Should the Church Teach Tithing?
http://www.tithing-russkelly.com/id149.htm
140 QUESTIONS TITHE-TEACHERS
SHOULD HONESTLY ANSWER
Russell Earl Kelly, PHD
Answers Provided
1. According to Genesis 14:11-16 were the spoils of war Abram received holy tithes from God's holy land? Would they have been "holy" tithes in the Law?
Answer: Of course not. There was no holy land yet. They do not fit the description of “holy” tithes under the Law and could not have been used to support the Levites and priests as Levitical tithes.
2. According to Genesis 14:18-20 and Hebrews 7:4 does the Bible say that Abram freely gave tithes of spoils of war to the priest-king Melchizedek?
Answer: No. Genesis
3. According to Numbers 31:21-30 what percentage did the statute of the Law for
Answer: One tenth of one per cent (.1%) (One half of one five hundredth): this was only one tenth of what Abram paid to Melchizedek.
4. Why did Abraham tithe 10% of spoils when the Law later required far less? What controlled his actions?
Answer: The Bible does not say “why”. Recorded tradition found in archaeology suggests it was the required law of the land throughout his world.
5. From Genesis 14:20-21 could there be another law or Arab tradition involved? Yes, No, Perhaps. Do some deep research on this.
Answer: This is repetition of previous questions. Research many commentaries for a surprise answer.
6. Would Abraham's tithe have been accepted as a holy tithe to enter the
Answer: Only that which could be purified after passing through fire. And then it could only be used for temple maintenance. Compare First Samuel 30:20-35.
7. How often did Abraham tithe?
Answer: The Bible does not record any other instance. Therefore, we really do not know.
8. Is Abraham an example of tithing personal property and tithing regularly?
Answer: Not at all. If we followed his example, we would only tithes from spoils of war and only once.
9. Is Abraham's example of giving 90% to the king of
Answer: Not at all. Yet tithe-preaches do not discuss this.
10. From Genesis 20 and 21 is it possible that Abraham also paid tithes to the Philistine priest-king Abimelech whom he served?
Answer: It is possible if it was required by their law. He obeyed the law of the land.
11. Referring to Genesis 28:20-22 would Jacob's tithe from
Answer: It does not fit the description of a holy tithe to be used for normal sustenance of Levites and priests.
12. Referring to Genesis 28:20-22 should we follow Jacob's example and only tithe after God has met our conditions?
Answer: No. Yet this is not discussed by tithe-teachers.
13. According to Genesis 28:20 was Jacob's tithe a freewill "vow" or a commandment of God?
Answer: A freewill vow. And there is no record that he kept the vow.
14. Is Jacob an example of tithing for Christians to follow?
Answer: Not at all.
15. How common was money, gold, silver, precious stones and shekels in Genesis?
Answer: The word “money” occurs 32 times in Genesis. Check an exhaustive concordance.
16. According to Genesis 13:2 and
Answer: Yes. It was already an important part of that economy.
17. Was money essential for routine worship in the sanctuary?
Answer: Very much. Do your own research on the words "money" and "shekel."
18. Is it honest to teach that tithes were only food because money was not common?
Answer: No. It is dishonest and comes with dishonest ulterior motives to change God’s Word.
19. According to Exodus 19:5-6 was tithing part of God's "original plan" before the incident of the golden calf?
Answer: No. Tithing is not mentioned in Exodus. While Aaron’s house was intended to be resident priests, every Hebrew from every tribe was to be his/her own priest before God. Levitical priests were not mentioned.
20. According to Leviticus 25:3-7 no food tithe could be taken every seventh year. Why is this ignored by churches today?
Answer: Churches would have no grounds for collecting tithes every seventh year.
21. According to Leviticus 25:12-13 no food tithe could be taken every fiftieth year. Why is this ignored by churches today?
Answer: If one followed all of the OT tithing law, tithes could not be requested every 7th and 50th years.
22. According to Leviticus 27:30, 32 (and 14 other texts), tithes were only food from the land of Israel and herds inside God's holy land of Israel which God had miraculously increased. Where in the Bible --over 1400 years from Leviticus to Luke -- are tithes defined as income or money?
Answer: Nowhere. God’s definition of a holy tithe never changed.
23. According to Leviticus 27:30, 32 the tithe was the tenth of the total crop and the tenth animal. Since the word "tithe" means "tenth" when did it change to become the "first" in the Bible?
Answer: Nowhere. This is man’s change of God’s Word.
24. According to Leviticus 27:34 the first tithe was not the "best." Where in the Bible does the first whole tithe become the "best"?
Answer: Nowhere. Tithe-teachers dishonestly change God’s Word and ask for the first tenth of one’s paycheck.
25. According to Leviticus 27:34 tithing was part of the Law given only to national
Answer: Nowhere. None qualified as tithe-payers. They were not Hebrews and they did not grow food inside God’s holy land.
26. Since only farmers and herdsmen living inside
Answer: Nowhere. It is a tradition of man.
27. Where does the Bible say that non-food income was tithed and that carpenters (Jesus), fishermen (Peter), tentmakers (Paul) and tradesmen tithed?
Answer: Nowhere. It is a tradition of man.
28. Did God command the pagans to tithe?
Answer. Absolutely not.
29. Would
Answer: No. And that should also be true today since God never changed the definition of holy tithes.
30. Although Psalm 24:1 says "The earth is the LORD's, and the fullness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein" this was not given as a reason to collect tithes from pagans and from lands outside of
Answer: Holy tithes were limited to food from God’s holy land of
31. Why don't Christians observe all of the other things called "holy" and "most holy" in Leviticus?
Answer: They say that these do not apply to the Church today because they were fulfilled or ended at
32. Where in the Bible is the exact wording of the ordinance or statute of tithing?
Answer: Numbers 18.
33. What is the difference between tithes and first-fruits? Compare Lev 27:30-35; Num 18:13-18, 20-24; Deut 26:1-4; Neh 10:35-37; Prov 3:9.
Answer: Tithes were tenth-fruits from God’s holy land which were brought to the Levitical cities where they were needed for food per Neh 10:37b. Firstfruits were very small token offerings which were brought to the
34. Where are tithes equated with first-fruits in the Bible?
Answer: Nowhere. This is a tradition of man designed to scare believers into giving their first to God whether or not they had met their family essentials per First Timothy 5:8.
35. Weren't first-fruits very small token offerings from the first of the harvest?
Answer: Yes, as previously discussed.
36. OT Levites who received the first whole tithe were merely servants to the priests and later political workers. How is this principle applied in churches today?
Answer: It is totally ignored.
37. OT Levites gave the best tenth of their tithe to the priests --only one per cent of the total. How is this principle observed today? See Num 18:25-28.
Answer: It is totally ignored.
38. OT priests and Levites who received the tithes were not allowed to own or inherit property. Why isn't this principle observed today (Num
Answer: Modern tithe-teachers ignore every single OT principle concerned with tithing. They only apply their own re-definition.
39. The OT tithe was never used for mission work to evangelize the pagans. What biblical principle authorizes it for missions today?
Answer: None. This is a tradition of man.
40. According to Deuteronomy 12 and
Answer: Their idea of tithing is not biblical.
41. According to Deuteronomy
Answer: It does not fit into their change of God’s Word to suit their own needs.
42. According to Deuteronomy 26:12-13 every third year a tithe was kept in the homes for the poor. Why is this principle ignored by churches today?
Answer: Again, it does not fit into their own change of God’s Word to suit their own needs.
43. According to Deuteronomy 26:12-13 the Levites were included among the poor, strangers, fatherless and widows. Does this mean that the Levites and priests were to be counted among the poor?
Answer: Yes. It is highly likely that God expected the Levites to give away much of what they received to the poor at all times.
44. Where does the Bible say that the poor were required to tithe?
Answer: Nowhere, unless they were landowners or herdsmen living inside
45. Many OT Levites who received the first whole tithe were political servants of the king (1 Chronicles 23 to 26). Why is that principle ignored today?
Answer: Again, it does not fit into their own change of God’s Word to suit their own needs.
46. In the OT the first and best tithe went to the king. Why is that principle ignored today (1 Sam
Answer: We are not under a theocracy. Under Roman rule the first tithe went to
47. Where did the Levites and priests live most of the time? See Joshua 20-21, Numbers 35 and First Chronicles 6.
Answer: Far away from
48. How often did the Levites and priests serve in the
Answer: At a minimum of once every 24 weeks in a rotation (cycle). They spent the other 23 week either raising tithed animals or learning trades necessary for temple maintenance.
49. ***Since 98% of the Levites and priests were not working in the temple most of the time, why would God tell the people in Malachi
Answer: He did not. The “you” of Malachi
50. What covenant was the curse of tithing part of? See Neh 10:29; Deu 28:12, 21-22; Gal 3:10-13.
Answer: Only the Old Covenant. God is today dealing with His Church in terms of the New Covenant (Heb 8:8-13).
51. According to Nehemiah 13:5-10 who was guilty of stealing the Levites' portion of the tithe?
Answer: The priests.
52. ***According to Nehemiah 10:37b where were the people commanded to take the tithes? Why? Why is this text ignored today?
Answer: (1) To the Levitical cities. (2) That is where 98% of those who needed it for food lived most of the time. (3) Again, it does not fit into their own change of God’s Word to suit their own needs.
53. According to Nehemiah
Answer: In the Levitical cities. Again, it does not fit into their own change of God’s Word to suit their own needs.
54. According to Malachi 1:6-14 who was guilty of stealing vows of tithes?
Answer: The priests from 1:6.
55. Who was cursed in Malachi 1:14?
Answer: The priests. They were not commanded to tithe, but they were expected to give generous vow offerings from the tenth of the tithe which they received from the Levites. Num 18:21-28.
56. Who was cursed 3 times in Malachi 2:2?
Answer: The priests.
57. Who is questioning God in Malachi 2:17?
Answer: The priests from
58. To whom is God replying in Malachi 3:1-5?
Answer: The priests from 2:1-10, 13-17.
59. Are the priests also "sons of Jacob" in Malachi 3:6-7?
Answer: Of course. They text does not have to refer to all sons of Jacob.
60. Cannot Malachi 3:8 be referring to the priests stealing a third time?
Answer: It makes sense that God has not changed from cursing the priests.
61. "Curse" refers to the priests four times in
Answer: Common sense says yes. God has not suddenly changed to feeling sorrow for priests. The “you” of 1:6 and 2:1 has never changed away from the priests.
62. Does the pronoun "you" refer to the priests from Malachi 1:6 to 3:5?
Answer: If it has not clearly changed, then it must.
63. Is there concrete evidence that God has changed his address from the priests to the people in Malachi 3:6-7?
Answer: Not in the context.
64. Has God changed from cursing the priests to having pity on them in Malachi 3:8-10?
Answer: This would be illogical.
65. Since "you" has thus far referred to the priests and since Nehemiah 10:37 proves that the people brought their tithes to the Levitical cities, then is it reasonable to conclude that "you" in Malachi 3:10 also refers to the priests of Nehemiah 10:38?
Answer: Yes.
66. Again according to Nehemiah
Answer: In the Levitical cities.
67. According to Nehemiah 13:5-10 how large was the storeroom in the
Answer: If it was made from combining two rooms, the largest would be about 10 ft by 20 ft. Compare 1 Kings 6:6 for room size.
68. Could the
Answer: Absolutely not.
69. Is it possible that the
Answer: Yes. Levites and priests living far away from the
70. In Second Chronicles 31:15-19, why did King Hezekiah choose to relocate the tithes from rotting heaps in the streets of
Answer: After consulting with Levites and priests, they realized that it was the logical thing to do. The temple storerooms only supplied food for the Levites and priests who ministered in the temple on weekly rotations.
71. The "outlaw" early church met in secret in catacombs and graveyards for over 200 years after
Answer: It is dishonest and wants ignorant believers to think that they must bring the first ten per cent of their paycheck to the church.
72. The OT
Answer: Again, it does not fit into their own change of God’s Word to suit their own needs.
73. Matthew 5:19-48 refers to all 600+ commandments of the Law. Why is
Answer: Again, it does not fit into their own change of God’s Word to suit their own needs. The text must be interpreted to teach that we are either under all of the law or none of it.
74. Did Jesus (a carpenter), Peter (a fisherman) and Paul (a tentmaker) qualify as tithe-payers under the Law?
Answer: No. They were neither landowners nor herdsmen inside
75. How do you explain Matthew
Answer: It means that you cannot keep tithing while discarding most of the law. A consistent principle of interpretation is needed.
76. Does not Matthew
Answer: In its context, yes.
77. According to Matthew 12:1-2 Jesus and his disciples gleaned food on the Sabbath Day. Were they accused of not tithing? Why?
Answer: No. Because by allowing them to glean, the law recognized them as poor. It also proves that the poor were not expected to tithe from gleanings.
78. According to Mark 12:42-44 a widow gave at the
Answer: She was giving a freewill offering of money. Money was never a tithed item.
79. Since Paul's tents came from pagan lands, did his income from selling tents qualify as tithe-able income under the Law?
Answer: Absolutely not.
80. According to Matthew 23:2 who were the recognized interpreters of the Law?
Answer: The scribes and Pharisees.
81. According to Matthew 23:2-3 why did Jesus tell his Jewish disciples to obey the scribes and Pharisees?
Answer: They were the current recognized authorities who sat in Moses seat to interpret the law.
82. According to Matthew 23:3-4 did the addition of herbs and spices change the tithing law into a burden?
Answer: Yes. Counting small seeds would be a great burden.
83. Did the Law command tithes from garden spices and herbs?
Answer: The tithing law did not include those items.
84. Why did Jesus tell His Jewish disciples to tithe garden spices and herbs?
Answer: They were partially responsible for allowing the scribes and Pharisees to sit in Moses seat.
85. In Matthew 8:4 why did Jesus command the Jews he healed to show themselves to the priests?
Answer: The Law was still in full effect before
86. Why did Jesus NOT command the Gentiles he healed to show themselves to the priests?
Answer: They were not under the Law.
87. Did Jesus tell his Gentile disciples to tithe to the
Answer: No. It would not have been allowed. It was illegal.
88. To whom does the word "you" refer in Matthew 23:23?
Answer: The scribes and Pharisees.
89. What three words in Matthew
Answer: "of the law"
90. Is Matthew
Answer: Old Covenant before
91. Why did Jesus tell the rich young ruler and Zaccheus to give their money to the poor instead of the
Answer: Their wealth must not have been in land and animals inside
92. Do pastors today allow visiting evangelists to tell their congregation to "sell all that you have and give it to the poor"?
Answer: Of course not. They do not tell their congregations to do this either. Again, it does not fit into their own change of God’s Word to suit their own needs.
93. Why do not pastors today command their church members to tithe garden spices as Jesus commanded in Matthew 23:23?
Answer: Again, it does not fit into their own change of God’s Word to suit their own needs. They have no consistent hermeneutic.
94. According to Luke
Answer: The Old Covenant ended and the New Covenant began when Jesus shed His blood at
95. According to Acts
Answer: There is no record that Cod commanded this. It is very possible that it was done in anticipation of Christ’s imminent return.
96. According to Acts
Answer: This is not an example of tithing. It is an example of sacrificial freewill giving at the extreme. It should not be preached as an example of tithing because everybody shared equally.
97. According to Acts
Answer: Not at all. Evidence is that they continued supporting the
98. According to Acts
Answer: Most definitely.
99. According to Acts 15:19-20 did James agree with Peter?
Answer: Most definitely. Yet most pastors today place their churches under the law of tithing while rejecting most of the law as irrelevant.
100. According to Acts 20:29-35 was Paul self supporting most of the time?
Answer: Yes. He even boasted about it.
101. According to Acts
Answer: Yes, but it was not a command.
102. According to Acts
Answer: Church elders. This has been reversed by the modern church.
103. According to Acts
Answer: Yes, and this was 30 years after
104. According to Acts
Answer: Yes, otherwise they would not be “zealous of the law.” The Law required payment of tithes to the Levites and priests and not to gospel workers.
105. According to 1 Corinthians 9:7-14 did the vocations of soldier, herdsman, farmer, mill-grinder, temple worker and gospel worker each operate under different principles of support?
Answer: Yes. Each had its own principle.
106. Comparing 1 Cor 9:13 with Numbers 18 and Leviticus, were temple workers supported from tithes, offerings, vows, freewill gifts, portions of sacrifices and many other sources?
Answer: Yes. Far more than tithing. Levites only received the tithe while priests had many sources of income other than a tenth of the tithe.
107. Comparing 1 Cor 9:13 with Numbers 18 and Leviticus, was tithing the only "thing of the temple"?
Answer: Of course not, but this fact is ignored.
108. Referring to 1 Cor
Answer: Of course not. The argument used by tithe-teachers is self-defeating. It proves too much.
109. Referring to 1 Cor
Answer: Yes. The principle refers to all vocations mentioned in verses 7 to 14.
110. Referring to 1 Cor
Answer: It is very dishonest. Paul knew that holy tithes were only for Levites and priests and could not come from Gentiles lands. Again, the text is self-defeating for tithe-teachers. It proves too much.
111. According to 1 Cor 9:12, 15-19 did Paul accept tithes as a salary?
Answer: Absolutely not. He usually did not even accept freewill offerings. As a highly educated rabbi, Paul had been taught that teaching God’s Word for pay was not the manner of rabbis.
112. Comparing 1 Cor 9:14 with 9:12, 15-19 if Jesus commanded tithing to support gospel workers, was not Paul disobeying that command?
Answer: Yes, but this fact is ignored by tithe-teachers.
113. According to 2 Cor 3:10, how much glory does the OT have in comparison to the New Covenant?
Answer: Zero glory.
114. Where is tithing repeated to the Church in New Covenant terms of grace and faith?
Answer: Nowhere. And neither are gospel workers required to forfeit land inheritance rights and obey any of the tithing statute of Numbers 18.
115. According to 1 Peter 2:9-10 has the OT priesthood been replaced by church leaders or by every believer?
Answer: By every believer. And this should have enormous implications against New Covenant tithing.
116. Referring to 1 Peter 2:9-10, how does the "priesthood of believers" affect tithing?
Answer: Believers do not tithe to themselves, plus Old Covenant priests were never commanded to tithe.
117. Were non-Levite OT prophets supported by tithes?
Answer: Absolutely not. They were either self-supported or received freewill offerings.
118. Were OT and NT Jewish synagogue rabbis supported by tithes?
Answer: No. Never. And this should be important. The synagogue system using rabbis did not replace tithing to the
119. Are NT pastors and elders supported similar to OT priests or prophets and rabbis?
Answer: The comparison is better to OT prophets and rabbis.
120. Is First Timothy 5:1-20 a discussion of discipline or pastoral salary?
Answer: Discipline.
121. According to First Timothy 5:8 are family essential needs more important than church support?
Answer: Definitely.
122. How can First Timothy 5:8 be true if the first 10% of income must be given to the church?
Answer: Both cannot be true for the Church.
123. Does "double honor" in First Timothy
Answer: The context is discipline.
124. According to First Timothy 6:6-11 should gospel workers expect to be better off financially than most?
Answer: No.
125. According to Hebrews 7:5, did the Law give the priests authority to receive tithes?
Answer: Yes.
126a. Were the OT priests also kings?
Answer: Not the HOLY Hebrew priests defined by the Law.
126b. What does Hebrews 7:8 refer to?
Answer: The priests who were still literally receiving tithes before A.D.70.
127. According to Hebrews
Answer: Yes.
128. According to Hebrews 7:11-12 did the prophecy that the Messiah would be a priest-king necessitate a change in the law?
Answer: Yes.
129. According to Hebrews, chapters 5 to 7, was OT Melchizedek qualified to be a priest under the Law?
Answer: No.
130. According to Hebrews 7:13-17 was Jesus qualified to be a priest under the Law?
Answer: No.
131. According to Hebrews
Answer: It was disannulled, or abolished. It ended. It was not carried over into the New Covenant.
132. According to Hebrews 7:12, 18, why was the Law which also commanded tithing to support the Levitical priesthood "annulled" or "set aside"?
Answer: It was weak and not profitable. It had been replaced with better New Covenant principles of sacrificial giving.
133. According to Hebrews 7:16-28 was the king-priesthood of Messiah to be based on eternal moral principles?
Answer: Yes and those include sacrificial freewill giving which are written in the heart and conscience.
134. Tithing existed in most nations long before Abraham's time and those nations also practiced idolatry, child sacrifices and temple prostitution. Does the fact that tithing existed before the Law make it an eternal moral principle?
Answer: No. The HOLY tithe was only given later by special revelation to Old Covenant
135. According to the entire book of Leviticus, how can tithing be retained as a "holy" principle and almost everything else called "holy" and "most holy" in Leviticus be discarded?
Answer: By using poor principles of interpretation.
136. According to Hebrews 8:6-13 Christ's "more excellent ministry" replaced the Old Covenant on stones and paper with the New Covenant in the heart. Does a new-creation Christian know in the heart that he/she must give a ten per cent tithe to support the church?
Answer: No.
137. According to Second Corinthians 8 and 9, does a new-creation Christian know instinctively to give: freely, sacrificially, generously, joyfully, not of commandment, regularly and motivated love for God and love for lost souls?
Answer: Yes. It is part of the new creation with the indwelling Holy Spirit.
138. According to Second Corinthians 8:12-15, what is the "equality" principle of giving?
Answer: Many give much more than 10% while some cannot give that much. Yet both give sacrificially. The giving equals out.
139. According to Second Corinthians 3:10-18 which principle of giving has the blessing of the Holy Spirit?
Answer: Post
140. Should most affluent Christians lower their standard of living in order to give more to promote the gospel?
Answer: Yes.
SEE
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