The Church continued in unity until Anicetus made the Easter declaration ca. 154 CE. Victorinus caused the schism in 192; hence, what happened after 154 in the Roman Church was heretical to the Church of God. It is also asserted that Irenaeus (writing ca. 195, after the schism) preaches against the tithe in Book IV, but he does no such thing. In Book IV (ch. VIII, 3) he speaks of the Law and the Sabbath and that it did not forbid those who were hungry on the Sabbath days to take food lying ready at hand. He goes on to proclaim that David was appointed a priest by God although Saul persecuted him. “For all the righteous possess the sacerdotal rank and all the apostles of the Lord are priests” (ibid., cf. 1Pet. 2:5,9 quoting also Moses at Deut. 33:9). He says that God requires obedience rather than sacrifice and holocausts. Irenaeus quotes Paul and holds the ministry to be priests of the Lord who, when hungry, may lawfully eat of the ears of corn. He held that the priests in the Temple profaned the Sabbath and were blameless because they were not engaged in secular affairs. In this he upheld the Sabbath and the actions of the ministry as priests of the Lord who had a right to eat of the inheritance of Levi, which is the tithes and offerings of the Laws of God. Irenaeus says in chapter XVIII, 1: “We are bound therefore to offer to God the first-fruits of His creation, as Moses also says, ‘Thou shalt not appear in the presence of the Lord thy God empty’ [i.e. empty handed; cf. Deut. 16:16]; so that man being accounted as grateful, by those things in which he has shown his gratitude, may receive that honour which flows from him.” This text is a clear reference to the tithe and the three Feast seasons of the Bible. He goes on in XVIII, 2 to say: “And the class of oblations in general has not been set aside for there were both oblations there [among the Jews], and there are oblations here [among the Christians]. Sacrifices there were among the people, sacrifices there are, too, in the Church: but the species alone has been changed inasmuch as the offering is now made, not by slaves but by freemen. For the Lord is [ever] one and the same; but the character of a servile oblation is peculiar [to itself], as is also that of freemen, in order that by the very oblations, the indication of liberty may be set forth. For with him there is nothing purposeless, nor without signification, nor without design. And for this reason they (the Jews) had indeed the tithes of their goods consecrated to Him, but those who have received liberty set aside all their possessions for the Lord’s purposes, bestowing joyfully and freely not the less valuable portions of their property, since they have the hope of better things [hereafter]; as that poor widow acted who cast all her living into the treasury of God” (cf. Lk. 21:4). Irenaeus here is saying that the Jews tithed as required by the Law of God but we of Christ in the Church give all we have as oblations before God in the Church. How could anyone with any understanding construe this as eliminating the Laws of God regarding tithing? It is elevating the laws regarding the first-fruits and the tithe to one of total sacrifice for the Church. Irenaeus is often quoted out of context from the text in Book. 4, ch. XIII in relation to tithing where he says: “… and instead of the Law enjoining the giving of tithes, [He told us] to share all our possessions with the poor.” This statement amplifies the rest of his views where the laws of the tithe were not eliminated but amplified. Most ignore that sentiment. Irenaeus says in Book 4, ch. XIII, 1 that Christ “did not teach us things as being opposed to the law but as fulfilling the law, and implanting in us the varied righteousness of the law. That would have been contrary to the law, if he had commanded his disciples to do anything that the law had prohibited” (ibid., vol. 1, p. 477). Thus we have the authority granted to us by Christ and the Apostles in the Church when it was transferred from Levi to the order of Melchisedek, of which order we are. We have appointed deacons and tested them in the Faith and they are measured by the Holy Spirit and judged. To whom much is given much is expected, and the danger of their position is great. Be thankful that the Church in normal circumstances has not placed any burden on itself other than the tithes of God and whatever the individual chooses to offer. Give thanks that the Church is not as it was in Jerusalem and in dire need of holding all goods in common. In such a situation Ananias and his wife were killed, just as some of these who teach against the Laws of God have been spiritually killed.
Posted on: Thu, 06 Jun 2013 10:35:09 +0000
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