MY CONSTRUCTIVE ARGUMENT - TITHE MANDATE

To resolve that:

"The mandate of God with regards to giving 10% can still be done in today’s time - specifically in the church governance."

INTRODUCTION

“The hopes of a man void of understanding are vain and false: and dreams lift up fools.”

- Ecclesiasticus 34:1

UNDERSTANDING history including its government and language, are vital protective gears from the dangers of heresies and misrepresentation of its culture, governance, system and way of living, and to corrupt the essence of its importance should at all cost be guarded. To know exactly the truth will set anyone free from being slaved to ignorance and arrogance. 

Biblical history recounted the order and divulging the nature of TITHING on definite time it was implemented that should not to be understood as fastened or affixed law that can't be changed prior to government system it belonged, BUT God mandated it in the heart of its purpose to provide the needs of his house and the people whom he had chosen as his servants that he separated from the "world" as we now know the "unbelievers" of the one God of Israel, that even to the present times it remains. 

The system how the TITHE were implemented including the terminology used differed as time progressed but the mandate to TITHE in serving its main purpose of providing the needs of God's house including its maintenance and beautification remains, much more in providing the needs of his servants who worked for him full time in the ministry. 

It should be understood and should not be taken so lightly, that GOD himself established GOVERNMENTS as the governing authorities as Paul emphasized it in his letter to the Romans that it existed and have been established by GOD.

"Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God."-Rom. 13:1-2

WHO ARE YOU THEN TO RESIST IT?

I. UNDERSTANDING FORMS OF GOVERNMENT

GOD provided the GOVERNMENT in different forms from what Flavius Josephus called "theocracy" during the Old Testament times to the times of Christ under the Roman Government and to present which is the CHURCH bounded by the Democracy form of Government.  

Three different forms of government in history adopted by the people of God: 

A. Theocracy

"The government of the Jews, however, was unique. Josephus offered the term "theocracy" to describe this polity, ordained by Moses, in which God is sovereign and his word is law.

According to the more modern definition, theocracy is “a system of government by sacerdotal order, claiming divine commission” (The Shorter Oxford English Dictionary on Historical Principles, vol. 2, 1939, p. 2166), a state in which priests exercise political power."

- It was in this form of government "God rules" the early people of God were bound to, where the word "tax" wasn't yet mentioned but equivalent to tithes and offering in latter period. 

* WAS THIS THE TYPE of government the church at present belonged to, including its way of living and economic system? Definitely NO! It was in this period of time GOD used TITHE principle imposing it to meet the needs of his house and his chosen servants doing the ministry such as the sons of Aaron and the Levites. 

B. Roman Government (From Monarchy to Representation)

"The Roman Republic emerged out of what one historian called “the ashes of the monarchy.” Years underneath the unyielding yoke of a king taught the people of Rome that they had to safeguard against the rule, and possible oppression, of one individual. The real authority or imperium of the republic, and later empire, was to be divided among three basic elements - elected non-hereditary magistrates, a Senate to advise and consent, and popular assemblies."

- It was in this form of government Christ came where the Jews were subjected to, that the "tax" was common collecting specifically farmers. It was in this period of time tax as equivalent to 10% or tithe introduced and been implemented related to "tithe and offering" obligation rendered in the Old Testament. 

* JESUS never broke the law of the governing authorities but he subjected himself to it.

Jesus said, "Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's; and to God the things that are God's."  Matthew 22:21 

C. Democracy Government

"- is a country, a system of government in which people choose their rulers by voting for them in elections; a system of running organizations, businesses, and groups in which each member is entitled to vote and take part in decisions."

2. UNDERSTANDING ECONOMIC SYSTEM OF EACH GOVERNMENT

"Giving a portion of one's profit or the spoils of war was known in the ancient world from Greece to China. Gifts were made as religious offerings, or given to a political authority as tribute or tax. Religious and political uses often combined since it was common to associate earthly and divine authority. Donation of a tenth portion, or tithe, was common apparently because most peoples counted in tens, based on ten fingers." - 

"Under the judges, according to the theocratic government contemplated by the law, the only payments incumbent upon the people as of permanent obligation were the Tithes, the Firstfruits, the Redemption-money of the first-born, and other offerings as belonging to special occasions.

The payment by each Israelite of the half-shekel as "atonement-money," for the service of the tabernacle, on taking the census of the people, ( Exodus 30:13 ) does not appear to have had the character of a recurring tax, but to have been supplementary to the freewill offerings of ( Exodus 25:1-7 ) levied for the one purpose of the construction of the sacred tent. 

In later times, indeed, after the return from Babylon, there was an annual payment for maintaining the fabric and services of the temple; but the fact that this begins by of a shekel, ( Nehemiah 10:32 ) shows that till then there was no such payment recognized as necessary. 

A little later the third became a half, and under the name of the didrachma , ( Matthew 17:24 ) was paid by every Jew, in whatever part of the world he might be living." - Smith's Bible Dictionary - Taxes

3. UNDERSTANDING GOVERNANCE AND LEADERSHIP 

The word “governance” came from the Latin verb “gubernare,” or more originally from the Greek word “kubernaein,” which means “to steer.” Basing on its etymology, governance refers to the manner of steering or governing, or of directing and controlling, a group of people or a state. Governance is traditionally associated with government. In literatures, they are often used interchangeably. - (Law, Politics & Philosophy)

Leadership is the action of leading a group of people or an organization by its leaders. Leadership is an important function of management which helps to maximize efficiency and to achieve group or church goals. In fact leadership is an essential part and a crucial component of effective management.

Adam, Abraham, Jacob, Isaac, Moses, the prophets, and Jesus were example of leaders in the Bible who led people. They weren't self- confessed or self-appointed leaders but been called to leadership, ordained and anointed by God. 

These leaders never abandoned the house of God, disrespected and failed to gave tribute to men of God as leaders in the ministry of God's house but showed great examples of being faithful and obedient to God's law even giving importance to tithes and offering as tax in the modern times.

CONCLUSION:

By understanding the difference between the former and the latter times as how GOD worked executing his plans in restoring people bringing them back to him, from earthly promise to eternity, from literal to spiritual, we then can conclude and see it clearly that never he broke any of his promises even the laws he created for the benefits of man.

So with how he worked in history and judging everyone by their attitude of subjecting themselves or not to the governing authorities as Paul has clearly emphasized in Roman 3:2 that "The authorities that exist have been established by God", God is still at his best working faithfully in visiting man.

In here I conclude based on Biblical historical accounts written in the scriptures, disclosed by scholars and historians, emphasizing the subject of this preposition about TITHES, said to be "was common apparently because most peoples counted in tens, based on ten fingers" in the past, I strongly have proven, that in passing various forms of government, GOD has mandated 10%. 

This mandate served for the general purpose of providing the needs of his house and of his chosen servants. This fact remains today or has still been mandated today by the government he established and from the people whom he had chosen to care and serve in his house, the church at present. 

Legitimate religious institutions today or the Church with Juridical personality under the LAW of the government, given the privilege to impose and mandate its constituents to obey their by-LAWS created especially as to progress their goals even their ideals and to sustain their economics needs mandating financial obligations among its members. 

WHO THEN ARE YOU TO QUESTION THEIR PRIVILEGE AS MANDATED BY THE GOVERNING AUTHORITIES PAUL CLEARLY HAVE SAID ARE ESTABLISHED BY GOD? IF THEY'LL AMEND AND USE THE ORDINANCE OF MALACHI 3:10 MANDATING ITS MEMBERS TO GIVE THEIR TITHES FOR THE CHURCH, WOULD THEN THAT A VIOLATION? NO! 

THE CHURCH IS THE HOUSE OF GOD, AND SERVANTS OF GOD WHO WORKED IN THE CHURCH FULL TIME PREACHING THE GOSPEL SHALL LIVE BY THE GOSPEL, HAVE THE AUTHORITY AND RIGHTS FOR IT. 1 Cor. 9:14; 2 Thess. 3:6-10

If your self-made church which is you as you might had claimed, subjected not to the governing authorities of the land God himself had established, having no JURIDICAL PERSONALITY or LEGAL ENTITY, then you have violated the LAW. You transgressed the LAW!

Ignorance of the LAW excuses no one! 

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Citations: 

1) The Shorter Oxford English Dictionary on Historical Principles, vol. 2, 1939, p. 2166
2) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theocracy
3) www.britannica.com/biography/Flavius-Josephus
4) www.britannica.com/topic/monarchy
5) www.dictionary.com/browse/monarchy
6) americanbuilt.us/governments/monarchy.shtm
7) www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/democracy
8) www.britannica.com/topic/democracy
9) www.biblestudytools.com/.../tithe-tithing.html
10) Smith's Bible Dictionary - Taxes

Check this link for my Answers to my Cross-Examination:
https://church-matters.blogspot.com/2019/06/my-answers-to-cross-examination-tithe.html
Check this link for my Opponent's Answers to my Cross-examination:
https://church-matters.blogspot.com/2019/07/my-opponents-answer-to-cross.html

Debate Controversial Bias and Collaborations:
https://church-matters.blogspot.com/2019/06/lack-of-knowledge-arrogance-and-pride.html