The Tithing Error

This is one error many churches make. They read about tithing in the Old Testament and assume it must be done today.

When God led the descendents of Abraham out of Egypt, he initiated the tithe so that the Levites could minister without having to do secular work to survive. Israel was a theocratic nation with God as king.

But that wasn't good enough for the people. They wanted a visible king. As 1 Samuel 8:7 (KJV) records, "And the LORD said unto Samuel, 'Hearken unto the voice of the people in all that they say unto thee: for they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them.'"

Another thing tithe proponents don't consider is that there were other tithes than the first fruits and a tenth of all the produce. Deuteronomy 14:28 (KJV) says, "At the end of three years thou shalt bring forth all the tithe of thine increase the same year, and shalt lay it up within thy gates:"

Additionally, Matthew 23:23 (KJV) is used by them to bludgeon believers into giving. "Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone."

Christ hadn't died on the cross yet and neither had he initiated the new covenant when he spoke those words. He was speaking to the religious leaders too, not the laity.

The same is true of Malachi 3:10 (KJV). God spoke through that prophet to the priests and said, "Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it."

People also misapply the second half of the verse, assuming that giving a tithe of money to their church will bring them a hundred-fold blessing of riches. That's not in the verse, neither is blessings merely monetary.

I'll be touching on these mistakes in my next book called You Think You're Going to Heaven? Tithing is often viewed as a mark of holiness by those who believe in works righteousness. As I've pointed out so many times, it's trust in God which gets one into paradise.

On Thursday, providing that the Lord doesn't return first, I'll post about how people contend for the worst pre-conversion testimony.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V7LjeUX3SUw

Must I Tithe?

This is another irksome matter which Christians wrestle with. Some preachers quote Malachi 3:10 and insist that it applies today. Others say it's been superceded by the New Testament era. So who's right?

After much thought, I conclude that giving should be voluntary and according to one's resources. Forcing people to tithe is unfair to impoverished people who are living deeply in debt.

Another reason I dislike tithing and see it as unchristian is that it becomes a way to brag about one's holiness. The gospel writers tell of how Christ saw rich people putting money into the collection box. Then a poor widow, wishing to buy a blessing, put in two very small coins. It was all the money she had. John MacArthur rightly pointed out that the religious system of the day ripped off people every which way. It's why Jesus trashed the temple court twice during his ministry. The sellers were profiting off the holy offerings which devotees wanted to offer.

Since God loves a cheerful giver, how can tithing be forced upon people? While ten percent is a worthy goal to aim for, it's not a hard and fast rule. In fact, prudent bill paying and spending can allow people to give even more when the need arises. Instead of giving a fixed amount and feeling put upon or proud, we should hold our possessions loosely in the event that we may be Christ's hands to the destitute.

I used to fall for the pride-inducing tithe doctrine until I couldn't pay my bills. I wrote about this in my How I Was Razed memoir. Contact me regarding purchasing this wondrous story of God's providence.