Zoom Live Bible study.
We studied the word of God based on questions asked by some brethren.
The questions were:
★Are we obliged to pay tithes?
★Speaking in tongues.
We were first admonished that there is no contradiction in the word of God. God's word is pure and perfect.
Psalm 12:6
6 The words of the Lord are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times.
Proverbs 8:8
8 All the words of my mouth are in righteousness; there is nothing froward or perverse in them.
As concerning tithes, we were told that tithing was commanded in the Bible.
Malachi 3:7-9
7 Even from the days of your fathers ye are gone away from mine ordinances, and have not kept them. Return unto me, and I will return unto you, saith the Lord of hosts. But ye said, Wherein shall we return?
8 Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings.
9 Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation.
We were admonished to give willingly and without grudge or compulsion because God loves a cheerful giver.
2 Corinthians 9:7
7 Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.
This generation christians are no longer prohibited as it was to the Israelites.
We have the new and old covenant. The old covenant is obsolete and passed away while the new covenant was given to the apostles after the ascension of Christ. The new covenant does not contradict the old covenant, it rather modified it.
Hebrews 8:7-8
7 For if that first covenant had been faultless, then should no place have been sought for the second.
8 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:
About speaking in tongues, we were taught that it is not wrong for someone to speak in tongue but that shouldn't be a measure of knowing who is filled by the Holy Spirit and who isn't. It's not true that anyone who doesn't speak in tongues is not baptized by the Holy Spirit. We are all given different gifts of the Holy Spirit when we get baptized and it's not everyone that gets the gift of speaking in tongues.
Acts 2:38
38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.
Ephesians 4:8-11
8 Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men.
9 (Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth?
10 He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.)
11 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;
1 Corinthians 12:29-30
29 Are all apostles? are all prophets? are all teachers? are all workers of miracles?
30 Have all the gifts of healing? do all speak with tongues? do all interpret?
When speaking in tongues in Church, there should be an interpreter, if not the whole essence of speaking in tongues would not be achieved and the church would not be edified.
1 Corinthians 14:9
9 So likewise ye, except ye utter by the tongue words easy to be understood, how shall it be known what is spoken? for ye shall speak into the air.
Without Love speaking in tongues is useless because if you speak with the tongue of angels and have not love, you're like a tinkling cymbal and you Have not the Holy Spirit because He is a representation of Love.
1 Corinthians 13:1
1 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.