REPLY TO MITCHELL POWELL, Beastiality and Tithing, Part 3

http://fontwords.com/2012/03/31/bestiality-and-tithing-part-3

1. If you ignore all common sense hermeneutics while trying to interpret the Bible, there is no hope for you. Matthew 23:23 is:
A. Old Testament context before Calvary.
B. Addressed to “scribes, Pharisees, hypocrites” and not to the Church
C. Clearly discussing “matters of the law” and not the New Covenant
D. The HOLY tithe is still only FOOD from inside God’s HOLY land of Israel. Tithes could not come from what man increased, from Gentiles, or from outside Israel.
E. If Jesus were commanding the church to bring tithes to Him, He would have been
sinning under the Law.

2. You do not understand what Jesus was teaching in Matthew 5:
A. He is teaching Jews before Calvary.
B. He is teaching that the whole law of over 600 commands is still in force. That is absolutely clear from 5:19-20. It is also clear from Jesus using 3 examples of each portion of the law in verses 21-48.
C. Jesus did fulfill the righteous requirements of the whole law. That theme is throughout Matthew.
D. Since you do not obey the whole law, your argument is illogical and cannot stand.

3. The four gospels are not the backbone of the New Testament.
A. That part of the four gospels which is before Calvary technically belongs to the Old Covenant.
B. As a Jew, Jesus would have been sinning if He had not taught strict obedience to the whole Old Covenant law.
C. In fact, Jesus DID teach strict obedience to the whole Old Covenant Law.
D. Gentiles and the Church never were under the Old Covenant law.

4. You asked for a filter to use to apply what Jesus said to the Church.
A. Where have you been? In a theological vacuum?
B. “That part of the Old Covenant which applies to the church today has been RESTATED in terms of the New Covenant AFTER CALVARY to the Church.” This is the standard Dispensational hermeneutic and it works consistently.

5. Your understanding of the Great Commission is faulty:
A. As a Jew living under the jurisdiction of the Law (Gal 4:4-5), Jesus would have been sinning had He taught to disregard ANY part of the Law.
B. Jesus taught Jews to obey the WHOLE law, all 600 plus commands, in Matthew 5:17-48.
C. In Acts 15 the first church council clearly taught that the Gentiles Christians were not to keep ANY of the Old Covenant law.
D. Whatever Jesus meant in the Great Commission, it cannot possibly include his commands for the healed to “go to the temple and show yourself to the priests” (Mt 8:4; also compare Mt 5:24).
E. Jesus’ words must mean “whatsoever I have commanded you – to teach to all nations.”

6. I expect your coming comments about tithing from Hebrews 7 will be equally out of context.