WHY CHRISTIANS SHOULD NOT PAY TITHE
Now first of all the Scriptures will never mean today what it never meant when it was first written.
Tithing As It Is Generally Taught Today Is Not Biblical
Even if the Law of Moses did apply to us as Christians, the way tithing is taught today resembles nothing that the Bible actually says about it.
We've warped it so that we use the example of tithing but add our own meanings of what tithing is and methods on how to do it correctly.
So let us look at why Christians should not pay tithe by first looking at the beginning of tithe and then we understand the content and purpose of institutionalized tithing law in the Law of Moses and then look at it's mention in the gospel.
THE BEGINNING OF TITHING
The first time we hear of anyone giving a tenth in the Bible was Abram (Before conversion to Abraham) in Genesis 14:17-24. When Abram came from war with the spoils he had taken from war, he met the King of Salem, Melchizedek, and Abram gave a tenth of the spoils of war to Melchizedek. Why did Abram give 10% not 12% or 20%. That is because, Abram DID NOT INVENT tithing
One of the very first things that get taught to every Bible scholar which is actually very true is that, every verse in the Bible has context. It has historical context, which has to do with culture, time, author, audience, the geographical and political situations, as well as the occasion and purpose of the writing.
So when you read a Bible verse, you have to take into account the context of the culture, time, etc that was prevailing at the time.
So, when they tell you that Abram paid tithes, what they are not telling you is that Abram lived in Mesopotamia. In Mesopotamia there was a LAW, Called the Mesopotamian Tithe. The tithe was not assigned to temples only, the tithe was also a royal tax payable to kings.
So, Abram went to fight with a number of kings, he killed them, and took their possessions. So Abram on his way home, carrying all this loot from war, met the King of Salem, Melchizedek. Abram, being a citizen of Mesopotamia then gave a tithe to Melchizedek. It was a culture at the time. Abram never paid tithe out of his own goods, he gave Melchizedek the tithe from the spoils of war. Abram did not pay monthly installments of Tithe to Melchizedek, it as a once off.
How do I know it was a once off? The Bible tells us that Melchizedek had no mother or father, beginning of days and End of days. In other words, Melchizedek was a THEOPHANY. A Theophany is a visible manifestation of God to mankind. If God takes any form to appear to man-kind, that form would be called THEOPHANY.
So the first time Abram met Theophany (Melchizedek) he gave him tithes. The second time God appeared to Abraham is Genesis 18:1
Now the LORD appeared to him by the oaks of Mamre, while he was sitting at the tent door in the heat of the day. 2.When he lifted up his eyes and looked, behold, three men were standing opposite him; and when he saw them, he ran from the tent door to meet them and bowed himself to the earth and said “MY LORD”.
So Abraham knew very well this “man” he is meeting is God, but Abraham never gave him in any Tithe.
So now because the masses of our people did not study theology, we think we can come with big terms and confuse them. It was the Mesopotamian tithe practice under which Abram gave 10% to the King of Salem.
Paul understood this principle very well. That is why when Paul speak about Tithing in Hebrews 7, the only distinction that Paul made between what Abram did and what Levites did, is that, the Levites collected tithes, and they are men who died, but Abraham gave a tithe to the one who is declared LIVING.
Paul does not say Abraham did not give tithes under LAW, of course, Paul is well studied, he knows there were Laws of tithing in the Land of Mesopotamia.
That is why Paul goes on the to say in verse 18, of Hebrews 7 that the OLD REGULATION, Tithing, was set aside because it was WEAK AND USELESS. Hebrews 8:13AMP When God speaks of a new [covenant or agreement], He makes the first one obsolete (out of use). And what is obsolete (out of use and annulled because of age) is ripe for disappearance and to be dispensed with altogether.
THE MOSIAC LAW OF TITHING
When God instituted tithing, it came as a LAW. The Law of tithing with its description and prescription appears in the following books; Numbers, Leviticus and Deuteronomy.
Tithing in the LAW is a bit complex and it was divided into different types of Tithes that would equate to 23 1/3% annually – the Levitical tithe, the Festival tithe, and the Poor tithe. The Contents of the tithe was always and only ever food products – agricultural produce and livestock. And regarding the livestock portion, it wasn't the “best”.
Now the false teaching ignores all other tithes and focuses on an incorrect interpretation of the first religious tithe.
The first religious tithe, called the "Levitical tithe," had two parts. Again, the whole first tithe was given to the Levites who were only servants to the priests (Numb. 18:21-24; Neh. 10:37). The Levites, in turn, gave one tenth of the whole tithe to the priests (Numb. 18:25-28; Neh. 10:38). NB: The Levites were not allowed to own property or have inheritance. The goods donated from the other Israeli tribes were their source of sustenance. They received from "all Israel" a tithe of food or livestock for support, and in turn would set aside a tenth portion of that tithe known as the tithe of tithes for the Aaronic priests. (In Hebrew its called Terumat Hamaaser).
According to Deuteronomy 12 and 14, the second religious tithe, called the "feast tithe," was EATEN by worshipers in the streets of Jerusalem during the three yearly festivals (Deut. 12:1-19; 14:22-26).
And, according to Deuteronomy 14 and 26, a third tithe, called the "poor tithe," was kept in the homes every third year to feed the poor (Deut. 14:28, 29; 26:12,13).
So if we were to apply the proper law of tithe in 2018, you would actually take your tithe and go buy lots of food and drinks and go and eat the tithe in church with your family. (Please I beg you, do not attempt this without a proper life insurance). The day you eat your tithe in church that is the day you will know that the chief apostolic bishop has a black belt in karate!
Now let me first make it clear that there is no church in the world that practices tithe as per the Levitical Law which was a reminder to the Levites in Malachi 3. First of all, the minute you bring money into the picture it is no longer a tithe as stipulated in the Mosaic law. If you don't eat your tithe in church, it is not the levitical Law any more. If your church leader has a house and a car, it is already OUTSIDE of the Levitical Law. I repeat, there is NO CHURCH IN THE WORLD that practices the Levitical Law of tithing.
my next question is, If no church is practicing the Levitical Law of tithing, why then are they reading the Church Malachi 3 tithing of bringing food in the storehouse? This is 100% related to the Levitical Law. Malachi 3 starts with curses. God says you are cursed with a curse, is God cursing Christians?? Are Christians under the curse of the Law??Galatians 3:13 says Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the Law.
THE NEW TESTAMENT MENTION OF TITHE
In Matthew 23:23-24 (Luke 11:32) first of all Jesus is speaking to Jewish leaders not to new Christ-followers (Christians).
Matthew 23:23AMP Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, pretenders (hypocrites)! For you give a tenth of your mint and dill and cummin, and have neglected and omitted the weightier (more important) matters of the Law--right and justice and mercy and fidelity. These you ought [particularly] to have done, without neglecting the others.
Jesus rebuked and called the Pharisees hypocrites for neglecting important matters of the law such as justice, mercy and faith yet carefully tithing their spices or seasoning herbs. Jesus definitely was not endorsing tithing to us christians here. Since He had not yet been crucified, the New Covenant had not yet begun. Since Christ was born under the Old Covenant, he honored the Mosaic Law during His life. For example, in Matthew 8:2-4, Jesus instructed a leper He had healed to present the priest with two pigeons as an offering according to the Law of Moses. However, if we now applied this Scripture out of context, all of us would be raising pigeons in our backyards to give to our pastors whenever we are healed.
Now the New Testament mentions nothing on Christians having to pay tithes. Jesus and His disciples never paid or collected tithes neither did they instruct anyone to do so. Paul wrote three quarters of the New Testament and had many opportunities to talk about tithes but he never did! He spoke a lot on giving and as a matter of fact giving is mentioned 176 times in the New Testament nothing on tithes. So why have Christians been paying tithes then?
When you follow the law, you must be sure to heed to every instruction, you break one, and you’ve broken them all! When Christians are taught to bring the tithes, they are being subjected to the law and that means they are being subjected under the curses listed when they don't obey. Some tithers pay the tithes but still struggle throughout the month. Some even borrow from credit cards to pay tithes. Some have their policies lapse. Some struggle with school fees all because they paid tithes. That doesn’t sound like these people live under blessings as promised by those who teach them to pay tithes. Could it be that they’ve subjected themselves to a law that God didn’t even have anything to do with in regard to His relationship with Christians? How is that it's only a few that get blessed every week/ every month, and the tithers seldom get blessed? A man experience does not determine TRUTH And we should not use our experience to explain scripture. Also, we have also heard that some leaders are mooting an idea to government to have people's tithe be deducted directly from their salary as they are defaulting on tithe! This is a shame!
Many argue that tithe is to help spread the Gospel. Really?! According to which scripture? How did Paul and the early church spread the gospel successfully without paying and collecting tithe?? Have the pastors been “robbing” the people of God? Have the pastors been “preying” on those who didn't care to check the scriptures? Do Christians read their Bibles?
Christian tithing has no New Testament example and no command either.
Jesus' life and example is a much greater motivation for our giving than tithing can ever be.
2 Corinthians 9:7 AMP Let each one [give] as he has made up his own mind and purposed in his heart, not reluctantly or sorrowfully or under compulsion, for God loves (He takes pleasure in, prizes above other things, and is unwilling to abandon or to do without) a cheerful (joyous, "prompt to do it") giver [whose heart is in his giving].
In fact, I think one reason we don't see as many generous Christians as we should expect is because we fail to point to God's love enough when we discuss giving.
Instead, we focus on rules and regulations (the Law). It should be profoundly clear why basing our giving on Jesus Christ's teaching and sacrifice for us is the ultimate motivation for generous giving.
Tithing did not suffer for us.
Tithing did not die for us.
Tithing can never give us eternal life.
IT IS UNSCRIPTURAL FOR CHRISTIANS TO PAY TITHES! CHRISTIANS SHOULD NOT PAY TITHES!
By:
Pr. Ben Odongo and Michael Aboneka
Tithing As It Is Generally Taught Today Is Not Biblical
Even if the Law of Moses did apply to us as Christians, the way tithing is taught today resembles nothing that the Bible actually says about it.
We've warped it so that we use the example of tithing but add our own meanings of what tithing is and methods on how to do it correctly.
So let us look at why Christians should not pay tithe by first looking at the beginning of tithe and then we understand the content and purpose of institutionalized tithing law in the Law of Moses and then look at it's mention in the gospel.
THE BEGINNING OF TITHING
The first time we hear of anyone giving a tenth in the Bible was Abram (Before conversion to Abraham) in Genesis 14:17-24. When Abram came from war with the spoils he had taken from war, he met the King of Salem, Melchizedek, and Abram gave a tenth of the spoils of war to Melchizedek. Why did Abram give 10% not 12% or 20%. That is because, Abram DID NOT INVENT tithing
One of the very first things that get taught to every Bible scholar which is actually very true is that, every verse in the Bible has context. It has historical context, which has to do with culture, time, author, audience, the geographical and political situations, as well as the occasion and purpose of the writing.
So when you read a Bible verse, you have to take into account the context of the culture, time, etc that was prevailing at the time.
So, when they tell you that Abram paid tithes, what they are not telling you is that Abram lived in Mesopotamia. In Mesopotamia there was a LAW, Called the Mesopotamian Tithe. The tithe was not assigned to temples only, the tithe was also a royal tax payable to kings.
So, Abram went to fight with a number of kings, he killed them, and took their possessions. So Abram on his way home, carrying all this loot from war, met the King of Salem, Melchizedek. Abram, being a citizen of Mesopotamia then gave a tithe to Melchizedek. It was a culture at the time. Abram never paid tithe out of his own goods, he gave Melchizedek the tithe from the spoils of war. Abram did not pay monthly installments of Tithe to Melchizedek, it as a once off.
How do I know it was a once off? The Bible tells us that Melchizedek had no mother or father, beginning of days and End of days. In other words, Melchizedek was a THEOPHANY. A Theophany is a visible manifestation of God to mankind. If God takes any form to appear to man-kind, that form would be called THEOPHANY.
So the first time Abram met Theophany (Melchizedek) he gave him tithes. The second time God appeared to Abraham is Genesis 18:1
Now the LORD appeared to him by the oaks of Mamre, while he was sitting at the tent door in the heat of the day. 2.When he lifted up his eyes and looked, behold, three men were standing opposite him; and when he saw them, he ran from the tent door to meet them and bowed himself to the earth and said “MY LORD”.
So Abraham knew very well this “man” he is meeting is God, but Abraham never gave him in any Tithe.
So now because the masses of our people did not study theology, we think we can come with big terms and confuse them. It was the Mesopotamian tithe practice under which Abram gave 10% to the King of Salem.
Paul understood this principle very well. That is why when Paul speak about Tithing in Hebrews 7, the only distinction that Paul made between what Abram did and what Levites did, is that, the Levites collected tithes, and they are men who died, but Abraham gave a tithe to the one who is declared LIVING.
Paul does not say Abraham did not give tithes under LAW, of course, Paul is well studied, he knows there were Laws of tithing in the Land of Mesopotamia.
That is why Paul goes on the to say in verse 18, of Hebrews 7 that the OLD REGULATION, Tithing, was set aside because it was WEAK AND USELESS. Hebrews 8:13AMP When God speaks of a new [covenant or agreement], He makes the first one obsolete (out of use). And what is obsolete (out of use and annulled because of age) is ripe for disappearance and to be dispensed with altogether.
THE MOSIAC LAW OF TITHING
When God instituted tithing, it came as a LAW. The Law of tithing with its description and prescription appears in the following books; Numbers, Leviticus and Deuteronomy.
Tithing in the LAW is a bit complex and it was divided into different types of Tithes that would equate to 23 1/3% annually – the Levitical tithe, the Festival tithe, and the Poor tithe. The Contents of the tithe was always and only ever food products – agricultural produce and livestock. And regarding the livestock portion, it wasn't the “best”.
Now the false teaching ignores all other tithes and focuses on an incorrect interpretation of the first religious tithe.
The first religious tithe, called the "Levitical tithe," had two parts. Again, the whole first tithe was given to the Levites who were only servants to the priests (Numb. 18:21-24; Neh. 10:37). The Levites, in turn, gave one tenth of the whole tithe to the priests (Numb. 18:25-28; Neh. 10:38). NB: The Levites were not allowed to own property or have inheritance. The goods donated from the other Israeli tribes were their source of sustenance. They received from "all Israel" a tithe of food or livestock for support, and in turn would set aside a tenth portion of that tithe known as the tithe of tithes for the Aaronic priests. (In Hebrew its called Terumat Hamaaser).
According to Deuteronomy 12 and 14, the second religious tithe, called the "feast tithe," was EATEN by worshipers in the streets of Jerusalem during the three yearly festivals (Deut. 12:1-19; 14:22-26).
And, according to Deuteronomy 14 and 26, a third tithe, called the "poor tithe," was kept in the homes every third year to feed the poor (Deut. 14:28, 29; 26:12,13).
So if we were to apply the proper law of tithe in 2018, you would actually take your tithe and go buy lots of food and drinks and go and eat the tithe in church with your family. (Please I beg you, do not attempt this without a proper life insurance). The day you eat your tithe in church that is the day you will know that the chief apostolic bishop has a black belt in karate!
Now let me first make it clear that there is no church in the world that practices tithe as per the Levitical Law which was a reminder to the Levites in Malachi 3. First of all, the minute you bring money into the picture it is no longer a tithe as stipulated in the Mosaic law. If you don't eat your tithe in church, it is not the levitical Law any more. If your church leader has a house and a car, it is already OUTSIDE of the Levitical Law. I repeat, there is NO CHURCH IN THE WORLD that practices the Levitical Law of tithing.
my next question is, If no church is practicing the Levitical Law of tithing, why then are they reading the Church Malachi 3 tithing of bringing food in the storehouse? This is 100% related to the Levitical Law. Malachi 3 starts with curses. God says you are cursed with a curse, is God cursing Christians?? Are Christians under the curse of the Law??Galatians 3:13 says Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the Law.
THE NEW TESTAMENT MENTION OF TITHE
In Matthew 23:23-24 (Luke 11:32) first of all Jesus is speaking to Jewish leaders not to new Christ-followers (Christians).
Matthew 23:23AMP Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, pretenders (hypocrites)! For you give a tenth of your mint and dill and cummin, and have neglected and omitted the weightier (more important) matters of the Law--right and justice and mercy and fidelity. These you ought [particularly] to have done, without neglecting the others.
Jesus rebuked and called the Pharisees hypocrites for neglecting important matters of the law such as justice, mercy and faith yet carefully tithing their spices or seasoning herbs. Jesus definitely was not endorsing tithing to us christians here. Since He had not yet been crucified, the New Covenant had not yet begun. Since Christ was born under the Old Covenant, he honored the Mosaic Law during His life. For example, in Matthew 8:2-4, Jesus instructed a leper He had healed to present the priest with two pigeons as an offering according to the Law of Moses. However, if we now applied this Scripture out of context, all of us would be raising pigeons in our backyards to give to our pastors whenever we are healed.
Now the New Testament mentions nothing on Christians having to pay tithes. Jesus and His disciples never paid or collected tithes neither did they instruct anyone to do so. Paul wrote three quarters of the New Testament and had many opportunities to talk about tithes but he never did! He spoke a lot on giving and as a matter of fact giving is mentioned 176 times in the New Testament nothing on tithes. So why have Christians been paying tithes then?
When you follow the law, you must be sure to heed to every instruction, you break one, and you’ve broken them all! When Christians are taught to bring the tithes, they are being subjected to the law and that means they are being subjected under the curses listed when they don't obey. Some tithers pay the tithes but still struggle throughout the month. Some even borrow from credit cards to pay tithes. Some have their policies lapse. Some struggle with school fees all because they paid tithes. That doesn’t sound like these people live under blessings as promised by those who teach them to pay tithes. Could it be that they’ve subjected themselves to a law that God didn’t even have anything to do with in regard to His relationship with Christians? How is that it's only a few that get blessed every week/ every month, and the tithers seldom get blessed? A man experience does not determine TRUTH And we should not use our experience to explain scripture. Also, we have also heard that some leaders are mooting an idea to government to have people's tithe be deducted directly from their salary as they are defaulting on tithe! This is a shame!
Many argue that tithe is to help spread the Gospel. Really?! According to which scripture? How did Paul and the early church spread the gospel successfully without paying and collecting tithe?? Have the pastors been “robbing” the people of God? Have the pastors been “preying” on those who didn't care to check the scriptures? Do Christians read their Bibles?
Christian tithing has no New Testament example and no command either.
Jesus' life and example is a much greater motivation for our giving than tithing can ever be.
2 Corinthians 9:7 AMP Let each one [give] as he has made up his own mind and purposed in his heart, not reluctantly or sorrowfully or under compulsion, for God loves (He takes pleasure in, prizes above other things, and is unwilling to abandon or to do without) a cheerful (joyous, "prompt to do it") giver [whose heart is in his giving].
In fact, I think one reason we don't see as many generous Christians as we should expect is because we fail to point to God's love enough when we discuss giving.
Instead, we focus on rules and regulations (the Law). It should be profoundly clear why basing our giving on Jesus Christ's teaching and sacrifice for us is the ultimate motivation for generous giving.
Tithing did not suffer for us.
Tithing did not die for us.
Tithing can never give us eternal life.
IT IS UNSCRIPTURAL FOR CHRISTIANS TO PAY TITHES! CHRISTIANS SHOULD NOT PAY TITHES!
By:
Pr. Ben Odongo and Michael Aboneka
Read Malachi 3:7-12
ReplyDeleteGod wants us to give tithe