66 Reasons Tithing is FLAT WRONG (updated)
66 Reasons Tithing is FLAT WRONG,
a systematic take-down of a false doctrine.
1. It
was a one time tithe from
the chief spoils of war, not his own wealth. Gen. 14:20-Heb. 7:4)
2. He gave back the other 90%. Gen.
14:21-23. Tithe teachers seem to miss that detail as they seek to justify money tithes from followers.
3. There is no scripture he
ever tithed again from his own wealth, or from captured war booty.
4. Before he met Melchizedek, Abram was rich in cattle, silver, and gold, but paid no tithes on his own
wealth in scripture. Genesis (13:2 )
5. Nowhere did the apostles command churches to tithe like Abraham, as a
continuing practice.
6. Abraham lived before Moses who delivered the Old Testament laws. But God's
own law never gave Abraham as an example for paying tithes from income,
money, or produce.
7. Abraham
never made a tithe covenant. After tithing once to Melchizedek,
Abraham did not tithe from the goods and money given to him from
Abimelech. Gen. 20:14-16
8. Abraham and God did make a
continuing covenant including circumcision. -but not one for
tithing. (Gen. 17:10-12)
9. His son Isaac never tithed in
scripture.
10. His grandson Jacob pledged to tithe, but the Bible never says if he gave
one or who he gave it to, and God never commanded him to do so.
Israel
and the tithe.
11. The law of Moses
defined the ordinance of
tithing. (Lev. 27:30, Numbers 16, Deut. 14:23, Mal 3:7. The ordinances were specific
in what was to be tithed. The law itself stated nobody was to change, add or
take away from what the law itself said, under a strong curse penalty.
Deut 27:26 Cursed be he that confirms
not all the words of this law to do them. ..
12. God defined the tithe in ordinances and commands under law, as farm products!
Leviticus.27:30-31 And all the tithe of the land, of
the seed of the land, or of the fruit of the tree, is
the Lords: it is holy to the Lord.
Deuteronomy 14:23 And you will eat before the Lord thy God,
in the place which he shall choose, … the tithe of grain, of new wine, of oil,
and the first of your herd and flock; .... and the law was not to
be altered.
13. The lawful tithe was FOOD from
both farm products and clean animals from inside
the holy land of Israel.
Zech 2:12 And the LORD shall inherit Judah as his portion in
the holy land, and shall yet choose Jerusalem.) Produce from
outside the land of Israel was unclean and unacceptable for tithes.
14. Strangers, foreigners, fishermen, wage earners and tradesmen, had no
command to tithe.
(Numbers 18:28 Thus also offer a heave-offering to the LORD of all
your tithes, which ye receive of the children of
Israel;)
Never were non-Jews told to tithe
anything.
15. The tithe was to provide food for
the Levite priests, sojourners, widows, orphans.
Deuteronomy 26:12 When you make an end of tithing all the tithe of the
increase in the third year, which is the year of tithing, then you shall give it to the Levite, to
the sojourner, to the fatherless, and to the widow, that
they may eat within thy gates, and be filled.
Numbers 20:21 and to the children of Levi, behold, I have given all the tithe in Israel for
an inheritance, in return for their service, the service of the tent of meeting.
16. The (edible) tithe was also brought into the temple storehouse and was
eaten and used by the priests, ministers, porters, and singers.
The
Levite priests were to give and distribute the tithes to others, which was a
tithe of the tithe. (1/10th of 1/10th).
Nehemiah 10:38 And the priest the son of Aaron shall be with the
Levites, when the Levites take
tithes: and the
Levites shall bring up the tithe of the tithes to the house of our God, to the
chambers, in the treasure-house.
Neh.
13:5 and had prepared a great room,
where before they laid the meal-offerings, the frankincense, and the vessels, and the tithes of the grain, the new wine, and the oil,
given by commandment to the Levites,
and the singers, and the porters; and the heave-offerings for
the priests.
-do churches who teach tithes pay singers and doorkeepers?
17. The tithe was never for the benefit of one man.
18. The Levite Priests that had the command to receive tithes could not
own land, thus they could not grow food.
Deuteronomy 18:2 And they shall have no inheritance among their
brethren: The LORD
is their inheritance, as he hath spoken to them.
NOTE: Even if and when a farmer SOLD crops
or livestock, he did not pay monetary tithes on that which was sold.
God never required monetary tithes from anyone.
The
Tithe In Malachi:
19. In
Malachi it was the Levite priests that God rebuked over robbing tithes and
offerings.
Mal. 2:1
O ye priests, this commandment is for you.
20. In Malachi the prophet rebukes the priests, the religious
leaders, for not providing for the "the hireling in his
wages, the widow, and the fatherless...."
21. The hireling and his wages were
not commanded to tithe.
22. In Malachi 3:7-10, the passage often used to gather church tithes, "ordinances" are referenced, the priests rebuked
for not correctly tithing and offering.
(7) From the days of your
fathers you have turned away from my ordinances, and not kept
them. Verse 9 states the Levites were "robbing God" in tithes defined in the ordinances!
23. Neither tithes or offerings as
commanded and defined by God in the law and were monetary or from income.
Tithes: Lev. 27:30, offerings: Exodus 29.
24. Malachi 3:9 therefore is
not a reference to tithing from income.
25. Malachi
3:9 is never quoted in the New Testament to any church or given as an
ordinance to the churches as in Acts 15 when the apostles and
elders ruled on what law they were or were not to observe..
The
seed tithe:
26.
The "seed tithe" was a yearly and third
year tithe. It was seed, not money. Deut. 24:22)
27. The "seed" tithe could be changed "IN TO money", and
taken to the feast.
28. The tithe exchanged into money could buy "whatever thy soul desires" - for the tither and
his family.
Deut. 14:26 and thou shall use the money for whatever
your soul desires, for cattle, sheep, or for wine, for strong drink,
or whatever… you shall eat before the LORD and rejoice, you
and your household.
29. The every "third year" tithe of seed was
commanded for the benefit of the Levite, stranger, orphans, and widows,
and was not money from income earned.
Deut. 14:28 At
the end of every three years you shall bring forth all
the tithe of the increase in the same year,
and lay it up within thy gates:
29 and the Levite, because he has no portion or inheritance, and
the sojourner, and the fatherless, and the widow, that are within thy
gates, shall come, and shall eat and be satisfied; that the LORD thy God may
bless thee in all the work of thy hand.
30. The tithe itself was never
defined as money by the Lord, nor were the Old Testament tithes ever re-defined
by an apostle or Jesus as 10% of income paid in money.
Tithing in In the New Testament:
31. Jesus
affirmed tithing was as defined by God in the law, and was "of the matters of the law".
Matthew
23::23
32. Jesus did not mention Abraham paying tithes before
the law.
33. Jesus and the apostles never said paying a tithe from income
was blessed but did say "GIVING" is blessed.
34. Jesus did say He required disavowing ownership of all we have,
or we could not be disciples. Luke
14:33
35. Jesus affirmed to Jews under the law, that they were to keep the law as it
was written. Mat. 23:23
36. Jesus affirmed the tithe as it
was given in the law, and
not as 10% of income.
37. At His death,
Jesus delivered the New
Covenant through His apostles by the Holy Spirit. Hebrews 9:17 a testament is
of force where there has been death: for it has no authority
while he that made it lives.
(that is
why Jesus affirmed tithing, and Moses laws while he lived)
38. At the cross, Jesus annulled, discharged, abolished, blotted out, and
canceled the ordinances of the Old Covenant.
Eph. 2:15 Col. 2:914, 2Cor 3:14 –are some of the verses affirming
the passing away of the ordinances. There are many more.
39. The tithe ordinance and command under the
law was never changed into a tithe from money in the New
Testament, nor was a church building ever called "the
storehouse".
Ministers and Tithes:
40. In Hebrews 7, it is pointed out that men here, the Levites, had a
command to take tithes from their brethren. This was defined back in
the Old Covenant Law.
Heb 7:5 And the sons of Levi that
receive the priest's office have commandment to take tithes of the
people according to the law.
41. There is no New
Testament "office" of a priest and the “foregoing commandment” was CANCELED.
Heb. 7: 18 For there is a
disannulling (canceling) of the foregoing commandment because of its
weakness and unprofitableness
42. The “foregoing” tithe commandment in Hebrews 7 was not from income, nor was
it money. -it was the lawful tithe that was “commanded” for Levite priests to
take from their brethren.
43. The tithes in Hebrews 7 were
not transformed into money and set aside
for New Testament ministers.
44. The church assembled in Acts 15 to deal with people that were troubling the
churches and Christians, "subverting
their souls", in that they were teaching Christians to keep Old
Testament law, including the tithe ordinance.
45. The apostles and elders stated "they gave no such command"
to observe the Old Covenant ordinances which included tithes, and they
forbid the legalists from going beyond the apostles teaching.
46. In no
fewer than 30 passages in Acts where money, giving, offerings, work, and alms
are mentioned, there is not mention of tithing. See “Tithing in
Acts?”
47. In Galatians 1:7 Paul warned of those bringing New Testament Christians
back under Old Testament law, which he called "bondage"
in Gal.5:1, and was what he warned about: "which is not another
gospel only there are some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ."
: "pervert" means "to
twist or change", as in changing the meaning of a word
into something God did not say..
-Such like the agricultural "tithe" was or is from income, or a
pastor is the equivalent of a Levite priest..
Giving or Tithing?
48. In none of the New Testament scriptures was "tithe" included
in passages regarding "collection"s, gathering, giving,
ministering, sacrifice, or offering.
49. Those who command and teach
tithing from income are perverting the gospel because tithing as
defined in God’s law, and tithing 10% from income are not given to any
church or saint.
50. God forbid changing, twisting, adding to, or diminishing from the gospel.
51. No
pastor, prophet, apostle, or minister in scripture ever testified of paying or
receiving tithes from income.
52. No prophet, pastor, apostle,
or minister has a scriptural command to take tithes from their brethren
according to Old Testament law, or New Testament command.
53. No teacher, preacher, pastor, apostle, or prophet has authority to pervert
the OT tithe into NT doctrine. -Paul warned in 1Cor 4:6 ... "that you learn not to go beyond that which is written that
none of you be puffed up... against the other"
54. Paul and
the other apostles gave us the New Testament commands of the Lord. There
was no command, ordinance, quoting of tithe laws, or reminders to "pay
tithes". Their words
are the Words of God and the commands to Christians.
Jesus said in Matthew 28:20 make disciples, teaching them to observe all whatever I
commanded you ...
and the gospel story continues into Acts 1:
..... :1 concerning all that Jesus began
both to do and to teach,
(2) until the day he was received up, ==> after that he (Jesus) had given commandment
through the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen:
Did you catch that?
The "commandment" to New
Testament saints after the resurrection came through Spirit-filled
apostles, who would teach what Jesus wanted us to observe.
Then after that, What did the apostles teach?:
55. The
church in Acts continued in what
the Holy Ghost filled apostles taught.
Acts 2:42 And they continued steadfast in the apostles teaching, fellowship, in the breaking of
bread and prayers.
56. The church received the teaching and commands of the Lord through the
apostles. 2nd Peter 3:2 that ye should remember the words which were
spoken before by the holy prophets, and the commandments of the Lord and Saviour through your apostles:
57. The
church was told to remember their teaching, and they never taught tithing to
the church.
58. The church acknowledged the apostle’s writings as Christ’s commandments.
Since the apostles never commanded tithing, it is not a commandment of the
Lord. Cor 14:37 If any man thinks himself to
be a prophet, or spiritual, let him know that the things which I write to you, are the commandment of the Lord.
59. The churches were expected to continue in the apostles commands and not go
beyond that.
2Thess 3:4 And we are confident in the Lord that you are doing and
will continue to do the things we
commanded you. NLT
(NIV) We have confidence in the Lord
that you are doing and will continue
to do the things we command.
60. The early Jewish church knew what the Lord had commanded we are not to add
to His Word, diminish from it, or
pervert the meaning of it.
Galatians 1:7 which is not another gospel only
there are some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ.
Deuteronomy 16:19 you shall not twist justice: you shall not respect
persons; nor take a bribe; for
a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise, and pervert the words of the righteous. Yes, money tithes are
twisted judgment and bring “respect of persons” toward those that tithe more than
others.
61. Since the commands of the Lord given through the apostles do not include
tithing from income, those who teach tithing from income are perverting
His Word and need to be corrected.
Deuteronomy 12:32 What I
command you,
observe to do: you
shall not add to, or diminish from
it.
62. The
original church in Acts never mentioned any tithing, rather
they "had ALL things common", sharing, and
meeting each others need.
Acts 2: 44 And all that believed were together, and had all things common; (45) and they sold their possessions and
goods, and parted them to all according as any man
had need. <= Does
that sound like tithes to you?
We find it
strange how churches teach tithing but in the Book of Acts the disciples
worked, gave, supplied each other, sold property, and ministered to the needs
of others but not once is any form of tithing attached to any of those actions
by the NT writers!
63. NONE of the churches that teach tithing do as they
did in Acts 2:44-45.
2 Corinthians 2:17 For we are not as many, which corrupt the word of God: but as of sincerity, but
as of God, in the sight of God speak we in Christ.
64. When
Tithes and offerings are recorded for charitable contribution tax
deductions by every church organizations and ministry, and as such,
are reported to the government for a tax deduction, you have your
reward.
Matthew 6:1 Take heed that ye do not your
righteousness before men,
to be seen (observed) of them: else ye have no reward with your Father who is in heaven.
65. Matthew 6:1 Take heed that ye do not your righteousness before
men,
to be
seen (observed) of
them: or ye have
no reward with your Father in heaven.
65. The tax deduction is a reward
from man for reported tithing.
The reward comes from man and not from God.
Reported tax-deductible tithing is
seen by a church administrator, bank, tax authorities to whom it is
reported, and any official that looks at your tax forms.
What the New Testament DOES say:
66. "GIVE and it shall be given..."
Luke 11:41 But rather give alms of such things
as ye have
Acts 20:35 I have showed you all things, how that so laboring ye
ought to support the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus,
how he said, It is more blessed to give than to receive.
2 Corinthians 9:7 Every man according as he purposes in his
heart, so let him give;
not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loves a cheerful giver.
Ephesians 4:28 Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labor,
working with his hands, that he
may have to give to him that needs.
Matthew 6:1 Take care not to do your alms before men, to be seen
of them: otherwise ye have no reward
Luke 11:41 But rather give alms
of such things as ye have; and, behold, all are clean unto
you
Words
used such as “give”, “alms”, “gatherings”, and “collections” are never defined
as a 10% tithe in the New Testament. Therefore it is “perverting
the gospel” to insert someone’s idea or tithe definition into any of the
text’s where those words are used.
If God meant “tenth”, surely at least one of the apostles would have mentioned
tithing to someone,
but…… There is not one single
instruction to any church or saint under New Covenant scripture, to pay a tithe
to anyone.
