Welcome back to this week's blog post! I hope you've had some time to search out what I shared with you last week. It is very important for you to grasp the deception and strong delusion and snare we've been entangled in, and to escape it!
Last blog I mentioned that I should do a study on the Scriptural pattern of giving as revealed by the Holy Spirit through the apostles concerning New Testament giving.
Without beating around the bush and instead making a spirited spring out of the gate, you will find that there is no biblical apostolic doctrine for tithing. The apostles didn't teach it. Scripture the NT Scriptures! Stop and do It now. It won't take you long, because you won't find a single verse that calls a Christian to tithe.
If there is not a single passage on Christian tithing then why is it a common and expected practice in "Christendom"?
The OT tithe was under the law (which we are not under - Gal. 3:19-24). A brief look at tithing will reveal the following:
Tithing was to be done only with what was grown, like wheat, barley, fruit, etc. and of cattle. If your employment was of other another type you did not tithe! This tithe was for the Levites because they were the only tribe not given land inheritance in the promised land (Lev. 27:30-33; Num.18:21-31).
Therefore, to equate it with today, only farmers would be required to tithe! If you work in healthcare, public education, industry, retail, transportation, etc. you wouldn't be required to tithe! If your congregation practices tithing, I'm sure they aren't requiring only those in the farming sector to tithe!
Next, a tithe of the aforementioned was to be kept for the people when celebrating the appointed feasts of the Lord. It is important to note that it that the tithe of the crops and cattle could be exchanged for money to make the journey to Jerusalem less burdensome. (Dt. 14:22-27) The reason I said to take note of this is because preachers will say that a reason you tithe with money today is because they didn't have money back then. The truth is they did, and this is the only exception when they were allowed to exchange the tithe for money. Even in the first century they tithed on what was grown (Mt. 23:23). Even Abraham had money before the law. (Ge. 17:12-13; 23, 27)
Lastly, the tithe, as aforementioned, brought in every third year was not only for the Levites, but also for the poor among them. (Dt. 14:28-29; 26:12-13) What does the "tithe" your "church" receives go to? If it goes to anything else, they are mishandling it!
With the truth of tithing revealed above it should help you to understand a popular passage that is in the arsenal of every "tithe thumper" that is worth their salt to employ to induce guilt into the people to give. You may have guessed it already - Mal. 3:10. From what we have already learned, that if you do not have crops or herds you are not required to tithe. So in Malachi if you do not grow crops or raise herds you are not robbing God by not giving a tithe! Just think, if your preacher taught biblically, only the farming sector should be bringing their tithe into the storehouse for the Levites and the poor! If your preacher teaches otherwise they are wolves, scoundrels, criminals and wicked; fowlers who set a trap to catch people. They are FULL of deceit and prosper and enrich themselves off the people (Jer. 5:25-28). Trampling and crushing them (Amos 8:4; Is. 3:15). They are fleecing the flock! (Mic. 3:1-3) They are greedy dogs that look to make their living robbing God's people (Is. 56:11; Jn. 10:10). Such people will not inherit the kingdom of God! (Rev. 22:15)
Furthermore, some will point to Abraham as giving a tithe before the law to justify that tithing of all your income is to be practiced. However, the account they are referring to is Genesis chapter 14, when Sodom and Gomorrah was led captive by opposing kings and took Abraham's nephew Lot and his family as well. Therefore Abraham set out with 318 of his servants and overtook the opposing armies and delivered Sodom and Gomorrah and Lot. Afterwards, Abraham gave a tithe of the spoils to the king of Salem, the priest of the most high God. To be noted, it was a tithe of the spoils from battle and the remainder of the spoils he gave back to the king of Sodom, so the king could not say that he made Abraham rich. Therefore of what Abraham tithed he kept none of it! If your preacher is consistent, then in today's vernacular, after we have received our wages from battle, or employment, after giving a tithe to the Lord, we are then to give the remainder back to our employer, so it cannot be said that our employer made us rich! I'm positive no preacher that advocates tithing has taught this!
These preachers, the greedy dogs that they are, are of the many who corrupt the word of God, or as Tyndale translated it, "chop and change the Word of God." They cannot be trusted! We are to withdraw and depart from them! (1 Tim. 6:5; 2 Tim. 4:4)
I think I have shown what biblical tithing is and how it differs from what is promoted from most pulpits today. Therefore, I will move on to see what the apostolic doctrine of giving is in the NT.
If we look in the book of Acts and the history of our faith, we note that right at it's inception that they "had all things in common and sold their possessions and goods and distributed them to all men, as every one had need." (Acts 2:44-45)
We see this pattern continues a little later in Acts 4:34-37, though here they bring the money to the feet of the apostles.
In Acts 6:1 We see that there was a daily distribution to the widows. Ministering to the poor, fatherless and widows derived from the law (Dt. 26:12) and was taught in the OT, before the law (Job 31:16), and afterwards (Is. 1:17; Ez. 22:7; Mal. 3:5). It was the practice of apostolic doctrine as well (Jam. 1:27; 1 Tim. 5:1-16; Gal. 2:10; Jam. 2:15-16).
Therefore, selling your own property (which everything we have received comes from God - Jn. 3:27), and giving it to those in need is expected (Rom. 12:13; 15:26; 2 Cor. 8:2, 4). In fact, we are to work, not so we can consume it upon our lusts, but rather "that we may have to give to them that has need." (Eph. 4:28; Ac. 20:34; 2 Cor. 8:14-15)
Jesus talked about how we are to be content with the basic necessities of life (Lk. 12:23). He certainly didn't teach the pursuit of the "American dream" filled full of worldliness, which He and His apostles told us to separate ourselves from (Jn. 15:18-19; 2 Cor. 6:14-7:1; Gal. 6:14; 1 Tim. 6:1-11; 1 Jn. 2:15-17). John the Baptist taught it (Lk. 3:14). The apostles also taught contentment as they had received from the Lord and practiced it (1 Tim. 6:6, 8; Php. 4:11-12; Heb. 13:5), which is a far cry from the false doctrine the preachers teach their disciples to practice today. Paul taught against the ideology of the "American dream," saying that the desire to gain earthly wealth and pleasure is the root of all evil (1 Tim. 6:10). Such greedy desire, avarice, covetousness, is idolatry (Col. 3:5) Sadly, the English in 1 Timothy 6:10 translates the Greek word "philarguria" as money, rather than avarice which gives the true mean as I shared above.
If we are Christ's (Gal. 5:24; Php. 2:21), we have His mind (1 Cor. 2:16; Php. 2:5) and are imitate His ways (Eph. 5:2; Mt. 5:48; Lk. 6:35-36; 1 P. 1:15-16; 1 Jn. 4:11) then why do "Christians" engage themselves like unbelievers entangling themselves in hot pursuit of gaining earthly wealth and pleasures according to the flesh and not living according to the Spirit as apostolic doctrine teaches? (Gal. 5:16-26)
Jesus told us to lend, hoping for nothing in return (Lk. 6:35; 14:12-14). That doing good to others, is as if we are doing it directly towards Him (Mt. 25:34-40). His apostles also followed suit (Gal. 6:10; 1 Tim. 6:18; Jam. 2:15-16; 1 Jn. 3:17-18) Remember Jesus' words, "it's more blessed to give than to receive." (Ac. 20:35) Are you more happy to receive than to give? This is not the mind of Christ! Examine yourself honestly (1 Cor. 11:28, 31-32; 2 Cor. 13:5)
The apostle's doctrine also instructs us to give to those that teach us the spiritual truth of God's Word (Rom. 15:27; 1 Cor. 9:9-12; Gal. 6:6; 1 Tim. 5:17-18; Heb. 13:16). Though we see that the believers gave to meet these teachers need primarily (Php. 4:14-18; Ac. 20:33-35; ). Even as I have shown earlier. Jesus said, "that the foxes have holes and the birds have nests, but He had no where to lay His head." (Mt. 8:20) Paul taught that "having food and clothes we should be content." (1 Tim. 6:8) This is a blow below the belt to the worldly Christian establishment and their "American dream", syncretized doctrine, which is more in line with the greedy religious doctrine of the scribes and Pharisees that Jesus rebuked (Lk. 16:13-15). It's not much different today among our religious institutions. Neither John The Baptist, nor Jesus, nor any of the apostles had worldly wealth, but rather practiced what they taught, giving away that which was not a true, basic life necessity. Much that an American Christian has far exceeds basic necessities. Examine what God's Word identifies as necessities and compare it with our worldly culture's ideologies of necessities.
Think back about my recent blog posts on the whoredom played with the government's nonprofit corporation tax exempt status the religious establishment has corrupted herself with. This blog post should continue to open your understanding that what you believe and practice on these topics is not Scriptural.
Some other things which are related that I encourage you to search out are the origins of clergy and laity; salaries and retirement for ministers (sounds and looks very worldly), which you will find to be unbiblical. First, start with NT Scriptures. Let me give you a head start. As seen in our study today, neither the apostles or other NT teachers received salaries and benefit packages. The only time they "retired" from "the ministry" was at their death! Also, 1 Corinthians chapter 12 is a good place to start your search on clergy/laity. It shows we are all one. Christ's Body is not divided! (1 Cor. 1:13) A kingdom or house divided against itself cannot stand! (Mt. 12:25)
Again the worldly ideology of the "American dream" has crept in among God's people by men of corrupt minds, destitute of the truth thinking that worldly gain is godliness. That we are to withdraw from such (1 Tim. 6:1-5). Paul also said they only have a resemblance of godliness, but they reject and refuse such virtue and nature. To depart from them! They are always learning but never come to the knowledge of the truth (possibly because the love of the truth is not in them 2 Th. 2:12). They set themselves against the truth because they are of corrupt minds, and unfit and worthless concerning the faith (2 Tim. 3:5-8).
The pattern of apostolic NT giving looks night and day different for what is taught and practiced in mainstream Christianity today. Search the Scriptures and see if your congregation practices giving and it's distribution of what is given in a Biblical manner, or after the manner of men who distort and twist the Scriptures to deceive the simple minded. Just think, if they so easily manipulate the Scriptures to make this an expected rite as being a member of the institution, what else have they twisted and distorted to lead you astray from the truth of God's Word? You better be digging into the Scriptures to learn the truth! If you aren't obeying God's Word how do you expect to hear, "well done thou good and faithful servant"? (Mt. 25:21)
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