Cha-ching!

Regarding tithes and offerings, some common sense, factual observations.  The words tithe or tithes is only found in the OT and in Matthew, Luke and Hebrews in the NT.   In these passages where it is mentioned, there is no association with the “body of Christ”.  Giving to the “body” was all together different.

The word “Collection” is mentioned three times in the Word of God.  It was mentioned twice in the OT referencing the “the work of the service of the house of the LORD”, which was the temple in the wilderness.  The other time, the lone NT reference, is in 1 Corinthians 16:1 where Paul had previously asked the churches to take up a specific collection upon his arrival so there would be no offerings when he was there.  

He then took this “collection” to the poor saints in Jerusalem.  This collection is not specifically money, but it was a specific offering.  Nowhere in the text does it indicate this is a weekly practice or Pauline tradition to be followed.

The words “treasury” or “treasurer” is only found in the OT or the four gospels.  The word “Storehouse” is only found in Malachi and Luke.  The church is not the storehouse, and the church does not have a treasury.  These were temple structures or rooms within the temple court. 

“Offerings” are mentioned in abundance in the OT, but only five times in the NT, with three of these times referring to burnt offerings.  Offerings in the OT are always exclusively  agricultural.  Of the 265 times “offering” or “offerings” are mentioned, only two incidences, Luke 21 and Acts 24, can be referenced to something monetary.

Call a Spade a Spade!

“We are an independent, fundamental, Bible believing Baptist church!”  You may have seen an advertisement like that for a church on a tract, a website, or the phone book.  All the lingo and talk is used: pre-millennial, missions-minded, sin-hating, King James Bible-preaching church.  It has all the persuasion and influence that all religions use.  It’s why we are so aggressive in getting people to come.  We believe we have it, hook, line, and sinker.  We follow the fundamentals of the faith, we preach the truth.  We are not as they, we do things right.  We have order, our statements of faith and the beloved fundamentals.  Which I guess that is all fine.  Other denominations can make erroneous claims, why not the IFB?

I just want you to understand, my mindset and my view is not about starting a revolution, making everyone see my point of view, or to get all the churches to change their format and so on.  I just want others to be aware of the fact that we are no different from the other vain religions who have a great many things wrong at their core.  

It’s just being honest.  Wake up! We are not some special class of Christian that God has called in these last days to stand in the gap and show everyone else their faults and traditions.  In fact, we have many similarities to the religious that we preach against.