Tithing…Is it a command?

[mfblume]

Originally Posted by wire2john

You know a more technical term for procuring the services of a priest? Please, enlighten us. As to the rest of what you wrote, you're just being difficult. Quibbling over the use of the word "dispensation"? What's the point? Everyone else who is following this conversation knows exactly what I am referring to...why play dumb? There was life pre-Flood, post-Flood pre-Law, post-Flood Law, post-Flood post-Law, ...; someone has to spell all that out to have a conversation with you? We can't just say "dispensation" or some other word that means the same thing, in the interests of brevity, lol? How about "epoch", will you accept epoch without objections? I don't think the readers here will recognize the meaning of the word epoch as readily as they do the word dispensation, but hey if that's what it takes to make you happy then so be it!

After reading you speak about Shem as Melchisedek, this is really an ironic paragraph.

[Tlswift2009]

A HEART FELT amen!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[wire2john]

Sorry but I'm not seeing the irony, can you clarify?

[Pliny]

Originally Posted by wire2john

You know a more technical term for procuring the services of a priest? Please, enlighten us. As to the rest of what you wrote, you're just being difficult. Quibbling over the use of the word "dispensation"? What's the point? Everyone else who is following this conversation knows exactly what I am referring to...why play dumb? There was life pre-Flood, post-Flood pre-Law, post-Flood Law, post-Flood post-Law, ...; someone has to spell all that out to have a conversation with you? We can't just say "dispensation" or some other word that means the same thing, in the interests of brevity, lol? How about "epoch", will you accept epoch without objections? I don't think the readers here will recognize the meaning of the word epoch as readily as they do the word dispensation, but hey if that's what it takes to make you happy then so be it!

More assertions without evidence. Where does scripture say Melchizedek was hired?
Where does it say he was procured?
Dispensation is a doctrine; therefore, it is not quibbling over a word. The rest I guess demonstrates the lack of scriptural support for your doctrine which is based on anything except scripture.

I suppose this is all just an obfuscation because the point of my post was to point out the lack of scriptural support for anything said.

BTW I would not suggest that you are smarter than everyone else because you think you are the only one who knows what the word epoch means.

Have a nice day.

[wire2john]

This is a forum for ideas that are Biblically based, and much of what gets said around here requires reading between the lines and trying to see the big picture; everything is not spelled out in the Bible in black and white, including the fact that speaking in tongues will always accompany the infilling of the Spirit. God gave us amazing brains and we won't get far if we don't use them. You say Melchizedek was not hired? Fine, offer a competing reason for why Abraham gave the tithe to him and not some other priest. Just bear in mind that anything you say will also be speculative, because the Bible does not tell us why...we have to work that out to the best of our ability on our own, which is what I am trying to do. As to your other remarks, you know very well that most people who use the word dispensation are not referring to its technical meaning or the doctrinal debate that that entails. They say dispensation when they mean epoch, so that is the word I use, because I want to be understood. I have no position on the dispute over the word dispensation, but I will say that just because the word is not used in the Bible it does not make it untrue.

If you truly want to be helpful, show where my propositions are invalidated by other scripture...THAT is something that could help me a great deal, and it is knowledge that I am always hungry to find! But just pounding your fist and saying over and over again, "Its not spelled out that way in the Bible, so its not true!" accomplishes nothing...except perhaps making you feel like a winner.

[mfblume]

Originally Posted by wire2john

Sorry but I'm not seeing the irony, can you clarify?

You quibble over SHEM being Melchisedek when NO scripture supports that nonsense, and it comes from extrabiblical books of MYSTICISM, and turn around and accuse people of quibbling over the word dispensation?

[wire2john]

Originally Posted by mfblume

You quibble over SHEM being Melchisedek when NO scripture supports that nonsense, and it comes from extrabiblical books of MYSTICISM, and turn around and accuse people of quibbling over the word dispensation?

I put the knowledge that Shem is Melchizedek out there as a side note, a bonus, for you readers to investigate further on your own; it has nothing to do with the core discussion about tithing. I am persuaded that it is true, as are many Hebrew scholars and mighty saints of God, but if you can't accept it that's okay...and who knows, maybe you are right not to do so. As to the quibbling, I don't see the connection and I think I've explained myself well enough already, so I'm moving on and you should do the same.

[mfblume]

Originally Posted by wire2john

I put the knowledge that Shem is Melchizedek out there as a side note, a bonus, for you readers to investigate further on your own; it has nothing to do with the core discussion about tithing. I am persuaded that it is true, as are many Hebrew scholars and mighty saints of God, but if you can't accept it that's okay...and who knows, maybe you are right not to do so. As to the quibbling, I don't see the connection and I think I've explained myself well enough already, so I'm moving on and you should do the same.

I never said tithing is connected to Shem. You missed the point.

[James_Thomas]

- Hebrews 7 -

“And verily THEY THAT ARE OF THE SONS OF LEVI, who receive the office of the priesthood, HAVE A COMMANDMENT TO TAKE TITHES OF THE PEOPLE ACCORDING TO THE LAW that is, of their brethren, though they come out of the loins of Abraham” Hebrews 7:5

The Levite priesthood was given a commandment, in Mount Sinai (See Lev. 27:34), “to take Tithes according to the law” (See Hebrews 7:5); however, “Christ is the end of the Law” (See Romans 10:4).

“IF THEREFORE PERFECTION WERE BY THE LEVITICAL PRIESTHOOD, (for under it the people received the law), WHAT FURTHER NEED WAS THERE THAT ANOTHER PRIEST SHOULD RISE AFTER THE ORDER OF MELCHISEDEC, and not be called after the order of Aaron? FOR THE PRIESTHOOD BEING CHANGED, THERE IS MADE OF NECESSITY, A CHANGE ALSO OF THE LAW” Hebrews 7:11-12

As a result of the above scripture the commandment to support the Levite priesthood has been canceled completely and put away because of its weakness and unprofitableness, because we are Born Again in Christ, and are a Royal Priesthood, and now all can enter into the Holy of Holies, not just one man alone, once a year (See Hebrews 9:7-9):

“FOR THERE IS VERILY A DISANNULLING OF THE COMMANDMENT GOING BEFORE FOR THE WEAKNESS AND UNPROFITABLENESS THEREOF” Hebrews 7:18

For further clarification of this scripture, compare with Hebrews 7:5 above.

Webster defines the word “Disannul-ling” as “to cancel-completely and destroy”. Strong defines the original Greek word “ath-et‘-ay-sis” as “put- away”.

In other words, Hebrews 7:18 is telling us that “the commandment for the Levite Priesthood to take Tithes has been completely canceled and put away because of its weakness and unprofitableness thereof!”

And now we have the Perfect Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus, not the imperfect Mosaic Law of Sin and Death (See Rom.8:2)!

[Originalist]

Originally Posted by James_Thomas

- Hebrews 7 -

“And verily THEY THAT ARE OF THE SONS OF LEVI, who receive the office of the priesthood, HAVE A COMMANDMENT TO TAKE TITHES OF THE PEOPLE ACCORDING TO THE LAW that is, of their brethren, though they come out of the loins of Abraham” Hebrews 7:5

The Levite priesthood was given a commandment, in Mount Sinai (See Lev. 27:34), “to take Tithes according to the law” (See Hebrews 7:5); however, “Christ is the end of the Law” (See Romans 10:4).

“IF THEREFORE PERFECTION WERE BY THE LEVITICAL PRIESTHOOD, (for under it the people received the law), WHAT FURTHER NEED WAS THERE THAT ANOTHER PRIEST SHOULD RISE AFTER THE ORDER OF MELCHISEDEC, and not be called after the order of Aaron? FOR THE PRIESTHOOD BEING CHANGED, THERE IS MADE OF NECESSITY, A CHANGE ALSO OF THE LAW” Hebrews 7:11-12

As a result of the above scripture the commandment to support the Levite priesthood has been canceled completely and put away because of its weakness and unprofitableness, because we are Born Again in Christ, and are a Royal Priesthood, and now all can enter into the Holy of Holies, not just one man alone, once a year (See Hebrews 9:7-9):

“FOR THERE IS VERILY A DISANNULLING OF THE COMMANDMENT GOING BEFORE FOR THE WEAKNESS AND UNPROFITABLENESS THEREOF” Hebrews 7:18

For further clarification of this scripture, compare with Hebrews 7:5 above.

Webster defines the word “Disannul-ling” as “to cancel-completely and destroy”. Strong defines the original Greek word “ath-et‘-ay-sis” as “put- away”.

In other words, Hebrews 7:18 is telling us that “the commandment for the Levite Priesthood to take Tithes has been completely canceled and put away because of its weakness and unprofitableness thereof!”

And now we have the Perfect Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus, not the imperfect Mosaic Law of Sin and Death (See Rom.8:2)!

Careful. You might get screamed at like I was last night by an Assemblies of God minister. He insisted Jesus instructed us to tithe in the New Testament in Matthew 23 when he said "this ought ye to have done" to the Pharisees. I politely pointed out the context of the statement (addressed to Law keeping Pharisees) and the guy freaked out screaming, "You can't use this as a loophole not to tithe!" He simply did not see the irony of his statement and that he was the one trying find a loophole to justify his stance.