Tithing

David Mathis:

Should Christians tithe? The New Testament’s answer may surprise you. I’ve found the following reflections from Don Carson to be clarifying and challenging.

The only passage in the New Testament that explicitly authorizes the tithe does so in a rather backhanded way: “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices.... But you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy, and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former” (Matt. 23:23, NIV).

So if tithing, specifically, isn’t a New Testament emphasis, how should the Christian think about giving altogether?

[T]he most penetrating New Testament passage on giving is 2 Cor. 8-9. Under severe trial, the Corinthians’ “overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in a rich generosity” (8:2).

Carson concludes with the convicting suggestion (and gospel grounding),

So why not aim for 20 percent in your giving? Or 30? Or more, depending on your circumstances (8:12)? “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that... for your sakes he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich” (8:9).

For my part (this is Larry writing, not David Mathis), I'd only add that I don't think every penny of that sacrificial giving needs to go to your local church. Certainly the local church should be a priority, but there are other ways to display the generosity of Jesus.

What do you think: is tithing "Christian"?

God's Perspective on Money

Randy Alcorn:

I'm convinced that if we were to gain God's perspective, even for a moment, and were to look at the way we go through life accumulating and hoarding and displaying things, we would have the same feelings of horror and pity that any sane person has when he views people in a mental asylum endlessly beating their heads against the wall.

This is certainly not all there is to say about the issue of money and possessions, but it's surely worthy of much reflection and prayer.

I'm glad I'm not the only person who notices ironies like this

I'm planning to write a few reflections on my vacation in the days to come, but for now, here's a little tidbit I came across in a column about baseball's annual All Star Game from Friday's Philadelphia Inquirer:

The moving pregame segment on 'All Stars Among Us,' which highlighted 30 individuals who have sacrificed selflessly for the good of their communities, was followed immediately by a commercial for an E-Class Mercedes, the cheapest of which go for $50,000-plus.

Piper on the Imprisonment of Madoff

Over the weekend John Piper wrote a little reflection on the imprisonment of disgraced billionaire Bernard Madoff. It begins with these words:

A few months ago he was worth over $800 million. Now, at age 70, he sits in this prison cell, 7.5 by 8 feet, with a sink, a toilet, and a bunk. Bernard Madoff went there last Thursday after being under house arrest in his $7 million penthouse since December.

This, Piper says, is a great demonstration of God's mercy to Madoff and you and me. Read the rest here.