The Truth About Tithing
F.A.C.T. vs. F.I.C.T.I.O.N.
Faith-based Abrahamic
Covenant Tithing vs. Fear Induced Condemnation
That Is Oppressive & Negative
|
A personal note I wrote
this article because, over the years, I have seen the doctrines surrounding
the issues of money and giving get considerably
warped. |
1.
Pre-law tithing was not routine and voluntary.
The 2 examples of pre-law tithing in Genesis were one time events, VOLUNTARY and involved more than
money. Abraham's example was a one-time tithe of the spoils
[profits] of war [Hebrews 7:2, Genesis 14:20]. Since Abraham had taken a vow
not to personally take spoils [profits] of this war [Genesis 14:22-24], Abraham
apparently tithed what belonged to others or would soon belong to others. There
is nothing in scripture that says Abraham tithed his personal income or
wealth at any time.
Abraham
received a blessing and then gave a tithe, apparently out of social
custom, without a God given commandment to do so. [Genesis 14 &
Hebrews 7:1] Jacob's single example of tithing was
promised IF God did something and scripture remains unclear if
Jacob ever followed through. [Genesis 28:22] Either way, both
examples make clear pre-law tithing was NOT commanded, but voluntary.
Since scripture only records one-time incidents of pre-law tithing it is clear tithing was not a routine pre-law
practice. Also, since Jacob conditionally promised to
tithe what he already owned and earned [Meaning fully owned, non-credit or lien
based goods], it can be said Jacob also intended to tithe profits. This is
important and "profits" will be discussed
later. Those seeking to make tithing strictly money based, mandatory and
routine because tithing was "before the law" are not teaching what
tithing was "before the law." Also
take note of the following scriptures showing the voluntary nature of
pre-law giving. [Exodus, 35:5, 21, 22, 24, 29]
Some
mandated tithing teachers use scriptures that state one is to BRING the tithe
rather than GIVE the tithe to prove that tithing is mandatory. As we shall
soon see, law tithing was mandatory, but the scriptures that mention PRE-LAW
tithing say the tithe was GIVEN. Also see part 16 - Some Thoughts
on Melchizedek for further discussion of pre-law tithing.
2. Tithing was NOT money or income based; it was LAND based.
If two
farmers had crops of 10 carrots each, they would both be obligated to tithe one
carrot. Under the agrarian tithing system it
didn't matter If one sold the other 9 carrots for $5 and the other sold his
remaining 9 carrots for $10. The tithe of the harvest was unrelated to
the income of the harvest. Plain and simple - THE TITHE WAS NOT 10% OF
INCOME, it was 10% of the harvest. The Jews under the law were NOT
obligated to give 10% of their incomes! This simple fact alone is enough to
destroy the false doctrine that God DEMANDS you pay 10% of your income or be cursed.
Money was
rarely, if ever, the thing tithed in the Bible. [Nehemiah 13:10-13] To be truly
biblical, tithing was NOT based on your
income or money AT ALL! [Deuteronomy 14:22-23, 18:1-5, 26:12, Nehemiah
10:38-39, 12:44, Leviticus 27:30-33, Joshua 13:14] Pre-law tithing was
voluntary and profit based and law tithing was mandated
and PRODUCTION based [i.e. agrarian]. Agrarian means "of the land,"
and agrarian tithing was based on what you were able
to PRODUCE from the land, plants or livestock. God commanded people bring a
tenth of what they produced from the land BEFORE they sold it. So Tithing was NOT based on the income of a given harvest. In
fact, it was against the law to sell the tithe. One was to bring the PRODUCT,
not what the product was worth. [Leviticus. 27:28] There are many references to
tithing the "increase" [Example: Deuteronomy 14:22 using the Hebrew tbuw'ah] which literally means fruit or produce and in the
tithing verses EATING the tithe is often referred to. Note in Nehemiah 13:10,
the Levites went to THE FIELD to replace missing tithes. During the time
of agrarian law tithing bartering was common but there
were also MONEY SYSTEMS in place. [Genesis 23: 15-16 and 42:25, Jeremiah
32:9-11, Deuteronomy 14:25 and Malachi 3:5] Yet the tithe remained agrarian
[land based].
According to the Douglas / Tenney NIV Bible
Dictionary Leviticus. 27:31 makes clear a penalty of 20% of the tithe was
exacted from one who redeemed his tithes and refused to use the money
to pay for a substitute. Again, this shows the tithe was not income or
money based.
God gave
Israel's tithes to the Levites as an inheritance in lieu of land. [Joshua
13:14, Deuteronomy 10:6-9, 18:1-5, Numbers 18:21, 24] The Levites gave tithes
and offerings out of the tithes to the priests [Nehemiah 10:38, Numbers 18],
but they apparently didn't have to tithe the income
from the sale of inherited property. [Deuteronomy 18:6-8] The Levites and
priests were dependent on tithes for FOOD. God's house was a STOREHOUSE and
DISTRIBUTION POINT for the sacrifices, Levites, priests and those
in need. [Malachi 4:10 "Bring all the tithes into the STOREHOUSE
that there may be FOOD in My House. [Nehemiah 13:10-13, 1 Samuel 8:15, 17, 2
Chronicles 31:11, Deuteronomy 12:6-7, 17-19, 14:22 - 23] There was one
exception for converting a tithe into money that was allowed
early in the law. According to many scholars, this exception was
abolished later. Deuteronomy 14:24-27 gives this early exception proving
money systems were in place without tithing being based
on money. In this early exception one could sell the
tithe given specific circumstances and spend the money on whatever one desired
provided one shared what one bought with the local Levite. Also,
these verses make clear, "if the distance was too long for you to CARRY
YOUR TITHE" proving the tithe was NOT money based. The New Testament shows
Pharisees tithing, not income or money, but what they OWNED and GREW. [Luke
18:12, Matthew 23:23 showing tithing was PROFIT and AGRARIAN based.]
3.
Tithing was ALWAYS done to honor God. Tithing was NOT done to get something back or to be the equivalent
of a Christian lottery
None of
the English words: "sacrifice," "offering," or
"gift" quite corresponds to the Biblical words Korban,
corban or qorban [see the
word "gift" in Mark 7:11] which are derived from a verb that in one
mood means to be near, and in another to bring near. In the one case it would refer to the offerings themselves, in the
other to the givers, as brought near, the offerings bringing them near to God.
Today the "giving to get" mentality is shamelessly
touted while giving to honor or get closer to God is only mentioned as a
formality.
Debt
living was biblically frowned on and usury was illegal amongst Jews. The
canceling of debts every seven years and Year of Jubilee every 50 years, which
were LAW, are no longer in effect. [Deuteronomy 15, Leviticus 25]
It is ALL of the law or none of it. In today's world, to owe someone for
services or products already received or contracted for and NOT pay for it
timely and appropriately or to be paying high interest and instead use money earned
to pay "tithes" "to get out of debt" is foolhardy,
deceitful and unscriptural. This equates "tithing" to a Christian
lottery and Christians to "spirit filled gamblers."
I realize
that we live in a debt culture and I am not saying that Christians
should be 100% debt free BEFORE giving any money. I am speaking of MANDATED
[law] giving when people are giving out of obligation, fear or improper
motivation instead of properly addressing their legal responsibilities
resulting in them giving disproportionately and going further into debt.
Today's preachers rarely condemn debt giving and some shamelessly encourage
debt giving calling it an act of faith. Unfortunately
the reality is that many times the debt giving is a form of Christian gambling,
a "roll of the dice", an act of desperation by one already
overwhelmed by debt.
Referring
to the Widow's mite, the same Christ that noted sacrificial over abundance
giving said elsewhere, "Be financially responsible." Christ denounced
giving to God while ignoring responsibilities. [Mark 12:41-44, Mark 7:10-13,
Matthew 22:21, 17:25-27] Romans 13:7-8 says to owe no man anything but love.
These days if you can't afford to give you will be
told to use your credit card or obligate yourself by vowing. Where is debt
giving ever encouraged in the Bible? The Bible speaks of people giving what
they owned, NOT what was credit or lien based. I recently heard on
Christian television that one should vow the amount of their debt to the Lord.
It was taught they would receive a resulting windfall
from the Lord to pay their real debts with. This is nothing but unscriptural
"Christian" gambling.
4.
Law tithing was based on an agrarian [land] system,
theocratic government and an agricultural society.
Land was officially owned by God and "deeded" by the church
with the Levites getting Israel's tithes instead of land. [Leviticus
25:23-24] This system is no longer in existence and that is why most Jews don't tithe any more. An argument could
be made that a form of the agrarian system is still in place with the
Government replacing the church. Now the Government "owns" the land
and deeds it mandating real estate taxes. Everyone in America pays this
"tithe" directly or indirectly to the Government via property taxes,
rents, excise taxes, sewer fees etc.
The timing
of obligatory tithing corresponds to the initial formation of the Jewish
theocratic church/state government via the Mosaic Law, deeding of land by the
church, the Levitical priesthood and the first Jewish
temple - the Tent of Meeting. It is an important distinction
that in a theocracy the church IS the government with all the
responsibilities of government. Today the church does not deed land, run a
court system, legislate and govern, maintain and run armed forces, police, tax,
distribute public resources, act as the Board of Health, Welfare Department,
Pension Board etc., and do all the other responsibilities of government. The
theocratic Jewish church/state government did all this and more under the law.
Here in the United States, the church and Government are SEPARATE
and well over 10% of income is paid by the overwhelming majority for
governmental functions no longer handled by the church. 25-35% of American's
wages goes to a variety of causes, many if not most of which used to be handled by the church in a theocratic government. Today,
pay deductions and other taxes also help cover tax exemptions for non-profits including
churches.
Samuel had
warned God's people that if they left the theocratic form of Government tithes would be exacted from the people causing them to cry out
because of government demands. [1 Samuel 8:
2-22] History is replete with examples of excessive government demands
and most Americans are triple "tithing" their income already
for governmental functions formerly handled by the church in a Theocracy.
5. Under the agrarian tithing system the church had mandates regarding the handling and
distribution of tithes. These mandates are no longer in effect.
The church
under agrarian law tithing had specific social, communal responsibilities as
a matter of law such as a percentage being used to
meet needs of the poor. [Deuteronomy 14:28-29, 2 Chronicles 31:14-15, Nehemiah
13:12-13] The church also, in some cases, even gave pensions to certain
members. [2 Chronicles 31:16-18] The communal
use and distribution of tithes was for the Levites, priests, stranger,
sojourner, fatherless and widows. [Deuteronomy. 26: 12 and 14:29] There are no
such mandates for communal tithe distribution in the church today. Any
Christian church that I have seen teach what is incorrectly called biblical
tithing as law is not practicing tithing with the required oaths [Deuteronomy.
26: 12-15], communal responsibilities and resource distribution that came with
the agrarian tithing system. Further evidence of the weight given by the early
Church regarding the communal responsibilities and distribution of resources by
the Church was evidenced in the Book of Acts. In the
New Testament Church people sold what they had and
gave the proceeds to the Church so no one had need of anything. [Acts 4: 34-35]
It is important to note that under the law communal
responsibilities were mandatory but this New Testament giving was VOLUNTARY and
tithing was never mentioned. [Acts 4:34-35 and 5:4] Peter told Ananias that
after his land was sold the money was at HIS disposal
and under his control. [Acts 5:4] Peter never said, "You were only obliged
to bring the tithe." Paul also encouraged this resource distribution
system in 2 Corinthians 8: 13-15 and Romans 12:13. The
Old and New Testament purpose for wealth was not to be rich or impress people
but to do the work of God and share with those in need. [Deuteronomy 15,
Leviticus 25, Matthew 19:21, Ephesians 4:28]
Today, a
resource distribution system like the early New Testament church used would be
difficult and appear cult-like. However, the principle of using one's surplus
to meet the needs of others remains clear throughout the New Testament. Today,
many people give "tithes" to already wealthy and successful people
with little to no thought to those in need. The focus of giving has become
getting instead of distributing resources to assist the needs of others.
Christ taught to sell your possessions and to give donations to the poor.
[Luke 12:33] God was impressed that Solomon did NOT make wealth a
priority in his life. [2 Chronicles 1:7-12]
6.
Tithing as taught today is modified and NOT the same as Biblical tithing.
God gave
the tithes to the Levites as an inheritance in return for
their service and to compensate them for having no personal inheritance of
land. The Levites gave tithes to the Priests from the tithes
they received. Christianity has no agrarian system, no Levites and every
Christian is now a priest, the temple and co-workers with Christ. [2 Peter 2:5 & 9, Rev. 1:6, 5:10, 20:6] Every Jew
was required by the Levitical law to pay three tithes
of his property:
(1) one tithe for the Levites;
(2) one for the use of the temple and the great feasts; and
(3) one for the poor of the land. [Numbers 18, Deuteronomy 14]
Given the above, it is clear that any church mandating tithes should be
spending AT LEAST ONE THIRD of their income on the poor since that is what was
required under mandated law tithing. How many churches come close to
this? I know of none. Yet it is not uncommon for some ministers to
call their parishioners thieves if they don't
tithe. It's all of the law or none of it.
The only
two pre-law examples of tithing in Genesis were voluntary, non-routine and profit
[ownership] based. Biblical law tithing was agrarian [land] based. Neither was income or money based as is usually taught
today. People should not be "creatively constructing" doctrine,
teaching that biblical tithing is giving 10% of their gross or net income,
picking and choosing what part of the tithing law they
will follow, mandating amounts or mixing law with Grace. The bible is clear on
what pre and post law tithing was and how it was to be
handled. A tithe is a tenth, but a tenth of what and how?
If one wants to teach a tithe is 10% of gross or net income do NOT call it
biblical tithing. It is YOUR plan for giving, NOT the biblical
agrarian or pre-law plan. Since it is YOUR plan, be extra careful about
putting stumbling blocks into people's path by purporting that your plan
is God's law resulting in judgement if not followed.
Tithing CAN'T be practiced as it was in biblical times because the
law, the agrarian system, the agricultural system, sacrifices, debt
cancellation, Year of Jubilee and other interrelated factors are all abolished.
Plus, today's churches have no "law" in
place requiring them to fulfill the communal responsibilities and resource
distribution of the agrarian law based tithing system.
Therefore,
it would probably be best to do away with the word "tithing" entirely
in this age of Grace to avoid the mixing of law and Grace that is common today.
However, that may be difficult given the "tithemania"
that has swept the land. Many will believe a "giving plan" will
assist contributions and help people decide what is appropriate to give and we
will discuss that shortly.
7.
Control, greed or plain ignorance is the motivation behind many of today's
"mandated tithing" messages.
The New
Testament is clear on this; we are commanded to
give. To be blessed we are to give generously,
cheerfully, willingly, not out of necessity, according to our means, in faith,
with love and in the right spirit. The New Testament is NOT at all clear on
amounts and percentages. Paul does NOT say to give according to a percentage
and he was certainly familiar with tithing. [1
Corinthians 16:2] Several times Paul compares voluntary
giving to fruit and burnt offerings. Paul's use of Old Testament tithing
terminology [i.e. fruit and burnt offerings] without the mention of
tithing could NOT have been an oversight given Paul's Jewish background.
[Philippians 4:17-18, Romans 15:26-28] The Bible teaches to give "as
God has prospered us," and "according to our ability and means."
[2 Corinthians 8: 11, 2 Corinthians 9: 5-13, Acts 11:29] The word for
"means" is the Greek signifying possession and ownership.
That means what you are giving is fully yours, not credit or lien based.
Faith-based Abrahamic
Covenant Tithing [F.A.C.T.], discussed shortly, could be taught
as a faith and grace based voluntary practice while avoiding all the
controversy of the mutilated "tithing" doctrine taught today. Why isn't tithing taught this way? It is because of control,
greed and sometimes ignorance. Ignorance is free and it is easier and more
profitable to control people through guilt and obligation. Calling non-tithers thieves or to preach tithing with condemnation,
obligation or fear regarding the specific amounts given without knowing the
sacrifice, faith, vows [discussed later] and intent involved by the giver is
preaching law. It is also a stumbling block,
unscriptural and therefore sin. An obligatory BILL is not "giving."
Whatsoever is not of faith is SIN, so let's end the
F.I.C.T.I.O.N. [Fear Induced Condemnation That Is
Oppressive & Negative]. Christ taught one man to "sell
all that he had and give to the poor." Yet, Christ was pleased with
another that gave only half of what he had to the poor while making restitution
for his thievery. [Mark 10:21, Luke 19: 1-10] Clearly, specific
amounts are unimportant to God.
The story
of the Widow's mite makes crystal clear it is the relationship to money, the
attitude of the giver and the sacrifice made that is important. Christ
said the Widow gave MORE than the rich, despite the rich's large offerings. [Mark 12:41-44] Clearly
Christ focused on the sacrifice made, NOT the amounts given. Mandated
tithing teachers appear clueless to the fact that a wealthy person could tithe
without feeling any sacrifice whatsoever due to their income level. For
the wealthy to feel the same sacrifice as a poor person giving 10% of their
income, a wealthy person would have to give perhaps 90% or more of their
income. The Bible is filled with warnings
against oppressing the poor. The convoluted mandated income based
tithing doctrine around today is clearly NOT something God would author since
it is oppressive to the poor. Remember mandated law tithing was NOT
income based as Section
2 made clear. Christ was impressed with the sacrifice made in an
offering, NOT the amounts given. If a rich person gives 10% and feels no
sacrifice whatsoever, the same Christ that wasn't
impressed with the large offerings in Mark 12:41-44 would not be impressed with
the same offerings today.
Some teach "tithing" as law blatantly and without
shame. Many use subtle mind twisters that go something like this, "No,
tithing isn't mandatory, but if you’re a child of God you will want to give 10%
of your income" or some similar obligation and guilt creating technique.
Others may be told to direct their money, not to
someone in need, but to the "ministry where the financial anointing is
flowing." It will be "suggested" that they may not be blessed
otherwise. Others cunningly use the, "I didn't say it, God
did," canard when proclaiming misapplied scripture or the misapplied
"Malachi Curse" discussed in Section 10.
Others say, "All your money belongs to God." While everything
does belong to God, remember that God also said, "The laborer is worthy of
his hire." That scripture is true for all, not just those doing the
work of God. Christ taught to sell what you own and donate to the poor
showing a considerably different focus on money and giving than many of today's
prosperity teachers. [Luke 12:33] Many church leaders today seem
content with preaching a mixed message as to whether tithing is obligatory or
not. The F.I.C.T.I.O.N. [Fear Induced Condemnation That
Is Oppressive & Negative] must stop!
Some go so
far as to teach that mandated tithing only "opens the window for
blessing" and the giving over and above the tithe is what brings the
"windfall" blessing through the window opened by tithing. So with
the average American "tithing" 30-35% of their income to the
Government for functions that the church no longer handles and
"tithing" 10% to the temple PLUS offerings, Americans are expected to
live off of about 50% of their income according to most mandated tithing
teachers.
The old cliche, "You can't beat God giving" is factually
correct. We could NEVER give more than God.
But to make people believe that they can indiscriminately give their money away
and always get their needs met miraculously is immature and not at all balanced
with the scriptures that make clear that, by His Grace, we are to be
responsible and self-supporting with some left over for others. This is
NOT to say God doesn't bless sacrificial giving.
HE DOES! I am talking about irresponsible, indiscriminate or manipulated
giving or giving that is improperly motivated or coerced.
One
minister stated, "We don't allow people to serve in the church who are not
confirmed tithers." This is a MAN MADE
edict, NOT in ANY way a scriptural one. Did Paul ever demand tithes for
anyone who served in the church? Did the New Testament make tithing
mandatory for ANY position of service? First this minister seems clueless
that, for those choosing to tithe pursuant to true biblical teaching as
taught in this document, ANYTHING could be tithed to the Lord such as giftings, talents, possessions, time
etc. However, I wonder if this minister asked any of these people
if they had ANY personal ministries of assisting the body of
Christ or the poor and needy, or was his only concern what they were
giving to the temple monetarily? The Hebrews under agrarian law tithing
had to declare that they had honestly given the
tithe, "...to the Levite, the stranger, the sojourner, the fatherless and
to the widow..." [Deuteronomy 26:13-15]
***********************************************************
Do the
proponents of mandated tithing consider or inquire as to whether a person is
paying mandated tithes with corrupted seed such as neglecting other vows, going
further into debt or not properly handling other obligations? ALL
of these are biblical considerations which could
result in God REJECTING the tithe. I don't
believe I have ever heard one message on these biblical
considerations. The reality is many mandated
tithing teachers could care less how "corrupted" the seed is so long
as they get it. God is much more impressed with HONEST giving and
RESPONSIBLE living than he is with guilt or fear driven giving and big
churches.
***********************************************************
Mandated
law giving was usually always flexible. There are MANY biblical examples
regarding mandated giving saying things like, "If one does not have a
bull, one can use a pigeon, if one doesn't have a pigeon one can use a cup of
flour etc." The law was more considerate of life's realities than many of
today's prosperity preachers.
Imagine a
situation where 2 people living separately each earn
$400 per week. One has no living expenses and the other has living
expenses plus 2 disabled people at home that they care
for. Imagine another situation where two people earn $500 per week
respectively. One lives at home with their parents rent
free and the other has 3 children in a rented apartment with one of the
children having special needs with no health coverage. Mandated tithing
teaches ALL these people are to give the same or be
"cursed." This is nonsense. The living expenses must be responsibly handled pursuant to Scripture and the
money that one spends on the sick or needy is certainly part of "the work
of Christ." Anyone who says otherwise is legalistic, inconsiderate,
immature, or greedy. When you meet the needs of others
you are doing it unto Christ. [Matthew 25: 31-46] Blind, inconsiderate RULES
OF LAW regarding amounts is NOT what New Testament
Giving is all about! When Paul spoke of giving he
was always clear it wasn't a commandment or law. [2
Corinthians 8:8] Christ and Paul made clear the sacrifice was more important
than the amounts. [Mark 12:42-44, 2 Corinthians 8:1-5, 12] Christ taught
freedom from obligatory giving. [Matthew 17:24-27]
8.
God is Sovereign and rewards may not be seen as
expected in this life.
The story
of Job can be summarized in two statements; First, don't question God because
bad things can happen to good people and second; don't judge others going
through hard times because the ways of God are beyond our ability to
comprehend.
Job makes
clear that many times circumstances of life can be completely unrelated to
one's actions. Life can be cyclic and sometimes appear completely unfair and
unjust. To teach that giving a certain way is going to guarantee a
particular situation in life is immature and unscriptural. The Sovereign
Lord can give and take away independent of a person's
giving or spirituality. The story of Lazarus shows a man who both lived and died destitute yet was carried by angels
to Abraham's bosom while a rich man went to hell. [Luke 16:
19-22] Financial circumstances of life do not necessarily reflect
spiritual condition. The Bible is replete with warnings regarding the
trappings of money.
Many teach
that tithing is a form of "protection money" that will insure them
against harm, accidents or other calamities of life. One preacher said,
"If I didn't tithe, I would be afraid to cross the street."
Another preacher said, "I believe I can avoid all calamities because I
tithe." This preacher needs to learn two lessons. One lesson
is on dealing with realities as taught in the story of Job. The second is
on learning about the lives of the early Apostles and countless others who are
suffering and have suffered throughout time for God, truth and the cause of
Christ. All but one of the original Apostles was martyred. Most
experienced beatings, stonings, shipwrecks and other
hardships and problems. "Many are the afflictions of the righteous,
but the Lord shall deliver them OUT OF them all." Also read Acts 14:22. Many of today's
"cushioned" preachers are clueless. They go where they will be received, paid and applauded and consider any
criticism, valid or invalid, as "persecution for the cause of Christ"
as if the criticism equates to those who have REALLY suffered or are really
suffering for the cause of Christ. Pollyanna style Christianity is
immature and always leads to problems. The reality is most of us grow more from pain, trials and tribulation than we do from
ease, comfort and still waters.
One must
focus on ALL scripture, not just promises of prosperity that tickle the ears.
Paul speaks of God blessing us to be abundant in all things WHILE speaking of
taking an offering for needy Christians. Paul never suggested these Christians
became needy because of improper giving, lack of faith or bad conduct. In fact
Paul teaches that at another time it might be these giving Christians that
might be needy with the now needy Christians, having been blessed, being able
to rise to the occasion and bless them. Paul was clear life wasn't
one financial blessing after another with one never having financial need. [2 Corinthians 9: 5-13, 2 Corinthians 8: 13-15] Are we to assume Peter was faithless or not living or giving right
resulting in his not having any silver or gold for the beggar? [Acts
3:6] Was Mary not living right? She had to bring a poor person's
offering to be purified. [Luke 2:22-24, Lev.
12:6-8] Frankly, I think if most Christians today had to live like the
early church or the Apostles lived for a year, they would come apart at the
seams. Christ taught giving to those who can not repay you and of being blessed for one's
giving at the resurrection. [Luke 14: 12-14]
9.
Christ did NOT teach giving 10% of ones income but
the principle of supporting ministers and churches remains.
There was
a well-established money system in place at the time of Christ. Yet, Christ's
ONLY direct mention of tithing was to a JEW still under law and the tithing was
HERBS [agrarian], NOT money or income from herbs. [Matthew 23:23, Luke
11:42] There was certainly a market for herbs and spices [John 12:5, Mark
14: 3-5, Matthew 26:7-9] yet the tithes mentioned by Jesus were clearly herbs,
not income from herbs. So, are we to tell Christians today they must
tithe herbs? Are we to make a totally unscriptural
leap from herbs to 10% of income? Christ also ordered some to perform
ceremonial cleansing, foot washing and Christ celebrated Jewish holy days and
feasts. Why are these things not demanded of
Christians today? It is ALL of the law or none of it. Even
in teachings to Jews, Christ taught tithing was NOT a priority with God [Luke
18: 9-14] and that there were weightier matters that God was concerned
about. [Matthew 23:23] In addition to the above, consider various
translations regarding Jesus' mention of tithing and note how the meaning
changes:
Darby
Translation:
Matthew 23:23
Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, for ye pay tithes of mint and
anise and cummin, and ye have left aside the
weightier matters of the law, judgment and mercy and faith: these ye ought to
have done and not have left those aside.
Luke 11:42
But woe unto you, Pharisees, for ye pay tithes of mint
and rue and every herb, and pass by the judgment and the love of God: these ye
ought to have done, and not have left those aside.
Youngs Translation:
Matthew 23:23
Woe to you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because
ye give tithe of the mint, and the dill, and the cumin, and did neglect the
weightier things of the Law; the judgment, and the kindness, and the faith;
these it behoved [you] to do, and those not to
neglect.
Luke 11:42
But woe to you, the Pharisees, because ye tithe the mint, and the rue, and
every herb, and ye pass by the judgment, and the love of God;
these things it behoveth to do, and those not to be
neglecting.
So we see
there are questions of interpretation, Jesus was talking to a Jew still under
law, the tithe was agrarian [of the land - in this case herbs], the tithe was
NOT money or income based and it was that which was fully owned - not credit or
lien based. Additionally one could argue that Jesus said the agrarian
tithe was something that "they ought to have done." This
indicates a form of past tense. "You ought to have done
something" implies you should have done something IN THE PAST. This
would be correct UNDER THE LAW. However, as this document makes clear,
any tithing OUTSIDE the law was voluntary.
********************************************************************
While
mandates for tithing are NOT in the New Testament, the principle that the church and ministers can be supported by those they
serve is an indisputable New Testament doctrine. [1
Corinthians 9:6-9, 13 & 14, Luke 10:7] It is noteworthy that Paul, at
times, chose NOT to live off of donations when he felt
the Lord was better served. [1 Corinthians 9: 13 -19]
*********************************************************************
10.
Malachi 3 is being used as "Christian
witchcraft."
Malachi
3:8-12 is routinely taken out of context and used as a curse,
a form of "Christian witchcraft" by the greedy, manipulators or
sometimes by those just blindly following out of ignorance. Malachi was
writing to an Israel that was under the law. The tithe was agrarian, NOT income
based. Israel was completely backslidden, the Priests were NOT doing their
jobs, the sacrifices were polluted and rejected by God
and the people were completely neglecting proper marriage laws and the
maintenance and restoration of the House of God. There was no acceptable
sacrifices being given or sacrificed. To use Malachi 3
as a "curse" against saved people, who are trusting in God's Perfect
Sacrifice, respecting marriage and are NOT neglecting the New Testament temple
[their bodies and spiritual condition] or "the gathering of the Body together" is to misapply the word of God for
financial gain. A best seller on mandated tithing states,
"Every
Christian who isn't honoring the Lord with the tithe is guilty of robbing God,
is living under a curse, and will remain in financial bondage until he or she
obeys God's Word and begins to Tithe. Tithing breaks the curse!" - God's
Financial Plan by Norman Robertson - page 61 #12.
This is
what we tell everyone that becomes saved? The
sacrifice of Christ isn't enough? Christ removed
all but the "financial curse?" This is heretical FICTION [Fear
Induced Condemnation That Is Oppressive
& Negative]. That statement is mixing law with Grace, not rightly
dividing the Word of Truth, a stumbling block, not of
faith and is therefore sin.
I recently
heard one minister extend the misappropriated Malachi curse to the church
stating that he was tired of his church not receiving the full blessings of God
because of the "thieves" that came to the church that didn't tithe and gave corrupted seed. Would this
minister consider refusing all money from these "non-tithing
thieves"? Why does he choose to participate in their
"thievery" and "sin" by accepting "corrupted
seed?" God doesn't accept corrupted seed,
so why should the ministers accept it? [Malachi 1:10, Amos 5:22, 1 Cor.
13] Peter exposed those giving corrupted seed. [Acts 5:3, 8,
9] To make sure there would be no deceit under agrarian law tithing, each
Hebrew was compelled to make a declaration of honesty before the Lord.
[Deuteronomy 26:13-15] This mandated declaration also stated that you had
honestly given the tithe, "...to the Levite, the stranger, the sojourner,
the fatherless and to the widow..."
Oppress the poor
with the curse of the Law
and the judgement you see
is Matthew 7:23!
11.
Be wrong or give wrong and it doesn't profit you
anything to give.
We have to rightly divide the Word of Truth. First Corinthians 13
makes clear that one can give everything including one's body to be
burned but if they don't have Agape love, they profit
NOTHING. I would suggest that giving for the purpose of
getting is improperly motivated and NOT giving with Agape Love. One should give
out of love and because it is right. Everything we get from God is by Grace
through faith in Christ and Christ taught against becoming works based.
[Luke 18:9-14] Scripture teaches that God doesn't
accept offerings from people that are not right or do not give in the right
spirit. [Malachi 1:10, Amos 5:22, 1 Cor. 13]
The New
Testament fulfills [MATURES] the law. In the New Testament, the INTENT is more
important than the RULE. As 1 Corinthians 13 makes
clear, ANY THING given with the wrong intent profits the individual
NOTHING. Promises of God give Faith and Hope but give without Agape Love and you
profit NOTHING. One can believe and expect good from the Father without giving
with the primary focus to receive. Otherwise, the focus of what you expect
from God becomes works centered. Anything which takes
away from the work of Christ is not of God.
[Luke 18:9-14]
12.
Pre-law or law tithing was NEVER the first fruits offering
Many
mandated tithing teachers confuse tithing with the firstfruits
offering. By not rightly dividing the word of
truth, many scriptures regarding first fruits giving are misapplied to support
the unbiblical mandated tithing doctrine. The firstfruits
offering was when the Israelites brought a portion of the fruits that ripened
first as an offering. These were looked on as a
pledge of the coming harvest, which would then be tithed. The firstfruits offering was NEVER the pre-law or law
tithe.
13.
The work of Christ is not to see how successful and wealthy we can all become.
|
At this point I will insert a few
comments from an interview with former PTL Preacher Jim Bakker after he
repented and God resurrected his ministry: On prosperity preaching: I
began to read and write down every word as recorded in the Gospels. I wept
that I could have been so wrong, preaching another gospel and another Jesus.
Jesus called riches "deceitfulness of riches." He even said,
"Woe unto the rich!" He was saying things like, "You can't
serve God and money." He never cast wealth and riches into a good light.
How could I have spent so much time emphasizing financial blessing? I'd always quoted 3 John 2, saying, "Above all things
God wants you to prosper."I loved that Scripture. It looks great on a TV
screen when you're raising funds, and I interpreted
it as God wants you to be rich. But when I got to
the words of John, I said, "Now this don't make sense." So I took
the word prosper apart in the Greek and found out it's made up of two
words—the first word means good or well and the second road.
It's a progressive word, so it's like a journey. So, here's John saying, basically, "Beloved, I want
you to have a good journey through life as your soul has a good journey to
heaven." It was a greeting! Building theology on that is like building
the church on "Have a nice day." I began to look up all the
Scriptures used in prosperity teaching, such as "Give and it shall be
given unto you." When I put that Scripture back into its context, I
found Christ was teaching on forgiveness, not on money. He was teaching us
that by the same measure that we forgive, we will be
forgiven. I had gotten my sermons from other
people. The Bible warns about the shepherds who get their messages from each
other. I think today the reason we have another gospel and another Jesus being preached is because men have gotten their sermons
from each other and from motivational teaching. A lot
of what's being taught today is simply motivational teaching with a few
Scriptures put to it. |
Sometimes
modern day Christianity looks like nothing more than success coaching with a
Christian wrapper. Many appear to sound like Christianity teaches
"wealth equals Godliness" and "a lack of wealth is
satanic." But read James 1:9-11.
Many arrogant prosperity teachers look down on the poor and forget a good chunk
of their money comes from the medium to low wage earner. This arrogance
leads many in ministry to believe "God is always going where the money is
flowing." Many caught up in the prosperity doctrine think, "But
I am making more money, how can it NOT be God?"
God doesn't live in buildings anymore. PEOPLE are the House of
God and the Body of Christ. With all of the "revelation" around
today, the church still doesn't get it
and many are still seeking the Old Testament glory of the temple. God's
storehouse is now HIS PEOPLE. I know of one incident where a
church spent thousands on electronic and computer gadgetry that they weren't using and they couldn't help out a needy Christian
that, due to illness and hardship, needed a small sum to avoid a utility shut
off. The "work of Christ" and Body of Christ is more than the
church coffers and buildings. The "work of Christ" is meeting the
needs of PEOPLE on MANY different levels WHEREVER we are. If one spends
resources on a prison ministry; that is "unto Christ." If one feeds
hungry neighbors; that is "unto Christ." While the local church
certainly should not be neglected,
there is no scripture that says all money given unto God has to go into church
or minister's coffers. Many preachers and churches make it sound like the
only giving that is "unto the Lord" is what is
given to them. But Christ taught,
"When you assist one of the least of these, my Brethren, you have
done it unto me." Also read the Biblical
story of the Good Samaritan. Too many Christians are "paying
others" to do what many times is THEIR work. They pay others to
minister IN PLACE OF them. Many tithing Christians will tithe out of
fear of the misappropriated "Malachi Curse" while their neighbor is
in need. These Christians are thinking that when they get their
"windfall" from tithing, they will then help the needy.
Many
churches today still seek the "glory of the temple" and give little to no thought to the glory of the New Testament Temple...the
living, breathing body of Christ. I have seen examples of
"confirmed tithers hesitant to give a small
offering to a needy elderly couple because there would be no "record"
of their giving; their giving would not be seen by the church. Yet Christ
taught to give in secret. We now have countless huge edifices and all
types of major Christian media networks etc. With all of this building of
things, is Christianity better off? I recently had Christian TV on
in my home and realized I would have to shut it off if an unsaved or new
Christian walked into the room. The money huckstering was
shameless. Many, but not all, times these things are done for the "glory of the temple" at the
expense of the real temple, the living, breathing body of Christ.
The logic
that the world won't listen to your salvation message
unless you're wealthy or successful is nonsense. Christ didn't
have a place to lay his head, yet the masses came. John the Baptist lived like
a hermit, yet crowds flocked to him. Initially in the book of Acts many Christians owned NOTHING because they voluntarily
sold what they had and gave it for distribution so no one would be lacking. Yet
the message was wildly successful. To my knowledge
none of the Apostles were known to be successful businessmen yet they got the
message out just fine.
****************************************************************
The Bible
teaches there is absolutely NOTHING wrong with
properly obtained prosperity or success provided it is properly
handled. I pray we all attain it via right living, faith, Grace and
Love, NOT law, fear, condemnation, deceit or F.I.C.T.I.O.N.
****************************************************************
14.
What is Faith-based Abrahamic Covenant
Tithing [F.A.C.T.]?
The 2 pre-law examples of tithing in Genesis were voluntary, profit
and faith based. Study Galatians 3, Ephesians 2:12 and Romans, particularly
Romans 4, to see how Paul relates faith, righteousness and being a
"true" Israelite back to pre-law faith and promise via Abraham.
F.A.C.T. is based on this Abrahamic principle and the biblical principle that what is offered to God
must be pure, fully owned and not credit or lien based. Melchizedek,
King of Jerusalem, was a PRE-LAW type of Christ and he received voluntary tithes
of profits. [That which is fully owned, non credit or lien based -
Hebrews 7: 2-6, Genesis 14: 17-20] Also see part 16 - Some Thoughts
on Melchizedek for further discussion of pre-law tithing. F.A.C.T.
does NOT change law tithing into a mandated 10% of income and ignore the other
demands of the law regarding tithing, which is routinely done
today. There is NO alteration, twisting of scripture or mixing of law and Grace
with the F.A.C.T. tithing system.
What is "profit" and why is Faith-based
Abrahamic Covenant Tithing
profit based?
PROFIT is
what is left after paying necessary, obligatory expenses
which are VOWS in one form or another. God doesn't want what is
vowed to others so one can't vow to God what is vowed to others.
******************************************************************
You can't "put God first" by neglecting the poor and
needy, vows, responsibilities or commitments. If that is what you're doing, it isn't because you are putting God
first. It is because you're hoping God will be
impressed enough with you to give you a windfall financial blessing. In
other words, you're giving to get. You are
thinking that THEN, after the windfall blessing, you will be responsible.
This sort of thinking, fostered heavily by the prosperity doctrine, is
immature, unscriptural and unethical. This self-deception is, in effect,
"Christian Gambling" and a growing cancer in the body of Christ.
*****************************************************************
Being paid
wages daily was the law in Biblical times, so necessary production
expenses [vows] were paid BEFORE the tithe was
offered. [Leviticus 19:13, Deuteronomy 24:14-15] God expects us to be
financially responsible, not foolhardy "spirit filled gamblers."
[Romans 13:7-8] Christ said, "If anyone has any grievance against you,
leave your gift at the altar and take care of it BEFORE presenting your
gift." [Matthew 5:23-26] Many Christians don't
view breaches of oral or written contract as requiring consideration before
giving. Christ taught financial responsibility. Christ did NOT
approve of giving to God while ignoring responsibilities. [Mark 7:10-13,
Matthew 5:23-26] Our offerings to God are to be pure, not credit or lien based
and untainted by improper conduct or motivation. One can't
dedicate something to God that is already tainted or committed by vow, contract
or other obligation. God doesn't want the money that
you are withholding from others irresponsibly, wrongfully, unlawfully, in
breach of oral or written contract or deceitfully. Offerings to God had to be
the honestly acquired property of the donor. [2
Samuel 24:24] One rarely hears this from many of today's prosperity preachers.
Someone
choosing the Faith-based Abrahamic Covenant
Tithing [F.A.C.T.] method can figure out their PROFITS by deducting necessary,
obligatory expenses [vows] from their take home pay. This will give people
a good MINIMUM figure from which to start giving. Then they can give a
"tithe" based on profit. Additional giving, which would be
appropriate for most people, would be offerings.
Whenever I
hear of a "tithe paying" business that is owned
by Christians, the tithe is on the PROFITS of the business. I don't think I have ever heard of a business tithing every
dollar that comes in regardless of what their expenses are. Businesses are taught to PAY THEIR BILLS and necessary expenses [vows]
and then tithe on the profits. Yet this "courtesy" isn't granted the average wage earner by most mandated
tithing teachers who say one must give 10 percent of income without
consideration of bills or expenses [vows]. Mandated tithing teachers make
it sound like you aren't "putting God first"
if you consider your vows before tithing yet those same teachers will tell a
business that is "right" to pay their vows [bills and expenses] first
and tithe on the profits. But this issue is moot
since tithing was never based on income in the first place and anyone teaching
you that you have a God given commandment to give 10% of income is either
unlearned, greedy or blatantly lying for financial gain at your expense.
Of course,
if someone wishes to give 10, 20 or whatever percent of gross or net income that
is their choice. But they must give generously,
cheerfully, willingly, not out of necessity, according to their means, in
faith, with love and in the right spirit. These, NOT percentages, are the
New Testament requirements for giving if you want to receive a blessing.
One should NEVER give out of F.I.C.T.I.O.N. meaning fear of a curse,
condemnation, guilt, necessity or concerns of "being devoured by the
enemy" or give with the primary focus of "what's in it for me?"
15.
--- Warnings regarding distortions of modern day translations ---
To show
how the Word gets corrupted, get a King James Bible
and The Living Bible Edition and look at Luke 11:42. The King James
clearly talks of tithing herbs yet the Living Bible states, "...you are
careful to tithe even the smallest part of your income..." This
clearly is a perversion of the original text since the original makes clear
they were tithing HERBS, not income from herbs. Also
notice the King James verses The Living Bible in Luke 18:12 where the
self-righteous Pharisee states he tithes all that he comes to possess
which is the Greek signifying OWNERSHIP instead of income. Yet the Living
Bible states, "...I give to God a tenth of everything I earn."
This is a distortion since EARNING is not the same as OWNING. The
Amplified Bible states in the same verse, "...I give tithes of all that I
gain." This is a subtle perversion since most don't
know that gain in the Bible refers to what one FULLY POSSESSES. The King
James is clear that the Pharisee was tithing what he came to FULLY OWN.
What one fully owns is a far cry from one's income
since the average American's income is reduced by triple "tithes" to
the Government and much of the remainder of their income is VOWED for other
necessary expenses of life.
One can
find distortions and sometimes outright errors in all
translations; there are good and bad in all of them. I used the Living
Bible only as an example. Overall I think it is
a good translation but any serious student of scripture must be sure to get as
close as possible to original text and meaning to avoid these types of
errors.
***************************************
16.
Some Thoughts on Melchizedek
Much is made about the mysterious King of Salem [Jerusalem] in Genesis 14
by mandated tithing teachers. The reality is in Abraham's time tithing was
predominately a pagan practice and a voluntary social custom of acknowledging a
cherished ruler. To use the argument that tithes are
mandated today because Abraham gave Melchizedek tithes is ludicrous for
many reasons:
The
question of the Melchizedek priesthood is purely a Jewish one. It is NOT
a Gentilian issue since Gentiles had nothing to do
with the Levitical Priesthood at all. It was the Jews that were having problems accepting Christ
as THE high priest because Christ was from the tribe of Judah, not the tribe of
Levi where the Jews had been taught all their priests must come from.
This is why Paul discussed it at length in the Jewish letter to the
Hebrews. The Jews clearly couldn't understand
the Priesthood of Christ and Paul attempted to explain it. Hebrews 7 is a
difficult chapter to understand and I think the Amplified does a good job
here. Remember, the Levites paid tithes out of the tithes to the
priests. Paul tried to explain to the Jews that because the tribe of Levi
was still unborn inside Abraham, they did, in fact, pay tithes to the eternal
priesthood of Melchizedek which Christ belonged to
thereby acknowledging the Melchizedek priesthood, however indirectly.
Paul was trying to show the Jews that the Levitical
Priesthood was inefficient and temporal and the Melchizedek Priesthood is
eternal and better. The unborn Levites paying tithes through Abraham doesn't justify a doctrine for mandated tithing today
because of the 4 points mentioned at the beginning of this section. It is
difficult for Gentiles to understand these issues because they are basically irrelevant to the Gentiles acceptance of The
Christ. Gentiles don't have to become Jews
before becoming Christians and Paul made clear it is wrong to burden Gentiles
with Jewish questions and mandates.
I assert
THIS is the real meaning of Melchizedek's appearance in Genesis 14: Abraham had
risked his life to rescue his nephew. This is the first account in the Bible of
man trying to save man in a totally selfless
act. Remember, Abraham could have taken spoils of the war but refused to
do so. Abraham's only motivation was to save his Nephew. After this
first recorded selfless act to save a brother, suddenly the Christ type,
King of Jerusalem appears with bread and wine [communion]. Abraham had
passed the test by being willing to sacrifice
himself for another. Later he would be willing to sacrifice his son and
the Christ type appears again in the form of a sacrifice and a promise. Doesn't this make much more Biblical sense than trying to
twist scripture to make it look like Melchizedek's appearance was to teach
mandated tithing, especially given the other issues discussed in this document?
17.
Some Final Thoughts
Study and
pray regarding this issue thoroughly so you can be persuaded in
your own mind. Don't allow yourself to come under
condemnation unnecessarily. "To him who thinks something is sin, then to
him it is sin" because one's conscience is not clear. Romans 14 and
Matthew 6:2-4 will help you understand this and also
help you deal with others regarding mandated law tithing. What I teach
you in this document is FACT [Faith-based Abrahamic
Covenant Tithing] not influenced by the prevailing wind. F.A.C.T.
is a good, voluntary, biblical, grace and faith-based plan that could be taught without the heretical half-breed
reconstruction of agrarian law tithing or the mixing of law with Grace.
*********************************************************
The
F.A.C.T. giving plan is just that…A plan. The reality is if one is truly
giving in obedience to God using the New Testament requirements detailed in
this document then they are doing the right thing even if they don't figure percentages. Be led by the Spirit, be fair, and
above all be GENEROUS like Christ COMMANDED. Don't use
this document as an excuse to be stingy.
*********************************************************
Although I
have heard terms like financial tithing, inspirational tithing, revelation
tithing, etc., the Bible only taught voluntary pre-law profit-based tithing and
agrarian production-based law tithing. While some who preach mandated
tithing will claim I don't "have the
revelation," many will see the truth in this document. Others who
preach mandated tithing may see the truth in this document AFTER they fall from
grace, calamity strikes, something happens that makes them less ego and goal
driven or they are approaching death. Be assured I have been on BOTH
sides of this issue and I believe in the blessings of God. I have
personally experienced miracles of God's divine providence and provision.
You may ask, "Why do I now hold this position?" I can say it in
one word.....MATURITY.
Given the
financial realities of today's world, if one believes they must teach a giving
plan to facilitate giving, then teach the Faith-based
Abrahamic Covenant Tithing [F.A.C.T.]
that is described in this document. Freewill offerings can, and in many if not
most cases should, supplement Faith-based Abrahamic
Covenant Tithing.
Faith-based Abrahamic
Covenant Tithing can be practiced in the
faith that we are "true Israelites" that will rule with Christ and
partake of the inheritance and the faith, NOT law based, Abrahamic
Covenant. May the Church of God rightly divide the word, not go beyond what is written and NEVER make a practice or doctrine of mixing
law with Grace.
The question now becomes, do today's preachers have the faith to teach
F.A.C.T. [Faith-based Abrahamic Covenant
Tithing] or will they continue to preach F.I.C.T.I.O.N. [Fear Induced
Condemnation That Is Oppressive & Negative]? While some will continue
out of ignorance or habit, other "faith" preachers will not have the
faith or character to preach the truth in this document. They will prefer
to justify mixing law with grace and using guilt, manipulation and control
thereby deceiving themselves and others into thinking the "work of
Christ" is better served.
You have been given
the truth on tithing and set free from the mandated tithing doctrine.
If you would like to assist in helping to promote this message, email
me or write to Box 1355, Coventry, Rhode Island 02816
Some
comments, reviews etc. from Rabbis and others on tithing and this document:
From
Russell Kelly author of "Should the Church Teach
Tithing?" I appreciate the article you wrote on tithing. We are about 95% in agreement which is fine with me. My
book, Should the Church Teach Tithing?, was my Ph.D.
dissertation of 364 pages and covers most of your points in detail..Check out the reviews on Amazon.com. My only
disagreement is with your statements that Abraham's tithe was "faith
based" and "voluntary." The Bible does NOT say these things, but
most have assumed them to be true. My research on
Genesis 14:21, not 14:20, leads me to conclude that Abraham most likely paid a
spoils of war tithe because of MANDATORY CANAANITE TRADITION which can be
proven to have existed throughout the world at his time. Since your
"agrarian" definition of tithe is the only correct definition, then
the word should not be used with another definition
--- regardless of how sincere the person might be. I have much to share
with you if you are interested. I spent over 10 years researching my book.
Thanks again. Russell Kelly
Rabbi Robert Alpert: "Tithing, in the sense of crops, of course, is no longer done. Of course, Jews are encouraged to give charity [tzedakkah]. Whether they give 10 percent o