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Jared Brian

Where Does the New Testament Command Us Not to Tithe?

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It’s been a while since our last post but i want to continue our ‘Tithing on Trial’ series, we will evaluate the most common tithing arguments used to defend its practice.

The main argument is that because the New Testament does not tell us to stop tithing, this means that God wants us to continue tithing. This is one of the most immature excuses used to require tithing. Have you ever done something stupid when you were a child and then make the excuse to your parents, “You didn’t tell me not to do it”? How did that work for an excuse to get you out of trouble? Well, this excuse doesn’t work for tithing either. Just because there is no verse that states, “Thou shalt stop tithing” does not issue a license to continue it’s practice. The New Testament (NT) wasn’t written because God needed to explain how to reverse all the Old Testament (OT) laws one by one.

The NT Wasn’t Written to Reverse the OT

There are 613 laws and commandments listed in the Torah. Do you think the New Testament should go through each of these and pick and choose which ones are applicable?

Let’s use circumcision as an example. Most of us commonly agree that circumcision is no longer required in the New Testament and we agree so easily because circumcision was clearly repealed in the New Testament. The bible is pretty cut and dry and plain as day on the issue; but what about addressing all the other laws? It’s unnecessary to address the other laws and in reality it was unnecessary to address circumcision either. You have to ask yourself, “What is the real reason why we don’t require circumcision?” If there was no verse that clearly repealed circumcision as a requirement would you still practice it? The answer would be, “No”, many of us would still not require circumcision. And the reason is that we don’t really base our doctrine on what Paul/Peter/Jesus didn’t say, we base it on what Jesus did.

Jesus’ act on the cross and the fulfillment of the laws is why we don’t practice circumcision. Even if there wasn’t a single word uttered about circumcision in the New Testament, we should be able to deduct that circumcision is not a New Testament practice. I think most of us can make that logical connection with circumcision, but why can’t we do the same with a mechanical, calculated practice called tithing? All of a sudden the actions of Christ on the cross is voided because we don’t have solid concrete proof slapping us in the face telling us to “QUIT TITHING!”

I’m not trying to throw out scripture, but the truth of the matter is that there were 613 Old Testament laws listed in the Old Testament while many of them were not addressed again in the New Testament. So you can whine about my effort to discount the lack of scripture; but it’s just hypocrisy unless you actually obey many of the 613 laws that were not addressed in the NT.

My argument here is based on the fact that the law is clearly repealed and that tithing is part of the law. Why should i find a verse that specifically ends tithing, when I can find plenty of proof that tithing is in fact part of the law? There are Old Testament laws that are specifically mentioned and ended in the New Testament, so it is through these examples we can determine the principles we should apply to all the laws in scripture.

Other Old Testament Laws that Were Not Repealed in the New Testament

  1. Deuteronomy 23:2 – Don’t let illegitimate children in the Assembly of God
  2. Deuteronomy 25:5-10 – If your brother dies, you have to marry his wife so she can have a son.
  3. Deuteronomy 25:11-12 – If a woman hurts a man’s testicles, you should cut off her hand
  4. Deuteronomy 21: 20-21 – You can beat your slave within an inch of his life.
  5. Leviticus 15:19 – A woman must be quarantined for 7 days if she’s on her period.
  6. Leviticus 19:19 – Don’t mix cotton with polyester in your clothes.
  7. Leviticus 21:5 – Ministers can’t shave their head or their beard
  8. Leviticus 21:16-23 – No one with a defect can approach the altar of God.
  9. Numbers 8:24 – Ministers can only serve if they are older than 25, and the can’t serve more than 25 years.
  10. Leviticus 20:9 – Rebellious children are to be put to death.

I’m sure you’ve heard many of those laws mentioned before and you don’t even blink twice at them. I’m sure you pass them off as part of the Mosaic law and if need be you recite some of these statements below in your defense.

  • “Where the Spirit of the Lord is there is freedom”
  • “If you are led by the Spirit you are not under the law”
  • “Follow the Spirit of the law, not the letter”
  • “We are not under the law, we are under grace”
  • “We are delivered from the law, Christ has made us free”
  • “Christ nailed the ordinances against us on the tree”.  .  . etc

These statements are great to use to exempt yourself from circumcision, shaving ministers’ beards, beating slaves, mixing clothing, or eating unclean meats. But for some reason, these exemptions are powerless to stand up against the 10% benchmark. Strange, don’t you think?

Why Shouldn’t We Require Offerings?

Offerings began even sooner than the practice of tithing did, but no one seems to be preaching about them as a requirement. There were five main offerings required in the Old Testament

  • Burnt Offering – Voluntary act of worship; atonement for unintentional sin in general
  • Meal Offering – Voluntary act of worship; recognition of God’s goodness and provisions
  • Peace Offering – Voluntary act of worship; thanksgiving and fellowship
  • Sin Offering – Mandatory atonement for specific unintentional sin
  • Tresspass Offering – Mandatory atonement for unintentional sin requiring restitution

Besides these five main offerings in the Old Testament, there were also additional offerings given during these events

  • New moon
  • Feast of Unleavened Bread – 7 Offerings,  7 days Total
  • Feast of Weeks
  • Feast of Trumpets
  • The Day of Atonement
  • Feast of Tabernacles – 7 Offerings,  7 days Total
  • The Last Great Day

Even though the Peace offering is not an obligation to us anymore, it was never stopped in the New Testament. If we are basing church practices on Old Testament exemptions, can someone explain why we are required to offer a tithe and not required to offer anything else? Of all the focus on stewardship in the bible, does our selection make sense?

How Does the New Testament Teach us to Give?

The New Testament doesn’t tell us to stop tithing, but it does give guidelines and example on how we should give. Here are a list of bible verses that talk about giving

  • 2 Corinthians 9:7 – Decide in your heart what to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion. Give cheerfully.
  • Acts 20:35 – Work in order to help the weak, and It is more blessed to give than receive
  • Acts 2:44-47 – Giving to those who had need and sharing with others as if all things were common with one another
  • 2 Corinthians 8:1-24 – The joy of the Macedonians allowed their giving to go beyond their means
  • Acts 4:32 – There was no feeling that their possessions were their own as owners sold land and gave to those in need
  • Hebrews 13:16 – Do good and share with others
  • 1 Timothy 6:17-19 – Be willing to share & rich in good deeds
  • 2 Corinthians 9:6-12 – If you sow sparingly you’ll reap sparingly
  • 1 John 3:17 – If you don’t give to someone in need, God’s love does not abide in you.
  • Galatians 6:2 – Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.
  • Romans 12:13 – Distribute to the needs of the saints and be hospitable
  • Philippians 4:15-17 – Provide for ministers of God.
  • Romans 12:8 – Giving is a Spiritual gift that should be used liberally
  • 1 Peter 4:8-10 – Be hospitable. Use our abilities to share with one another.
  • John 3:16 – Of course the greatest example of giving made by God for giving his only son (his everything)

There are so many verses and examples about how we should give. In all honesty, the list of verses above outline a daunting task for us. I look at those verses and can’t help but think that these early Church believers were super-Christians. How they felt about their possessions and having all things in common blows my mind. Not that I’m all for throwing our money in a pot and redistributing, but I just want to have the mentality that what’s mine is not really mine, but is yours also.

The New Testament clearly shows that our giving should be sacrificial, cheerful, liberal, and consistent. This doesn’t exclude 10% minimum, but neither does it include it. One thing I know for sure is that Jesus’ example of giving and the example of his love should inspire me to give beyond my ability, and I struggle with that.

You Be the Judge

Now that the evidence has been given in this court of law, it is your turn to decide

Should we continue tithing since the New Testament doesn't tell us to stop?

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Tithing Is For Dummies

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We already know that Tithing is for Pagans and it is also for Sissies, but the practice of Tithing is also for Dummies too. Hopefully, by the end of this enlightening article, I’ll take you to school to wisen you up and then you’ll finally realize that being a sacrificial, Spirit-led giver is much smarter than being a tither.

Tithing is a No Brainer

No Brain

It almost takes no forethought to be a tither. Once you get your paycheck, move the decimal one place to the left, and voila! You have your 10%. Sign your check, lick the envelope, and place in the offering plate. Paying your utility bill isn’t even this easy. God gave his son, who sacrificed his life to seek a complex relationship with us, and we find it acceptable that worship with our possessions is this effortless.

Some people view tithing’s no-brainer as a positive thing: It’s simple, and straightforward with no gray lines. You would have to be stupid to mess tithing up. Sometimes simplicity can be attributed to wisdom, but God did not develop the concept of a tithe because he distrusted our capability to navigate through more complex matters.

With tithing, churches have very little concern about congregational funds being delegated to more deserving charities. While the dogma of tithing reigns supreme over financial stability, liberty is thwarted.

The minute that dictators see people think for themselves is when they get nervous. Mass brainwashing is imperative if you seek control over the finances of a group of people. Sheep are stupid and so are people, so pulpit preachers relish the idea of basic, straightforward instruction to command the people to perform. No questions are usually asked about what to give, where to give, and who to give it to; so this ‘no brainer’ mentality is extremely convenient.

Why is Simplicity Bad?

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The problem is two-fold.

The first is that leaders desire to control more than they desire faith. Those who give, are exercising faith because their finances are tested due to the strain on their budgets; but the leaders, the ones who set the examples, are the beneficiaries of a law requiring a minimum 10%. This was a fine law in the Old Testament because the ministers (Levites) were under the restrictions of the Law as well. They were equal participants with the legalities of tithing because they could not own land, nor have an occupation. By law, they were required to serve in the office of a Levite. Levites never felt led by the Holy Spirit to start a ministry since the law required them to serve regardless. Naturally, the same code of laws that the Levites were assigned to serve, were the same laws that the Israelites were assigned to provide. Today we’ve implemented a hybrid system of Old Testament laws that are imposed on God’s children, but that is not imposed on the leaders. This is bad for our leadership.

The second problem is that givers miss out on the pursuit of God. I alluded to this earlier by illustrating how simple tithing is. It’s just a simple 10%. There is no need to pray about how much, where, or who to donate to. Just sign your check and forget about it. For those who can easily afford their tithe, then their contributions are hardly beneficial to their spiritual well-being. Their tithe is simply a gesture, rather than something more meaningful. As I stated before, God is seeking a complex relationship with us. This does not include worship that requires almost zero interaction.

Tithing is for Gullible People

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Tithing is not an exclusive Christian doctrine. Many other religions practice tithing or some form of a minimum requirement for giving. In reality, I don’t need to be born again in order to tithe to my God. Many will give for their religion if they are forced to, or if they feel there are benefits for their giving. I’m sure you pay taxes, but does that mean your relationship with your government is the same as your relationship with your God?

Godly giving is done right when it is in response to love and grace. I can portray a loving, generous heart through my tithing because I feel there is no other choice; but when I am not required to give, and yet I give sacrificially – now that shows I am genuine and not counterfeit. Most gullible believers feel that our generosity is what separates us from other religions, but this couldn’t be further from the truth. What separates us is our ability to give without any obligation, and to use love as our law instead of ordinances. Before you think I’m trying to throw out the bible, let me remind you that most of you reading this practice generosity towards a spouse or your children the way I’m encouraging you to give to God. You don’t need an ordinance that dictates your obligations to your loved ones; more than likely you are giving to your loved ones out in response to your love for them. If we don’t need ordinances dictating our generosity towards our horizontal relationships, then why would we need these ordinances if we truly are in love with our vertical relationship?

Enforced giving cloaks the true intentions of why most people give. I’ll be the first to admit when some people realize that they are not required to tithe, they stop giving altogether. Does this mean that they will be blessed for their tithe in the past, but now going forward God will be displeased? What makes you think that God blesses an obedient, although reluctant, giver? So, why in the world would God value tithing as a minimum requirement?

I know that individuals are capable of tithing with a good heart. I’m not saying these people are counterfeit. I’m talking about those who cloak themselves behind the self-righteous act of tithing. Tithing can incubate artificial love.

If you think tithing is protecting your finances, or if you believe its saving you from the devour, then you are dumber than I thought. Tithing doesn’t do any of that.  Do you think the Pharisees were under the blessing of God because of their tithing? Jesus called the Pharisees many names, but to put it in modern terms, they were just a bunch of dummies.

Believe it or not, you can be under the curse of the law for tithing. Some of you think you are saving your finances, but in turn, you are destroying them. How could you be so gullible? Galatians states, “For all who rely on the works of the law are under a curse”. If you don’t think tithing is a command under the law, then you are even more gullible than i thought.

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Tithing is for These Dummies Too

Have you ever had a conversation with a dummy? I’m not talking about a real person. I’m talking about a doll or manikin that is controlled by someone. Unless you are sitting in a psyche ward reading this, then I’m sure your answer is – No. U can’t have a conversation with a dummy because they are not living beings. They may appear living by their appearance or because they are being manipulated by another source but they are still dead objects.

An individual that is dictated by tithing is the same as this manikin. Let me explain. God’s purpose in tearing down the veil was to establish a relationship and personal communion with himself. Originally Israel’s worship and obedience were mandated through the law and prophets. Israel’s worship was basically spelled out for them. Just like a puppet All that was needed was compliance. There was no praying or consultation about what the right thing was to do. They didn’t need to wonder how much money the Levites needed this week or how much the poor needed. Israel didn’t need to pray about how much to give or to seek out those who needed help. All this guessing work was already done for them. They just needed to show up and do their duty. Israel’s job description is the same job as a dummy since they didn’t have much control over what they were supposed to be doing.  The most complex function of tithing was taking the time to count out the tithe each harvest.

A dummy (puppet, manikin) does not consult with its master about its daily activities because a dummy does not communicate. In the old testament, Israel did not have direct or intimate communication with God. The Holy of Holies was their direct line of communication, and only a priest could enter. The good news is that Jesus died to provide us a line of communication to the Father through him. The veil was torn, and as soon as it did, the strange communication barrier that once separated the master from his followers had vanished.

Not only had the veil been torn and a line of communication established, but on top of that God also sent us his Spirit to guide us. He would guide us to serve, give, pray, worship, counsel, and teach. The law’s purpose to lead God’s people into worship had been fulfilled, and the purpose of the Holy Spirit guiding and directing the Church began. We no longer were puppets being dictated by the strings of the law; we became children of the master and walked side by side to help us understand his will in real time.

I’m not saying that tithers are dead or not born again. I’m saying that worshiping God through tithing is preventing them from communication with him and hindering a more intimate relationship. As I said before, dummies don’t communicate with their master because they don’t have the ability. We are given the ability, through the Holy Spirit, and the means, through the torn veil to communicate with God in the most ideal way; but here we are satisfied with worshiping God with the automated task of tithing. We’ve stitched back the two pieces of the torn veil because we’ve become scared to liberate generosity in the Church.

Conclusion

Spirit-led giving takes prayer, fellowship, and dedication. It is the most radical way to give. Because of the focus and energy required to exercise Spirit-led giving, it is not a simple task. Although tithing is a no-brainer, I can see that it may be impossible or difficult on the budgets, but when it comes to seeking God’s will tithing takes no thought or prayer. If you want to remain gullible, Be my guest.  Just remember that tithing doesn’t fool God about your heart, and neither does tithing protect you; actually it’s the opposite. Lastly, tithing is for dummies who find comfort in the strings of law, and who also wish to keep their distance from intimate relationships with God.

P.S. Read more in the “Tithing is for” series
Tithing is for Pagans
Tithing is for Sissies
Tithing is for Dummies
Tithing is for Liberals
Tithing is for Zombies
Tithing is for Couch Potatoes
Tithing is for Scrooges

Mark Driscoll on Tithing

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UPDATED – August 31, 2016

I originally wrote this blog post in 2013 that was highlighting Mark Driscoll’s support for tithing. But I’ve just come across a video posted on august 29, 2016 of Mark Driscoll seemingly disagreeing with tithing in the church. Here is a link to the article on the RealFaith.com website. You can also watch the video below or if you just want to see the relevant parts, I’ve quoted those below the video.

Here are some quotes

“When It comes to the new testament you’ll hear more about generous, sacrificial, cheerful, regular giving and places like 2 Corinthians 8 & 9, you’ll hear it in terms of worship, like in Philippians it’s a gift of sacrifice that is given financially unto the Lord. But it’s not necessarily – I don’t believe – clearly 10% in the New Testament”

“in so far as percentages and stuff, the bible doesn’t clearly say”

“In the New Covenant it doesn’t set an amount, but I would say it’s good to ask the Lord, “Lord, it’s your money – wealth. What do you want me to do with it? How much do you want me to give to the church? How much to missionaries? How much to the poor? How much to those in need?”…”

“I’m not gonna tell you what percentage, but I believe the Holy Spirit will if you get time with him and ask him and pray to him and I’m sure that he would be very happy to help you figure out the number that God has for you.”

Updated (8/31/16):
Originally posted 11/16/2013

Mark Driscoll gets tithing wrong.

The original videos that were posted have been removed.

Let’s look at some quotes

The issue is never the dollars, always the devotion.

Of course, tithing is about the dollars, otherwise, why would we be talking about the tithe at all. I don’t know of any tithe teachers who believe as long as you tried to give a tithe, then that’s all that matters. A tither believes that a minimum of 10% belongs to God and if it’s not given, the devour will be after their finances.

Is Tithing a Sacrifice?

Mark Driscoll related tithing with sacrificial giving numerous times. But how can ‘sacrificial’ and ‘tithing’ be synonymous when everyone’s income and financial level drastically differ? Let me explain. If a rich person gave 10% and if a poor person gave 10%, how much more sacrificial is the poor person’s 10%? Could you consider the rich person to be sacrificial at all?

Our definition of sacrifice is so distorted because most of us are fairly spoiled. Most spoiled people have a strong lust for possessions. So in our eyes, sacrifice might not mean that we gave much. It could mean that we gave very little but had to fight our urges to keep all of it.  Let me be clear, the extent to which you had to overcome your lust in order to give is not also the extent of your sacrifice. We act as if overcoming our sinful nature adds points to our scoreboard. Most Americans (or other 1st world countries) look at their sacrifices in this way – “God I really wanted that 85-inch flat-screen LED 3D TV, but I know that would be selfish so I did not buy it.” Inconvenience does not equate to sacrificial. !0% is sacrificial to some, but not all.

Is Tithing and First Fruits the Same Thing?

10% of your gross not your net. The bible calls it firstfruits. You give first and best to God.

Any half-intelligent person who has studied tithing would know this is just an apparent false statement. There’s no debate about gross vs net tithing. It’s not even questionable. Here are two clear points

  1. Israel was not required to tithe on their first or the best. Leviticus 27:32-33 says clearly that the tenth (not the first) animal was set aside as the tithe. And that they were not to search whether it was good or bad.
  2. The first fruit offering was a completely separate gift, offered at a completely separate time, with a completely separate purpose & meaning. The tithe and the first fruit offering were never synonymous in the bible.

I could go into even more evidence disproving the relation to tithing and first fruits, but i would just be beating a horse that is inanimate, breathless, and without all other signs of life. This is not an argument about whether or not God deserves the best. It’s all His, so He deserves the best & worst and first & last.

You don’t have to be a scholar to see that Mark Driscoll (modern church movement leader) is wrong about something so clear and simply written in the bible. Has the guy even read the parts about tithing? I could see how people put on the blinders when it comes to defending tithing, but to also be wrong about first fruit offerings means there’s a habitual problem.

The Tithing Apocalypse

zombie with money

Money tends to place people under some sort of spell. We become zombies and will destroy our closest relatives to satisfy our craving for it. We tend to lose our soul, sanity, and intellect just for the sake of controlling the flow of money. Because of money, thorough preachers will nonchalantly read past scripture when they typically are exhaustive.

Bad doctrine by influential speakers spreads like an apocalyptic disease. The effects consume quickly and efficiently, but to reverse course takes so much effort and time. Hopefully one day Mark Driscoll will get tithing right. The chances of us finding a cure for this tithing zombie apocalypse seem pretty slim at this point.

Wrong Reasons Believers Give To Your Church

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Just came across a post found on pastors.com written by Rick Warren titled, “8 Reasons Believers Give to Your Church”. I found it by going to one of my frequently visited sites – http://fbcjaxwatchdog.blogspot.com/ In the article Warren gives 8 motivating factors that pastors can utilize to drive individuals to give. I read the article purely out of curiosity, but as I read over it, i became infuriated. I’m fine with some of the points, but there were three points where i couldn’t believe what i was reading. if you just want to stop right here and not be bothered with a Rick Warren rant, I’ve got an even more interesting article for you to read that is not tainted by the modern Christian movement – Reasons Why You Should Tithe

Point #2: People Give When They See A Vision, Not When They See A Need.

At Saddleback, we’ve never had a vision for a building, but rather for what the building can help us do. We’ve never had a vision for raising money, but rather for what the money can do. Emphasize the lives that will be changed as people give – the marriages that will be saved, the broken people that are going to be put back together, the people who will break addictions, the changed lives that will happen. That’s the vision!

You know what this is about? This is about deceiving people to see a carnal motive in a spiritual way. This is what is called a wolf in sheep’s clothing.  I really don’t want to diminish the value of resources and money, because i do know that lives are changed through them and that they are needed. But the truth is that very little money and resources see the light of day after it has been placed in the offering plate. How do we trick people into thinking that we’re trying to change millions of lives when all it’s really gonna do is benefit our petty membership?

Rick, If you’re audience struggles with focusing on buildings instead of the people, then i’m sorry Rick, either you have a bad audience that is in the wrong ‘occupation’, or you are the wrong leader. If pastor’s have to be told that they need to focus on people not on the buildings or the money, then the church is doomed and so is your audience. What an enlightening point about the condition of pastors in the Church.

My sister’s house just burned down a couple days ago. She asked some people for help. She told me that tons of people are coming out of the woodworks to help her. To me, this is Church. Do you think the world takes notice of Jesus when they look at all the campaigns we have tricked Church members to pay for? Or do they notice Jesus more when believers come together to care for each other? People don’t give when they see a need? Pssh! this is a joke!

Rick is wrong. People should give when they see a need. But right now, they see a bloated, fat, glutenous church, so they need to be tricked into believing that the Church isn’t really bloated and fat we are just big-boned and although we eat a lot, we actually burn a lot of those calories.  So the pastors put the blinders on and attempt to hide the fact that all our needs are met, so they go on this tangent about vision, future, and potential. it’s a bunch of hogwash.

Point #4 People Give When They are Inspired by Models

We learn best by watching models. That’s why a testimony about giving is a thousand times more effective than a sermon on giving. Models motivate us. Giving is contagious. So I encourage people to write down and send me their testimonies, how they decided to give, and what they were giving.

One of the disgusting things about the WHOLE article is that there’s not a single mention of ‘Jesus’. NOPE. Not One! You would think that in this point alone you could write paragraphs about the example of Christ. but actually the quote above was all that was written about Models.

I understand that Testimonials have their place, but you can read about frustrations about these emotional testimonials here. People want to hear sappy stories about giving. Jesus example of giving was a lot of pain & anguish, but this type of sacrifice makes us uncomfortable. We want to hear warm and fuzzy stories that make me excited about giving. Jesus flippin sweat drops of blood for his gift, what in the world are we trying to instill in the hearts of people? At least here in the US We are a bunch of sissies. We want to give our little pennies and go about our smurfy lives. la-la-lalalala-la-lala-la-la

How about dedicating one of the 8 points – Reason Believers Give to Your Church: Jesus. Yeah. um how about that? How about a little Jesus? I guess he’s not good enough. We’ve gotta find some creative ways to figure out how to give. Way to think outside the box there Rick. I’ve gotta hand it to your creative team for coming up with some good points and missing the #1 point.

In the Church we’ve lowered ourselves to finding tactics to get people to serve, worship, and give. Pathetic! Disgusting! Nauseating!

Point #7 People Give When You Make it Possible for Them to Give

Teach people that they can either give by reason or by revelation. Giving by reason means this – I look at what I have, I figure out what’s reasonable and I commit that amount. It doesn’t take any faith to give by reason. I just figure out what can I afford to give. Giving by revelation means I determine my gift by praying “Lord, what do You want to give through me?” This requires faith. When you give by revelation, you’re committing an act of worship and saying, “How much am I willing to trust God?”

I won’t go into this too deeply because FBC Jax Watchdog did so wonderfully here, but this quote above coming from Rick Warren, who believes in tithing, I am somewhat shocked. Giving by reason is what tithing is, and he is against reason? I’m confused by this man. Tithing is just a matter of calculating 10%. There is no prayer or thought about giving a tenth. Seems pretty straightforward and simple. So how can Rick support tithing and yet oppose giving by reason? Tithing is a cerebral reaction to giving. You can’t get more reasonable than that.

Beware of The Big Green Monster

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Probably the most criticism I receive about this site is not the fact that I am against tithing. This may seem surprising considering that the tithing (so-called) doctrine is so near-and-dear to many. Actually, the number one criticism I receive about this site comes from both sides of the aisle. Both tithe-liberators and tithe-advocates actually come down hard on me about this. Quite frankly, it’s a bit cumbersome to constantly justify myself, so I’ve decided to write a post that defends my case once and for all. Some of you may be reading this that have already confronted me about this – I don’t mean to offend, it’s just that I am a plain-speaking person. So, I’m not holding back my feelings.

The issue that I am criticized the most about is that I do not talk about generosity more often. More or less, it seems that my message is “Don’t do” rather than “Do this.” Basically, the criticism is that I should be spending my time thinking about what we should be doing instead of what we should NOT be doing. I can understand why people would feel this way.

Turning on the Light Bulb

When I was first studying tithing years ago, I came across a slew of resources that taught against it. The balance on the scale was tipped pretty heavy towards the “anti-tithing” message more than it was for “pro-giving.” The reason I read so many resources about “anti-tithing” was that I was searching for answers solely about the doctrine of tithing. Quite frankly, when you look for studies on tithing you find so little that support its view; and the little you do find, it is shallow and minute. With the amount of time that is spent talking about tithing in sermons, you wouldn’t believe that the research done in support of it is extremely anemic.

Nonetheless, as I was studying tithing, I knew sacrificial generosity was required. How could anyone be talked out of this if they themselves have been redeemed by the shed blood of our savior? By all accounts and measures, i had been a generous person. This truth to me was common knowledge. I knew that God wanted me to give and wanted me to give sacrificially because i knew how God gave to me. I completely understood that Jesus and his Father sacrificed everything to give to me, so out of love I felt an obligation to do the same in return. What I didn’t know was that my method for giving was a complete error. What I also didn’t know was that learning the truth about tithing taught me more about generosity than anything else I had read before and anything I have read since.

Learning the truth about tithing turned on a light bulb for me. I viewed my friends, family, and complete strangers differently simply because the bondage of tithing had been broken. Unexpectedly freeing a person does something in their hearts and minds that cannot be duplicated any other way. A response to grace is a power that cannot be broken. Motivation by fear, legalism, and incentives can all be broken because there is always something that can scare, threaten, or bribe you more.

My message is not about teaching generosity. To be honest, I feel that comes naturally when someone feels love, or when someone receives grace. When I broke tqwdqdaweraeraseasrerse[ me to give from my heart and not from my calculator were enlightening to my life.

I don’t need sermons from my wife and reminders from her about giving. When I see her grace and her freedom and her willingness to give to me, it is only natural for my heart to give to her.

Must I prod, poke, and push you to give in every single blog post? Even if I am successful in my endeavor, does it mean you are giving for the right reasons? Are you so childish that you cannot understand the obligation and responsibility to others to care, love, and provide for them? Maybe you have not experienced enough grace to realize what God has done for you? In that case, I don’t think a message on generosity is what you need.

What About Balance?

Some people ask, well why don’t you have some balance and teach about tithing and also about how to give at the same time. As a matter of fact I do. Many times I reference scriptures in both the old and new Testaments that point to examples of giving that were freely sacrificial. In the tithing e-book i have written, the last 1/4 of the book is dedicated solely to how our giving should be. Many times I reference principles of giving. Over and over again, I reference Jesus’ example of giving in the bible. Other times I relate our ‘giving’ relationship with God should be identical with how we give to our spouse. There are many resources in the bookmarks link on this site that provide links to sites that mostly discuss generous giving. There are also dozens of blog posts that focus primarily on generous giving instead of tithing. It’s there but the truth is that my primary message about tithing is not exactly kosher in most circles.

Nobody likes the guys that rock the boat. We want those guys that come out and say Jesus loves you, and avoid conflict at all costs. I want to let you know. I LOVE conflict. i can’t say it enough. I LOVE CONFLICT! I found out that conflict is the number one motivating factor in my life. When there was NO conflict in my life i found there i drew further from God. There’s something about controversy and conflict that drives me. Ok, it doesn’t drive you. Well. Sorry it does for me. If you sat at my dinner table growing up in my family you would think that a battle is enraging, but that’s just my family communicating. I can’t sit around like some and sing La La La papa smurf or sing koom-bi-yah!

I have very little patience to sit here and hold hands with you and encourage you to make sure you are being a good little christian and doing what you’re suppose to. Do it! Get over it! Quit talking about it. Be a man . .  or woman. i don’t want to petty talk with you about that stuff. Bores me to death.

Generosity vs. Truth

What’s the value of generosity when you practice generosity outside the truth? Imagine (hypothetically) if you met someone who believed that if he didn’t give away 10% of his income, then a green monster would come out of the ground and eat his house and car? Are you going to be more concerned about sharing the truth about the green monster, or are you more worried about preserving his generosity? hmmm. . . Maybe there are some pastors that wouldn’t mind letting that go if that means the offering is going to be fuller.

Maybe in this instance, it would be more advantageous to share the truth because he actually believes in a monster that’s going to eat his house and car. I don’t know. Let’s think about this. . . Let’s suppose he doesn’t believe in a green monster. . .  Suppose he believes that a tithe is required, and that if you don’t give 10%, then a devourer is going to come and eat his increase and consume his profit (Malachi 3:11)? At this point is truth less important because it sounds biblical? I guess a fictitious devourer doesn’t sound as bad as a green monster. . . or does it?

Why would preserving outward actions trump the truth, which is an inward reflection? Doesn’t the bible teach that what’s inside is important? Is it really that critical to focus on improving someone’s outward actions? Do you think it’s less important to know the truth? Since when is doing something right but for the wrong reasons make what you are doing right?

I don’t want to make the topic of generous giving irrelevant or lower on the priority list. Because it’s not. To be honest, i wish people knew about the truth already and we could skip to the next level. I look at giving the way I look at the nature of birds. I can’t talk about the big blue sky and the pretty view if the bird is stuck in a cage. Once I free them from the cage, then they are birds, they know how to fly. I don’t need to teach a bird that they exist for the sky any more than you need to teach a redeemed person their purpose. People forget about their purpose, but you know what, sometimes all you need to show them is the cage once in a while, not a big green monster.

Is the Church a Storehouse to Collect Tithes?

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As we continue our ‘Tithing on Trial’ series, we will evaluate the most common tithing arguments used to defend its practice. So let’s evaluate another argument used to promote tithing.

Argument: Israel Gave their Tithes to the Storehouse, So We Should Give our Tithes to the Church.

Malachi 3:10 – “Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house.”

There are good principles we can draw from Malachi 3, but using the storehouse as an argument to bring tithing to Church is not accurate. Yes. We should supply ministers and the Church body with food and provisions for their needs, but the principle in Malachi 3:10  is about supplying for the needs of others; it is not about giving 10% to a Church. Here are 3 areas to review on why the Church is not a storehouse for tithing.

Only 1% Made it to the Temple Storehouse

The temple storehouse only received 1% of Israel’s increase, the other 9% was stored in Levitical cities – not at a place of worship.

Nehemiah 10:37-38 to bring the firstfruits of our dough, our offerings, the fruit from all kinds of trees, the new wine and oil, to the priests, to the storerooms of the house of our God; and to bring the tithes of our land to the Levites, for the Levites should receive the tithes in all our farming communities. And the priest, the descendant of Aaron, shall be with the Levites when the Levites receive tithes; and the Levites shall bring up a tenth of the tithes to the house of our God, to the rooms of the storehouse.

The Israelites were responsible for giving their tithe to the Levites and in turn, the Levites were then responsible for giving a tenth of the tenth towards the temple storehouse. 1% of Israel’s increase was used for the support of those ministering and serving in the House of God. I’m sure the percentages today do not come anywhere close tho this figure. The latest giving statistics state that 85% of the offerings received by Churches are used for internal operations. The Priests only absorbed 10% of what was given to the Levites (or 1% of Israel’s increase)

The irony of all this is that the decree in Malachi 3:10 was not addressing the whole Israelite nation. It was only addressing the Levitical tribe since they were the only ones responsible for the 1% that was supposed to bring food to God’s StoreHouse. As a word of wisdom to leaders in our Churches who may be reading this – In Malachi 3, it was those who received the tithe that was neglecting their duties to give. Considering 85% is spent on internal operations, I don’t think we’re any better off than those in Malachi were . . . what a scary thought!

If you wish to read more about the Levitical cities, they are first outlined in Numbers 35:2-3, while other references can be found throughout scripture in regards to the storage of tithes and offerings within these cities as well.

church storehouse
Did Your Church Build a Storehouse?

A storehouse actually STORES something. Duh! Right! If you had a storehouse for your farm, that means you are safekeeping your grain to be used later for feed or for seed. The Church building, is not used as storage to preserve or distribute anything. Quite simple to understand, don’t you think?

Most people don’t pick up on the fact that Malachi 3:10 mentions two different places. First, God mentions a “storehouse”; then, God mentions a separate place and calls it “my house”. The two are exclusive of one another. God’s house is NOT the storehouse, and the storehouse is NOT God’s house. Did you think the grain was sitting in the Holy of Holies? Maybe they stored some of their corn in the ark of the covenant? There was no Shekinah Glory sitting above the grain house. God’s house was not a place to bring your goods or possessions. Neither was it a place to make transactions.

Matthew 21:12-13 Jesus entered the temple courts and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves. “It is written,” he said to them, “ ‘My house will be called a house of prayer,’ but you are making it ‘a den of robbers.’”

God kicked ALL the money changers out. There were no exceptions for those who were honest and those who were dishonest. Jesus statement was that in the presence of God, there was to be prayer, not business.

I know that I stated the temple is not the Church building today, so it’s not like these restrictions in the Temple are applicable to worship buildings today, but this means if these restrictions aren’t applicable, then it also means that the Church building is not a resemblance of the Storehouse or the Temple.

The storehouse was was not considered a holy place or part of the worship process. The only reason why a storehouse was needed was because there was food to store. If you are unaware of the temple tax; it was a monetary offering required for everyone to pay for the upkeep and maintenance of the House of God. The temple tax was never kept in a storehouse. So, God doesn’t need a storehouse in order for us to have a reason to give to support His work.

One last note. If you observe the New Testament, there is no reference to a Church storeroom to bring your tithes or offerings. Nor was the word ‘storehouse’ mentioned whatsoever.

Our Storehouse is Not in This World

Let’s set aside the technicalities and semantics and focus on the spiritual application of a storehouse. Some of you believe that the Storehouse in the Old Testament, through spiritual meaning, is comparative to a church today. I get why this thought occurs to most people. But let me show you two significant differences between a church and the Temple and a storehouse.

1. A Building was Where God Dwelt – Isaiah 66:1-2, 1 Chronicles 17:6, 1 Kings 8:27
Our Soul Is Where He Dwells Now – Acts 7:48, John 1:14, 1 Corinthians 3:16-17

In the Old Testament, the temple was known as the House of God, but in the New Testament, we know that God does not dwell in houses made with hands. We are the temple of God.

2. A Storehouse Stores Corruptible Things – Luke 12:16-21, Matthew 6:19
Heaven Stores Incorruptible – Matthew 6:20, Matthew 19:21, 1 Peter 1:3-4

The earthly Storehouse symbolizes the purpose of an eternal storehouse, it does not symbolize a worship building or any other form of infrastructure you may have for the local Church.  The storehouse symbolism is perfectly described in Matthew 6:19-20 where Jesus commands us not to store up treasure on earth, but to store treasure in heaven.

It’s a disservice to consider your worship building God’s Storehouse. I know there are many great programs and actions that come through some local churches and their facilities, but certainly, God did not want us to focus on earthly legacies. He wanted us to focus on eternal legacies. If anything, Malachi 3:10 should be a reminder to lay up treasures in heaven, not to bring a check to the next service.

Review

Here is a review of the key points from the article.

  • Only 1% of Israel’s tithing increase was used to support the service in God’s house while 9% was NOT used within God’s House
  •  The Temple was not a building to store money or goods, and was not used for any financial transactions. A Storehouse was Not needed unless there was something to store.
  • God no longer resides in a building and our storehouse is found in heaven, not on earth.

If a Church wants to consider itself a storehouse for tithing, then by all means make sure they follow the guidelines in the Old Testament.  Otherwise, let’s not call the Church building a storehouse. In the mean time, let’s encourage one another to give as God leads us. May it be sacrificially, liberally and cheerfully.

You Be the Judge

Now that the evidence has been given in this court of law, it is your turn to decide

Do You Think the Church is a Storehouse for Tithing?

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