Tithing

By Lee

Thursday, June 7, 2012

Many churches use the system of tithing to support the mission of their church, which is to preach the gospel to the world, fulfill the great commission.  Is tithing an obligation in the new covenant?  In other articles I have written I prove that the duty of the church to proclaim the gospel is not for this current time due to the rise of false churches that preach a false gospel.  The true church of God is a scattered and unorganized very small number of people and God alone today adds to the church those who are being saved.  No church today has any authority to preach the gospel or collect tithes from people to support that effort. 

KJV Genesis 14:18-20

 18.  And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he was the priest of the most high God.

 19.  And he blessed him, and said, Blessed be Abram of the most high God, possessor of heaven and earth:

 20.  And blessed be the most high God, which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand. And he gave him tithes of all.

Abraham paid a tithe of the spoils to Melchizedek not because of a command of the law, that would not exist yet for another four hundred years, but as a spontaneous act of respect to the priest of the most high God.  This cannot be used as proof that people must tithe today.  True Christians are not under any of the law but under grace.  Tithing was instituted under the law and was only to be collected by the high priest of Israel, a direct descendent of Aaron.

KJV Numbers 18:24

 24.  But the tithes of the children of Israel, which they offer as an heave offering unto the Lord, I have given to the Levites to inherit: therefore I have said unto them, Among the children of Israel they shall have no inheritance.

KJV Deuteronomy 26:12

 12.  When thou hast made an end of tithing all the tithes of thine increase the third year, which is the year of tithing, and hast given it unto the Levite, the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow, that they may eat within thy gates, and be filled;

No person of any title in the true or false churches has the right to collect tithes from anyone, only a direct descendent of Aaron the Levite, the high priest of Israel had this authority.

KJV Hebrews 7:5

 5.  And verily they that are of the sons of Levi, who receive the office of the priesthood, have a commandment to take tithes of the people according to the law, that is, of their brethren, though they come out of the loins of Abraham:

KJV Hebrews 5:4

 4.  And no man taketh this honour unto himself, but he that is called of God, as was Aaron.

KJV Numbers 18:8
 8.  And the Lord spake unto Aaron, Behold, I also have given thee the charge of mine heave offerings of all the hallowed things of the children of Israel; unto thee have I given them by reason of the anointing, and to thy sons, by an ordinance for ever.
 

The scripture below is used by many to say that tithing is for Christians today.

KJV Malachi 3:8-10

 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.

 10.  Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.

False preachers who demand tithes from people are robbing God and using the old covenant to do it.  Tithes are not required in the new covenant but rather in the new God loves a cheerful giver and not one commanded to give by the law.  These false preachers use this money to preach a false gospel and provide themselves a lavish life style when the tithes were also to be given to widows and orphans.

The ministers today need to get themselves a real job just like everyone else and if they preach they do so without pay.  The Apostle Paul did not expect a salary for his being an Apostle but he did expect and did have the right to be aided in his travels by the people who would provide him with food, lodging or other needs as Paul traveled.  This would be out of Christian love and not by a law of tithing. 

The facts about tithing are listed below;

Tithing is old covenant law and not for new covenant Christians.

Ministers of the new covenant expected help for their needs while traveling but did not expect to be paid a salary.

Only a direct descendent of Aaron, the high priest of ancient Israel, had the right to collect tithes from the people.

The churches today are false churches preaching a false gospel and should not be paid anything.

It is not the duty or obligation of the true church today to even preach the gospel as God alone calls those who He wants to be in the church.

Since the true church is scattered and unorganized with no human leadership, only leadership by Jesus through the holy spirit, they are unable to preach the gospel to the world.  The world will hear the true gospel during the tribulation by the two witnesses and the remnant of the  144000 elect that are yet alive and remain at that time.

If you are tithing to any church today you are being ripped off by false preachers of Satan the devil who feed you a false gospel and you are deceived.