent time teaching them and explaining to them their task. Since Jesus spent a lot of time with His disciples, the chronology of these Great Commission passages aren’t as important, though I do hope to share a bit of context for each one as this series unfolds.

So let’s take a look at what Matthew records starting at verse 16:

The 11 disciples traveled to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had directed them. When they saw Him, they worshiped, but some doubted. Then Jesus came near and said to them, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Context: On the mountain in Galilee. It says that when the disciples first saw Him in Galilee, they worshiped, “but some doubted”. These first words of Jesus upon seeing the disciples in Galilee were meant to establish His identity and allay their doubts. Jesus had spent His entire ministry making disciples and now He is telling those disciples to carry on the task. Note that this is not the first time they’ve seen Jesus alive, but they still have doubts.

Here are a few insights from this passage:

Conclusions: When we engage in disciple making, we must realize that we have not made a disciple if they are not trained or are unwilling to make disciples themselves. The Great Commission passages are about reaching the nations through baptism, teaching, and multiplication. If we aren’t engaged in these sorts of activities then we are not obedient to Jesus’ primary will for His followers to fulfill the Great Commission. If we are engaged in activities that don’t result in baptism, teaching, and multiplication of disciples then we need to rethink our activities and maybe loosen up our schedule. Thankfully, Jesus provides a model for making disciples and we have God’s Word, and God’s Spirit to guide us. So get started!

What insights have you gleaned about the mission Jesus has called us to from Matthew 28:18-20?

Further Reading:

• The Great Commissions: Luke
• Church Planting is People Planting
• The Great Commissions: John

One of his thoughts in his first post is about how the disciples went into town to get some food but really didn’t want to be in Samaria. They could’ve used the opportunity to give “living water” to the residents there. However, when the woman realized who Jesus was, she went and told the entire town about Him! Dad writes,

I discovered from this biblical passage that I would rather witness like the woman than to witness like the disciples. She went back to the village and said “Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did! Could this be the Messiah? (John 4:28)

When Jesus truly transforms our lives, it’s worth telling people!  I’ll let you read the rest here.

Further Reading:

• The Great Commissions: John
• The Great Commissions: Matthew
• Disciples of Jesus Multiply

image courtesy of DavidK-Oregon

It seems like everybody is searching for a path in life: a career path, a path to success, or if you are like me then maybe you’re looking for the path of least resistance. Maybe we should call this quest ‘pathology’ because a lot of people go crazy trying to figure out the right path to take.

Most of the time we can’t even decide on what to eat for dinner, much less who we are going to be, what we are going to do, or who we want to be with. But there’s a path that’s more important than any of those other paths, and that is the path to God. But, for some reason, when it comes to choosing a path to God, it’s usually easier to simply say, “All religions lead to the same God! So whatever path I choose will be just fine.” It certainly sounds enlightened, doesn’t it?

Usually people talk about all religions leading to the same God with the image of different paths up the same mountain. But how do we know that is true? Who was the first person to come up with this idea? Was it God? If it was anyone else other than God Himself wouldn’t it have to be inadmissible? Isn’t God the only One with the perspective necessary to approve or reject that idea?

Mohandas Gandhi, the poster-child of tolerance and inclusivism, towards the end of his life said, “I have not yet found God.”

Gandhi thought he was on a path to God, yet he never found Him. So even if it’s true that all paths lead to the same God, how can you know you will ever reach the top?

So, let’s get rid of this idea that God is twiddling His thumbs waiting for us to figure it out for ourselves. The good news is that God does have something to say about the matter. He sent His Son Jesus to tell us, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life, no one comes to God but through me.” What is He saying? He’s saying that He is the Path, and that He is the only Path to a relationship with God. Does that sound exclusive? Intolerant? Discriminatory?

But what Jesus is saying is that God isn’t a passive God waiting at the top of some existential mountain in the recesses of our psyche. Instead, He is a God who actively paved the way for you and me to know Him. This is unique from all the world religions because it doesn’t talk about the things you have to do to maybe find favor with God, rather that He’s already done everything that needed to be done. The Path is paved.

So, to have a relationship with God you simply have to join Him on His Path. It’s that simple, but it’s also challenging because you have to realize that no other path in life that you may find yourself on is more important than the path to God. Where you work, who you marry, and whether you will have Chinese or Italian tonight pale in significance to the question of which path you will choose to know God. On the other hand, knowing and walking with God on His Path gives clarity and meaning to all those other questions of life. Trusting Jesus to be who He said He is is the most important decision you will ever make because He is the Path.

Related Post: One God, Two Gods, Three Gods, No God :: Subscribe :: Why Subscribe?

Further Reading:

• The Great Commissions: Matthew
• Are People Generally Good or Basically Bad?
• One God, Two Gods, Three Gods, No God