A Closer Look At Tithing, page 5

The Prayer of a Pharisee
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We will now inspect another scriptural reference that the modern church exerts for the purpose of validating monetary tithing.

Luke 18:11-12: "The Pharisee stood up and prayed about himself: 'God, I thank you that I am not like other men -- robbers, evildoers, adulterers -- or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.'" (NIV)

Many pastors tend to strongly underscore the latter portion of verse 12 to confirm that money was a tithable commodity. Again, what we have here is another case in point where teachers of tithing selectively "cherry pick" parts of scripture that fit their preconceived notions or agenda. Moreover, their incomprehension and disregard of the dispensational periods in the Bible exacerbates the misinterpretations of scripture. This is how many traditions and false doctrines are induced.

As in the previous section, at this period of time (disp ensation) the old covenant Mosaic Law was still in force. Therefore, the Pharisee was required to tithe. This particular Pharisee, however, was a prideful and self-righteous person who gloated about his works. While the Mosaic Law stipulated fasting only for the Day of Atonement (aka the day of fasting [Jer.36.6]), this man surpassed what the law required by fasting twice a week. Similarly, the law of Moses entailed tithing on produce, herd, and flock; and again, the Pharisee exceeded the law by tithing on all his possessions.

There are some people today who are afflicted with Pharisaical Pride Syndrome. "I go to church every Sunday, sometimes twice a week; and I pay my tithes.", they say. Others boast about the ability to far exceed the tithe by occasionally giving their entire paychecks to the church. These Christians believe they are highly favored, first class worshipers who stand apart from non-tithers. One element that provokes such self-righteous absorption is the pastor who praises tithers and condemns those who do not tithe.

Now if tithing is valid today, do church leaders also teach their congregations to fast twice a week? Are Christians required to calculate everything they possess and give a tithe from it to the church? Are we required to tithe the interest on savings accounts, mutual funds, etc.? If a person sells his home, does he tithe on its increase in value? Are Believers obligated to tithe from gifts received? In addition to the evidence previously brought forth, these questions should raise further concern about the application of
monetary tithing in today's church.

Exceeding The Righteousness of The Pharisees and Teachers of The Law
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In order to protect their tithing doctrine, some false church leaders use the passage below to combine the gospel of grace with the observance of the Mosaic Law.

Matthew 5:17-20: "Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. Anyone who breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you that unless your righteousness sur passes that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven." (NIV)

In this context, Christ is indicating that he did not come to destroy the law or the Prophets, but He came to complete (satisfy) the old covenant law and prophecies by bringing them to their designed eschatological conclusion (Luke 24:44, Rom.10:4). For Jewish and Gentile Christians (The Church of God) who live under the new covenant, there are no obligations to live in accordance to the laws of the Mosaic covenant (Rom. 6:14; 7:4,6, Gal. 3:25). This does not mean, however, that all laws are abolished. The old covenant moral law is still pertinent to the unrighteous (1 Tim. 1:9 -10). Believers who live in today's dispensation of grace are under a new law -- the law of love, aka the law of Christ (Luke 10:27, John 13:34-35, Rom. 13:8-10, Gal.5:13-14; 6:2).

Now based on verse 20, how many times have you been informed that you will go to Hell for not giving at least ten percent of your income t o the church? Leaders in the church assert that the Pharisees and the teachers of the law paid tithes; thus, unless we exceed their standards of giving, heaven is not attainable. Such a threat, whether subtle or overt, is just another intimidation tactic many pastors use in their extortion scheme.

Generally, the Pharisees and the teachers of the law were very zealous and meticulous observers of the Mosaic Law as they interpreted it. In effect, many of their renditions of the law permutated into man-made traditions (Mark 7:7-13). Rather than having the right motives, their actions were simply "showcase religion" appended with stringent traditions that were designed to conceal their evil desires while concurrently attracting the praise of men (Matt.6:1-2; 23:5-7, 23-28). In addition, the Pharisees and the teachers of the law trusted in themselves, believing they could gain righteousness by following the law of
Moses (Luke 18:9). The old covenant law, however, could not impart righteousness (Rom. 3:20, Gal. 2:16; 3:21).

The righteousness Christ is calling attention to is that which comes from a pure and changed heart based on faith -- something that was usually absent among the Pharisees and teachers of the law. Faith of the heart surpasses the rules and regulations of the letter of the law. Thus, Christians gain righteousness by their faith in Jesus Christ, which is superior to the righteousness of the Pharisees and teachers of the law.

Now...someone may ask, "If the Pharisees and teachers of the law paid tithes under the old covenant law, shouldn't we as Christians who are under a new and better covenant give more?" If we carefully take into account what we have learned thus far, it should be evident that this question actually has no relevance to financing a church facility. To reiterate in a nutshell, the old covenant temple and Levitical Priesthood have been replaced by the body of Believers. Therefore, tithing has no applicability (2Cor. 3:6, 1Peter 2:5,9,
Heb.7:12).

Did Jesus Pay or Collect Tithes?
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Since Jesus was born under the Mosaic Law, tithe-advocates claim that Christ paid tithes. Not merely did he pay a tenth of his income, they assert; but the Lord far exceeded the tithe by giving all that he possessed.

While it is true that Christ gave 100%, he did not tithe in accordance with the Mosaic Law. Why not? Because Jesus was a carpenter, not a farmer. Thus, he did not have the requisites to pay tithes. Under the Law of Moses, only those who owned land and were engaged in farming were required to tithe. There were no stipulations to collect tithes from those who occupied trades apart from farming since they did not possess the required substances (fruit, grain, herd, flock). There is not a single passage in the Bible
that gives evidence of money being given as a tithe.

In addition to alleging that Jesus paid tithes, tithe-proponents contend that Jesus received tithes during his earthly ministry. Their argument is based on Hebrews 7:8. Again, what we have here is a distortion of scripture. I will correct this misinterpretation near the conclusion of this article. In the meantime, let's examine the following passage:

Luke 8:1-3: After this, Jesus traveled about from one town and village to another, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God. The Twelve were with him, and also some women who had been cured of evil spirits and diseases: Mary (called Magdalene) from whom seven demons had come out; Joanna the wife of Cuza, the manager of Herod's household; Susanna; and many others. These women were helping to support them out of their own means. (NIV)

Here we observe Jesus traveling to various communities proclaiming the gospel of the Kingdom of God. The 12 disciples accompanied him as well as nume rous women. In verse three, it is interesting to note that the women helped support Jesus and his disciples "out of their own means" rather than giving a tenth of their possessions. Since this account occurs during the Mosaic Law, some may be curious to why the women didn't pay tithes to Jesus and his disciples? In light of what we have learned thus far, the answer to this question should not prove complicated.

A review of the regulations encompassing the Mosaic Law of tithing will show that they have no applicability to the passage above. Firstly, the tithe consisted of fruit, grain, herd, and flock that was given to the tribe of Levi since they received no land inheritance (Lev. 27:30-32, Num. 18:21, 23-24). In contrast, Jesus specifically was not born from the tribe of Levi; nor were any of his disciples.

Secondly, another agricultural tithe was given every three years to support the Levites, aliens, fatherless, and widows (Deut. 14:28-29; 26:12). Again, neither Jesus nor his disciples fell within this classification.

Thirdly, the women traveling with Jesus and his disciples were not farmers. Thus, they did not possess the required substances of the tithe.

The passage above coupled with these vital points should prove that Jesus’ ministry was not supported by tithes. Followers of Jesus gave according to their means. Since Christ's ministry was not sustained by tithes, it is therefore inappropriate for church ministries to teach tithing to their congregations.

Did The Apostle Paul Teach Tithing?
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The Apostle Paul communicated the new covenant principles of giving during his ministry. He never once, however, mentioned tithing. In his first letter to Corinthian Church, Paul indicates that He has a right to receive support for preaching the gospel.

1 Cor. 9:4-14: Don't we have the right to food and drink? Don't we have the right to take a believing wife along with us, as do the other apostles and the Lord's brothers and Cephas? Or is it only I and Barnabas who must work for a living? Who serves as a soldier at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard and does not eat of its grapes? Who tends a flock and does not drink of the milk? Do I say this merely from a

human point of view? Doesn't the Law say the same thing? For it is written in the Law of Moses: "Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain. Is it about oxen that God is concerned? Surely he says this for us, doesn't he? Yes, this was written for us, because when the plowman plows and the thresher threshes, they ought to d o so in the hope of sharing in the harvest. If we have sown spiritual seed among you, is it too much if we reap a material harvest from you. If others have this right of support from you, shouldn't we have it all the more? But we did not use this right. On the contrary, we put up with anything rather than hinder the gospel of Christ. Don't you know that those who work in the temple get their food from the temple, and those who serve at the altar share in what is offered on the altar? In the same way, the Lord has commanded that those who preach the gospel should receive their living from the gospel. (NIV)

Teachers of tithing allude to verses 8 through14 to establish a pastor's lawful right to receive tithes. They contend that since temple workers (Levitical Priests) received tithes, so in the same manner, those who preach the gospel today are entitled to be paid tithes. Is this what Paul is claiming?

Before responding to this question, I would like to point out again that the Levitical Priests did not receive a tithe from the Jewish community. Their tenth was acquired from the Levites (the tithe of the tithe). So, in effect, the Levitical Priest received one percent (1%) from the Israelites. Moreover, tithes were never used to build and maintain the temple. This is in sharp contrast with the manner of tithing to ministries today.

Now...beginning with verse seven, notice how Paul states that soldiers, farmers, and shepherds are recompensed for their services. In verse nine, Paul reiterates Christ's moral principle that workers must be granted the right to enjoy the rewards of their labor (Matt. 10:10, Luke 10:7, 1 Tim. 5:18). In verses 13 to 14, he then moves forward by drawing a comparison between Levitical Priests and gospel workers. Because some Jews prided themselves in observing the Mosaic Law, Paul used old covenant scriptures to show that Priests were supported by tithes and offerings. Similarly, just as old covenant Levitical Priests received compensation for work performed, gospel workers today have a right to receive support for preaching and teaching. It is today's standard procedures of support, however, that is in question.

Because Paul was an expert in old covenant law and new covenant gra ce, he knew that it would be illegal to claim rights to a tithe on account that the Levitical Priesthood was abrogated; much less he was from the tribe of Benjamin, not Levi. Thus, if we take into consideration the entire passage instead of conveniently selected verses, it should become evident that Paul was affirming the eternal moral principle of compensation for work performed rather than an individual prescribed tithing principle.

Under no circumstances did Paul ever deceive anyone with his erudition of old covenant laws for the purpose of skillfully extorting money. Paul was a man who genuinely loved God and was committed to spreading the gospel of Christ by all means necessary. He was more interested in building love than acquiring possessions via a tithe or other ambiguous means. With that in mind, one should not be surprised that historical research will show that the early Apostolic Church did not use a tithing policy to finance a church facility.

"It is admitted universally that the payment of tithes, or the tenth of possessions, for sacred purposes did not find a place within the Christian Church during the age covered by the apostles and their immediate successors." (Dr. James Hastings, Dictionary of the NT: The Apostolic Church, vol. 4, p. 594)

"Centuries later some tried to reinstitute a tithe for the church, but 'leaders in the church (like Irenacus and Epiphanius) showed the arguments' of these who sought to bind the tithe upon their brethren 'were not valid. Rather, freedom in Christian giving was emphasized.'" (The Zondervan Pictorical Encyclopedia of the Bible, vol. 5, p. 758)

"It (tithing) was not practiced in the early Christian church, but gradually became common by the 6th century." (Encyclopedia Americana, p.6, 259)

Unlike the early church, most churches today operate as busines ses. Because these "corporations" require a constant source of income in order to meet operating cost, most leaders in the church have found it beneficial to resurrect the Old Testament temple and establish themselves as the new Levitical Priesthood; thus enacting a forced method of giving through a tithing system.

At best, such an approach may come from those with sincere and honorable endeavors who have simply accepted hand-me-down tradition. At worst, which is the majority in this author's viewpoint, we have varying degrees of "corporate corruption" driven by partiality, acquisitiveness, and greed (2 Cor. 2:17,1 Tim. 6:3 -5, 2 Peter 2:3). Likened to the Al-Qaeda network, many of these executives of a different gospel use terroristic methods to breed fear -- undermining the believer's freedom in Christ.
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