Reformed Blogging

The footnote that I've decided to write about in the KJV Study Bible today is found in Jeremiah 31:31. It's called the doctrine of the New Covenant. The doctrine of the New Covenant is defined as follows by the KJV Study Bible: New Covenant: In this prophecy Jeremiah foresees the new covenant ("testament") that God will make with mankind by extending His grace to the Gentiles. Under this new covenant, God will call out a people for Himself from all the nations of the Earth to form the bride of Christ (Revelation 21:1-9). This new and unconditional covenant is better than the old covenant because it rests on the efficacy of Christ's atonement for the sins of mankind (Heb. 8:10-12). (First Reference: Jer. 31:31; Primary Reference, Luke 22:12-20, cf. Eph. 1:10) As document of prophetic promise, like the Abrahamic and Davidic covenants, the new convenant is unconditional. In form, it corresponds to the Royal Grant Treaties of the ancient Near East. As subject to compa...

Malachi 3:10-11 is used by some churches to practice tithing. Unfortunately, some quack pastors misquote it to make a quick buck. Some are still emphasizing that if you don't tithe then you're robbing God. It's giving a tenth of one's net income. However, complete tithing was really much more meticulous in the Old Testament. Old Testament tithing is giving a tenth of all you own. I think churches who are trying to teach better try to narrow it down. I do believe in giving a tenth of my net income as part of my sanctification. I believe in giving missions offerings and faith promises. However, I also do believe the poor people should be exempted from tithing otherwise that church suffers from Phariseeism. Tithing should be done out of a loving heart! What does Malachi 3:10-11 say? Here is the rendition from my favorite translation, the King James Version (KJV) vs. the New International Version (NIV): 8 Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have w...

I would believe that the subject of tithing is a very tricky one. Even if a sound Christian pastor doesn't believe in the prosperity gospel but he could still be teaching tithing. The verse that's frequently quoted to defend tithing is Malachi 3:8-10 which says: Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings. Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation. Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it. The context of tithing is that it's in the Old Testament ceremonial law . God required the Jews to give a tenth of their earnings. The Old Testament tithe was meant to support the Levites. Israel was under an old covenant and that while the moral law is still effective for...