Who was Jesus

Who Was Jesus?

There may be no greater debated Christian theology than who Jesus actually was. Why, even during the First Century, Christians apparently argued this subject, for John (the Apostle) says at 2 John 1:7, ‘Many have strayed [back] into the world and won’t admit that Jesus the Anointed One came in the flesh. These who have strayed are the Antichrists.’ So, even at that early date, there was some question as to whom Jesus was, and even if he ever existed. That is why John in his latter years devoted so much of his writing to this subject.

The name Jesus is a Greek pronunciation of the name Joshua. In fact, in the Septuagint translation, Joshua is called Jesus (Iesus). The first part of the name (Je or Jo) is a shortened form of Jehovah. The second part of the name (sus or shua) means savior or salvation. So, depending on the point that individuals are trying to make, the name has been rendered as either Jehovah is Salvation, or, Jehovah Savior.

It is interesting that Aramaic texts say that Jesus was really named EliAzar, but he was called Jesus. This could be true, for it is in line with the words of God’s messenger to Mary, that ‘he should be called Jesus.’ And the name EliAzar (meaning God has Helped) is very similar to the other name that Jesus was to be given, Immanuel (God is With Us).

During the centuries following the deaths of the Apostles, Christians continued to argue the nature of Jesus. This resulted in a great theological debate, which ended in the formation and adoption of what is called ‘the Trinity Doctrine.’ In this teaching, which is often referred to as a ‘Divine Mystery,’ Jesus is said to be a part of a three-person Godhead – one of the three personalities of God – that consists of ‘the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost.’ This doctrine was first accepted by the Catholic (or Universal) Church in the Fourth Century Council of Nicaea, and was then adopted into many Protestant religions as they spun off from Catholicism in the Sixteenth and Seventeenth Centuries. In this teaching, Jesus isn’t referred to as the Son of God, but as God the Son.

Of course, not all Christian religions have adopted the Trinity doctrine. And as the result, many other teachings have emerged. Some believe that Jesus is simply (as he said) a son of God. However, others believe that he is in fact the same person as Jehovah God of what they call ‘the Old Testament.’ So, no trinity is implied.

Even among those who believe that Jesus is just a son of God, there is further disagreement. Some believe that he was once a mighty spirit son of God whose life was transferred (by God) into a human fetus, so that he was born a human. Others think of him as a ‘god-man’ or an ‘angel-man’ (superhuman), and there are those who think he just came into existence when he was born as a human. To find out which, if any, of these teachings is true, let’s look at some of the scriptures that bear on this subject.
Was God Jesus’ Father?

Matthew 1:20-23, ‘What has been fathered in her is from [God’s] Holy Breath. She will give birth to a son and you will call his name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins. This whole thing happened so that what was spoken by Jehovah through the prophet would be fulfilled: {Look!} The virgin will become pregnant and give birth to a son, and they will name him Immanuel (which translates as, God is with us).’

Matthew 3:16, 17, ‘After being baptized, Jesus came up out of the water. Then {look!} the heavens opened and he saw God’s Breath coming down on him like a dove. And {look!} there was a voice that came from the sky, which said, This is my loved Son and I’m very pleased with him.’

Matthew 16:15-17, ‘Then [Jesus] asked: ‘But, who do you say that I am?’ Simon Peter answered: ‘You are the Anointed One, the Son of the living God.’ Then Jesus said to him, ‘You are blest, Simon son of Jonah, because this wasn’t shown to you by flesh and blood, by my Father in the heavens.’

Matthew 26:63, 64, ‘By the living God, I put you under oath to tell us whether you are the Anointed One, the Son of God!’ And Jesus answered: ‘You said it yourself!’

Luke 2:49, ‘But he replied, Why did you have to search for me? Didn’t you know that I had to be in the [House] of my Father?’

Luke 22:69, 70, ‘However, from now on the Son of Man will be sitting at the powerful right hand of God.’ Well, at this, they all asked, ‘So, are you the Son of God?’ And he said, ‘You yourselves are saying that I am.’

John 1:34, ‘I have seen it and I testified to the fact that this is the Son of God.’

John 19:7, ‘We have a law. And according to that law he ought to die, because he made himself God’s Son.’

2 Corinthians 1:3, ‘May the God and Father of our Lord Jesus the Anointed One, the Father of mercy and the God of all comfort, be blest.
Where Was the Father When Jesus Was On Earth?

Matthew 7:11, ‘So, if you in your wickedness know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask him?’

Matthew 10:32, 33, ‘For everyone who admits that they are with me in front of men, I will admit that I’m with them in front of my Father in the heavens. But for whoever denies knowing me in front of men, I will also deny knowing him in front of my Father in the heavens.’

Matthew 11:25-27, ‘It was concerning this that Jesus prayed: I praise You publicly Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because You have hidden these things from the wise and intelligent, and have uncovered them to the childlike. Yes, Father, this is the way You approved. My Father has given everything to me. And nobody really knows the Son like his Father, nor does anyone really know the Father but the Son (and anyone else who the Son is willing to show Him to).’

Matthew 11:50, ‘Whoever does all that my Father in heaven wishes, is my brother, sister, and mother.’

John 12:27, ‘Now, I am deeply disturbed. What should I say: Father, save me from this hour? That’s why I came to this hour. Father, glorify Your Name!’ Then a voice came out of the sky, ‘I glorified it and will glorify it again.’
Was Jesus Human or Spirit?

Matthew 9:6, ‘I want you to know that the Son of Man has the power to forgive sins here on the earth.’

Matthew 22:41-45, ‘Now, while the Pharisees were all there in front of him, Jesus asked, What do you believe about the Anointed One? Whose son is he? They replied, David’s. So, he said, Then, why did David (through the Breath [of God]), call him Lord, saying, Jehovah said to my Lord, Sit at my right hand until I put your enemies under your feet? If David called him Lord, how can he be his son?’

Luke 22:22, ‘The Son (who is for a fact from men) is going the way that was marked out for him.’

Hebrews 2:9, ‘He was made a little lower than [God’s] messengers. And it was because he suffered and died that he was crowned with glory and honor.’

Hebrews 2:16, 17, ‘So, [when he came], he really didn’t take on [the shape] of one of [God’s] messengers somewhere, but he took [the shape of] Abraham’s seed. He was obligated to become like his brothers in every way, so he could become a merciful and faithful High Priest before God and offer a sacrifice to cover over peoples’ sins.’
Where Did Jesus Come From?

John 1:1-3, ‘In an ancient time there was the Word. The Word was with God and the Word was Powerful. He was with God long ago. Everything came into existence through him. Life came into existence through him and the life was the light of men.’

John 1:15, ‘John witnessed about him. He’s the one who said it; he yelled it out loud, The one coming behind me has come before me, because he was first, before I was.’

John 1:18, ‘The only-created god (gr. monogenes theos), who is the Father’s favorite [son], has explained him.’

John 1:29, 30, ‘The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him and said, Look! The Lamb of God who lifts sin from the world! This is the one I meant when I said, The one coming behind me has come before me, because he was first, before I was.’

John 5:30, ‘I’m not looking to do the things that I want, but to do the will of Him who sent me.’

John 5:36-38, ‘I am doing the work that my Father assigned me to finish. These are the things that testify about me [and prove] that the Father sent me. Why, even the Father who sent me has testified about me. You’ve never heard His voice or seen His shape and His words don’t stick with you, because you don’t believe the one who He sent.’

John 6:37, 38, ‘Everything that the Father gives me will come to me, and I won’t reject anyone who comes to me, 38 because I didn’t come from heaven to do my will, but [to do] the will of the One who sent me.

John 6:57, ‘The living Father sent me and I live because of the Father.’

John 7:28, 29, ‘He who sent me is real and you don’t know Him. I know Him, because I came from Him, and because He sent me here.’

John 8:26, ‘The One who sent me is truthful, and I’m telling the world the things that I heard from Him.’

John 8:29, ‘The One who sent me is with me. He didn’t send me off alone, because I always do things to please Him.’

John 8:42, ‘If God were your Father you would love me, because I came here from God. I didn’t come here on my own. He sent me.’

John 8:58, ‘I tell you the truth, I existed before Abraham was born.’

John 13:3, 4, ‘And knowing that the Father had put everything in his hands, and that he came from God and was returning to God, he got up from the meal and laid his outer clothing aside.’

John 16:27, 28, ‘The Father cares for you, because you cared for me and you believed that I came as the Father’s representative. I am from the Father and I came into the world. I am also leaving the world and returning to the Father.’

John 17:4-8, ‘I have glorified You on the earth and perfectly completed the work that You assigned to me. So, now Father, glorify me beside You with the glory that I had beside You before there was a world. I have made Your Name shine among the men You gave me from the world. They were Yours, but You gave them to me, and they have obeyed Your words. They now realize that everything You gave me came from You, because I passed along to them all the things that You told me, and they welcomed them. They know it as a fact, that I came as Your representative and they believe that You sent me.

Colossians 1:13-18, ‘He drew us to himself from out of the power of darkness, and transferred us into the Kingdom of the Son of his love. And the ransom price, which frees us from our sins, has been paid through him. He’s the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation (gr. protokos pases ktiseos – first/taken all creation). Through him, everything in heaven and on the earth was created, both the things that are visible and those that are invisible. Everything has been created through him and for him, regardless of whether they are thrones, or rulerships, or governments, or powers. He was before everything and everything came into existence through him. He’s the head of the body of the congregation. He’s the earliest and the first one to be born from the dead, so that he would be first in everything.’

Hebrews 5:5, 6, ‘Now, Moses was truly a faithful attendant over His whole House, as a witness to things that hadn’t been explained yet, while the Anointed One was a Son in His House.’

Revelation 3:14, ‘And write this to the messenger of the congregation in Laodicea, ‘This is what the Amen says, the faithful and true witness, the earliest creation of God (gr. he arche tes ktisios tou Theou – the ancient of/the creation of/the God)’
Why Did Jesus Come Here?

Matthew 20:28, ‘This is how the Son of Man came, not to be served, but to serve and to give his living body as a ransom for many.’

Matthew 21:9 ‘Part of the crowd walked ahead of him and those who followed were shouting: [God] save the Son of David! Praise the one who comes in [Jehovah’s] name! May [God] in the highest places save him!’

Luke 1:31-33, ‘{Look!} You will get pregnant and give birth to a son who you are to name Jesus. He will be great and he will be called the Son of the Most High, and Jehovah God will give him the throne of David his father. He will rule over the house of Jacob into the ages and there will be no end to his Kingdom.’

John 3:16, 17, ‘This is how God loved the world: He gave His only-created Son so that everyone who believes in him won’t be destroyed, but will have life through the ages. God didn’t send his Son into the world to judge it, but for the world to be saved through him.’

John 3:35, 36, ‘The Father loves the Son and has entrusted everything into his hands. The one who believes the Son has life for the age. The one who disobeys the Son won’t see life, because God remains angry with him.’

John 5:19-23, ‘Then Jesus said to them, I tell you the truth, the Son can’t do anything on his own, other than what he sees the Father doing. Whatever [the Father] does is what the Son does. And because the Father cares about the Son, he shows him everything he does. Besides, [God] will show him greater works than these, just to amaze you. As the Father raises the dead and makes them alive, the Son can also make whoever he wishes alive. And the Father doesn’t judge anyone, but he has left all the judging to the Son, so that all may honor the Son as they honor the Father. Whoever doesn’t honor the Son doesn’t honor the Father who sent him.’

John 5:26, ‘For just as the Father has life in himself, he has also given the Son life in himself and authorized him to do judging. This is because he is the Son of Man.’

John 6:37, ‘Everything that the Father gives me will come to me. I won’t reject anyone who comes to me, because I didn’t come from heaven to do my will, but [to do] the will of the One who sent me.’

Hebrews 4:14, 15, ‘So, in view of the fact that we have a great High Priest who has passed up through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let’s keep talking about him. We don’t have a High Priest that can’t sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who has been tested in every way, just like us (however, [he didn’t] sin).’

Hebrews 7:22, ‘So, Jesus has become the promise of a better Sacred Agreement.’
How Did He Get Here?

John 1:14, ‘So, the Expression became flesh and lived among us; and we saw his glory, the glory of the only one born to a Father’ (gr. doxan hos monogenous para patros, or, glory as only/generated next/to father).

Philippians 2:5-11, ‘Keep this attitude in you that the Anointed One Jesus had: Although he once existed in the same shape as God, he didn’t consider trying to make himself equal to God (gr. oux harpagmon hegesato to einai isa Theo, or, not snatching he/considered the to/be equal God). Rather, he emptied himself into the shape of a slave and became a man. And when he found himself shaped as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient until his death; yes, death on a pole. This is why God promoted him to a superior position (gr. Theos auton upperrupsosen, or, God him put/high/over) and kindly gave him the title that is over all others. So, in the name of Jesus, every knee in heaven, on earth and under the ground should bend, and every tongue should confess that Jesus the Anointed One is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Is Jesus Just Another Personality of God?

Matthew 23:9-10, ‘And don’t address anyone on earth as Father, because there’s just one who is your Father, the heavenly One. Nor should you be called Leaders, because you only have one Leader, the Anointed One.’

Matthew 24:36, ‘Nobody knows the day and hour – no, not the messengers of heaven or the Son, but only the Father.’

Matthew 26:39, ‘And going a little way forward, he fell on his face praying and said, ‘My Father, if it’s possible, let this cup pass from me; however, not my will, but Yours.’

Matthew 26:53, ‘Why, don’t you think that I can ask my Father to send more than twelve legions of messengers immediately?’

Matthew 27:46, ‘Jesus called out in a loud voice: Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? That is, My God, my God, why have you let me down?’

Luke 4:6-8, ‘Then the Slanderer said, I will give you power over all of these and the glory of them, because they’ve been given to me and I can give them to whoever I wish. They will all be yours, if you will just bow in front of me.’ But Jesus answered, ‘It’s written, you must worship Jehovah your God. He’s the only One you should worship.’

Luke 6:12 ‘It was around that time that he went up a mountain to pray, spending the whole night in prayer to God.’

Luke 18:19, ‘Jesus replied, ‘Why do you call me good? Nobody is good except one, God.’

Luke 23:34, ‘Father, forgive them, because they don’t know what they are doing,’

John 3:45 ‘Don’t think that I’m going to accuse you to the Father. He who accuses you is Moses.’

John 6:27, ‘The Son of Man . . . was sealed by the God and Father.’

John 6:44, 45, ‘Nobody can come to me unless the Father who sent me attracts him and I will resurrect him on the last day. The Prophets wrote, They will all be taught by God. So, everyone who listens to the Father and learns comes to me.’

John 6:46, ‘Of course, no one has seen the Father other than the one who was with God. This one has seen the Father.’

John 14:28, ‘You heard me tell you that I’m going away and I am coming back to you. If you loved me, you would cry out in joy that I am going to the Father, because, the Father is greater than I am.’

John 20:17, ‘Jesus said to her, Don’t touch me, because I haven’t ascended to the Father yet. But go to my brothers and tell them that I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’

Acts 2:24-26, ‘But God resurrected him, freeing him from the cords of death, because it wasn’t possible for [death] to hold him. David said this about him, I have put Jehovah in front of me always. Since He’s at my right hand, I will never be shaken. Because, my heart is cheerful and my tongue is rejoicing, my body will rest in hope. You won’t abandon me in the grave, and you won’t allow your loyal one to rot. You’ve shown me the ways of life and you will fill me with joy as I look at your face.’

Acts 2:34-36, ‘Jehovah said to my Lord, Sit at my right hand until I set your enemies as a stool for your feet. So, let the entire House of Israel know for sure, that God made Jesus (who you impaled) the Lord and Anointed One.’

1 Corinthians 15:24, 28, ‘Then, in the end, after he has brought all governments, authorities, and powers to nothing, he will hand over the Kingdom to his God and Father. However, after everything has been put under him, then the Son will submit to the One who put everything under him, so God can be everything to everyone.’

Ephesians 1:20-23, ‘He raised him from the dead and seated him at His right hand in the heavens, far above every government, authority, power, lordship, and every name that has been given not only in this age, but also in the one that’s coming. He has put everything under his feet and made him the head over everything to the congregation (his body), to fill him with everything that belongs to the One who does the filling.’

Hebrews 1:2-4, ‘In the last part of these days, He spoke to us through a Son who he made the heir to everything… the one that he used to create this era. He shines with the same glory, is the exact image of His being, and He is responsible for everything that’s said through His power. And after he cleansed us of our sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Great One in the highest places. He has become so much greater than the [other] messengers [of God] and so different, that he has inherited a [special] name among them.’

Revelation 1:1, ‘A revelation that God gave to Jesus the Anointed One, to show his slaves the things that must soon happen.’

Revelation 6:2, ‘At that {look!}, I saw a white horse, and the one who was sitting on it had a bow. He was given a crown and he came out to conquer and to complete his victory.
What Scriptures are Used to Support the Trinity?

Matthew 28:19, ‘So, go and make disciples from all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son, and [God’s] Holy Breath.’ (Note that this scripture may well be spurious. For more information, see the Note Matthew 28:19).

John 8:18, 19, ‘I testify about myself and the Father who sent me testifies about me.’ Then they asked, ‘Where is your Father?’ And Jesus answered, ‘You don’t know me or my Father. If you knew me you would also know my Father.’

John 10:25-30, ‘The things that I am doing in my Father’s name testify about me. But you don’t believe it because [none of] you are my sheep. My sheep listen to my voice. I know them and they follow me. I will give them life for the ages, and none will be destroyed in this era, nor will anyone take them out of my hands. My Father who gave them to me is greater than everyone and nobody can take them out of the hands of the Father. The Father and I are united.’

John 10:36-38, ‘How can you tell me (one who was made holy and sent into the world by the Father) that I blaspheme, because I say I am God’s Son? If I’m not doing what my Father wants, don’t believe me. But if I am doing that, even if you don’t believe me, believe in what I am doing. Then you will come to know (and keep knowing) that the Father is one with me and I am united with the Father.’

John 12:44, ‘Whoever believes in me doesn’t just believe in me alone, but in the One who sent me. And whoever sees me also sees the One who sent me.’

John 14:6-10, ‘And Jesus replied, I am the Way, and the Truth, and the Life. Nobody comes to the Father unless it is through me. If you men had known me, you would have recognized my Father also. From now on, you have known him and have seen him. Then Philip said, ‘Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us.’ And Jesus said, ‘Have I spent so much time with you, and yet, you haven’t come to know me Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. So, why are you saying, Show us the Father? Don’t you believe that I am in unity with the Father and the Father is in unity with me?

John 14:20, ‘In that day, you will know that I am in unity with my Father, you are in unity with me, and I am in unity with you.’

John 17:22-24, ‘I have also given them the glory that You gave me, so they can be in unity as we are in unity, I in them and You in me. In this way, they can be perfected into one, so the world may know that You sent me and that You love them just as You love me. Father, as to what You have given me: I want them to be where I am, so they can see the glory that You gave me, because You have loved me from before the founding of the world.’

Acts 4:12, ‘Salvation doesn’t come from anyone else, because there isn’t another name which has been given to any man under heaven that we need to save us.’
So, Who Was Jesus?

Matthew 16:15-17 ‘Then [Jesus] asked, But who would you say that I am? Simon Peter answered: You’re the Anointed, the Son of the living God. Then Jesus said to him, You are blest, Simon son of Jonah, because this wasn’t shown to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in the heavens.

Malachi 2:7 ‘He is a messenger (gr. aggelon – angel) of Jehovah Almighty.

Comments on Tithing

Why Abraham Paid A Tithe

Genesis chapter fourteen we read about a war between kings of Sodom, Gomorrah with two ally kings that were defeated and taken prisoner. The victors took the property of the Kings, took Lot, women and children captive. When Abraham heard about this he and his men went after them and defeated the kings. Abraham then brought back Lot and all the possessions as well as the women and other people. See: Genesis 14:16.

Then Abraham gave a tenth to Melchizedek.
Gen. 14:18-20 (NIV) 18Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. He was priest of God Most High, 19and he blessed Abram, saying, “Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth. 20And blessed be God Most High, who delivered your enemies into your hand.” Then Abram gave him a tenth of everything.

Note: The reason Abraham gave a tenth was because of God’s deliverance from his enemies. We would call this tenth, “a thank offering”. Tithing was not part of Abraham’s covenant.

Abraham did not give tithe to Melchizedek from his personal possessions but from the spoils of war after rescuing Lot. Therefore we can see that Abraham was not following an unwritten tithe law when he gave tithe to the King of Salem. And besides, the Levitical tithe law did not include “spoils of war.” Spoils of War were not included in the Levitical Tithe Law. Tithing was not part of Abraham’s covenant.

Before the King of Salem incident and after, there is no record of Abraham, a very wealthy man ever paying tithe of his own personal possessions to God. Gen. 13:2 (NIV) 2Abram had become very wealthy in livestock and in silver and gold.

Therefore Abraham never paid tithe .

The Author of Hebrews does not justify tithing in the New Covenant.

Heb 7:2 - Heb 7:2 (NIV) 1This Melchizedek was king of Salem and priest of God Most High. He met Abraham returning from the defeat of the kings and blessed him, 2and Abraham gave him a tenth of everything. First, his name means “king of righteousness”; then also, “king of Salem” means “king of peace.”

Heb 7:4 - Heb 7:10 (NIV) 4Just think how great he was: Even the patriarch Abraham gave him a tenth of the plunder! 5Now the law requires the descendants of Levi who become priests to collect a tenth from the people—that is, their brothers—even though their brothers are descended from Abraham. 6This man, however, did not trace his descent from Levi, yet he collected a tenth from Abraham and blessed him who had the promises. 7And without doubt the lesser person is blessed by the greater. 8In the one case, the tenth is collected by men who die; but in the other case, by him who is declared to be living. 9One might even say that Levi, who collects the tenth, paid the tenth through Abraham, 10because when Melchizedek met Abraham, Levi was still in the body of his ancestor.

Note:. Hebrews is showing how Christ is superior to the Levitical system and is not a Levite Priest which would not demand Levitical tithe. Melchizedek did not command or demand tithe. The tithe law was given only to Israel. The Abrahamic covenant had no tithe law. Abraham was made rich by God for his faithfulness not because he gave a tenth from spoils of war.
Why Jacob Paid A Tenth

Gen. 28:20 through Gen. 28:22 (NIV) 20Then Jacob made a vow, saying, “If God will be with me and will watch over me on this journey I am taking and will give me food to eat and clothes to wear 21so that I return safely to my father’s house, then the LORD will be my God 22and this stone that I have set up as a pillar will be God’s house, and of all that you give me I will give you a tenth.”

Note: Jacob tithed not because of a tithe law. It was based on Jacob’s terms with conditions, not God’s terms. Jacob would give God a tenth on condition only “if” God would give him food, clothes and protect him on his journey and return him safely to his father’s house he would pay tithe. Jacob was not obeying any mandatory tithe law by making his own conditions with God. The tithe law is to be paid with no conditions. Jacob simply wanted to pay God to bless him with safety and prosperity!

Therefore Jacob never paid tithe according to the Levitical law. Also there is no record that Jacob ever paid tithe again.

There are three different tithe programs in the OT and all three will be reviewed below.

THE FIRST TITHE -What is it?

The first tithe was enacted by God at Sinai and given only to Israel as an Old Covenant law which ended at Calvary. God never included the tithe law in the New Covenant.

Who Is To Receive the Tithe?

Levites are to receive “all” the Tithe.

Num. 18:21, 23-24 (NIV) 21“I give to the Levites all the tithes in Israel as their inheritance in return for the work they do while serving at the Tent of Meeting. 23It is the Levites who are to do the work at the Tent of Meeting and bear the responsibility for offenses against it. This is a lasting ordinance for the generations to come. They will receive no inheritance among the Israelites. 24Instead, I give to the Levites as their inheritance the tithes that the Israelites present as an offering to the LORD. That is why I said concerning them: ‘They will have no inheritance among the Israelites.’”

NOTE: The entire tithe was to be given only to the Levites as an inheritance. Does anyone see the gospel minister listed as receiving tithe?

The Priests that Ministered in the Sanctuary are to
Receive One Tenth of the Tithe from the Levites

Num. 18:25 through Num. 18:26 (NIV) 25The LORD said to Moses, 26″Speak to the Levites and say to them: ‘When you receive from the Israelites the tithe I give you as your inheritance, you must present a tenth of that tithe as the LORD’S offering.

NOTE: The ministering Levite (priests) is to receive one tenth of the tithe they receive from the Levites that do not minister in the Sanctuary.

Neh 10:38 - Neh 10:39 (NIV) 38A priest descended from Aaron is to accompany the Levites when they receive the tithes, and the Levites are to bring a tenth of the tithes up to the house of our God, to the storerooms of the treasury. 39The people of Israel, including the Levites, are to bring their contributions of grain, new wine and oil to the storerooms where the articles for the sanctuary are kept and where the ministering priests, the gatekeepers and the singers stay.

The tithe law never included Gospel Ministers. Are Gospel Ministers Levite priests that minister in the Sanctuary under the Old Covenant? It is amazing how the Church Leaders can twist the Scripture and quote Ellen White’s nonsense to line their pockets and scam their members.

Does God Accept Money For Tithe?

No! It is grain, fruit and animals.

Lev. 27:30 through Lev. 27:34 (NIV) 30“‘A tithe of everything from the land, whether grain from the soil or fruit from the trees, belongs to the LORD; it is holy to the LORD. 31If a man redeems any of his tithe, he must add a fifth of the value to it. 32The entire tithe of the herd and flock—every tenth animal that passes under the shepherd’s rod—will be holy to the LORD. 33He must not pick out the good from the bad or make any substitution. If he does make a substitution, both the animal and its substitute become holy and cannot be redeemed.’” 34These are the commands the LORD gave Moses on Mount Sinai for the Israelites.

NOTE: Currency such as silver, gold, talents and shekels was not allowed to pay tithe. So if you pay tithe with money you are violating the tithe law. Tithe payers are to run every tenth animal under the rod and give that animal as tithe. So when your church Pastor asks you to pay tithe, I guess you will have drop a lot of sheep or cows, fruit or grain, in the offering plate at church to keep the tithe law. Wow! If the people insist on paying their tithes as money, they should be adding a fifth to it. This makes their tithe 12%!

Who were tithe exempt?
Under the Old Covenant tithe law only those in animal husbandry and agriculture were commanded to tithe. All others were tithe exempt such as people that made a living building houses, making furniture, pottery, clothing, boats, nets, fishing, servants, etc.

Why is it when churches and denominations demand tithe they do not exempt these people as well as the poor as God does in the Old Covenant Law? God does not ask for wages or income to be paid as tithe to the church or pastors.

THE SECOND ANNUAL TITHE -What is it?

The annual tithe is to be eaten and drank by Israel in a party setting which included the Levites to revere God.

Deut. 14:22 through Deut. 14:29 (NIV) 22Be sure to set aside a tenth of all that your fields produce each year. 23Eat the tithe of your grain, new wine and oil, and the firstborn of your herds and flocks in the presence of the LORD your God at the place he will choose as a dwelling for his Name, so that you may learn to revere the LORD your God always. 24But if that place is too distant and you have been blessed by the LORD your God and cannot carry your tithe (because the place where the LORD will choose to put his Name is so far away), 25then exchange your tithe for silver, and take the silver with you and go to the place the LORD your God will choose. 26Use the silver to buy whatever you like: cattle, sheep, wine or other fermented drink, or anything you wish. Then you and your household shall eat there in the presence of the LORD your God and rejoice. 27And do not neglect the Levites living in your towns, for they have no allotment or inheritance of their own.

NOTE: The annual tithe is to be eaten by the Jews. The annual tithe can be converted to silver if you have a large herd and the town was far away to take the animals. If this is the case you can exchange the animals for silver, and then buy wine or other fermented drinks that can be eaten by you, your household, and the Levites at a place determined by the LORD.

Has your church ever allow you to use your tithe to have a party and drink fermented drink? You might bring this to your Pastor’s attention, that you would like to party with your tithe as commanded in the Bible! And don’t forget the Levites living in your town. Your Pastors are not invited, as they are not Levites or Jews. Of course you are not invited either because this is just for Israel not New Testament Christians.

END OF THE THIRD YEAR TITHE -What is it?

The Third Year Tithe to be eaten by the Levites, fatherless, aliens, and widows.

Deut. 14:28, 29 (NIV) 28At the end of every three years, bring all the tithes of that year’s produce and store it in your towns, 29so that the Levites (who have no allotment or inheritance of their own) and the aliens, the fatherless and the widows who live in your towns may come and eat and be satisfied, and so that the LORD your God may bless you in all the work of your hands.

NOTE: Why does your church not obey God in the Third Year Tithe and hold a feast for these people from the produce brought in and stored in the towns? Your church leaders will not even feed the fatherless and widows from your tithe, but pocket the money.

Ellen G. White Disobeys God!
EGW has a real problem with the tithe law. She disobeys God’s law by not wanting to feed the poor from tithe. “The tithe is set apart for a special use. It is not to be regarded as a poor fund.” Counsels on Stewardship, P.103 R & H Supplement, Dec. 1, 1896.

Where Is the Tithe To Be Stored?

Tithe is to be stored in a special “storeroom”

Neh. 10:37 through Neh. 10:39 (NIV) 37“Moreover, we will bring to the storerooms of the house of our God, to the priests, the first of our ground meal, of our grain offerings, of the fruit of all our trees and of our new wine and oil. And we will bring a tithe of our crops to the Levites, for it is the Levites who collect the tithes in all the towns where we work. 38A priest descended from Aaron is to accompany the Levites when they receive the tithes, and the Levites are to bring a tenth of the tithes up to the house of our God, to the storerooms of the treasury. 39The people of Israel, including the Levites, are to bring their contributions of grain, new wine and oil to the storerooms where the articles for the sanctuary are kept and where the ministering priests, the gatekeepers and the singers stay. “We will not neglect the house of our God.”

NOTE: There were many Levitical cities that were given to the Levites and they stored the tithe in storehouses in these cities. Numbers 35:1-5, Joshua 21. Israel were to give to the Levites the first of their ground meal, fruit, wine, oil, crops and a tithe of your crops. And the Levites are to give a tithe from that and take it to the storeroom where articles of the Sanctuary are kept and used by the ministering priests. If you do not follow this program then you are not tithing! As you can see conference or church offices are not the Bible Jewish Storehouse. As there are no Levite ministering priests, gatekeepers and singers living there.

Who is Robbing Who?

Malachi Was Addressed to the Levites of Israel, Not the Christian Church

(Mal 3:8, 9 NIV) “”Will a man rob God? Yet you rob me. “But you ask, ‘How do we rob you?’ “In tithes and offerings.” “You are under a curse–the whole nation of you–because you are robbing me.”

NOTE: This text is God’s rebuke against the Levites Priests that were to give one tenth of all the tithe that came in to them and they in turn were to give one tenth of that to the ministering priests. The Levites were the ones that were robbing God and not obeying the Covenant God made with Israel. It was not all the Israelites that were robbing God. Chapters 2 and 3 make it clear that this was directed against the Levites which caused the whole nation to come under God’s curse. When the offending Levites would start paying tithe to the ministering priests, then God would open the storehouse for them to receive blessings.

It is impossible for Christians to rob God in tithe as God has not transferred or given a tithe law to Christians. Christians receive blessings from God for having Christ as their Savior and not by any works of the Old Covenant Laws.

How often have you heard this from the pulpit, that you are robbing God by not returning a faithful tithe? You see it on the “Tithe Envelope.” Malachi is the most used text to scam Christians out of their money by church pastors, as they have no New Covenant support for tithing. Church members are led to believe that if you are not returning your tithe, then you are not going to heaven, because you are a thief. The Church leaders that tell you this are liars. They are denying Christ, by using Old Covenant laws. Church Leaders are the ones that are sinning by leading you to believe tithing is binding on Christians. In so doing they are denying Christ’s finished work at the cross.

It is the reprobate pastors that know better that are robbing God’s people by taking tithe from them to line their pockets.

Jesus Canceled the Old Covenant Laws

(Col 2:14 NIV) “having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross.”

(EPH 2:15 NIV) “by abolishing in his flesh the law with its commandments and regulations.
Note: Paul is talking about the Old Covenant laws that God made with Israel. This would include Civil Laws, Dietary Laws of Clean and Unclean foods, laws dealing with the Sanctuary Service, and tithing laws to support Levites Priests. The point in time that the written code was canceled was when Jesus died on the cross. (Mark 15:38 NIV) “The curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom.”

Jesus Did Not Tithe Nor Command Tithing to Christians

Jesus did not tithe. He was first a carpenter then after age 30 he was preacher and teacher. Both professions were excluded from paying tithe.

(Mat 23:23 NIV) “”Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices–mint, dill and cummin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law–justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former.”

NOTE: Jesus was not here advocating Christians to tithe. Jesus was reprimanding the Pharisees for not having justice and mercy, while being exact in their tithing. The Pharisees were obeying the Levitical Law of tithing and disobeying the most important part of the Law, justice, mercy and faithfulness. Jesus was here speaking to the Pharisees under the Old Covenant and not to the Christian Church. If Christians insist on following the Levitical Law they would have to find Levite Priests that serve in the Temple Sanctuary to give their tithes of animals, fruit and grain (mint, dill, and cummin). When was the last time you dropped this in the offering plate?

The Gospel Ministers Are To Be Paid

(1 Cor 9:13 NIV) “Don’t you know that those who work in the temple get their food from the temple, and those who serve at the altar share in what is offered on the altar?”

(1 Cor 9:14 NIV) “In the same way, the Lord has commanded that those who preach the gospel should receive their living from the gospel.”

NOTE: Some interpret the “the same way” as meaning that the tithe is now to be paid to the gospel minister. Paul is explaining that the laborer is worthy of being paid for his labor. He contrasts the temple worker getting his food from the altar for his work and the gospel preacher making his living from the gospel. Tithe is not mentioned as the means of payment or that the gospel minister is to get his food from the altar.

If this were to be a literal application to the gospel workers to “eat their food from the altar”, they would have to eat their food as recorded in Leviticus. I do not think any SDA gospel minister would follow this, and especially if he was a vegetarian.

Eating food from the Altar: Lev. 7:1 through Lev. 7:7 (NIV) 1“‘These are the regulations for the guilt offering, which is most holy: 2The guilt offering is to be slaughtered in the place where the burnt offering is slaughtered, and its blood is to be sprinkled against the altar on all sides. 3All its fat shall be offered: the fat tail and the fat that covers the inner parts, 4both kidneys with the fat on them near the loins, and the covering of the liver, which is to be removed with the kidneys. 5The priest shall burn them on the altar as an offering made to the LORD by fire. It is a guilt offering. 6Any male in a priest’s family may eat it, but it must be eaten in a holy place; it is most holy.7“‘The same law applies to both the sin offering and the guilt offering: They belong to the priest who makes atonement with them.

NOTE: God tells us that the gospel ministers and workers deserve to be paid for their labor and worthy of double honor . Here is God’s program.

1 Tim 5:17 - 1 Tim 5:18 (NIV) 17The elders who direct the affairs of the church well are worthy of double honor, especially those whose work is preaching and teaching. 18For the Scripture says, “Do not muzzle the ox while it is treading out the grain,” and “The worker deserves his wages.”

Note: Paul never told the members of the Christian Church to give their tithes or tithe on their wages or Social Security to pay the gospel ministers. Tithe paying was a law given only to Israel under the old covenant.

Bible Guidelines For Giving

(2 Cor 9:6 NIV) “Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously.”

(2 Cor 9:7 NIV) “Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.”

NOTE: The Christian is free to choose the amount of offering to give to God. If it is more than a tithe (ten percent) or less than a tithe it is acceptable to God, if it is from the heart without compulsion. It is also up to the individual to decide on where their offerings go. Also, it is for you to decide if you are giving sparingly or generously, and not to be decided for you by your church leaders. The Bible does not authorize church leaders to tell you how your money is to be spent.

Tithing Test

Take the following True or False quiz to see how much your really understand about tithing. We predict that many of you will be surprised. Record your answers.

1. The Lord Jesus Christ would have tithed. True or False?

2. Simon Peter, originally a fisherman, would have tithed of the fish that he caught. True or False?

3. Everyone in the Old Testament seeking to obey the Law of Moses would have tithed. True or False?

4. Abraham tithed to Melchizedek in the same way that believers tithe to the Lord Jesus Christ. True or False?

5. The Lord Jesus Christ taught His disciples that they should tithe. True or False?

6. There are many examples of people tithing of their incomes in the Bible. True or False?

7. The New Testament teaches that we should tithe to ministers in the same way that Jews tithed to the Priests. True or False?

8. The Bible teaches that God’s standard for giving is ten-percent. True or False?

9. The righteous poor tithed in the Old Testament. True or False?

10. Since everyone is held to the same standard, tithing is fair to everyone. True or False?

Bonus Question. The Bible teaches that everyone should give ten-percent of their ongoing income. True or False?

Here are the answers:

1. The Lord Jesus Christ would have tithed of His income. This one is false. The Lord Jesus Christ was a carpenter by profession and then after He became 30 years old He was a preacher and teacher. Neither of these professions was required by the Law of Moses to tithe anything.

2. Simon Peter, originally a fisherman, would have tithed of the fish that he caught. This one is false also. Fishermen were not required to tithe anything either. There were only two kinds of professions in ancient Israel that were required to tithe. Farmers and husbandmen (shepherds and cattle herders) were the only tithers in ancient Israel. They only tithed the food they produced.

3. Everyone in the Old Testament seeking to obey the Law of Moses would have tithed. It should be evident by now that this one is false also. There were many people with other professions who were not required by the Law to tithe. For instance, the apostle Paul being a tent-maker was not required to tithe. In fact, none of the Twelve apostles would have been tithers because none of them came from the required professions.

4. Abraham tithed to Melchizedek in the same way that believers tithe to the Lord Jesus Christ. This one is false also. Abraham’s tithe was very different than what the Church practices today. For instance, Abraham only tithed once. The Church tithes continually. Abraham tithed of the spoils of a war. The Church tithes of its income. Abraham had no increase because he gave the other 90% of the spoils of the war back to the original owner. The Church tithes of its increase. There is no commandment or any logic or indication in the New Testament that believers are to tithe anything to the Lord Jesus Christ. Believers are to give generously as God blesses them and whatever is in their heart according to Paul (2 Corinthians 9:7, 1 Corinthians 16:1-2).

5. The Lord Jesus Christ taught His disciples that they should tithe. False. Christ only makes three statements about tithing. None of these statements say that His disciples should tithe anything. Christ first statement, repeated in two Gospels, is spoken to the Pharisees not to His disciples. (Mattthew 23:23, Luke 11:42) In that statement, Christ says that the Pharisees should continue to tithe mint, dill and cummin. This is a tithe of food not money. He also says that this tithe of food is a part of the Law and says that it is not even an important part of the Law. His other statement is about a self-righteous Pharisee bragging that he tithes. Christ says that the other man who was not tithing who humbled himself was justified in the sight of God. The self-righteous tither was not justified in the sight of God. This is hardly an encouragement for Christ’s disciples to tithe money.

6. There are many examples of people tithing of their incomes in the Bible. False. In 4000 years of recorded biblical history there is not a single example of what the Church practices today in tithing money. There are two one-time acts of tithing recorded before the Law. Neither man, Abraham or Jacob, seems to think that they should continue this process beyond the one-time act. Neither man is tithing of their income since each is only involved in a one-time act. Abraham is tithing of the spoils of a war. Neither man seems to teach their children to tithe. All the other tithing recorded in the Bible is found in the Law of Moses. In the Law, money was never used to tithe only food. In fact, when someone wanted to use money rather than bring the produce to Jerusalem, God required a 20% penalty to be added. (Leviticus 27:30-31) In other words, God discouraged the tithing of money.

7. The New Testament teaches that we should tithe to ministers in the same way that Jews tithed to the Priests. False. The New Testament has nothing at all to say about this. This is extra-biblical logic that is not found in the New Testament. In fact, the Book of Hebrews makes it clear that believers are not of the Levitical order of priests. Believers are of a higher order, the order of Melchizedek.

8. The Bible teaches that God’s standard for giving is ten-percent. False. Neither the Old Testament nor the New Testament teaches this. This is extra-biblical logic again. First of all, the food tithe in the Old Testament was not ten-percent. It was actually more like 23% annually on average. There were three tithes in the Law of Moses. The first tithe was paid only by agrarian families three times yearly at the feasts to the Priests in Jerusalem. The second tithe was saved by the agrarian families to support these trips. It was called the festival tithe. It was for a family vacation. The third tithe was given every three years to the local storehouse, so it amounted to about 3% annually. This was the poor tithe collected for those in need. This is the tithe that Malachi wrote about. None of these tithes were money. They were only food. Those who earned their livings by other occupations did not pay a tithe of anything. However, they did give offerings required by the Law some of which were in silver, gold, bronze and copper coins. Nowhere does the New Testament change this legal obligation of tithing food for some agrarian Israelites in the Law to money tithing for all Christians. This transformation of the food tithe to a money tithe is done by teaching that our harvest is our income and bringing us under a spiritualized form of the Law of Moses.

9. The righteous poor tithed in the Old Testament. False. The poor had no harvest or flocks to tithe from. They were able to glean the corners of the field of those who were more prosperous.

10. Since everyone is held to the same standard, tithing is fair to everyone. False. Tithing is incredibly unfair. Ten-percent of the income of a poor person is a great burden, while ten-percent of the income of a rich person may be no burden at all. If a person only has a $1000 a month income, then $100 of that income will affect their lifestyle and may even impact their ability to take care of their children’s basic needs and pay their bills. If a person has a $10,000 a month income then giving $1,000 per month should have little affect on their lifestyle since they should have a good amount of disposable income beyond their basic needs. If a person has a $100,000 a month income, then $10,000 a month has no appreciable affect on their lifestyle at all. Some continue to teach tithing to poor persons by arguing that if the poor person will give ten-percent of their income then God will bless them. However, coming under a spiritualized form of the Law will hinder God’s blessing in finances. The poor should simply obey the Lord as He guides them in giving.

Bonus Question. The Bible teaches that everyone should give ten-percent of their ongoing income. False. The modern practice of tithing has five basic elements expressed as everyone gives 10% of ongoing income. How do Bible facts about tithing actually fit with this teaching? Let’s compare and contrast the modern teaching of tithing with the Bible.

Everyone gives 10% of ongoing income. Considering the “Everyone” element. The two events before the Law do not support the idea that everyone should pay tithe. Only Abraham and Jacob in each situation are paying tithe. Genesis doesn’t record anyone else tithing. Abraham and Jacob don’t seem to teach their children to tithe. One of Jacob’s children, Joseph, is a particularly righteous man. In the more than ten detailed chapters devoted to Joseph, we don’t discover him tithing either. Not everyone tithed in Genesis before the Law.

In the Law of Moses, not everyone was required to tithe or give firstfruits. Only those who were actually growing food or raising sheep or cattle were required by the Law to tithe the food or present firstfruits. People from other occupations were not required to tithe since they had no harvest or growth of flocks to tithe or to present firstfruits from. Not everyone tithed food who lived under the Law. No one under the Law tithed money at all.

Christ has only a few words to say about tithing. In those words, Christ does not say that everyone should tithe. He says that unbelieving Jews living under the Law should tithe food if they are growing it. He mentions three food plants. Christ is not addressing His disciples. He is addressing unbelieving Pharisees.

The apostle Paul does not teach that everyone is obligated to tithe or to even to give. He teaches that giving is completely voluntary. The first apostolic council in Acts Chapter 15 does not say that Gentile believers should tithe either. There is absolutely no evidence that any Gentile Christian in the First Century ever tithed anything. Here is what the Encyclopedia Americana says about the history of tithing: “It was not practiced 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 second Council of Macon in 585 advocated tithing. Made obligatory by civil law in the Carolingian empire in 765 and in England in the 10th Century… The Reformation did not abolish tithing and the practice was continued in the Roman Catholic church and in Protestant countries… (until it was) gradually replaced by other forms of taxation. The Roman Catholic church still prescribes tithes in countries where they are sanctioned by law, and some Protestant bodies consider tithes obligatory.” The Encyclopedia Britannica points this out about tithing… “The eastern Orthodox churches never accepted the idea of tithes and Orthodox church members have never paid them.”

Everyone gives 10% of ongoing income. Considering the “gives” element. The two events before the Law do seem like giving. They are both voluntary acts. God does not require either man, Abraham or Jacob, to give anything. While this does on the surface seem to support the tithing teaching, it actually contradicts some aspects of the Tithing Obligation teaching. While the proponents of tithing teach that tithing is giving, they also often teach that tithing is required, that a tithe must be paid. Of course, this is a contradiction in their teaching. Something can be only given if it is entirely voluntary. If it is required, then it is, in this case, a fee for spiritual services or a religious tax. If some teach that a believer comes under a curse if they do not tithe, then they are not teaching giving but teaching paying an obligated tithe. Of course, they are right in one sense because they are often spiritualizing the Law of Moses to teach tithing.

Tithing in the Law of Moses was never giving. It was much more like paying taxes. The Law of Moses required tithing by farmers and husbandmen. They would not have seen their tithing as giving. There was nothing voluntary in their paying tithe. They would have been in violation of the Law if they had not done it.

Again, Christ has very little to say about tithing. He did say that Jewish people living under the Law pay tithe. Christ does teach a great deal about finances and giving but never instructs His disciples to tithe money or anything else. He does not instruct them to receive tithes either.

Paul writes a great deal about finances and giving but never instructs anyone to tithe or to receive tithes. The first apostolic council in Acts Chapter 15 is silent on the subject of tithing and establishes that Gentiles are not to keep any aspects of the Law of Moses, even spiritualization of the Law. That would include tithing of anything.
Everyone gives 10% of ongoing income. Considering the “10%” element. The two events before the Law of Moses do seem to support the idea that ten percent of something should be given. The number ten is the same. However, the other four elements are significantly different. This makes tithing being practiced by the Church very different from what is happening in Genesis. The only similarity is the ten percent number.

Christ does validate the ten-percent number but only for Jews living under the Law of Moses. He tells the Pharisees that they should pay tithe, ten percent, of their produced food. He also tells them that paying ten-percent is not a weighty matter of the Law. In saying this, Christ does tell us that tithing is a matter of the Law.

The apostle Paul repeatedly warns believers about the curse of the Law. Gentile believers should not attempt to keep any aspects of the Law. Believers are not required to give ten-percent of food or anything else. The writings of the other apostles, James and Peter, are silent about Christians giving ten percent of food or anything else.

Everyone gives 10% of ongoing income. Considering the “ongoing” element. The two examples before the Law of Moses do not reveal the practice of on-going tithing. They both appear strongly to be one-time acts. In the case of Jacob, we don’t know exactly what he did but it does seem that he is promising to tithe once if God blesses him. Of course, this is exactly opposite of what the Church teaches. The Church teaches that that God will bless us if we tithe. Jacob says he will tithe if God blesses him. The Church’s practice of ongoing, repetitious tithing simply cannot be validated by two one-time acts. They are not similar to what the Church teaches about tithing.

The only place in the Bible where ongoing, repetitious tithing can be found is in the Law of Moses. Those who were farming or practicing husbandry in Israel had a lifetime obligation to tithe the food that they produced. This ongoing food tithe to support the Mosaic Levitical ministry is often borrowed from the Law and spiritualized to justify repetitious money tithing in support of Christian ministry. This justification is not found in the New Testament.

Christ’s statement about tithing reveals that the ongoing tithing of food is under the Law. Christ says nothing about His disciples practicing ongoing tithing of anything. While the writings of the apostles in the New Testament often speak of generous giving, they are silent about ongoing tithing of anything. The first apostolic council is also silent about ongoing tithing of anything but releases Gentile believers from any aspects of keeping the Law of Moses.

Everyone gives 10% of ongoing income. Considering the “income” element. Abraham tithes on the spoils of war, not his entire income. Abraham tithed the captured belongings of his defeated enemies. Additionally, Genesis reveals that Abraham didn’t even keep the ninety percent that was remaining. He returned those possessions to the King of Sodom. Abraham’s income, his possessions or any part of his own wealth wasn’t involved at all in his tithing. He had no increase to tithe on. In Jacob’s case, we don’t know exactly what he did since all Genesis records is his promise to God. In other words, there is no support in the events before the Law that Christians should give ten percent of their ongoing income.

Nearly everyone that teaches tithing resorts to using the Law and prophets living under the Law to teach it. Those that teach Christian tithing from the Law often neglect to reveal that only food produced was tithed on but never money. Only those who earned their livings by producing food tithed at all. Those Israelites who earned money by other means such as tent making, weaving, carpentry, money lending, fishing or many other occupations never tithed on their incomes since it was not commanded of them.

Christ does not change tithing food to tithing money. The writings of the apostles do not change tithing food to tithing money. The apostolic council releases the Gentile believers from any keeping of the Law. They certainly do not change tithing food to tithing money. The book of Hebrews does mention the Old Testament tithing of food but does not validate tithing money for believers today.

Finally, it should be obvious to the reader that this doctrine is pieced together from these various passages. Not a single passage in itself actually teaches what the Church practices today. Spiritualization of the Law is used to teach tithing. Reasoning that is not found in the Bible is used to justify Christians embracing a legalistic practice from the Old Testament. In more than 4000 years of recorded Biblical history, there is not a single recorded example of tithing that is similar to what the Church practices today. We recommend that every Christian renounce this unscriptural practice and reject any lingering fear, guilt or condemnation! God’s children have no debt to their Father to pay other than thanksgiving and praise. Their elder brother, the Lord Jesus Christ, has paid in full the debt. Christ will build His Church but only with the truth. He needs no help from a false doctrine that puts the Children of God under bondage to fear and the curse of the Law. The children are free!