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Replying to post 44 by Jagella]
So as we can see, all scripture is important to Christians which includes Malachi 3 and Acts 5.
First, "Acts 5" could not possibly be included in what Paul was telling Timothy at the time, since "Acts" would not have been known about at that point.
Next, you would be correct to include the passage from Malachi. However, just before this passage you refer to in 2 Timothy, in chapter 2, and verse 15, Paul tells Timothy there,
Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth.
With this being the case, Paul was instructing Timothy to" handle the Word accurately", which would mean that the passage in Malachi, could not be used to command Christians to tithe, since this was a command to Israel as a nation, and would not apply to Christians, since there is no temple, and we do not live in a theocracy, as Israel did.
So then while, "all scripture is God breathed", (and Paul could have been only referring to the OT) and would be useful for the things listed, this would include, "handling the Word, with accuracy."
As I see it, those stories teach lessons for posterity.
The problem with this is that you do not carry this sort of logic all the way through. In other words, you have already acknowledged that certain commands could not possibly apply to us. Since this is indeed the case, this means there are others that would not apply as well. However, if one were to handle these things accurately, as Paul taught, it would not be difficult at all to determine, and as I have continually stated, "you would not have these sort of problems with other written letters, but for some reason, when it comes to the Bible, it must be read differently."
Religion needs money all the time, and it must teach people to give that money to it.
I do not know about religion, but Christianity does not need my money. This is why you do not see the Apostles, commanding Christians to give money to the Church, but rather encourages Christians to give to those in need.
What I have just stated above is a fact. "The Apostles never command Christians to give money to the Church." Since this is correct, your idea that Christians are commanded to tithe, is gone out the window.
Stories like that in Acts 5:1-11 "correct" those Christians who disobey the church's demand for goods.
This is simply a refusal to, "handle what is said with accuracy." The passage in Acts 5, has to do with giving to those in need. If you know anything at all about the Bible, then you would know that, many Jews came from all over the world at the time on the "Day of Pentecost." This would have been done for years. However, in this particular year, Jesus had been crucified, and the Apostles were preaching that He was the Messiah to come. With this being the case, many of the Jews from around the world, decided not to go back home, but rather decided to stay in Jerusalem, and follow the Apostle's teaching.
This would mean that many of them would have been without a way in which to support themselves, and it would be because of this that many of the Jews who resided in Jerusalem, voluntary sold some of their possessions, in order to help those who had no means, to support themselves.
Now, it would seem, that if the Apostles were looking for money, then they would have never allowed these folks to stay in Jerusalem, knowing they would have to be supplied for, because as the story here in Acts demonstrates, it took a lot of funds, simply to take care of these folks, which would mean there would not be very much left over, if any for the Apostles.
To demonstrate my above point even further, of how big the problem was of taking care of these folks, and how much of a burden it was, is the fact that later we are told in Acts, that seven men had to be appointed, just to take care of these folks.
With all the above being the case, there is no command at all directed to Christians in the story concerning Ananias and Sapphira. Rather, what we see is those who, sold, and gave their possessions voluntarily, which would be far from a command to, "tithe."
And by the way, the murder of Ananias and Sapphira brings up a very important question. If God worked miracles through Peter, then why was God not able to make sure that Peter had all he needed by miraculously giving him those provisions?
At this point, we are not attempting to figure out, and or determine why God would have done, this or that. In fact, we are not even suggesting that there even is a God, or that the things contained in the Bible are true. Rather, what we have been discussing, is whether the Bible teaches Christians to tithe? Your question would not pertain to this, and would only lead us away from the point.
Finally, you seem to think I don't understand the Bible
It is either that, or you are purposely misreading it for some reason? As far as the, "Christian claims" these can be far different than what the Bible actually has to say. So then, it is very possible that you have been influenced by these faulty Christian claims.
Of course, many Christians claim, that the Bible commands Christians to tithe, which could be the reason for your error. However, as we have seen, you do not have a leg to stand on, and to continue to insist that "Christians are commanded to tithe" would make one no different than the Christians themselves, who misuse the Bible, for their own agenda.
In other words, it would be far better for you, and would shed a better light upon you, to argue against those Christians who use the Bible to command Christians to tithe, (since no such command exists), than to continue to support their faulty teaching, and continue to allow others such as yourself to be scammed.
While I disagree with that personal attack
I really do not understand how telling someone they are in error, is a, "personal attack?"
I can tell you I sure have tried to understand the Bible and Christianity.
This claim is difficult for me to accept, when one continues to insist the Bible teaches certain things, even when it has been demonstrated differently. In other words, if you would stand corrected, it would go a long way in demonstrating the above statement. However, you continue to back those who use the Bible in this way, and insist you must, and have to be right, when I have demonstrated that I am simply reading the texts, exactly as they were written, not adding, nor taking anything away.
In other words, in the passage in Malachi, it is clearly addressed to the, "nation of Israel. This is the way in which it was intended. This is the way I read it. However, you add something to the text, in order for it to say something it does not, and you do the same with, Acts 5.
Could it be that I am confused by it?
Some folks want to confuse things, that are not confusing, in order to protect a certain agenda.
You know like, there may be many Christians who want the teaching concerning tithing to be confusing, when it is not, in order to swiddle folks out of their money. On the other hand, there could be unbelievers who can clearly see that it is not all that confusing, but want to continue to allow it to be confusing, because they believe it supports their agenda.
