594
TITHES
TITHES
and lack of logical development of themes in 1 Tim., which may be due to a substratum of refractor}' materials. If Luke had written a free composition, it would have been a better literary product.
LiTKRATi-rtE. — (1) Commentaries : J. H. Bernard, Cambridge Greek Ti^slainent, 'The Pastoral Epistles,' Cambridge, 1899; N. J. D. White, in KGT iv. [London, 1910]; B. Weiss, Die Bri^fe Paidi an Timotheus und Titus'^ [H. A. W. Meyer, KoiiDiwntar, xi.], G(ittinj;en, 1902; H. v. Soden, in Handkom- itientrtr zum NT, iii.'- [Freiburg, 1911]; F. Kbhler, in Die Schriftcn des NT [Gottinsjen, 1908] ; G. Wohlenberg, in T. Zabn's Kommentar^ xiii.2 [Leipzig, 1911]; M. Dibelius, in H. Lietzmann's Handbuch zum NT ['Tubingen, 19ia].
(2) Introduction : In addition to treatment in above Com- mentaries, see H. J. Holtzmann, Einleitung in das NT^, Freiburg, 1886 ; C. v. Weizsaclser, Apostulic Age-, Eng. tr., London, 1897-99; A. Sabatier, The Aposlle Paid, do., 1891, Essay by G. G. Findlay, p. 343 ff.; F. J. A. Hort, Jiulaistic Christianili/, Cambridge, 1894, and Th£ Christian Eectesia, do., 1897 ; T. M. Lindsay. The Church and the Ministrii in the Early Centuries, do., 1902; A. Harnack, Die Chronidof/ie der attchristtichen Litteratur, i. [Leipzig, 1897] ; A. Jiilicber, An Jntroduction to the NT, Eng. tr., London, 1904 ; W. Lock, in HDB iv. s.oo. ; T. Zahn, Introduction to the NTi, Eng. tr., S vols., Edinburgh, 1909 ; J. Moffatt, The Historical NT', do., 1901, LNT, do., 19U ; W. M. Ramsay, in Exp. 7th ser., vui. [1909], ix. [1910], 8th ser., i. (1911); P. Wendland, Die hellenistisch-romische Kultur und die urchristlichen Literatur- formeni, Tiibingen, 1912. R. A. FALCONER.
TITHES (SiKaTai).—\t is admitted universally that the payment of tithes, or the tenths of posses- sions, for sacred purposes did not find a place within the Christian Cliurch durinf; the age covered by the apostles and their immediate successors. In the Hebrew religious community tithes possessed a two-fold character. They were either a charitable and regularly recurring contribution placed at the disposal of tlie humbler Levites and other poor or a yearly impost designed for the upkeep of the central house of worship and of the ministering priests (see W. Robertson Smith, OTJC-, London, 1892, pp. 383 n., 446 f. ; see also £S^ Edinburgh, 1894, pp. 246-253).
Those who maintain that tithes are due dejure divino to the Church give as the reason for their non-existence in the Apostolic Age that the con- ditions of the infant Church in the initial stages of its gi-owth raised insuperable difliculties against the practice of such systematic payments during that period (see Bingham, Antiquities, v. v. 1 il'. [Works, Oxford, 1855, vol. ii. p. 176 fi.]). As soon as the condition of the Church permitted, it is con- tended, the payment of tithes began as a duty obligatory on all individual Christians. Not only, however, is there no evidence of the truth of this contention, but such testimony as we possess from the pages of the NT goes to disprove it. Not that the duty of Christian giving was not recog- nized as binding, or that the discharge of that duty was considered outside of, or an unspiritual en- croachment upon, the region of Christian ethics. On the contrary, as we shall see, it occupied an extremely important part in apostolic instruction and ideals. Its reason and purpose are raised to a loftier plane than they had ever occupied, and translated into language of the profoundest moral and si)iritual content. ' The perfect law, the law of liberty ' ( Ja 1-^), reigns here as it does elsewhere (Gal 5'- ", 1 P_2'«, Jn 8»^ etc.), ami tlie Christian's joyous liberality, like his otiier graces, may be characterized from the teaching of the NT as the expression of the individual's consciousness of his love of, and moral obligation to, his brethren.
The social and economic conditions of the early Church in Jerusalem demanded extraordinary efibrts on the part of its wealthier members. Whatever be the source of the narrative embody- ing the history of the attempt to establish the life of that body on a communistic basis, tliere can be no doubt that it is in harmony with what we
understand from other sources (see art. Collec- tion) to be the state of extreme poverty in which the humbler Christians of Jerusalem were sunk. The attempt to relieve this prevailing distress was essentially voluntary, as the questions said to have been addressed by St. Peter to Ananias testify : ' Wliiles it remained, did it not remain thine own ? And after it was sold, was it not in thy jjower ? ' (Ac 5*). Nor is it otherwise with the Antiochian Churcli, which organized a relief fund for the Jewish Christians .some years later; 'every man according to his ability' (Ac 11-") contributed, and we have no reason to believe that their giving was not free and spontaneous [Ciptaav). In reminding the Ephesian elders, gathered at Miletus, of his own example, St. Paul emphasizes (note the words KOTTiCivTa^ Set) the duty of the follower of ' the Lord Jesus ' by the quotation, ' It is more blessed to give than to receive' (Ac 20^°). His exhortation 'to help the weak ' (cf. 1 Th 5") includes in its scope that charitable disposition of our wealth, whether it be 'silver, or gold, or apparel' (Ac 20'^), which will meet the needs of poverty or misfortune. In formulating his scheme for the collection of funds for the poor ' saints ' of Jerusalem, he laid down the rule for the guidance of the Corinthian Chris- tians : ' upon the Hrst day of the week let each one of you lay by him in store, as he may prosper' (1 Co 16-) ; and his enthusiastic praise of the Mace- donian Churches for their earnest and liberal response to his appeal he justifies by the circum- stances in which their single-minded generosity (rb ttXoDtos t^s dirXAT-ijros airHs', 2 Co 8") displayed itself. These attached supporters of the Apostle gave joyously (^ ireptaada Tijs x^P^' avTwu) in a time of sore trial (Vv ttoXXh SoKi/My dU<jyea% ; cf. 1 Th P 2'''), and from their own deep poverty (?) Kara pdffovs wTwxda ouTwi'). We are reminded of Jesus' words in praise of the widow's giving ' all the living that she had' (rdvTa rbf ^iov, Lk21'' ; d.-irapaSivaiuv, 2 Co 8').