Do Not Tithe!

If the Old Testament law was abolished, why do we still tithe? In fact, why do we tithe money? There is a couple of reasons why churches today tithe with money. It could be out of ignorance. Men and women for generations have paid a tithe to the church. Most of them give ten percent as they believe that they are expected to.

Sowing seeds has become common language within the prosperity gospel community. I do not think giving our money to the church is a bad thing. My concern is not with God or a moral pastor handling the money. My concern is the bad theology that is attached to giving. The Old Testament rhetoric masking unbiblical commands is problematic for future members of the church. Once realized, believers are shocked and hurt by the ‘church’ and some never return or trust again.

The other reason is evil wolves in sheep’s clothing masquerading as ‘pastors’ and teaching that the congregants should give ten percent of their wages. Some go as far as asking for ten percent of their gross wages. Others add special tithes like ‘first fruits’ at the beginning of each year.

For too long, misinformed congregants have been tricked out of their hard-earned money in exchange for miracles, prosperity, and even more money. God has become a ‘genie in a bottle’ or the ‘wizard from oz’ to many church goers. If we provide him with money, then we can expect something in return.

These leaders are purposely misleading their own people of out money for their own benefit. There are many ignorant pastors and congregations, but there are also deceivers. The church has drastically misinterpreted the Bible on tithes, offerings, and have become obsessed with the prosperity gospel.

The Tithe

“In Leviticus 27 the Mosaic Law expressly commands the practice of tithing, codifying it for all Israel as a combined act of spiritual service and economic obligation for the advancement of the nation.” The tithe was always produce and animals, never money. There is of course one exception to the rule in which we discuss later. Take a look at these verses in the book of Leviticus.

“Every tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land or of the fruit of the trees, is the Lord's; it is holy to the Lord. If a man wishes to redeem some of his tithe, he shall add a fifth to it. And every tithe of herds and flocks, every tenth animal of all that pass under the herdsman's staff, shall be holy to the Lord.” Leviticus 27:30-32

It is the tenth animal that you tithe. If someone had only nine, there was no tithe to give. If that same person had nineteen, there would still only be one tithe (animal) to give.

Many will say that only produce and animals was used for the tithe because they didn’t have money to tithe. This is absolutely false. Abraham had money, saved money, and spent money. In the story of Abraham burying his wife Sarah, he purchased a plot of land with four hundred shekels of silver.

Abraham said, “…I give the price of the field. Accept it from me, that I may bury my dead there.” Ephron told Abraham, “…a piece of land worth four hundred shekels of silver…” “Abraham weighed out…the four hundred shekels of silver…” “…according to the weights current among the merchants.” (Genesis 23:13-16)

In the story of Joseph, he sold grain for money. For his brothers, he had their sacks filled with grain, and their money restored to them for the trip home. In the book of Exodus, we see a census being taken. This was a requirement to give a ½ shekel to the Lord as an offering. This was a flat tax that everyone twenty years of age and above must give. There is no difference between the poor or the rich, everyone was commanded to give a ½ shekel. This was to make an atonement for themselves. (Exodus 30:12-15).

Earlier I noted that there is always an exception to the rule. In Deuteronomy 14, the Lord gives an option if the tithe (animal/produce) is too heavy to carry. Verse 25 and 26 tells us the exception to the rule for the tithe.

“then you shall turn it into money and bind up the money in your hand and go to the place that the Lord your God chooses and spend the money for whatever you desire—oxen or sheep or wine or strong drink, whatever your appetite craves. And you shall eat there before the Lord your God and rejoice, you and your household.” Deuteronomy 14:25-26

“Although the tithe could be exchanged for money, it never consisted of money.”[1] The exception is clear on the instructions from the Lord. Once you arrive at your destination, you are too buy food to eat for you and your family. This is a time of celebration of the feasts For this is a time of celebration and remembrance. Jewish people still celebrate these same events today such as Passover, Tabernacles, and Pentecost.

What about the New Testament? Does it mention tithe? Yes! In fact, we see that the tithe is once again referencing produce. In Matthew chapter 23, Jesus is warning the people about the scribes and Pharisees. He tells them that they do not practice what they preach. He speaks of them tithing mint, dill, and cumin, but ignoring the commands that matter most such as justice, mercy, and faithfulness. (Matthew 23:23; Luke 11:42).

This is the only tithe mention in the New Testament. Jesus is the one speaking and he references produce from a garden. Jesus is raising the standard for justice, mercy, and faithfulness. He’s not discrediting the tithe of produce, but he is pointing to much more important aspect of a godly life.

The tithe was always given to the Levites, sojourners, the fatherless, and to the poor. The Levites didn’t receive an inheritance of land. There was no way for them to gain crops for food. By others contributing their tithe of produce and animals, the Levites could partake for they served in the temple.

In Numbers 18:25-31and in Deuteronomy 14:28-29 we find the instructions for Moses and the Israelites on what to do with the tithe. These were commands for God’s people so that the Levites could be taken care of. In addition to the Levites, others could be cared for as well.

The Lord said to Moses, “When you take from the people of Israel the tithe that I have given you from them for your inheritance, then you shall present a contribution from it to the Lord, a tithe of the tithe…So you shall also present a contribution to the Lord from all your tithes, which you receive from the people of Israel. And from it you shall give the Lord's contribution to Aaron the priest…When you have offered from it the best of it, then the rest shall be counted to the Levites as produce of the threshing floor, and as produce of the winepress. And you may eat it in any place, you and your households, for it is your reward in return for your service in the tent of meeting. (Numbers 18:25-31, shortened for space)

“At the end of every three years you shall bring out all the tithe of your produce in the same year and lay it up within your towns. And the Levite, because he has no portion or inheritance with you, and the sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow, who are within your towns, shall come and eat and be filled, that the Lord your God may bless you in all the work of your hands that you do. (Deuteronomy 14:28-29)

What about Malachi 3:10? Isn’t that about money? No! The ominous question, “Will a man rob God?” has been plastered on bulletins, offering envelopes, and sermon titles, and has been preached upon enough to make its interpretation seem fairly straightforward..” This verse is always used out of context. This verse became popular because many have used it to guilt trip the church out of money. They point out verses eight and nine as well to make someone think that they are robbing God. These tactics are used ignorantly from tradition and purposely for gain. No matter the motivation, this verse is being misused.

“Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need.” Malachi 3:10

If one looks at the entire chapter of this book, they could quickly see that the Lord is speaking of the produce from the land in which they work. The Lord remarks about those who are oppressed, sojourners, widows, fatherless, and the Levites. All of this is congruent to the other passages on tithing. The Lord specifically calls the tithe “food”. And in next two verses, we find the Lord referencing soil, vines, and land.

“I will rebuke the devourer for you, so that it will not destroy the fruits of your soil, and your vine in the field shall not fail to bear, says the Lord of hosts. Then all nations will call you blessed, for you will be a land of delight, says the Lord of hosts.” Malachi 3:11-12

How come the prosperity preacher teaches grace, but take this one little part of the law that is known as the tithe? We are told not to live under the law, but to live under grace. But the tithe is part of the Old Testament law. This was part of their way of life. The tithe was essentially a tax for Israel.

Tithes for Israel

Israel paid anywhere between 23 – 28% for the poor, the festivals, and temple operations. There was no tithe (singular), there was tithes (plural). The tithes were taxes received by the temple priests. The nation of Israel was ruled a theocracy. God mediated through the priesthood. The tithes were the funding for the priests and Levites that served. A second tithe funded the feasts of Israel. A third tithe, every third year was a tithe for the poor. Also, the corners of the land were left alone for the poor or sojourners.

All of these add up to 23 – 28% depending on how you look at it. This was a tax; this was not free will giving. We see free will giving in the Old Testament quite plainly. When Solomon was building the temple for the Lord, the people were told to bring what they could. The people freely brought so much that they had to stop the amount of giving. These are two very different ideas of giving. One was required, and one is welcomed.

“Whether tithing beyond their means or not, they are repaying past spiritual debts while inserting themselves into relational networks with their church community, with their God, and with their distant loved ones; and they are reaping the benefits.” The Catholic Church sold indulgences, the preacher guarantees blessings, and the congregant pays up; all of this is unbiblical in its teaching. They are giving into something only to get back; its selfish.

Prosperity Preachers

“From the time of Father Divine and Daddy Grace in the 1930s to Oral Roberts and Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker in the 1980s and to Creflo Dollar and others in the present era, scandal has dogged the prosperity gospel at every stage.” So, why do they have so many followers? Why do people consistently give them their money and believe their lies?

“The prosperity gospel portrays wealth and riches as a covenant and the fulfilment of the divine promise of God to his people.” Benny Hinn earns a salary of over half a million each year. His ministry rakes in over $200 million every year. He owns a private jet, owns a $10 million house, and has multiple luxury vehicles. Hinn has been under investigation by the U.S. Senate.

“The basic teaching of the prosperity gospel is that God wants believers to get rich or healthy, but he cannot bless them unless they first send money known as 'seed-faith' to their spiritual leader or pastor who tells them about the plan.”

Kenneth Copeland’s $6 million mansion is known as a hotel because of its size. He has an airport on his property to land his $20 million private jet in addition to the other planes he owns. Creflo Dollar, Jesse Duplantis, and Rod Parsley, to name of few, are all from the word of faith movement via the charismatic movement which is unbiblical to say the least.

I think the sickest part of this is that the church (ministry) owns the properties, the planes, and the vehicles. “Georgia-based preacher Creflo Dollar shockingly assured his congregation: ‘I own two Rolls-Royces and didn't pay a dime for them. Why? Because while I'm pursuing the Lord those cars are pursuing me.’”

The mansions are called ‘parsonages’, the planes are for ministry purposes as well as the vehicles. The reason why these men are under investigation from the government is the real use of these tax-deductible items. They are being watched closely due to the actions in which these men get around the taxes that should be paid in my opinion.

The money is gained from the deception of using ‘biblical tithe’ for money and it makes these men very rich. It’s a pyramid scheme where the top gets richer and the bottom stay poor. They use the Bible as their tool to gain riches. They mislead their congregation that do not have enough sense to read and study the Word of God for themselves. They are brainwashed to truly believe in what these false teachers are saying from the pulpit.

A parsonage is a house that the church owned to provide a minister a place of living. This home was also provided for tax purposes if the minister was licensed, commissioned, or ordained. The home was provided as a compensation for the minister who did not earn that much money.

A couple of things I would like to point out is the compensation piece for the minister. It was truly a compensation because the minister did not earn much money to provide service to the church. The second piece of information is that of a licensed, commissioned, or ordained minister.

Most pastors today in the charismatic arena most likely have little to no education. They are hired to manage a ministry, earn a good living, and have medical insurance. On top of all this, their employer is able to check a box that says they are a minister. They are now able to receive a tax break on their home.

Would it surprise you that there are still organizations that participate in truly ordaining individuals for ministry? There are writings, questionnaires, and boards that need to be passed before one can earn an ordination or license to minister. This encourages the bad theology of untrained pastors preaching to people who are ignorant in their own theology.

The prosperity preacher doesn’t care about the person at all. They want their money and will do and say anything to get it. Even if it means twisting the Scripture around, these men and women are greedy and will get their money one way or another.

“The worshippers’ needs and desires are guaranteed by God, but only on the condition that they prioritize the church.” In other words, the church comes first. If you give to God, then your bills will be handled by God.

“Tithing rituals enable participants to enter into a qualitatively different relationship with God. By sacrificing both the time to attend services and the money solicited at them, tithers go from being objects of God’s unknown ways to subjects who have earned the right of influence.” The prosperity gospel teaches us not to stay in some passive sufferer’s prison, but to become a rightful possessor of God’s kingdom. We are no longer in debt with God, we are his creditor, and we are demanding his service if we pay up. “It may be that the prosperity gospel of neo-Pentecostalism and the charismatic movement is one of America's largest, must successful religious exports.”

Unfortunately, the problem isn’t just in the United States. The prosperity gospel is being injected all of the world. “The gospel of wealth, health, and happiness, preached with such vigor on the TBN and Daystar networks, gained ground in Brazil, the Philippines, South Korea, and Nigeria.”

Biblical Giving

In the stories from Genesis, all of the offerings were from a humble heart. The motive was pure in the eyes of the Lord. “It draws the attention to the fact that Christians should desire to give from the depth of their hearts in accordance with their means and earnings. Christians must have the desire and willingness to give in proportion to what the giver has given them, and of such the gifts will be acceptable to God.”

To be a prosperous and blessed person in the eyes of the Lord, one must obey and revere the Lord. All throughout the Bible, we find men and women obeying God and being blessed. Abraham, Noah, Joshua, and many others obeyed God and were prosperous. Every story that we find someone being prosperous and blessed is where we find someone doing the will of God.

In the story of the widow’s mite, we find a humbling experience for all to receive. This offering was not about the amount of giving, it was about the heart of the giver. She trusted God with everything she had. Her heart was pure in her giving unto the Lord. “Once again, Jesus draws our attention to the fact that he does not look at the value of the gift but the heart and motive of the giver.”

The Macedonian churches gave even though they were poor. They gave willingly out of their hearts to the ministry. Paul takes an opportunity to display their faithfulness towards God and his grace that was upon them. “He explains that God gave them the willingness to give the little they had in support of the ministry with joy and happiness, and without pride, motive or expecting any reward.” Did you catch that? They expected no reward; they just had a willingness to give. “In summary, the Bible teaches believers to give as it is commanded by God, and that must be done cheerfully, with a pure heart, right motive, humble heart, sincerity, honesty and to the glory of the father.”

The Old Testament tithe is not equal to New Testament giving. In fact, giving has always been giving. This is different from the tithe. “To simply read and apply the OT without taking it through the NT is a dangerous precedent.”

“The tithe had a religious dimension, because it represented the commandment given to the Israelites as part of the Sinai covenant, but also a social dimension, because it was used for supporting Levites, priests, and the needy. Based on all that we have said, I think it is right to assume that the literal application of the tithe as described in the Old Testament is impossible for New Testament believers today.”

Conclusion

The church should almost expect to pay for today’s minister of the gospel. “If God has provided the money, and a minister of the gospel has a legitimate need, this need should be met.” We shouldn’t want our pastors to moonlight to make ends meet. Paul makes perfectly acceptable for the church to pay the pastor.

“In the same way, the Lord commanded that those who proclaim the gospel should get their living by the gospel.” 1 Cor. 9:14

Instead of being enslaved by the Old Testament law, live under grace and give cheerfully. Instead of running to the calculator to determine your tithe, take the time to pray and give out of your heart. The motive behind it is everything!

“Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” 2 Cor. 9:7

For many this could be well over 10%. This could mean 15% or 25%. The results are endless when you give from your heart. The percentage could end up being less for some families. In this case, they shouldn’t feel guilty, but strive to give from the heart as God wills.

Giving to God for all that he has done for you. Giving because it’s logical and makes sense. If you attend a church, then they must have bills to pay. Support your local congregation. “Giving our resources to aid the ministry of God should not be viewed as burdensome.” This should make sense to you. The pastor needs to make a living, the lights, air, and heat need to stay on, and maintenance needs to be done periodically on the church building.

Give to the poor, not because your obligated, because the love of Christ is overflowing from within. There will always be people in need for us to reach out to and share the love of Christ with. “As in every other Bible doctrine, each Christian has an individual responsibility to know what God’s Word says personally.”

Bibliography

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Parker, David M. 2012. "Tithing: Instruction or Instructive?." Journal Of Pentecostal Theology 21, no. 2: 201-220. Academic Search Complete, EBSCOhost (accessed April 12, 2018).

Premawardhana, Devaka. "Transformational Tithing." Nova Religio 15, no. 4 (05, 2012): 85-109, http://ezproxy.liberty.edu/login?url=https://search-proquest-com.ezproxy.liberty.edu/docview/1014749321?accountid=12085.

Stephens, Randall J. "Understanding the prosperity gospel." Fides et Historia 47, no. 2 (2015): 55+. Informe Académico (accessed April 12, 2018). http://link.galegroup.com.ezproxy.liberty.edu/apps/doc/A437223027/IFME?u=vic_liberty&sid=IFME&xid=34e68e26.

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Ervin Budiselić, Ervin. “The Role and the Place of Tithing in the Context of Christian Giving Part 1” (September 2014) Biblijski institut, Zagreb. (accessed June 29, 2018).

Croteau, David A. “A Biblical and Theological Analysis of Tithing: Toward a Theology of giving in the New Covenant Era.” (December 2005) Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary Wake Forest, North Carolina (accessed June 29, 2018). http://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1016&context=fac_dis

Kostenberger, Andreas J. and David A. Croteau. “Reconstructing a Biblical Model for Giving: A Discussion of Relevant Systematic Issues and New Testament Principle” Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary (accessed June 29, 2018). http://www.michaelsheiser.com/TheNakedBible/Kostenberger%20tithing2.pdf

Kostenberger, Andreas J. and David A. Croteau. “Will a Man Rob God?” (Malachi 3:8): A Study of Tithing in the Old and New Testaments” Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary (accessed June 29, 2018). http://www.michaelsheiser.com/TheNakedBible/Kostenberger%20tithing%201.pdf

Kelly, Russell Earl. "Should the Church Teach Tithing? A Theologian's Conclusions about a Taboo Doctrine," Lincoln: Writers Club Press, 2000.