Tithe
The bible asks that we give ten percent of what we receive as an offering to the person or organization we derive spiritual guidance from. Why? We will say the Church is already rich. And God will understand if we scrimp a bit because more pressing needs have to be addressed first. But giving leads to receiving. Giving is the nature of the universe. Giving is the very essence of abundance. Skipping this tithing means we still believe in scarcity, else we would give. Giving is a concrete statement of abundance. We can also give time and talent but tithing is really about offering money.
My experience has shown me that whenever my funds are getting dangerously low and I give some away either as a donation, alm to a homeless person, etc., the results have always been suprising! More money always just shows up for me – exactly when I need it. Though there may not be alot – but there is always enough. This is something big to me because my conditioned attitudes around money all used to revolve around scarcity, and they run deep. But now, I am experiencing a paradigm shift and floodgates of blessings are being opened.
more in my blog
It’s in the Bible. We must return a portion of our income to God.
______
Nice To Know Facts On Online Money Making
it’s our responsibility to the life-giver God. we must separate a tenth of our income for the Lord.
Tithing, or the giving of exactly one tenth of one’s increase to God in some manner, is certainly found in the Bible. But, as always, as Christians, our question shouldn’t be solely “Is it in the Bible?” but rather, “Is it something that is intended to be a practice of this New Covenant era?” There are many things found in the Bible that have absolutely nothing to do with the age we now live in. For instance, in Leviticus, chapter 1, verses 14–17 we read an instruction of how to prepare a bird for a burnt offering. I personally do not doubt for one moment that this is a ‘biblical’ practice, so why don’t either you or I do it? Answer, because we understand that this was an instruction given to a particular group of people at a particular phase in God’s dealings with man but it has no place in this Covenant.
I do not wish to overlabour this topic so without further ado I will simply give a summary of the origin and development of ‘the tithe’ below. Afterward we can move on to look at much more relevant questions that concern the Spirit-born child of God living in the New Covenant era: “How should a Christian give?” & “Who should a Christian give to?” These will be considered in PARTS 2 and 3 of this article.
First
The first mention of tithing in the Bible comes in the book of Genesis (as do so many ‘first mentions’). The book of Genesis covers many centuries of human history and can itself be broken down into several distinct eras, but the most relevant point to our subject is simply this: it deals with a time before the Mosaic (Old) Covenant came into being. The first mention of tithing had nothing to do with any special ‘covenant’ (agreement) that God had made with anyone. It was an entirely spontaneous, willing gesture on the part of a godly man (Abraham), which came out of a pure desire to express his, love, devotion and thankfulness to God for a mighty deliverance.
“And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he was the priest of the most high God. And he blessed him, and said, Blessed be Abram of the most high God, possessor of heaven and earth: And blessed be the most high God, which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand. And he gave him tithes of all.” (Gen 14:18-20)
No one told Abraham he had to do this or how much to give to Melchizedek. He decided himself that that was what he wanted to do. He never asked for anything in return or stated that he was making a new rule for his descendants. Whether or not Melchizedek even had any practical need of the offering is not mentioned. Being as he was ‘king’ as well as ‘priest’ of Salem I some how doubt it. It seems that ‘need’ was not the uppermost factor but rather Abraham did this simply because he wanted to express how thankful he was to the Lord.
Secondly;
In stark contrast to Abraham’s spontaneous and generous gesture the next person who is mentioned in relation to the subject of tithing is Jacob. He had a very different approach to that of his grandfather Abraham.
“And Jacob vowed a vow, saying, If God will be with me, and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat, and raiment to put on, So that I come again to my father’s house in peace; then shall the LORD be my God: And this stone, which I have set for a pillar, shall be God’s house: and of all that thou shalt give me I will surely give the tenth unto thee.” (Gen 28:20 – 22)
What a cheek! Fancy saying to God, the Lord God Almighty, Maker and Owner of the entire universe… “If you do your bit God I’ll give you a cut – how’s ten percent suit you!?” Jacob may have been chosen and elect according to God’s purposes but that didn’t mean that he didn’t have an awful lot to learn about his Maker at this particular juncture of his life. Jacob, descendant of Abraham and Isaac, a man destined to become ‘Israel’, the embodiment of a nation, may well have set a precedent here. What we shall see next is that when God made a covenant with Israel (the nation) He insisted that they keep to the bargain made by their father.
Tithing becomes an established law in Israel
Following the establishment of the Mosaic covenant right through to the final book of the Old Testament there are many references to tithing. It was established by God as one of the commandments, along with many others, for the duration of the Old Covenant period.
“And all the tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land, or of the fruit of the tree, is the LORD’S: it is holy unto the LORD…. These are the commandments, which the LORD commanded Moses for the children of Israel in mount Sinai.” (Lev 27:30 & 34)
We know that at times the nation failed to fulfil its obligations in this, which resulted in God holding back His blessings to them (e.g. see Malachi 3:7-11). This certainly makes me think once again of Jacob’s ‘bargain’ with God. It seems that the Lord took it seriously.
How about in the New Testament ?
The above is the briefest of surveys of the origins and development of tithing in the Bible. Now we come to the important question for Christians (not Old Covenant Jews) living in today’s age; are we expected to continue to tithe? The New Testament mentions the subject of tithing in just two contexts. I’ll refer to them both:
1. Mat 23:23 & Lu 11:42 – the same context
The above two references both relate to an occasion (probably the same occasion) when Jesus was upbraiding some religious hypocrites. The Pharisees and Scribes loved to pay close attention to all manner of little rules and observances in a pedantic way and yet at the same time they had bypassed things as important as justice, mercy and faith. Jesus didn’t tell them not to pay their tithes but that they should get things in perspective. The important thing that we must realise is that this was still the Old Covenant period. Never think that the gospel records are recounting a period in time that belongs to the New Covenant. The New Covenant hadn’t yet been made. The New Testament testifies that this covenant was made in Jesus’ blood and Jesus hadn’t at that time died. It was quite right for these folk to continue to observe the tithing laws (though I am not sure that they were intended to go as far as tithing from their kitchen herb garden!). Jesus Himself kept all the Law of Moses but we are not under that covenant and not under that law.
2. Heb 7:5 -9
The only other mention of ‘tithes’ and ‘tithing’ in the New Testament is a retrospective explanation, in the seventh chapter of the book of Hebrews, concerning things that belonged to the Old Covenant. I’ll leave you to read the passage but it is quite simply a teaching about priesthood and relates to Abraham, Melchizedek and the Levites. It has nothing at all to do with instructions to New Testament believers.
Hence, there is no ‘commandment’ to tithe in the New Testament, no example of any Christian tithing and the only mention of the subject is in the clear context of Old Covenant people and practices.
In summary thus far
• Abraham first gave a tithe offering as a spontaneous thank you to God.
• Jacob (who no doubt had heard of this occasion) decided to try to ‘strike a deal’ with God on this basis.
• God, when giving the Old Covenant law to Jacob’s descendants included tithing as a part of that covenant.
• Coming to the New Testament we do not find any command, or even hint, that this is what God is wanting from His people today.
Let not the reader think therefore that there is no expectation of Christians giving of their substance (in some manner) to God. The systematic offering of a given ‘percentage’ is indeed nowhere to be found in the pages of the New Testament but it none-the-less has plenty to say about the subject of ‘giving’. I don’t just mean our time, our efforts etc. it is clear that we are to give of our material goods, but we need to see what are the principles that govern New Testament Christian giving. This will be covered when I publish my next book on this topic to help out more Ugandans understand the principles of Tithing.
Tithing, or the giving of exactly one tenth of one’s increase to God in some manner, is certainly found in the Bible. But, as always, as Christians, our question shouldn’t be solely “Is it in the Bible?” but rather, “Is it something that is intended to be a practice of this New Covenant era?” There are many things found in the Bible that have absolutely nothing to do with the age we now live in. For instance, in Leviticus, chapter 1, verses 14–17 we read an instruction of how to prepare a bird for a burnt offering. I personally do not doubt for one moment that this is a ‘biblical’ practice, so why don’t either you or I do it? Answer, because we understand that this was an instruction given to a particular group of people at a particular phase in God’s dealings with man but it has no place in this Covenant.
I do not wish to overlabour this topic so without further ado I will simply give a summary of the origin and development of ‘the tithe’ below. Afterward we can move on to look at much more relevant questions that concern the Spirit-born child of God living in the New Covenant era: “How should a Christian give?” & “Who should a Christian give to?” These will be considered in PARTS 2 and 3 of this article.
First
The first mention of tithing in the Bible comes in the book of Genesis (as do so many ‘first mentions’). The book of Genesis covers many centuries of human history and can itself be broken down into several distinct eras, but the most relevant point to our subject is simply this: it deals with a time before the Mosaic (Old) Covenant came into being. The first mention of tithing had nothing to do with any special ‘covenant’ (agreement) that God had made with anyone. It was an entirely spontaneous, willing gesture on the part of a godly man (Abraham), which came out of a pure desire to express his, love, devotion and thankfulness to God for a mighty deliverance.
“And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he was the priest of the most high God. And he blessed him, and said, Blessed be Abram of the most high God, possessor of heaven and earth: And blessed be the most high God, which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand. And he gave him tithes of all.” (Gen 14:18-20)
No one told Abraham he had to do this or how much to give to Melchizedek. He decided himself that that was what he wanted to do. He never asked for anything in return or stated that he was making a new rule for his descendants. Whether or not Melchizedek even had any practical need of the offering is not mentioned. Being as he was ‘king’ as well as ‘priest’ of Salem I some how doubt it. It seems that ‘need’ was not the uppermost factor but rather Abraham did this simply because he wanted to express how thankful he was to the Lord.
Secondly;
In stark contrast to Abraham’s spontaneous and generous gesture the next person who is mentioned in relation to the subject of tithing is Jacob. He had a very different approach to that of his grandfather Abraham.
“And Jacob vowed a vow, saying, If God will be with me, and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat, and raiment to put on, So that I come again to my father’s house in peace; then shall the LORD be my God: And this stone, which I have set for a pillar, shall be God’s house: and of all that thou shalt give me I will surely give the tenth unto thee.” (Gen 28:20 – 22)
What a cheek! Fancy saying to God, the Lord God Almighty, Maker and Owner of the entire universe… “If you do your bit God I’ll give you a cut – how’s ten percent suit you!?” Jacob may have been chosen and elect according to God’s purposes but that didn’t mean that he didn’t have an awful lot to learn about his Maker at this particular juncture of his life. Jacob, descendant of Abraham and Isaac, a man destined to become ‘Israel’, the embodiment of a nation, may well have set a precedent here. What we shall see next is that when God made a covenant with Israel (the nation) He insisted that they keep to the bargain made by their father.
Tithing becomes an established law in Israel
Following the establishment of the Mosaic covenant right through to the final book of the Old Testament there are many references to tithing. It was established by God as one of the commandments, along with many others, for the duration of the Old Covenant period.
“And all the tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land, or of the fruit of the tree, is the LORD’S: it is holy unto the LORD…. These are the commandments, which the LORD commanded Moses for the children of Israel in mount Sinai.” (Lev 27:30 & 34)
We know that at times the nation failed to fulfil its obligations in this, which resulted in God holding back His blessings to them (e.g. see Malachi 3:7-11). This certainly makes me think once again of Jacob’s ‘bargain’ with God. It seems that the Lord took it seriously.
How about in the New Testament ?
The above is the briefest of surveys of the origins and development of tithing in the Bible. Now we come to the important question for Christians (not Old Covenant Jews) living in today’s age; are we expected to continue to tithe? The New Testament mentions the subject of tithing in just two contexts. I’ll refer to them both:
1. Mat 23:23 & Lu 11:42 – the same context
The above two references both relate to an occasion (probably the same occasion) when Jesus was upbraiding some religious hypocrites. The Pharisees and Scribes loved to pay close attention to all manner of little rules and observances in a pedantic way and yet at the same time they had bypassed things as important as justice, mercy and faith. Jesus didn’t tell them not to pay their tithes but that they should get things in perspective. The important thing that we must realise is that this was still the Old Covenant period. Never think that the gospel records are recounting a period in time that belongs to the New Covenant. The New Covenant hadn’t yet been made. The New Testament testifies that this covenant was made in Jesus’ blood and Jesus hadn’t at that time died. It was quite right for these folk to continue to observe the tithing laws (though I am not sure that they were intended to go as far as tithing from their kitchen herb garden!). Jesus Himself kept all the Law of Moses but we are not under that covenant and not under that law.
2. Heb 7:5 -9
The only other mention of ‘tithes’ and ‘tithing’ in the New Testament is a retrospective explanation, in the seventh chapter of the book of Hebrews, concerning things that belonged to the Old Covenant. I’ll leave you to read the passage but it is quite simply a teaching about priesthood and relates to Abraham, Melchizedek and the Levites. It has nothing at all to do with instructions to New Testament believers.
Hence, there is no ‘commandment’ to tithe in the New Testament, no example of any Christian tithing and the only mention of the subject is in the clear context of Old Covenant people and practices.
In summary thus far
• Abraham first gave a tithe offering as a spontaneous thank you to God.
• Jacob (who no doubt had heard of this occasion) decided to try to ‘strike a deal’ with God on this basis.
• God, when giving the Old Covenant law to Jacob’s descendants included tithing as a part of that covenant.
• Coming to the New Testament we do not find any command, or even hint, that this is what God is wanting from His people today.
Let not the reader think therefore that there is no expectation of Christians giving of their substance (in some manner) to God. The systematic offering of a given ‘percentage’ is indeed nowhere to be found in the pages of the New Testament but it none-the-less has plenty to say about the subject of ‘giving’. I don’t just mean our time, our efforts etc. it is clear that we are to give of our material goods, but we need to see what are the principles that govern New Testament Christian giving. This will be covered when I publish my next book on this topic to help out more Ugandans understand the principles of Tithing.
Ask yourself this ONE question.
If Jesus established His one church around 33 A.D.
And in the Bible (Daniel 2:44) God declares that
His last Kingdom (the church) would be Eternal,
meaning that it’s been on the earth ever since Jesus
established it on the Day of Pentecost (Acts, Chapter 2)
Why would you want to belong to any man-made Denomination,
rather than the very same church that Jesus established in the
First Century ?
Sure Denominations can help people learn the Bible,
but they are still a very, very, serious enemy against the
UNITY
that Jesus prayed for in John 17:23.
See these Denominations,
they actually assist the devil’s joy of dividing Christ.
They’re all man made and their doctrines can easily be proven
False
from the Bible.
Have you ever wondered why God created monkeys ? Especially when they give so much power to atheists and their theories of evolution ? Because God is the “ultimate” God of fairness. He gives every possible means to non believers so that they can have their way if they want. Without monkeys on the earth, atheistic theories would be at a great disadvantage.
Well God has also given every person many different possible Doctrines to choose from. He could have written His word so cut and dried and so plainly that there would be absolutely no question whatsoever regarding Doctrine. But He didn’t, He wrote the Bible in such a way that gives every person the ability to choose their Doctrine.
And it just so happens that only one Doctrine fits ALL scripture,
and all other Doctrines only fit some scriptures.
And then God goes and says; Watch your Doctrine, persevere in it because it will save both you and those who hear you. 1Timothy 4:16
* * Important Note * *
The word church is simply the Greek word for
assembly or called out
And every church can only exist because of whatever
Doctrine
it embraces.
And False Doctrine is one of satan’s most sinister schemes because with it he is able to promote Denominations which hinder those who are searching for Truth. Those who are searching for the church that Jesus established back on the Day of Pentecost (33 A.D.)
And False Doctrine is rampant in the religious world today.
1 Timothy 6:3 If anyone teaches False Doctrines and does not agree to the sound instruction of our Lord Jesus Christ and to Godly teaching, he is conceited and understands nothing.
Surely you would think that any empathetic human being would pursue unity in light of the torture that Jesus went through, Right ? Well NOT so. Many religious people would much rather just follow their own feelings rather than God’s True Doctrine. And by doing so they support Denominations and division based upon False man-made Doctrines.
(Just like Paul prophesied would happen.)
Acts 20:30 Men will arise and distort the Truth in order to draw away their own followers.
According to Acts 20:30, Jesus did NOT endure excruciating pain in order to build Denominations.
God’s church is called to refute False Doctrines.
Titus 1:9 Encourage others with sound Doctrine and refute those who oppose it.
Those who refuse to abandon False teachings are actually saying to Jesus,
“We know that your crucifixion may have been a bit uncomfortable but we just don’t see a real need to pursue True Doctrine, but thanks anyway.”
AND YET !
GET THIS,
Society would NEVER accept a police force that did not pursue truth.
Society would NEVER accept a school system where teachers teach
that 2+2=5.
So why is it, as we’re compelled to ask you ?
That only in the realm of religion, is man so willing
to accept so many teachings that fall short of Truth ?
Perhaps it was even prophesied.
2 Timothy 4:3 For the time will come when men will not put up with
SOUND DOCTRINE.
Instead to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.
God’s church does NOT have a NAME.
It can’t.
It’s the church, … God’s vessel of salvation from the cross on, just like Noah’s ark. The church is God’s last and Eternal Kingdom, prophesied 600 years before Christ, in Isaiah 9:7 and Daniel 2:44
God refers to His ONE church using four different terms;
1. The church of the Living God
2. The church of God
3. The church of the Firstborn, and
4. The church of Christ
These are not meant to be Names of denominations, they are only references that God uses concerning His Body .
Characteristics of God’s church
1. God’s one church was Prophesied to be God’s last reigning Kingdom, an Eternal Kingdom, one that would last forever. – Daniel 2:44, Isaiah 9:7
2. God’s church was NOT founded by any man or woman, but rather by Jesus Christ who is its only Founder and its only Foundation. – 1Corinthians 3:11
3. God’s church was started by Jesus, He began its construction in the first century, it was born on the day of Pentecost and on that day the church grew by 3,000. – Acts 2:41
4. God’s church is made up of repentant sinners, not buildings, etc. and only God Himself adds believers to His one Body. This happens when they choose to accept His Word and obey His ONE Plan of Salvation. – Acts 2:38 Acts 2:47
5. God’s church is not governed by any earthly headquarters, but rather Jesus in Heaven is the Head of the church. – Ephesians 5:23
6. God’s church will be rivaled against by False Doctrines and the False Teachers who promote them. – Acts 20:30
7. God’s church is DEFINED by it’s one Doctrine, the Doctrine of Christ’s New Covenant. God’s church is NOT a Denomination, it can’t be. Denominations are False Divisions that break off of God’s church. – Titus 1:9 Acts 20:30
MOST IMPORTANT FACT
The majority of Denominations do NOT Baptize sinners into the Body of Christ, For the forgiveness of a person’s sins and to receive the gift (the indwelling seal) of the Holy Spirit.
Acts 2:38 – Romans 6:3 – Galatians 3:27 – 1Peter 3:21
Were you added to God’s Body by God Himself ?
Acts 2:47 The Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.
Were you added to Christ’s Body according to the Doctrine of His
New Covenant ?
Acts 2:38 Repent and be Baptized, everyone of you in the name of Jesus Christ so that your sins may be forgiven. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
By the sounds of this next scripture, God doesn’t like
man made teachings,
Matthew 15:9 They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men.
Contemplate what the world would be like with no Denominations.
Just one church around the world perfectly united in mind and thought,
exactly like what Paul and God plead for.
1Corinthians 1:10 I plead with you brothers, in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another so that there may be “no divisions” among you and that you may be perfectly united in mind and thought.
Imagine non-Christians seeing ONE church.
Whoa ! ! How powerful would that be ! !
Indeed the unbelieving world would then in their hearts say,
“Wow, God really must have sent His Son.”
Well this is exactly what Jesus prayed for.
John 17:22 I have given them the glory that You gave me, that they may be one as we are one, I in them and You in me. May they be brought to
complete unity
to let the world know that You sent me and have loved them even as You have loved me.
But now the world only rightfully mocks saying “Those religious wackos can’t even get that Bible of theirs to agree, let alone persuade us to believe.”
Denominations do nothing more than bring doubt to the minds of unbelievers. Denominations (those who refuse to abandon false teachings, not the innocent folks who are in them searching for Truth) are nothing more than a disgrace towards God’s Word, as they fuel satan’s war on Truth. Denominations actually enable satan, in a most sinister way, to
Spit in Jesus’ face.
Pursue God’s True Doctrine, Not Denominations.
Ask yourself this ONE question.
If Jesus established His one church around 33 A.D.
And in the Bible (Daniel 2:44) God declares that
His last Kingdom (the church) would be Eternal,
meaning that its been on the earth ever since Jesus
established it on the Day of Pentecost (Acts, Chapter 2)
Why would you want to belong to any man-made Denomination,
rather than the very same church that Jesus established in the
First Century ?
Sure Denominations can help people learn the Bible,
but they are still a very, very, serious enemy against the
UNITY
that Jesus prayed for in John 17:23.
See these Denominations,
they actually assist the devils joy of dividing Christ.
They are all man made and their doctrines can easily be proven
False
from the Bible.
Have you ever wondered why God created monkeys ? Especially when they give so much power to atheists and their theories of evolution ? Because God is the ultimate God of fairness. He gives every possible means to non believers so that they can have their way if they want. Without monkeys on the earth, atheistic theories would be at a great disadvantage.
Well God has also given every person many different possible Doctrines to choose from. He could have written His word so cut and dried and so plainly that there would be absolutely no question whatsoever regarding Doctrine. But He didn\’t, He wrote the Bible in such a way that gives every person the ability to choose their Doctrine.
And it just so happens that only one Doctrine fits ALL scripture,
and all other Doctrines only fit some scriptures.
And then God goes and says; Watch your Doctrine, persevere in it because it will save both you and those who hear you. 1Timothy 4:16
* * Important Note * *
The word church is simply the Greek word for
assembly or called out
And every church can only exist because of whatever
Doctrine
it embraces.
And False Doctrine is one of satan\’s most sinister schemes because with it he is able to promote Denominations which hinder those who are searching for Truth. Those who are searching for the church that Jesus established back on the Day of Pentecost (33 A.D.)
And False Doctrine is rampant in the religious world today.
1 Timothy 6:3 If anyone teaches False Doctrines and does not agree to the sound instruction of our Lord Jesus Christ and to Godly teaching, he is conceited and understands nothing.
Surely you would think that any empathetic human being would pursue unity in light of the torture that Jesus went through, Right ? Well NOT so. Many religious people would much rather just follow their own feelings rather than Gods True Doctrine. And by doing so they support Denominations and division based upon False man-made Doctrines.
(Just like Paul prophesied would happen.)
Acts 20:30 Men will arise and distort the Truth in order to draw away their own followers.
According to Acts 20:30, Jesus did NOT endure excruciating pain in order to build Denominations.
Gods church is called to refute False Doctrines.
Titus 1:9 Encourage others with sound Doctrine and refute those who oppose it.
Those who refuse to abandon False teachings are actually saying to Jesus,
We know that your crucifixion may have been a bit uncomfortable but we just dont see a real need to pursue True Doctrine, but thanks anyway.
AND YET !
GET THIS,
Society would NEVER accept a police force that did not pursue truth.
Society would NEVER accept a school system where teachers teach
that 2 2=5.
So why is it, as we are compelled to ask you ?
That only in the realm of religion, is man so willing
to accept so many teachings that fall short of Truth ?
Perhaps it was even prophesied.
2 Timothy 4:3 For the time will come when men will not put up with
SOUND DOCTRINE.
Instead to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.
Gods church does NOT have a NAME.
It can not.
Its the church, … Gods vessel of salvation from the cross on, just like Noahs ark. The church is Gods last and Eternal Kingdom, prophesied 600 years before Christ, in Isaiah 9:7 and Daniel 2:44
God refers to His ONE church using four different terms;
1. The church of the Living God
2. The church of God
3. The church of the Firstborn, and
4. The church of Christ
These are not meant to be Names of denominations, they are only references that God uses concerning His Body .
Characteristics of God’s church
1. God’s one church was Prophesied to be God\’s last reigning Kingdom, an Eternal Kingdom, one that would last forever. – Daniel 2:44, Isaiah 9:7
2. God’s church was NOT founded by any man or woman, but rather by Jesus Christ who is its only Founder and its only Foundation. – 1Corinthians 3:11
3. God’s church was started by Jesus, He began its construction in the first century, it was born on the day of Pentecost and on that day the church grew by 3,000. – Acts 2:41
4. God’s church is made up of repentant sinners, not buildings, etc. and only God Himself adds believers to His one Body. This happens when they choose to accept His Word and obey His ONE Plan of Salvation. – Acts 2:38 Acts 2:47
5. God’s church is not governed by any earthly headquarters, but rather Jesus in Heaven is the Head of the church. – Ephesians 5:23
6. God’s church will be rivaled against by False Doctrines and the False Teachers who promote them. – Acts 20:30
7. God’s church is DEFINED by it’s one Doctrine, the Doctrine of Christs New Covenant. Gods church is NOT a Denomination, it can not be. Denominations are False Divisions that break off of God’s church. – Titus 1:9 Acts 20:30
MOST IMPORTANT FACT
The majority of Denominations do NOT Baptize sinners into the Body of Christ, For the forgiveness of a person\’s sins and to receive the gift (the indwelling seal) of the Holy Spirit.
Acts 2:38 – Romans 6:3 – Galatians 3:27 – 1Peter 3:21
Were you added to God\’s Body by God Himself ?
Acts 2:47 The Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.
Were you added to Christs Body according to the Doctrine of His
New Covenant ?
Acts 2:38 Repent and be Baptized, everyone of you in the name of Jesus Christ so that your sins may be forgiven. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
By the sounds of this next scripture, God does not like
man made teachings,
Matthew 15:9 They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men.
Contemplate what the world would be like with no Denominations.
Just one church around the world perfectly united in mind and thought,
exactly like what Paul and God plead for.
1Corinthians 1:10 I plead with you brothers, in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another so that there may be no divisions among you and that you may be perfectly united in mind and thought.
Imagine non-Christians seeing ONE church.
Whoa ! ! How powerful would that be ! !
Indeed the unbelieving world would then in their hearts say,
Wow, God really must have sent His Son.
Well this is exactly what Jesus prayed for.
John 17:22 I have given them the glory that You gave me, that they may be one as we are one, I in them and You in me. May they be brought to
complete unity
to let the world know that You sent me and have loved them even as You have loved me.
But now the world only rightfully mocks saying Those religious wackos can not even get that Bible of theirs to agree, let alone persuade us to believe.
Denominations do nothing more than bring doubt to the minds of unbelievers. Denominations (those who refuse to abandon false teachings, not the innocent folks who are in them searching for Truth) are nothing more than a disgrace towards God\’s Word, as they fuel satan\’s war on Truth. Denominations actually enable satan, in a most sinister way, to
Spit in Jesus face.
Pursue Gods True Doctrine, Not Denominations.