Apostolic priests
In a brief discussion of tithing, Kapic ( God So Loved, He Gave: Entering the Movement of Divine Generosity , 153) notes that the Levites received tithes from the people and then tithed the tithe to the priests “who had no other means of income.”
That is somewhat overstated, since priests also received portions of sacrificial animals, firstfruits, and other gifts. Still, the point is true in general: Priests lived from the generosity of the people. And that is perhaps the background to Jesus’ instructions to His disciples not to take any money with them on their initial missionary journey (Matthew 10). They were priestly apostles, living off the gifts of the people they served and offering the people of Israel as an initial offering to God.
Peter Leithart
Peter J. Leithart is President of Theopolis Institute. He is the author of numerous books on theology, literature, and culture, including Theopolitan, Defending Constantine, and Baptized Body.
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