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STUDY REFERENCES & QUOTES
(Subject: Tithing)
The Following List of
Reference Quotes Present - Churches, Bible Colleges, Bible Commentaries,
Dictionaries, Encyclopedias, Respected Authors & Ministries that DO NOT
Teach Monetary Tithing as a Mandate or Clear Doctrine of Scripture Applicable
to the Church. It is Recommended That You Read the
Forward/Introduction By David A. Yeubanks to
Understand the Intended Purpose of This Site. God Bless You. You can download the full PDF version of this
list of quotes (great for easier printing)
by clicking this link: TithingReferences(TruthForFree.com).pdf
[Note:
Comments in Italics & Brackets are my own - David A. Yeubanks - unless stated otherwise]
Much of the information on this webpage is also available on
your Internet-capable Mobile Phone or Palm Pilot. Just point your device to the
following URL: http://tagtag.com/tithe
PLEASE
CLICK HERE
TO READ THE FORWARD/INTRODUCTION
By David A. Yeubanks
CLICK HERE IF YOU WOULD ALSO LIKE TO DOWNLOAD RUSS
KELLY'S FREE BOOK ON TITHING!
- The Encyclopedia
"It
(tithing) was not practised in the early Christian
church but gradually became common (in the Roman Catholic church in western
Europe) by the 6th Century. The Council of Tours in 567 and the 2nd
Council of Macon in 585 advocated tithing. Made obligatory by civil law in the
Carolingian empire in 765 and in
- Hasting’s Dictionary of the
It
is admitted universally that the payment of tithes or the tenths 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.
- The Encyclopedia Britannica (s.v. "tithing"):
The Christian Church depended at
first on voluntary gifts from its members
- Jake Barnett - Wisdom and Wealth, p.192):
Our proclivity to teach tithing is just one aspect of our
tendency to prefer rules to freedom. But the New Testament concept of giving is
so beautiful that it is difficult to understand why we resort to legalism. It
appears that we feel that God made a mistake in this area, and fear that our
churches would suffer financial difficulty if we followed the Biblical pattern…
- Catholic Encyclopedia of 1912
p. 259 (s.v. “tithe”):
In the beginning [provision] was
supplied by the spontaneous support of the faithful. In the course of time,
however, as the Church expanded and various institutions arose, it became
necessary to make laws which would insure the proper and permanent support of
the clergy. The payment of tithes was adopted from the Old Law, and early
writers speak of it as a divine ordinance and an obligation of the conscience.
The earliest positive legislation on the subject seems to be contained in the
letter of the bishops assembled at
- The New Catholic Encyclopedia (s.v. “tithe”):
The
early Church had no tithing system ... it was not that no need of supporting
the Church existed or was recognized, but rather that other means appeared to
suffice.
The New Catholic Encyclopedia
(p.12):
"In the Deuteromic code the tithe
is limited to grain. wine and oil (Deu. 12:6, 11, 17; 14:22). These texts more or less equate
the tithe with other ritual offerings and sacrifices." [223] "No law
of tithing is found in the New Testament, although the principle of church support
is laid down in Matt. 10:10 (see also Luke 10:7) and echoed in 1 Corinthians
9:13-14."
- The New Advent Catholic
Encyclopedia (re: tithing history):
In the Christian Church, as those who serve the
altar should live by the altar (1 Cor., ix, 13), provision
of some kind had necessarily to be made for the sacred ministers. In the beginning this was supplied by the
spontaneous offerings of the faithful.
[Please note that according to Catholic sources based on
historical documentation, the saints including any leadership were supported
solely by freewill giving, not the tithe, from the time of the Apostles and for
about 500 years, until the Catholic church reinstituted it. They in fact became
the appointed priesthood and in many places that were controlled by the
Catholic church. It became a state or
provincial law that tithing was required. – Additional Comments by Vicki Dillen of the Seek God website]
- New Bible Commentary,
Inter-Varsity Fellowship, p. 222:
[Acts
18:1-4] It was
regarded as proper for a rabbi to practice a manual occupation so as not to
make monetary profit out of his sacred teaching.
[1 Thess. 2:9] This policy [working night and day] not only reflected a
desire to be financially independent of those among whom they ministered, but it
also marked them off from the ordinary religious traffickers of the day, and
showed the converts a good example.
[2 Cor. 11:8] Paul is really indicating that he did not receive wages at
all for preaching the gospel. If what was given him for his support by other
churches was to be regarded as ‘earnings,' then he had in effect ‘robbed' them
since the service given was not to them but to the Corinthians.
[Heb.
7:18] Also, the
priesthood was so fundamental to the Old Covenant between God and His people
(the whole relationship was constituted in dependence upon its ministry), that
any change in the order of priesthood must of necessity imply and involve a
change in the whole constitution; i.e. it implies nothing less than an
accompanying new, and indeed better, covenant.
It
cannot be affirmed that the Old Testament law of tithes is binding on the
Christian Church...
- Spiros Zodhiates,
Th. D. - Key Word Study Bible (comments on Malachi 3:7-15, p.1173):
This
passage is often used by those who advocate "storehouse tithing";
that is, bringing the "tithe" into God's storehouse (the local
church), rather than giving it anywhere else. They suggest that gifts to
ministries other than the local church should be above the "tithe."
Certainly the "storehouse" in Malachi represents the temple or a
building in the temple complex. However, the OT "tithe" or
"tenth" cannot be reasonably equated with ten percent of gross salary
or wages which most earn today. Above all, giving should be a matter between
the Holy Spirit and the believer, not a regulation. The "tithe" may
be an adequate guide for determining how much some people could give (indeed,
for many in a prosperous society, it is probably an inadequate level), but the
amount of giving must be a personal decision. The Apostle Paul wrote that God
examines the motives for the giving, not the amount (2 Corinthians 9:7).
- C. I. Scofield
- Scofield Reference Bible:
2
Corinthians 8 and 9, "In contrast with the law, which imposed giving as a divine
requirement, Christian giving is voluntary, and a test of sincerity and love.
- Wycliffe Bible Dictionary of
Theology (s.v. "tithe"):
The
silence of the NT writers, particularly Paul, regarding the present validity of
the tithe can be explained only on the ground that the dispensation of grace
has no more place for a law of tithing than it has for a law on circumcision.
- David Dunlap – Biblical Tithing
(plymouthbrethren.org):
What, then, does the Old Testament teach about tithing? The
Bible does not command tithing in Genesis. Abel, Noah, Abraham, Jacob, and
others were not commanded to tithe, but all brought free-will thank offerings
to the Lord. “And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the
fruit of the ground an offering unto the Lord. And Abel, he also brought of the
firstlings of his flock” (Gen. 4:3-4). This was a free-will offering; there was
no command to offer, nor is there a command concerning the percentage of
giving, nor were there requirements, amounts, stipulations, and frequency
commanded concerning this offering. In Genesis 8:15-20, after the flood
subsides, Noah immediately makes plans to offer a sacrifice unto the Lord. “And
Noah builded an altar unto the Lord; and took of
every clean beast, and every clean fowl, and offered burnt offerings on the
altar” (Gen. 8:20). Noah offered a voluntary, spontaneous, free-will offering
from out of the overflow of his heart. Again there is no standard, command, or
percentage required by God. From the beginning of biblical history, free-will
sacrifice appears to be the pattern of giving for the people of God.
David Dunlap – Biblical Tithing & God’s Plan For Giving
Today (plymouthbrethren.org):
Generosity has been said to be the grace of kings. In a
former day only kings could extend such a grace, yet today generosity and a
willing heart is God’s plan for giving. Under grace God has not asked the
Christian to merely give a tenth of his income. If a Christian wanted to follow
the example of
- Chafer, Lewis Sperry, Major
Bible Themes, Revised, rev. John Walvoord (
In
matters pertaining to the giving of money, the grace principle involves the
believer's recognition of God's sovereign authority over all that the Christian
is and has, and contrasts with the Old Testament legal system of tithing which
was in force as a part of the law until the law was done away with (John
1:16-17; Rom. 6:14; 7:1-6; 2 Cor. 3:1-18; Gal.
3:19-25; 5:18; Eph. 2:15; Col. 2:14). Though certain principles of the law were
carried forward and restated under grace, tithing, like Sabbath observance, is
never imposed on the believer in this dispensation. Since the Lord's Day
superseded the legal Sabbath and is adapted to the principles of grace as the
Sabbath could not be, so tithing has been superseded by a new system of giving
which is adapted to the teachings of grace, as tithing could not be.
C.
Their giving was not by commandment [1 Cor. 8:8], nor
of necessity [2 Cor. 9:7]. Under the law, a tenth was
commanded and its payment was a necessity; under grace, God is not seeking the
gift, but an expression of devotion from the giver. Under grace no law is
imposed and no proportion to be given is stipulated, and, while it is true that
God works in the yielded heart both to will and to do His good pleasure (Phil.
2:13), He finds pleasure only in that gift which is given cheerfully, or more
literally, "hilariously" (2 Cor. 9:7)....
D. The
early Christians, first of all, gave themselves. Acceptable giving is preceded
by a complete giving of oneself (2 Cor. 8:5). This
suggests the important truth that giving under grace, like giving under the
law, is limited to a certain class of people. Tithing was never imposed by God
on any other than the nation
F. God
sustains the giver. God will sustain grace-giving with limitless temporal
resources (2 Cor. 9:8-10; Luke
- Mike Oppenheimer, Let Us
Reason:
The
Pharisees said they have faith but they were more interested in the money, in
fact Jesus said: “Now the Pharisees, who were lovers of money, also heard all these
things, and they derided Him.” ( so did Judas John 12:5-6). Then Jesus scolded
them saying “what is highly esteemed among men is an abomination in the sight
of God,” and He then summed it up by giving another parable--the rich man and
Lazarus. The poor man entered where the faithful were, finding rest in
Abraham's bosom but the rich man entered torment. The rich man was punished,
not because he was rich but because he lived for self, he had no compassion for
poor Lazarus whom he walked by and ignored each day as he sat by his gate.
The
weightier matters of the law, what are they? The Christians are to focus on
giving to those in need. “And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as
thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these” (Mk.
You'll
notice that those promoters of tithing will always use the Old covenant law to
justify their teaching this method of blessing. What the prosperity teachers do
is bring people out from grace and under law. Under the New Testament covenant
there is no specific amount required to give, you determine the amount you can
freely give. “Let each one do just as he has purposed in his heart; not
grudgingly or under compulsion; for God loves a cheerful giver.”
- Dana, H. E., The New Testament
World, 3rd. ed., rev. (Nashville: Broadman,
1937), 149, 217, 221:
Among
the Jews professional life was limited. The one widely extensive profession was
that of rabbi, if profession it might be called, for most rabbis followed some
trade or secular pursuit for a livelihood, while devoting all the time possible
to the study and teaching of the law. . . . Every Jewish boy was expected to
learn some trade. Rabbinic tradition declared that "whoever does not teach
his son a trade is as if he brought him up to be a robber" (p. 149).
The
prevalent use of tents [by travelers] made the tent-making trade a lucrative
occupation. One belonging to the same trade-guild, religious cult, or having
any other personal relationship to any resident of the locality could nearly
always find welcome more or less genuine in a private home. . . . This was the
prevailing manner in which the first Christian missionaries were provided for,
though likely the entertainment was tendered them without cost (cf. 2 John
10-11; 3 John 5-8) (p. 221).
- C. F. Pfeiffer and E. F.
Harrison - Wycliffe Bible Commentary:
[WBC;
1 Cor. 16:2] "By him" is probably a reference to the home;
giving was to be private giving. . . . This system would revolutionize present
church customs! Paul’s carefulness in money matters should be noted. He never
appealed for money for himself and did not even desire to handle money for
others if there could be the slightest question about it.
[WBC;
Matt. 10:8-9] These
ministrations were to be performed freely, without charge, for their authority
had been received in this manner. These instructions apply only to this
specific mission of limited duration.
[WBC;
Acts 18:1-4] It was
customary for Jewish rabbis not to receive pay for their teaching, and
therefore, Paul, who had been raised as a rabbi, had learned the trade of tent-making.
[WBC;
Acts 20:34] Paul
reminded the Ephesians of his custom of making tents not only to support
himself but to provide for the needs of others with him. He quoted a saying of
the Lord which is not recorded in any of the Gospels, about the blessedness of
giving. . . . The main objective of giving in the early church was to provide
for the needs of the poor brothers rather than to support the preaching of the
gospel as is the case today.
- Rev. Paul Winslow of
In the
New Testament there is no mention of believers paying tithes, nor any command
that they do so. This makes sense since the Body of Christ is a spiritual
kingdom, not connected to any land at all, but spread throughout the whole
world, its members being neither Jew nor Greek but a new race of people in
Christ Jesus. Therefore, it makes no sense for believers to pay a tithe which
was largely used in the Old Testament for maintaining a system of priests,
since all believers are priests and do not need a go-between themselves and
God. Actually, believers are to consider that all they own and receive
economically belongs to God. For example, we are told we are not our own but
are bought with a price. Further, we are told that we are stewards of all that
God has given us, and that He has the right to tell us what to do with our
time, resources, income, etc. It may be advantageous for a New Testament
believer to decide to give the Lord a percentage of his income as a sort of
guide or planned program for giving, and that percentage might be 10%. But such
a plan or percentage should be arrived at through prayer with the Lord Himself,
rather than an automatic acceptance of the Old Testament tithe. Furthermore,
New Testament truth makes it very clear that all believers are responsible to
care for widows and orphans and to extend hospitality to strangers in whatever
age or social economic structure they live in. Obviously, this varies greatly
depending on the individual circumstances of a Christian. At one point he might
be a slave and totally unable to do much in this area, and at other times a
Christian may have the freedom and capacity to do a great deal in this area. In
conclusion, it is my prayer that the Lord will guide each person in his
stewardship of resources which the Most High God has graciously provided us.
Valley
Bible
Our
goal is for the Lord Jesus to be Lord of our church body, and to have Him directing
VBC the way He chooses. As a result,
Pastor
Jim Catlin of
In
fact, we NEVER mention the subject [of tithing]
in the Body! However, we have talked about how to handle the resources that God
has entrusted to us in a righteous way. As an example of where we are a little
'different' on that account is illustrated in our recommendations regarding
monthly bill paying. Many Christian financial advisors say that you should
'give to God first,' you know, the idea of first fruits, and then you pay off
everyone else. Well, we humbly disagree because we believe that it is Biblical
to pay for those things that you already enjoyed the benefit from that month
like electricity, gas, water, sewer, basically retire your 'monthly debt', and
then give to God. Would it be right to make your payment to God while your
neighbor who offered you a service or a product in advance, trusting that you
would reimburse them, goes unpaid? [E.g. Psalm
37:21: "The wicked borrow, and do not pay back..."; Romans 13:7 -
"Render therefore to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due;
custom to whom custom..."; etc.] I know. It is a minor point,
but we are not very 'orthodox' when it comes to money matters. But as long as
we are Biblical, to the best of our humble intentions, we don't mind if we
don't go with the flow. One other 'unorthodoxy' is our lack of a membership
list. In reality, no one is a member of our church. If God leads you here, then
fine. If He leads you to become involved, fine. If you leave to serve Him in
another place, fine. But a membership list tends to put pressure on the Body to
perform. It says, "Hey, you're a member so you better act like a
member." Sadly, that usually translates into the obligation to give. And
sadder still, into an obligation to give 10% 'because it's Biblical'. Sigh.
Okay, one more 'unorthodoxy': we don't keep records of giving. Now we're
getting radical! I haven't run across ANY church that does this yet. Our
reasoning is self preserving (from a spiritual warfare perspective): who could
handle knowing what people give? Who could handle the temptation to condemn
someone who is affluent but gives a paltry sum? Who could handle the temptation
to make a saint out of the widow who outgives the
majority of the Body because her amount is so sacrificial? Not me. And anyway,
what do you legitimately need the information for? Not the IRS. We have gone
through that before, and all we are compelled to do is issue receipts for any
lump sum donations above $200 (or is it $250?). We write the receipt and only
one person knows who and how much and then we organizationally 'forget' all
about it. I've told this to many church administrators and they shake their
head in disbelief! To this date, no one in leadership, not the pastors or the
elders, knows who gives how much. And we LOVE it that way. 'Nuff
about church finances. What a waste of attention span, wrestling over church
finances, when we worship a God of INFINITE resources. The
- Ray C. Stedman - The Christian
& His Possessions [sermon excerpt] (emphasis added):
Giving
is not only to be persistent and personal and premeditated, but it is to be
proportionate, "as he may prosper." Here is the New Testament
replacement for the Old Testament tithe. In the Old Testament, believers
were asked to give 10% of their income, a designated proportion, to the work of
God. But, remember, that is the kindergarten practice of giving. Men had to be
told how much to give, specifically; it was put on a legal basis. When you come
into the New Testament you do not find the tithe carried forward. But
proportionate giving is definitely taught. All that Paul is saying here is that
as increase in prosperity comes there should be a corresponding increase in
proportion. Not simply in the amount, it is not to be any longer 10%, but the
proportion increases as God has prospered. Do not forget that in the New
Testament we learn that the basis of our giving is that we owe everything to
God. We simply owe everything to him. The carnal, careless Christian who really
cares little about the Lordship of Jesus Christ snaps his finger at that kind
of truth and goes out and does as he pleases anyway. But the man or woman, the
boy or the girl, who has been to the cross and has been broken, who wants to
please God in all that he does, is ready to walk in glad obedience to the
Lordship of Christ, he will take time to consider what God has done for him and
to calculate what he can do in response to the goodness and the blessing of
God. That is to be the basis of giving. Now you can see that if we take
this seriously it is going to make some demands upon us. It is going to change
our habits. But in the light of the blessings that we receive from Jesus Christ
we must not view these demands as burdens, but as privileges, for such they
are.
- The Billy Graham Evangelistic
Association:
…the
question as to whether to tithe from one's net or gross income is not answered
in Scripture, nor is the question of whether to give it all to the local church
or to include other ministries. We feel that such decisions should be based on
personal conviction… It (tithing) is not mentioned in the New Testament
except where it is describing Old Testament practices or in the Gospels where
Jesus is addressing people who were under the Old Testament law. Note Jesus'
comments to the Pharisees in Luke 11:42… A New Testament teaching on giving
which may be helpful to you is found in 1 Corinthians 16:2: "On the first
day of every week, each one of you should set aside a sum of money in keeping
with his income." This passage brings out four points: we should give
individually, regularly, methodically, and proportionately. The matter of your
giving is between you and God, and He always takes into account our
circumstances. He knows when they are beyond our power to direct and control.
The important thing is that we see giving as a privilege and not a burden. It
should not be out of a sense of duty, but rather out of love for the Lord and a
desire to see His kingdom advanced. Second Corinthians 9:6-7 says: ‘Remember
this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows
generously will also reap generously. Each man should give what he has decided
in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a
cheerful giver.’ The deeper question, you see, is this: What has priority in
our lives? Is Christ really first--or do we put ourselves and our own desires
first? Make sure Christ is first in your life, and then ask Him to guide you.
- David Wilkerson - The Bountiful
Servant (sermon excerpt -
I must
warn you: If you focus on percentages with God, you might as well keep your
money. God does not honor any gift that is not given in joy -- willingly, out
of a heart overflowing with love! If you give only because you believe it is
commanded -- or if you're always wondering, "Is tithing a New Testament
concept, or just Old Testament?" -- your heart-attitude is all wrong! If
you give 10 percent because the pastor asks it of you, that is wrong also. None
of this gets to the issue -- to the heart of what it means to give! One man
told me, "After I give my 10 percent, I can do whatever I please with the
rest. And I expect God to bless me as He promised -- because I gave my
tithe!" No! Many are able to give more than a tithe. And God wants us to
give as we are able -- with generosity! There is no place for stinginess among
God's people.
David
Wilkerson – Letter To Friends of the
The Holy Spirit has laid on my heart something I need to share
with you. It is a loving warning from the very heart of Jesus, who
said: Take heed, and beware of covetousness (Luke
- R.C.H. Lenski
- The Interpretation of I and II Corinthians (p. 1170-1172) emphasis added:
The
sowing is ever done on one idea alone, on the idea of blessings - blessings, praises
to God; blessings, benefactions to men; return blessings to ourselves.
On no other basis or principle does this sower
operate. On this basis he reaps. He reaps all the blessings TO GOD and all
those TO MEN, and he reaps THE RETURN BLESSINGS THAT GOD POURS OUT ON HIM… The
Catholic exegesis finds work-righteousness here, namely the harvest as a reward
of merit. But no man ever earned a harvest. God makes seed, soil, sunshine,
growth, ripening, and even the brain and the hand to place the seed into the
soil and to bring the increase home… Without a verb and with none to be
supplied Paul adds: Each one just as he has chosen for himself in advance in
his heart, not from grief or from compulsion. The verb is the perfect middle,
its voice brings out the idea that the person choosed
freely what he wants and would like to have for himself, whether he wants a
sparing return or one that is running over with all kinds of blessings. 'In
Advance,' fits the idea of sowing which is always in advance of the harvest…
The two phrases point to source. In the whole matter of Christian giving
nothing is EVER to be done from grief; no one is to be sorry about letting
anything pass out of his hands... Nothing is ever to be given 'from
compulsion,' from a feeling that one is forced to give, that he is being
robbed... Paul wants nothing but VOLUNTARY gifts for his great collection. He
here sets forth voluntariness as being the only true motive and principle of
Christian giving. It actuated the apostolic church (Acts 2:44,45; 4:22); it
has ever distinguished true Christian giving. A large amount of giving has been
vitiated by not being free and voluntary. A large number have had no faith or
too little faith in complete voluntariness. They fear that this will not bring
the needed and the desired sums. So they devise substitutes, all kinds of systems,
schemes, and methods that seem to promise more than the giver's own entirely
free volition. Instead of depending wholly on such volition and stimulating it
by means of pure gospel motivation as Paul does here, they use a little or
great deal of legalism which acts as pressure, or they stoop to worldly, often
rankly worldly, methods. So Christian voluntariness declines more and more. The
odor of legalism and of worldliness makes the 'gifts' so obtained nauseating in
the nostrils of God. The harvest of real blessings is lost… All legalism in
giving or securing gifts is Romanistic. No one has
yet surpassed Rome in this direction. Many who think they hate Rome yet imitate
Rome, and they should give Rome due credit although they fail to do this.
Tithing is Jewish. Applying a little Christian varnish changes nothing. Paul
was reared as a Jew. If tithing could have been Christianized, the man who
could and would have done it was Paul, and no better opportunity offered itself
than this great collection which he planned for all his churches
simultaneously. Paul shunned tithing. All the apostles shunned it. Not one word
of Jesus favors it. His very mention of tithing is severely derogatory (Mat.
23:23; Luke 11:42; 18:12). The only other mention of it in the New Testament is
purely historical (Heb. 7:5-9). Is this not enough? More than enough! 'Each one
just as he has chosen for himself in heart!'
R.C.H.
Lenski - The Interpretation of St. Matthew's Gospel
(p.907-909):
The
scribes and the Pharisees were rigorists when it came to the easy features of
the Jewish regulations. They demand that tithes be paid of even the small
flavoring herbs of which a family might grow a few such as mint, dill, and
cumin (obsolete: cummin), the later being like anise
seed but larger and used to a greater extent. But they dismiss, as needing no
attention at all, the real moral, spiritual parts of the law; and here Jesus
again mentions three points [justice, mercy and
faithfulness]... All three refer to our relation to our fellow-men.
All three are both virtues of the heart and acts that grow out of these
virtues. All three are achieved by our covenant relation to Yahweh Eloheka (Mat. 22:37) [the Lord
God to whom we are to love with all of our heart, soul and mind],
who by means of His covenant grace plants the law into our inward parts (Jer. 31:33) [writing His laws
upon our hearts]. These parts of the law are weightier, essential,
even as they are valid for all men and for the church of all times, compared
with the Levitical regulation of tithing which was
intended for the Jews alone, especially the tithing of mere flavoring herbs. [Lenski continues by
pointing out that one of the outstanding facts is that the Gospels mention
tithing only a few times; three times in condemnation of the Pharisees - all
three he comments to be "scathing in their severity" - and the
other references, found in Hebrews 7:5-9 are identified as "merely
historical".] All though all of the apostles were originally Jews,
reared in tithing, with not one word did any one of them even intimate that in
the new covenant the Christians might find tithing a helpful method of making
their contributions to the work of the church. This strong negative is
immensely re-enforced by the totally different method suggested by Paul when called
on the churches for a great offering, 1 Cor. 16:1,
etc.; 2 Cor. 8:4, etc. Exegetically and thus
dogmatically and ethically the New Testament is against tithing as a regulation
in the new covenant. Desire for more money also for more money in the church
and for the church must not blind our eyes to the ways employed for getting
more money… Jesus does not want to be misunderstood. The new covenant has not
yet been inaugurated, he as well as all his hearers are still under the old
covenant, and for that God himself had appointed tithing (Lev. 27:30, etc.;
Num. 18:21; Deut. 12:6; 12:22-27). If that tithing be done conscientiously,
even in little things, Jesus would not forbid it to a Jew. Jesus safeguards
against perversions when he adds: "These it was necessary to do and those
not to dismiss."
R.C.H.
Lenski - The Active Church Member (p. 161-164) emphasis added:
God has
given us His divine Law, and the spirit of Christ, which is the spirit of faith
and love, freely uses God’s Law as a regulator of the Christian life. As
Christians, however, we are under the Gospel, and that means that with
faith and love we voluntarily obey the Lord and seek to do His holy will.
Legalism is the name for all spurious [plausible
but false] law in the church. It is both the setting up of man-made
laws in the church, and any obedience to such laws. Jesus declares: "In
vain do they worship Me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men"
(Matthew 15:9). And St. Paul warns us: "Ye are bought with a price; be ye
not the servants of men" (1 Corinthians 7:23). No church has a right to
make laws by which bind its members; and no member has a right to obey such
laws, and to allow his conscience to be thus bound. Both the church and the
church member are legalists when they operate their church activities this way.
The state may legislate; not, however, the church... Just as the Gospel
alone rules in our hearts, so Gospel methods, or evangelical methods, should
alone be used in our church activities. These methods use the power of faith
and love alone, and no outward force. Hence these methods have the mark of
Gospel freedom about them. The church member does what he does, of free
will, gladly, gratefully, as a privilege. That is the evangelical method…
The evangelical Christian goes to church from love of Christ, His Word, and
worship. Only where the Lord sees this in the heart is He pleased… …no mere
outward performance satisfies the Lord, least of all doing what the Lord has
nowhere Himself commanded. And worst of all, to try to buy His favor is to
insult His blessed grace, through which alone His savings gifts can be made
ours. Legalistic methods look especially promising when it comes to getting
money for the church… Why not impose a tax on the members, say a flat tax of so
much per head, or a tax according to the property of the members? Would not
that insure the sum desired far beyond the evangelical method of voluntary
Christian giving?… The trouble is, that though the money itself might be secured
in such a legalistic way, the Lord has no use for it. The only money He will
accept must come as a true offering made unto Him by willing hearts in faith
and love. Such offerings can be gathered only by using evangelical methods,
never by working legalistic ones.
R.C.H.
Lenski - The Active Church Member (p. 175) emphasis added:
Wrong
methods always tend to corrupt right principles, and thus hinder the blessings
we ought to receive. Right methods support true principles, help to show
how beneficial they are, and thus win the approval and blessing of the Lord.
- Phil Enlow
(Midnight Cry Ministries) - "What About Tithing?":
Many of
our people give far more than 10% yet we don't even pass an offering plate and
rarely is the subject mentioned. God has blessed us abundantly over the years
and though we are small, we are debt free and supporting a worldwide outreach
without resorting to begging. We give God the glory! ...Although it is often
said in a trite way it is still true that we cannot outgive
God. When believers learn to give to God in real faith they enter into an area
of grace and blessing that will spiritually strengthen them and make them a
blessing. Christians are cheating themselves in this and in many other areas
when they fail to learn the Lord's ways and enjoy the unsearchable riches of
His grace and the benefits of His great covenant.
- William MacDonald - The
Believer's Bible Commentary:
[BBC;
Malachi 3:8-10 - emphasis added]
The NT
teaches believers to give systematically, liberally, cheerfully, and as the
Lord has prospered them, that is, proportionately. But no mention is made of
tithing..."
[BBC;
2 Corinthians 9:5 - emphasis added]
There
was no thought that these funds should be wrung out of the saints as by
extortion but that it should be a manifestation of their generosity, given
through their own free will.
[BBC;
2 Corinthians 9:7]
Each on
is to give as he purposes in his heart. It will be necessary for him to
consider what is necessary for his own immediate needs. He will have to think
of just obligations which he will incur in the course of normal life. But then
above that, he should think of the needs of his fellow Christians, and of the
claims of Christ upon him. Taking all these considerations into view, he should
give not grudgingly or of necessity. It is possible to give and yet not be
happy about it. It is also possible to give under the pressure of emotional
appeals or public ambarrassment. None of these things
will do. God loves a cheerful giver. It has often been pointed out that our
word hilarious comes from the word translated cheerful (hilarion).
[BBC;
Ephesians 2:15 - emphasis added]
The
church is new in the sense that it is a kind of organism that never
existed before. It is important to see this. The NT church is not a
continuation of the Israel of the OT. It is something entirely distinct
from anything that has preceded it or that will ever follow it.
[BBC;
Colossians 2:14 - emphasis added]
Paul
now goes on to describe something else that was included in the work of Christ.
Having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was
contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the
cross. The handwriting of requirements that was against us describes the law.
In a sense, the Ten Commandments were against us, condemning us because we did
not keep them perfectly. But the Apostle is thinking not only about the Ten
Commandments, but also about the ceremonial law that was given to Israel. In
the ceremonial law, there were all kinds of commandments with regard to holy
days, foods, and other religious rituals [e.g.
circumcision, sacrifices, tithing, etc.]. These were all a part of
the prescribed religion of the Jews. They pointed forward to the coming of the Lord
Jesus. They were shadows of His Person and His work. In His death on the cross,
He took all this out of the way, nailing it to the cross and cancelling it
as a bill is cancelled when the debt is paid.
- From the article "Thanks
Be To God For A Nusiance - Martin Luther" emphasis added:
Luther
loathed, too, the globalist tendencies he saw in the
Church, and perceived money and capital transactions as fundamentally inhuman,
(‘he who touches money, touches dirt’) realizing profit at the expense of human
beings. He thought men might create an economic system, which would preserve
God's Creation and allow people to live together in a self-determined
manner.
Martin
Luther, The Reformer:
Learn
from me, how difficult a thing it is to throw off errors confirmed by the
example of all the world, and which, through long habit, have become a second
nature to us.
Martin
Luther (Sermon; August 27, 1525):
"But
the other commandments of Moses, which are not [implanted in all men] by
nature, the Gentiles do not hold. Nor do these pertain to the Gentiles, such as
the tithe..."
- From the doctrinal statement of
the Evangelical Church of Lutheran Confession in Brazil:
The
Lutheran church does not force on its members rigid rules of behavior. Rather,
we go by Luther's rule: "A Christian is a free person and master of all
things - by faith. The Christian a servant to all things and to all people - by
love"... The IECLB is supported through funds originating from voluntary
contributions and gifts of the members of its communities destined for
community and mission work. Their is no mandatory tithing, and church services,
including baptism, weddings, sepultation, visitation,
among others, are rendered free of charge.
- Francis Frangipane Ministries
(statement concerning giving to their ministry):
One way
we discern where the Lord is directing us is through the support He sends from
His people. Therefore we will make our needs known to our friends - but we will
not manipulate, plead or beg for contributions. We believe that no financial
need justifies dishonoring the Lord, His people or this work.
[It should be noted that Francis Frangipane is not personally
opposed to the concept of giving a tenth of your income to the local church;
however, his own ministry does not request support through this method.
Additionally, Francis does not even receive a salary from his home church,
which he also pastors, only a housing allowance which as he states,
"…the housing allowance I receive, I then surrender to the work of the
Lord. What my faith possesses my humility surrenders…"]
- Dr. Eddy Cheong (re: tithing) emphasis added by Cheong:
Let me
say from the very beginning that there is a distinct difference between giving
to God and giving to "the church". Giving to God is a scriptural
concept (Matt 22:21); Giving to "the church" could just be an
emotional response to a well-orchestrated man-made appeal which is out of God's
Will and God's Word. So it is important for us to study God's Word so that we
are able to discern whether funds being solicited in a particular church are
based on sound New Testament Scriptural principles. Prayer is the other means
of helping to discern God's Will in a particular area of financial need (of
such a church)... In fact, giving should be more appropriately termed
"free will offerings" in the context of the New Testament Church, for
Paul commanded us to give as we purpose in our heart (2 Cor.
9:7). If the amount is a fixed one, there will be no need to purpose in one's
heart anymore!! I repeat there is no curse for "NOT TITHING" in the
New Testament church (as is often implied on sermons from Malachi 3:10-12)...
Our Lord has fulfilled all the requirements of the Mosaic Law and taken the
curse of (not obeying) the Law away from us (Galatians 3:13). The New Testament
Christian should abide by the teachings of the Apostle Paul (which has
superseded Moses' Law.). Christians who insist on keeping the Law of Moses or
part of it are under a curse! Gal 3:10 - "All who rely on observing the
law are under a curse, for it is written: 'Cursed is everyone who does not
continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law.'" (NIV)
Churches advocating tithing as compulsory are putting a curse on their
congregations! So in summary, 'Giving' is a New Testament 'Church' Principle as
opposed to 'tithing by Law' (by compulsion). Jesus clearly commanded (take note
that it was not an option) that we have to give to God. Matt 22:21 - "'Caesar's,'
they replied. Then he said to them, 'Give to Caesar what is Caesar's, and to
God what is God's.'" (NIV) "What is God's" implies a fixed
sum. BUT we must remember that Jesus made the above statement in the context of
the Mosaic Law which was still existent in His Time. Further on in the
epistles, the Apostle Paul qualifies this "giving" as "from the
heart" and proportionate to the degree that one is blessed. He
specifically spoke against "compulsion" (from sources outside).
Manipulating a person to give (whether directly or indirectly) is a form of
witchcraft... 2 Cor. 9:7 - "Each man should
give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under
compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver." (NIV) "What he has
decided in his heart to give" clearly has to be some amount (not zero). It
may be ten percent or more. Well, it may even be less, but give as the Holy
Spirit directs your heart; NOT AS THE PASTOR DIRECTS YOU. This is the distinct
difference between giving to God and giving to the church.
[Dr Eddy Cheong is a Christian minister from West Malaysia. He
is author of two books and is also a medical specialist by profession.]
- Gary Carpenter Ministries (from
a message entitled: From Formula To Relationship) emphasis added by Gary
Carpenter:
God
loves to prosper His people. His prosperity has much more to do with your
RELATIONSHIP with Him than it does LEGALISTIC FORMULAS. I suggest you ask
yourself the following questions if you truly desire to walk in more of His
abundance: ARE YOU SEEKING FIRST THE KINGDOM OF GOD? Do you spend daily time in
the Word, prayer and periodic fasting to seek the will of the Lord foryour life's call in His kingdom? He has a plan for every
member of His body. What is His plan for your life? What are you doing to find
out what that plan is? ARE YOU GIVING A PORTION OF YOUR INCOME INTO GOD'S WORK?
It will be hard to convince even yourself that you are very interested in what
God is doing in theearth if you are not sowing a
portion of your finances into the work of the gospel. Why do you want to
prosper? To heap up treasure for yourself? To see souls rescued from Hell?
Whose kingdom are you most interested in? His ... or yours? WHAT IS THE SIZE OF
YOUR FIELD? Take inventory of your life. Is your field already producing
maximum harvest? Is it already "wallto wall
corn?" Is there any room for financial increase in the job you presently
have? Has He already blessed your current field to maximum harvest? WHAT CAN
YOU DO TO SOW LARGER FIELDS IN THE EARTH? Spend time in prayer and ask the Lord
to show you if there are additional skills He would like for you to acquire. You
will find Him to be very practical. He is a Living Lord and He is very capable
of giving you precise instructions regarding what you should do. Of course, to
obtain answers like these requires more of us than simply "plunking"
our legalistic ten percent in the offering plate each Sunday. Answers to
questions like these require TIME in fellowship with the Lord Himself through
the avenues of the Word, prayer and fasting. NOW you are discovering the true
path to prosperity. He prospers His people through RELATIONSHIP, not FORMULA!
He desires your fellowship infinitely more than He desires your legalistic
offering. For those who will spend time with Him and obey His leadership, there
are no limits to the level of prosperity He can bring them to. Isa 48:17 Thus saith the LORD,
thy Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel; I am the LORD thy God which teacheth thee to profit, which leadeth
thee by the way that thou shouldest go.
[Gary Carpenter is a minister to the body of Christ who
expresses his calling as being Prayer, Teaching and Kingdom Finances. He is
also a prophetic voice in the body of Christ and has a sincere heart to help
teach Christians how to deal responsibly with their finances and, more
importantly, to seek the Lord for His heart in such matters. All of his
teaching tapes and printed materials are provided FREE to those that ask for
them! His website expressly states that those who are blessed by his ministry
should not feel obligated to donate any money to the ministry. He tells the
story of how the Lord spoke to him regarding his ministry and said, "Take
up no offerings from these people. Sell no tapes. Mail everything freely and do
not even put in a return envelope. If you will precisely obey these
instructions of Mine I will speak to the hearts of the people I choose to
support both you and the needs of the ministry." He also talks about his
initial hesitency to take his ministry to the Web
because of what it may cost him financially to maintain this desire to provide
all materials free to God's people. Of these concerns he struggled with he
states, "My thinking was, 'Lord, what if a 100,000 people all write in for
tapes at once? These tapes do cost!' I see now that this kind of thinking has a
name... DOUBT AND UNBELIEF! I say now, HIS WILL BE DONE! I have learned from
experience over the past two and a half years that the Lord certainly has the
capability of financing whatever He wants done in the earth. Apparently, He
wants this ministry done... NOW! Amen! So be it! The financial responsibilities
are His, not mine. So now I move out in faith in Him toward blessing
you--ministering to you--helping you--and praying for you--by His Spirit. Let
His Ministry go forth through me, and then through you." Gary and his wife
minister on the principle that freely they have received and so freely they
give, trusting God to supply every need for His work. The ministry's website is
located here: http://www.garycarpenter.org]
- Michael Clark (excerpt from the
article: He Shall Suplly Your Needs) emphasis added:
In 1970
my wife Dorothy and I went full time into a ministry that could not support us
but I felt that it was God's call just the same. We were in that ministry for
six years. The first year was the acid test. I prayed and fasted that the Lord
would show me His will concerning quitting my job to go "full time,"
and thought I heard Him say to do so. I had the attitude that if God was my
boss and husband, then He would meet our needs as we were obedient to Him. I
went to work for Him and expected my wages to come from Him. These were terms
that I could understand at the time and He honored my faith. In the first year,
He met all our needs and not only that, He paid off our house and gave us a
car. We even had a baby in that year and God paid off that bill, too! Often I
would be handed a blank envelope with money in it. I never had to panhandle
any of His people for the money, for I believed that this was not living by
faith to do so. After all the Word says, "Be anxious for nothing, but in
everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests
be made known to God." (Philippians 4:6, NASB). We are to first and
foremost make our requests to God and not men. God honored my faith and
never let us down. Grant it, at times he came up with the money for a bill at
the very last minute, but that just stretched my faith and made it grow. By the
end of that year we were totally debt free... I just wanted you to know that
God is able to provide your every need from His riches in glory in Christ
Jesus...
Michael
Clark - The Law and the Church (teaching excerpt):
You see
the early never taught tithing or many of the rules either written or implied in
our churches today. They believed in the power of a changed life with its new
heart to lead the believer into all righteousness. And they also believed that
God would supply their every need from His riches in glory. Paul had to
confront certain Jewish members of the church for trying to get the Gentile
believers to start keeping the law. He finally had a show-down with them in
Jerusalem and the outcome of it was the following decree. “For it seemed good
to the Holy Ghost, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these
necessary things; that you abstain from meats offered to idols, and from blood,
and from things strangled, and from fornication: from which if you keep
yourselves, you shall do well (Acts 15: 28-29).” Wouldn't this have been an excellent
time to lay down the law about New Testament tithing? If this was a legal
decree coming down from the rulers of today's Churches and denominations, it
would be at the top of the list! ...Don’t people have faith in the ability of
the Holy Spirit to lead, teach, and keep His people in the power of a changed
life and to convict them of sin where necessary? To listen to the teachers in
the Church today, you would not think so. Jesus promised to send us help in our
walk with God. “But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into
all truth ” ( John 16:13). “But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father
will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of
everything I have said to you" ( John 14:26) [Also read I John 2:20 &
27] When we, as well meaning Christians, set out to help the Holy Spirit by
giving our young charges in the Lord a set of rules to keep them on “the
straight and narrow,” we often cause more damage than good. I remember what a
thrill it was to hear a young Christian tell me how depressing it was for him
to try a marijuana cigarette again after he got saved. “I felt the peace
leaving me and it was really a downer,” he said. He had found out for himself
how the Spirit could lead him into walking in truth. Paul warned the foolish Galatian church, “It is for freedom that Christ has set us
free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by the yoke
of slavery"(Gal. 5:1)...
[Michael Clark served the Lord in the capacity of full-time
ministry for several years in the 70's during the "Jesus People"
Movement. Currently he lives in Bayview, Idaho and
authors a number of prophetic teachings and articles and is not affiliated with
any organized, institutional-style group. He is a broken vessel that has been
used by Lord to touch lives through a resourceful website, personal ministry
and has seen the miraculous power of Jesus touch lives through prayer. He has a
strong message to the body of Christ to see intimacy with Jesus increase and
move the Church beyond mere religious practice to radical relationship with God
and a restoration of what it means to truly be the Lord's servant. His website
is located here: http://awildernessvoice.com]
- Tony Badillo
- Tithing, God's Command or Man's Demand (excerpt from the book) emphasis added by Tony:
Here is
an amazing paradox - incredible but true: Physical Israel received what is
surely the most bountiful, most fruitful physical land in all the earth. With
the possible exception of the Garden of Eden, there has never been a more
productive land than the Promised Land given to Israel. Indeed, God
"circumcised" it with rain from heaven. And yet... The heart of the
Israelites themselves - the heart which is portrayed by the Bible as a piece of
land or ground - proved itself worthless, barren unfruitful, and hard as
stone - fit perhaps for growing only thorns and thistles. See now how God
compares the heart of Israel as unfruitful. And what does this have to do with
tithing? Simply that a literal ten-percent tithe was required to be paid from a
physical land inheritance - a land which was, without question, very fruitful.
It was a high-yield land. In essence, the literal land was circumcised by
literal physical rainfall from an earthly heaven. But in contrast...
Spiritual Israel (Christians today), have NO LITERAL LAND INHERITANCE and
hence, NO LITERAL TEN-PERCENT TITHE is required - no, not at all. But you see,
Christians too have a high-yield land. Christians too have a circumcised
land. But this is a spiritual land receiving spiritual rain (the
Holy Spirit) from the "heaven of heavens" which is God's throne. And
it is this Spiritual Rainfall which gives this Spiritual Land the Spiritual
Circumcision... Therefore, it is the spiritual fruit from this spiritual
circumcision that God really wants - and not a literal ten-percent tithe
return from a physical land! And THIS is the relationship between circumcision
and tithing...
[Tony Badillo is a Christian brother,
Bible teacher, and former member of the Worldwide Church of God. He is
author of the book mentioned above and also authors a number of articles on
church-related issues and has a heart for people who have been caught in the
deceptive teachings of the WCG and also those who have been robbed of their
Christian liberty by legalistic teachings in the Church.]
- Hubert Krause and Orest Solyma - A History of
Tithing from the Bible (excerpt
from the book):
A
Further Look at Matt 23:23-34: By their meticulous attention to the physical,
in this case in tithing on the smallest of garden herbs, Christ described the
Pharisees as "straining out a gnat"-a reference to their practice of
straining out their water so they would not accidentally swallow a gnat, an
unclean insect according to the Law. It was indeed laid down in the Law that a
gnat was an unclean insect to be avoided, but the point Christ was making was
that the Pharisees were unbalanced in their strict, legalistic application of
the letter of the Law, to the detriment of its spiritual intent, its
"weightier matters" (v 23). He condemned their attitudes and motives
that were responsible for this legalistic application of the Law. Yes, the Levitical law of the tithe was still operative, and Christ
did not dismiss their own adherences, though He did deal with their hypocrisy.
However, the added implication of His words is that their tithing law was in
His eyes also a "gnat" in comparison with the weightier
considerations of the Law; that is, it was of minimal importance when
contrasted with God's great Law of Love. Certainly, He took no pains to uphold
it as having an ongoing universal application, for He could easily, in these
verses or elsewhere, have expounded upon the subject. Instead, if we look at
the parallel verses in Luke 11:41-42, we see that He commended the spiritual
generosity of the heart and the giving of alms over tithe-paying (cp. Matt
6:1-4; 19:20-22). Christ was saying to let your heart-pure spiritual
motives-determine your giving, both physical and spiritual, for this is a
reflection of the love of God, rather than the compulsory tithe (Lk 11:42). It is interesting that Christ, while upholding
the law of Moses, drew upon the tithing practices of the Pharisees to
demonstrate their preoccupation with burdensome ritualism to the neglect of
more important spiritual obligations. Principle and law, which have ongoing and
intrinsic value, are the ammunition of rebuke rather than arrogant traditions.
Hubert
Krause and Orest Solyma - A
History of Tithing from the Bible (excerpt from the book):
Christ
gave many discourses and parables with respect to monetary matters and
financial stewardship, yet never once did He indicate that: 1.) either He or
His apostles were to be the recipients of the Levitical
tithe in the future; 2.) the Levitical tithe was
obligatory for the Christian; or 3.) the NT Church He was building would be
supported or financed by tithes. In the light of the fact that He, the High
Priest of God, was the very cause for the changes in the Levitical
law. The reality is that Christ could not legally have received tithes during
His earthly ministry, as He was a Jew, of the tribe of Judah, not a Levite (Heb
7:14). The Levites/priests alone were entitled to receive such offerings and
tithes. There is no evidence that He ever exacted tithes from anyone, and at
one stage He had at least five thousand people following Him (Jn 6:10) from whom He could have perhaps done so. After
all, the more people there are the greater the money. It was a fish that
provided even the shekel for the temple tax (Mat 17:24-27). Please note these
simple principles: Matt. 10:8 - "Freely you have received, freely
give," is the message of the Gospel. Matt. 19:21 - The rich young man was
to "sell what you have and give to the poor." Not to give to the
temple or to the Levitical priesthood still
functioning, neither to Christ, nor to His disciples. Isn't this an
extraordinary demand? It is restated in Mk. 10:21 and Lk.
18:22. Matt. 6:2-4 - Christ said that believers were to give alms, to help the
poor and disadvantaged. Lk. 6:38 - "Give, and it
will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running
over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it
will be measured back to you." Give compassionately, generously, and
voluntarily, and wisely but not because you are under coercion. Acts 20:35 -
Luke records one of the great sayings of Jesus Christ which is not mentioned
anywhere else: "It is more blessed to give than to receive." And the
context is Paul speaking to a ministerial gathering at Miletus. Giving or
tithing from feelings of guilt, fear, self-compulsion, coercion, or
superstition can hardly be approved of by God. I remember as a lad being told
that if I succeeded in doing 13 monthly benedictions I would be totally
exempted from purgatory. Similarly, some believe that if they faithfully tithe,
they will be given special material blessings. If one keeps buying lottery
tickets one might win the lottery. These modes of belief and behaviour are based on superstition and covetousness.
Giving is the outflow of godly discernment and belief without any expectation
of returns (cp. Lk 14:12-14; 5:27-32). Christ's
parables of the pounds (Lk 19:12-26), the talents
(Matt 25:14-30), the shrewd manager (Lk 16:1-12), and
other parables revolved around money matters (Matt 18:21-35). His teachings
about Christian stewardship never once connected these lessons to tithe-paying,
let alone to any obligation on the part of His followers then or today to pay
tithes.
[Krause and Solyma are Christian
lay-ministers from Melbourne, Australia and are part of the fellowship known as
the Church of God in Williamstown, Melbourne. They are former members of
the World Wide Church of God and have a website that posts a number of articles
and teaching resources for Christians in the venue of Bible study. They are
authors of the previously quoted book. Their website is located here: http://www.alphalink.com.au/~sanhub/index_.htm]
- Minister Raymond D. Sopp - Heart To Heart Commentary (Re: Tithing) - emphasis added by Sopp:
[Re:
Malachi 3:8-10] Many teachers of our day will point out with glee that this is
the ONLY place in the Bible where God allows us to test Him, as if we
should be proud of the fact that God gives us permission here to test Him. But
at the same time they turn a blind eye to the fact that throughout the Bible
God actually deplores being tested. It is true that God's permissive will
allows us to test Him, but should His sons and daughters be content with God's
permissive will instead of His perfect will? As we read Malachi, we discover
that this was a time in history when all that God was receiving from His people
were their leftovers. Therefore, in order to deal with their
hard-heartedness, God gave permission for His people to test Him. Yes, even
today this remains a great verse to overcome hard-heartedness and raise money.
But now as His sons and daughters, should we be proud of the fact we still need
to use this verse? Are we not in fact actually exposing our own
hard-heartedness by embracing God's permissive will in testing Him? Let us
compare this to another example in God's Word concerning His permissive will.
Matthew 19:7-8, "They said to Him, ‘Why then did Moses command to give her
a certificate of divorce and send her away?' He said to them, ‘Because of
your hardness of heart, Moses permitted you to divorce your wives; but from
the beginning it has not been this way.'" Notice God's permissive will on
divorce was formulated to deal with the problem of our hard-heartedness.
Certainly this is nothing for us to boast in. So we find this duplicity
today within God's Church. We wisely teach against divorce, although it's
permissible, yet shamelessly and with glee we continue to propagate the fact
that we have God's permissive will to test Him as it concerns our finances...
What about the tithe as it is defined as 10 percent of our income? The reason you
will not find the word tithe in the New Testament to describe the giving of our
finances unto our Lord's work is that as God's sons and daughters, we are to
follow Jesus' example of complete surrender. Therefore, to fulfill the tithe
unto perfection (maturity), we must be willing to move from God's permissive
will into His perfect will, we must finance evangelism, the needs of others,
and the teaching of God's Word selflessly without an imposed limit. Not under
compulsion, but from a sincere heart, motivated only by love -- a love birthed
by God's Holy Spirit which now lives within us. 2 Corinthians 8:12-15,
"For if the readiness is present, it is acceptable according to what a man
has, not according to what he does not have. For this is not for the ease of
others and for your affliction, but by way of equality, at this present time
your abundance being a supply for their want, that their abundance also may
become a supply for your want, that there may be equality; as it is written, ‘He
who gathered much did not have too much, and he who gathered little had no
lack.'" Here Paul clearly describes the perfection (maturity) of
giving as being without a set limit...
[Source: http://www.soppministries.org/index18.htm]
- Youth With A