Tithing

Dear Weekly Readers! 

God’s Peace be with you all!  This week in our article will address and item that many churches in our age seem to focus on quite a lot.  Let us be in Prayer that Jesus would be the reason and object of our worship, letting nothing else get in the way!

May God Bless your week.  John R.

Is Christianity Dying?

No topic excites many pastors more than tithes and tithing. Waxing eloquent, pastors with fiery zeal, would teach about how if you pay tithes God would bless you. How your business would flourish, how you would find that rich husband and how all would go well in your life. Blessings would flow like the Jordan River and life would be a bed of hibiscus petals. Conversely, you are also threatened and psychologically terrorized for not paying tithes- there would be no breakthroughs in your life, God would take away from you. Nothing would go well for you. Worst of all, you would be cursed by God because you have stolen from Him. Like the mighty spear of Goliath, Malachi 3:10 is launched at your heart.

"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." (Malachi 3:8, 9)

This verse has been used to intimidate many Christians into shelling out 10% of their income as tithes. It is probably the only verse in the Bible that many pastors quote when preaching about tithes. Other verses in Leviticus and Deuteronomy that shed more light on the issue are almost never mentioned. Church members are kept in the dark by design.

Was God rebuking the nation of Israel or the nation of Levitical priests in Malachi? Malachi 2:1, explains further, "And this commandment is for you, O priests." God was actually rebuking the Levites for abusing the trust of the people. They were not fairly using the tithes for the poor and needy. God is a spirit and does not need food but He wanted the poor to be fed. The Levites were the ones under a curse.

Who received tithes?

Tithe was God’s way of specifically taking care of the orphans, widows, strangers and poor Levites in Israel. This was the only reason God wanted food in his house. God does not need food. Deuteronomy 26:12, clearly states that when all the tithe is collected “then 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.” Deuteronomy 14:28-29 (NIV) "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 foreigners, 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."

Without tithes, the message of the Gospel could not be preached

God in His infinite wisdom asked for tithes to be used for the poor and needy. God did not request tithes to be used for pastor's salary, cars, church organ or choir robes. God explicitly said use it to feed the poor Levites and the orphans, widows and strangers. Tithes were NEVER paid in money, always food.

God does not need tithes to spread His word. The apostles gave their lives to spread the gospel of Christ without taking tithes from anyone. Many churches function perfectly today without tithes. We cannot disobey God with the excuse that we are spreading the gospel.

Even if you are poor, unemployed and struggling financially, now is the time to pay your tithes.

Nooooo!!! This is twisting and misquoting the Bible because we want to take money from the poor. The Bible says do not take tithes from the poor and needy. The poor are to benefit from the tithes. They are to be given tithes. Telling the poor to pay tithes, with promises that God would open the windows of heaven and pour blessings on them is a big con game.

The Bible says those with less than ten goats or sheep were exempted from paying tithes. God did not take tithes from the poor. Telling the poor and needy that if they don't pay tithes God has cursed them is the ultimate in greed and callousness. Some pastors tell poor church members to pay tithes before their rent or children’s school fees and expect miracles. Some tell the congregation not to worry about what the tithe is used for. They say to just pay the tithes and leave the rest to God.

Would paying tithes make you rich and prosperous?

The promise of breakthroughs and prosperity and material blessings is used as a bait to make many pour their hard-earned money into the bank accounts of some pastors. This is nothing but manipulation. If the gospel of Christ is about acquiring earthly possessions how come the apostle Paul was not rich? How come John the Baptist, Peter, John and the other apostles did not get financial breakthroughs? Many of Christ's apostles were persecuted and killed. Life was not rosy for them. Were they not blessed men of God? If you believe pastors who tell you that you would prosper financially if you pay tithes, then you need serious Bible study. People like Oprah Winfrey, Ted Turner, LeBron James etc. are very wealthy, but they do not pay tithes, they are not even Christians. If you believe paying tithes would open gates to riches for you, then you are in for great disappointment and cannot carry the cross of Christ.

Should I give to my church?

Yes, absolutely! Give to the church. Your offering helps the church a lot. Paul spoke about supporting the church. But give from your heart to God and expect nothing in return. Give because you love God. It is free-will, not a binding law like tithing. God had a special purpose for the tithes. It was to feed the poor and needy in society. It was to take care of the Levites who were poor, not wealthy pastors who have mansions, fancy cars and are far richer than most in the congregation.

Who is killing the church of Christ?

It is unlawful and unbiblical for anyone outside of the tribe of Levi to receive tithes, be they prophets, bishops, arch-bishops or reverend-doctors. Tithe has become the yoke around many Christians’ neck. When the clergy enslaves the masses and amass wealth at the expense of the poor it creates a history of resentment against the church. Many thinking people become suspicious of religion. When leaders of a faith insult the trust of their flock with misinformation and manipulation, the backlash can be unfavorable to all. The gospel of Christ suffers when boys are molested by clergy just as when money becomes their main focus.... Are our pastors robbing God, are they killing the church of Christ?

Rev. F. Frimpong

 
Note: This article is a shortened version of an article published on GhanaWeb.com. To read the full article, click here: http://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/NewsArchive/artikel.php?ID=278494