HEBREWS 7:8; NOT INSTRUCTIONS FOR TITHING, BUT OFTEN USED BY DECEPTIVE TITHING TEACHERS.
Hebrews 7:8 "And here men that die receive tithes; but there he receiveth them, of whom it is witnessed that he liveth."
Anyone who claims that Hebrews 7:8 instructs a Christian to tithe has clearly demonstrated that they know little or nothing about the Book of Hebrews, and does not understand why the Book of Hebrews was written. In fact, there is not a single word in the Book of Hebrews instructing any person to tithe anything to anyone, including chapter 7 verse 8.
>>> Verse breakdown, Hebrews 7:8...
>> 1. "And here men that die receive tithes" ...Notice; "HERE" referring to Hebrews 7:5...
This is a reference to Hebrews 7:5; "And verily they that are of the sons of Levi, who receive the office of the priesthood, have a commandment to take tithes of the people according to the law, that is, of their brethren, though they come out of the loins of Abraham:"
Who received tithes? Answer; The Levites; this is a future reference to the Levites that descend from Abraham that would receive tithes under the Law of Moses (See Hebrews 7:5). That first section of Hebrews 7:8 points out that they represent a priesthood that has no power to end death, no power to provide endless life; "here men that die ..." It's interesting to note that the writer of Hebrews places the receiving of tithes juxtaposition to death, not endless life.
>> 2. "receiveth them," added by translators, and not found in the Greek text.
>> 3. "of whom it is witnessed that he liveth."
This is in contrast to men receiving tithes under the Old Covenant, under and by the authority of the Law of Moses, who die, yet under the New Covenant, life eternal is through the Priesthood, the Order of Melchisedec, who was a type of Jesus Christ and the New Testament. (or as Hebrews 7:15 tells us; "the similitude of Melchisedec.")
In Hebrews 7:8 there is no mention of Jesus, Melchisedec or anyone else still receiving tithes. Neither is there any requirement to pay tithes by any New Testament Christian seen in Hebrews 7:8. No well studied and competent teacher of the Word of God would conclude that Hebrews 7:8 instructs a New Testament Christian to tithe. The point of Hebrews chapter seven concludes this...
Hebrews 7:15-19 - "And it is yet far more evident: for that after the similitude of Melchisedec there ariseth another priest, Who is made, not after the law of a carnal commandment, but after the power of an endless life. For he testifieth, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec. For there is verily a disannulling of the commandment going before for the weakness and unprofitableness thereof. For the law made nothing perfect, but the bringing in of a better hope did; by the which we draw nigh unto God."
NOTE: "For there is verily a disannulling [CANCELLATION] of the commandment [LAW OF MOSES] going before for the weakness and unprofitableness thereof." ...including tithing of any kind.
OTHER CHAPTERS;
In Hebrews chapter seven the writer uses tithing as an example of an activity, an example of the Old Covenant, that cannot bring eternal life and is therefore discontinued being no longer needed, and in Hebrews chapter eight the writer uses multiple examples of how elements of the Old Covenant cannot provide eternal life....
Hebrews 8:6-10 - "But now hath he obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also he is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises. For if that first covenant had been faultless, then should no place have been sought for the second. For finding fault with them, he saith, Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah: Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they continued not in my covenant, and I regarded them not, saith the Lord. For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people:"
In Hebrews chapter ten the writer uses the blood of bulls and of goats as yet another example of an activity (animal sacrifice) that cannot bring eternal life and is therefore discontinued...
Hebrews 10:1-4 - "For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect. For then would they not have ceased to be offered? because that the worshippers once purged should have had no more conscience of sins. But in those sacrifices there is a remembrance again made of sins every year. For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins."
VERSE EIGHT;
Hebrews 7:8 tells us that here men that die receive tithes, but he that has the power of endless life received a tithe from Abram, and when Abram gave a tithe to Melchizedec he demonstrated that the New Testament Priesthood was superior to the Old Testament Priesthood because Old Testament Priesthood could not provide endless life, but the New Testament does. Abraham presented Melchizedec with a tithe of all the items he had obtained through battle. By this act Abraham indicated that he recognized Melchizedec as a priest who ranked higher spiritually than he.
CONCLUSION;
Since the Old Covenant was flawed, based on limited priests and limited sacrifices, it is inferior to the priesthood of Melchizedec, which is unending. Jesus Christ fulfills God's promise to establish a priest ''forever'' in a way which perfectly meets our needs, and tithing has NOTHING TO DO WITH IT. Hebrews 7:8 points to the superiority Melchizedec. The Levitical priests are mortal men; but of Melchisedec it is testified that he lives forever and provides endless life to those who trust Jesus Christ for salvation.
There is not the slightest hint in Hebrews 7:8, or in the entire chapter, or the entire Book of Hebrews that tithing is to continue into the New Testament, or that Jesus Christ is still receiving tithes. To conclude that Hebrews 7:8 is a command to tithe would be concluding that tithing brings endless life. Tithing does NO SUCH THING.
Tithing? No. Endless life through Jesus Christ? Yes!
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