Archive for the ‘tithing’ Category

Pros and Cons: Tithing v. Spirit Led Giving

Tuesday, June 22nd, 2010

1. Punishments

  • Tithing
    Malachi 3:9
    You are cursed with a curse
  • Spirit led giving
    Acts 5:1-10
    But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession. And he kept back part of the proceeds, his wife also being aware of it, and brought a certain part and laid it at the apostles’ feet.
    But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and keep back part of the price of the land for yourself? While it remained, was it not your own? And after it was sold, was it not in your own control? Why have you conceived this thing in your heart? You have not lied to men but to God.”

    Then Ananias, hearing these words, fell down and breathed his last. So great fear came upon all those who heard these things. And the young men arose and wrapped him up, carried [him] out, and buried [him].

    Now it was about three hours later when his wife came in, not knowing what had happened.

    And Peter answered her, “Tell me whether you sold the land for so much?”

    She said, “Yes, for so much.”

    Then Peter said to her, “How is it that you have agreed together to test the Spirit of the Lord? Look, the feet of those who have buried your husband [are] at the door, and they will carry you out.”

    Then immediately she fell down at his feet and breathed her last. And the young men came in and found her dead, and carrying [her] out, buried [her] by her husband.

  • WINNER: Spirit Led Giving

2. Rewards

  • Tithing
    Malachi 3:10
    And try Me now in this,” Says the LORD of hosts, “If I will not open for you the windows of heaven And pour out for you [such] blessing That [there will] not [be room] enough [to receive it].
  • Spirit led giving
    2 Corinthians 9:8
    And God [is] able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all [things], may have an abundance for every good work.
  • WINNER: TIE

3. Effectiveness

  • Tithing
    Deuteronomy 14:29
    And the Levite, because he has no portion nor inheritance with you, and the stranger and the fatherless and the widow who [are] within your gates, may come and eat and be satisfied, that the LORD your God may bless you in all the work of your hand which you do.
  • Spirit led giving
    Acts 4:34
    Nor was there anyone among them who lacked; for all who were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the proceeds of the things that were sold,
  • WINNER: Spirit Led Giving

4. Cheerfulness

  • Tithing
    Matthew 23:23
    Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have neglected the weightier [matters] of the law: justice and mercy and faith. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone.
  • Spirit Led Giving
    2 Corinthians 9:7
    [So let] each one [give] as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver.
  • WINNER: Spirit Led Giving

5. New Covenant Commands

Tithing
. . .    . . .     . . .

Spirit Led Giving
Romans 12:6-8
Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, [let us use them]: if prophecy, [let us] [prophesy] in proportion to our faith; or ministry, [let us use it] in [our] ministering; he who teaches, in teaching; he who exhorts, in exhortation; he who gives, with liberality;

WINNER: Spirit Led Giving

Tithing Opponents Throughout History

Saturday, June 5th, 2010

I came across this information at http://russkellyphd.blogspot.com/. I haven’t verified all of this information, but this is a very extensive and powerful list of historical opponents of tithing.

Tithing opponents throughout the years as compiled by Dr. David Croteau, Liberty University, You Mean I Don’t Have to Tithe?, p271-292. www.slaveoftheword.blogspot.com/ See Footnotes for transcript evidence.

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 (my site)
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 11918 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

Tithing Sermons – Should or Shouldn’t?

Tuesday, June 1st, 2010

  1. Why you should: Your Church is broke.
    Why you shouldn’t: Your church will be more broke
    I understand that the utilities, rent, and honorable salaries need to be paid. But we need to learn to cut expenses. The “American Greed Dream” can’t creep into homes without it creeping into the Church.
  2. Why you should: Your pastor wants a new car
    Why you shouldn’t: Someone else needs a car more
    A little perspective goes a long way. Look at how others poorer than you live their lives and try to imagine your attitude under their circumstances. Determine your wants vs. needs.
  3. Why you should: Your Church wants a coffee shop
    Why you shouldn’t: Your coffee shop is only open 1 day a week
    A majority of Church buildings are largely under-utilized so let’s get smart about what were spending our money on.
  4. Why you should: You want a new building
    Why you shouldn’t: Can i remind you that were in a recession?
    I’m not saying that great sacrifices can’t be done during hard times, but let’s not forget that a recession means 10% unemployment, higher taxes, forecloses, and salary cuts. Let’s not forget that your biggest need might be to expand your walls, but, someone’s biggest need this week may be what they are going to give their kids for dinner. Once again, a little perspective.
  5. Why you should: You want to buy new drum set for the band
    Why you shouldn’t: Bongo’s are soooo much cheaper!
    This may be just my pet peeve, but I’m kind of getting tired of seeing 5 guitar players and a drummer on stage. Can’t anyone play anything else?
  6. Why you should: You want people to be blessed
    Why you shouldn’t:
    People will be cursed instead
    I’ve said it once, I’ve said it twice. . . Shoot! . . . I don’t know how many times I’ve said it, but tithing is an Old Testament law.
    Galatians 3:10 – “For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse
  7. Why you should: It’s Stewardship month
    Why you shouldn’t: Why spend time talking about 10% of our money?
    Am i missing something here, or is there a reason why churches are concerned about the 10% that they get from you and spend very little time advising you on the other 90% that they aren’t getting from you? I’m wondering if they take the time to advise you on the 90, I’m sure there would be less problems collecting the 10. Like i said above it’s hard for greed to slip into the home without it slipping into the Church. The apple does not fall far from the tree.

Jacob’s Tithing Vow

Tuesday, April 13th, 2010

I recently wrote a post about Misconceptions about Jacob’s Tithing Vow, and this post is intended to be a sequel. If you have not read that post first, it is imperative to read it here before reading this. Many of you were shocked and actually enlightened to the real truth behind Jacob’s motives to his vow in Genesis 28. The first post is important to read and was written to introduce you up to what’s being said in this post. I feel that the following information is one of the largest pieces to the puzzle when understanding the course of tithing throughout scripture.

Introduction

Some time in 2007, i was studying the passage about Jacob’s tithing vow. All of a sudden i had one of the most amazing “Ah” moments. It was like the movie, “Sixth Sense” when everything that didn’t make sense this whole time all rushed to my head at once and came together.  I always wondered, when did Jacob tithe, could he have tithed, how, and who could he have tithed to? Jacob made a vow to God in Genesis 28, “of all that you give me, i will surely give a tenth back to you“. Here’s the thing, Jacob never gave the tithe, nor was he capable of giving a tithe. Although Jacob was not capable of tithing in his life eventually he was able to do so through his children.

I have been researching and studying for some time on what I’m about to say, but i need to preface it first. With most of my research being done through sources found on the internet, I have found only a few others to confirm what my conclusions are on this matter; and even with the few that confirm this matter for me, they write only a couple sentences without any deep analysis of their thoughts. This confounds me because there many  who wonder – how, where, when, and if Jacob fulfilled his vow, but ironically, there is a minute amount of research put into this mystery.  Jacob’s tithing vow has been overlooked because it is a story that is dwarfed between the large shadows of Abraham and the Mosaic laws. Much research has been done on Abraham’s tithe to Melchizidek, and more research has been done on Mosaic tithing laws, while very few analyze Jacob’s tithing experience.

With this in depth analysis, you will find answers to some of the questions surrounding the tithing vow of Jacob. You will also find some of the ‘best evidence’ against those who support tithing because of its occurrence 400 years before the Mosaic law. You will also see the biblical reasons why Israel could only tithe from agriculture and livestock, and why they could only tithe from the produce of the promised land. You will also see why the Levites were not given an inheritance as promised by God, but ironically were given the tithe of the land. You will also see why Jacob never tithed, and never could have. These answers, and even more, will be discussed in the following information.

The Meaning of Jacob’s Vow

Most people do not read Jacob’s vow in context. When most people read Jacob’s statement, “of all that You give me I will surely give a tenth to You“, they believe that Jacob was willing to give a tithe off everything that he garnished though his lifetime; but this interpretation is not correct. In Genesis 28 Jacob had just woke from a dream wherein God said, “the land on which you lie I will ‘give to you and your descendants“. Jacob made a vow to give a tenth from the land that God promised to give him and his decedents. Jacob’s vow was not a general statement that included a tithe from his wealth, or from his occupation, or any gold. It was a promise to give God back 10% of the increase from the land. Strangely, Jacob never received the promised land, so there was never an opportunity for him to tithe. . .Or am i wrong?

Victor Stephens in his article “A Closer Look at Tithing” states, “If tithing was not commanded before the Mosaic Law, then how did tithing become law? As we have just discovered, Jacob vowed to give a tenth of all that he would receive. Since a vow becomes an obligation once it is made, Jacob’s vow to give a tithe became a requirement. A requirement of what? The Promised Land (Canaan). After the death of Jacob and the conquest of Canaan, God held Jacob the nation (Israel) accountable to pay the tithe. Thus, we have the enactment of the law of tithing.

L. Ray Smith in his article “Tithing is Unscriptural Under the New Covenant” also states, “Jacob concludes his proposition to God, should God meet all of his requirements, by saying that of all the things that God will first give to Jacob, Jacob will give God back a tenth. Now don’t laugh. God honored Jacob’s proposition, and furthermore, God continued to honor this same principle of tithing all through Israel’s history.

As we all know, the decedents of Jacob eventually received the promised land which provided them an opportunity to fulfill the promise of their father by tithing off of the seed of the land and the fruit of the tree (Lev. 27). Deuteronomy 1:8 states, “See, I have set the land before you; go in and possess the land which the LORD swore to your fathers–to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob–to give to them and their descendants after them.” Psalms 105:7 also states, The covenant which He made with Abraham, And His oath to Isaac, And confirmed it to Jacob for a statute, To Israel for an everlasting covenant. Saying, “To you I will give the land of Canaan As the allotment of your inheritance,”

I know it might be hard to conceive that a vow given by one man was required from his future generations, but let’s look at how God fulfills his vow to one man.  God told Jacob, “the land on which you lie I will give to you and your descendants”. Although it seems that God had promised the land to Jacob directly, we know Jacob never inherited the promised land.  So our conclusion is that God’s vow was collective rather than inclusive of Jacob in a direct way. Put simply, God fulfilled his vow to Jacob by giving the land to his children. If we are willing to accept that God fulfilled his promise directly to Jacob by finally giving the land hundreds of years later to his children, then we should be willing to accept that Jacob’s tithing vow could have been fulfilled in a belated matter as well.

It is not contradictory or unorthodox to pass Jacob’s vow down to his children since it would not be the first time where a token was made and required to be observed by the following generations. Let’s read Genesis 17:10-13, “This [is] My covenant which you shall keep, between Me and you and your descendants after you: Every male child among you shall be circumcised; and you shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskins, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between Me and you. He who is eight days old among you shall be circumcised, every male child in your generations, he who is born in your house or bought with money from any foreigner who is not your descendant. He who is born in your house and he who is bought with your money must be circumcised, and My covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant. “

It is not unique for the generations that follow to inherit a covenant token that initiated with their father. These ’signs’ are declared throughout much of scripture where God’s covenant promises were commemorated by a token of some sort. Jacob’s vow to tithe was a continual promise because just as circumcision, it was based upon a continual covenant. In a few chapters prior to Jacob’s vow we have an example of Abraham’s tithe, but this was a one time gift. We also know that Abraham’s tithe was not a lifetime or continual requirement because it would not have been an available option for Jacob to offer it as a token in his promise.

Adam Clarke’s Commentary on the passage of Genesis 28 states this,Jacob seems to make this vow rather for his posterity than for himself, as we may learn from Genesis 28:13-15; for he particularly refers to the promises which God  had made to him, which concerned the multiplication of his offspring, and their establishment in that land. If, then, God  shall fulfill  these promises, he binds  his posterity to build God a house, and to devote  for the maintenance of his worship the tenth of all their earthly goods. This mode of interpretation removes that appearance of self-interest which almost any other view of the subject presents. Jacob  had certainly, long ere this, taken Jehovah for his God; and so thoroughly had he been instructed  in the knowledge  of Jehovah, that we may rest satisfied no reverses of fortune could have induced him to apostatize: but as his taking refuge with Laban was probably typical of the sojourning of his descendants in Egypt, his persecution, so as to be obliged to depart from Laban, the bad treatment of his posterity by the Egyptians, his rescue from death, preservation on his journey, re-establishment in his own country, &c., were all typical of the exodus of his descendants, their travels in the desert, and establishment in the promised  land, where they built a house to God, and where, for the support and maintenance of the pure worship of God, they gave to the priests and Levites  the tenth of all their worldly produce. If all this be understood as referring to Jacob only, the Scripture gives us no information how he performed his vow.” (source)

Adam Clarke connects a bunch of dots in his text above. He understands that there is a correlation between Jacob’s vow and the tithing laws that the Israelites were asked to obey. Notice how Clarke even shows how Jacob’s journey mirrors the journey of the Israelites out of Egypt and into the promised land.

A Powerful Argument Against Tithing

Many people are quick to use Abraham’s example of tithing prior to the law as a  model for new testament giving under grace. At some degree i can understand an argument like this, but if we also take Abraham’s example prior to the Mosaic law, then to be unbiased, we must accept Jacob’s principles of giving as well. First, we see that Jacob promised to give the tithe from the Holy Land. Second, his tithing vow did not include any income, goods, or gold. Lastly, his vow also excluded everything he had garnished prior to receiving the promised land.  If our evaluation of scripture should be consistent, shouldn’t Jacob’s example of tithing be incorporated into the model of new testament giving as well? Instead we look at how much Jacob was willing to give, and overlook what it was to be given from.

Jacob’s Vow found in the Prophets

Malachi 3:7-8 For I [am] the LORD, I do not change; Therefore you are not consumed, O sons of Jacob. Yet from the days of your fathers You have gone away from My ordinances And have not kept [them]. Return to Me (shuwb), and I will return to you,” Says the LORD of hosts. “But you said, ‘In what way shall we return?’ “Will a man rob God? Yet you have robbed Me! But you say, ‘In what way have we robbed You?’ In tithes and offerings.

I have highlighted a unique Hebrew word that is consistent with the passages regarding tithing and Jacob’s vow. Please read them here.

Genesis 31:13 I am the God of Bethel, where you anointed the pillar and where you made a vow to Me. Now arise, get out of this land, and return (shuwb) to the land of your family.

Amos 4:4-6 Come to Bethel and transgress, At Gilgal multiply transgression; Bring your sacrifices every morning, Your tithes every three days. Offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving with leaven, Proclaim [and] announce the freewill offerings; For this you love, You children of Israel!” Says the Lord GOD.  “Also I gave you cleanness of teeth in all your cities. And lack of bread in all your places; Yet you have not returned to Me (shuwb),” Says the LORD.

The key word in each of these passages is the  Hebrew word ‘shuwb’ . This word is important because of the conditions in Jacob’s vow we find in Genesis 28:20 states, “If God will be with me, and keep me in this way that I am going, and give me bread to eat and clothing to put on, so that I come back (shuwb) to my father’s house in peace, then the LORD shall be my God.”

The “return” (shuwb) of Jacob to the promised land was part of Jacob’s vow and an integral part of his condition to tithe. This is why we see that Israel never tithed when they were outside of the promised land.  The tithing vow was no longer binding as long as they did not have possession of the Holy land. This wasn’t because they didn’t have access to the crops or animals; Israel could have still given a tithe of the cattle they had in foreign lands, but because of the conditions of Jacob’s vow they were not required to.

One other thing to note, if you take the time to read these next passages, you will also see that Malachi 3:10-11 and Amos 4:5-6  are synonymous with Jacob’s statement declaring God’s provision in Genesis 28:20 for food and clothing. The features in Jacob’s tithing vow are inseparable with how tithing functioned for the nation of Israel.

The Conditions of a Vow

Even if we pass everything off so far as a coincidence we come across Leviticus 27 and find an interesting correlation. The whole chapter of Leviticus 27 addresses the proper way to manage your vows.

Bob Deffinbaugh writes a short outline on Leviticus 27 on bible.org,

  • “Vows of people—vv. 1-8
  • Vows of animals—vv. 9-13
  • Vowed houses—vv. 14-15
  • Vowed inheritance (family land) vv. 16-21
  • Vowed (non-family) land—vv. 22-25
  • Illicit vows—vv. 26-33
  • Conclusion—v. 34″

Right at the end of Leviticus in verses 29-33, God discusses how the tithe is to be handled. The ironic thing is not that tithing is found in the chapter about vows, but that you see instructions from God that treat it as a vow. The bible states that if a vow was made and you wished to redeem it, that you were to add one-fifth to it (Lev 27:13,15,19,27). The same is true with tithing. Leviticus 27:31 states, “If a man wants at all to redeem [any] of his tithes, he shall add one-fifth to it.” Why would tithing be treated as a vow if it was not a vow? Better question yet – when was tithing ever vowed prior to Leviticus 27?

Garry D. Pifer in his article titled, “Did Jacob Tithe” states this, “There are many more very clear scriptures showing that the promise God had made was not fulfilled until the Israelites crossed over the Jordan and took possession of the land of Canaan. The final and third part of Jacob’s vow, “… and of all that thou shalt give me I will surely give the tenth unto thee” would not have become valid and binding until this time. When we review God’s instructions regarding tithing found in Leviticus 27 it is so clear. He is giving instructions regarding payment of vows in this chapter. He tells them the tenth, the tithe of the land, that Jacob had vowed to give to God was “holy to the Lord.” (Lev. 27:30)

The Levitical Inheritance

I don’t know if these proceeding thoughts are conclusive my mind, and I’m not sure if this ties into everything that I’ve been discussing, but nonetheless, I wish to address a question. If the nation of Israel was promised an inheritance of land, and yet the Levites were excluded from inheriting this, how can we explain that God did not break his promise? Am I missing something here, or is this a question in your own mind as well?

Since the tithe was vowed to be given from the land Jacob inherited, I believe inheriting the tithe was an ‘indirect’ way for the levites to inherit the land of Israel.

Numbers 18:20-21 states, “Then the LORD said to Aaron: “You shall have no inheritance  in their land, nor shall you have any portion among them; I [am] your portion and your inheritance among the children of Israel. “Behold, I have given the children of Levi all the tithes in Israel as an inheritance in return for the work which they perform, the work of the tabernacle of meeting.

If Jacob was to give God back 10% of what God promised him (the land of Israel), then the tithe of the land would be a perfect way for God to fulfill his promise without giving the Levites a direct inheritance of the land. I hope this makes sense, otherwise the question would still linger (at least in my mind) on how God fulfilled his promise to the Levites without actually giving them any land inheritance.

Tearing Down the Tithing Defense

After studying the vow of Jacob and its effect on the law of tithing and Israel, i was able to get an even deeper grasp of why tithing is not commanded for the New Testament Church. I know tithing had begun with Abraham and that’s where the tithing debate begins, but debating whether or not Abraham’s tithe is required for the Church does not answer if Jacob’s tithe is required of us. After defining Jacob’s tithing vow I list five arguments made clear from this article that refute the practice of tithing in the New Covenant.

  1. Tithing was initiated from a personal vow made under the Old Covenant
  2. The tithe was to be taken from the increase of the land of Israel, and from nowhere else.
  3. Tithing was only to be given from the increase of the crops and animals and not from income, goods, or precious metals
  4. Don’t forget, these rules were made clear 400 years before the Mosaic law.
  5. Jacob’s voluntary vow proves that tithing was not a requirement prior to the law.

Conclusion

I hope many of you have found this article informative whether or not you agree with what was said. Although i had put in a good amount of time into researching and writing for this article, i am not one of those people who will take my beliefs in this article to the grave. I am pretty open minded, so if you have some input, i am willing to hear what you have to say.

Stop Tithing for Lent

Monday, February 22nd, 2010

I know, it’s a little late to stop tithing for lent. But if you haven’t started stopping anything yet, then here’s your perfect opportunity to give up tithing for lent. Many churches have started the 90 day tithing challenge. Basically, it asks you to commit to tithe for 90 days, and by the end, if you are still struggling with your bills, then the church will refund your money. Note they didn’t tell you that they will want you to open up your checking account to them so that they can analyze that you’ve spent too much on vacations, parties, or entertainment.

So, I’m throwing out the stop tithing lent challenge. Give up tithing for the next few weeks before Good Friday. This is not a challenge to stop giving. This is a challenge to begin a journey of sacrificial, spirit led giving. By the end of this journey i want to see how blessed your life has been. By the end of lent, if you feel that Spirit led, freewill giving has devastated your spiritual life, then by all means, go back to tithing (No, i’m not gonna offer any refunds)

Incompatible Systems: Tithing v. Holy Spirit

Friday, February 19th, 2010

Could you imagine if God told the Israelites to use the laws in the Roman tax code to pay for the Levitical service in the temple? I’m sure a lot of objections come to mind right now. here are a few of my objections:

  • The Roman law does not know how much resources are needed to run the temple operations
  • The Levites have no influence or authority over the Roman laws
  • Old Testament laws and the Roman laws have 2 different duties to fulfill
  • The two different statutes are just incompatible, so there would be no way to merge Roman law with the Levitical laws

Using the laws in the Roman tax code to pay for the services of the Jewish temple seems ludicrous. But, as bizarre as it may seem, the Church today is financing it’s ministries in this same bizarre fashion. We are using two separate statutes that are incompatible with one another to either govern or finance Church ministry. The Church body uses the Holy Spirit as our guide and our counsel. He is responsible for ordaining evangelists, teachers, apostles, and prophets; and yet we use a different tax code to pay for the service of these offices.

Instead of allowing the Holy Spirit to finance the same ministries that He governs, we use the tithing tax code to pay for them. Since the law used tithing to support the Levites and a type of priesthood that does not exist today; why do we use tithing to support ministries that have no connection with the law still? Here’s my objections:

The tithing law does not know how much resources are needed to run Spirit led operations.

Let me give a practical example. The U.S. Constitution delegates specific powers to our government. So naturally, our constitution delegates funding for it’s own operations. We couldn’t use the financial data from European laws to pay for U.S. government operations. So, how can we use tithing laws to finance the operations that the Holy Spirit has delegated? Tithing has no ability to predict the amount of resources that the Holy Spirit needs.

Also, what better way to confirm that a ministry was  called by the Holy Spirit, then by the same Spirit calling us to give to support it?

The Spirit led Church has no influence or authority over the tithing laws

Let’s just hypothetically say that in the Old Testament, Roman laws distributed a tithe proportionately to 10 levitical districts. What influence would the Levites have over these Roman laws if they felt a change in finances was necessary? The Levites do not have any authority over the Roman government, let alone any of the benefits of Roman citizenship. The needs of each levitical district varies year after year, but the Levites are stuck with the proportions delegated by the Roman laws.

Today, the Spirit led church has no influence over where their tithe must go. You may think that my claim is biased since the church leaders distribute the tithe and offerings after each Sunday. But I’m not talking about what Church leaders do with what others have given. I’m talking about what you do with what God has given you. You and I are the Church. Pastor Bob and his staff is not the entirety of Church operations.

According to most tithe teachers today, our tithe belongs in the local church storehouse. So, if we were to give our 10% anywhere else besides the local church, then we would be in danger of putting ourselves under the Malachi 3 curse. In some cases, our extended family could use some help with groceries this week, but choosing where our tithe can go is not our decision to make. We have no authority to change where the tithe must go, because neither the Holy Spirit, nor your ambitions have no authority to change it.

Even though Christians are to be led by the Spirit of God, what tithing really means is that once you’ve achievedthe minimum guidelines and standards, you are finally free to be Spirit led. Until then, you are under the authority of something other than the Holy Spirit.

Both the Old Covenant, and the New Covenant operations have different duties to fulfill

I’ve already stated that tithing was used to support the Levitical system and a type of priesthood that does not exist today. Tithing financed the duties of Levites in the Old Testament who held governmental positions, couldn’t own land, were guards, and also treasurers of the cities. The tithe in the Old Testament was their government welfare system and also funded multiple yearly festivals. The tithe did not pay for any salaries, nor did the tithe did not go towards any buildings or programs.

There is no way that tithing could have been integrated into a completely different New Testament system without any instructions in the bible on how to modify or migrate tithing into the Spirit led Church. The new testament Church is not the old testament system donning a new costume; so why should tithing be slipped under the cloak of the New Covenant legislation?

In the Old Testament, worship for the Israelites, Levites, and Priests was instructed through the Law. There was no question as to who was to serve, where you were to serve, and how long. This systematic worship, and governance made it quite simple to use a tithe to finance these straight-forward instructions. If the new covenant had laws that dictated who the ministerial class was going to be, as well as where and when they served; then i could see no problem with implementing a systematic way of financing that legalistic operation.

In the New Testament, because we all participate in the operations of priestly worship, our duties are not clear-cut for us. We are all given gifts that differ according to the delegations of the Holy Spirit. Since we all have duties of the priests, there is no Levitical class, there is no priestly portions. We do not have instructions written on who is to serve, how long, or where. The Holy Spirit is spontaneous, and radical. But please take note, that we have the responsibility to develop plans and create order. Spirit led giving is not the presence of anarchy and chaos.

The Holy Spirit and tithing are just incompatible

You cannot use water to fuel a combustion engine, and neither can we expect tithing to fuel the Spirit filled Church. The restrictions of tithing make it impossible to coordinate with the spontaneous and radical movements of the Holy Spirit. You cannot expect a dead, static law, such as tithing, to be fully compatible with a living, spiritual organism.

God’s children are born of the Spirit, so the letter of the law is dead. Nothing screams “letter” more loudly than prescribing a mathematical formula for our worship towards God. Seriously, what other aspect of our worship are we obligated to perform a minimum standard? Name me one – praying, serving, preaching, witnessing, attendance . . . ? Also, name me one spiritual gift, besides giving, where there is a minimum standard attached to it? Could tithing be any less discreet about it’s form of legalism? Tithing IS the definition of legalism! The letter and the Spirit do not mix.

Conclusion

Could you imagine if God told the Church to use the laws in the Roman tax code to pay for the ministries in His Church? It sounds ludicrous! So, stop trying to be a church that is governed by Julius Caesar and be a Church that is governed by the Holy Spirit and the Word of God – Jesus Christ.

The Crack Tithing Addiction

Monday, February 8th, 2010

You know of anyone who has been addicted to drugs? I’ve had a couple family members that had been on drugs for quite some time. It’s a sad thing to see. The worst part happens when they need a fix and can’t get their hands on their drugs. They break out in sweat while worry, fear, anger, and panic overcome them. Manipulation and rage are usually the consequences of their complete dependence. For those of you who might not understand; your brother or your sister, whom you’ve known your whole life, might as well be your enemy. They will do the most vile and manipulative things to you and your family in order to get their fix. My cousin (who is dead now), at one time stole all his brothers and sister’s presents on Christmas eve and sold them to buy his drugs! I don’t want to go on an anti-drug rant here, but i do want to show you the affects of addiction.

Many times, in my discussions about tithing, i get a lot of comments about how all the churches would close their doors and all the pastors would leave if we did not have tithing. They feel that the survival of the Church is completely dependent upon the enforcement of the tithing law. Without this tithing law, the church would just shrivel up into nothing. Just the thought of getting rid of tithing causes panic.

Many are so absorbed into the enforcement of the tithing law, that they do not even realize that they are many examples in the bible of ministries thriving without any signs of the tithing being enforced. As a matter of fact, there’s no sign of tithing in the new testament to support any ministry. Not that the absence of tithing is argument for my beliefs, but the fact that people can’t believe the Church can operate without tithing is ignorance to me.

These people are so addicted to tithing that they will come up with the most manipulative things to say in order to get you to tithe. They will threaten you with excommunication, curses from God, and even losing your salvation.

I have enough to worry about with my own finances let alone worrying about some church keeping open their doors.

Let me share a part of my testimony. I lived in a home and a church that always tithed, so as i grew up, i did so as well; even without question. So as i was confronted with the challenge to defend tithing, i began study on my own what the bible had to say. My mind quickly changed about what i believed about tithing.

Although i knew tithing was not commanded, i struggled with the truth for a while. It took me a while to get over the shallow guilt and my conscience. As i look back, it’s sad to see the bondage that i was under. As a former addict, I truly felt that i was a slave, and now i finally feel how it is to be free.

One look at the bible, and you can tell that money is an important subject. It is the most talked about subject in the bible. Because of the bible’s emphasis on finances, and the ability for materialism and money to corrupt, i began to feel that tithing is probably the number one vice of the church. I began to see how churches were so addicted money and the power of tithing to produce it. It is almost as if they would go through withdrawal if tithing were relinquished.

Why is the Church so addicted to money? Is tithing our way of manipulating our brothers and sisters every week so that way we can get our fix? Not that money is evil but can you and i really live off of every word from the mouth of God, or must we feed the money monster ever week in order to get through our withdrawals? I don’t know, you tell me!

Misconception about Jacob’s Tithing Vow

Monday, January 11th, 2010

I know there are a majority who disagree with what I’m about to say. Even some of those who believe the same thing as I do – that tithing is not required, will disagree with me about this.

I do not believe that Jacob’s tithing vow in Genesis 28 was deceptive or manipulative. I believe that unclear translation, and preconceived notions about Jacob have implanted wrong assumptions. Before i run through my analysis Let’s quickly overview the scenario leading up to the events of Jacob’s vow:

Jacob just found a resting place to sleep after deceiving Esau out of his birthright and running away. During his sleep, Jacob had a dream in which God promised him multiple blessings. After the dream, Jacob wakes up, renames this place to “bethel” and makes a vow to God. – That should do it for a quick synopsis.

First, I believe that many translations of Genesis 28 interpret Jacob’s vow unclearly. Here’s what the NKJV states, “Then Jacob made a vow, saying, ‘If God will be with me, and keep me in this way that I am going, and give me bread to eat and clothing to put on, so that I come back to my father’s house in peace…’”

I believe the unclear translation comes with one simple little word in that passage – “If”. Let’s reword that passage and use a more clear translation of what I (IMHO) believe it should say. “And Jacob vowed a vow, saying, SINCE God will be with me, and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat, and raiment to put on, So that I come again to my father’s house in peace”.

Let’s not forget that God JUST finished stating those exact promises to Jacob in the dream- “the land on which you lie I will give to you . . . I am with you, and will keep you in all places . . . . and will bring you back to this land”.

We can see that the phrase- “if God’, is constantly misused throughout many other biblical passages:
Romans 8:31 “What then shall we say to these things? If God [is] for us, who [can be] against us?”
2 Peter 2:4 “For if God did not spare the angels who sinned”
1 John 4:11 “Beloved, if God so loved us”

Really,IF” God loves us? Hmmmm. I believe “SINCE” God loves us would be a more clear translation.

Let’s not just take my word for it. here are some others who agree

Young’s Literal Translation states the beginning of Genesis 28:20 as this, “And Jacob voweth a vow, saying, `Seeing God is with me, and hath kept me in this way which I am going…”

Warren W. Wiersbe in his Old Testament bible commentary states, “The ‘If’ found in many translations of verse 20 can also be read ’since.’ Jacob wasn’t making a bargain with God. He was affirming his faith in God”

In “Exploring Genesis: An Expository Commentary” by John Phillips it states, “And Jacob vowed a vow saying, If God will be with me [or better, 'since God will be with me'; he is not using the language of uncertainty, but of assurance]“.

“Jamieson, Fausset & Brown” states, “Jacob vowed a vow–His words are not to be considered as implying a doubt, far less as stating the condition or terms on which he would dedicate himself to God. Let “if” be changed into “since,” and the language will appear a proper expression of Jacob’s faith–an evidence of his having truly embraced the promise.”

Although Adam Clarke’s commentary does not change the terminology of the passage he does state, “This mode of interpretation removes that appearance of self-interest which almost any other view of the subject presents. Jacob had certainly, long ere this, taken Jehovah for his God;”

As a final example, Matthew Henry confirms this meaning by rephrasing Jacob’s words this way, “Seeing God will be with me, and will keep me. . .and seeing he has promised to bring me again to this land”

Jacob didn’t add any amendments to God’s promises, so where do we find that Jacob makes any bargain? For instance, If i told you that I’m going to buy a brand new car, and you responded back by demanding a new car as if it was your idea, i would think you were a little wacky. It wasn’t Jacob that drafted the terms of God’s promises. Jacob’s response was telling God – “since you are doing that, then i will do this”

The other preconceived notion is that Jacob was being deceptive in his vow. Yes, i believe that Jacob was deceptive at times; but there is no indication that deception was in his heart at that time. As a matter of fact, scripture says quite the opposite. Once Jacob awoke from his dream the bible says he had fear – “Surely the LORD is in this place; and I knew [it] not. And he was afraid, and said, How dreadful [is] this place! this [is] none other but the house of God”

Another situation that clouds our assumptions is that many correlate Jacob’s vow with Jepthah’s careless vow in Judges 11 where he promises God, “If you give the Ammonites into my hands,  whatever comes out of the door of my house to meet me when I return in triumph from the Ammonites will be the LORD’s, and I will sacrifice it as a burnt offering.”

Jepthah’s vow was made out of uncertainty and not of assurance. It was foolish, and he thought he could use a token from his possessions to persuade God to give him victory. Jacob’s vow was not used as a bargaining chip in this way.

As you can see, Jacob immediately named that place “bethel”, fulfilling his vow in vs. 22. In chapter 35, he commands that his family put away the strange gods, therefore affirming that the LORD was his God. Two-third’s of Jacob’s vow was just fulfilled without God completely fulfilling his promises. Did Jephthah do the same?

Jacob didn’t fulfill one portion of his vow, and that was because he couldn’t. God stated, “the land on which you lie I will GIVE to you and your descendants”, so once you look at what Jacob promised, “of all that you GIVE me, i will surely give a tenth unto thee”; you find that Jacob had promised to tithe off of what he received from the promised land. It’s kind of hard to give a tithe of the promised land, when you haven’t inherited it yet.

Like i said, many people disagree with me about this issue, but there’s no scripture to back up the claim that Jacob was bargaining or being deceptive with God. As i stated above, scripture is clear in saying Jacob had fear in his heart, not deception. Second, these demands did not originate from Jacob, they came from God. Third, the word “if” is unclear in many other passages in many bible translations.

I hope this helps some of you. I don’t want to just throw out my opinion here so that’s why i compared this translation with other scriptures, and used scriptures to also determine the attitude that Jacob had in his heart at the time.

Please continue to read the second part of this study titled, Jacob’s Tithing Vow. This next article will help you grasp a deeper understanding of the vow of Jacob.

- jared