“ABOUT TITHING"

Praise the Lord Pastor,

We appreciate your letter informing us on your opinion or interpretation of scriptures supporting that, teaching God’s people to give tithing in the “New Testament” church age is wrong; or as you have put it “a curse”.  My bible says that God’s word never changes; it’s the same today, yesterday, and forever more. It also tells me in Romans 3:4 “let God be true, but every man a liar; as it is written.” God’s word is infallible from Genesis to Revelation, it cannot contradict itself. If this was possible, the heavens and earth would have passed away along time ago. Paul wrote in 1 Cor 14:33, “for God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches.” The “confusion” in our churches today comes from leaders who takes God’s word and interpret it for their own agenda.

Now, concerning your analysis surrounding the teaching of God’s people to give tithing as being a “curse”; Brother, I must totally disagree with you on that ideology. I have stated already that God’s word can not contradict itself or it would not be infallible. Why would God say in the “old testament” that the giving of tithing is a “BLESSING?” read Malachi 3:12; Genesis 14:19. Then in the New Testament, as you have interpreted. To say that giving of tithing is a curse, this theory of yours does not fit with God’s theocratic order within his word.

I read the letter you sent, along with the commentary.  After careful review of the material, I noticed that many of the New Testament scriptures you have selected to support your view were not hermeneutically correct, according to how you are referencing them in making your evidence. Most of the scriptures (Romans 7:6, Hebrews 7:5, 18; Gal 3:10) you used to backup your viewpoint, deal with the abolishment of the law, not in cases of “giving tithing” specifically, but in receiving “salvation” not by the old Levitical order (sacrifices of goats, and burnt offerings); but through the shed blood of Jesus Christ. In interpreting scriptures, one must take the entire portion of the writing and draw out the whole meaning to get the logic of the writer. Not by using just a verse here and a scripture there to build a point. It is also wise, when relating to a verse or set of scriptures, to cross reference them to other books in the “old” and “new” testaments. We do this in order to make sure all connections are made in referencing the Bible’s whole truth.

In supporting what Paul is expounding in Roman the 7 chapter; you must continue on reading chapter 8, along with referencing the book of Isaiah 1:1-18, 2 Cor 5:17, Gal 6:15, Tit 3:5. All these scriptures speak to salvation not by works, but through the cleaning blood of Jesus Christ. I feel, if you go back and study these scriptures, you will see what the writers were illustrating, in not being saved by works, but by having faith along with the grace of God. Hebrews 10:1; “For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect.” Jesus said, “I did not come to destroy to law, but to fulfill it.” He became our high priest after the order of Melchisedec in the “Old Testament” whom Abraham gave a tenth of his increase (see Heb 7, and Gen 14:20).

Many think that giving of tithing started under the Law dispensation, but they error in this interpretation.  The giving of tithing started, in the dispensation of Promise with Abraham giving a tenth to the high priest of Salem, (theophanies of God) called Melchizedek.

The word tithe comes from the Hebrew word ma’aser or Greek word dekato which means to give a tenth part of the produce or personal increase. Then later when the means of money became a way to exchange, it changed to giving a tenth part of the money one had increase to the cause of the Lord. Tithing also implied “not the least and the last” but the “first and the best” for the Lord. It is like the idea of paying rent to the Lord the owner of all things. Many have suggested that the “Divine Landlord” who is God himself, is most generous in that he permits the tither to keep 90 percent of what they earned. The amount of 10% which was instituted by God was done out of his sovereign nature to produce equality. This amount is the same for everyone no matter if they come from a wealthy background or poor one. This coincides with scripture see James 2:1-9, in Christ there is no respect of person. The same goes for everybody and this is right. According to your interpretation of “new testament” giving, let everyone bring what they are led or felt to give; this would not work because, it’s out of the will of God’s theocracy order, and here why. Some would bring much, and some would bring very little, and some would give nothing at all to the cause of Christ. Then what would we have in the church? That’s right chaos; more than it is now, even with a set amount of 10% commanded by God. Many would be more tempted to be dishonest towards the Lord about their increases. As were the two individuals, I recall in the early church by names of Ananias and Sapphira (see Acts 5). Notice what happen to this husband and wife, who were members of the early church that kept back apart of their goods from the Lord.