To Tithe or Not?

Dr. Eric V. Cline

Description

An intriguing read unlike any other book on tithing. Awareness reaped from the sensational banter will help bring peace and resolve to the question of giving.

Two fictitious characters, Tithing Tim, and Grace Giving Gary banter with John Calvin, Augustine, and other true titans of Christendom on the challenging doctrine of tithing.



Tithing Tim is an advocate of tithing, and Grace-Giving Gary is an opponent of tithing – and they have a debate that moves from the Ante-Nicene era of 100–325 CE to the Post-Nicene era of 325–604 CE, and then on to the Middle Ages of 604–1517 CE, where Thomas Aquinas has a lot to say on the matter.



They also journey to the Reformation era of 1517–1648 CE, the Post-Reformation era of 1648–1873 CE, and the Tithing Renewal Era, 1873–present, bantering with the likes of Clement of Alexandria and Martin Luther along the way.



While some people they meet are reluctant to proclaim a pro or con tithing status, others take a hard stance one way or the other.



Hear what Tithing Tim, Grace Giving Gary, and others have to say about tithing and decide for yourself whether tithing is for you.

Sujets

• Religion
• Christianisme
• Christian Living
• Mentoring
• Philosophie et théologie
• Leadership
• Bible

Informations

• Publié par: WestBow Press
• Date de parution: 08 novembre 2022
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781664275522
• Langue: English

Extrait

TO TITHE OR NOT?
 
A NEW LOOK AT THE OLD COVENANT
 
 
 
 
DR. ERIC V. CLINE
 
 

 
Copyright © 2022 Dr. Eric V. Cline.
 
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.
 
WestBow Press
A Division of Thomas Nelson & Zondervan
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Bloomington, IN 47403
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Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.
 
Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.
Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.
 
Scripture marked (NKJV) taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
 
Scripture quotations marked (ESV) are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), Copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
 
Scripture quotations marked (NIV) are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com The “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.®
 
ISBN: 978-1-6642-7551-5 (sc)
ISBN: 978-1-6642-7553-9 (hc)
ISBN: 978-1-6642-7552-2 (e)
 
Library of Congress Control Number: 2022915159
 
WestBow Press rev. date: 11/07/2022
 
“The best way to tithe or if to tithe at all are frequent discussions in my Financial Planning practice. To Tithe or Not addresses those questions in a well referenced and easy to follow manner without prescribing a final answer. To Tithe or Not can be read and enjoyed quickly and lightly, but that reader would miss out on much. Just as a proper Great Books course introduces the great thinkers of Western Civilization, To Tithe or Not brings us face-to-face with the giants of Christendom. A well-referenced, logical chronology of Papal and Protestant thought. An excellent and compelling read.”
—Wallace Smith, ChFC, President, Ridgegate Finan cial
 
To Tithe or Not?
There is a universal belief in our community and within our society that we should not pay for anything up front! Wait until the contractor has completed the project! Wait until the Professional has gained results! Wait until the Food and Drug Administration approves Medicine! Wait until the Department of Managed Health Care approves the Medical Procedure! Wait until a new product has been tested and evaluated before you buy it!
Does that doctrine apply to our spiritual belief in God when we combine that spiritual belief with our belief that a Moral and Healthy Society is founded upon Faith and that Faith must continue and flourish? Faith is evidenced through our universal support of Churches, Ministers, Pastors, Priests, Rabbis, Bishops and all other leaders and teachers who work for the good of mankind. For the sake of our future we then realize that ‘Faith’ must be supported!
The question of Tithing or Contribution becomes personal and from our heart when we arrive at our personal commitment to Tithe or Contribute on a ‘pay as you go’ basis! The words contained in Dr. Eric V. Cline’s book To Tithe or Not are profound and contain the substance for each of us to arrive at that answer for ourself. The majority of Authors have a prescribed agenda or goal when they first set “pen to paper” and in a self-serving manner their books are not meant to educate the reader; but rather to convert the reader to their own belief.
Dr. Eric V. Cline’s book is balanced and provides each of us with rationale such that we may arrive at our own decision independently and in doing so; we become comfortable and committed to our decision of whether to Tithe or Not!
—Thomas E Rodriguez CPA, CGMA
I dedicate this book to Jacob, Jack, Luke, Vincent, Danielle, Alexander, and Jena who treasure the riches of family
Contents
Introduction
Prologue
Chapter 1Ante-Nicene Era 100–325 CE
Chapter 2Post-Nicene Era 325–604 CE
Chapter 3Middle Ages 604–1517 CE
Chapter 4Reformation Era 1517–1648 CE
Chapter 5New Testament Scriptures of Grace-Mandated Giving
Chapter 6Post-Reformation Era 1648–1873 CE
Chapter 7Tithing Renewal Era 1873–Present
Chapter 8New Testament Scriptures on Helping the Poor Through God’s Grace and Not by Law
Conclusion
Bibliography
Introduction
I thought it would be a welcomed relief to step away from the real or perceived expectations of how the church and we are to spend our hard-earned cash. Enter the developing discussion about tithing between two fictitious characters, Tithing Tim and Grace-Giving Gary. Tithing Tim is an advocate of tithing, and Grace-Giving Gary is an opponent of tithing. They are accompanied by non-fictitious counsel from early to present day. Although Genesis 17 records that God changed Abram’s name to Abraham, I use Abram throughout this writing for simplicity. Grace-Giving Gary believes that giving our time, money, and other resources should be by grace and be love-driven, so his name is shortened from Grace-Giving, Love-Driven Gary, to simply Grace-Giving Gary.
Their discussion will eventually move from the Ante-Nicene era of 100–325 CE to the Post-Nicene era of 325–604 CE, and then on to the Middle Ages of 604–1517 CE, where Thomas Aquinas (1225–1275 CE) will have something to say about the oblations and first fruits of the old law. They take us through the Reformation era of 1517–1648 CE, the Post-Reformation era of 1648–1873 CE, and the Tithing Renewal Era, 1873–present. The division of church history into these periods or eras seems to be generally accepted. Discussing finances is difficult and only made more difficult when giving money away either by requirement or choice. Some people you will meet in this book are reluctant to proclaim a pro or con tithing status, seemingly taking ambiguity as the safe position.
Although I found some interesting peripheral information about most of the people I present, most of the facts surrounding their positions on tithing have been discovered and revealed by more than a handful of authors. I offer the subject differently, but the “duck quacks and the dog barks” today as they did yesteryear. In other words, the findings of advocates and opponents of tithing generally appear all too similar. Authors David A. Croteau, Earlington Guiste, and Evelyn Guiste deserve special recognition for their extensive disclosures of tithing principles and practices of seemingly everyone. I reference their work, among others, throughout this book. Why are there so many variations in thinking on this subject matter? Is the biblical teaching on this concept not clear enough for a single perspective in interpretation?
Prologue
Tithing Tim: Of course, they had to give back. They knew to tithe.
Grace -G iving Gary: I assume you are talking about Adam and Eve before the Fall. What makes you think they even knew to give back to the Lord? Where is that in Scripture?
Tithing Tim: Well, let’s face it: there wasn’t any Scripture back then, but the general revelation of God surrounded them, and God provided for all their needs. Natural law, or God’s objective moral law, reveals what we should do. As I will show, we must give back a tenth. Somehow, folks knew right from wrong without the law. 1 Adam and Eve felt shame and covered themselves, and Cain lied to God about Abel’s dead body. By what standard was Noah declared righteous and without blame? It wasn’t the non-existent Mosaic law or even a precursor—otherwise, Cain would have been put to death for murder according to Mosaic law (Gen. 9:6).
Grace -G iving Gary: It sounds like you are talking eighteenth-century Enlightenment. People gained confidence in the power of human reason unaided by divine revelation to solve their problems. This led to moral-ethical relativism, which says there is no universal moral standard, that what is suitable for one person may not be right for anyone else. We agree that we must give back, but why a tenth to the One who owns everything anyway? Giving is a constant throughout the Bible, but should our giving be limited to a tenth? How do you conclude that Adam and Eve knew to give back to the Lord? Are you telling me that tithing is demonstrated because God set aside a few trees for Himself?
Tithing Tim: Yes, it universally demonstrates that tithing goes back as early as the Garden.
Grace -G iving Gary: I think that is stretching it a bit. The role of Adam in the garden is patterned after God’s activity as he is placed “in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it” (Gen. 2:15 ESV). It doesn’t say anything about tithing or giving back. However, I can understand the implication because we are given dominion and the duty to care for creation. And since we are given dominion over His creation with free will to choose, why are we not given the freedom to decide how much to give? 2 Our pastors, and we as the church, are part of God’s creation, and we make decisions accordingly. Since we are essentially talking about the period