Lame

is what this blogging software is. I have failed repeatedly to update my profile. I no longer want to go through their updating exercise. Not that it matters much since things like 'my favorite movies' and other such inanities have zero value. So, don't bother looking for it.

My promise has been brevity. So, my thesis is that tithing has been relegated to the dust-bin of history. My intuition: there is zero probability that nascent church would have brought along this one institution from the collapsed Mosaic economy.

The trickiest argument in favor of the practice has always been that, though the law had been superceded, fulfilled, eclipsed (you pick a word here) in Christ, (see Col. 2:13,14) tithing must remain because it was instituted prior to the law.

Proponents of tithing being a church requirement always trot out Abraham's ten percent donated to Mel. (see Genesis 14) as the driving principle. I am a little confused by that passage since we could easily see Mel. giving a tenth to Abraham, not the other way around. Given the standard interpretation, I don't buy it since while that cash was a tithe (a tenth) it was not tithing - as an ongoing practice. In short, we have to ask why we don't see Abraham making a practice of it.


As for the contention that tithing got imported into the church age, a key text is 1 Cor 16:1ff:

Now concerning the collection for the saints: as I directed the churches of Galatia, so you also are to do. On the first day of every week, each of you is to put something aside and store it up, as he may prosper, so that there will be no collecting when I come. And when I arrive, I will send those whom you accredit by letter to carry your gift to Jerusalem.

The church had been functioning for twenty (+- 1) years (the date of 1 Cor is widely given as 55 ad.) without this direction. This passage can only be read as a specific administrative method for facilitating a specific fund raising activity. To extend this passage to indicate an modus operandi for all time in the church has to fail.

This amounts to an effective argument from silence. Only if there is no tithing happening in the church since its beginning would Paul have had to do this adminstrative organization for the purpose of collecting a gift to be brought to Jerusalem.

A lot more could be said. But, I have reached my word limit.

My adoring fans are clamoring for more photographs, so I will make every attempt to please them. Come back tomorrow for something artsy/fartsy.