TITHING PRIOR TO THE MOSAIC LAW
Since tithing is a part of the law, one wonders
if any of the Bible characters before the law are mentioned as
having tithed. While I am not a Bible scholar, I am able to study
God's word and here are the results.
Two people are mentioned in the Bible as
pre-law tithers. These men were Abraham and Jacob. In Genesis 14 we see that Abraham had just defeated the kings who had
attacked Sodom and Gomorrah and taken Abraham's nephew Lot
captive. Abraham went to battle to save his nephew and was
successful. The King of Salem (later called Jerusalem) brought
bread and wine to Abraham after the battle and proclaimed a
blessing over Abraham. This king was named Melchizedek and he was
the priest of God Most High. Abraham was so happy that God had
kept him in a time of trouble, that he decided to give a tenth of
all the spoils to Melchezidek.
After Abram returned from
defeating Kedorlaomer and the kings allied with him, the king of Sodom came
out to meet him in the Valley of Shaveh (that is, the King's Valley). Then
Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. He was priest of God
Most High, and he blessed Abram, saying, "Blessed be Abram by God Most
High, Creator of heaven and earth. And blessed be God Most High, who delivered
your enemies into your hand." Then Abram gave him a tenth of everything.
Genesis 14:17-20
Since the King of Salem was a
priest to God, then giving the tenth to him was the same as
giving it to God. We must remember that Abraham came from the
area of Asia that would later become Babylon and it was possible
that the practice of tithing ( the sacred tax) was common at his
time. John Seldon ( a noted Christian author) points out that the
gifts that Abraham gave to Melchezidek were tithes only on the
spoils of war, as noted by the historian Josephus in 10:2 of his
History of the Jews. The Bible says nothing about Abraham's tithe
being mandatory. Abraham had received a blessing and wanted to be
a blessing in return
We now come to Genesis 28, and we find here
that Jacob is promising God that He would pay a tithe (tenth) of all that
God would give him.
Then Jacob made a vow,
saying, "If God will be with me and will watch over me on this journey I am
taking and will give me food to eat and clothes to wear so that I return safely
to my father's house, then the LORD will be my God and this stone that I have
set up as a pillar will be God's house, and of all that you give me I will give
you a tenth." Genesis 28:20-22
The question that comes to mind is, who did
Jacob pay his tithes to? He probably paid them to his father
Isaac. The priesthood (although there was no Levitical priesthood
yet) at that time was passed down through the family, thus Isaac
received it.
TITHING UNDER THE
MOSAIC LAW
The next area in the Bible where tithes are
mentioned is in Leviticus 27:30-32. In these scriptures, God is
saying that one tenth of the land, either seed or fruit, belongs
to Him. He goes as far as to say that it is holy to the Lord. God
said that if a man wanted to keep the food, he would have to
substitute the monetary value of the food plus add 20 percent.
" `A tithe
of everything from the land, whether grain from the soil or fruit from
the trees, belongs to the LORD; it is holy to the LORD. If a man
redeems any of his tithe, he must add a fifth of the value to it. The
entire tithe of the herd and flock--every tenth animal that passes
under the shepherd's rod--will be holy to the LORD. He must not pick
out the good from the bad or make any substitution. If he does make a
substitution, both the animal and its substitute become holy and
cannot be redeemed.' " Leviticus
27:30-33
This seems to suggest that God wanted the tithe to
remain of an agricultural basis. That is why he made made redeeming a
man's tithe such a costly thing. The Levites couldn't eat gold and
silver now could they.
The question comes to mind, why did God command
that the people of God were to tithe. One wonders, why such
strict commandment? The answer is quite simple. In Numbers 18,
we see that the tithes that were offered up from the children of
Israel, were to be given to the Levites as an inheritance from
God.
It
is the Levites who are to do the work at the Tent of Meeting and bear the
responsibility for offenses against it. This is a lasting ordinance for the
generations to come. They will receive no inheritance among the
Israelites. Instead, I give to the Levites as their inheritance the tithes
that the Israelites present as an offering to the LORD. That is why I said
concerning them: `They will have no inheritance among the Israelites.' "
Numbers 18:23-24
If one remembers back when the land was divided up among the
tribes, Levi didn't get an inheritance. They had no land to farm
and no animals to eat. These people would starve if it were not
for the food that God offered them from the children of Israel.
The interesting thing is that once the Levites had the heave
offering, they had to offer a tenth of their gift to the Lord.
The whole affair would seem to keep everyone humble.
We now go into the book of Deuteronomy and we
see something interesting. In chapter 26, we see that God had
specific uses for the tithes of Israel.
When you have finished setting aside a
tenth of all your produce in the third year, the year of the tithe, you shall
give it to the Levite, the alien, the fatherless and the widow, so that they may
eat in your towns and be satisfied. Deuteronomy
26:12
He said that it was
acceptable to give the tithes to the Levites (whom it was
intended for) and also feed the fatherless and widow. We go to
Deuteronomy 14 and here we see that everything belongs to
God and He had His way of dividing the tithes for their best use.
Be sure to set aside a tenth
of all that your fields produce each year. Eat the tithe of your
grain, new wine and oil, and the firstborn of your herds and flocks in
the presence of the LORD your God at the place he will choose as a
dwelling for his Name, so that you may learn to revere the LORD your
God always. But if that place is too distant and you have been blessed
by the LORD your God and cannot carry your tithe (because the place
where the LORD will choose to put his Name is so far away), then
exchange your tithe for silver, and take the silver with you and go to
the place the LORD your God will choose. Use the silver to buy
whatever you like: cattle, sheep, wine or other fermented drink, or
anything you wish. Then you and your household shall eat there in the
presence of the LORD your God and rejoice. And do not neglect the
Levites living in your towns, for they have no allotment or
inheritance of their own. At the end of every three years, bring all
the tithes of that year's produce and store it in your towns, so that
the Levites (who have no allotment or inheritance of their own) and
the aliens, the fatherless and the widows who live in your towns may
come and eat and be satisfied, and so that the LORD your God may bless
you in all the work of your hands.
Deuteronomy 14:22-29
When we read this passage we must remember that the Jewish
religious calendar was made up of seven year periods. God states
in this passage that if the event arose that the tither was too
far from the place that the Lord had for the tithe to be brought
(referring to Jerusalem) then the tither was to take the tithe
and convert it into money. He was to use it in any way that he
chose, but was commanded to remember the Levite. On the third
(and sixth) year of the seven year cycle, the tither was to store
his tithes at the city gate to share it with the Levite,
fatherless, stranger and widow of his/her city. There was no
tithe on the seventh year.
There is no doubt in my mind, that there was a
very fine line that separated a tithe from the offering. Firstly,
they were both commandments. They both were comprised of giving
of the prized possessions of farmers in ancient Israel. As a
matter of fact, the only difference that I can see, is that the
offering was to be given as an atonement for offenses toward God
whereas, the tithe was a commandment as an offering to help the
Priests and Levites. Therefore, if a person in the church is not
a farmer and offers his skill to further the church, is that not
a tithe? I think it is.
We mentioned earlier that the tithe was not
only for the Levite, but also for the fatherless and widow. We
now come to the time when the prophet Amos was on the scene. It
seemed that the opulent people were oppressing the poor of
that time. That was not their only offense though. They were
tithing to the false gods of their neighbors while they were
afflicting the poor.
We will now look at some Old Testament
scriptures which will show that the tithe seemed to accompany
religious and social reform. In II Chronicles, chapter 31 we see that
King Hezekiah went to great lengths to reinstate the tithe in his
reform of Israel.
The king contributed from
his own possessions for the morning and evening burnt offerings and for the
burnt offerings on the Sabbaths, New Moons and appointed feasts as written in
the Law of the LORD. He ordered the people living in Jerusalem to give the
portion due the priests and Levites so they could devote themselves to the Law
of the LORD. 2 Chronicles 31:3-4
We see in verse four that the king demanded
that the people of Israel contribute support to the priests and
Levites so that they might devote themselves to the Lord. This
commandment was the tithe. We see reform again in the book of
Nehemiah, chapter 13 verses 4-13.
I also learned
that the portions assigned to the Levites had not been given to them,
and that all the Levites and singers responsible for the service had
gone back to their own fields. So I rebuked the officials and asked
them, "Why is the house of God neglected?" Then I called
them together and stationed them at their posts. Nehemiah
13:10-11
We see that the Levites had been neglected during
the time that Nehemiah was absent. The neglect had been so bad that the Levites
had to go back to farming (which they did in Babylon in exile) just to survive.
Verse eleven seems to suggest that Nehemiah acted stern with Judah to the point
where all of Judah brought tithes to the Levites. Nehemiah appointed Levites to
distribute the tithes to all of the Levites and all was well again.
There were promises and curses for Old Testament
tithers and non tithers. Such can be seen in the book of Malachi.
"Will a man
rob God? Yet you rob me. "But you ask, `How do we rob you?'
"In tithes and offerings. You are under a curse--the whole nation
of you--because you are robbing me. Bring the whole tithe into the
storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,"
says the LORD Almighty, "and see if I will not throw open the
floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not
have room enough for it. I will prevent pests from devouring your
crops, and the vines in your fields will not cast their fruit,"
says the LORD Almighty. "Then all the nations will call you
blessed, for yours will be a delightful land," says the LORD
Almighty. Malachi 3:8-12
The scripture in Malachi has been used
for many years by ministers and pastors to cause their parishioners to
tithe. Those in the pews are coerced into believing that every little
problem in their lives are the result of a curse pronounced upon them by
God Himself because they are not faithful givers. Those in the pulpit
then tell the parishioners that if they will tithe faithfully, their
lives will be blessed and that their problems will be greatly lessened
or will disappear completely. They do this by suggesting that they are
extensions of the priests and Levites mentioned in the Old Covenant.
It's too bad that they haven't read or are deliberately ignoring
the words of the Apostle John:
To him who loves
us and has freed us from our sins by his blood, and has made us to be
a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father--to him be glory and
power for ever and ever! Amen. Revelation
1:5-6
TITHING AND THE JEWISH RABBINIC PERIOD
This study would not be complete without the
study of the words that were uttered by the leaders who lived in
the Rabbinic period. This period was roughly from 400 BC to 500
AD. This was the time of the oral law, a time that great men
attempted to explain the law and enforce the law. It is
interesting to note that all of the Rabbis saw no conflict
between the written law (that law that was given to Moses) and
the oral law.
These Rabbis saw the tithe (Ma-asar) as a heave
offering (Trumah) for the priests and Levites. They saw this as
an act of righteousness on behalf of the giver. An act of
righteousness was call Halacha. Another way to express Halacha is
"good works". The Rabbis divided the giving of the
Trumah into three separate classes. The generous man was to give
one thirtieth, the common man one fiftieth and the miserly were
to give one sixtieth. When the Rabbis talked about the miserly
they said, "but if a person has a bad eye, then let him give
only one sixtieth". This can be compared to Matthew 6:22-24.
"Do not store up for
yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves
break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where
moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For
where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. "The eye is the
lamp of the body. If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of
light. But if your eyes are bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If
then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!
Matthew 6:19-23
In Matthew, Jesus talks about the bad eye and equates it with
serving mammon also. When one looks at the Mishna 1:1, we see
that the Rabbis demand that the tithe was to be of common
vegetable matter and not wild stock. This would keep it so that
the tither would give from his increase and not gleanings of a
wild field. The paying of tithes by the way of money was not an
accepted practice until near the end of the 2nd century AD.
It was around 100 AD that the Israelites
started paying tithes not only to the priests and Levites, but
also to the synagogues. This was done to support the scholars and
Rabbis that were in Gods' service. The oral law also stated that
tithes were only to be paid in the land of Israel. John Seldon,
in his book titled "History of The Tithe" emphatically
points out "Tithes did not apply outside Eretz (the land of)
Israel but was observed in Egypt, Moab, Syria, Babylon, Ammon and
all of Trans-Jordan, because that was the promised land".
After the temple was destroyed the tithe was
used more and more in place of the sacrifice to support Rabbis,
scholars and the poor. In the seventeenth century AD, the Jewish
author Joel Serks wrote about the tithe; "Tithing ones
earnings is a voluntary custom and is not obligatory under Mosaic
or Rabbinical law". In the Encyclopedia Judaica, Vol. 12; pg
152, we read about the tithe; "The whole of the tithe should
be given to the poor and none of it is to be used for any other
religious purpose". As we can see, the tithe, from the time
that it was instituted, was meant as a means to support the poor
and needy. After the temple was destroyed and the Jews were
dispersed, the law of tithing ceased. Finally, in the words of
Rabbi Maimonides (Ram Bam) we read; "At this day, by their
law, they pay none. Those who live in the land of Israel, for
want of their priesthood and temple, and those who live dispersed
in other countries, and here in all agree".
TITHING AND THE EARLY CHURCH
Now that we have seen that tithing was an
institution that was given to the Old Testament saints, let's
look and see if it is applicable to the New Testament believer.
Tithing was never adopted by the early church and was never
intended as a funding of an ecclesiastical organization. In the
Gospels the subject of tithing is mentioned strictly in a Jewish
format but after Pentecost the subject of tithing is never
mentioned in the context of the early Church.
First of all, let us look at our Lord and
Savior, Jesus, and see if there are any examples of his tithing.
The answer is that there are no examples of His tithing. Many
Christians would probably use the fact that Jesus was the Son of
God, so therefore He would be exempt. That sounds like a
convincing argument, but how come Jesus kept every other law, but
not that one. Could it be that He knew that it was not important
or is it just possible that the writers of the Gospels forgot to
include His tithing. Jesus was quite emphatic about the Pharisees
and their tithing. He saw them putting in large amounts of money
and then announcing their great deed to everyone within an
earshot. He declared that the old widow of Luke 21:3-4 had put in
more in her poverty, then the Pharisees in their wealth. She was
giving to the temple treasury and not tithing and even if she
were tithing, she technically still lived in Old Testament times
as Jesus had not laid down his life yet.
Jesus is quoted as saying that we should render
unto Caesar those things that are Caesar's, and unto God those
things that are of God. Now it stands to reason that since God is
spirit, we should render to Him things of the spirit. Tithing was
a form of worship in the Old Testament and our spiritual service
should be our worship in this covenant. One should consider that
Jesus came to fulfill the law (which He said and did), so if He
came as our sacrifice and offering, which are both part of the
law, then He must have atoned for our tithing obligation too. One
must take into account that any person in the four gospels that
was mentioned before the crucifixion of Jesus, was still under
the law (as was Jesus) because the New Covenant is procured in
His blood. Things are very different after His death.
When we enter the Acts of the Apostles and the
many Epistles, we see Christianity in it's true form. The New
Covenant says in Revelation 1:6, that Jesus has made us Kings and
Priests to God the Father. The Law said that the Priests were to
receive the tithe. Why are the priests of today told by their
brothers that they must pay the tithe?
To him who loves
us and has freed us from our sins by his blood, and has made us to be
a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father--to him be glory and
power for ever and ever! Amen. Revelation
1:5-6
In the book of Acts, we are shown how the New
Covenant believer is supposed to act, where giving is concerned.
In the second chapter of Acts, we see an interesting scripture
when we look at the 44th and 45th verses. It reads beautifully:
" Now all who believed were together, and had all things in
common, and sold their possessions and goods, and divided them
among all, as anyone had need". Acts 2:44-45
This suggests that the early
church had a heart for giving. They did not need to have a food
closet or church organization to pass out the goods, because it
was in everyone's heart to give as they saw the need. In verse 42
of that same chapter we see that the believers had
"fellowship" with one another. The word fellowship is
the Greek word "Koinonia" which here means benefaction
or contribution. So when the believers met together, they
benefited and contributed to those who needed it.
We can then go to Acts, where we read about other charitable acts. The scripture
goes as follows.
"Nor was there anyone among them that
lacked; for all who were possessors of lands or houses sold them
and brought the proceeds of the things that were sold, and laid
them at the Apostles feet; and they distributed to each as anyone
had need".
Acts 4:34-35
Again we see charity in the heart of the first
century believer. These people didn't need to be persuaded
because they were the example of charity.
Later on in the first century we can still see
the loving kindness in the church as exemplified in these two
scriptures. The two scriptures to look at are; Romans 15:
For Macedonia and Achaia
were pleased to make a contribution for the poor among the saints in Jerusalem.
They were pleased to do it, and indeed they owe it to them. For if the Gentiles
have shared in the Jews' spiritual blessings, they owe it to the Jews to share
with them their material blessings. Romans 15:26-27
And 1 Corinthians 16:
Now about the collection
for God's people: Do what I told the Galatian churches to do. On the first day
of every week, each one of you should set aside a sum of money in keeping with
his income, saving it up, so that when I come no collections will have to be
made. Then, when I arrive, I will give letters of introduction to the men you
approve and send them with your gift to Jerusalem. 1 Corinthians 16:1-3
We see here that times were tough for the
church in Jerusalem. Persecution and hunger were the theme of the
day and the church in that city needed help or else they would
perish. In the chapter in Romans, we read; "It pleased those
in Macedonia and Achaia to make a certain contribution for the
poor among the saints, who are in Jerusalem". We see in the
I Corinthians scripture that Paul had to ask in a more firm way.
Paul says that he had to order them to put money in the plate on
the first day of the week. This would be for the saints in
Jerusalem. We recognize that these were one time requests and not
tithe commandments. We are beginning to see a pattern here, and
that being that we are not commanded to give but when we become
greedy, God will command us to give. This thought comes to mind;
a parent knows that his son is now eighteen years old and should
know the in's and out's of life, but the parent is always close
by to correct his child, should that child go astray.
We have seen that while God does not
command a tithe in the New Testament, He does require us to help the needy and
wanting in His fold. This has been disregarded in many of the modern churches. I
for one have approached pastors in the past, and informed them of people who
were out in the street, only to be told that God was trying to deal with these
people and that the ordeal would bring these people to a point where God could
use them. I have found that in most cases that action usually causes the people
in need to leave the church and live in doubt that the people of God really care
for anyone but themselves. And I have also seen that this pious attitude also
has a trickle-down effect to the parishioners, who use the false sense of caring
to keep their pockets padded in a comfortable manner. I pity these pastors souls
at the judgment. How much better would it be to bring these people in and feed
their souls and spirits.
THE EARLY CHURCH FATHERS
AND THE TITHE
One might wonder what the early Church Fathers
had to say on the subject of giving. Did they mention tithing or
not? Justin Martyr, considered a genius of his time was born
around 110 AD in Samaria. He is reported to have been martyred in
the year 165. Martyr was a leader in what is referred to as the
sub-apostolic age. Listen to what he says about a typical Sunday
back in his time.
"And on the day called Sunday, people who
live in the city or in the country are gathered together in one
place and the memoirs of the apostles are read as long as time
permits. Then when the reading ceases, the president (Nassim)
verbally instructs or exhorts the people to imitate these good
things. Then we all rise together and pray prayers. And as we
have said, when the prayer is ended, bread and wine and water are
brought, and the president offers prayers of thanksgiving to the
best of his ability and the people say amen. And there is a
distribution to each and a participation of that of which thanks
has been given. And to those who are absent, a portion is sent by
the deacon and they that are well to do, and willing, give what
each thinks fit. And what is collected is deposited with the
president who succors the orphans and widows and those who
through sickness or any other cause are in want, and those who
are in bonds, and the strangers sojourning with us" This can
be found in "Ante Niocene Fathers" Vol. 1.
The next entry in this text is taken from the
"Constitution of The Holy Apostles" written in the
second half of the third century, and can be found in "Ante
Niocene Fathers"; Volume 7, page 435. "But if you say
that those who give alms are such as these, and if we do not
receive from them, which shall we administer to the widows and
from whence shall the poor among the people be maintained. But if
a gift to be wanting, inform the brethren and make a collection
from them and thence minister to the orphans and widows in
righteousness".
On page 471 of the same volume, we further read:
"All the first fruits of the winepress, the threshing
floor, the oxen and the sheep shalt thou give to the priests.
That thy storehouse and garners and the products of thy land
might be blessed and that thou mayest be strengthened with corn
and wine and oil and the herds of thy cattle and the flocks of
thy sheep may be increased. Thou shalt give a tenth of thy
increase to the orphan and to the widow and to the poor and to
the stranger. All of the first fruits of thy hot bread, barrels of
wine, oil or honey or nuts or grapes or the first fruits of other
things shalt thou give to the priests. But those of silver, of
garments and of all sorts of possessions to the orphans and to
the widows".
When we look at Romans 12:13; 15:27 and I
Corinthians 16:1-2, we see the practice of Koinonia. The word
literally denotes a close bond and it expresses a two sided
relationship with an emphasis either on the giving or on the
receiving. It means a participation or impartation. Our
relationship with God is not just vertical but horizontal also.
Isn't it interesting that the intersecting lines of this perfect
relationship form a cross! True Koinonia is expressed in freely
offered sacrifice.
Last but certainly not least, we have the man
called Tertulian. This man was born in 145 AD. He was born again
in 185 and became a great elder in 190. He became Bishop of
Carthage around the year 200 and died around AD 240, but not
before earning the title "Founder of Latin
Christianity". Let's see what Tertulian had to say about giving:
" The tried men of our elders preside over us,
obtaining their honor not by purchase but by established
character. There is no buying or selling of any sort in the
things of God, and although we have our treasure chest it is not
made up of purchase money as of a religion that has its price. On
the monthly day {Sunday} if he likes, each puts in a small
donation, but only if it be his pleasure and only if he is able
for there is no compulsion, all is voluntary. These gifts are as
it were pieties deposit fund, for they are not taken thence and
spent on feasts, drinking bouts or eating houses, but to support
and bury poor people and to supply the wants of boys and girls
destitute of means and parents and to old people confined to the
house. Such too that have suffered shipwreck and if there happen
to be any in the mines or banished to the islands or shut up in
prisons. For nothing but their fidelity to the cause of Gods'
church they became the nurslings of their confession. But it is
mainly the deeds of a love so noble that leads many to put a
brand upon us `see, they say, how they love one another'".
Ante Niocene Fathers; Vol.3 pg.46.
The testimony of the Jews in the Last century
BC and the first century AD, as well as Paul and the early church
in the land of Israel and the writings of the Ante Niocene
Fathers all witness to the voluntary nature of giving, not as a
responsibility but as an action of righteousness. The true
believer recognized something that superseded the concept of what
we consider in our minds as law. Holy giving made the church grow
rapidly.
THE MIDDLE AGES/THE RETURN
OF THE LAW
In the latter half of the third century we see
that the ecclesiastical church is coming into full bloom and with
that flower comes the idea that the church should use the tithe
law in its affairs. We will see that it was not yet a commandment
in the church but the stage was set for its appearance. There was
a saint that lived during that time. His name was Thasseus
Cyprean. Cyprean was born around 200 AD . He became a Christian
about the year 246 and excelled to the office named Bishop of
Carthage in the year 248. He is reported to have died in 258. He
wrote several works but the one that we will use is titled
"The 65th Epistle of Cyprean" The following is taken
from "Ante Niocene Fathers" Vol.5 pg 367.
" How much rather ought those not to be
bound by worldly anxieties and involvement, who being busy with
divine and spiritual things, are not able to withdraw from the
church and have leisure for worldly and secular doings. The form
of which ordination and engagement the Levites formally observed
under the law, so that when the eleven tribes divided the land
and shared the possessions, the Levitical tribe which was left
free for the temple, the altar and divine ministries, received
nothing from that portion of the division. But while others
cultivated the soil, that portion (the Levites) only cultivated
the favor for God and received the tithe from the eleven tribes,
and their food and maintenance, the fruits that grew, which was
by divine authority and arrangement so that they that waited in
divine services, might in no respect be called away nor be
compelled to consider or transact secular business, which plan
and rule is now maintained in respect to the clergy. That they
that are promoted by clerical ordination in the Church of the
Lord may be called off in no respect from the divine
administration or be tied down by worldly anxieties and matters.
But in the honor of the brethren who contribute, receiving as it
were tenths of the fruits that they may not withdraw from the
altars and sacrifices, but may serve day and night in heavenly
and spiritual things". We can plainly see by the script
above that tithing was a contribution that was received by those
that served the Lord and his people. We can also see that a
ecclesiastical order was developing that would later lead to the
Catholic Church.
In the book "Ancient Facts and Fictions
Concerning Churches and Tithes", written by the Earl of
Selbourne (Randall Palmer) and published in 1892, we see some
very interesting facts about tithing. On pages 23 and 24 we read;
"Not tithes in particular, but all church property of every
kind, was from early times and down to the fourteenth century
described as the patrimony (inherited estate) of the poor. The
poor were always, and always must be in a special degree, objects
of Christian ministry. To them the Gospel was preached. The
relief of the temporal as well as the spiritual wants of the
destitute and the sick, old aged and afflicted of strangers and
foreigners, of prisoners and captives was also from the beginning
part of the office and the work of the church.
Of tithes, there
is no mention in the western church until the beginning of the
fifth century. None indeed in this particular connection until
later".
The first Christian decree making the tithe
into a law came in the year 786 in England. The nineteenth
century writer named Henry Hallum in his book titled "View
of The State of Europe in The Middle Ages", published in
1854; declares the following. He says;
"The slow and gradual
manner in which Parochial churches became independent appears to
be in itself a sufficient answer to those who describe a great
antiquity to the universal payment of tithes. There are however,
more direct proofs that this species of ecclesiastical properties
were acquired not only with decrees but with considerable
opposition.
We find the payment of the tithes first
enjoined by the canon of a provincial council in France near the
end of the sixth century. From the ninth to the twelfth and even
later it is continually enforced with similar authority. Father
Paul remarks that most sermons preached about the eighth century
inculcate {repeatedly teach with force} this as a duty and even
seem to place the summit of Christian perfection in its
performance. This reluctant submission of the people of a general
and permanent tribute is perfectly consistent with the eagerness
displayed by them in accumulating voluntary donations upon the
church.
Charlemagne was the first who gave that
confirmation of a civil statute to these ecclesiastical
injunctions. No one, at least has, so far as I know, adduced any
earlier law for the payment of the tithes, then one of his {Charlemagne's'} capitularies. This capitulary is known as the
`Baloozee Capitularia' and it dates from 789 A.D.".
A capitulary is a statement of Law.
Charlemagne, who went by two other names; Caralous Magnus or
Charles the Great. He was the King of the Franks from 768-814. He
was crowned King of the Holy Roman Empire by Pope Leo III whom he
was fiercely loyal to. Charlemagne's' capitulary regulated the
tithe and divided it into three parts;
The "Encyclopedia Brittanica" 11th
edition; printer in 1911 says of tithes in this era;
"Thus
they became transferable to laymen and sellable like ordinary
property in spite of the injunctions of the Third Laterine
Council".
Henry Hallum says in his book, on page 264;
"Payments of tithes became payable out of sources of income
that were not originally tithable. Not just crops and field items
but every form of income imaginable and every kind of
labor".
Pope Boniface VIII, who was pope from 1294 to
1303 put out his infamous "Unum Sanctum Bull" (a
decree) in November of 1302. On that date Boniface made papal
claim to world supremacy when he said "If the King resists
the pope, he resists God Himself". This applied to the tithe
also. Thomas Aquinas (a co-author of the Bull) went even further
to say that; "We declare, define and affirm that every man
must obey the pope or forfeit his salvation". In other
words, he was saying that if a man didn't pay his tithe (among
other things) then he wasn't a good Christian and God would
remember that on judgment day. It is funny that in the 20th
century the same thing is said about tithes. A synod held in Rome
declared that this Bull gave a correct expression of the view of
the Roman Catholic Church.
Apart from tithing, the pope had a great deal
of financial resources at his disposal. These included bribery
and the sale of indulgences. The philosophy of the indulgence was
criminal in itself. According to this thought, Christ and His
saints performed more good works then were needed and these
surplus deeds of goodness were at the disposal of the church and
could be sold to the poor. Thus one could buy their relative out
of purgatory or even supposedly acquire your own salvation
through them. Other resources at the popes' disposal were:
Things even got so bad that individual priests
exacted the tithe from the income of peasants. They demanded
additional payment for things such as Marriage ceremonies,
baptism and confession. Finally and in conclusion of this
section, "The Council of Trent" which convened from
1545 to 1563, enjoined the due payment of tithes but went one
step farther by excommunicating those who withheld the tithe.
THE REFORMATION
When Martin Luther nailed his thesis to the
door of the church it was a paper on reform. He never intended to
start a whole new religion but to reform the old one. The whole
idea of reform was based on the misuse of money by the
ecclesiastical church. Most of the doctrine of the new church was
just modified doctrine from the old church and this was
especially true with the tithe. In most cases, the tithes given
to the new church were used for the clergy and to build beautiful
gigantic buildings, much to the neglect of the poor.
THE CONTEMPORARY CHURCH
I would like to look at some more subjects
concerning the tithe of the modern day church. The average
Christian, when asked why they tithe, will say that God tells us
to. I have yet to find where God says that in the New Covenant. I
have been approached by many a Christian about the subject and
the answer is the same. I will always ask where they find it in
the Bible and the answer is always, "in the Old
Testament". Older and wiser Christians, when asked about
that subject, will say that the Lord told them to tithe. I don't
doubt that the Lord does have people tithe, but I would say, that
is their conviction, and not a law that they feel they have to
follow, or else evil will result.
One can only feel sorry for the Christian who
tithes out of obligation to the Law of Moses. These people miss
the true meaning of Messiah's death. He clearly said that He came
to fulfill the law. If He fulfilled the Law, then He fulfilled
the whole Law. If you were to tell these same people to keep a
Kosher diet or to sacrifice animals for their sins, they would
label you as a heretic and tell the whole neighborhood to avoid
you, yet they have to tithe every Sunday. The Apostle Paul said
it so nicely
"For the law of the spirit of
life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and
death" Romans 8:2
Because there are many well meaning Christians that
would try to persuade all Christians (even those who are not
convicted to) to tithe, using the Law as an example, we shall see
what the New Testament says about the law. The Apostle Paul said
plainly, concerning the death of Jesus:
"Having wiped out
the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which
was contrary to us. He has taken it out of the way, having nailed
it to the cross".
We can see here that the Law was nailed to
the cross with Jesus who was the fulfillment of the Law.
Paul tells us furthermore in Romans:
"But now we have been delivered from the Law, having died to
what we were held by, so that we should serve in the newness of
the Spirit and not in the oldness of the letter". Romans 7:6
And again in Romans we are told:
For Christ is the end of the Law for
righteousness to everyone who believes". Romans 10:4
And in Galatians we read:
"But if you are led by the Spirit you are not under
the Law". Galatians 5:18
So we see that the law is not pressing us if we
are allowing the Holy Spirit to work in us and through us.
One might ask how the Holy Spirit can work
through us. This is answered in the following verses. In
Galatians we read;
"for the Law is fulfilled in one
word, even in this "You shall love your neighbor as
yourself". Galatians 5:14
We see this proved again in Romans where we read;
"love does not harm a neighbor; therefore
love is the fulfillment of the law". Romans 13:10
I hope that the reader
can see that the law is not fulfilled in tithing or other things;
but in love.
Finally, we see that since God has written His
laws on our hearts, we should be moved to give when we see a
need. The Apostle Paul says in II Corinthians;
"Let each
one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of
necessity, for God loves a cheerful giver" 2
Corinthians 9:7.
That says it
all.
THOUGHTS AND REFLECTIONS
There is one more subject that I would like to
add to this study. This is my own philosophy but I feel that it
is honored by God. I feel that the time and work that is donated
by a person, to a church could be considered a tithe, or in
contemporary terms, a gift. This would hold especially true if
one would give of his or her time contributing of the trade or
skill that the Lord enabled them to do. Since there are very few
people that work on or own farms, the food tithe is hard if not
impossible to accomplish. Therefore, if a plumber takes the time
to work on a brothers or sisters clogged toilet, or if he
installs piping and fixtures at the church, he is tithing of the
skills that the Lord gave him. In other terms, he is giving of
his field of work much as the farmer gives of the field he tends.
There are many in the church, that would argue that that is an
offering and not a tithe. These people are again under the law.
They have in essence, said that if you didn't tithe, all of the
work that you have done is null and not accepted by the Lord, no
matter how pure that the intent of giving was. I know how this
feels. It is a real slap in the face. What they are saying, can
be seen in another light. Lets say for example, that a good
Christian is on his way to church and sees a man starving on the
side of the road. He takes the ten dollars that he was going to
tithe and buys the man a good meal and gives him the change that
is left over. Many a modern Christian would say that good deed
was not recognized by God because the good man didn't tithe
before he presented that good offering to that man. Jesus said
that "if you did it unto the least of these, you did it unto
me". Pleasing Jesus, is far more important then paying a
obligatory sum to appease a law that is no longer in effect.
Another item that is prevalent in the church,
is the heresy that if a person is not moved to tithe, he is
placed under some curse by God. Again, why would God curse
someone for not obeying a law that was fulfilled by the atonement
procured through the death of our sacrificed lamb. If they want
to be legalistic then they might as well not even be believers in
Jesus because they do not recognize that He came to fulfill the
law. If He did not fulfill all of the laws, then He did not
fulfill any of them. True Christians know, as did Isaiah in
chapter 53, that He came to set us free. We must remember that
the law was comprised of many parts but that it was all one law.
When a person offended one of those laws, it was as if he broke
the whole law. Thus when He set us free from the law, He set us
free from the whole law, including tithing.
You know, it never ceases to amaze me what can
come out of the mouths of some Christians. Believe me, I've been guilty of
operating my mouth while my brain was in neutral, but what happened lately just
floored me. Some pastors and others in authority will be so attached to the
tithe that they will actually make the statement that if a person doesn't tithe,
then they doubt that a person is saved. How can someone argue against such
blatant lack of knowledge? Well, we can see what the Apostle Paul had to say the
prerequisites of being saved are:
That if thou shalt
confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that
God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. Romans 10:9
It's a very dangerous thing to prescribe the fate
of a soul. Nobody knows the heart of another and as far as I know, nobody on
earth has had the privileged of peering into the Lamb's Book of Life to see what
names are there or not there. In like manner there are some who say that if a
person isn't water baptized then they cannot enter heaven. Things like this are
often said in ignorance. But what about the thief on the cross to whom Jesus
promised paradise the day that they both died? Again, Jesus knew the man's heart
and his sincerity and the man's faith is what got him saved and into heaven. So
that should eliminate any question about what God knows about each man's heart.
Yet another tithing myth that is so prevalent in
this day and age is the prosperity reason for tithing. There is a
lie going through the church that says that if you give to God,
He will return what you gave and much more. While it is true that
God does reward those who give to worthy causes, and do so with
pure motives, it is not a reason to give selfishly. People that
give through pure motives do so to please God and to further His
kingdom, and they do so, knowing fully well that they might not
receive their reward in this life. People that give out of
selfish reasons have received their reward already. They have the
praises of people and have pulled spiritual back muscles from
patting themselves on the back. These people are the ones that
usually abandon God when they do not receive their blessing. Let
them abandon God because the Kingdom of God has no place for the
likes of them.
Summary
So, what have I learned from this study. I have
learned that I have been lied to for many years. Whether this was
done intentionally, the Lord only knows. I have learned that
tithing is an Old Covenant procedure for supporting the Priests
and Levites. I have learned that it has been replaced by common
sense giving as orchestrated by the Holy Spirit. I have learned
that there are many scriptures to back up this point. Most of
all, I have learned that I was right all the time and that my
opinion, prior to this study was right and was given by the Holy
Spirit of God.
Now that last statement might sound like a
prideful thing. Perish the thought. Knowing that I was right, and sticking to my
guns made me feel wonderful. Knowing that I persevered through all of the
taunting and threatened expulsions from churches for doing what was right is a
big thing to me. It would have been easy to cave in and submit to
unrighteousness. It would have been easy to be one of the crowd and to go with
the flow, but I just couldn't do that. I even had some pastors feed single women
at the churches with the lie that I was a poor soul who needed guidance. They
would come to me, partially with the allure of their beauty and single status
and partially with the misguided premise that they could sway me to the churches
way of thinking. I persevered though through the temptation and wiles of
wickedness and came out all the stronger. I had to do what Jesus told me to do,
and to have faith that what He was showing me was truth and righteousness.
LESSONS PASSED ON
In conclusion, I want to stress the fact that
if God tells a person to support the local church then he better
do so. I also want to stress that the conviction to support the
church (if so convicted) comes from the Holy Spirit, not from the
compulsion of man. If pressure is being applied by the pastor or
other people in the church then it is not of the Lord. The man
that is walking with God has the same hearing capability as do
other believers and is able to hear the Lord when he is talking.
If you hear about giving, and you feel good in your heart about
it then by all means do it. If you feel troubled about it then
abstain until you have talked it over with God. Remember that the
Bible says that "God loves a cheerful giver". If you
are tithing under compulsion then it is as if you are not giving
at all in God's eyes. Remember too that if you give under compulsion, you will
become bitter toward Pastors, churches and ultimately toward God, and neither
you nor God want that to happen, right?
I would also advise that a person examine a new
church before supporting its efforts. Look to see if the pastor and the other
leaders are spending wisely and don't be afraid to ask questions. If the leaders
of a church are honest then they will be glad to display monthly financial
reports and answer your questions. If the pastor avoids or tries to turn your
questions around then be aware. If you are shown the financial report
and things are not itemized to the last penny you should proceed
with caution. Also, without a doubt, be careful of churches where
financial reports have things like "various
expenditures" or "miscellaneous" written on the
report. Look at the pastor's lifestyle; is he modest or
extravagant? Does he mix with the laymen in the church or cling
to the business men? Is he sacrificing like he is asking you to
do?
If these steps are followed then you might
avoid disappointment and sorrow in the future. Remember, pastors
and all church workers are men and women just like you. If they
have the appearance of anything greater then they are not worth
the bother; go where there are genuine people.
ADDENDUM
After reflecting for a great while about this
subject, and it's implications, I feel that I have to add another
section. This new section will address something that has been on
my heart for some time and should be spoken about. This subject
has to do with tithing as a sole mean of support of a pastor and
his family.
A few years ago, when I was challenged to do
this study something was said
to me that always made me wonder. The woman who was chiding me
about what she thought was my disobedience, said that one of the
reasons that we are supposed to tithe was to support the pastor
and his family. I wondered if people should actually be getting
paid for serving the Lord, or should it be on a voluntary basis.
Here is what I came up with.
As I mentioned earlier in this text, whenever
one wants to know about the Church and it's correct function, one
needs to look at the early Church and it's ways. One might argue
that financial and societal conditions were different during the
first through third centuries, but we must not forget what the
Bible says about God. Hebrews 13:8 declares "Jesus Christ,
the same yesterday, today and forever". Look at the world
today. Is it really different then the first days of the church.
Christians are still regarded as an oddity and in some cultures
are deemed insane. There is still war, famine, pestilence and
hatred. We still have rich, poor and the unemployed. As a matter
of fact, conditions are probably easier in this contemporary
society (especially in America) because of the welfare
institution and other programs designed to help the poor , and
the laws that protect people and religion. In Roman days if you
were poor you died hungry or sold yourself into slavery to keep
alive. Seeing that economic conditions are better in the present
we can assume that we're financially well to do, even the poorest
of us. As one anonymous person once said, "America is the
home of the richest poor people in the world".
Why did I say all of that? I said that because
I believe that (aside from some exceptions) pastors should earn
their keep. One might say that a pastor spends his week
counseling his flock and studying for his Sunday sermon. While
this explanation might hold water for a pastor that is not led by
the Holy Spirit, it does not hold water where the majority of the
Spirit filled pastors are concerned. Lets face it, if God knows
what he wants a pastor to say, and He wants to speak through that
pastor, then there should be very little preparation time (except
for prayer time) needed for studying. People don't want word
studies and history lessons, they want the truth, plain and
simple, and they want it put in terms so that they can apply it
to their daily lives.
Now I mentioned above that there are some
exceptions. For example, if a pastor has a very large church where the needs of
the congregation are many and the church staff is small then a pastor should
have time to study, pray and counsel. A pastor who chooses to work to support
his family should choose a field of work that won't take up great amounts of
time. I've had experience myself with the Delusion Resistance Ministry where
this is concerned. I've had to arrange my time to where the daytimes are for
working and the nighttimes are used for working on the web site and other
ministry matters. So, it can be done if the time is portioned out wisely.
Several years ago I taught Sunday School
classes. Not having kids of my own I often went into class wondering if
I would be effective. I would study the "pre-packaged" lesson that I was
to give and more often than not the kids would be bored during the
lesson. I proclaim that the days that I was not prepared, but prayed for
hours before the class were the best that I ever taught. God gave me
innovative ways to teach and lessons that ministered to the kids. We had
prayer times that were great and the children left feeling they had both
learned something and gotten business done with God. God likes to work
in fresh and new ways, not in redundant and ritualistic ways. Adults are
the same way where learning is concerned. To put it in food terms, we
want the freshly cooked steak dinner, not the precooked hamburger that's
been sitting under the heat lamps. A pastor that is alive in the Holy
Spirit and in tune with what God wants to present can fulfill that
order.
Another reason why I feel that a pastor should
hold a secular job is so that he can see what it is like to work
in the real world. There are some pastors who do this and their
lessons are outstanding. If a pastor could both see and live the
pressures that drive his parishioners to do some of the things
that they do, they would also have more of a compassion for the
sinner, and probably would have more answers for those same
parishioners. The working pastor could understand why some people
are too tired to go to church on Sunday and not be critical of
those people. After all, didn't God the father do this very same
thing. When He was ready to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah He didn't
just do the act. He sent His angels down to both warn Lot and to
see first hand the evil that was in those places. Only after he
saw that the condition was hopeless did He destroy that region.
Again, lets look at the Lord Jesus. We have been taught (and
rightly so) that Jesus came to Earth to die for us on the cross.
Well, another reason why Jesus came was to live a human life. He
had to experience just what He was saving us from. Only when He
was tempted by every evil that we are tempted could He forgive
us. What a concept, for perfection to live among imperfection in
order to make us right with God.
Another reason for a pastor to hold a secular
job would be for him to interact with the lost. A part of every
pastor's commission is to bring the lost to salvation. What
better way to do that, then to be among those that are lost.
Another good point for this argument would be the amazingly
tremendous plus this would be for public relations for God and
His Church. Today most people who don't attend church have a bad
opinion of a pastor who just sits in an air-conditioned office
making sustenance off of people who can barely make ends meet ( their personal
view, not mine). A
pastor holding a secular job would throw that notion right out
the window.
Finally, another good reason for a pastor to
hold a secular job is that he could sustain himself and his
family. Imagine the amount of finance that a fellowship could spend on real
needs if they did not have to make a car payment, a house payment
and make salary obligations for a pastor. Imagine how a church
could use those finances in the community; for food closets,
visitation ministries etc. The Lord never meant for the church to
become a storehouse for money. He wants it to be a sieve. Jesus
didn't take the loaves and fishes and put them in storage. He
blessed them and gave them to everyone.
Finally, lets look at the first Christian
preachers. Jesus, up until His ministry years was a carpenter.
Since the Bible does not mention everything that our Lord did
during his life one might venture to assume that he lifted the
hammer and used a saw during that time also. Paul was a tent maker and
probably did that to sustain himself while he preached at his
many locations. Peter was a fisherman and suffice to say that he
probably cast the net to sustain himself. They were well aware of
the fact that the Bible says "if you don't work, you don't
eat." But let's venture that the apostles didn't work to sustain
themselves. What did they do with their time? They led thousands to
faith in The Lord Jesus and laid the foundation for what would become a
long lasting faith and Church. Those are notable fetes, making them
worthy of their keep.
So, I end this study and thought with clear
convictions. I have made peace with the whole tithing bit and
have expressed some concerns that face the regular lay-person in
the Church. I realize that I probably have not endeared myself to
the Ecclesiastical members of the Church and that I have just
plain gotten some people very angry. Well, that is between them
and God. I realize that because of what is written here, I will not be welcome
in many a church and probably be asked to leave after this document is
discovered on the internet. Those are things that all men who have stood for
their convictions have had to suffer. It is my hope and prayer that everyone who reads this
letter will not take it as their conviction because of some
fleshly selfishness. I put a lot of prayer and study behind this
work and pray that the reader will do the same. God Bless you,
the reader, as you pursue the truth.
Dave Ben Yakov