Debunking Tithing

Debunking Tithing
Eating Sacred Cows by Grame Carle
http://www.tithingdebate.com/EatingSacredCowsDownload.pdf

Truth is more liberating
than traditions
Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica;
they received the word with all eagerness, examining the
Scriptures daily to see if these things were so. (Acts 17:11)

Tithing
What is the will of God concerning tithing?
 Evangelical and Pentecostal denomination
churches teach on setting aside 10% of all
income received and give it to the Lord’s work.
 Romans 14 approach is giving according to own
conviction

Tithing
What is the will of God concerning tithing?
 Encyclopedia Judaica mentions two uses of the
one tithe:
 1st was to the Levites and
 the 2nd was to be consumed in Jerusalem
 Tithing was not practised in the early Christian
church but was made obligatory by civil law in
the Carolingian empire in 765 and in England in
the 10th century…
 However the eastern Orthodox churches never
accepted the idea of tithes

Tithing A Closer Look at Tithing

Scriptures &
Tithing
Why Our Desire for One Rule?
And he [Abraham] gave him
[Melchizedek] a tenth of all (Gen 14:20)
Jacob gave one tenth to God (Gen 28:22)
Zaccheus gave away HALF of his
possessions (Luke 19:1-10)
A certain ruler was to distribute ALL his
possessions to the poor (Luke 18:18-25)
1st mention of tithing in the Old
Testament

1stMention Of Tithing In
The Old Testament

Before the Law
– Abraham’s
Tithe
And he [Abraham] gave him
[Melchizedek] a tenth of all (Gen 14:20)
Serious flaws:
 Abraham predated Moses by 400+ years so
tithing was established before the Law of
Moses and therefore not under the Law
 Christians are not under the Law of Moses
but are still to follow Abraham’s example in
tithing?
Testament

Other Practices
Of Abraham
Why are Christians not
following ALL other practices of
Abraham?
 Most important practice: Circumcision “in the
flesh of your foreskin” Gen 17:11
 Animal sacrifices before the Law [Gen 12:8,
22:7]
 Abraham had concubines [Gen 25:6]
Testament

Other Practices
Of Abraham
Why are Christians not
following ALL other practices of
Abraham?
 Of the 66 New Testament reference to
Abraham, the ONLY practice of his we are told
to follow is having faith [Rom 4:11 &16, Gal 3:6-
10]
 Abraham only tithed once, from the spoils of a
battle and Melchizedek, being priest, blessed
him on that occasion:
 There is no mention of it being a regular occurrence
Testament

Tithe To The
Priest
 Melchizedek’s priesthood is superior to that of
Abraham’s son, Levi [Hebrews 7]
 Christians today belong to “the royal
priesthood” [1 Peter 2:9]
 Being in Christ who “forever is of the order of
Melchizedek” [Heb 5:6]
 Every Christian should therefore be RECEIVING
tithes!
Testament

Tithe To The
Priest
 Abraham was offering “first fruits” which was
always given to the priests, and
 He CHOSE a 10th of his recent gain to show his
thankfulness to God
 A one-off event, as there is no mention of the
other tithes in the Old Testament
Testament

2ndMention Of Tithing
In The Old Testament

2ndMention Of
Tithing In The
Old Testament
 Abraham’s grandson, Jacob vowed: “of all that
Thou dost give me I will surely give a tenth to
Thee” [Gen 28:22]
 Evidence of a system of tithing rather than a
one-off event
Voluntary thanksgiving offering
 Tithe is conditional on God’s helping him [Gen
28:20-21]

Mandatory
Tithing
 The main purpose of the tithe was not to
support the Levites, as is taught at present, but
 To provide the Israelites themselves with the
feast for the Feast of Tabernacles [Exodus 23:16
and 34:22]
Modern term = Holiday Pay
Law of Moses

Mandatory
Tithing
Year 1
• Eaten by the tither and
not given away
Year 2
not given away
Year 3
• Sacred portion to be
given away
Law of Moses

1st Purpose of
Mandatory
Tithing
Law of Moses
Feast of Tabernacles
 Deuteronomy 12:5-19: The tithes along with
the votive, free-will, first-fruits and heave
offerings, were to be brought to Jerusalem and
there EATEN BY THE TITHER, and shared with
others:
“… you shall eat them before the Lord your
God… you and your son and daughter,
and… your servants, and the Levite” [v.18]

1st Purpose of
Mandatory
Tithing
Law of Moses
 Deuteronomy 14:22-27
“You shall surely tithe… and you shall eat
in the presence of the Lord your God… the
tithe of your grain, your new wine, your oil
and the first-born of your herd and of the
flock…” [v.22-23]

1st Purpose of
Mandatory
Tithing
Law of Moses
 Deuteronomy 14:22-27
 If you lived too far away to transport your tithe
to Jerusalem , you are to SELL your offerings
(grain, wine, oil and flock), and
BUY “whatever your heart desires”, and
 “Eat in the presence of the Lord your God and
rejoice, you and your household (children,
servants, Levites, widows, orphans and
strangers)” [v.26]

1st Purpose of
Mandatory
Tithing
Law of Moses
 Feast is 7 days of celebration, in the 7th month,
at the end of the agricultural year and harvest.
 To remind all succeeding generations that God
“had the sons of Israel live in booths when I
brought them out from the land of Egypt” [Lev
23:40 &43]
 Families travel to Jerusalem and there live in
temporary shelters made of the foliage of
beautiful trees
 It was a Camping holiday!

1st Purpose of
Mandatory
Tithing
Law of Moses
 Feast was to relax and celebrate the goodness
of God with the first-fruits of their labour:
“…you shall rejoice in your feast, you and your
son and your daughter and your male and
female servants and the Levite and the stranger
and the orphan and the widows who are in your
towns (ie. your neighbours). Seven days you
shall celebrate…(in Jerusalem), because the
Lord your God will bless you in all your produce
and in all the work of your hands, so that you
shall be altogether joyful” Deut 16:14-15

All were to partake and
enjoy in the tithes and
celebrate His goodness
Tithes of 1st and 2nd years

2nd Purpose of
Mandatory
Tithing
Law of Moses
Sacred portion of the Lord’s
where the whole tithe was given away

2nd Purpose of
Mandatory
Tithing
Law of Moses
Sacred Portion
 Every 3rd year the Levite, the alien, orphan and
widow, received the whole tithe,…
 Not in Jerusalem at the Feast, but locally in the
towns where they were living [Deut 26]:
When you have finished tithing all the tithe
of your increase in the third year, the year of
tithing, the you shall give it to the Levite, to
the stranger, to the orphan and to the
widow that they may eat in your towns and
be satisfied.

1st Purpose of
Mandatory
Tithing
Law of Moses
Sacred Portion
And you shall say before the Lord your
God, “I have removed the sacred portion
from my house, and also have given it to
the Levite and the alien, the orphan and
the widow, according to all Thy
commandments which Thou has
commanded me”… Deut 26:12-13

2nd Purpose of
Mandatory
Tithing
Law of Moses
Sacred Portion
 Every 3rd year is called the Year of Tithing, the
only year the whole tithe was given away.
 This sacred portion is significant since it provided
for the physical means by which God would
provide for those with no income (Num 18:20).
In Psalm 146:9,
“The Lord protects the stranger,
He supports the fatherless and
the widow”

2nd Purpose of
Mandatory
Tithing
Law of Moses
Sacred Portion
 Let’s understand the commonly cited verse
“I have given all the tithe in Israel for an
inheritance” (Num 18:21-28),
 The tithe to the Levites here is described as
“the tithe of the sons of Israel, which they
offer as an offering to the Lord”
ie the Sacred Portion 3rd year tithe

Differences of
the 2 uses of
tithe
Year 1 & 2
• 10% Tithe is taken to
Jerusalem
his household and
shared with those with
no income (harvest)
• An abundant provision
to celebrate the harvest
festival, camping in
temporary shelters
during the 7-day Feast
Year 3
• 10% Tithe is placed in
the gates of the cities,
towns and villages
• Given away completely
to those without an
inheritance
• A normal provision for
their daily sustenance

Summary
Abrahamic
practices
Tithing was a one-off
voluntary action
Primary purpose was
thanksgiving of God’s
goodness
Secondary purpose was to
provide for the priest and
poor
Law of Moses
Even under the Law, tithing
was not automatic giving
away of 1
/10 of all increase
Primary purpose was
thanksgiving of God’s
goodness
Secondary purpose was to
provide for the Levites and
poor

Every Christian needs to
know which portion is for
them and which is not, lest
he takes someone else’s.

Christians are not blessed
or cursed on the basis of
tithing or not.
Placing ourselves under the Law, even the law of tithing, will
bring us under a curse (Galatians 3:10 & 3:2-3)

How will this affect the
priests, widows,
orphans and aliens?
To be Continued…

Study on Amos’ Rebuke
and Malachi & the
Curse
To be Continued…

Debunking Tithing

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Debunking Tithing