THE TRUTH ABOUT TITHES
Eph 1:1-3
1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, to the saints which are at Ephesus, and to the faithful in Christ Jesus:
2 Grace be to you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:
(KJV)
I would like to repeat what the Word says, that we have been blessed and are blessed with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ. Now, if we have been and are blessed with all spiritual blessings, let me ask why? Why are we blessed? Is it because we earned it? Is it because we deserved it? Is it because we have done something to possess it? Or is it because He gave it to us, freely, with out any action upon our part? In other words, do we possess all spiritual blessings because of the free gift, the grace of God, or because of something that we did? Of course the answer is the grace of God gives us freely all things pertaining to life and godliness. Freely.
2 Pet 1:3
3 According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:
(KJV)
According to this verse we already possess all things that pertain to life and godliness, and this must include all spiritual blessings. In other words we are blessed with all spiritual blessing by the grace of God. It is our Father's good pleasure to give to us.
Eph 1:5-6
5 Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,
6 To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.
(KJV)
He has made us the accepted. We have already been made to sit in heavenly places in Christ, by His grace and love toward us, that apart from good that we have done, He freely has given us blessing upon blessing. That is His expressed love, grace.
Now, if we are justified by the keeping of the Law then grace is no longer grace, that means divine favor comes from the keeping of the Law. But we know that is not true, because grace is given freely by God apart from the works of righteousness, or keeping of the Law, or what ever we may do. Grace and God’s goodness is not dependent upon my good deeds, but upon God’s faithfulness and free gift.
Rom 3:20
20 Therefore no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin.
(NIV)
Now my question to the Body is this: "If we are already blessed with a blessing, how then can we be cursed with a curse?" Is that possible, to be blessed and cursed at the same time? The "pro tither" is always quick to quote the verse from Malachi to prove we must do something to be blessed.
Mal 3:8-9
8 Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings.
9 Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation.
(KJV)
Now, Bible reader please tell me, as a Saint of the Most High God, are we, the Body of Christ, blessed with a blessing or are we cursed with a curse? Did the blessings that we are blessed with come from doing some righteous act, or the keeping of the Law? And does the curse come from not doing some righteous act and not keeping the Law? You be the judge.
The Word of God is true and let every man be a liar.
Why didn’t Jesus receive tithes of men? Why wasn’t the New Testament church commanded to pay tithes? What was required of the New Testament gentile church? Only the following:
1. Refrain from fornication.
2. Refrain from eating meats offered to idols
3. Don’t drink blood.
4. Don’t eat meat from animals that were strangled.
5. Remember the poor.
Nothing was mentioned of circumcision, keeping the Law or paying tithes. If it was so important for the Gentile Church to pay tithes in order to buy a blessing, wouldn’t the Word of God so state? Where is the paying of tithes mentioned in the requirements to the Gentile Church? Wouldn’t it spell out plainly in the New Testament that if you don’t pay tithes you are “cursed with a curse”?
There is no mention of monies being collected by the New Testament Church and placed in some kind of Church treasury. There is no mention in the Bible of the New Testament of born again Christians taking their tithes and offerings to a church building, to put in the offering plate each week. In fact the opposite is true. There was to be a collection for the poor saints in Judea (see above “remember the poor”). The belivers were instructed to lay in store at home, in his own personal place of save keeping, a portion of his earnings, for the giving to the poor in Judea. It was a specific purpose and the collecting was to be done personally and keep at home for day when the offering would be sent to the poor in Judea Some how the modern Church equates this to paying tithes and offerings each meeting, so they pass the plate and preach “Give”.
We are giving, not to the poor, but to the church i.e. (men’s kingdoms). How much of the church money collected actually gets to the poor? Very little, if any at all! Doesn’t most of the church budget go to running the church business and salaries for the paid professionals? Some how, we have equated the work of the Lord with a church building and building up men’s kingdoms.
Under the Law of the Tithe only herdsmen and farmers were required to pay tithes. The giver of the tithes got to participate in the eating of the tithes. The tithe was never paid in money. The poor were exempted from paying the tithe, i.e. the tenth animal passing under the rod, so if you only had 5 you paid nothing. Only the Levites were commissioned by God to receive the tithe and since there are no Levites modern day Jews do not tithe. (what does the Jew know the Church does not? There is no one to pay the tithe to!)
In the modern day church the tithe is disproportionately unfair to the poor. How you ask? If you only earn $1,000 per month try to live on only $900 compared to the man who makes $10,000 per month and has to live on only $9,000 per month. The church says the tithe is fair to everyone. That is a lie, it is unfair to the poor. God exempted the "poor" farmers and herdsmen from the tithe.
Just suppose there was a Body ministry that did not spend large sums of money on church buildings, lawn maintenance, professional salaries, parsonages, building programs, utility bills, pastor’s cars, TV/ Radio ministries, and really did “remember the poor”?
Why are we wasting God’s money trying to make the men's kingdoms bigger? The Body of Christ, the true Church is not a building/ nor organization, but believers in the Lord Jesus. We have the commission from God to “remember the poor”, and not to build buildings and denominations!
2 Cor 9:7-15
7 Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.
8 And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.
9 As it is written: "He has scattered abroad his gifts to the poor; his righteousness endures forever."
10 Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness.
11 You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.
12 This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of God's people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God.
13 Because of the service by which you have proved yourselves, men will praise God for the obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ, and for your generosity in sharing with them and with everyone else.
14 And in their prayers for you their hearts will go out to you, because of the surpassing grace God has given you.
15 Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!
(NIV)
The most striking word in the above verse is “under compulsion”. Have you ever been threatened if you don’t pay tithes you will be cursed? That is “compulsion”. When a New Testament preacher uses Malachi 3: 8-9 to prove you must pay tithes or be curse, he is using “compulsion” and not rightly dividing the Word of Truth. In short is he lying on God and using the Word deceiptfully to get personal gain.
But, what about......???
The question “pro-tither” will raise is this: “What about Abraham and what about Jacob, they paid tithes before the Law?” Answer: Abraham paid a tithe of the spoils of one war, only one time, and used none of his own wealth to pay the tenth part. Jacob made a deal with God that, IF God would bless him, save his life and bring him again to his land, he would once and only once, pay 10% of all he owned. So as we can see from the Word of God, neither example will support the argument that the Church is required to pay tithes. Or that the Church is under the Law of the Tithe.
Don’t mistake “Law of the Tithe” with “giving”. One is free will, the other a commandment. We are not under the the Law of the Tithe but under grace.
If you attend a church where they say you must pay to pray, the leave.
Be blessed. Billy Wells
Eph 1:1-3
1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, to the saints which are at Ephesus, and to the faithful in Christ Jesus:
2 Grace be to you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:
(KJV)
I would like to repeat what the Word says, that we have been blessed and are blessed with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ. Now, if we have been and are blessed with all spiritual blessings, let me ask why? Why are we blessed? Is it because we earned it? Is it because we deserved it? Is it because we have done something to possess it? Or is it because He gave it to us, freely, with out any action upon our part? In other words, do we possess all spiritual blessings because of the free gift, the grace of God, or because of something that we did? Of course the answer is the grace of God gives us freely all things pertaining to life and godliness. Freely.
2 Pet 1:3
3 According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:
(KJV)
According to this verse we already possess all things that pertain to life and godliness, and this must include all spiritual blessings. In other words we are blessed with all spiritual blessing by the grace of God. It is our Father's good pleasure to give to us.
Eph 1:5-6
5 Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,
6 To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.
(KJV)
He has made us the accepted. We have already been made to sit in heavenly places in Christ, by His grace and love toward us, that apart from good that we have done, He freely has given us blessing upon blessing. That is His expressed love, grace.
Now, if we are justified by the keeping of the Law then grace is no longer grace, that means divine favor comes from the keeping of the Law. But we know that is not true, because grace is given freely by God apart from the works of righteousness, or keeping of the Law, or what ever we may do. Grace and God’s goodness is not dependent upon my good deeds, but upon God’s faithfulness and free gift.
Rom 3:20
20 Therefore no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin.
(NIV)
Now my question to the Body is this: "If we are already blessed with a blessing, how then can we be cursed with a curse?" Is that possible, to be blessed and cursed at the same time? The "pro tither" is always quick to quote the verse from Malachi to prove we must do something to be blessed.
Mal 3:8-9
8 Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings.
9 Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation.
(KJV)
Now, Bible reader please tell me, as a Saint of the Most High God, are we, the Body of Christ, blessed with a blessing or are we cursed with a curse? Did the blessings that we are blessed with come from doing some righteous act, or the keeping of the Law? And does the curse come from not doing some righteous act and not keeping the Law? You be the judge.
The Word of God is true and let every man be a liar.
Why didn’t Jesus receive tithes of men? Why wasn’t the New Testament church commanded to pay tithes? What was required of the New Testament gentile church? Only the following:
1. Refrain from fornication.
2. Refrain from eating meats offered to idols
3. Don’t drink blood.
4. Don’t eat meat from animals that were strangled.
5. Remember the poor.
Nothing was mentioned of circumcision, keeping the Law or paying tithes. If it was so important for the Gentile Church to pay tithes in order to buy a blessing, wouldn’t the Word of God so state? Where is the paying of tithes mentioned in the requirements to the Gentile Church? Wouldn’t it spell out plainly in the New Testament that if you don’t pay tithes you are “cursed with a curse”?
There is no mention of monies being collected by the New Testament Church and placed in some kind of Church treasury. There is no mention in the Bible of the New Testament of born again Christians taking their tithes and offerings to a church building, to put in the offering plate each week. In fact the opposite is true. There was to be a collection for the poor saints in Judea (see above “remember the poor”). The belivers were instructed to lay in store at home, in his own personal place of save keeping, a portion of his earnings, for the giving to the poor in Judea. It was a specific purpose and the collecting was to be done personally and keep at home for day when the offering would be sent to the poor in Judea Some how the modern Church equates this to paying tithes and offerings each meeting, so they pass the plate and preach “Give”.
We are giving, not to the poor, but to the church i.e. (men’s kingdoms). How much of the church money collected actually gets to the poor? Very little, if any at all! Doesn’t most of the church budget go to running the church business and salaries for the paid professionals? Some how, we have equated the work of the Lord with a church building and building up men’s kingdoms.
Under the Law of the Tithe only herdsmen and farmers were required to pay tithes. The giver of the tithes got to participate in the eating of the tithes. The tithe was never paid in money. The poor were exempted from paying the tithe, i.e. the tenth animal passing under the rod, so if you only had 5 you paid nothing. Only the Levites were commissioned by God to receive the tithe and since there are no Levites modern day Jews do not tithe. (what does the Jew know the Church does not? There is no one to pay the tithe to!)
In the modern day church the tithe is disproportionately unfair to the poor. How you ask? If you only earn $1,000 per month try to live on only $900 compared to the man who makes $10,000 per month and has to live on only $9,000 per month. The church says the tithe is fair to everyone. That is a lie, it is unfair to the poor. God exempted the "poor" farmers and herdsmen from the tithe.
Just suppose there was a Body ministry that did not spend large sums of money on church buildings, lawn maintenance, professional salaries, parsonages, building programs, utility bills, pastor’s cars, TV/ Radio ministries, and really did “remember the poor”?
Why are we wasting God’s money trying to make the men's kingdoms bigger? The Body of Christ, the true Church is not a building/ nor organization, but believers in the Lord Jesus. We have the commission from God to “remember the poor”, and not to build buildings and denominations!
2 Cor 9:7-15
7 Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.
8 And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.
9 As it is written: "He has scattered abroad his gifts to the poor; his righteousness endures forever."
10 Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness.
11 You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.
12 This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of God's people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God.
13 Because of the service by which you have proved yourselves, men will praise God for the obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ, and for your generosity in sharing with them and with everyone else.
14 And in their prayers for you their hearts will go out to you, because of the surpassing grace God has given you.
15 Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!
(NIV)
The most striking word in the above verse is “under compulsion”. Have you ever been threatened if you don’t pay tithes you will be cursed? That is “compulsion”. When a New Testament preacher uses Malachi 3: 8-9 to prove you must pay tithes or be curse, he is using “compulsion” and not rightly dividing the Word of Truth. In short is he lying on God and using the Word deceiptfully to get personal gain.
But, what about......???
The question “pro-tither” will raise is this: “What about Abraham and what about Jacob, they paid tithes before the Law?” Answer: Abraham paid a tithe of the spoils of one war, only one time, and used none of his own wealth to pay the tenth part. Jacob made a deal with God that, IF God would bless him, save his life and bring him again to his land, he would once and only once, pay 10% of all he owned. So as we can see from the Word of God, neither example will support the argument that the Church is required to pay tithes. Or that the Church is under the Law of the Tithe.
Don’t mistake “Law of the Tithe” with “giving”. One is free will, the other a commandment. We are not under the the Law of the Tithe but under grace.
If you attend a church where they say you must pay to pray, the leave.
Be blessed. Billy Wells
1 comment:
Billy: I have spent this morning reading about Hell, the End Times, Tithing, etc. Everything you have stated is backed by the word of God and I consider all of these an excellent teaching. Please continue to share with us. You are a blessed, holy man who loves God and I am blessed to have spent this time in God's word and reading your comments. Thanks again, Pam Machu, San Antonio, Texas
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