₦airaland Forum

NO ONE, absolutely NO ONE pays the Biblical tithe today.

THE FIRST TITHE
Leviticus 27:30-33 defines this tithe as a tenth of crops and animals in herds and flocks.
Numbers 18 gives the ordinances, or instructions, for this tithe, and commands this tithe be taken to the Levites.
Purpose of this tithe: to support the Levitical Priesthood.

SECOND TITHE
Deuteronomy 14:22-27: aka The Festival Tithe - a tenth of crops, plus add to that the firstborn animals, and take for the yearly feast.
Purpose of this tithe: “that thou mayest learn to fear the LORD thy God always”

THIRD TITHE
Deuteronomy 14:28-29: aka The Three-Year Tithe aka The Poor Tithe - a tenth of crops, kept at home, and invite the Levites, widows, orphans, stranger to eat.
Purpose of this tithe: to feed the poor.

Now, tell me. Which of the above three tithes commanded by God does anyone follow today?

The ONLY people in the Old Testament that were commanded to tithe were those who INHERITED THE PROMISED LAND WITH EVERYTHING ON IT. They got the land, house, animals, crops, etc. ALL FREE AND CLEAR. No mortgage payment or rent to pay. And THEY were commanded to tithe on the crops and animals and take it to the Levites who INHERITED the tithe INSTEAD OF the promised land with everything on it. No one else tithed. Wage earners did not tithe. Jesus did not tithe as a carpenter. Paul did not tithe as a tent maker. Peter did not tithe as a fisherman.

When God gave the Israelites the promised land, He RESERVED, for Himself, a tenth of the crops and every tenth animal. They NEVER did belong to the Israelites. In other words, the tithe was from God's increase of FOOD, not from man's income. It was a way to distribute FOOD to the Levites and priests who did NOT inherit any land.

No one, not even the farmers, tithed on their income.

The farmers made their income by SELLING and/or barter-exchanging their crops and animals but did NOT tithe on that income.

Today, ALL born-again believers are priests. ALL of us are called to be deciples of the Lord. No one of us is higher than another. Our bodies are the Temple where the Spirit dwells. According to the scriptures, priests do not tithe.

Anyone who "claims" to pay the tithe today is following man's traditions, not God's Word.

Anyone following Malachi 3 must think they are an Old Testament Jew. Malachi 3:7 (KJV) “Even from the days of your fathers ye are gone away from mine ORDINANCES, and have not kept them. Return unto me, and I will return unto you, saith the LORD of hosts. But ye said, Wherein shall we return?”

ORDINANCES NAILED TO THE CROSS:
Colossians 2:14 (KJV) “Blotting out the handwriting of ORDINANCES that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;”

ONE OF THE WORST CRIMES OF ALL TIME:
1 - It is done by pastors who are trusted to be honest and right, and done in the name of Jesus.
2 - It is legal only because the government (in the US) can't interfere with religious beliefs, and the pastor only need claim he is teaching his beliefs.
3 - It has spread world-wide and this crime has more victims than any other that I know of.
4 - Those who have been scammed almost always take sides with the scammer.
5 - It's a crime where the victim thinks he/she is the beneficiary, not the victim.
6 - The crime is so carefully crafted and executed that the victim falls for the same scam every week, week after week, month after month, year after year, and never even questions the scammer.
7 - The crime is so carefully crafted and executed that most church goers will yell AMEN!
8 - The crime is so carefully crafted and executed that most church goers believe their pastor is the best pastor around. Their pastor really knows the truth. They trust and believe everything he says.
9 - The crime is so carefully crafted and executed that the victims convince others to join in and be a victim like they are, all the time thinking they are the beneficiary.
10 - The crime is so carefully crafted and executed that the victim thinks they are robbing God if they don't comply with the scam.
11 - The crime is so carefully crafted and executed it is very difficult to convince the victim that they have been a victim.

The crime? Pastors teaching that God requires Christians to tithe to the church. With tithing, the victim is so ignorant of the truth, they have no clue they've been a victim. And if and when the tithing scam victims realize they are victims, there is really nothing they can do about it. The scammer keeps the money.

Deep Sight: @ Garyarnorld, I dont think I have ever seen you comment on a non-tithe topic. Whats the obsession?

Since I am a Money & Finance Minister, this is my specialty. I don't feel anyone needs to know my "opinion" on a topic that I am not qualified to comment on. Opinions really don't matter. It is God's Word that matters. I stick to the Word, not opinions or man-made doctrine.

My material is being used to teach from by pastors and Bible Study instructors in the US, Canada, Australia, and East Africa, that I know of. I stick to what I know, not what I might think I know because someone told me so.

This blog, as well as many other tithing blogs, show how ignorant so many church goers really are. It really saddens me to see all this confusion.

Those who say tithing was before the law, and use Abram as the example, consider the following:

Did God instigate tithing before the law? Abram gave a tenth of the war spoils. IF God had instigated this tithe, then God cancelled it later on, since under the Mosaic laws, there was no tithing on war spoils. Instead, God required only 1.1%.

Conclusion: Either God instigated the tithe before the law and later cancelled it, OR God did not instigate the tithe before the law.

NO ONE follows Abram's one-time example today. There is NO example of Abram giving a tenth of his income.

To say that tithing was before the law and then a part of the law is a flat out lie BECAUSE the tithing before the law in no way resembles the tithing laws.

You don't get a tithing "principle" when there is ONE example before the law. That is pure nonsense.

Pastors never seem to explain the truth about the Biblical tithe.

First, ONLY those who inherited the promised land with everything on it were commanded to tithe. In other words, God GAVE to them their land and all buildings already on that land, including houses, barns, etc. No mortgage payment. No rent payment. Free and clear. Then God said He reserved a tenth of the crops and animals that HE would increase. He gave them the land and buildings, and then the crops and animals, but reserved, for Himself, a tenth of the crops and animals. He gave them their home and their job! He never asked them to pay Him a tenth of any money they earned; i.e. from selling the food from the crops and animals, or from bartering the crops and animals, or from any other income or earnings.

He then gave His tenth to the Levites as their inheritance, instead of land ownership, and the Levites were to work at the Temple. They actually worked at the Temple about two weeks per year on a rotational basis.

Now, wouldn't it be nice if today God gave each of us a piece of land with a house on it, free and clear, and only required us to pay Him a tenth of what we earn? That would be a great deal for most of us.

What tithing was in Biblical times and how the church teaches tithing today is like comparing apples to automobiles. It is like comparing a gift to a debt. There is nothing common between the two other than tenth.

FXKing2012: Someone told me that the fact that Jesus never condemned the paying of tithes in the Bible means that tithing is allowed.

Since Jesus was born, lived, and died during the Old Covenant, how could he condemn tithing or any of the other 600 plus laws? He was under the law, Himself.

Please show me a list of the 613 OT laws and indicate which of those laws Jesus condemned.

“AFTER THE ORDER OF MELCHIZEDEC”

“after” G2596 - A primary particle; (preposition) down (in place or time)
“order” G5010 - regular arrangement, that is, (in time) fixed succession (of rank or character)

We are talking about the order; i.e. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. Two comes after one.

IF Melchizedec was the first, after the order of would constitute the second. Since the Levitical priesthood was disannulled (Hebrews 7:18), that means it is treated as though it never was. Therefore, the priesthood of Christ comes after that of Melchizedec. I believe it is as simple as that.

Did the type of tithe Abram gave end when God gave the Mosaic law?

Since Numbers 31 conflicts with what Abram did, I must conclude that Abram's type of tithe ended when the Mosaic law began.

Therefore, the type of tithing done before the law ended when the law began, and tithing during the law ended at the cross.

It is also impossible to define tithing before the law as the ONLY example we have in scripture is a tenth of war spoils.

What Abram did was NOT both before the law and during the law.

If they could give so much in the OT, we have no excuse as the OT beareth witness.

Keep in mind, the children of Israel, except for the tribe of Levi, were GIVEN without any charge, their land with everything on it. No rent to pay. No mortgage payment. And it was ONLY those who were given all this that were commanded to tithe. No one else tithed. So don't go comparing what "they" did in the Old Testament without also acknowledging what was given to them as their inheritance.

Don't include what was REQUIRED to be paid or given and compare that with how much one should freely give today. You are comparing apples to oranges.

In the Old Testament, much of what was paid or given went to run the theocracy. Now we pay taxes to run the government. So to compare apples to apples, you would have to include everything we pay in taxes. For me, that includes US Federal Income Tax, California State Income Tax, State and Local sales tax on purchases, gas tax, property tax with many additional assessments, hotel tax when I stay at a hotel, utility taxes, telephone fees and taxes, etc.

Principles are eternal.

As long as you have the true principle.  But principles that come from false interpretations are false principles.

What is the "principle" of tithing?

THE FIRST TITHE
Leviticus 27:30-33 defines this tithe as a tenth of crops and animals in herds and flocks.
Numbers 18 gives the ordinances, or instructions, for this tithe, and commands this tithe be taken to the Levites.
Purpose of this tithe:  to support the Levitical Priesthood.
Principle:  I see no principle for this tithe.  God reserved a tenth of crops and animals from HIS increase and gave it as an inheritance.

SECOND TITHE
Deuteronomy 14:22-27: aka The Festival Tithe - a tenth of crops, plus add to that the firstborn animals, and take for the yearly feast.
Purpose of this tithe:  “that thou mayest learn to fear the LORD thy God always”
Principle:  Maybe that people should take time out and get together to eat before the Lord - sort of like we celebrate Thanksgiving in the US.

THIRD TITHE
Deuteronomy 14:28-29: aka The Three-Year Tithe aka The Poor Tithe - a tenth of crops, kept at home, and invite the Levites, widows, orphans, stranger to eat.
Purpose of this tithe:  to feed the poor.
Principle:  To feed the poor.

Now maybe someone should go through all the different offerings in the Old Testament to see if they see any principles that would carry forward.

The New Testament gives us many principles for giving freely.  Why we would need to go back to the Old Testament and try to find principles for giving is beyond me.

In any case, a tenth is not the principle. The tenth, or tithe, was the most legalistic part of the tithing commands.

If you claim the principle of the Levitical tithe was to support "a priesthood," then the principle would be the need to support a priesthood, NOT that it had to be, or should be, a tenth.

What is the principle of our tax system? Is it the percentages, or is it a way to pay for government services?

"Tenth" is an exact, not a principle.

Old Testament offerings.  Don't just look at my titles for each one.  You need to actually read the verse in context.  We do NONE of these offerings today.  There were all done away with at the cross.

Ex 30:10 -16 Annual atonement
Ex 29:18 Burnt offering
Ex 13:12 First offspring of every womb
Ex 29:40 Drink offering
Lev 3:1 Fellowship offering
Lev 22:18 Freewill burnt offering
Ex 29:41 Grain offering
Num 5:15 Grain offering for jealousy
Lev 5:15 Guilt offering
Num 5:26 Memorial offering
Num 28:14 Monthly burnt offering
Lev 7:37 Ordination offering
Lev 19:24 Praise offering for new fruit trees
Num 19:17 Purification offering
Num 5:15 Reminder offering
Ex 29:14 Sin offering
Lev 7:12 Thank offering

As I said earlier, Jesus Christ had every opportunity to castigate tithe but He did not. He said do not leave it undone.

Yes, do it PER THE LAW.

It boggles my mind to try to understand how anyone with even a little bit of intelligence can think they are following God's tithing commands.

Jesus did NOT say you ought to tithe any way you please just as long as its a tenth of something.

This blog, without any doubt, proves how church goers have been brainwashed into believing a man-made tithing scheme as though it came from God. This is so sad.

NO ONE is following ANY tithing commands or examples given in scripture. Therefore, what you are doing is not Biblical.

So, what do you suggest people do with the money they'd have otherwise paid as tithe? Its a slow news day so let's hear it.

If they can afford it, give it to the church if led by the Spirit to do so. Let the Spirit guide you as to how much to give, and to where to give. Much better to give a tenth than to pay a tenth.

@Snowwy,

You still don't get it after all this.

In Matthew 23:23 Jesus said they ought to PAY the Levitical tithe (we know he was referring to the Levitical tithe because it was the only tithe they paid, and he referred to matters of the law.)

So now here we are.  No Levitical priesthood.  If you feel you want to continue the tithe that Jesus said THEY ought to do, then give a tenth of your crops and animals.  What Jesus said was they ought to follow the tithing laws which were limited to GOD'S INCREASE of crops and animals, not man's income.  Jesus didn't refer to any other tithing practice or laws.

Giving a tenth of your income to the church has absolutely NOTHING to do with any Biblical tithing.  It has everything to do with just plain giving, and should be referred to as giving, not tithing.

You want to skip around from God's tithing commands to Abram's one-time giving of a tenth trying to justify what you are doing is Biblical.  Well, giving is definitely Biblical and appropriate for today.  Tithing is also Biblical, but NOT on income.  To be Biblical, it must be in the Bible.  Otherwise, if I take a "tithe" of dog poop to the church and say that I am tithing, that also would be Biblical.  But it is NOT Biblical. You can't just make up what the tenth is on and say it is Biblical.

I know you've read about Abraham's tithe to the Priest of the Most High God and Abraham was blessed. Heb 7:6.

The blessing came before the tenth was given. 

Genesis 14:18-20 (KJV)
18And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he was the priest of the most high God.
19And he blessed him, and said, Blessed be Abram of the most high God, possessor of heaven and earth:
20And blessed be the most high God, which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand. And he gave him tithes of all.

Jesus said tithing their HERBS (not their income from their professions as teachers and lawyers) should not be neglected.

Those who take words and phrases out of context are missing the meaning of the verse.

@Joabgaje said, “Where's is it in the bible that kings took tithes.”

1 Sam. 8:7 And the LORD said to Samuel, Heed the voice of the people in
all that they say to you, for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected
me, that I should not reign over them.
1 Sam. 8:14 And he [your king] will take your fields, and your vineyards, and
your olive yards, even the best of them, and give them to his servants.
1 Sam. 8:15 And he will take the TENTH of your seed, and of your vineyards,
and give to his officers, and to his servants.
1 Sam. 8:16 And he will take your menservants, and your maidservants, and
your best young men, and your asses, and put them to his work.
1 Sam. 8:17 He will take the TENTH of your sheep: and you shall be his
servants.

Abram wasn't a tither. If there was a so-called spiritual law of tithing there would be more examples than a ONE-TIME event, from war spoils, NOT from his regular wealth or income.

Saying that tithing is a spiritual principle is nonsense.

Giving a tenth to the king was a custom.

Was it a spiritual principle when the kings took the tithe?

Was the Levitical tithe a spiritual principle?

How foolish. There was NOTHING spiritual about the tithe. Just more false teaching made up by ignorant and dishonest pastors. Just plain church-goer mentality. Nothing to back it up in the scriptures.

were all of the people not also meant to tithe?

Of course not. ONLY those that inherited the promised land that had crops and/or animals to tithe from. NO ONE ELSE TITHED.

Plain and simple:
ONLY those who inherited the land tithed
and they tithed on the increase FROM THAT LAND.
God gave the land as their inheritance.
God gave the increase from that land.

Nothing else. If you didn't inherit the promised land, you had nothing to tithe from.

Peter didn't tithe a tenth of the fish.
Paul didn't tithe a tenth of the tents he made, or from the income he received as a tentmaker.

This is too simple. Look what man has done to God's Word! Look what pastors who teach tithing have done to God's children! These pastors are thieves. They are the robbers.

Anyone who says they follow Abram's example of tithing is a liar. Anyone who says they tithe today per God's command is a liar. Good intentions don't change a lie from being a lie.

Tithing is in NO WAY a spiritual principle. That is garbage. If tithing was a spiritual principle, you would tithe spiritually, not materially.

Look up the word spiritual in the dictionary.

I thought I was done here, but it appears some still need more help in understanding the scriptures.

Matthew 23:23 (KJV) 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.

1 - Did Jesus commend them for tithing on income? No.
2 - Did Jesus commend them for tithing on wages? No.
3 - Did Jesus commend them for tithing money? No.
4 - Did Jesus commend them for tithing per the law? Yes.

Those that use Matthew 23:23 to say that Jesus commended tithing are leaving out the fact the He commended tithing PER THE LAW (matters of the law). Therefore, if you feel that justifies tithing today, FOLLOW THE LAW per the scriptures.

He is an example to show how some are taking scripture out of context:

Your son, John, came home from school today. During school, Jeff told the teacher that every day when he gets home from school his mother let's him eat an apple for a snack. The teacher commended John for eating an apple each day for a snack.

John came home and looked for an apple but there were none. Instead he found a candy bar and ate that instead. When you come home you ask John why he ate a candy bar and John says the teacher commended Jeff for eating a snack when he gets home from school. Since we didn't have any apples, I ate the candy bar instead.

Those who say Jesus commended tithing are doing the same thing as John. You are leaving out WHAT Jesus commended tithing from.

You are taking a specific and making a generalization out of it. That is not the proper way to interpret scripture.

A study of Hebrews 7 could take up a whole book. There is not space on a blog to do such.

Below are excerpts taken from the book, "Should the Church Teach Tithing" by Russell Earl Kelly, Ph.D.:

2 Cor. 3:14 But their minds were blinded; for until this day the same veil
remains un-taken away in the reading of the old testament—which veil is
done away in Christ.
Christian tithing falls into the trap described in verse 14. In order to teach
tithing, one can only go back to pre-Calvary texts like Genesis 14, Leviticus 27,
Malachi 3 and Matthew 23. Thus the tithe-advocate is still standing on Old
Covenant, pre-Calvary, ground and does not see the changes brought about
through viewing Christ. “The same veil remains un-taken away in the reading of
the old testament.”
Since Hebrews 7 teaches that “the commandment to take tithes of the people
according to the law” was “disannulled” when the priesthood was changed, then,
the veil should have been taken away by the truth of the high priesthood of Christ
and the priesthood of every believer (Heb. 7:5,12,18).

By beholding Christ we are guaranteed to be changed from an Old Covenant
no-glory status into a New Covenant glory standing. As church members feel
compassion towards the lost world around them, their giving will increase spontaneously without regard to commands or percentages. The problem is that too
many pastors feel secure with a set percentage to request and are afraid to remove
the Old Covenant veil and take the step of faith towards other New Covenant
glorious principles.

The most important reason that tithing does more harm than good relates
to the gospel. Teaching tithing to meet financial needs actually robs the church
of God’s blessing available if it had used the Spirit-approved New Covenant principles.
Those pastors and churches that teach tithing will never experience the
greater success they will enjoy from God’s hand when they replace tithing sermons
with sermons about soul-winning. The success of the New Covenant church
proves that the first century poor, women, children and slaves were motivated by
the desire to see souls won to the Lord. Their giving was motivated by love, not
Law.

Since tithing is included within the scope of Hebrews 7:18, one must
conclude that teaching tithing is equivalent to teaching a spiritually “weak” and
“useless,” or “unprofitable” doctrine.

@Snowwy said, "I know where you were heading to. "

The problem is, Snowwy, you have NO IDEA where I was heading to.

You miss my points completely. No sense going any further. You have demonstrated well your lack of knowledge and understanding. Exactly what I would expect of a church goer who believes everything the pastor says.

My position agrees with many well respected individuals known throughout history.

LIST OF TITHING OPPONENTS IN HISTORY

Tithing opponents throughout the years as compiled by Dr. David Croteau, Liberty University, You Mean I Don’t Have to Tithe?, p271-292.

Clement of Rome 100
Didache 100
Justin Martyr 165
Tertullian 230
Origen 255
Cyprian 258
Waldenses 1150+-
Thomas Aquinas 1275
John Wycliff 1384
John Huss 1415
German Peasants 1520
Anabaptists 1525
Erasmus 1536
Otto Brumfels 1534
Martin Luther 1546
Philip Melanchthon 1560
Separatists Amsterdam 1603
John Smythe 1609 Baptist
John Robinson 1610
English Parliament 1650+-
Puritans & Plgrims Mass 1650+-
John Cotton 1652 Puritan
Roger Williams 1636 Baptist
Little Parliament 1653
Oliver Cromwell 1658
John Milton 1658 Puritan
Particular Baptists 1660
John Owen 1680 Baptist
Francis Turretin 1687
John Bunyan 1688 Baptist
Quakers 1768
John Gill 1771 Baptist
John Wesley 1791
BAPTISTS IN AMERICA 1800s
Adam Clarke 1832 Baptist
Charles Buck 1833
J C Philpot 1835 Baptist
Charles H Spurgeon 1832 Baptist
Parsons Cooke 1850
Samuel Harris 1850
Edward A Lawrence 1850
John Peter Lange 1876
Henry William Clark 1891 Engllish
S H Kellogg 1891
G Campbell Morgan 1898 Congregational
Albert Vail 1913 Baptist
Frank Fox 1913
David MaConaughy 1918 Episcopal
William Pettingill 1932
John Harvey Grime 1934 Baptist
John T Mueller 1934 Lutheran
H E Dana 1937 Bapt Historian
R C H LENSKI 1946 Lutheran
Lewis Sperry Chafer 1948 DTS Foundeer
W E Vine 1949
James F Rand 1953
Francis Pieper 1953 Lutheran
Ray Stedman 1951
L L McR 1955 Catholic
Paul Leonard Stagg 1958 Baptist
Hiley H Ward 1958 Baptist
Roy T Cowles 1958
Elizabeth P Tilton 1958
R C Rein 1958 Lutheran
Robert A Baker 1959 Bapt Historian
Wick Bromall 1960
John Byron Evans 1960
Norman Tenpas 1967
James Edward Anderson 1967
Alfred Martin 1968
CHARLES C RYRIE 1969 DTS
Jerry Horner 1972 S Baptist
Pieter Verhoef 1974
Dennis Wretlind 1975
Jack J Peterson 1978 Pres
Donald Kraybill 1978
Jon Zens 1979 Baptist
Richard Cunningham 1979 S Bapt
Gary Frieson 1980
JOHN MACARTHUR 1982-2000
Paul Fink 1982
George Monroe Castillo 1982
Tony Badillo 1984
James M Boice 1986
Michael E Oliver 1986 Rest
W Clyde Tilley 1987
Scott Collier 1987
Ronald M Campbell 1987
R E O White 1988
William McDonald 1989
Charles Swindoll 1990 Dallas Seminary
Rhodes Thompson 1990
J VERNON MCGEE 1999
Jerome Smith 1992
CRAIG BLOMBERG 1993 Denver Seminary
J Duncan M Derrett 1993
Walter Kaiser Jr 1994 Gordon-Cromwell
Moises Silva 1994
Benny D Prince 1995
Brian K Morley 1996
Linda L Belleville 1996
Ron Rhodes 1997
Ernest L Martin 1997
Michael Webb 1998
R Johnston 1999
Mark Snoeberger 2000 Baptist
Stuart Murray 2000 Eng
George W Greene 2000
Old Line Primitive Baptists 2000
Jaime Cardinal Sin 2000 Cath Archbishop
RUSSELL EARL KELLY 2001 Baptist
Jonathan Kitchcart 2001
Frank Viola 2002
George Barna 2002
Michael Morrison 2002
Elliott Miller 2003
Matthew Narramore 2004
David Alan Black 2004 Baptist SEBTS
Andreas Kostenberger 2007 Baptist SEBTS
Danny Akin 2007 Baptist SEBTS
Mark Driscoll 2008
Roman Catholic Church
Jehovah’s Witnesses
New Worldwide Church of God

@Snowwy said, "(Ofcourse, I went back to check. You said in one place that tithe was like tax, then you said it's taxation. And to think I apologised for 'misquoting' you)"

Again, he reads what I write no better than he reads the scriptures.

I NEVER said "it's taxation."  I quoted John MacArthur, Dr. Russell Kelly, and the Jewish Encyclopedia, all of which state that the tithe was a method of taxation.  Since the Bible does not call it a tax, I don't call it a tax.  But I do point out the similarities.

My position on Hebrews 7 hasn't changed, and it agrees with that of many theologians.

@Snowwy said, "I can see you have no further comment on Hebrews 7. I'm sure you never saw it in that light. But rather than admit it, you decide to go into rhetorics."

Not correct. I have seen and heard every argument for tithing there is, over and over again. I am just tired of repeating myself over and over and over and over again. I have given up on you as you obviously have been brainwashed beyond any help from me. I now leave it in God's hands to reveal His truth to you.

I am an ordained minister. I have qualified to use the title Certified Professional Money and Finance Minister through the Trinity Institute of Christian Counseling in cooperation with the American Theological Education Association. This was a special title I requested and applied for as a retired accountant and tax auditor. To get the title I had so submit a resume showing my education and work experience along with an essay showing how my education, work experience, and life experiences would qualify for me for this title. Being that my whole career dealt with determining income, distinguishing income from assets, etc., and adding to my work experience my actual experience in teaching finances at a couple churches, along with me filling in for one school year teaching one class at a Seventh-Day Adventist School, my published material on tithing and giving, and I could go on and on.

I don't consider myself an expert on any other topic in the Bible. Just this morning I received another email from a pastor who has found my material and I quote from him:
"Thanks for the link to the tithing website. It is a very well thought out and helpful site! The idea of freewill giving that supersedes tithing is exactly what I want to teach. The scriputres you have provided in an organized fashion will aid me in my research this week." I get that type of email often. There are now pastors and Bible Study instructors in the US, Canada, Australia, and East Africa teaching from my material that I know of. As of this morning, over 3,200 people have downloaded my free book. Many pastors have changed their teaching after reading my material.

God uses each of us in specific ways. God called me to teach this topic (only) a few years ago, and it was God, through His Holy Spirit, that taught me and led me through my studies.

I don't want anyone to accept what I teach as the absolute truth without verifying what I teach with the scriptures. THE SCRIPTURES, not what you have been taught by someone else.

I would rather you call your giving "tithing" than not give at all. My main fight is with those who teach that tithing is a REQUIREMENT of Christians, and that you are robbing God if you don't tithe. Those who just call their giving, "tithing," are hurting getting the truth to those taught that tithing is a requirement. It causes confusion, especially for new Christians, or those who haven't studied the scriptures. The word tithing is used incorrectly so much I run across people weekly that think ANY amount of giving is tithing. The word tithing has been watered down to be almost meaningless thanks to ignorant and dishonest pastors.

I recently read a blog from a new born-again believer who had been going to church only a few weeks. He had already been taught that tithing was required of Christians. He wrote his article on tithing. Several, including myself, gave our comments. He came back and said that now he was all confused and wished he had never started going to church.

Before the law, tithe was merely a mathematical term. Then God defined His tithe and gave specific instructions. After the law we find NO teaching of tithing, and NO references to tithing except when referring to the Old Testament. NO ONE claimed they were tithing by giving a tenth of their income before 1870. If that doesn't tell you something, nothing will. What easier way could satan bring confusion to the church than something dealing with money.

There is nothing more I can do here.

Peace, and may God Bless all of you.

If tithers will not, or cannot define what Christian tithing is, how does one know whether or not they tithe?

Church goer A goes to Church A.  Pastor A teaches tithing as a tenth of Net Income and nothing else.  Church goer A gives a tenth of his net income and claims he has tithed.  Problem here is the definition of "net income."  It can mean after ALL expenses in order to get that income which would include transportation expense, etc.  When pastors say "net income" they generally are referring to how the tax code defines net income for income tax purposes.

Church goer B goes to Church B.  Pastor B teaches tithing as a tenth of Gross Income (even though I have yet found a pastor who knows the definition of gross income).  Church goer B gives a tenth of his gross income and claims he has tithed.

Church goer C goes to Church C.  Pastor C teaches tithing on increase, but never really gives a definite definition of increase.  Church goer C looks in the dictionary for the definition of increase and requests a tithing REFUND for the year because his bank account has decreased.

There is no consistency between Christians as to a standard definition of tithing.  Some include gifts, some don't.  Some include inheritances, some don't.

The definition of increase does not include income.  The definition of income does not include gifts or inheritances.

The definition of gross income includes all fringe benefits.

In order to claim that even some Christians tithe today, there must be a standard definition as to what that means.  Otherwise, saying you tithe actually means nothing.

If I say I gave a tenth of my gross income as defined in the tax code, that should be understood by everyone.

If I say I gave a tenth of my net income, that leaves the door open for interpretation.  If I say I gave a tenth of my net income as defined by the income tax code, that should be understood by everyone.
If I say I gave a tenth of the inheritance I received, that should be understood by everyone.
If I say I tithed, who knows what I included in my definition.

Conclusion:  Tithe is a poor choice of words for Christians to use in their giving as long as a definition is not available, AND you aren't using the Biblical definition of a tithe.  God never gave a definition of tithing for Christians, nor did God ever give any church or pastor permission to receive His tithe.

You say Jesus never abolished the tithe.  Fine.  God never abolished His command to take the tithe to the Levites.

Those who claim they are tithing are sinning by not following God commands.

Tithers - if you can't or won't define tithing, you need to just shut up. There is absolutely no sense in using the word tithe/tithing for Christians unless you can define what it is.

@Snowwy,

First, you misquote me by saying I said the tithe was a tax. I said it was LIKE a tax. It was SIMILAR to a tax. I never said it WAS a tax. Quote from me: "It was like a tax that had to be paid."

Since you say Abraham gave a tenth, why is it stated Levi PAID TITHES IN Abraham?
How can someone give yet pay on behalf of another?

Easy. Levi PAID tithes in Abraham because the Levites were to be under the law. This again distinguishes between Abram's giving and the payment under the law.

Does that scripture not mention Melchizedek receiving TITHES of Abraham?
So are you saying that Abraham paid Tithe or gave tithe now?

The government receives tax dollars which are PAID. You receive a gift on your birthday. You can receive something whether it is giving or paying. Abram GAVE a tenth.

@Snowwy,

Make up your mind. Are you following Abram's example of giving a tenth of spoils and keeping nothing for himself (a ONE-TIME event), OR are you saying that since Jesus did not condemn the tithe that you are to follow God's tithing commands? Jesus did not condemn MATTERS OF THE LAW. Stop taking just a part of a verse and saying Jesus didn't condemn it. You are taking parts of verses and/or just words out of context.

Unless you can define what Christian tithing is, then tithing is just a word game for you. It makes you feel good to use the term "tithe" when you give, even though you are NOT following tithing as presented in the scriptures. It makes you feel like you are being obedient to God even though you are NOT following His commands. It's all in your head. It just makes you feel good to be able to tell others that you "tithe."

Get over it.

@Snowwy,

Hebrews 7 in the KJV does NOT interchange pay and give. In fact, it DISTINGUISHES Abraham's tenth as giving opposed to the Levites tithe as paying.

Hebrews 7:2 (KJV) To whom also Abraham gave a tenth part of all; first being by interpretation King of righteousness, and after that also King of Salem, which is, King of peace;

Hebrews 7:4 (KJV) Now consider how great this man was, unto whom even the patriarch Abraham gave the tenth of the spoils.

Hebrews 7:9 (KJV) And as I may so say, Levi also, who receiveth tithes, payed tithes in Abraham.

Matthew 23:23 (KJV) 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.

KJV is consistent.

@Snowwy said, "It is even more amazing when people claim to give more, far more than a tenth yet have an issue with giving tithe and even make a case against it."

It's using the word, "tithe" that is wrong. When one say they tithe, it INFERS the Biblical tithe which was a PAYMENT. It was commanded. It was like a tax that had to be paid.

Did Jesus call it giving in Matthew 23:23? NO! He said you PAY tithe, not give tithe. AND, Jesus referred to it as MATTERS OF THE LAW.

Here are some similarities between a tax and the tithe:

Tithe - paid by those who inherited the promised land.
Inheritance or Estate tax - paid from the estate or inheritance.

Tithe - ONLY on property owners.
Property tax - ONLY on property owners.

Tithe - used to run the theocracy.
Income tax - used to run the government.

Tithe - doesn't apply to the poor.
Luxury tax - doesn't apply to the poor.

Tithing can also be compared to sharecropping.

Tithing was always taxation so that the programs of the government could run: the priestly program, the national religious program, and the welfare program.
Taken from God’s Plan for Giving, John MacArthur, Moody Press, 1985, page 76.

God placed all of these verses in our Bibles to remind us that Levites were public officials of the state and tithes were included as state-taxation to support them.
Taken from Should the Church Teach Tithing, Russell E. Kelly, Ph.D., page 70.

Even the Jewish Encyclopedia, Encyclopedia Judaica, agrees that tithes were political taxes.
Taken from Should the Church Teach Tithing, Russell E. Kelly, Ph.D., page 71.

See also William Hendriksen and Simon J. Kistemaker, New Testament Commentary: Exposition of Thessalonians, the Pastorals, and Hebrews (Grand Rapids: Baker, 1995), 187, for support of the relationship between taxes and tithing.

Pastors play around with the word tithe. God is not the author of confusion.

You couldn't pay the Biblical tithe today no matter how hard you tried. It is impossible. So why not let loose of the word "tithe" and start using the word give?

This whole blog just shows how dishonest and/or ignorant pastors have been since 1870. It's a real shame so many church goers are so gullible.

Since the scriptures teach that priests do NOT tithe, why would any born-again believer want to put himself BELOW the rest of us that are a part of a royal priesthood?

@tpia said, "if your main focus in church is to constantly whine about money, then you're well on your way to betraying whatever christianity you say you stand for."

That comment, by itself, shows that tpia hasn't bothered to read this entire thread. ALL OF US against the FALSE TEACHING of tithing BELIEVE IN GIVING.

Our focus is NOT money. It's FALSE TEACHING.

Tpia has it backwards. It is tithing-teaching pastors who whine amount money. If they had a little faith, they would know that God will provide for His Church. But when pastors lack that faith, they instead turn to teaching lies. I have yet to belong to a local church where the pastor wasn't constantly whining about money.

@mabell said, "Now, from your findings, you also believed in tithing and was doing it with a sincere heart, so what makes you think that those who teach and do tithing are not being sincere as well, what makes you think they want to purposely rob God or should we assume you are not being sincere as well?"

Never in my life have I tithed. I always felt that something was wrong with the teaching, but I didn't realize the teaching was entirely wrong. I had a couple friends that told me tithing ended at the cross, and other friends telling me tithing did not end at the cross. I just never took the time to really study the topic until a few years ago. Even so, I was always a generous giver.

My circumstances: I didn't become a Christian until my late forties, so when I started studying the scripture, I was able to do it with an open mind. I hadn't grown up in church where I may have been brainwashed into believing lies.

Something I'd like tithers to consider:

Every church I have attended teaches tithing. All of them. It wasn't until a few years ago when my pastor asked me to teach a Sunday School Class in finances that I began my study of tithing. I was shocked to find that everything I had been taught about tithing was wrong. It bothered me much, and I set up a meeting with my pastor. My pastor listened to my arguments against tithing, then said he believed tithing was proper, but he agreed to do his own research. A few weeks later, he stopped teaching robbing God, then gradually stopped teaching tithing BUT would not let go of the term tithing. He started teaching free-will giving, but calling it tithing. He didn't want his congregation to know his teaching had been wrong.

But most important, consider that before 1870 there would have been no debate as we are having. No Christian Church had ever taught anyone to tithe on their income prior to 1870 because everyone already knew that tithing was only on crops and animals and not money, and not on anyone's income.

A study of the history of tithing can be disappointing when you find the truth behind current teachings. Just one example: the Seventh-day Adventist leaders were trying to come up with a method to finance their denomination. They AGREED that tithing had ended at the cross. Later on, meeting again, they decided to use the Old Testament Levitical tithe as a MODEL. They first came up with ONLY those who owned property would tithe, and it would be 1% of the value of the property, per year. Later on, they took the Levitical tithe MODEL and changed it to fit the needs of the SDA church; they changed the crops and animals to income, and changed taking the tithe to the Levites to take it to the church. They determined it would increase contributions by more than two times. They voted and it passed. The leaders then said it was necessary to convince the membership to accept THEIR tithing method AS THOUGH it were God's plan for the church. This is all documented on the Estate of Ellen White's website. That is how tithing started in the SDA Church. Now they teach you are robbing God if you don't tithe. See how messages changes over the years?

The Baptist Church was looking for ways to fund a few missions and decided to start teaching tithing on income in the late 1800s.

Anyone who sincerely wants to know the truth needs to do the research. Unfortunately, church goers tend to believe everything their denomination and/or pastor teaches. And, unfortunately, I have found from my own experience that I cannot believe what a pastor says any more than I can believe a used car salesman.

We all have our beliefs. But anyone who really wants to do the right thing, and is serious about following God's Word, needs to challenge their own beliefs against the scriptures, without prejudice. People tend to read the scriptures in a way to match their own beliefs rather than use an open mind and start learning the topic all over again, FROM THE SCRIPTURES, and not from someone else's book or sermon.