http://www.vanguardngr.com/2013/05/tithing-bananas/

Tithing Bananas
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May 5, 2013 | 12:46 am
Article of Faith

By Femi Aribisala

According to the scriptures, money is not acceptable as tithe; it has to be food-crops or livestock.

As far as many pastors are concerned, the most important scripture of all is not to be found in the word of Jesus.  Neither is it even in the New Testament.  That scripture says: “‘Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house, and try me now in this,’ says the LORD of hosts, ‘If I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you such blessing that there will not be room enough to receive it.’” (Malachi 3:10).

This scripture is drummed repeatedly into Christians on Sundays.  However, the only time Jesus mentioned tithing in scripture, he pointed out that it was not a weighty matter of the law. (Matthew 23:23).  Hebrews says people only receive tithes “according to the law.” (Hebrews 7:5).  It then insists tithing (and everything else under the law) has been annulled: “The former regulation is set aside because it was weak and useless.” (Hebrews 7:18-19).  Nevertheless, mercenary pastors continue to insist on the payment of tithes.

Latter-day Pharisees

Jesus rebuked the Pharisees for keeping part instead of the whole law. (Matthew 23:23). That is what tithe-collecting pastors do today.  If we insist our congregants must pay tithes, we must also insist that they keep the rest of the law.  James says: “Whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all.” (James 2:10).  Therefore, if we insist on tithing, we should also refrain from eating pork.  We should stone adulterers, execute homosexuals, kill Sabbath violators and restore blood-sacrifices.

Tithe-collecting pastors counter this by maintaining the payment of tithes pre-dated the law.  Here Abraham is cited as the cardinal example of someone who paid tithes before the promulgation of the Law of Moses, as did Jacob, his grandson.  However, such arguments are disingenuous.

Before the law, tithing was at best an example but not a commandment.  Moreover, pastors fail to mention that Abraham only tithed once in his lifetime.  When he did, he did not even tithe his own money: he tithed the spoils of war.  He gave ten percent of the plunder he took when he rescued Lot to Melchisedec, king of Salem.  But then he did not even keep the rest but returned it (all ninety percent) to the king of Sodom.

For his part, Jacob also tithed only once.  He did this in a “let’s make a deal” arrangement he offered to God: “Jacob made a vow, saying, ‘If God will be with me, and keep me in this way that I am going, and give me bread to eat and clothing to put on, so that I come back to my father’s house in peace, then the LORD shall be my God.  And this stone which I have set as a pillar shall be God’s house, and of all that you give me I will surely give a tenth to you.’” (Genesis 28:20-22).  This kind of deal about accepting God only under certain self-serving conditions should certainly not be a term of reference for any serious believer.

Lies upon lies

The first lie pastors tell Christians is what some have referred to as “the eleventh commandment:” “Thou shalt pay thy tithes to thy local church.”  But the bible says no such thing.  The storehouse of Malachi was not a church.  It was a place where food was kept.

Pastors hide from church-members the fact that money was not acceptable as tithe.  The tithe was a tenth of the seed and fruit of the land and of the animals which ate of the land. (Leviticus 27:30-32).  That is why God says: “Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be FOOD in my house.” (Malachi 3:10).  He does not say “that there may be MONEY in my house.”  The food was used to feed the Levites, the poor, widows, orphans and strangers.

Pastors also conveniently fail to teach the biblical tithe.  The principles of tithing were not laid down by Malachi.  They were laid down by Moses.  The study of Moses’ guidelines quickly reveals that the biblical tithe has no application whatsoever to Christians and is mischievously violated by tithe-collecting pastors today.

According to the Law of Moses, the tithe was divided into three allocations.  The first year, it was given to the Levite.  The second year, it was given to widows, orphans and the poor.  The third year, it was eaten in the company of the faithful before the Lord as thanksgiving for his faithfulness. (Deuteronomy 14:22-28).  In the seventh year, there was no planting and no reaping and therefore no tithing.

So the next time your pastor asks you to pay tithe, ask him about the seventh-year reprieve.  Also ask him if you can give your tithe to the orphanage, or bring it as food items to be eaten in church.  Believe me; he will not agree with you because it is your money he is after.

Inapplicability of tithes

Tithing was only applicable to Jews and to the land of Israel.  When large populations of Jews lived in Babylon, Ammon, Moab, Egypt, and Syria, these lands became tithe-able lands.  However, tithes were not acceptable from strictly Gentile lands.  So you need to ask your pastor how come he is collecting tithes in Nigeria.

Servants or slaves who worked on the land did not tithe because the land did not belong to them.  Since only agricultural and animal resources were included, a fisherman gave no tithe of his fisheries.  Neither did a miner or a carpenter pay tithes, nor anyone from the various professional occupations.  So if you are not a farmer or a keeper of livestock, tell your 419 pastor tithing is biblically inapplicable to you.

Moreover, the only people authorised to receive tithes were the Levites. (Hebrews 7:5).  So if your Pastor is a “tithe-collector,” ask him if he happens to be a Jew.  Remind him that, even though a Jew, Jesus could not receive the tithe because he was not from the tribe of Levi but from that of Judah.

The trick, of course, is for pastors today to claim we are “Levites.”  If your pastor is one such dissembler, ask him if he lives as a Levite.  Remind him that Levites had no land and did not have private property.  Ask him also how he knows he is from the tribe of Levi, which happens to be one of the lost tribes of Israel.  Point out to him that even Jewish rabbis don’t claim to be Levites today because all Jewish genealogical records were lost with the destruction of the Temple in AD 70, ensuring that it is no longer possible to ascertain the true identity of Levites.

Therefore, if Jews no longer tithe because the Levites are a lost tribe, how can Christian pastors collect tithes when we are not even Jewish, how much more Levites?  If Jewish rabbis, whose terms of reference remain the Old Testament no longer collect tithes, then pastors who insist Christians are under a New Testament have no business doing so.

The conclusion then is inescapable.  Every pastor who collects tithes is nothing but “a thief and a robber.” (John 10:1).

OP..You don't understand kingdom principles and dynamics. I believe this post is coming from an "unbeliever" who doesn't know anything about Christian givings in the NT which is even far beyond tithing. Don't forget tithing is a form of giving in the OT.

Just wondered why the OP never quoted NT scriptures like Acts 4:37 which sincerely speaking i have never seen it practiced in any church today.

At this point lemme ask this question. The answer i will get will make me to know what to reply:"who is that man that goes to war at his own expense"?

Titheing has always been a divine act practised even b4 the LAW was given to Israel and will continue after:

Titheing started at the very beginning with Cain & Abel Gen 4:2B-4 you will see that the nature of their offerings was tithe-like offering, Cain, Abel both brought a portion of what their preoccupation warranted, this exact act is what the bible describe's elsewhere in the book of Deuteronomy as tithe (Deut 26:11-14).

Abraham also tithed, the priest that received the tithe was Melchizedek Gen 14:18-20 in this instance the percentage was even revealed(10%)

Jacob tithed Gen 28:20 in his case the reason for tithing was given as to have the presence of God, to have protection & to have provision. Titheing had been on-going from the foundation of Man-kind, way b4 the LAW was given to Moses.

In the time of our LORD JESUS, He acknowledged titheing when he rebuked they pharisees on how they practice titheing only to neglect other righteous acts. (Mathew 23:23)

The act of titheing will continue as long as this age will last, as long as righteousness will continue , men/women in-tune with God will continue to tithe.

Even though titheing has evolved nawadays, the concept has not changed. In the old-days people tithed what they had produced; food and animal, today we produce all sorts of goods and services,
then we are paid in cash, so it is logical to pay tithe to God in either what we produce or its monetary equivalent.
Titheing will continue to be an act of man yet a divine gift from God, until the end of time righteous men/women will continue to honour God with their goods & services.

Thank God for this brilliant article which was published in the Vanguard of Today, tithing in the church today remains the greatest fraud in the history of mankind which was arrived at by fraudulently twisting old testament scriptures ti justify extorting 10% of the income of believers on a consistent basis. As we all know tithing as be done away with the rest of the mosaic laws and biblical tithe NEVER included money. Scriptures had to be twisted to arrive at the type of tithes practised today and all christians know it's a very big sin to twist the scriptures.

I am really so glad that the article was published in a major Nigerian newspaper and it's bound to go viral giving a lot more Nigerians the opportunity to know the truth about tithes hidden to them by their pastors. I would definitely be sharing the article on all available platforms at my disposal.