Are We Required to Tithe?

[charity]

The "Appearing" in Paul's 7 post-Acts books is when the Church of today is resurrected to the Heavenly Places, as promised only in those 7 books. When Christ first "Appears" there, we will already be there to "Appear" with Him - see Col 3:4 below. The Greek word, "epiphaneia', that is translated "Appearing", appears ONLY in Paul's 7 post-Acts epistles - 5 times. It will be the 1st mass resurrection, most likely at the end of this 2000 year Gentile period and right before Elijah starts moving things around and setting time back to the 1st century, in preparation for Israel's earthly Kingdom of Heaven. My guess is that the Appearing will happen in 2063, 2070, or 2085

The rapture is a totally different thing. In it, Christ, at his second Coming (parousia), when the 7th trump of Revelation sounds, at the end of the tribulation, descends to near the earth. The Acts church, both Jews and Gentiles, are resurrected and rise to meet Christ in the air. They return to Earth with Him. That's what the Bible says. The Greek word, "parousia", translated "coming", appears twice in Philippians, but, in both cases it refers to Paul's coming, not Christ's.

So, the rapture and the appearing are totally different resurrection events, for 2 different churches, under 2 different dispensations. The rapture is for the all-Israel Acts church, which ceased to exist when Israel was set aside at the end of Acts. It will still occur, though, at the end of the tribulation, just like the Bible says. The Appearing will likely occur in about 45-70 years. No one living during the last 1900 years will go through the rapture. We have an infinitely better resurrection at the Appearing. Also, these things are different because they're spelled different (epiphaneia vs paroisia), as one of my teachers often said.

Actually, the word "appear", in Col 3:4, is phaneroo in the Greek, which means "manifested:, which I like better than "appear". The word "appearing", though, is always the same Greek word, "epiphaneia", as I presented above,

Col 3:4
When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.
1Tim 6:14
That thou keep this commandment without spot, unrebukable, until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ:
2Tim 4:8
Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.
Titus 2:13
Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;

Hello @Ac28,

Would you please explain, or give references, either biblical or expository, for your words (highlighted) in the first paragraph concerning Elijah. I ask, not because I doubt your words, but because I want to understand.

Thank you.
In Christ Jesus
Chris

 

[Ac28]

Hello @Ac28,

Would you please explain, or give references, either biblical or expository, for your words (highlighted) in the first paragraph concerning Elijah. I ask, not because I doubt your words, but because I want to understand.

Thank you.
In Christ Jesus
Chris

Hi, Chris,

I assume you mean the part about restoring time back to the 1st century. About 15 years ago, I read a book by Roger Conner, an Ac 28er, named "God's Secret Place", which, as far as I know, was never published. He was on Deb's forum and my son was so impressed with what Roger said, that he flew from Dallas to Florida, just to spend a few hours talking to him. In the book, he made some very interesting observations, one of which was the idea that, among many other things, Elijah would restore time back to the first century.

We now live in a 2000 year parenthetical period, the purpose of which is to call out those Gentiles who see, believe,and claim the truths found only in Paul's 7 post-Acts epistles. Since Ac 28:28, when the Salvation of God was taken from the nation Israel and given to the Gentiles, nothing has applied to the 12 tribes of Israel. If a Jew wants to get saved, he or she must believe in the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ, just like us. I believe that the term, "Salvation of God", in Ac 28:28, refers to the person, Jesus Christ. In the OT, the Hebrew word, "Yeshuah" is translated "Salvation" about 100 times. In the NT, there are several verses referring to Christ as Salvation, for example, those in Luke 1:69, 2:30, and 3:6 (And all flesh shall see the salvation of God). We know that, during Acts, Israel had Jesus Christ, Jn 4:22, but the Gentiles didn't, Eph 2:11-12. Now, it's the opposite.

All of the OT prophecy involves just Israel, with the lone exception (that I know of) that, some day, Israel will be a blessing to the Gentile nations on the earth. Since Israel doesn't exist today, as a nation, in God's eyes, no OT prophecy has been fulfilled in 1900+ years. Since Israel has not been affected, in any way, of anything that has happened since Ac 28:28, this 2000 year parenthetical Gentile period could be totally removed from history, with no affect on God's plans for Israel, whatsoever.

At the bottom of this post is a list of fairly solid, definitive statements made by Jesus Christ (those with an asterisk *) , Paul, the 12, and James, concerning the supposed truth that Christ would return very soon and, of course, set up the Kingdom. Some verses say He would return during the lifetimes of some of those Saints living at that time. Paul thought he would still be alive when Christ returned, according to a few verses.

On the internet, you will find articles that use these verses to prove that the Bible is untrue. Also, some articles have titles like, "Did Christ lie?" And, if everything goes along as it is, with this present 2000 years as part of history, those accusations about Christ, Paul, the 12, and James, WOULD be true, and they all WOULD be liars. God Forbid! I've spent much time thinking about this, and the only way to remedy this is to get rid of this 2000 year period of time we're now living in, and restore the time back to sometime during the 1st century, and do it is such a way, where Israel, as a nation, will accept Jesus Christ as their promised Messiah.

So, here's my time frame, at least as I see it at 11AM, CDT, Sunday, Sept 23, 2018
---In about 2063, the present Church Which is Christ's Body, as found only in Paul's 7 post-Acts books, will be resurrected and translated to the uncreated Heavenly Places, where Christ now sits at the right hand of God, Eph 1:20, 2:6, to Appear with Him, when He first Appears to His creation in Heavenly Places.
---Elijah will come and restore ALL THINGS, Mt 17:11, Mk 9:12. I think that Elijah will restore the time to a point before Paul enters the picture, before Acts 9. It has to be at or after Acts 2, I think. Paul is definitely part of the Church which is Christ's Body, now, and will not be needed in the restored 1st Century. His main purpose in life was his dispensation of the Mystery, as found only in his post-Acts epistles.
---There are other good reasons to put time back to the 1st Century. The temple will still be there and the instruments of warfare will be more suitable to the way I think it must be.
---Our God is the ultimate Genius and He is capable of achieving anything He wants to achieve.

When I first became an Ac 28 Dispensationalist, about 30 years ago, I had a tract that, I think, was done by one of our brothers in England. It was a long narrow horizontal strip of paper that, from left to right, was written a summary of what has happened and what is prophesied to happen, from probably Gen 12 to when God becomes All in All. The present 2000 year period was in the middle. When you folded the ends of the strip, forward on its 4 fold marks, the present 2000 year period disappeared and, from left to right, it read, from Acts, directly to Elijah, as though the present 2000 years period didn't exist. I wish I still had a copy. C.E. McLain's excellent book, Elijah's Coming, has a fold out chart mounted in the book that does the same thing. This book can be obtained at Dr. McLain's very informative old website, rightdivision.com or Truth For Today at tftmin.org.


*Mt 10:22 “but he that endureth to the end shall be saved.”
*Mt 10:23 “Ye shall not have gone over the cities of Israel, till the Son of man be come.”
*Mt 16:28 “There be some standing here, which shall not taste of death”
*Mt 24:34 “This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled”
*Mt 26:64 “Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven.”
*Mk 13:13 “he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.”
*Mk 13:30 “this generation shall not pass, till all these things be done.”
*Mk 14:62 “ye shall see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven.”
*Lk 9:27 “there be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the kingdom of God.”
*Lk 21:31 “when ye see these things come to pass, know ye that the kingdom of God is nigh at hand”
*Lk 21:32 “This generation shall not pass away, till all be fulfilled.”
*Lk 21:36 “pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass”
*Jn 11:26 “whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die”
Ac 1:6 ”wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?”
Rom 13:11 “for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed.”

Rom 13:12 “the day is at hand”
Rom 16:20 “the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly.
1Cor 1:7-8 “waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ”
1Cor 7:29 “the time is short”
1Cor 10-11 “written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.”
1Cor 15:51 “We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,”
1Th 1:10 “to wait for his Son from heaven,”
1Th 4:15 “we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.”
1Th 4:17 “Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air”
1Th 5:23 “I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
2Th 1:7 “And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven”
Heb 10:37 “he that shall come will come, and will not tarry.”
Jas 5:8 “coming of the Lord draweth nigh”
1Pe 4:7 “But the end of all things is at hand”
1Jn 2:18 “it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time.”
*Rev 1:1 “things which must shortly come to pass;”
*Rev 1:3 “Surely I come quickly”
*Rev 22:10 “for the time is at hand.”
*Rev 22:12 “I come quickly”
*Rev 22:20 ”Surely I come quickly”

Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; Titus 2:13

Chris

 

[charity]

Thank you, @Ac28,

Yes, when Israel's prophetic clock begins to tick again all of these verses will find their fulfilment.

I thank you for this explanation. I have always understood that the fulfilment of these verses depended upon Israel's repentance, and acknowledgment of Christ as their Messiah. Israel's failure to do so, and subsequent Lo-ammi state, has delayed their fulfilment, but with the Church of the One Body of which Christ is the Head which has been formed during this period taken up; the way will be clear for God's purposes for Israel and the Gentile nations to find their fulfilment. You have made me realise that I need to really consider just what that entails.

Praise God!

Thank you for all your source material and links.
In Christ Jesus
Chris

Return of Elijah | Right Division
ELIJAH WILL “RESTORE ALL THINGS” | Right Word Truth

 

[marksman]

I was doing some deep theological thinking (that is what the noise was about) regarding the law and it came to me that Jesus fulfilled the law so what does that mean?

It is very obvious that Jesus who was without sin would have kept the OT law. Despite the new covenant being one of grace, the law comes in there somewhere because Jesus fulfilled the law in his death, resurrection, and ascension.

Did he stop fulfilling the law once he had ascended?

Does he want us to ignore the law? When you think about it the whole of life is governed by laws. Some are good i.e. those against murder and some are bad i.e. those for same-sex marriage.

As God's law is higher than man-made law, does God want us to forget the law? I have a feeling that the Christian of all people should keep the law both man-made and God made, even though some man-made law is very difficult to keep and in some cases should not be kept.

And then I asked myself how would Jesus fulfill the law under the new covenant. He was perfect and we are expected to be perfect as he is perfect as part of our sanctification. That must mean we are supposed to fulfill the law as he did.

But here is the difference. Most people keep the law out of fear (of being prosecuted or ending up in jail). Jesus kept the law because of his love for the father. Therefore surely we keep the law because of our love of the father. I am not talking about the ceremonial law because that was for the Jews.

I am talking about things like the 10 commandments. We are told in both covenants to love the lord with all our etc....and to not murder and to keep the Sabbath (Saturday) etc.

We don't do it because we are told to do it. We do it because we love the father. With that love, we can fulfill the law as Jesus did, not as a threat but as a promise.

 

[farouk]

in all the many passages on money and giving in the New Testament, tithing is never even suggested, let alone commanded.

When Paul writes to the Corinthians about giving, he carefully avoids prescribing either a set amount or a fixed proportion. “Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” (II Corinthians 9:7)

So tithing is not compulsory; but we should not therefore dismiss it altogether. For how do we decide how much of our income to give away? At least the 10% figure gives us something to work from. It suggests that we should be giving a significant amount, not just the few coins left in our purses at the end of the week. We should probably be giving away enough for us to notice a dent in our weekly or monthly budget. For the less well off, this might be only 5% (or even less); but for the richer ones among us, it should probably be 20% (or even more).

Tithing is an Old Testament practice - even though some New Testament believers may choose to give freewill offerings of more than a 10th!