Wednesday, November 22, 2017

ON TITHES AND “BEERING” IN THE CHURCH



Never heard of the fella called “Daddy Freeze” (Mr Ifedapo Olarinde) before. I guess he must be some sort of clown, especially reading his half-baked teaching on tithes, and his announced crusade against Pentecostal preachers who ride personal jets to do their jobs, or establish high-quality universities which not all members of their congregations can afford.
.
Don’t know if he is claiming to be a teacher of the word of God, but a good number of folks seem to be taking seriously his suggestions that rather than pay their tithes to worship God and take care of needs in the Church, people should use their tithes to buy beer or some other alcoholic drink of their choice and take these to drink at Church!

When the revered Pastor Enoch Adeboye observed that “even mad people know you don’t go to Church to drink beer,”  Mr Olarinde sneeringly suggested the statement is based merely on “sentiments” and does not square up with the teachings of the Scriptures.  Obviously, Pastor Adeboye is not likely to have the time to oblige Mr Olarinde of the response he was demanding for. We therefore offer the man and those insisting on a response the following comments.

Yes it is true that the Mosaic Law prescribes, in addition to the regular tithes payable to the Levites,(Numbers 18:21,24) additional tithes (every three years) for the poor and needy (Deut 14:28-29; 26:12-13), and also for the family to eat with rejoicing in the presence of the LORD in the “place” He prescribes.(Deut.14:22-27)

All the extensive preaching by Mr Ifedapo “Freeze” Olarinde on permissibility of wine and beer in the Christian culinary is absolutely unnecessary.   Most folks are very familiar with the basic difference between getting drunk and having a sip of wine recreationally. And that the latter does not constitute a “sin”. Of course, the Freezes of this world are not likely to see the multitude of Bible verses that additionally teach that not all that is allowed is expedient or beneficial.(1 Cor. 6:12, 10:23)  Even in the Old Testament, there are scriptures that aver that wine and beer are not for “Kings and Priests” who need to be sober at all times.(Prov. 31:4-5)  Why, there is even the well-known story of an old testament Priest, Jonadab of the Rechab lineage who actually forbidded his children from ever tasting alcohol (Jer 35).

But as earlier said, the issue here is not about the permissibility or otherwise of drinking alcohol; but the reasonableness of going to Church to do so. The golden passage latched onto by Freeze is Deut. 14:22-26.  It is actually interesting to see at least for once, minions of the antichrist rooting for a text in the Old Testament, which ordinarily they insist is no longer relevant. In Deut 14, the Law permittted people to take whatever they considered as delicacy, including alcohol or beer, and consume these with rejoicing before the Lord at “the place” He so designates.

The “place” is obviously the Temple at Jerusalem.  But the primary reason for the trip is not just to go there and feast on the tithes before the Lord.  Actually there are specified Feasts during which a Jew is required to go up to Jerusalem to worship and celebrate. This third type of tithes is provision set aside for the family feeding during these Feasts.(see details at https://www.ministrymagazine.org/archive/1958/09/the-three-tithes-of-the-old-testament)

Furthermore, and more importantly, the Temple was never a one-compartment building.  Most Israelites never make it beyond the Outer Courts.  That’s where they may eat their family tithes, which might include drinking their beer and alcohol in moderation.(see details at http://www.biblestudy.org/biblepic/interior-diagram-of-temple-in-jerusalem.html).  But where the Levites/priests operate and eat their own tithes is the Holy Place which they never approach until they have washed at the Laver, and are garbed in special consecrated robes for service. The Holy Place in the Inner Court is certainly no place for beering or frivolities! Even up till today (without a standing Temple), priests in Judaism are not allowed to as much as pronounce blessing on people even after a single cup of wine (see http://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/581082/jewish/What-is-Judaisms-take-on-alcohol-consumption.htm).  For Levites who wish to consume alcohol, there are myriads of side chambers (really like their private living quarters) where they may do so – still in the Temple (see for example Jer 35:1-5).  In other words, if they so desire, they may drink wine recreationally in their chambers, but not “at work” in the Holy Place.

But in the Old Testament Temple, the real place of the presence of the LORD is the Holy of Holies.  The New Testament anti-type of the Holy Place is the Church.  Even Freeze and his disciples seem to recognize that the Church is more than the building (although they at the same time refuse to recognize that Christians are Priests! – 1 Pet. 2:9, Rev. 5:10, etc). The Church is indeed the coming together of the saints in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ – with the assured presence of the Lord guaranteed (Mat. 18:20).  When the veil was torn from the Temple as the Lord Jesus concluded the ultimate sacrifice at Calvary, the Holy of Holies and the Holy Place merged to become a single compartment (Mat. 27:50-51).  Going to “Church” today is therefore to be likened to entering into the Holy of Holies in Judaism.

 It certainly will take more than a mad fellow to contemplate going into the Holy of Holies to consume beer!

As for all the howlers that Pentecostal preachers are threating to curse those who refuse to pay tithes, the reality is that it is God who Himself warned that those who fail to discern between the “holy and the profane,”  and robbing Him of His due tithes, are indeed opening themselves up for curses from Him. No raving pastor here!  (Mal 3:8-9)

One wonders what Freeze and his media flock would have said of the Apostle Peter in the early Church.  In Acts 5:1-10 is recorded the story of a couple who were physically instantaneous slain at the pronouncements of the Apostle.  The Freezes of this world would certainly have had much to pontificate about prestigious pastors who go about killing people who offered only half of the price of their properties just for the offence of putting such forth as the full price.  And by the way, do you talk about giving tithes in a culture where people brought ALL they have to the feet of the Apostles?  If only the 21st Century Church will retrace her steps back to the ways of the early Church.  But certainly NOT by keeping away tithes from the Church and diverting them for “beering” in the assembly of the saints!

As the African proverb goes, “Half education is more dangerous than no education.”  It is half-baked education that makes people insist that the universe came into existence on its own without a creator (Evolution Theory). Likewise, it is half-baked education that makes wanna-be scholars go around viciously teaching that it is okay for a Christian to commit sins; and that confessing, repenting or asking forgiveness of such sins is the only “sin” that God would not tolerate or overlook! That is the core tenet in the Once-saved-always-saved doctrine.  It is exactly the same half-baked bible education that makes people like Mr Ifedapo Olarinde, aka Freeze not see what even a regular mad man on the street would instinctively recognize: you just don’t go to Church to consume alcohol!

No comments: