Whitefield
Puritan Board Junior
I really don't think anyone is arguing that the church equals God. What is being debated is whether there is an objective standard for supporting the local gospel ministry.
As an aside, what was the objective standard for giving in the OT?
Regrettably the church is put in the place of God simply by the terms in which the issue is discussed.
During the carnal ordinances of the OT one tenth was given to the Levites (not the church). I take it that the other tithes are not the subject of discussion.
Were the Levites considered to be God?
-----Added 4/1/2009 at 07:42:07 EST-----
One may decide in his own heart and before God that in following GE he chooses to give 10% 5% 50% He does not give a tithe and then offerings. He gives offerings. He may choose to allot a specific amount to his church and then give extra elsewhere or to special offerings.
I guess I'll say it again,
Whereas, before, God gave an objective expression of what He desires to be the minimum that we return to Him. Now He has become silent and leaves it up to our own subjective opinion. So if a person who makes $100,000 per year gives only $20 per week to the support of the church, since there is no standard, the church's leadership really can't say anything.
It seems a little odd to me that God has gone to great lengths to express to us how to order the church (when to worship, how to worship, who can lead the church, and the structure of the church itself) but He is silent on how to support the church.