HADRIAN MÂR ÉLIJAH BAR ISRAËL
BY THE GRACE
OF GOD
THE NAZARANI METROPOLITAN
© 2016 – RIGHTEOUS
ENDEAVOUR
All Rights Reserved
TO THE PEOPLE OF GOD
EVERYWHERE, RICH AND POOR GATHERED TOGETHER, PEACE!
It is not a coincidence that the largest and most successful
denominations which exist today require their members to pay tithes. To wit
they did not grow large and then ask their many members to contribute to their abilities;
instead they asked from the beginning for the support they needed to grow and
to reach as many people as possible. In doing this they have asked nothing more
than what is required in the scriptures, and by doing so were able to accomplish
the outreach and evangelism for which they have since become known.
That we should do the same is not a question, but instead is
the only answer to how we can sustain ourselves in a pattern of growth. Only
with proper financial support are we able to build strong communities where we may
become fully invested in the practice of the Beatitudes.
The world in which we live can be a very hostile place for
the servants of God, and so it is of the utmost importance that we build strong
communities of faithful able to meet the challenges we face moving forward.
“Honour the LORD from your wealth And from the first of all
your produce; so your barns will be filled with plenty,
and your vats will overflow with new wine.” Proverbs 3:9-10,
Mar YAH says, “Give and it will be given in good measure unto you, pressed
down, abundantly it will pour into your robe, for with the measure with which
you measure, it will be given unto you.” Luke 6:38 “One gives freely, yet
grows all the richer; while another withholds what he should give, and only
suffers want. Proverbs 11:24 ESV
For Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows
bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each one must give as he has decided in
his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful
giver.” 2nd Corinthians 9:6-7 ESV
Do not be fooled into thinking that the things you have
belong to you or are yours. In every accounting remember well that all things
ultimately belong to God, as His sovereign right. The scriptures say that, “The
earth is the Lord's and the fullness
thereof, the world and those who dwell therein” Psalm 24:1,
“Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, you
shall be my treasured possession among all peoples, for all the earth is mine” Exodus 19:5;
“The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, declares the Lord
of hosts.” Haggai 2:8 And yet, even in exercising His
own sovereignty over such things, the LORD commands us to give to Him His due
and declares them as holy. “Every tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the
land or of the fruit of the trees, is the Lord's;
it is holy to the Lord.” Leviticus 27:30
“Every man shall give as he is able, according to the
blessing of the Lord your God that he has given you.” Deuteronomy 16:17 “The first fruits
of your grain, of your wine and of your oil, and the first fleece of your
sheep, you shall give him.” Deuteronomy 18:4
Jesus “sat down opposite the treasury and watched the people
putting money into the offering box. Many rich people put in large sums. And a
poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which make a penny. And he
called his disciples to him and said to them, “Truly, I say to you, this poor widow
has put in more than all those who are contributing to the offering box. For
they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put
in everything she had, all she had to live on.” Mark 12:41-44 & Luke 21:1-4 For
“God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ
Jesus.” Philippians 4:19 “For if the
readiness is there, it is acceptable according to what a person has, not
according to what he does not have.” 2 Corinthians 8:12 “But
seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will
be added to you.” Matthew 6:33
"You shall eat in the
presence of the LORD your God, at the place where He chooses to establish His
Name, the tithe of your grain, your new wine, your oil, and the firstborn of
your herd and your flock, so that you may learn to fear the LORD your God
always.” Deuteronomy 14:23 For
where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Matthew 6:21
“In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this
way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he
himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’” Acts 20:35 But “Beware of practicing your righteousness
before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no
reward from your Father who is in heaven. “Thus, when you give to the needy,
sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the
streets, that they may be praised by others. Truly, I say to you, they have
received their reward. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left
hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret.
And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. Matthew 6:1-4
Jesus looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into
the offering box, and he saw a poor widow put in two small copper coins. And he
said, “Truly, I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all of them. For
they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in
all she had to live on.” Luke 21:1-4
"Behold the birds in the sky, that they do not sow and
they do not reap, yet they gather into the storehouse, and your Father WHO IS
in heaven nourishes them? Are you more than they? And who among you while
worried is able to add a cubit to his stature?" Matthew 6:26-27
“We want you to know, brothers, about the grace of God that
has been given among the churches of Macedonia, for in a severe test of
affliction, their abundance of joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in
a wealth of generosity on their part. For they gave according to their means,
as I can testify, and beyond their means, of their own accord, begging us
earnestly for the favour of taking part in the relief of the saints— and this,
not as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then by the
will of God to us.” 2 Corinthians 8:1-9:15
“And blessed be God Most High, who has delivered your
enemies into your hand!” And Abram gave him a tenth of everything. Genesis 14:20
“Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are
owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honour
to whom honour is owed. Romans 13:7
“You shall tithe all the yield of your seed that comes from
the field year by year. And before the Lord your God, in the place that he will
choose, to make his name dwell there, you shall eat the tithe of your grain, of
your wine, and of your oil, and the firstborn of your herd and flock, that you
may learn to fear the Lord your God always. And if the way is too long for you,
so that you are not able to carry the tithe, when the Lord your God blesses
you, because the place is too far from you, which the Lord your God chooses, to
set his name there, then you shall turn it into money and bind up the money in
your hand and go to the place that the Lord your God chooses and spend the
money for whatever you desire—oxen or sheep or wine or strong drink, whatever
your appetite craves. And you shall eat there before the Lord your God and
rejoice, you and your household. Deuteronomy 14:22-29
“Every tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land or
of the fruit of the trees, is the Lord's; it is holy to the Lord. If a man
wishes to redeem some of his tithe, he shall add a fifth to it. And every tithe
of herds and flocks, every tenth animal of all that pass under the herdsman's
staff, shall be holy to the Lord. One shall not differentiate between good or
bad, neither shall he make a substitute for it; and if he does substitute for
it, then both it and the substitute shall be holy; it shall not be redeemed.”
These are the commandments that the Lord commanded Moses for the people of
Israel on Mount Sinai. Leviticus 27:30-34
Then Jacob made 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 clothing
to wear, so that I come again to my father's house in peace, then the Lord
shall be my God, and this stone, which I have set up for a pillar, shall be
God's house. And of all that you give me I will give a full tenth to you.” Genesis 28:20-22
“And this stone, which I have set up for a pillar, shall be
God's house. And of all that you give me I will give a full tenth to you.” Genesis 28:22
“For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the Most
High God, met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed
him, and to him Abraham apportioned a tenth part of everything. He is first, by
translation of his name, king of righteousness, and then he is also king of
Salem, that is, king of peace. He is without father or mother or genealogy,
having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but resembling the Son of God
he continues a priest forever. See how great this man was to whom Abraham the
patriarch gave a tenth of the spoils! And those descendants of Levi who receive
the priestly office have a commandment in the law to take tithes from the
people, that is, from their brothers, though these also are descended from
Abraham.” Hebrews 7:1-28
“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you
tithe mint and dill and cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the
law: justice and mercy and faithfulness. These you ought to have done, without
neglecting the others. Matthew 23:23
“Behold, I send my messenger, and he will prepare the way
before me. And the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple; and the
messenger of the covenant in whom you delight, behold, he is coming, says the
Lord of hosts. But who can endure the day of his coming, and who can stand when
he appears? For he is like a refiner's fire and like fullers' soap. He will sit
as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the sons of Levi and
refine them like gold and silver, and they will bring offerings in
righteousness to the Lord. Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be
pleasing to the Lord as in the days of old and as in former years. “Then I will
draw near to you for judgment. I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers,
against the adulterers, against those who swear falsely, against those who
oppress the hired worker in his wages, the widow and the fatherless, against
those who thrust aside the sojourner, and do not fear me, says the Lord of hosts.
Malachi 3:1-18
We want you to know, brothers, about the grace of God that
has been given among the churches of Macedonia, for in a severe test of
affliction, their abundance of joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in
a wealth of generosity on their part. For they gave according to their means,
as I can testify, and beyond their means, of their own accord, begging us earnestly
for the favour of taking part in the relief of the saints— and this, not as we
expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then by the will of
God to us. 2 Corinthians 8:1-5
And Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine.
(He was priest of God Most High.) And he blessed him and said, “Blessed be
Abram by God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth; and blessed be God Most
High, who has delivered your enemies into your hand!” And Abram gave him a
tenth of everything. Genesis 14:18-20
“To the Levites I have given every tithe in Israel for an
inheritance, in return for their service that they do, their service in the
tent of meeting, Numbers 18:21
“Hear, O my people, and I will speak; O Israel, I will
testify against you. I am God, your God. Not for your sacrifices do I rebuke
you; your burnt offerings are continually before me. I will not accept a bull
from your house or goats from your folds. For every beast of the forest is
mine, the cattle on a thousand hills. I know all the birds of the hills, and
all that moves in the field is mine. Psalm 50:7-12
And the priest, the son of Aaron, shall be with the Levites
when the Levites receive the tithes. And the Levites shall bring up the tithe
of the tithes to the house of our God, to the chambers of the storehouse. Nehemiah 10:38
For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the Most High
God, met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him, and
to him Abraham apportioned a tenth part of everything. He is first, by
translation of his name, king of righteousness, and then he is also king of
Salem, that is, king of peace. He is without father or mother or genealogy,
having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but resembling the Son of God
he continues a priest forever. See how great this man was to whom Abraham the
patriarch gave a tenth of the spoils! And those descendants of Levi who receive
the priestly office have a commandment in the law to take tithes from the
people, that is, from their brothers, though these also are descended from
Abraham. Hebrews 7:1-9
“As soon as the command was spread abroad, the people of
Israel gave in abundance the first fruits of grain, wine, oil, honey, and of
all the produce of the field. And they brought in abundantly the tithe of
everything. And the people of Israel and Judah who lived in the cities of Judah
also brought in the tithe of cattle and sheep, and the tithe of the dedicated
things that had been dedicated to the Lord their God, and laid them in heaps.
In the third month they began to pile up the heaps, and finished them in the
seventh month. When Hezekiah and the princes came and saw the heaps, they
blessed the Lord and his people Israel. And Hezekiah questioned the priests and
the Levites about the heaps.” 2nd Chronicles 31:5-12
And every tithe of herds and flocks, every tenth animal of
all that pass under the herdsman's staff, shall be holy to the Lord. Leviticus 27:32
“Come to Bethel, and transgress; to Gilgal, and multiply
transgression; bring your sacrifices every morning, your tithes every three
days” Amos 4:4
“Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and
the other a tax collector. The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus:
‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortionists, unjust,
adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes
of all that I get.’ But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even
lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to
me, a sinner!’ I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather
than the other.
And he said to them, “You have a fine way of rejecting the
commandment of God in order to establish your tradition! For Moses said, ‘Honour
your father and your mother’; and, ‘Whoever reviles father or mother must
surely die.’ But you say, ‘If a man tells his father or his mother, “Whatever
you would have gained from me is an offering— then you no longer permit him to
do anything for his father or mother, thus making void the word of God by your
tradition that you have handed down. And many such things you do.” Mark 7:9-13
For the righteous can say honestly “I fast twice a week; I
give tithes of all that I receive.” Luke 18:12 But even “if I give away
all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain
nothing.” 1 Corinthians 13:3 “Even if I am to
be poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrificial offering of your faith,
I am glad and rejoice with you all.” Philippians 2:17
There was not a needy person among them, for as many as were
owners of lands or houses sold them and brought the proceeds of what was sold
and laid it at the apostles' feet, and it was distributed to each as any had
need. Acts 4:34-35
He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields
its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he
prospers. Psalm 1:3
And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season
we will reap, if we do not give up. Galatians 6:9
He said, “These will be the ways of the king who will reign
over you: he will take your sons and appoint them to his chariots and to be his
horsemen and to run before his chariots. And he will appoint for himself
commanders of thousands and commanders of fifties, and some to plough his
ground and to reap his harvest, and to make his implements of war and the
equipment of his chariots. He will take your daughters to be perfumers and
cooks and bakers. He will take the best of your fields and vineyards and olive
orchards and give them to his servants. He will take the tenth of your grain
and of your vineyards and give it to his officers and to his servants. 1 Samuel 8:11-18 For everyone who
exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be
exalted.” Luke 18:10-14
Now in these days prophets came down from Jerusalem to
Antioch. And one of them named Agabus stood up and foretold by the Spirit that
there would be a great famine over all the world (this took place in the days
of Claudius). So the disciples determined, everyone according to his ability,
to send relief to the brothers living in Judea. Acts 11:27-29
“Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, so that there
may be food in My house, and test Me now in this", says the LORD of hosts,
"if I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you a
blessing until it overflows.” Malachi 3:10 “When you have finished
paying all the tithe of your increase in the third year, the year of tithing,
then you shall give it to the Levite, to the stranger, to the orphan and to the
widow, that they may eat in your towns and be satisfied.” Deuteronomy 26:12
"At the end of every
third year you shall bring out all the tithe of your produce in that year, and
shall deposit it in your town.” Deuteronomy 14:28
All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for
teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that
the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work. 2 Timothy 3:16-17
“You shall tithe all the yield of your seed that comes from
the field year by year. And before the Lord your God, in
the place that he will choose, to make his name dwell there, you shall eat the
tithe of your grain, of your wine, and of your oil, and the firstborn of your
herd and flock, that you may learn to fear the Lord
your God always. And if the way is too long for you, so that you are not able
to carry the tithe, when the Lord your God
blesses you, because the place is too far from you, which the Lord
your God chooses, to set his name there, then you shall turn it into money and
bind up the money in your hand and go to the place that the Lord
your God chooses and spend the money for whatever you desire—oxen or sheep or
wine or strong drink, whatever your appetite craves. And you shall eat there
before the Lord your God and rejoice,
you and your household. Deuteronomy 14:22-27
Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and
Timothy our brother, To the church of God that is at Corinth, with all the
saints who are in the whole of Achaia: Grace to you and peace from God our
Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord
Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in
all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any
affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. For
as we share abundantly in Christ's sufferings, so through Christ we share
abundantly in comfort too. 2 Corinthians 1:1-24
Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, cast out demons. You received
without paying; give without pay. Matthew
10:8
Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father,
is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself
unstained from the world. James 1:27
7 “If among you, one of your brothers should become destitute,
in any of your towns within your land that the Lord your God has given you, r you
shall not harden your heart or shut your hand against your poor brother, 8 but s you
shall open your hand to him and lend him sufficient for his need, whatever it
may be. Take care lest there be
an unworthy thought in your heart and you say, ‘The seventh year, the year of
release is near,’ and your t eye look grudgingly1 on your poor brother, and you give him
nothing, and he u cry
to the Lord against
you, and v you
be guilty of sin. 10 You shall give to him freely, and w your
heart shall not be grudging when you give to him, because x for
this the Lord your God
will bless you in all your work and in all that you undertake. 11 For y there
will never cease to be poor in the land. Therefore I command you, s‘
You shall open wide your hand to your brother, to the needy and to the poor, in
your land.’ Deuteronomy 15:7-11
Then you shall say before the Lord
your God, ‘I have removed the sacred portion out of my house, and moreover, I
have given it to the Levite, the sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow,
according to all your commandment that you have commanded me. I have not
transgressed any of your commandments, nor have I forgotten them. Deuteronomy 26:13
Wash yourselves; make yourselves clean; remove the evil of
your deeds from before my eyes; cease to do evil, learn to do good; seek
justice, correct oppression; bring justice to the fatherless, plead the widow's
cause. “Come now, let us reason together, says the Lord:
though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they
are red like crimson, they shall become like wool. If you are willing and
obedient, you shall eat the good of the land; but if you refuse and rebel, you
shall be eaten by the sword; for the mouth of the Lord
has spoken.” Isaiah 1:16-20
The “Saints” are the true Nazarani whose lives are given in
service to the church and the poor. At the beginning of the New Testament era,
and proceeding for the next one thousand plus years, they served as living
examples of what it means to be the radical disciples of Jesus the Messiah.
“Now we ask you, brothers and sisters, to acknowledge those
who work hard among you, who care for you in the Lord and who admonish you.” 1 Thessalonians 5:12 “We have different gifts, according to the grace given
to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with
your http://biblehub.com/niv/romans/12.htm
- footnotesfaith; if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then
teach; if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then
give generously; if it is to lead, do so diligently; if it is to show mercy, do
it cheerfully.” Romans 12:6-8 “Do you not know that those who are employed in the
temple service get their food from the temple, and those who serve at the altar
share in the sacrificial offerings? In the same way, the Lord commanded that
those who proclaim the gospel should get their living by the gospel.” 1st Corinthians 9:13-14
“Speak to the people of Israel, that they take for me a
contribution. From every man whose heart moves him you shall receive the
contribution for me.” Exodus 25:2 “Now
concerning the collection for the saints: as I directed the churches of
Galatia, so you also are to do. On the first day of every week, each of you is
to put something aside and store it up, as he may prosper, so that there will
be no collecting when I come.” 1 Corinthians 16:1-2
Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honour,
especially those who labour in preaching and teaching. For the Scripture says,
“You shall not muzzle an ox when it treads out the grain,” and, “The labourer
deserves his wages.” 1 Timothy 5:17-18 So you shall also
present a contribution to the Lord from all your
tithes, which you receive from the people of Israel. And from it you shall give
the Lord's contribution to Aaron the priest. Numbers 18:28
For the tithe of the people of Israel, which they present as
a contribution to the Lord, I have given to the
Levites for an inheritance. Therefore I have said of them that they shall have
no inheritance among the people of Israel.” Numbers 18:24 In the same way, the
Lord commanded that those who proclaim the gospel should get their living by
the gospel. 1 Corinthians 9:14 Because of your
partnership in the gospel from the first day until now. Philippians 1:5
For you are a people holy to the Lord
your God, and the Lord has chosen you to be a
people for his treasured possession, out of all the peoples who are on the face
of the earth. Deuteronomy 14:2
And the Lord said to Aaron,
“You shall have no inheritance in their land, neither shall you have any
portion among them. I am your portion and your inheritance among the people of
Israel. “To the Levites I have given every tithe in Israel for an inheritance,
in return for their service that they do, their service in the tent of meeting,
so that the people of Israel do not come near the tent of meeting, lest they
bear sin and die. But the Levites shall do the service of the tent of meeting,
and they shall bear their iniquity. It shall be a perpetual statute throughout
your generations, and among the people of Israel they shall have no
inheritance. For the tithe of the people of Israel, which they present as a
contribution to the Lord, I have given to the
Levites for an inheritance. Therefore I have said of them that they shall have
no inheritance among the people of Israel.” Numbers 18:20-24
“But woe to you Pharisees! For you tithe mint and rue and
every herb, and neglect justice and the love of God. These you ought to have
done, without neglecting the others. Luke 11:42 For "CURSED
IS EVERYONE WHO DOES NOT ABIDE BY ALL THINGS WRITTEN IN THE BOOK OF THE LAW, TO
PERFORM THEM." Galatians 3:11http://biblehub.com/galatians/3-11.htm Now that no one is justified by the Law before God is
evident; for, "THE RIGHTEOUS MAN SHALL LIVE BY FAITH."…
“Moreover, you shall speak and say to the Levites, ‘When you
take from the people of Israel the tithe that I have given you from them for
your inheritance, then you shall present a contribution from it to the Lord, a tithe of the tithe. Numbers 18:26
And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “Moreover, you shall
speak and say to the Levites, ‘When you take from the people of Israel the
tithe that I have given you from them for your inheritance, then you shall
present a contribution from it to the Lord, a tithe of the tithe. And your
contribution shall be counted to you as though it were the grain of the
threshing floor, and as the fullness of the winepress. So you shall also
present a contribution to the Lord from all your tithes, which you receive from
the people of Israel. And from it you shall give the Lord's contribution to
Aaron the priest. Out of all the gifts to you, you shall present every
contribution due to the Lord; from each its best part is to be dedicated.’ Numbers 18:25-31
On that day men were appointed over the storerooms, the
contributions, the first fruits, and the tithes, to gather into them the
portions required by the Law for the priests and for the Levites according to
the fields of the towns, for Judah rejoiced over the priests and the Levites
who ministered. Nehemiah 12:44
Know also that “One who is faithful in a very little is also
faithful in much, and one who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest
in much.” Luke 16:10 “For the love of money is a root
of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away
from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.” Mark 7:9
For Jesus said, “No servant can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one
and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You
cannot serve God and money.” The Pharisees, who were lovers of money, heard all
these things, and they ridiculed him. And he said to them, “You are those who
justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts. For what is exalted
among men is an abomination in the sight of God.” Luke 16:13-15
There is in the scripture an ongoing theme by which we are
told about the potential of robbing God. How can this be? For all of the world
is the LORD’s? From the throne God spoke to the Prophet Malachi asks, “Will man
rob God?”. And God responds from His throne, “Yet you are robbing me. But you say,
‘How have we robbed you?’ In your tithes and contributions. You are cursed with
a curse, for you are robbing me, the whole nation of you. Bring the full tithe
into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to
the test, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for
you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need. I will rebuke
the devourer for you, so that it will not destroy the fruits of your soil, and
your vine in the field shall not fail to bear, says the Lord of hosts. Then all
nations will call you blessed, for you will be a land of delight, says the Lord
of hosts.” Malachi 3:8-12
Now Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain,
saying, “I have gotten a man with the help of the Lord.” And again, she bore
his brother Abel. Now Abel was a keeper of sheep, and Cain a worker of the
ground. In the course of time Cain brought to the Lord an offering of the fruit
of the ground, and Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their
fat portions. And the Lord had regard for Abel and his offering, but for Cain
and his offering he had no regard. So Cain was very angry, and his face fell. Genesis 4:1-26
In the one case tithes are received by mortal men, but in
the other case, by one of whom it is testified that he lives. Hebrews 7:8 Beware lest you say in
your heart, ‘My power and the might of my hand have gotten me this wealth.’ You
shall remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you power to get
wealth, that he may confirm his covenant that he swore to your fathers, as it
is this day. Deuteronomy 8:17-18
When you vow a vow to God, do not delay paying it, for he has
no pleasure in fools. Pay what you vow. It is better that you should not vow
than that you should vow and not pay. Ecclesiastes 5:4-5
For all who rely on works of the law are under a curse; for
it is written, “Cursed be everyone who does not abide by all things written in
the Book of the Law, and do them.” Galatians 3:10
In the days of Amraphel king of Shinar, Arioch king of
Ellasar, Chedorlaomer king of Elam, and Tidal king of Goiim, these kings made
war with Bera king of Sodom, Birsha king of Gomorrah, Shinab king of Admah,
Shemeber king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela (that is, Zoar). And all these
joined forces in the Valley of Siddim (that is, the Salt Sea). Twelve years
they had served Chedorlaomer, but in the thirteenth year they rebelled. In the
fourteenth year Chedorlaomer and the kings who were with him came and defeated
the Rephaim in Ashteroth-karnaim, the Zuzim in Ham, the Emim in
Shaveh-kiriathaim, Genesis 14:1-24
Membership in the Nazarani Church has been dependent on
tithing since the very beginning.
Article 18§A of the 2012 Constitution of the church says
that “All Christians who are baptized in the “Name of the Father and of the
Son and of the Holy Spirit” [Matthew 28:19], in living water; and who have
undergone Confirmation of Faith, are welcome to apply for membership in the
Church by filling out a Membership Application and paying tithes.” The
Constitution then goes on to describe active members (i.e. those able to vote
in elections), as “those who have paid a tithe of their income in the past
three-hundred-sixty-five (365) days to any Community or Congregation of the
Church; who have obtained the age of majority in the jurisdiction wherein they
reside; who possess sufficient intelligence and reason so as to comprehend the
nature of their actions; and whose name and contact information may be found in
the Church Registry.”
Article 20§A of the Constitution defines tithe as “an
offering of one-tenth (1/10) of one’s total income, such as Jacob paid [Genesis
28:12-22], for the benefit of the Church.” And that “members tithes are
normally donated directly to their local Congregation or Mission and may take
the form of either cash or goods.” [Deuteronomy 14:23] And that “Any
tithe of goods of those who do not have a local Congregation shall be paid to
strangers, orphans and widows in the local community.” [Deuteronomy
26:12-14]
Finally Article 20§A.5 says that “All Congregations areto pay a tithe to their Diocese at the end of their fiscal year. Unlessapproved by the Metropolitan in writing, in advance, this tithe shall take theform of a cheque written out to the favour of ‘Nazarani Church’, which theoffice of the Metropolitan shall deposit into the General Fund of the Church.”
