TITHING
Updated January 22, 2012
MALACHI 3:8-10
Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings. Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation. 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.
HEBREWS CHAPTER SEVEN 1
You see what a strict thing it is to pay tithe? Tithing's right. Every Christian's duty bound to pay tithe. That's right.
After reading the above scriptures and quote we understand that tithing and offerings is an important Bible study. The main purpose in this lesson is to define the different between offering and tithing.
Offering is a Gift,
Tithing is a Debt
The offering is a freewill gift. Tithing is a debt owe. They can not be intermixed. For one can not give
a debt or pay a gift. Tithing is a debt owe a minister for services rendered. Like performing religious
duties, marrying couples, preaching funerals, dedicating babies and visiting the sick and above all,
preaching the Gospel. Tithing can only be given if it is in exchange for a tangible service.
"Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house," The correct understanding is: bring
the tithing to the priest that he may be able to live (eat the meat)
and then perform the duties of the Mosaic law. The "prove me" is, if you bring your tithes and offerings to
the priest, he will do his duty, and God will confirm His covenant to the children of Israel. During the Old
Testament time, tithing was made upon the harvest of animals and crops. The Levities priesthood lived by
that food tithing of the people.
I CORINTHIANS 9:13-14
Do ye not know that they which minister about holy things live of the things of the temple? and they which wait at the altar are partakers with the altar? Even so hath the Lord ordained that they which preach the gospel should live of the gospel.
I TIMOTHY 5:18
For the scripture saith, Thou shalt not muzzle the ox that treadeth out the corn. And, The labourer is worthy (means due) of his reward.
THE CHURCH CHOOSING LAW FOR GRACE
(There are at less 20 more messsage quotes about paying the preacher)
Soup suppers to pay the preacher, where'd you ever get such a thing as that Scripture? Tithes pays
the preacher. He's to live by the tithes of the people.
The above statements, scriptures and quotes clearly and simply define what tithing is. Under the Old
Testament the storehouse was the Temple. But tithing was established before the Old Testament Law,
Tabernacle, or Temple. So whatever things a person might call the storehouse (in Malachi 3:8-10)
does not change the meaning of "taking your tithes somewhere."
The Tenth
Tithe is a Hebrew word which means "a tenth", the ten percent. Paying one to nine percent of your
income is not tithing; it is a payment upon your ten percent debt. If that debt is not paid in
full that person becomes a robber (worse than a thief). By not understanding the simple term "pay tithes" a
person will not bother to pay their back tithes because they wrongly think tithing is a gift.
Pastors Pays Tithing
HEBREWS 7:5, 9-10
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: And as I may so say, Levi also, who receiveth tithes, payed
tithes in Abraham. For he was yet in the loins of his father, when Melchisedec met him.
We see the Levites paid tithes to another priesthood (Melchisedec) while in the loins of Abraham.
GENESIS 14:18
And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine. Ministerial tithing (a tenth of the pastor,s income) is important in the support of the five-fold
ministry. Missionary plane tickets, printing books, building funds, sending materials overseas,
giving money to those in need, etc, is not tithing, Tithing is paying a man for performing
work. Other words, the pastoral ten percent can only be given from one preacher to another preacher.
Sample, a pastor pays a visiting minister (or a minister in his church) to speak to his congregation
in his stead. Correcting this often misappropriation would help refuel the others offices of the
5-fold ministry.
Tithing in Missionary Work
We believe message materials, mp3s, etc, will not bring the Body of Christ into perfection. A group of
men called the 5-fold ministry will do so (Ephesians 4:11). Giving tithing for designated projects
in the missionary field is not tithe it is a gift. Again, tithing must be given to men. The correct
way is, missionary offerings and love offerings support various missionary works and the tithing off
of the pastor's income should be given unconditionally to other missionaries over seas (which
could include any minister that working in the foreign fields, in God eyes, the missionary is taking
the pastor's
place). We will close with the following quotes. These quotes are about "missionary offerings"
and "love offerings" that was given to Brother Branham. These quotes are not about his tithing upon
his income, nevertheless
they do make the point about supporting men in the mission fields.
DO YOU NOW BELIEVE
I get all that publicity free, and we don't have to pay for it. For what money we'd pay for that, we take it over to the missionaries overseas.
THE PRESENCE OF THE LORD JESUS
And then every penny, when I get a love offering, I go see how much behind we are at the bank. I pay it off, and just pay up enough for then. What I have left over, it goes right straight in foreign missions, to go overseas, to help the people over there.
BE NOT AFRAID
Then when I go overseas, to be sure that the money goes right, I take it myself.
THE UNCHANGEABLE WORD OF GOD
When I come home and look around and see the big, fine churches and--and the fine dressed people, and--and we... And then I go over there and look around and see them poor little fellows laying there starving to death, and never even knowed there was a God. And you say, "A God...," they say, "What God?" Thousands of them, you know... So they don't know. And then, just give them a pamphlet or tell them about another God; that won't work. The missionaries has found that out. That won't work. They've got to see something visible that they can lay hold of.
MY COMMISSION
I never knew what missionaries was till I taken a taste of it myself. It's glorious. But oh my, if there's anyone needs help, it's a poor missionary.
Eagle Christian Church ' P.O. Box 1510 LaVergne, TN 37086 USA
Pastor James Tidwell
Tithing is a Debt
Pastor James Tidwell