As for tithing — I don’t agree; but it’s your blog and you get the last word on it.

1)1) Jesus also said leave your sacrifice at the altar and be reconciled. He was a practicing Jew in temple Judaism.

2) I’m going to assume you know that old covenant tithing was actually several tithes and if we followed the OT pattern of tithing it would be far far more than 10%.

3) Cultic is a descriptive term, not an insult. If a group requires what the Bible does not and 1) doesn’t distinguish the difference and/or 2) requires it in the same way as Biblical requirements, then the behavior is cultic in nature. If it’s cultic when cults do it, it’s cultic when we do it.

4) In the New covenant, tithing can be suggested as a guideline, but not as a requirement. The refusal to be consistently New Covenant in our practice is a major issue with groups like Southern Baptists.

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone.”

Emphasis mine. Tithing, and other parts of the Law (not the Pharisees’ interpretations and customs, which are extra-biblical) should not be left undone. Yes, 100% of what we have belongs to God; and that should be the lens we look through when we give and study giving. Unfortunately it has become the excuse we use for not contributing a penny to our churches.

When I went to Bethany University, there were requirements for living in the dorms that simply weren’t biblical. Nowhere in scripture does it say that men and women are to be segregated from one another in their living quarters, or that we’re to be prohibited from alcohol or tobacco, or that God didn’t approve of movies rated PG-13 and over. I see their purpose, but of course they aren’t biblical. But I wanted to live on campus, so I accepted the rules for the time that I lived there.

When I’ve taken secular jobs, frequently there are job requirements that also aren’t biblical. I met them whenever I wanted those jobs. I didn’t care to debate their biblical validity first, and write a 10-page letter explaining in detail, with extensive quotes, why I couldn’t work for them. I wanted the job, so I met their requirements. Once I got the job, maybe I could talk them into changing the rules, but if I couldn’t, I still followed them.

That’s the way I look at the deacon positions in a church. To be a deacon is a calling from God; but it is at the same time a job. If you don’t agree with the job requirements you may not necessarily be called to be a deacon at that church; but what I think is more likely is that you are not yet willing to give up your Christian freedoms for the sake of your weaker brothers. Romans 14 is my guideline in this. If the church is weak and needs their deacons to be ascetics, you do what you have to if you’re going to minister to that church. But if the position is all about putting your spiritual maturity on display (particularly with a 10-page letter), you’re not yet ready to serve that church. Maybe not anyone.

I agree: those other requirements aren’t biblical. But for the sake of others they need to be followed just as solemnly: not half-heartedly, nor condescendingly, nor hypocritically. By all means, point out that they aren’t biblical mandates, and that you’re following them for other reasons. Just make sure you don’t do this to draw attention to your own piety, or to ridicule the church for its strictness. The overarching principle, as in all church matters, is love. Do it in love. Do it ’cause you love the people in your church. Don’t do it for any other reason. There are no other reasons.

Now, to put the shoe on the other foot: Naturally I wouldn’t require for my deacons any more than scripture mandates. There would have to be some drastic need — like we had a lot of recovering addicts in the church, with a high recidivism rate — before I’d add to Paul’s lists. I don’t want to drive away anyone God has qualified to minister. But I don’t run a denomination. These things aren’t up to me. I could choose to go independent… but that will cause another rant out of me that’s completely off-topic.

It totally escapes me how one can bind the conscience of any person with anything other than the explicit teaching of scripture or clear principles derived from that. Tithing is neither. What is the point of insisting on the INSPIRATION of the Biblically explicit qualifications of deacons as listed in the pastoral letters if qualifications BEYOND those listed can be put on equal footing?

I can understand your point if a statement separated Biblical qualifications and Church expectations, but treating non-Biblical requirements as Biblical is- excuse the word- cultic, not just legalistic. It’s an abuse of scripture.

I believe ministry can have expectations that are not in scripture, but they do not come with the AUTHORITY of scripture.

Insisting on teetotalism is going directly against the teaching of scripture on the subject of moderate use of alcohol.

MS

A church should be able to make the deacons’ requirements whatever they like. It shows what that church sees as priority, and (hopefully) reflects the congregation’s needs. If a church demands the deacons tithe, it’s because the church needs to actually give as if God owns at least 10 percent and stop using the “We’re a New Testament church” excuse to rob God and hobble His church. If deacons mustn’t drink, it’s because few know what moderation means anymore — look at the average American’s waistline for proof. If deacons must attend many services, it’s because the relationships in a church don’t grow when we only see one another once a week, and without relationship there’s no accountability. There’s just legalism.

We shouldn’t assume these things are based on legalism unless we can see for ourselves whether there’s any love in the church. The bare words don’t show it. The response doesn’t show love either; it shows civility, which is a good sign, but there isn’t much of an attempt to understand where the church is coming from — it’s just a rejection of everything the writer can’t stomach.

You might try addressing that prayer to St. Jude.

As my brother the Ph.D Theologian is fond of pointing out, there are instances in the OT where men were commanded to SLAY God’s anointed. People should be careful with that particular defense…

-Jim Bob