Scholarship, Theology, Research and History Says God’s Tithe is Not Money

Follow the social media campaign for Kleptomaniac: Who’s Really Robbing God Anyway? on All Author

The real truth about whether God ever wanted a tithe in cash or crops is hidden in plain site of scholarship, theology and history. When one studies the land, language and literature of the Hebrew people of the Old Testament in context the truth of the tithe is glaringly evident. Many modern pastors and teachers like to dismiss the biblical facts and teach a corrupted form of tithing that was invented by the Holy Roman Catholic Church. In essence they have corrupted the covenant of Levi as stated in Mal 2:8 You have corrupted the covenant of Levi,” Says the LORD of hosts. The covenant Levi had with God was that they would inherit the tithe of the land and livestock in perpetuity as long as the temple stood. The church has corrupted the tithe law by commuting God’s commanded tithe to money.

In this post is is evident that many authors, theologians, scholars and scribes have authored works to set the record straight on how the church can correct their error of corrupting the covenant of Levi and return to teaching the truth of God’s edible tithe from livestock and crops as Leviticus 27:30-33 makes clear. God’s tithe cannot be changed simply because we no longer live in an agricultural society. To say that Israel crop and livestock was their form of money is biblical piracy. The tithe God required came from God’s labor not man’s labor from selling his talent to an employer for a paycheck. The tithe came from assets not a paycheck. So as you read this post, lets see what was written about the tithe.

In my book, Kleptomaniac: Who’s Really Robbing God Anyway? I set the record straight by writing about the phenomenon of full-time pastors who do not work and whether or not the Levites worked full-time. In Chapter 8 of my book, I wrote about the work schedule of the Levites:

“One of the most intriguing phenomenon of the church today is the pastors’ rhetoric regarding working full-time in ministry as if the duty to full-time pastoring is a call from God. Let’s dive into the muddy theology of whether there is scriptural support from the Levitical priesthood to back up claims that God calls people to full-time ministry. Is there a reason why so much attention is focused on becoming a full-time pastor? The answer may lie in the need for money to sustain a certain lifestyle apart from any Biblical evidence other than to keep up with the Joneses. Though the tribe of Levi in Israel received the tithe inheritance, forty-eight cities to live in and common land, do pastors deserve these same benefits? If claims that the Levites worked full-time are true, how could they take care of the land and cities they received from their Israelite brothers? The picture gets a little clearer as you study the context. The Levites could not have been full-time service to the temple because they used the land gift to take care of livestock and crops when not working in the temple. Numbers 35:1-3 has insight on this issue.
On the plains of Moab by the Jordan across from Jericho, the LORD said to Moses, “Command the Israelites to give the Levites towns to live in from the inheritance the Israelites will possess. And give them pasturelands around the towns. Then they will have towns to live in and pasturelands for the cattle they own and all their other animals…” (NKJV).
The rest of Numbers 35 details the Levite gifts. The Scripture text in no way teaches that all Levites worked full-time without a single Levite to take care of the land or do the work in the cities where they lived. Numbers 26:62 says, “All the male Levites a month old or more numbered 23,000. They were not counted along with the other Israelites because they received no inheritance among them” (NKJV). Let’s take it one question at a time. Could 23,000 Levites work full-time all at once? What would that many people do? How many Levites does it take to set-up and breakdown the movable temple in the desert? How many Levites worked when a permanent temple was built? When you ask logical questions that don’t receive sound answers, you realize somebody is not teaching the Bible right, or is doing a very good snow job of purposely ignoring Scripture. After you put on your thinking caps, you’ll realize how impractical and foolish it looks to pack 23,000 Levites into the temple full-time because the temple was too small for that number of people. It is clear Levites never worked full-time in the temple; furthermore, there is no biblical command for them to operate that way. They actually worked part-time and the Scriptures bear this out. The Bible doesn’t teach full-time ministry as a command nor does it instruct full-time ministry workers to ask or receive support through tithes. That being said, congregations who want to financially support preachers and gospel workers in full-time ministry can do so as a personal financial decision under charitable giving rules. Financial support for full-time ministry must never be justified by twisting tithe Scriptures out of context to get money. Numbers 35 shows that Levites lived all over the land of Israel.” Excerpt From: Dr. Frank Chase, Jr., Th.D. iBooks “Kleptomaniac: Who’s Really Robbing God Anyway?”

Not only does my book dispel the monetary tithe myths it also puts the full-time pastor concept under scrutiny of the New Testament church structure. So if money tithing is important to the church to sustain a consistent cash flow system, it is important to make sure you know what has been written about tithing and what the record says. Author Leonard Bupanda writes this:

“Now, it is important that you pay attention to what the Spirit, through the scriptures, has to say. I do not seek to feed you with my own thoughts and understanding, but with the word of God, for I shall let the scriptures speak. Starting with the way I am addressing Abraham, you will notice that I have used the name Abram as it relates to events that took place before his name was changed. Similarly, the name Abraham relates to God’s dealings with him after his name was changed. Therefore, I have drawn the distinction between the two names to ensure that we do not mix up the facts.
Now, one of my observations is that by being the first to give a tithe, Abram showed a remarkable insight and judgment to determine who deserved to receive the tithe. The spirit within him signified that Melchizedek was worth the tithes. I do not think that is the case today in which anybody can call for the tithe or receive it. Another observation is that Abram gave tithes of all only once (Gen. 14:17-20), as already mentioned somewhere in this book, because Abram’s encounter with Melchizedek took place only once. My curious observation is that Melchizedek did not ask for the tithe either. If this proves difficult to take in, I will advise that you go to the scriptures again. Therefore, it is conclusively clear that no recipient of the Old Testament tithe ever demanded or commanded it as today’s preachers and beneficiaries do. Abram’s tithe was voluntary, while that of the children of Israel was commanded by God on behalf of the Levitical tribe. Not even the priests asked for it. But the cardinal point here is that Abram’s tithe, when put under serious scrutiny, has a lot of flaws as it was given in the flesh as you will discover later. The proof is that the proof is that it did not continue after the tithers’ names were changed.Therefore, in view of the above observations, I do vehemently believe it is erroneous to attribute the tithe to Abraham. This is a misrepresentation of facts that has lead many of us to believe that Abraham was the first to give the tithe. No, Abraham never gave a tithe, but Abram did as a pagan practice of that time. So, if you cannot see the difference between these two names, then you cannot grasp what I am talking about either.”Excerpt From: Leonard Bupanda. “The Tithing Dilemma And The Triumphs Of Love.” iBooks. https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/the-tithing-dilemma-and-the-triumphs-of-love/id481637695?mt=11

Not very many people pay attention to the difference between Abram and Abraham in the scriptures and Mr. Bupanda makes a sound argument and if you read the scripture, it does not take a rocket scientist to figure out that Abraham did not tithe but Abram did. When I studied tithing, one of the first things I noticed was that none of Abram’s sons tithed. So is became clear to me that something was not right with the tithe teaching. And the more you read excerpts from authors, you start asking questions yourself about tithing. What is clear about tithe teaching today is that pastor go directly to Malachi to establish their so-called binding tithe positions the congregation must comply with. Have you ever had a pastor explain in detail how the livestock and crop tithe worked in Israel? I bet you can’t find one pastor who does. But that is the first place a believer should seek in trying to find the truth about tithing. Many authors painstakingly explain the tithe in context without subterfuge. Here is what Michael Morrison says in his book, Sabbath, Circumcision, and Tithing Which Old Testament Laws Apply to Christians. © 2002, 2003, page 160.

“In the Law of Moses, biblical commands about tithing generally concern grain, wine and oil. A different system of giving was required for some animals. In the last plague on Egypt, God killed the firstborn male of every animal and human, but he spared the Israelites and their animals. Therefore, God claimed ownership of every Israelite firstborn and firstling male animal (Exodus 13:2; Numbers 3:13).

This applied not only to the generation that left Egypt, but every future generation as well. “Clean” firstlings were to be given to the priests and sacrificed (Numbers 18:15-17); priests and people ate them during the festivals (Deuteronomy 15:19-20; 12:6, 17; 14:23). Firstlings of unclean animals and humans were to be redeemed (Exodus 13:12-15; 34:19-20). This continued to be the law in Nehemiah’s day (Nehemiah 10:36) and in Jesus’ day (Luke 2:23). The people also gave firstfruits of their harvest (Exodus 23:19; 34:26; Leviticus 2:14), but these firstfruits do not seem to be a fixed percentage. Tithing was required on flocks: “every tenth animal that passes under the shepherd’s rod” (Leviticus 27:32). Was this in addition to the firstlings, or was it instead of firstlings? We do not know exactly how these laws would be administered.

“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” (Leviticus 27:30). The tithes and firstfruits belonged to God, and he gave them to the Levites (Numbers 18:12- 13, 21, 24). They could keep 90 percent of what they were given, but had to give 10 percent as an offering (verses 26-32). Tithing was done in the days of Hezekiah (2 Chronicles31:5-6), Nehemiah (Nehemiah 10:35-39; 12:44) and Jesus (Matthew 23:23; Luke 11:42). In Malachi’s day, tithing was required (Malachi 3:8-10), and physical blessings were promised for obedience, just as physical blessings were promised for obedience to the old covenant.”

Tithing is clearly edible items but why is there so much consternation about hiding this truth from believers around the world? I suspect that when churches are wholly financial dependent on steady income for the banker to pay off huge mortgages, pastors will resort to any out-of-context teaching to sustain this income because they have long since abandoned New Testament giving methods. Even believers with no biblical training can figure out the false monetary tithing teaching. Brother Amartey wrote in his book, Tithing Robbing God and Stealing From God’s People, that:

Other false teachers say that by nurturing the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil without eating of its fruit, Adam and Eve demonstrated the principle of tithing, and that tithing is an eternal principle. Beloved, this is sacrilegious! These deceitful preachers who want to rob and steal your money would use every lie and deception to get your money, just like scammers do. The truth is that the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil was a test of obedience and love and had nothing to do with tithing whatsoever. God said that the penalty for eating the forbidden fruit was death (Genesis 2:15-17). He did not say if Adam and Eve did not give tithes they would die. He did not say they had to pay tithes in order to stay in the Garden. Rather, God provided them everything and told them to be fruitful and multiply (Genesis 1:28). God did not require anything from Adam and Eve except obedience and faith, and not tithes! http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/359816.

There is a lot of talk and teaching about Abram and Abraham on tithing. Of all the books I read on tithing as it relates to the father of our faith, one thing is certain, many authors are very clear about their understanding of the tithe. Daniel Mynk author of Freedom to Give The Biblical Truth About Tithing is no different in explaining the tithe in his excerpt. Crosslink publishing ©2011 iPad excerpt.

There are many other instances of money references in the Bible, but none of them say money is required as a tithe.

Find more photos like this on The Book Marketing Network

The nature of Abram’s tithe Several questions and issues can arise for one who examines the account of Abram’s tithe in detail without merely viewing the presence of the word tithe through the lens of modern tradition. Reading the details of this account, one can notice several problems with an attempt to extrapolate Abram’s tithe to one’s current understanding of the alleged tithing doctrine. These problems shall be analyzed using Abram’s tithe as the “tithe that binds.” First, how many times do the Scriptures record Abram giving something in the form of a “tithe”? Genesis chapter 14 and Hebrews chapter 7 are the only accounts of Abram’s tithe, and they are both of the same event. As far as we know Abram only tithed to Melchizedek once. Accordingly, we can then notice that Abram only tithed to anyone once. A legitimate question protrudes from examining this problem: How does Abram’s one-time tithe to Melchizedek argue a case whereby those who claim him as a “father” must tithe not only once but continually? Read chapter 15 of this book to analyze a possible significance between the priesthood of Melchizedek and the fact that Abram tithed only once. Second, of what source did Abram tithe? Did Abram tithe of his own “income”? One author claimed: “It is a disputed point whether Abraham meant a tithe of all his property, or of all the spoils of war which he had with him.”[26] Although Genesis 14:20 says that Abram gave Melchizedek “tithes of all” and Hebrews 7:2 says that Abram gave “a tenth part of all,” Hebrews 7:4 clarifies that he gave “the tenth of the spoils.” One could argue that the “tithe of spoils” was only part of what Abram gave Melchizedek in the “tithes of all.” However, this reasoning fails both logic and Scriptural analysis. Obviously the “all” can mean “all the spoils of the battle.” The context of Abram’s tithe is directly within the context of winning the battle, returning the spoils, and the king of Sodom requesting a return of his people. Abram gave Melchizedek the tithe after returning from chasing the alliance of Chedorlaomer to Hobah. Abram met both Melchizedek and the king of Sodom in a place called “the valley of Shaveh,” which likely belonged to the king of Sodom. Abram was not in his own home when he gave Melchizedek the tithe. It would defy logic and be to argue from silence to believe that Abram brought all his many possessions with him to battle. Abram did not have all his possessions with him. He tithed to Melchizedek of the spoils of the battle as Hebrews 7:4 makes clear. If, indeed, Abram tithed only of the spoils of war to Melchizedek—things that were stolen from the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah—and not from his own possessions, how does Abram’s tithe in this regard present an obligation to those who claim him as “father” to tithe of their own “income”?

Not only is Abram’s tithe interpreted out of context in the church, the flagrant misinterpretation of first fruits is rampant in the church. The audacity of some pastors to ask member to donate first fruits of the first weeks’s or first day’s or the entire first year’s paycheck is robbing God’s people using scripture out of context. I remember days when the pastor asked the congregation to cough up our first weeks pay and that God would reward us for our sacrifice. Some people actually do pay the week’s, day, or first pay check at the beginning of the year to receive God blessing for the rest of the years. This is utter madness and financial manipulation that can reek havoc on families especially if they are not financially well off. But in the book excerpt, Debunking The Tithe In Israel ©2011, Xlibris Corporation, iPad version), Alvin J. Bates shares some insight on first fruits that is sure to make you put that first paycheck of the year back in the bank and not in the church offering plate, He writes:

The modern teaching that our “firstfruits” is really our first 10 percent of every dollar we make is really, wrong. The firstfruits when the children of Israel entered the Promised Land was the first of all the produce that grew out of the ground and not “money made.” Why is it that today and for hundreds of years churches have claimed firstfruits as “money made,” even when 90 percent of all Christians were farmers all around the world just a few years ago, and farmers could give food! In old England, some churches used to build “tithe barns” on church property to hold their tithes. Whew! I guess they knew that the tithe was really food. Calling “the tithe” money is a total perversion of scripture, and to call money “a shadow” as to what God was saying to the children of Israel is “heresy.” For God to say one thing and for us to do another is a total and complete perversion of scripture. This is hypocrisy, pure and simple!

In my book, Kleptomaniac: Who’s Really Robbing God Anyway, I wrote extensively on the first fruits doctrine and I recorded a few YouTube videos to make sure people were well informed about the false monetary first fruits teachings that is sweeping through churches around the country. How does a basket full of fruit get turned into a pocket full of money for the church coffers. I call it slick hermeneutics and isegesis that imposes private interpretation into the scripture without context. When God wants first-fruits in a basket, who has a right the change the scripture to collect money as a substitute and violate the first fruits laws of the Old Testament to justify church financial support using scripture out of context. The only way to combat this phenomenon is to spread the truth about tithes and first fruits. In my book excerpt on first fruits, it is clear that paying money as first fruits is a colossal financial scam of epic proportions. Once you read this excerpt from Kleptomaniac: Who’s Really Robbing God Anyway you will know how to respond when a pastor or church requests first fruits from you at the beginning of the years. Read this excerpt and be forewarned and forearmed with the Word:

“This is how the Hebrew people handled firstfruits in an article titled, How were the Firstfruits Handled by the Israelites? The pilgrims that brought up the Bikkurim to the Temple were obligated to recite a declaration set forth in Deuteronomy 26:3-10. (Bikkurim 3:6). This declaration was incorporated into a beautiful and grand festive celebration with a procession of pilgrims marching up to Jerusalem and then the temple with gold, silver or willow baskets to which live birds were tied. (Bikkurim 3:3,5 and 8). The pilgrims were lead by flutists to the city of Jerusalem where dignitaries greeted them (Bikkurim 3:3). The procession would then resume with the flutist in the lead until the Temple Mount where the Leviim [Levites] would break out in song. (Bikkurim 3:4). The birds were given as sacrificial offerings and the declaration would be made before a priest while the basket was still on the pilgrim’s shoulder (Bikkurim 3:5-6). After the basket was presented to the priest, it was placed on the Altar and the pilgrim would bow and leave. (Bikkurim 3:6).55
If you read carefully, notice that firstfruits were brought in a basket “in a festive celebration to the temple and given to the priests. The firstfruits were subject to strict Torah and later rabbinical regulation. The regulation was that God wanted seven specific items as firstfruits and they could only be presented in a basket. The Scriptures are clear on this requirement in Deuteronomy 26:2.” “Take some of the firstfruits of all that you produce from the soil of the land the LORD your God is giving you and put them in a basket. Then go to the place the LORD your God will choose as a dwelling for his Name (NIV).
Deuteronomy 26:1-11 pinpoints what happened with the Israelites and the firstfruits. God tells them that he wants the firstfruits (produce) from the land. Yahweh identifies different types of firstfruits from the land that were brought to the temple in the basket in Deuteronomy 8:7-8 and 18:4.” Excerpt From: Dr. Frank Chase, Jr., Th.D. Kleptomaniac: Who’s Really Robbing God Anyway? iBooks.

“One of the most perplexing arguments among Bible scholars and theologians is how many tithes did Israel pay? Though I addressed the issue in my book, Kleptomaniac: Who’s Really Robbing God Anyway? I did not argue the point. However, I pointed out the positions that some take only to make a point that if there was more than one tithe, then why are churches collecting one tithe when the Bible teaches more than one tithe. This is why it is important to not accept anything as fact until you research for yourself. One Theologian Russell Kelly, PH.D writes about how many tithes in chapter 7 of his book, Should the Church Teach Tithing? I would like to say that some Jewish scholars and those who just studied Israel’s tithing practices believe there was one tithe based on Jewish Terumah laws and others think there were more than one tithe. My point here is that whether there were more than one tithe or not, tithes were still edible item anyway? So getting down into the minutia of one, two, or three tithe is not that important if we are trying to establish whether the tithe is money or crops and cattle. Russell writes:

Was the biblical tithe only 10%, or could it have been as much as 23 1/3%? Was there one tithe, two tithes, or three? A discussion of these questions was not originally part of this book until it became evident why only one answer is acceptable to most who teach New Covenant tithing.

Most casual readers of the Old Testament will conclude that there were at least two, and perhaps three, separate tithes, averaging either twenty or twenty three and one third percent (23 1/3%) per year, instead of only one ten percent (10%) tithe. For two thousand years theologians have been split over whether these were all separate tithes or somehow merged into either one or two tithes. The “multiple tithe” position is held by Adam Clarke, Albert Barnes, Matthew Henry, Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown, Bruce Metzger, Charles Ryrie, the Jewish Talmud and most Jewish writers, like Josephus.

Charles Ryrie combines the second and third tithe into one. “Two tithes were required: an annual tithe for the maintenance of the Levites (Lev. 27:30; Num. 18:21) and a second tithe brought to Jerusalem for the Lord’s feasts (Deut. 14:22). Every third year, however, the second tithe was kept at home for the poor (Deut. 14:28).”40 The McClintock and Strong Encyclopedia, tithe, Section I, last paragraph, also concludes that only two tithes existed. My only objection is that,if this were true, then we would have to conclude that there were no feasts every third year if there were no food brought.

For those, like the author, who believe that New Covenant giving under principles of grace replaces the entire tithing system, there is no reason to be dogmatic about which position is correct. However, for those who believe that tithing is also expected from the New Covenant Christian, the ONE tithe of ten percent can be the ONLY true and acceptable explanation. This position is for very obvious reasons! While it is difficult enough to ask average church members for ten percent, it would be much more difficult to ask them for twenty or even twenty three and one third percent!

Therefore, those who defend exact tithing have often placed themselves into a no-compromise position which concludes that the Old Covenant only taught one tithe of ten percent. Notice the tone of Eklund’s remarks, “The notion of three separate tithes has been circulated among commentators for a long time. Nevertheless, we must remain true to Scripture and not the traditions of biblical interpreters. Some have used the idea of three distinct tithes as a means of rendering tithing an obsolete doctrine, not valid for the New Covenant believers. This is done by rendering the Levite tithe as government taxation, the festival tithe as antiquated ritual, and the welfare tithe as giving to the poor. Since taxes and welfare funding are levied by the government, it is assumed that the tithe is no longer necessary.”41

In reply to Eklund, first, it is unprofessional to attack those who disagree by accusing them of following the “traditions of biblical interpreters” and accusing them of not remaining “true to Scripture.” Such superior attitude simply will not convince scholars to concede their own researched positions. Second, many of Eklund’s own denomination’s seminary scholars and textbooks hold the opposite position which he criticizes. When he says “we,” he errs in thinking that his own denomination totally agrees with him. Third, his discussion hints at an ulterior motive for insisting on only one tithe.” ©Copyright ©2000, 2007, pages 49-50.

One argument that tithe teachers love to expound on is that Israel did have money and that’s why they did not tithe money. It is a false argument that all Israel was an agricultural economy and that prevented them from tithing money. All Israelites were not farmers and ranchers as some would have you to believe. Pastors push this argument to justify collecting of ten percent of your income. This fact is easily and simply disproven by just reading the scriptures in the Bible on money. Author Thabani Maphosa, who wrote, Defusing the Malachi Bomb: The Old Covenant Tithe Versus New Covenant Giving. ©2015 iPad version. He asks in Chapter 1, Was There Money in the Israelite Economy?

“Some have claimed that money was not in use at the time that the laws of tithing were enacted. This is not true. Some bible translations use the word ‘silver’ and others ‘money’ to denote currency as a medium of exchange. Here are a just a few texts that show that money was in use at this time: “ Abram was very rich in livestock, in silver, and in gold” Gen 13:2 “but every man’s servant who is bought for money , when you have circumcised him, then shall he eat of it.” Exo 12:44 “If he doesn’t do these three things for her, she may go free without paying any money .” Exo 21:11 “The owner of the pit shall make it good. He shall give money to its owner, and the dead animal shall be his.” Exo 21:34 “If a man delivers to his neighbor money or stuff to keep, and it is stolen out of the man’s house; if the thief is found, he shall pay double.” Exo 22:7 “If you lend money to any of my people with you who is poor, you shall not be to him as a creditor. You shall not charge him interest.” Exo 22:25 “You shall purchase food from them for money that you may eat. You shall also buy water from them for money that you may drink.” Deu 2:6 Money continued to be in use throughout Israel’s history as shown below:

“When Delilah saw that he had told her all his heart, she sent and called for the lords of the Philistines, saying, “Come up this once, for he has told me all his heart.” Then the lords of the Philistines came up to her, and brought the money in their hand.” Jdg 16:18 “Ahab spoke to Naboth, saying, “Give me your vineyard that I may have it for a garden of herbs, because it is near my house; and I will give you for it a better vineyard than it. Or, if it seems good to you, I will give you its worth in money .” 1Ki 21:2 “I bought the field that was in Anathoth of Hanamel my uncle’s son, and weighed him the money , even seventeen shekels of silver.” Jer 32:9 “Her leaders judge for bribes, and her priests teach for a price, and her prophets of it tell fortunes for money : yet they lean on Yahweh, and say, “Isn’t Yahweh among us? No disaster will come on us.” Mic 3:11″

So not only do other authors prove that Israel economy has money, I make the same assertion that Israel was not a 100 percent agricultural economy. Many of us who did not grow up in Israel thousands of years ago do not realize that their understanding their economy and their tithing system is in some aspects is counterintuitive. I spent a great deal of time writing about money in Israel in my book, Kleptomaniac: Who’s Really Robbing God Anyway to make sure I understood how money was used in a theocracy. In fact, I studied every verse in context to see if an argument for money tithing could be made. At the end of my research journey, not one scripture verse that address money was ever paid as a tithe. Here is an excerpt below from Kleptomaniac: Who’s Really Robbing God Anyway? about how money was used in Israel, and you will be shocked if you read Chapter 6 of my book titled, Show Me the Money not one time was money ever paid to the temple as a tithe in all 140 verses.

“Another example of money not being tithed is in Genesis Chapter 33:18-19, when Jacob buys land much like his grandfather.
Then Jacob came safely to the city of Shechem, which is in the land of Canaan, when he came from Padan Aram; and he pitched his tent before the city. And he bought the parcel of land, where he had pitched his tent, from the children of Hamor, Shechem’s father, for one hundred pieces of money (NKJV).
The context deals with Jacob buying a piece of property. The strange occurrence here is that if God promised the land of Canaan to his family, why is Jacob negotiating with the children of Hamor to purchase land? What we notice is that to have full ownership and deed to the land, a legal act to purchase the land was required. God promises are sovereign; however; His promises do not negate our responsibility to act in a legal way. In Jacob’s case, God promised the land, but Jacob still had to legally purchase the land to have full ownership.

The phrase in the text one hundred pieces of money is Strong’s #7192. It is the Hebrew word “quesiytah,” which is a unit of unknown valve and the TWOT #2081 suggests it means to weigh out. Apparently the value of the one-hundred and ten pieces of money weighted out are pieces of silver, but the Bible does not indicate how much the silver pieces cost in dollars during Jacob’s time.

The next instance of money handling in the Bible occurs in Egypt with Jacob’s son, Joseph. However, there is no mention of either of them tithing silver or gold throughout their life story. The story of Joseph’s brothers dropping him in a pit and eventually selling him into servitude in Egypt is a fascinating story. As the years passed, Jacob’s son’s deceived him into thinking that a wild animal killed Joseph. During this time, a famine broke out in the land and Jacob sent his sons to Egypt to purchase grain. I will not cover the entire story, but I will focus on the money aspect of the story. Genesis 42 begins the story and throughout the whole saga money is mentioned as part of the conversation but never as a tithing practice. The context is about hunger and famine. Genesis 42:25, 27 and 35 mention money in relation to food and nothing else.

Then Joseph gave a command to fill their sacks with grain, to restore every man’s money to his sack, and to give them provisions for the journey. Thus he did for them…But as one of them opened his sack to give his donkey feed at the encampment, he saw his money; and there it was, in the mouth of his sack. Then it happened as they emptied their sacks, that surprisingly each man’s bundle of money was in his sack; and when they and their father saw the bundles of money, they were afraid (NKJV).” Excerpt From: Dr. Frank Chase, Jr., Th.D. Kleptomaniac: Who’s Really Robbing God Anyway? iBooks.

Kleptomaniac: Who’s Really Robbing God Anyway Blog Book Tour from Dr. Frank Chase Jr

Nothing speaks louder than the words that comes from the horses mouth. In this case, the words from Jewish scholar Noam Zion’s book, From Each According To One’s Ability: Duties to Poor People From the Bible to the Welfare State and Tikkun Olam gives understanding about the tithing system and it counts as fact in my book. In this book excerpt he explains Israel’s duties to the poor clearly shows tithes came from the land. In Israel, the people lived on God’s land and benefited from God’s hand in their economy and how they took care of the poor in the tithing system. To show you how complicated the tithe is, this jewish excerpt will make it clear how tithing took place and how the poor benefited from the tithe which came from the land of Israel. This excerpt gives insight into how the poor were viewed and how God expected them to be teated. The almighty American dollar is not a part of God’s tithing system in the land of Israel. One thing about the title of this book is that Israel tithe system had a Welfare component. Below is tithing explained in the land, language and literature of the Hebrew people.

“In Chapter #4 we explore how support for the poor is integrated with the agricultural system in Biblical Israel and how the rationale and forms of this generosity are informed by a third metaphor, God as a landlord . The Torah’s laws of the land warn its inhabitants to refrain from taking complete credit for and possession over their accumulated wealth or land. In contrast to the previous chapters on Biblical giving the motivations behind agricultural allotments to the poor are neither empathy with those who suffer nor indignation at abuse of the rights of the poor. In contrast to a later chapter on the Jubilee tithes and peah are geared to maintenance , not rehabilitation, of the economically stressed. These entitlements are land-based, and so they designated marginal portions of the produce of otherwise privately-owned land. The Biblical delivery of aid was seasonal in the land of Israel, and it occur s chiefly at harvest time through the institutions of peah, leket, and shikhikha , whereas the modern approach has acquired a broader application to include individuals outside of Israel and monetary relevance . In the Middle Ages a monetary tithe is added to these in-kind agricultural contributions and it constitutes a new understanding of the “ poor tithe.”’This mechanism and its rationale is of particular interest because of its widely varying interpretations having run the gamut from a voluntary pious act to an institutional obligation, and from personal, communal or ritual use to the benefit of the less fortunate. The idea of tithing within the Jewish tradition will also be compared with a variety of Christian interpretations, which are based on the idea of grace and tend to value greater generosity with one’s possessions.

The great American oil baron and Baptist philanthropist, John D. Rockefeller, explained his legendary generosity simply by acknowledging: “The good Lord gave me the money.” [102] [cdxiv] The story one tells oneself about the origins of one’s wealth is essential to the narrative of why one gives it away and to whom. In the next two chapters we will explore the rationale behind four modes of agricultural giving to the needy that are all commanded in the Torah by God. Those gifts are land-based and apply only to Jews living as farmers on their own land in Eretz Yisrael because their narrative of wealth teaches them that God gave them this promised land and allotted them their particular ancestral property, so they can say almost like the Baptist, Rockefeller: “The good Lord gave me the land.”

What are these agricultural gifts to the needy from God’s gift to the farmer and how does each add a twist to its rationale for being generous? In chronological order of their distribution, the farmer first designates , during his harvest, the “ corners of his field ” –peah –still filled with produce and still attached to the ground and to the vine. At that point “No Trespass” signs can be removed, so-to-speak, and the peah is now accessible to the poor and that only the poor may harvest themselves. In the meantime the farmer harvests t he rest of the field a first time , but all that was left behind –still on the plants –now belongs to the impoverished gleaners who collect what is called leket . After the harvest the farmer has his produce bundled in the field and then removed for storage. Whatever bundles forgotten –shikhikha –are reserved for the poor and prohibited to the farmer who accidentally forgot them. In the meantime the bundled produce is counted, and a tenth is set aside –the tithe, ma’aser –which is designated for the Levi or the poor depending on the year of the seven year cycle. The tithe is presented to any chosen poor person at the farmer’s discretion, while a ll the other gifts –peah, leket and shikhikha –are collected at the initiative of any indigent and by the ir labor . When the farmer finally gathers his family for a feast after the harvest on his agricultural holidays –Sukkot ( Hag HaAsif ) and Shavuot ( Hag Hakatzir ) –then too the farmer shares his ready-made food with the needy at his table. Every seventh year, the Sabbatical, the farmer is commanded to abandon his own field leaving it fallow, and thus returning it to a state of ownerless nature. All the produce that grows naturally on what was once a cultivated field is accessible at any time to the limited subsistence foraging of the farmer and the poor equally. Finally on the Jubilee, once every 50 years, the land itself –not its produce –is given away by whoever owns it to the original owner in the same ancestral plots once distributed by God in the days of Joshua when the land was first conquered and given out by a divinely regulated lottery. Thus the poor male citizens regain their agricultural capital. Sabbatical and Jubilee will be discussed in future chapters.

The rationale for these gifts is, first and foremost, that: YHWH our God brought us to this good land of river beds, springs and deeps in the valleys and mountains. A land of wheat, barley, vines, figs, pomegranates, a land of olives, oil and [date] honey. A land in which one may eat bread without scarcity, and nothing is lacking in it. …You shall eat, be satisfied and bless YHWH your God for the good land God gave you . ( Dt. 8: 7-10).

Hence one is commanded to share one’s gift from God both with God directly through sacrifices and offerings, and first fruits and halla h for bread with the priesthood and tribe of Levi who serve God with these gift-offerings in the cult’s gift-giving. The tie between God’s “ giving ” and the Jewish landowner’s “ giving back ” is gratitude for that gift . That reasoning is made most explicit regarding the first fruits ( bikurim ). As Martin Buber notes, the sacred recitation upon presenting the first fruits to the priest in the Temple compares by its word choice God’s “bringing” the people to the land of Israel and the farmer “bringing” a gift to the Temple (Deut. 26: 9-10). [cdxv] For that reason the Rabbis stipulated that first fruits are to be brought only from produce of the seven species associated with Eretz Yisrael’s best fruits (Deut. 8:8; Mishna Bikurim 1:3), only by farmers in the land of Israel who own their land, and only when the Temple is still functioning (Maimonides, Laws of First Fruits 2:1).

Tithes are brought form any produce of grain, grapes and olives but again only from the land of Israel. In the poor tithe one shares one’s agricultural gift from God with God-designated needy from the land of Israel. Note that the verse describes this land as one without “lack” ( lo-tekhsar ), so logically when there are indigent in this land that God gave you, one is obligated to “open one’s hand” and provide from God’s bounty “enough for their lack which they lack ” dei mahsoro asher yekhsar lo –Dt. 15:8).”

Read Book excerpts from Kleptomaniac: Who’s Really Robbing God Anyway and learn some of my personal thoughts about what went into writing the book excerpts.

A Tithing Study Presentation by Dr. Frank Chase Jr. de Dr. Frank Chase Jr

Kleptomaniac: Who’s Really Robbing God Anyway? by Frank Chase Jr
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Jamie Reads Kleptomaniac: Who’s Really Robbing God Anyway? from Dr. Frank Chase Jr

Source: Kleptomaniac: Who’s Really Robbing God A | Frank Chase Jr

One of the quintessential arguments pro-tithers make in defense of collecting a tenth of income from believers is that since Abram paid a tithe to Melchizekek before the law, somehow that onetime, single act makes every Christian obligated to pay Yahweh a tithe of their income for life. Most people sitting pews don’t think to ask what did Abram really give to Melchizedek. Well, let me tell you, it is a question everyone should ask before writing that check to the church for ten percent. No, I’m not saying you should not give to your church, but I am saying, scritpture interprets scripture and we get that from term line upon line and precept upon precept. In the book of Hebrews, Chapter 7, the writer explains what items were given to Melchizedek as tithes (verse 4), and who is authorized to collect and receive tithes from the congregation of Israel (verse 5 ) . In Hebrews, Chapter 7, the Bible is clear when it says:

4 Now consider how great this man was, unto whom even the patriarch Abraham gave the tenth of the spoils. 5 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: (KJV)

As you can see in the above verses, the key words is the tenth of the spoils. What Abram gave to Melchizedek come from the spoils of wars. In other transliterations the word plunder is used. And let me say this, if anyone looks at the customs of the time dealing with battles and wars. It was alway cutsom to give a tithe to the priest king of the winning side. Now let’s look at how the contemporary English Bible renders the text to see if we can get a little closer to what the tithe content was that Abram paid to Melchizedek. Now Genesis 14:20 does not identify what the items were that Abram took back from the losing Kings. So the question becomes what would waring soldiers and their leaders bring to the battle field and encampment? When you start putting on your thinking caps, it really gets hard to see how Abram paid a money tithe to Melchezedek. And it really gets insane, when you hear that since Abram tithed before the law, we tithe under grace. First of all, the tithe Abram paid was not the same tithe instituted under the law in Leviticus. Now look at the words, a commandment to take tithes the levitical priesthood. Is your pastor a part of the Levitical priesthood? Is he a decendant of sons of Levi by direct bloodline? If not, I hate to bring you good news, but you are not required to tithe. In the verse, when it tithes were taken from the people, what people is the verse speaking about? Well, the people in verse 5 are the 11 tribes of Israel that farmed, herded cattle and raieded flocks who paid the tithes to Levites. The light should be shinning now and a question mark should appear over your head as to what a tenth of the spoils mean in reference what Abram gave. The greek word for “spoils” Strong’s Akrothininion (#205), It primarily means the top of the heap: hence the firstfruits offerings, and in war the choicest spoils. Since Abram captured all the other King’ss stuff, let’s examine what would be in the heap. If one does a theological search for spoils throughout the Bible, here is what you will find in a pile or heap on the battle field after a war. Their could be skin stripped off a pelt, weapons and vaulubles stripped off of enemy soldiers, the first fruits (crops), so that would be the food the soldiers brought, and because the Kings requested Abram to give back the captured people, the people were also a part of the spoils of war tithe that Abram would have given. However, he gave the people back. So since the the Hebrew people were trying to understand Christ, the Hebrew writer wanted them to understand that the perfect priesthood of the Messiah notwithstanding his decent from Judah, replaces the imperfect and transitory priesthood of Levi, therefore no tithe command is passed on to believers in the Yeshua (Jesus) who are in the Priesthood of Christ and that’s because we are all kings and priests according to Revelation 10:5 And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth. The tithe law was disestablished under the Priesthood of Christ and we know this becuase Hebrews says this:

12 For the priesthood being changed, of necessity there is also a change of the law. 14 For it is evident that our Lord arose from Judah, of which tribe Moses spoke nothing concerning priesthood. 15 And it is yet far more evident if, in the likeness of Melchizedek, there arises another priest 16 who has come, not according to the law of a fleshly commandment, but according to the power of an endless life. 18 For on the one hand there is an annulling of the former commandment because of its weakness and unprofitableness, …

It was the Levites and priest who received tithes in the Old Testament. It is important to understand who the book of Hebrews addresses. It was talking to the Hebrew isrealite believers who accepted the messiah. He told them the priesthood changed so a change in the law would happen as well. What law was changed? In this context, it is clear the tithing law changed becuase verse 18 says there was a annuling of the former commandment. Well, the former commandment in verse 18 aludes to was the tithing commandment mentioned in verse 4 of Hebrews, Chapter 7. This totally debunks a so-called grace tithe or any other tithe of money in the New Testament. Don’t be fooled by slick scriptural hermanutics that redefines biblical food tithing into monetary tithing. You can get signed paperbacks, just order Kleptomaniac: Who’s Really Robbing God Anyway? from Paypalme for $23.87

So, when I did my intial tithing slides on Abram and the tithe before the law, I discovered some characteristics about Abram tithe. So check the slides below. Get informed on tithing by reading the ebook for Kleptomaniac: Who’s Really Robbing God Anyway?

Check out new video book trailer for Kleptomaniac Who Really Robbing God Anyway?

Back in July I did a tithing interview with the Larry Love show on my new book, Kleptomaniac: Who’s Really Robbing God Anyway? http://www.blogtalkradio.com/thelarryloveshow/2016/07/26/author-of-kleptomaniac-who-is-really-robbing-god-dr-frank-chase-jr

Check out these places for my book and the full book review for Kleptomaniac: Who’s Really Robbing God Anyway on Midwest Book Review at: Midwest Book Review Another book excerpt in my book deals with New Testament giving and you read the excerpt titled, The Church and Its Money Grab

Here an excerpt from the reivew by Diane C. Donavan, Senior Reveiwer MBR,

Dr. Chase’s attention to detail in covering the history of tithing and his analysis of what constitutes an authentic tithe in keeping with God’ Biblical directives includes a great deal of research into early Greek and Hebrew writings, creating a weighty yet authoritative, accessible piece filled with empirical evidence and discussions central to the tithe’s place in Christian theology. Although its research-backed history is not light reading, its attention to well-researched detail is impeccably presented, and represents a breath of fresh air to a topic typically laden with more emotion than reasoned inspection. Kleptomaniac: Who’s Really Robbing God Anyway is an ebook from Amazon and in PDF, iPad and Kindle from Book Baby.

The result is a thought-provoking read which is very highly recommended for any Church member interested in the history and ongoing debate over tithes, their mandate, and where and how they are spent.

1. https://store.bookbaby.com/book/kleptomaniac

2. Quotesrain: http://www.quotesrain.com/book/4754/

3. Twitter: @drfrankchasejr

4. facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kleptomaniac10percent/

5. Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30238254-kleptomaniac?ac=1&from_search=true

6. Readers’ Favorite: https://readersfavorite.com/book-review/kleptomaniac

7. Self Publishing Review: http://www.selfpublishingreview.com/2016/08/an-interview-with-frank-chase-jr-author-of-kleptomaniac-whos-really-robbing-god-anyway/

8. AskDavid: http://askdavid.com/item/0975521772

9. Book Daily: http://www.bookdaily.com/book/5481447/kleptomaniac-who-s-really-robbing-god-anyway

10. Overdrive Library: https://www.overdrive.com/media/2964829/kleptomaniac-who’s-really-robbing-god-anyway

11. Booklife: http://booklife.com/project/kleptomaniac-who-s-really-robbing-god-anyway-19097

12. Open Library: https://openlibrary.org/works/OL17589475W/Kleptomaniac

13. Book of the Day: http://bookoftheday.org/kleptomaniac-whos-really-robbing-god-anyway-dr-frank-chase-jr-th-d/

14. Bublish: https://www.bublish.com/bubble/stream/10673

15. LibraryThing: https://www.librarything.com/work/18338845

A Tithing Study Presentation by Dr. Frank Chase Jr. de Dr. Frank Chase Jr

Kleptomaniac: Who’s Really Robbing God Anyway? by Frank Chase Jr
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The book is very insightful and informative about the history of tithing and giving in the Church. The book is a fascinating journey into the land, language and literature of the Israelite people and their tithing practices. The author meticulously examines tithe verses and brings to light their meaning using the Hebrew and Greek language. Even if one does not agree with his analysis, it would be difficult to dismiss what the author’s findings reveal. If a person seeks to gain a real understanding and education about tithing and its original meaning, this book is a good place to begin your theological research journey. They say knowledge is power and this book certainly contains a lot of knowledge. Get a copy at http://www.fcpublishing.com/about_kle….

View all my reviews

SaveSave

Book Review: Kleptomaniac – Who’s Really Robbing God Anyway? by Frank Chase Jr

KLEPTOMANIAC, Who’s Really Robbing God Anyway is a trek through the pages of the Bible to find the untwisted truth about the centuries-old teachings on tithes and offerings. Every page of this book has information that will make you become an …

Source: Book Review: Kleptomaniac – Who’s Really Robbing God Anyway? by Frank Chase Jr
Check out new video book trailer for Kleptomaniac Who Really Robbing God Anyway?

Abram’s, Pre-Law Tithing, And the Eight Levels of Charity From the Word TZEDAKAH

Author and former military man Frank Chase Jr. grew in Baltimore, MD. He got interested in writing from watching movies and listening to a radio show called mystery theatre, but it was only in his thirties after a divorce that his desire to write escalated. His debut book “False Roads to Manhood: What Women Need to Know: What Men Need to Understand” took him seven years of research and writing. If he weren’t a writer, Frank would be a stage actor as it has been his passion since high school.Being a writer has taught him that everyone will not agree with you or what you may write, but it leaves a record and a legacy that can help future generations long after you have passed on. He is currently writing a scripture-centered book and also plans on writing a fiction novel soon. Read full interview…

Take Kleptomaniac: Who’s Really Robbing God Anyway on a email book blog tour. Get a copy of the Blog Tour below and help me celebrate the one year anniversary of Kleptomaniac: Who’s Really Robbing God Anyway by sending my book on an email Book Blog Tour with your email network of friends or however your choose. Go to the link below and get the book blog document and share with your email network of friends.
Frank Chase–Kleptomananiac Book Blog Tour Small pdf

AllAuthor page

In this installment of tithing, I first want to say that this blog post came about becasue of a news article I read that a single women was fined not tithing, The article is titled, Single Mom Fined $1,000 by Church For Not Tithing–Threatens to Remove Her. After reading the article, I shook my head in disbelief and knew I had to write another blog post to address tithing. I guess I will be for the foreseeable furture continue to write tithing blogs until the monetary tithing madness ends. Let me make this clear as day, what you give to your church is your personal business. However no pastor has a right to take scripture out of context as a means to sustain a finanical system the Bible never endorses. So let’s take a magnifying glass to a scripture text to show that tithing in the Bible was not income but edible items. We know pastors love to quote Malachi but I will not start with that verse. You can get signed paperbacks, just order Kleptomaniac: Who’s Really Robbing God Anyway? from Paypalme for $23.87

In this video, I take a look at the pre-law position on tithing. Throughout my 30 plus years of tithing income and reading the Bible, I never found a verse that hinted of anyone tithing before the law except for the one time Abram did at 80-years old. I never took the time to verify if the Bible gives any evidence as to whether God taught Abram to tithe. Discovering what the Bible really teaches about tithing and giving is vital. Without study and knowing what the Bible says, you could wreck your financial future for generations. Tithing and Giving are not the same but are different as apples and oranges. Tithing ten percent is a personal choice, but it should be understood and practiced with the right understanding. For example, most people give the ten percent and then claim it on their taxes. The question is, is that true free will giving?

If you pay a tenth of your income should it be rightly a called tax return or tax deductible giving? Pay a tenth of your income is really a tax. As a tax, it is acceptable by the tax code as a charitable gift to lower taxable income and in some cases, people will get a refund from the IRS. Pay a tenth income is not a tithe but a tax. Furthermore, tithes are food and not money anyway. In reality, what people call tithing is really a form of paying a temple tax for the upkeep of a church building and paying salaries. That’s fine as long as it is stated that way. However, to be biblically accurate we cannot say that tithing money is s a New Testament command because it is not. In fact, if you are a member of an organization or church, it can’t run without money, so you give to churches, YMCA or any 501C3 organization to keep it running, but mandating a tenth of someone’s income is going beyond the interpretive boundaries of the scripture, which is out of context. Check out the video about Abram and the pre-law tithe.

While doing research on giving, I ran across some information that literally changed my life and relieved me from years of guilt giving. Before I began my journey, I already knew that my Christian faith had its roots in the Hebraic culture of the Hebrew people of the Bible, who are later identified as Israelites. When I found out that there were eight giving levels in the Jewish perspective, my heart skipped a beat. My reaction after reading all eight levels of giving was one of surprise and joy. The key word for giving in Hebrew is TZEDAKAH and it means charity and literally righteousness. The video below explains what TZEDAKAH is and the eight levels of giving from a Hebraic perspective. I think you will get some good giving points from this video that will help you in your understanding of giving from God’s view and not man’s view. Of course, you know my mantra is that you should always independently study because nothing beats personal study especially if you put in the effort yourself. I will also post the slides from my tithing study for your reading pleasure.

Some may ask why am I spending so much of my time posting videos and writing blogs that some people may never read or care about. They may also say, the entire church world believes in tithing and your one single voice will not change centuries-old tithing practices overnight. My response would be, I am not the only voice crying in the wilderness. Besides, this subject has become a passion and so I have no choice but to share and post what I’m learning on this journey. My only regret is that I did not do this sooner when I first heard that the tithe was not money and that God does not require a tenth of income as a tithe for life. Back then, fear prevented me from studying my Bible on the subject. But now I have no fear of sharing this truth from the Scriptures. For those who say all Christians who try to expose the error of popular teachings, such as tithing are heretic hunters and are unstable and rebellious. That’s not true because the Bible says in Proverbs 5:21 “to prove all things…” and in the Jewish Bible says, “But do test everything.” So writing a book and posting blogs and doing videos is an act of obeying the Bible in putting all teaching from the Scriptures to the test of research, hermeneutics, and exegesis based on the land, the language and the literature of the Hebrew people.

So get your pens and your study material out and start your journey in finding out what the pre-law tithe is and the eight levels of giving are from the people of the Bible.

So in the end, you have to decide who is robbing God. Make an effort to study for yourself and I assure you, it will not be in vain because your entire life will be changed in a powerful way by becoming a free will generous giver. So when we talk about pre-Law tithing, neither Abram’s/Abraham tithe nor Israel’s tithe were from their monetary income, which in Hebrew would ma’aser kesafim and you can believe that.

SaveSave

Did Paul Teach Tithing?

In my upcoming book, KLEPTOMANIAC: Who’s Really Robbing God? I spent a lot of time talking about Paul’s position on giving. I also put together some power point slides on New Testament giving. In the process of writing the slides, I kept debating whether to write a book on tithing and went back and forth and debated wit myself. My first intention was to compile the slides and move on with the rest of my life. Somehow that did not happen and the issue of writing a book kept coming up in my thoughts. I really could not run away from the idea even though I tried. So when I to put pen to paper, it took me a year and a half to finish the book. Even after I compiled a lot of research for my power point tithing and giving study, I still had to do more research for my book. The Old Testament study was 117 pages, and the New Testament power point study was 48 pages. Today, I’m sharing some slides to help you on your journey. One reason I posted these slides is to give readers information to help them know that my studies did not just cover the Old Testament but the New Testament as well. So today I did a video about whether Paul assumed tithing from silence in the Scripture.

Check out the tithing slides and the information in them to gain an understanding about what Paul says about giving. Research everything I say and add to what I have learned by posting your research to my blog.

To give you a clue about Paul’s instructions on giving, here an excerpt from my book, KLEPTOMANIAC: Who’s Really Robbing God? that will clue you in on Paul’s instructions on giving and why he never mentioned tithing to any of the congregations he preached. In Chapter 12, Did Paul Convert the Tithe to Money, I write:

When you break down the text of 1 Corinthians 16:1, what is Paul really dealing with in Corinth? Let’s look at the verse. “Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I have given orders to churches of Galatia you must do also. On the first day of the week let each one of you lay something aside, storing up as he may prosper that there be no collections when I come” (NKJV). Let’s add some context to the back-story. The Corinthians who wanted Paul to address some issues asked him a series of six questions. Paul uses the phrase “now concerning” in three places to give answers to their questions in 1 Corinthians: 1 Corinthians 7:1, asks about marriage; 1 Corinthians 8:1, asks about personal liberty and about food offered to idols; 1 Corinthians 11:1-16 ask about conduct among the congregations; 1 Corinthians 12:1 asks questions about spiritual gifts in the congregation; 1 Corinthians 15 asks about the resurrection. In 1 Corinthians 16:1 Paul uses “now concerning” to address not only the previous questions the Corinthians asked, but also questions about the collection. The purpose of the language, now concerning, is that Paul changed his thought pattern to address the collection question after he dealt with all the previous questions. When Paul says, “now concerning,” he is addressing questions that the Corinthians had previously asked him. In Bible study, it is always important to place historical and cultural context, exegesis, and proper hermeneutics above opinion and personal theology before accepting any teaching as the gospel truth. Because context is important, I would like to list some contextual points of reference about 1 Corinthians 16:1-3. As you read the Scriptures pertaining to this giving effort, ask yourself if it is possible to assume tithing is the context. I assure you the answer will be no. Here’s why. Of all the questions the Corinthians asked Paul in the epistle, they never uttered a single question about tithes. Paul never said, “now concerning tithes.”

There were many books that helped me understand giving and tithing. One of them is called, You Mean I Don’t Have to Tithe? is a well researched theological studies book that analyzes Old and New Testament giving and tithing. Author, David Croteau writes about 1 Cor. 16:1-3 and says on page 246 that:

Giving should be proportionate, in keeping with a household income. It should not be a fixed proportion, but a proportion in keeping with income. In Paul’s terms, the amount to be set aside depends on the degree to which the giver has been prospered. No specific percentage is designated. This context [1 Cor. 16:1-3] would have been an ideal place for tithing to enter into the discussion. Yet tithing is not mentioned. According to Paul, if anyone has been prospered greatly, he should give a large amount. If one has been prospered only little, a smaller gift is completely acceptable.

When Pual wrote 1 Cor. 16:1-3 to the Corinthians about saving up until he got there, perhaps, he had Deuteronomy 16:1-17 in mind. Perhaps he took an Old Testament verse to create a concept to help them out. The verse reads, “Three times a year all your males shall appear before the LORD your God in the place which He chooses: at the Feast of Unleavened Bread, at the Feast of Weeks, and at the Feast of Tabernacles; and they shall not appear before the LORD empty-handed. Every man shall give as he is able, according to the blessing of the LORD your God which He has given you.” When you look at the parallels between Duet. and 2 Cor. 16, here is how it breaks down. When they gave in Israel during the festivals, it was three time a year. In 1 Cor. 16, it was the first day of the week. The persons who gave in the Old Testament was every man, and in 1 Cor. 16, it was let each of you. The amount given in the Old Testament during the festivals, God said as he is able according to the blessing, and in 1 Cor. 16. Paul said as he may prosper. The source of what was given during the three festivals in the Old Testament was of the LORD their GOD, and in Paul’s letter, we give knowing that God prospers us. There is no way tithing can be assumed from 1 Cor. Chapter 16. So let me say this while I’m thinking about it, don’t be fooled by any teaching the says Paul is teaching grace tithing because he is not. All New Testament giving is grace giving.

In the video below, I talk about Cornelius, a gentile man who gave to the poor and how God responded to his generosity to those less fortunate.

What Were the Uses of the Food Tithe?

How do ascertain what tithing is? The answer is simple. Go to the Bible and look up every verse that references tithe, tithes or tenth. No matter what verse you pull out of the Scripture, you will not find one that demonstrates the tithe as money. When I looked up every verse, I found only eatable items. My standard response to tithe proponents is that they must show me the money; otherwise, the only thing I bring as a tithe according to the Bible is crops and livestock.

In this video, I share more information about eating your tithe in Israel. The Festival Tithe or as some call it, the second Tithe. Remember the tithe in Israel was based on an economic system where assets were tithed on and not Israel’s income. I had to dig into the history of Jewish tithing practices to find out that God never asked for money as a tithe. He always asked for a tithe from the increase (God’s miracle, not man’s effort from pay). God wanted a tithe from Israel’s assets. The tithe came from crops, cattle, grain, herds, flocks are all items God increased. Increase in Scripture is yield from the field (crops) and offspring from livestock (herds and flocks).

Never assume anything about tithing until you study the land, the language and the literature of the Israelite people. Seeking the truth starts with consulting orthodox Jews from all different sects to get a firm understanding of the tithe. When you do, you will see that tithe teachers in today’s churches are guessing about Israel’s tithe economy. Here is a list of how tithes were used in the Bible. The slide below gives you an overview of tithe uses. I also want to make a point that my slides are snippets of the tithe information. My book will go into more detail. In all of my posts about tithing, I will share all of my research materials for you to consider as you journey into the unknown and go where no Bible study has gone before in learning about the cultural practices of tithing among the Hebrew people of Yahweh.

If you look to the New Testament for an example of money being tithed, you will not find one. Even Jesus knew what tithing was when he spoke the Pharisees about tithing mint, rue, and all manner of herbs…proving the tithe was eatable items. The tithe is still food in the Gospels and is food in the epistles and remained food until the temple was destroyed. This video will go into some aspects of the different tithe uses.

One book that I read during my research addressed tithing in great detail. In the book, Debunking the Tithe of Isreal, Alvin Bates makes this observation about Luke 11:37-44, “We must remember that to tithe was for the Jew to give from their tenths of food, which was stored up for their three festivals each year and not a tenth of all their food or a tenth of money at all. Jesus said that it is good to give to the temple as Moses commanded, and the food given to the temple was called “tithes” because this was of the 10 percent stored up for the festival each family would store for going to the feasts three times per year. Ten percent of foodstuffs stored up would be eaten by the family itself and likewise shared with the widows, poor of the land, and “yes” the temple priests” (Levites).

One of the main purposes Yahweh had for the tithe was that it belonged to the Levites in service to the temple. The tithe belonged to the Levites only when they served the temple so that means they were not full-time in the temple like full-time pastors today. Take into account that when a permanent temple was built, it was not large enough to house thousands of Levites at one time. That’s the Bible points out that Levites worked rotational duty. I cover this extensively in my book, Kleptomaniac: Who’s Really Robbing God Anyway? I want to make this point that in slide 32, it states that the Levites were disinherited at one point, but Yahweh choose them to serve the temple after Isreal worshipped the golden calf and disqualified Israel’s firstborn from serving in that capacity to serve the temple.

Duet 8:5-8 explains what happens when a Levite came to the temple from his home to serve. Whether you choose to accept it or not Levites were expected to work for a living like like the rest of the community in addition to serving the temple. That is a shocking truth to many in the ministry, and many will scoff at this and dismiss it as financial suicide if they embrace full-time ministry as the sole source of survival and financial security. But let me put those worries to rest and calm down those would snatch out my beard if they think losing the tithe means losing everything. One of my next posts will share information about the professional careers of the Levites. Sorry pastors, Levites worked outside of their duties at the tabernacle and later the permanent temple to support themselves.

Give these gifts to the priests, because the LORD has chosen them and their descendants out of all the tribes of Israel to be his special servants at the place of worship. Any Levite can leave his hometown, and go to the place where the LORD chooses to be worshiped, and then be a special servant of the LORD there, just like all the other Levites. Some Levites may have money from selling family possessions, and others may not. But all Levites serving at the place of worship will receive the same amount of food from the sacrifices and gifts brought by the people (CEV).

The food the Levites received in the verse came from the tithes, including the gifts God’s people brought them when they were on duty. In a book, Why Christians Should Not Tithe, author James D. Quiggle offers this analysis on page 37:

In exchange for his service to God, the Levite and priest were denied land inheritance in Israel. This truth was repeated six times in seven verses in Numbers 18:20-26! The “no inheritance” rule for those who received tithes is also repeated in Deuteronomy 12:12; 14:27, 29; 18:1-2; Joshua 13:14, 33; 14:3; 18:7; and Ezekiel 44:28. Take a moment now and read all of the above verses! Evidently, God wanted it abundantly clear why Levites and priests received tithes from Israel. Whenever the reason for them receiving the tithe was mentioned, God also mentioned that they were not allowed any inheritance or land ownership. The Levite and the Aaronic priest were always to be counted among, and included among, the poor of the land. They were not to become wealthy, but were to live day-by-day in the expectation that Israel would bring in the tithe to sustain them and for them to re-distribute to the other poor of the land.

Tithing Study Part 7 Money Discussion in Israel

In my new upcoming book, Kleptomaniac: Who’s Really Robbing God, I spend a lot of time examining money scriptures throughout the Bible. The chapter title is called, Show Me the Money. There are 113 Bible references to money in the first five books, and if you studied each verse, you will not find one Scripture showing money being tithed to the temple as a command from God. When Money was carried to the temple it was because the cattle and crop tithe was too much to carry to the place of worship. Check out Deuteronomy 14:22-26 which is direct in saying people ate the tithe.

You shall truly tithe all the increase of your grain that the field produces year by year. And you shall eat before the LORD your God, in the place where He chooses to make His name abide, the tithe of your grain and your new wine and your oil, of the firstborn of your herds and your flocks, that you may learn to fear the LORD your God always. But if the journey is too long for you, so that you are not able to carry the tithe, or if the place where the LORD your God chooses to put His name is too far from you, when the LORD your God has blessed you, then you shall exchange it for money, take the money in your hand, and go to the place which the LORD your God chooses. And you shall spend that money for whatever your heart desires: for oxen or sheep, for wine or similar drink, for whatever your heart desires; you shall eat there before the LORD your God, and you shall rejoice, you and your household (NKJV).

In the chapter, Show Me the Money, money scriptures will be examined in context so readers will know what God required of Israel. According to the Bible, cash was not on the mind of Yahweh but food and crops were the real authentic tithe.

Money was plentiful in Israel and Egypt. One thing I learned from studying money in the Bible is that the Hebrew people used money from purchasing land to buying goods. In my initial power point study, I created a slide showing some of the money verses in the Bible and their context is never about tithing money. The Hebrew word for money is Keceph. In my original, I spelled it Keseph. The verses in the slide prove that no teacher of the Bible can pull the wool over your eyes about Israel’s familiarity with money. Check out my list of money verses. In the first reference, it should read Genesis 13:2.