A CLOSER LOOK AT TITHING

EXPOSING THE ERRORS

By: Victor T. Stephens

"People often claim to hunger for truth, but seldom like the taste when it's served up."

~ George R.R. Martin

OLD TESTAMENT TITHING DURING THE MOSAIC LAW (continued)

A Closer Look at Malachi 3

Are you a Christian who has been badgered and judged as a "God Robber" by professing holy men of God? Have these men sentenced you to Hell for failing to tithe? Do you tithe because you believe that you will elude a curse? Do you live a life in fear of being cursed because you cannot afford to tithe? Have you been judged as disobedient, lacking faith, and made to feel like an inferior Christian because you were unable to tithe? If you answered "Yes" to any of these questions, then you have fallen prey to authoritarianism and spiritual abuse. But I have some good news that will set you free from your subjection to these stressful, guilt-tripping, fear-manufacturing schemes.

Let’s now take a closer look at the most popular tithing passage cited by most teachers in the church:

"For I am the Lord, I do not change; Therefore you are not consumed, O sons of Jacob. Yet from the days of your fathers you have gone away from My ordinances and have not kept them. Return to Me, and I will return to you," says the Lord of hosts. "But you said, 'In what way shall we return?' "Will a man rob God? Yet you have robbed Me! But you say, 'In what way have we robbed You?' In tithes and offerings. You are cursed with a curse, for you have robbed Me, even this whole nation. Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be food in My house, and try Me now in this," says the Lord of hosts, "If I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you such blessing that there will not be room enough to receive it. "And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, so that he will not destroy the fruit of your ground, nor shall the vine fail to bear fruit for you in the field," says the Lord of hosts;… (Mal. 3:6-11)

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Malachi 3:6-11 is the chief go-to passage for mandatory church tithing. Unfortunately, numerous churches have superstitiously weaponized it for corrupt purposes. Whenever we hear a sermon on tithing, it is with certainty that many professing pastors will eagerly invoke the words of the prophet Malachi. "WILL A MAN ROB GOD? If you do not pay your tithes, you are robbing The Almighty God. And God will get you and put you under a curse if you do not pay what belongs to Him.," they say with a threatening and thunderous intonation. The rhetoric continues with the Tither's Creed: "The tithe is the Lord's. In truth, we learned it; in faith, we believe it. In joy, we give it. The tithe!"

This oratory is the nucleus in their arsenal of mind control techniques to gain wealth from their misinformed congregants. Their goal is threefold. It is to motivate fear of retribution from God, instill guilt and shame, and promise special blessings and riches for those who tithe. Some pastors will use a subtle psychological attack, while others may employ an overt threatening attitude.

For example, Word-Faith teacher Creflo A. Dollar, pastor of World Changers Church International, stated: "To not tithe is worse than committing adultery." He then ridiculed one non-tithing Christian by calling him a "nappy-headed Negro." (Source: The Atlanta Journal and Constitution, "The Riches of God," John Blake [Staff Writer], Aug. 23, 1997, p. F01.)

In a sermon titled "The Covenant Connector," Mr. Dollar stated that if it were permissible, he would shoot all non-tithers.

“I mean, I thought about when we first built The Dome, I wanted to put some of those little moving bars and give everybody a little card. They'd stick it in a little computer slot. If they were tithing, beautiful music would go off and, you know, ‘Welcome, welcome, welcome to the World Dome.’ But if they were non-tithers, the bar would lock up, the red and blue lights would start going, the siren would go off, and a voice would go out throughout the entire dome, ‘Crook, crook, crook, crook!’ Security would go and apprehend them, and once we got them all together, we'd line them up in the front and pass out Uzis by the ushers and point our Uzis right at all those non-tithing members cause we want God to come to church, and at the count of three Jesuses we'd shoot them all dead. And then we'd take them out the side door there, have a big hole, bury them, and then go ahead and have church and have the anointing. Aren't you glad we're under the Blood of Jesus? Because if we were not under the Blood of Jesus, I would certainly try it.” (Creflo Dollar, “The Covenant Connector”)

What an outrageous statement! One has to be deranged to conjure up such a violent scenario projected at those who do not pay tithes to the church. Furthermore, for Creflo Dollar to possess the unmitigated audacity to flagrantly use the Name of Jesus ("three Jesuses") in this abysmal depiction illustrates a complete lack of reverence for the Son of God.

Mr. Dollar and many other false teachers have brought disgrace to the Church. We should not be surprised to hear such comments arising from radical terrorist groups within some Islamic countries. But when this sort of appalling rhetoric and indignation occurs within the Church, we need to take a firm stand against it. Unfortunately, many professing Christians will ignore or applaud these theological invectives and anomalous actions rather than sharply rebuke them. It appears that political correctness, spiritual apathy, and adoration of man have stifled the use of common sense.

Let's consider another abhorrence. According to ESPN and other sources, former Heavyweight boxing champion Evander Holyfield, a close friend and supporter of Creflo Dollar, beat his wife for not tithing.

“Evander Holyfield's wife claims the boxing great hit her several times after an argument about her payments to their church, and she has received a temporary protective order against him. Candi Holyfield, the boxer's third wife, said her 47-year-old husband hit her in the face, the back of the head and her back on the night of Feb. 1 after she refused to show him check stubs of her giving to the church, according to Fayette County court records. He was concerned she was not giving to the church. ‘He said that I was being disrespectful,’ Candi Holyfield, 30, said in the Feb. 3 court filing. ‘He started telling me that I needed to start putting God first in my life.’” (ESPN.com News Services, Feb. 11, 2010)

It takes someone very unhinged to beat their spouse for not tithing. Likened to the adverse confrontation involving Mr. Holyfield's wife, it is a fact that some married couples are fighting and divorcing on account that one spouse has an unhealthy admiration for the church and the pastor. These individuals secretly or overtly put their pastor on a pedestal and exalt "their church" over their spouse… losing sight of their priorities. Undoubtedly, this does not please the Lord. This form of idolatry will not only destroy a marriage but will also extinguish the warnings from the Holy Spirit's attempt to unmask spiritual perversions.

Let us now uncover the various misapplications of Scripture from the Book of Malachi as taught by tithing advocates.

Error 1: Tithing teachers use Malachi 3:6 to support the continuation of tithing under the new covenant. They allege since the Lord does not change, then tithing must still be valid today.

Rebuttal: Firstly, the prophet Malachi is not addressing the Church, but rather the nation of Israel ("O sons of Jacob;" see also Lev. 27:34) … more specifically, the Levitical priesthood, who was under the Mosaic Law. Secondly, this verse refers to God's nature and character. It does not signify that God cannot change his mind or modify his laws. Exodus 32:14 says: 

"So the Lord relented from the harm which He said He would do to His people." (Ex. 32:14)

Other passages include Genesis 6:6-7, Jonah 3:10, and Hebrews 7:12.

Error 2: Tithing teachers use Malachi 3:9 to deceive Christians into believing they will be under a curse for not paying their tithes. Curses can include failing to obtain a pay raise, being unsuccessful at getting a job promotion, losing a job, experiencing vehicle malfunctions, developing health problems, etc. A failure to pay tithes is the attributing source of all hardships one experiences.

Rebuttal: Tithing teachers do not tell their congregations who God addresses in this verse. As I recently pointed out, in verse six, the "curse" mentioned in verse nine applied exclusively to the nation of Israel ("even this whole nation;" see also Lev. 27:34). More specifically, Malachi was rebuking the Levites, especially the Levitical priests. He was not addressing Gentile nations or the Christian church. Furthermore, Christ paid the price for the penalty owed under the Mosaic Law, and thus, the Lord removed the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us on the cross. Galatians 3:13 says:

Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, "Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree." (Gal. 3:13)

Although there is no curse for failing to pay tithes, God still requires us to be charitable givers. I want to accentuate this point for those who will permit offense to cause them to resort to strawman arguments. For example, "people who don't believe in tithing are just stingy." Character vilification does not eradicate a person's legitimate argument.

Error 3: Tithing teachers allude to Malachi 3:10 to claim that the "storehouse" is equivalent to the local church, and "food" is analogous to the Word of God ("spiritual food"). Therefore, we should bring our monetary tithes to the church. The Word-Faith camp, who teach their perverted prosperity theology, use this verse to promise blessings of large sums of money.

Rebuttal: Tithing proponents conveniently fail to recognize that the temple storehouse is not equivalent to a church building. They also fail to understand that Israel did not bring the vast majority of their tithes to the temple storehouse in Jerusalem. Instead, they took them to the Levitical cities (Num. 35:2-3; Neh. 10:37).

"to bring the firstfruits of our dough, our offerings, the fruit from all kinds of trees, the new wine and oil, to the priests, to the storerooms of the house of our God; and to bring the tithes of our land to the Levites, for the Levites should receive the tithes in all our farming communities." (Neh. 10:37)

The Levites who received their portion of the tithes from the people were responsible for bringing ten percent (tithe of the tithe) to the temple storehouse in Jerusalem. This tithe was for the support of the Levitical priests and the Levitical temple workers who were serving in their rotational shifts. That was the only portion brought to the temple storehouse in Jerusalem. And it was equal to one percent (1%) of the general population’s tithe minus the amounts allocated to the stranger, the fatherless, and widows.

"And the priest, the descendant of Aaron, shall be with the Levites when the Levites receive tithes; and the Levites shall bring up a tenth of the tithes to the house of our God, to the rooms of the storehouse." (Neh. 10:38)

The only exception to Nehemiah 10:38 is 2 Chronicles 31:5-6. Generally, the people were to bring tithes to the Levitical cities rather than the temple. However, on account of extreme circumstances, this incident was an exclusion from standard procedures that Nehemiah previously maintained. If Nehemiah had not done this, there would have been no food for the Levitical temple workers.

Since Malachi 3:10 is not commanding all the Israelites to bring the entire tithe into the temple storehouse, it is wrong to exercise this verse as a basis for asserting that Christians should pay a full tenth of their income to their local church.

In any event, only the tenth of the tithes were taken to the temple storehouse, as evident from Scripture. Since Malachi 3:10 is not commanding all the Israelites to bring the entire tithe into the temple storehouse, it is wrong to exercise this verse as a basis for asserting that Christians should pay a full tenth of their income to their local church.

Next, the church today is atypical of the Levitical order. There are no longer eleven tribes providing support for the Levites. There is no longer a Levitical Priesthood or an Old Testament temple. Moreover, there is no exclusive priestly class. Under the new covenant, the priesthood consists of all believers. And the body of the believer is now the temple of the Holy Spirit.

"you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;"

(1 Peter 2:5, 9)

​Other scripture references include 1 Corinthian 3:16, 2 Corinthians 3:6, Revelation 1:6; 5:10; 20:6, and Matthew 26:61.

Next, because the tithe consisted of food substances, the word "food" refers to edible materials (fruit, grain, herd, flock). The expression "floodgates of heaven" refers to rainfall (Gen. 7:11, 12). This verse is neither a guarantee nor an insinuation that Christians who pay monetary tithes will encounter "high yielding money-making opportunities" that will result in a large bank account.

Error 4: Some tithing teachers link Malachi 3:11 with 1 Peter 5:8 to suggest that Satan will wreak havoc on our finances, personal possessions, and health for failing to tithe.

Rebuttal: That is another classic example of taking scriptures out of context to implant fear in the minds of incognizant Christians. In the context of Malachi 3:11, the word "pests" is precisely suggestive of insects that devour crops. It is not metaphorically indicative of Satan.

Or else, if you refuse to let My people go, behold, tomorrow I will bring locusts into your territory. And they shall cover the face of the earth, so that no one will be able to see the earth; and they shall eat the residue of what is left, which remains to you from the hail, and they shall eat every tree which grows up for you out of the field. They shall fill your houses, the houses of all your servants, and the houses of all the Egyptians... which neither your fathers nor your fathers' fathers have seen, since the day that they were on the earth to this day.'" And he turned and went out from Pharaoh. (Exodus 10:4-6)

We can find other passages which demonstrate insects that devour crops in Amos 4:9; 7:1; Deuteronomy 28:38-39,42; 2 Chronicles 7:13; and Joel 2:25.

Now, 1 Peter 5:8 is an actual reference to Satan. Verses eight and nine indicate that his goals are to devour believers through temptation, persecution, discouragement, and deception. Because Satan is known as the "Deceiver," he can potentially wreak havoc on our finances and personal possessions by our failure to discern "ministers of Satan" (false church leaders) rather than a failure to tithe money.

Error 5: Malachi 3 also mentions offerings. And tithing advocates maintain that an offering is over and beyond a tithe (1 Chr. 29:3) given as charitable contributions. Let’s take a look at the surrounding verses.

"Now for the house of my God I have prepared with all my might: gold for things to be made of gold, silver for things of silver, bronze for things of bronze, iron for things of iron, wood for things of wood, onyx stones, stones to be set, glistening stones of various colors, all kinds of precious stones, and marble slabs in abundance. Moreover, because I have set my affection on the house of my God, I have given to the house of my God, over and above all that I have prepared for the holy house, my own special treasure of gold and silver: three thousand talents of gold, of the gold of Ophir, and seven thousand talents of refined silver, to overlay the walls of the houses; the gold for things of gold and the silver for things of silver, and for all kinds of work to be done by the hands of craftsmen. Who then is willing to consecrate himself this day to the Lord?" (1 Chr. 29:2-5)

Rebuttal: Nowhere in this passage does it state or suggest that an offering is over and beyond a tithe. This allegation is simply another man-made invention designed to extract additional funds from blind sheep. If we read the adjacent verses in context, it should become evident that King David is saying he is giving "over and beyond" his previous freewill contributions to the temple.

In conclusion to this section on Malachi 3, I encourage you to be alert the next time you are interrogated with the renowned "Will a man rob God?" oratory. Become conscious that the message of Malachi is addressed to the nation of Israel and not to you. Today, you are the temple of the Holy Spirit and a part of the priesthood of believers. Thus, no man has the authority to teach, suggest, or demand that you should give ten percent of your paycheck to the church, not to mention that the biblical tithe never consisted of money.

Next: Was Tithing Commanded in the New Testament?

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