KLEPTOMANIAC: Who's Really Robbing God Anyway?
KLEPTOMANIAC: Who's Really Robbing God Anyway?
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Scholarship, Theology, Research and History Says God’s Tithe is Not Money

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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.

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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.

  • Is the Church the Storehouse for Tithing?
  • Did Jesus Collect Tithes?
  • Will a Man Rob God?
  • Eating Tithes vs. Paying Tithes
  • What are First Fruits in the Bible?
  • Official Orthodox Biblical Tithing Has Passed Away
  • Jesus and his Ministry Never Received Tithes
  • Paul Never Taught Believers to Tithe Money
  • The Church and Its Money Grab Tactics
  • Monetary Tithing is not a Foregone Conclusion
  • Money Tithing or Eatible tithing, Which One?
  • Arguments Against Tithing Has a Long History
  • What Does True Giving Look Like?
  • Tithing on Increase
  • The Law Does Not Teach Monetary Tithing
  • Research Brings Truth
  • Understanding Tithing Starts With a Definition
  • The Fight Continues
  • Did Paul Convert the Tithe to Money?
  • How Did God’s Tithe Become Money?

 

 

 

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

Kleptomaniac: Who's Really Robbing God Anyway?Kleptomaniac: Who’s Really Robbing God Anyway? by Frank Chase Jr
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Author Frank Chase Jr

Were Offerings in the Old Testament Money?

Malachi 3:8 is the bread and butter of tithe proponents. It is the main scripture used to enforce a mandatory monetary tithe in the church today. Many believers never question the doctrine because of fear of a curse from God. The conspiracy to change the biblical tithe from an agricultural base to a monetary base began before many of us were born. The scriptures read in Malachi 3:8-11:

Will a man rob God? Yet you have robbed Me! But you say, ‘In what way have we robbed You?’ In tithes and offerings. 9 You are cursed with a curse, For you have robbed Me, Even this whole nation. 10 Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, That there may be food in My house, And try Me now in this,” Says the LORD of hosts, “If I will not open for you the windows of heaven And pour out for you such blessing That there will not be room enough to receive it. 11 “And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, So that he will not destroy the fruit of your ground, Nor shall the vine fail to bear fruit for you in the field,” Says the LORD of hosts;

The key to interpreting these verses is to ascertain the main subject, which is food not money. God said to them to bring the tithe into the storehouse (barn) so there would be food (to eat) in his house for the Levites when they were on duty in the temple. The verse starts out by saying that the priest robbed God in Tithes and Offering. And yet people want so bad to make these verses refer to money when the context is clear that God interest was in agricultural products and herds and flocks. We know that tithes in this verse is based on the Hebrew word Ma’aser, which means everything edible. So what was God implying when he said to the people in Malachi that they were also robbing him in offerings also? Were offerings money? Here’s how the pulpit preacher butchers this verse. They say that a believer can’t  or God won’t accept an offering from them until they first pay their tithe. But in Malachi it say tithes, which is plural and tithes is mentioned first. So that means tithes come from many products, and money is not one of them. In previous blogs, I wrote about three different tithes in Israel and I also covered the various tithes in my book, Kleptomaniac: Who’s Really Robbing God Anyway?. So looking at this verse which references tithes and offerings it is clear many people in today’s churches are not paying tithes and offerings like Malachi 3:8-10 dictates.

So what does the offerings consist of in Malachi 3:8-10 and what kind were they? In this blog, I will give you a short list of scriptures on offerings for you to read so that you can determine for yourself whether offering are simply money you give on every Sunday morning tithe stickup. The offerings we are going to look at come from Exodus, Leviticus and Numbers. I will not list everyone in the Bible, but you will know from this list what offerings consisted of and its purpose.

  1. Exodus 13:12 first Offspring of every womb:  that you shall set apart to the LORD all that open the womb, that is, every firstborn that comes from an animal which you have; the males shall be the LORD’s (NKJV).    In this verse, we see that first-born male animals were dedicated to the Lord. In follow on verses donkeys was not accepted but had to be redeemed with a lamb. So that means the herder gave the donkey and bought it back with a lamb. Also God wanted every firstborn male child, but they were also bought back the parents and told to remember this as God killed the first-born males in Egypt. In this verse, there is no money request from Yahweh in the law of the firstborn. 
  2. Exodus 29:14 Sin offering:  But the meat, the skin and the food still  in the bull’s stomach must be burned outside the camps as an offering to ask forgiveness for the sins of the priests (CEV). In this verse, which requires a sin offering is clear is that in the old covenant, payment for sins committed required the life of an animal. So the question is, if the pastor says you can’t pay an offering until you first tithe, then are you using money to pay for your sins and rejecting the finished work of the Messiah on the cross? As you can see, a sin offering did not require money. The fact is, money can only be offered only if the verse specifically calls out shekels, silver, gold, talents, denari or other forms of biblical money.
  3. Exodus 29:18: Burnt offering:  18 And you shall burn the whole ram on the altar. It is a burnt offering to the LORD; it is a sweet aroma, an offering made by fire to the LORD (NKJV).

Burnt offerings don’t look like money to me. To be facetious, I guess you pay your money offering in church and according to the scripture, if they are hundred-dollar bills I guess by scripture you have to set them on fire as a sweet-smelling savor to the Lord. I regress, but it doesn’t look like this verse can be used to extract a money offering from congregants on Sunday.

            4. Exodus 29:40 Drink offering: With the one lamb shall be one-tenth of an ephah of flour mixed with one-fourth of a hin of pressed oil, and one-fourth of a hin of wine as a drink offering (NKJV). Here is how it reads in the CEV: With each lamb offer two pounds of your finest flour mixed with a quart of pure olive oil, and also pour out a quart of wine as an offering.  

In this verse, the text is painting a picture of full-fledged dinner cooked up for the evening for God. So far the offerings that Malachi speaks of appear related to food and not money. So the question becomes, does Malachi’s offerings have anything to do with robbing God of money? So as you can see, this is food offered to God and then he told the offeror to pour out the wine on the fire for sweet aroma to God. Now this wine was not unfermented. This wine in the text is the Hebrew word yayin or yahyin. That’s right ladies and gentlemen, it was fermented wine that Yahweh wanted poured on the fire with the flour, oil and lamb so he could smell it. There goes the false teaching that fermented wine did not exist in the Bible.

           5.  Exodus 29:41 Grain offering:  And the other lamb you shall offer at twilight; and you shall offer with it the grain offering and the drink offering, as in the morning, for a sweet aroma, an offering made by fire to the LORD (NKJV).

In this verse, the priest are offering more edible items to the Lord as offerings. There is no way offerings of money can be assumed from this verse either. Isn’t is amazing that scripture proves itself through context. Offerings in Malachi are what the context tells you not what the preacher tell you to interpret. All the offerings up to this point are related to temple worship.

         6. Exodus 30:10, 16; Annual atonement;  And Aaron shall make atonement upon its horns once a year with the blood of the sin offering of atonement; once a year he shall make atonement upon it throughout your generations. It is most holy to the LORD (NKJV).

In this verse once a year atonement was done for the people of Israel. In no way can this be associated with any form of modern-day offerings of money in church. This verse has been fulfilled because Christ has made the final atonement for us on the cross. There is no need for believers today to try to pay money for their sins. To do so using the tithes and offerings according to Malachi is a violation of the all the offerings laws God specifically requested.

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In my book, Kleptomaniac: Who’s Really Robbing God Anyway? you will find hundreds of reasons why you should stop tithing and embrace New Covenant Grace Giving that Paul taught in the letters written the assemblies in the New Testament. If you would like to read more about tithing, click on the links below to read book bubbles from Kleptomaniac: Who’s Really Robbing God Anyway?

Money in the Temple

Now this is a good place to insert an example of how money came into the temple. In Exodus 30:11-16, the context is clear. When Israel went through a census, God required every man to pay ransom money. The amount of the money was a half a of shekel. The money was used for service of the temple. And notice that it was only men from twenty years old and up.  These verses never ask women and children to pay ransom money. It was the men who were responsible for the financial temple obligation. Wouldn’t it be nice today if women were not responsible for the church financial obligations and the men took the lead for that. Something to think about. Here is God’s ransom money requirement that was not an offering. As you read you will see that the context is about ransom money for the temple to make atonement but not about offerings as money. This money was used for the upkeep of the temple and it was not tithes or offerings. In this verse, both the rich and poor paid the same amount for the temple upkeep. What a novel idea, it almost sounds like a building fund but the problem is, this fund was only collected during census time.

11 Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying: 12 “When you take the census of the children of Israel for their number, then every man shall give a ransom for himself to the LORD, when you number them, that there may be no plague among them when you number them. 13 This is what everyone among those who are numbered shall give: half a shekel according to the shekel of the sanctuary (a shekel is twenty gerahs). The half-shekel shall be an offering to the LORD. 14 Everyone included among those who are numbered, from twenty years old and above, shall give an offering to the LORD. 15 The rich shall not give more and the poor shall not give less than half a shekel, when you give an offering to the LORD, to make atonement for yourselves. 16 And you shall take the atonement money of the children of Israel, and shall appoint it for the service of the tabernacle of meeting, that it may be a memorial for the children of Israel before the LORD, to make atonement for yourselves.” (NKJV)

Were Offerings in the Old Testament Money Cont.?

But I digress, so let’s get back to the offerings in the Bible. By the time we get to Leviticus, there are several types of offering God requested from the people of Israel. Surely there must be money associated with these offerings. Let’ dig into them to find out.

  1. Leviticus 3:1, Fellowship or Peace offering: When his offering is a sacrifice of a peace-offering, if he offers it of the herd, whether male or female, he shall offer it without blemish before the LORD (NKJV).

In this verse, we see that this offering has no association with money, but God specifically identifies the herd as the fellowship or peace-offering. Both the priest and the giver partook of the meal. This offering was done three-time a year during  the annual three festivals in Israel and thousands of Israelite participated in this practice of the communal meal. The amount of animals killed in these offerings ranged in the thousands. Sounds like a bloody hot mess and lot of cooking going on. Well it looks like no money exchanged hands in the peace/fellowship offering.

           2.  Leviticus 5:15-16 Guilt offering:  If anyone commits a breach of faith and sins unintentionally in any of the holy things of the LORD, he shall bring   to the LORD as his compensation, a ram without blemish out of the flock, valued in silver shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, for a guilt offering. 16 He shall also make restitution for what he has done amiss in the holy thing and shall add a fifth to it and give it to the priest. And the priest shall make atonement for him with the ram of the guilt offering, and he shall be forgiven (ESV).

In these two verses, once again we do see money exchange hands from the one who sinned to the priest who forgave the sin, but this time the payment is for unintentional sins in the holy things of the LORD. The only way to pay for the sin is to bring a ram and its value in silver and give it to the priest along with additional fifth part of it. Some Bible versions record it as twenty percent of value of the ram. Now this guilt offering is payment for the sin and to make restitution to others affected. So the price of the ram is paid in silver to the priest and the individual sins was placed on the ram and sacrificed for forgiveness. Can you imagine paying money for sins today, everybody in the church would be dead broke and destitute for life unintentional sins. I’m glad the Messiah paid the price for our sins once and for all. Glory!

             3. Leviticus 7:11-12, Thanks/peace-offering: 11 ‘This is the law of the sacrifice of peace offerings which he shall offer to the LORD: 12 If he offers it for a thanksgiving, then he shall offer, with the sacrifice of thanksgiving, unleavened cakes mixed with oil, unleavened wafers anointed with oil, or cakes of blended flour mixed with oil. 

In this verse, this offering is cakes, wafers and oil. Well, well, here we go again with edible items as offerings. There is a whole lot of food offerings going on in the Old Testament and money is not the major concern of God in mandatory offerings. In Malachi the offerings are not voluntary but mandatory. So the offering the church requests is totally out of context with scripture.

             4. Leviticus 19:23-24 Praise offering:  23 ‘When you come into the land, and have planted all kinds of trees for food, then you shall count their fruit as uncircumcised. Three years it shall be as uncircumcised to you. It shall not be eaten. 24 But in the fourth year all its fruit shall be holy, a praise to the LORD. 

In this verse, the praise offering is thanking God for the food he provided by his hand after they planted the tree in the promise land. Wow, they could not eat the fruit until five years later and at that time they praised God in the fourth year. A praise offering that had nothing to do with money. But in some churches, you will find people praising God and throwing money on the altar for the pastor when the sermon has got their emotions running high. Folks, don’t get played by the offering requests and stick to giving from your heart.

          5. Leviticus 22:18-21 Freewill offering:  18 “Speak to Aaron and his sons, and to all the children of Israel, and say to them: ‘Whatever man of the house of Israel, or of the strangers in Israel, who offers his sacrifice for any of his vows or for any of his freewill offerings, which they offer to the LORD as a burnt offering— 19 you shall offer of your own free will a male without blemish from the cattle, from the sheep, or from the goats. 20 Whatever has a defect, you shall not offer, for it shall not be acceptable on your behalf. 21 And whoever offers a sacrifice of a peace offering to the LORD, to fulfill his vow, or a freewill offering from the cattle or the sheep, it must be perfect to be accepted; there shall be no defect in it.

In these verses, it appears freewill offering that most of us are accustomed to in the form of money has been blow up by the word of the Lord. The freewill offerings mentioned here come from cattle, sheep, and goats. This is shocking evidence that even freewill offerings in the Bible at least in the Old Testament are not money. Money in the old testament was silver and gold metal, but coinage did not appear until the seventh century. Most offerings in the first five books of the Bible related to animals, grain, wine, oil. So it appears that in the Old Testament, there are 1094 verses with the word offering/offerings and just by a scan of them all, none of them clearly defined offering or offering as strictly money. However by the time we get to the New Testament, we know coins were highly in use for temple offerings.

6. Numbers 5:15, Grain offering for Jealousy: Numbers 5: 11-31 deals with the husband offering a grain offering for a wife he believes has cheated on him. The text is worth reading because even if she was not caught or if the husband became jealousy he still had to offer a grain offering for jealousy to free himself from the iniquity. So the wife had to go through the procedure whether innocent or guilty the law of Jealousy. The process required a grain offering without oil or incense on it as reminder of guilt to the accused wife.

7. Numbers 19:17 Purification offering: 17 And for an unclean person they shall take some of the ashes of the heifer burnt for purification from sin, and running water shall be put on them in a vessel.

This text simply deals the what people must do if they if enter the tent of the dead man or are around a grave or touches a dead man in an open field or a bone of a dead man. As it stands God had many mandatory offerings that covered every possible scenario in the Old Testament, but it appears money was not a required mandatory offering. So in today’s church is the word offering the term used to give from the heart or should the term be gift?

8. In Numbers 28:11-15 God required a monthly burnt offering, which consisted of two young bulls, one ram, and seven lambs, pounds of flour mixed with oil. two quarts of wine and a goat along with daily sacrifices. I can tell you one thing about the Old Testament offerings, there was sure a lot animal killings going on. I often wonder how did the clean up all that blood. If offerings are so important, why did God leave out monetary offerings in the Pentateuch?

In this blog, and from what I have studied about tithes and offering,  it appears they were never combined of mixed for any purpose in the OT and the distinction is very clear in the scripture text. No where does the Bible teach that Levites or Priests tithed from offerings they received. In fact, Levites on paid a tithe of the tithe and priests never tithed at all.

Before we go, someone might say that I did not cover offerings in the New Testament (NT). So let’s go into that right now. I found one example of a NT offering being given by the widow in Luke 21:1-4 and Mark 12:41. 1 And He looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the treasury, 2 and He saw also a certain poor widow putting in two mites. 3 So He said, “Truly I say to you that this poor widow has put in more than all; 4 for all these out of their abundance have put in offerings for God, but she out of her poverty put in all the livelihood that she had. And from the context there is a lot to learn about this widow woman. In fact, because of her widow status, the rich where according to the law were suppose to take care of her but by this time the temple was robbing the very least of these that they were suppose to protect and take care of based on God’s Laws for the widows. The temple was supposed to follow the laws God gave to Israel to take care of widows, but they abdicated that responsibility and violated the law. Jesus made it clear that the teacher of the law were financially taking advantage the widows by devouring their houses. In other words, the teachers of the law were cheating widows out of their homes. And it is no different today when pastors cheat members out of their money by teaching a false doctrine of monetary tithing, which has left many believer poor like the unfortunate widow.

The next time a pastors asks for an offering, you’d better have them explain and clarify which offerings are they talking about in the Bible, sin offering, burnt offering, drink offering, grain offering, fellowship offering, guilt offering, thanks offering, praise offering, freewill offering, reminder offering, memorial offering, purification offering or monthly burnt offering. The Old Testament has 1094 types of offerings and the New Testament only teaches that you give from the heart and you decide the amount  to give based on what you have and not what your don’t have.

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In my book, Kleptomaniac: Who’s Really Robbing God Anyway? you will find hundreds of reasons why you should stop tithing and embrace New Covenant Grace Giving that Paul taught in the letters written to the assemblies in the New Testament. If you would like to read more about tithing, click on the links below to read book bubbles from Kleptomaniac: Who’s Really Robbing God Anyway?

  1. Is the Church the Storehouse for Tithing?
  2. Did Jesus Collect Tithes?
  3. Will a Man Rob God?
  4. Eating Tithes vs. Paying Tithes
  5. What are First Fruits in the Bible?
  6. Official Orthodox Biblical Tithing Has Passed Away
  7. Jesus and his Ministry Never Received Tithes
  8. Paul Never Taught Believers to Tithe Money
  9. The Church and Its Money Grab Tactics
  10. Monetary Tithing is not a Foregone Conclusion
  11. Money Tithing or eatable tithing, Which One?
  12. Arguments Against Tithing Has a Long History
  13. What Does True Giving Look Like?
  14. Tithing on Increase
  15. The Law Does Not Teach Monetary Tithing
  16. Research Brings Truth
  17. Understanding Tithing Starts With a Definition
  18. The Fight Continues
  19. Did Paul Convert the Tithe to Money?
  20. How Did God’s Tithe Become Money?

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The book is a fascinating journey into the land,...... review gif

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

Thanks Gary for reading my book

Thank Rodney for reading my book

 

 

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I hope this blog helps many people in search for truth about the tithe of the Bible. And I hope the lady who was sent a fine for not paying tithe one day discovers my book and know that she is not required to tithe to God, now, in the future becuase of grace and Christ sacrifice on the cross. And if need be I hope she read the New Testament givig slides below so she can be equipped to deal with modern tithe teaching that are not in the Bible. Kleptomaniac: Who’s Really Robbing God Anyway is an ebook from Amazon and in PDF, iPad and Kindle from Book Baby.

New Testament Giving By Dr. Frank Chase, Jr from Dr. Frank Chase Jr
If you interested in where my book, Kleptomaniac: Who’s Really Robbing God Anyway? is on the internet, please share these links below with all of your friends and network, so the world will know that tithing is not money.

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

In my book, Kleptomaniac: Who’s Really Robbing God Anyway? you will find hundreds of reasons why you should stop tithing and embrace New Covenant Grace Giving that Paul taught in the letters written to the assemblies in the New Testament. If you would like to read more about tithing, click on the links below to read book bubbles from Kleptomaniac: Who’s Really Robbing God Anyway?  Check out my featured AuthorTalkAboutIt interview about my book Kleptomaniac: Who’s Really Robbing God Anyway?

Also check me out on the sister site of Urban Authors & Writers of America at BIHAPI

 

It’s amazing when you discover a new biblical truth. That what happened to me several years ago when I went on a biblical journey to study tithing. What I uncovered literally shocked me into truth. I also discovered how easy it is to be biblically ignorant even when you think you are an well informed person. Needless to say, I suspect that many believers are not as astute in biblical theology and understanding. It’s no fault of their own, but when you allow so-called biblical experts tell you what the Bible says, without you doing personal follow-up, you’ll most likely become well informed in biblical error.

In the case of tithing and what the Bible defines as a tithe, many of us have become victims of phantom tithing passages interpreted in mysterious spiritualistic ways to get money for the church. In this post, I really want you to see that many experts, theologians, scholars, and Bible readers have not fallen for the Sunday morning tithe stickup. Where do people get the idea that God requires money as a tithe? I would have to say ignorance, confusion and a lack of scripture study is the culprit. This post will be a list of quotes from many in the christian community debunking the tithe myths that exist today. Based on the research that I have done in my book, kleptomaniac: Who’s Really Robbing God Anyway, tithing money or paying a tenth of your income is actually not in the Bible. In fact, phantom tithing verses and propaganda come from pervasive biblical illiteracy, and that can be financially dangerous to the believers in church. Proper biblical exegesis, hermeneutics, context and theology have fallen to wayside, and the idea of what a person thinks the scripture means personally has become the standard. That opens the door to private interpretation of the scripture which the Bible warns against. For example, many people think the phrase, “God helps those who helps themselves” is a verse in the Bible when it actually is not in the Bible. Because of phantom verses, many people believe tithing money is in the Bible, when it actually is not. So what are the experts, theologians, scholars saying about tithing? Let’s take a journey. But Before we do that, I would like to share with you, why i resigned from tithing.

What are People Saying About Tithing?

Studying the full scope of tithing as presented in the Bible, one discovers that tithing is first mentioned in Genesis 14: 17-24, where Abraham is described as “giving” a voluntary offering of a tenth to Melchizedek, King/priest of Salem. Of course, we “pay” an obligation, but we “give” a gift because we choose to. There was no law of tithing in the Word of God demanding that Abraham pay Melchizedek tithing on the spoils of war.  (Also, see Chapter III.)

Clearly, tithing was codified in the ceremonial law along with burnt offerings, sacrifices, heave offerings, vows, and the practice of circumcision. (Deuteronomy Chapters 11, 12 ,14, and 26, and Leviticus Chapter 12.)  “Under the Levitical system God ordained …the tithes….” S.D.A. Bible Dictionary, 1127.

Because Abraham “gave” tithes to Melchizedek before Moses and the ceremonial laws of Moses’ day, some contend that the practice of tithing is perpetual.

In addition, some churches contend that Abraham paid (not “gave” as Scripture reads) a tenth of the spoils of war to Melchizedek because there was an unwritten tithing law that required him to do so.  Consider this.  This action by Abraham is in no way related to the law of tithing later revealed in the Book of Leviticus.  The Levitical law required that tithe be paid only on land and animals. (Lev. 27:30-31.)  Spoils of war do not represent an increase from farming.  The Mosaic law required that the priests receive 1/500th of the goods from the spoils of war, not 1/10th.  The Levites received 1/50th of the spoils of war, not 1/10th. The law concerning spoils of war had nothing to do with tithing. (Numbers 31: 27-29.)  Now, if Moses, in Genesis, were recording a universal law of tithing at the time of Abraham, why does he depart from this law some 400 years later? Abraham’s gift was one of free-will, an offering of thanksgiving. Nothing more, nothing less!

It is true, of course, that tithing was a part of the ceremonial codes (Deuteronomy 14:22-29 and 26:12), but the fallacy of assuming that there was a perpetual law of tithing at the time of Abraham, is immediately observed when one studies the practice of circumcision. Circumcision existed before Moses (Genesis 17:10) and was adopted into the ceremonial codes as was tithing (Exodus 12: 44, 48 and Leviticus 12:3); however, as we see in Colossians 2:16,17, Paul states that Christ’s death made void the ceremonial laws (Hebrews 9: 8-11), including the practice of circumcision (Galatians 5:6; 6:15, and 1 Corinthians 7:19).   Therefore, even though circumcision and tithing were practiced before Moses and the writing of the ceremonial codes, this practice did not make either of these acts perpetual. (Taken from Beware The Tithe Trap by Dr. Fillmer Hevener)

1st Century Jewish perspective

The 1st Century Jews who were the very first Christians–and who are the Christian example that we have in the bible—had a unique perspective. Perhaps we have lost this perspective in the church of today–having to deal with so many years of tradition from which most of our churches operate.

The people in the Bible understood certain things–I believe much better than we do. They had experience that we do not have–we understand certain things that are stated in the Bible–but we do not live them out in the same way that they did–and one of the reasons this is –is because of the particular perspective the 1st Century Jews operated from.

These people had “grown up” in the traditions of the Jewish faith of that day. They lived out their lives–their tradition in these ways-

They paid a tithe–which consisted of 1/10 of their goods–1/10 of the herd and the crops which they grew. It was the part of most of the people to (those who were not of the tribe of Levi) to render this tithe to the priests–the Levites.

The Levites were the anointed appointed delegated authority within Israel to do ministry. They were the only ones who were lawfully allowed to serve God–to perform the many and various ministries–offerings unto God throughout the year. The Levites had the “office of ministry”. They had authority over the rest of Israel to be the ones who were chosen by the covenant laws delivered to Moses, to be the tribe of Israel which were allowed to be ministers unto the Lord. No one else in Israel could be a minister. No one else had the anointing to do this. The Levities were delegated by the law to be the ministry which received the tithe. They offered the tithe–which is holy unto God–as the sin offering for the people–the rest of Israel–and themselves. Their ministry function was to properly make these offerings unto God–to properly use the tithe–the offering to God for the sin of the people. They also lived on the tithe–they were allowed to eat of the slain animals–and partake of the fruits and grains which were offered through the tithe. (Taken from Vision of the Church)

Leviticus 25:1: And the LORD spake unto Moses in Mt. Sinai saying,

Verse 2: Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, when ye come into the land which I shall give you, then shall the land keep a Sabbath unto the LORD.

Verse 3: Six years shalt thou sow thy field, and six years shalt thou prune thy vineyard, and gather in the fruit thereof;

Verse 4: But in the seventh year shall be a Sabbath of rest unto the land, a Sabbath for the Lord: thou shalt neither sow thy field, nor prune thy vineyard.

Verse 5: That which growth of its own accord of thy harvest thou shalt not reap, neither gather the grapes of thy vine undressed: for it is a year of rest unto the Land.

Verse 6: And the Sabbath of the land shall be meat (food)  for you; for thee, and for thy servant, and for thy maid, and for thy hired servant, and for the stranger that sojourneth with thee.

Verse 7: And for thy cattle, and for the beast that are in thy land, shall all the increase thereof be meat.

The Israelites observed a seven-year agricultural (and tithing) cycle.  Every seventh year the land (and the tithers) got a break.  No large-scale reaping was to be done, so no tithes were to be paid.  Any Jewish rabbi will tell you no tithes were paid in ancient Israel on the seventh year, and tithes were never collected from the wages of the poor. During the Sabbatical year, people were to take from the land just what they needed for their own personal consumption, and nothing more. How would this set with “conservative” preachers who holler about having a strong work ethic, and making the most (money) out of every waking moment of your life?  What if somebody out in the congregation decided that every seventh year he would ditch the factory job, sling on a backpack and go live off the land like the Indians did before the coming of the white man?

Today’s tithers simply don’t get that seventh-year break commanded by Scripture.  They’re pressured to slave SEVEN years out of seven to satisfy  Organized Religion’s hunger for finances.  When one job isn’t enough, people are encouraged to work two. Preachers LITERALLY (and wrongly) apply the Tithing Law, while “spiritualizing away” people’s need for physical rest, to keep the cash rolling in.  Parents who must work extra jobs come under criticism because they aren’t always there for the kids and “have poor family values”. Think of it.  God actually gave the farmer a whole year off every seventh year from plowing, sowing and reaping, besides their weekly Sabbath Day rest. God even cared about the land, which is nothing but dead, wormy dirt!  Funny how preachers don’t worry about other Christians dropping dead from overwork. I kinda suspect God is a lot more merciful than His supposed representatives up in the pulpit. (Taken from the article Rewriting Scripture to Justify Tithing) 

Several years ago when I fist started learning about tithing, I joined an Yahoo Tithing Study group. This group of believers were very well versed on tithing. One of the profound questions that escapes some people who subscribe to monetary tithing is that they never ask how God’s tithing system became a money grab for the church. Let me tell you that insofar as scripture is concerned, the Bible was not source. The catholic unilaterally established a (income based) tithe by means of religious church legislation patterned after secular law in the six century. I cover this phenomenon in my book, Kleptomaniac: Who’s Really Robbing God Anyway? Here is what the catholic church decided, “The earliest positive legislation on the subject seems to be contained in the letter of the bishops assembled at Tours in 567 and the canons of the Council of Maçon in 585. In course of time, we find the payment of tithes made obligatory by ecclesiastical enactments in all the countries of christendom.”  The process of ripping up the God’s biblical tithe laws to change them to fit the needs of the worldwide catholic church began by proclamations to the effect: “The Church looked on this payment as “of divine law, since tithes were instituted not by man but by the Lord Himself” (C. 14, X de decim. III, 30). As regards the civil power, the Christian Roman emperors granted the right to churches of retaining a portion of the produce of certain lands, but the earliest instance of the enforcement of the payment of ecclesiastical tithes by civil law is to be found in the capitularies of Charlemagne, at the end of the eighth century.” (Taken from New Advent).  So what we have is that the Catholic juggernaught took it upon themselves to decree and declare that income-based tithing was legal based on their personal doctrinal view of the authority as religious leaders of the world. They felt it was not necessary to prove monetary tithing from the Bible because when they decreed it, that meant it was law.

Now some people believe tithing always existed in America and in the churches but, but as I discovered in my research, tithing money or income based tithing did not appear in American churches until it was invented in 1873 by Alexander L. Hogshead and John W. Pratt according to the Dean of Vanderbilt University’s James Hudnut-Beumler’s book, “In Pursuit of the Almighty Dollar,” (c) 2007 Vanderbilt University. You can see an article written by Russell Kelly explaining the invention of the the in United states in 1873, in an article titled, 1873: TITHING FIRST SUGGESTED IN USA.

Manipulating the Bible is can be done so easy and yet the hearers never question that a scripture is taken out of context. For example, when tithing taught using Proverbs 3:9, it reads, “Honor the Lord with thy substance, and with the first fruits of all thine increase..” Now, in the average congregant ears, what are they hearing after they have been indoctrinated into the income-based tithing system? Well, this is how the verse is contorted in their mind, “Honor the Lord with your money, with the first 10% of your paycheck. Mind you, the actual verse has nothing to do with money. Proverbs 3:9 is about edible items not cold hard cash. You can check out a book bubble I wrote on first fruits titled, What Are First Fruits in the Bible? The internet is the greatest invention known to man and it has exposed all the falsehoods about income-based tithing. What do we know about tithes and first fruits?

“Tithes and first fruits were not given concurrently during each year. For example, first fruits were offered on the 16th day of the first money (Nisan) and the sixth day of the third month (Sivan) of the Jewish calendar year. In contrast, the year for the tithing of livestock [not money] commenced the first day of the sixth money (Elul); while harvest tithing initiated on the 15 day of the 11th month (Shevat). The specific tithes were due one year form the date preceded. (Sources: “The Book of Our Heritage”, By Rabbi Eliyahu Kitov/The MacArthur Study Bible, p. 185 [NKJV], by John MackArthur. (Taken from A Closer Look At Tithing by Victor T. Stephens”   

When you pay money to a church as in tithing a tenth of your income, you are paying a tax of sorts. I would even say that you a paying a temple tax or a spiritual tax which the Lord does not require. What he does ask is that believer have a whole heart of giving.

Israel’s Tithing System

We cannot stress too strongly the importance of interpreting Scripture in context. By the simple expedience of beginning the text two verses earlier, we can see how dramatically that alters one’s perception. For example, in the New Testament, there is a verse that every Christian in the world knows – it is from Paul’s letter to the church in Philippi and he writes, “Work out your salvation in fear and trembling,” I imagine that most Christians are familiar with this verse but how many can complete the sentence? “for it is God that is at work within you to will and to do.” [Phil. 2:12-13]

Now, if it is true that we have to be careful to set verses in their context, it is imperative that we also set the text into its historical and cultural context. In order to see these verses in their proper light, we must first ask the question – Under what Covenant was Malachi writing, the Old or the New? Quite clearly, Malachi is both Old Testament and Old Covenant. Therefore, any exposition and contemporary application needs to take that into account.

Unlike the New Covenant where we are a “Priesthood of Believers,” in the Old Covenant was a “Priest-class” – a specific tribe designated as Priests and this was the tribe of Levi. The Levitical Priesthood, as it was known, is the concern of the Malachi passage. The over-arching argument of Hebrews is that the Priesthood of Jesus is better than the Levitical Priesthood. The writer to the Hebrews insists that:

  1. The Levitical Priesthood was inferior to the priesthood of Melchizedek;
  2. The Levitical order is both outclassed and replaced by the new order and has become redundant.

Under the now redundant Levitical system, the priests acted as representatives for the people and served as mediators between them and God. Whilst having priestly privileges, a Levite had no worldly comforts. For example, he had no income and no property. A Levite had no independent means of support whatsoever. Moreover, when Jacob divided Israel’s inheritance, there was not even an allotment to Levi. In such circumstances, the other eleven tribes met the day-to-day needs of the Levites. It was, if you will, an Old Covenant quid pro quo – The other eleven tribes not being allowed to minister unto the Lord is tempered by the Levites not being able to work.

The solution was an entirely practical and pragmatic one. Each tribe would be responsible for bringing into a central storehouse one-tenth of their produce to meet their everyday needs. The Malachi passage is a rebuke to those who were withholding their support and thus, compromising this system.

I am of the view that tithing is one of the things in the Bible that is “biblical” but not Christian. I readily admit that for some that is a bitter pill to swallow but we take it for granted that circumcision is clearly biblical and yet, it is not viewed as Christian. The same can be said of polygamy. My fundamental objection is that those who press the hardest the case for tithing demand that we give like Israelites do not themselves live like Levites.

Moreover, if tithing is a New Covenant praxis, why does Paul not mention it when he writes a thoroughgoing passage on giving? I do not think that it is sufficient to argue from silence that tithing was an axiom of the Christian life. Accordingly, I raise the following objections:

  1. The Levitical priesthood belongs to the now obsolete Levitical Priesthood;
  2. The entire book of Hebrews makes the argument that Jesus and His Covenant is superior to Moses and his covenant;
  3. The point to note is not that Abraham paid the tithe but that Levi paid it. His purpose in doing so is to pose the question, “Which is the greater priesthood, the one who paid the tithe or the one who received it?”;
  4. Hebrews confirms that there has been both a change in the priesthood and a change in the law;
  5. In the New Covenant, there is no such office as Priest, rather, we are a royal priesthood; priest and pastor are not interchangeable terms;
  6. The apostle Paul not only supported himself, he also supported others. (Taken from The Tithing Controversy: No Laughing Matter by Paul Anderson-Walsh).

In the end as it relate to giving, you have to be free not to give and if you are not, then you are not free to give because it does not come from the heart but from percentage. Become a freewill give and don’t get trapped in the tentacles of income based tithing. Below is one of my readers. Thanks Charles for joining the tithe conversation.

 

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  • Is the Church the Storehouse for Tithing?
  • Did Jesus Collect Tithes?
  • Will a Man Rob God?
  • Eating Tithes vs. Paying Tithes
  • What are First Fruits in the Bible?
  • Official Orthodox Biblical Tithing Has Passed Away
  • Jesus and his Ministry Never Received Tithes
  • Paul Never Taught Believers to Tithe Money
  • The Church and Its Money Grab Tactics
  • Monetary Tithing is not a Foregone Conclusion
  • Money Tithing or Eatible tithing, Which One?
  • Arguments Against Tithing Has a Long History
  • What Does True Giving Look Like?
  • Tithing on Increase
  • The Law Does Not Teach Monetary Tithing
  • Research Brings Truth
  • Understanding Tithing Starts With a Definition
  • The Fight Continues
  • Did Paul Convert the Tithe to Money?
  • How Did God’s Tithe Become Money?

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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

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Frank Chase–Kleptomananiac Book Blog Tour Small pdf

Kleptomaniac: Who’s Really Robbing God Anyway will be featured on Good Kindles at Free and Bargain ebooks Book Promotion site for Authors

Every since I published my book, Kleptomaniac: Who’s Really Robbing Anyway some people question that I wrote the book to so discord among believers and to create financial havoc in churches. I can say for sure that is not the intention at all. In fact, it was my desire for truth that drove me to study and seek information about tithing money to the institutional church.  That fact that monetary tithing has been around for centuries, it is clear from my studies that the practice has never been accepted 100 percent by academic scholars, theologains and bibical experts.  There has never been a consensus about the way tithing is taught accept for those who have a monetary vested interest in maintaining the currect system that is contextually inaccuate with the scripture both hermanutically and exegetically.

In this post, I felt that it was necessary to share what many authors wrote about tithing by providing excerpts from their books that address what they have discovered about tithing. If you read this entire post, you will see that my book, Kleptomaniac: Who’ Really Robbing God Anyway is not as far fetched as some suppose. The reality is, pastors don’t want to deal with the truth on this subject because they have sunk their entire financial future into a doctrine to ensure a certain lifestyle remains intact.  And whatever means to ensure that system never gets disrupted, methods are employed to dispense of anyone who threatens the modern monetary tithe system. Anyone who tries to follow the money will be dealt with Al Capone style.

After reading the various authors, you must make the decision about whether or not tithing money or food is described in the Bible. Now some may say I’m biased because I posted only authors   who are against tithing. That may be true, but there are many books, sermons, and pastors who have supported tithing for years and so it is clear in church academia what they believe, but many who disagree with tithing have been gagged by excommunication and have been ridiculed as quacks or demons. The way to misdirect the religious masses is to create a counter-arugment that discredits the person who disagrees with the popular doctrine. Whe I finally came forward with my decision to resign from tithing, it was not received by my church leadership. Then I was immediately considered a financial threat to the church.

Daniel White is Reading Kleptomaniac

The first author, Michael Burman makes it clear what tithing is in Iron Sharpens Iron on page 18-19. 

What Did Israel Tithe On?

Note carefully the following passage of Scripture: “And all the tithe of the land, whether the seed of the land or of the fruit of the tree, is the LORD’S. It is holy to the LORD” (Leviticus 27:30).

A tithe of the land refers to a tenth of the agricultural produce reaped by ancient Israel as a blessing for their obedience to GOD. The Bible never mentions tithing on anything other than the produce of the land.

The following scriptures clearly support this biblical fact:

“Moreover He commanded the people who dwelt in Jerusalem to contribute support for the priests and the Levites, that they might devote themselves to the Law of the LORD. As soon as the commandment was circulated, the children of Israel brought in abundance the fruits of grain and wine, oil and honey, and of all the produce of the field; and they brought in abundantly the tithe of everything. And the children of Israel and Judah, who dwelt in the cities of Judah, brought the tithe of oxen and sheep; also the tithe of holy things which were consecrated to the LORD their GOD they laid up in heaps” (2 Chronicles 31:4–6).

“And we made ordinances to bring the firstfruits of our ground and the firstfruits of all fruit of the trees, year by year, to the house of the LORD; to bring the firstborn of our sons and our cattle, as it is written in the Law, and the firstborn of our herds and our flocks, to the house of our [GOD], to the priests who minister in the house of our [GOD]; to bring the firstfruits of our dough, our offerings, the fruit from all kinds of trees, the new wine and oil, to the priests, to the storerooms of the house of our [GOD]; and to bring the tithes of our land to the Levites, for the Levites should receive the tithes in all our farming communities” (Nehemiah 10:35–37).

The second author  Greame Carle’ makes it clear the misinterpretation tithing in Eating Sacred Cows on page 30 and 33.

Those who want christians to tithe becasue Jesus encouraged the Pharisees to do so, do they also want Christans to offer animal sacrifices because Jesus commanded the leper to do so? If not, why not? This offering of lambs and birds by cleansed lepers is certainly not now necessary, but equally certainly was until Jesus died on the cross, He said, “Whever…annuls one of the least of these commandmants (of the Law) , and so teaches other, shall be called least in the Kingdom…” because and the smallest letter or stroke shall pass away from the Law, Until all is accomplished” (Matthew 5:18-19) So these passages , although they are recorded in what we call the New Testament, are not yet teaching the New Covenant but rather are more carefully explaining the demands of the Old Coveant. I have heard  Dr. Derek Prince state that he is afaid not to tithe because he didn’t want to receive the curse. He may have since changed his position on this without my hearing about it, but his his word then illustrated this well; a wonderful Christian teacher thinking that non-tithing will bring a curse. Christians are not blessed or cursed on the bases of tithing or not? On the contrary, placing ourselves under the law, even the law of tithing, will bring us under a curse. Gal 3:20.

The reality is the tithe in Matthew is for those boud to the demands of the ordinances of the Law and so believers are not bound to the tithe law under grace.

The third author Michael Morrison makes it clear that tithing is not required in Sabbath, Circumcision and Tithing on page 162.

The only other New Testament mention of tithing is in Hebrews. The fact that Abraham was blessed by and paid tithes to Melchizedek illustrates the superiority of Melchizedek and Jesus Christ over the Levitical priesthood (Hebrews 7:1-10). The passage then goes on to note that “when there is a change of the priesthood, there must also be a change of the law” (verse 12). There was a change of the priesthood from the Levites to Jesus Christ, and this implies a change in the law that assigned the Levites to be priests. How much has been changed? Hebrews says that the old covenant is obsolete. The package of laws that commanded tithes to be given to the Levites is obsolete.

The forth author Russell Earl Kelly, Ph.D. makes it clear the Biblical difinition of tithing in Should The Church Teach Tithing on pages 11-12.

Anchor Bible Dictionary, ‘tithe,’ C. Early Judaism and Christianity, says, “Whereas in the OT tithes apply to specific agricultural products, rabbinic and patristic exegesis tends to include all agricultural products, and eventually [much later] all forms of income as subject to the tithe.”

Alfred Edersheim: “And it is remarkable, that the Law seems to regard Israel as intended to be only an agricultural people—no contribution being provided for from trade or merchandise.”8
Fausset’s Bible Dictionary: “The tithe of all produce as also of flocks and cattle belonged to Jehovah.”

Nelson’s Illustrated Bible Dictionary: “The law of Moses prescribed tithing in some detail. Leviticus 27:30-32 stated that the tithe of the land would include the seed of the land and the fruit of the tree. In addition the Hebrew people were required to set apart every tenth animal of their herds and flocks to the Lord…. Nowhere does the New Covenant expressly command Christians to tithe …”

The New Catholic Encyclopedia: “In the Deuteronomic Code the tithe is limited to grain, wine, and oil (Deut. 12:6, 11, 17; 14:22). These texts more or less equate the tithe with other ritual offerings and sacrifices.”

The New Unger’s Bible Dictionary: “The tenth of all produce, flocks, and cattle was declared to be sacred to Jehovah by way, so to speak, of rent to Him who was, strictly speaking, the Owner of the land, and in return for the produce of the ground…. Although the law did not specify the various fruits of the field and of the trees that were to be tithed, the Mishnah (Maaseroth 1.1) includes ‘everything eatable, everything that was stored up or that grew out of the earth….’”

The fifth author  R.S Rood makes it clear what God Required as a tithe in Time-Honored Error on pages 27-28.

What concerns us here is whether or not tithing ordinances established for the theocratic government of Israel are applicable to Christians today.

Having been led out of captivity by God under the leadership of Moses, the ever-rebellious Israelites were forced to endure forty years of wilderness wanderings before being allowed to begin to take possession of the land promised to their forefathers. It was during this period that the Mosaic Law was established, including the tithing ordinances that would apply upon possession of the land. It is important to note that while ordinances concerning the many types of sacrifices and offerings applied during the years in the wilderness, tithing was not applicable until the tribes had come into their inheritance.

Now is the time to discover what tithing meant to the nation of Israel, and why what is erroneously called tithing today does not resemble it in any manner, shape or form. Tithes were strictly in the form of produce from the field and animals from the flocks and herds. They were not in the form of currency, although tithes of produce could be redeemed for money by adding a fifth of the value to them (Lev. 27:30-34). Some modern day tithing advocates argue that money was not available during these times, but nothing can be further from the truth. Metal, not necessarily or always in the form of coin, was readily available throughout the region, and used on a regular basis for many transactions as described in historical texts and from the Bible itself, including offerings, redemption money and various taxes.

Only producers of agricultural products were required to tithe, naturally, since the tithes were gathered from these resources. A large landowner would tithe, but his hired servants did not. The poor were exempt from tithing. Craftsmen and those of other occupations did not tithe, since they did not produce agricultural products. This fact alone is a heavy blow to proponents of tithing today, since it makes it clear that Jesus and his father Joseph, being carpenters, did not tithe.

The sixth author Leonard C. Bupanda makes it clear that grace is not associated with tithing in The Tithe Deliemma Triumphs of Love in ibooks on pages 63-64.

“As a matter of fact, the Bible has clearly revealed that the Father, just like the Son, has not been associated with the tithe. Even where other commandments are referred to or revisited in Matthew Chapter Five, the tithe is left out. My critical conclusion is that the tithe is not linked to the work of faith for the simple reason that it belonged to the era of Levitical ordinances, of which it was part. Therefore, it does not fit in the environment of absolute love and grace of God our Father.”

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

The seventh author  Edgar J. Goodspeed (1871- 1962)  makes it clear that Paul worked for living and never depended on tithes from congreations in Paul on ibooks, pages 88-89.

After this very Jewish doctrinal correction of the Thessalonian view, Paul proceeds to deal with the practical side of the situation. The church is no place for idlers. His own well-known practice of supporting himself by working at his trade shows what he believes on that subject. The idlers are to return to work, and cease to be dependent on their brethren. He has already told the Thessalonians that a man who will not work must have nothing to eat. But now he goes farther. Anyone who still persists in idleness and dependence on others is to be dropped from the society of Christian people, until he learns to bear his part in the common work of life. Read II Thess. 3:6-15. Excerpt From: Goodspeed, Edgar J. (Edgar Johnson), 1871-1962. “Paul.” iBooks.

In this excerpt is clear Pual never endorsed tithing but preferred to work and not depend on believers for charity or to make the congregation his financial supplier.

The eighth author unknown makes it clear that tithing was eatible and not food in New Testament Truth On Old Testament Tithing on pages 17-18.

These passages of scripture teach the following truths concerning the tithe:

A general tithe was to be paid on all Israel’s agricultural and livestock production to the Levites by landowners. Non-agricultural products weren‘t tithed. (Leviticus 27:30-32; Numbers 18:21; Deuteronomy 26: 1-10; Nehemiah 10:37; Hebrews 7:4-5)

  • Each year 10%(tithe) of all Israel’s agricultural and livestock production was to be taken to the location chosen by the Lord for his sanctuary. They would eat from it before the Lord at the national festival. (Deuteronomy 12:5-7, 14:22-23)
  • If the location of the sanctuary was too far for a person to travel to, or they were unable to transport the tithe, they could exchange their tithe for money. With the money gained from this exchange, at the sanctuary they could buy whatever their soul desired to eat before the Lord at the national festival. (Deuteronomy 14:24-26)
  • The Levites were to take the tithe from the Israelites. They received what was left from the tithe after the Israelites ate their portion at the national festival. (Numbers 18:21-32)
  • The Levites were to take a “tithe of the tithe” (10%ofthe10%) received from the Israelites and give it to the priest. The priest was to offer itas a heave offering to the Lord. (Numbers 18:8, 26-32; Nehemiah 10:37-39)
  • Every third year was the year of tithing.The tithe was reserved at home this ear instead of being taken to the temple. The tithe from the produce of that year was to be gathered and stored in the cities for distribution to the Levites and the needy in the city: strangers, orphans and widows. (Deuteronomy 14:28-29, 26:12; Nehemiah 13:10-13)

The ninth author Thabani Maphosa makes it clear that tithing ended in The Malachi Bomb.

The reason why Christians do not pay temple tax is because the system which the temple tax served, namely the system of sacrifices in the temple, was brought to an end at the death of Jesus. It is for the same reason that Christians no longer need to tithe. Tithes were necessary for the earthly system of sacrifices to function. The levitical system of sacrifices, along with the earthly temple, temple taxes and tithes came to an abrupt end at the cross (Matt 27: 51; Heb 10: 19, 20). Money for the temple was given as freewill offerings and taken from a self-imposed annual fee of a third of a shekel. Money for the temple was not taken from tithes because tithes were food for the Levites. “Also we made ordinances for ourselves, to charge ourselves yearly with the third part of a shekel for the service of the house of our God;” Neh 10: 32 Maphosa, Thabani. Defusing The Malachi Bomb: The Old Covenant Tithe Versus New Covenant Giving (Kindle Locations 2753-2756). Kindle Edition. Maphosa, Thabani. Defusing The Malachi Bomb: The Old Covenant Tithe Versus New Covenant Giving (Kindle Locations 745-749). Kindle Edition.

The tenth author Bryon Shorter makes it clear what New Testmant giving is in Unmasking Traditional Untruths About Tithing. Is it a Mandate or Model?

Now verse seven is revealing, for Paul said, “So let each one give as he purposes in his heart.”  He did not say, “Let each one give a tithe as God has commanded.”  No, he said, “let each one give as he purposes in his heart.”  The words “he purposes” is translated from the Greek word “proaireo” which means, “to choose before, or to resolve before, that is, in one’s heart.” The text also says, “Not grudgingly,” literally, “not of grief.”  The Greek word is “Lupe” which means, “a state of unhappiness marked by regret as a result of what has been done.” Thus, we should not give and regret and grieve about it afterwards.  Next Paul says “nor of necessity.”  This word is amazingly supportive of “Grace Giving,” translated from the Greek word “anagke” which means “an obligation of a compelling nature, complete obligation, or necessary obligation.” Therefore, Christian giving should not stem from some compelling obligation [to tithe], but from a cheerful heart.  Hence, the text says “for God loves a cheerful giver” [not a cheeful tither].  This word “cheerful” is derived from the Greek word “hilaros” meaning “a happy, glad, or cheerful state of mind.”79 Happy Giving!

Unmasking Traditional Untruths about Tithing by Byron J. Shorter (Kindle Locations 1281-1293). Unknown. Kindle Edition.

The eleventh author The Anonymous Preacher makes it clear the difference between tithing and money in No, You DON’T Have To Tithe: Undeniable Biblical Proof That You Do NOT Have To Give 10% of Your Money To Your Church  

I’m going to make a statement that, although it may surprise you, is absolutely true: Everyone in the Bible from at least Abraham onward had money, but no one in the Bible tithed on their money. How can we be required to do something that no one in the Bible did? I could end this book right here…but I won’t, since it will be helpful for you to learn more detail on this subject. Here is another statement that may surprise you: Nowhere in the Bible does God command anyone to give Him 10 percent of their money. You will not find a single place in the Bible where God commanded anyone (much less all His people) to give Him 10 percent of their finances. Friends, the modern teaching on the “tithe” (that says every Christian must give 10 percent of their money to the church) is a lie. No one in the Bible did what modern tithe preachers tell people they are required to do.

Now let’s apply that to the most popularly preached “tithing” verse, Malachi 3:10. In this verse, God was rebuking the Israelites for neglecting to do something He had told them to do in the Old Testament Law of Moses. What command of God in the Law of Moses had the Israelites neglected? They had neglected to “bring the tithe”. The key here is to understand what “bring the tithe” means according to the Bible. Who was supposed to “bring the tithe”? Was it every Israelite? (Sneak preview: The answer is no.) And for those who were supposed to bring the tithe, what were they supposed to bring? Was it money? (Sneak preview: The answer is no. And yes, the Bible makes it clear the Israelites did have money – but God didn’t ask for it.)

Again, nowhere in the entire Bible will you find God asking anyone to bring 10 percent of their money to Him or to the church. With Malachi 3:10, many preachers are just making a common mistake that many people make when interpreting the Bible, which is reading one verse and taking it completely out of context, making it mean whatever you want it to mean without defining the terms Biblically. So what does the word “tithe” mean in Malachi 3:10 – according to the Bible? The short answer is this: As part of the Law of Moses system in the Old Testament, God commanded the Israelite farmers and ranchers to bring the tenth portion of their crops and livestock to where the Levites lived. So the word “tithe” does mean “10 percent”, but it does not mean “10 percent of every paycheck every modern Christian receives”. It means “the 10th portion of every ancient Israelite farmer or rancher’s crops and livestock”. By the way, under the Law of Moses system, if you only had nine sheep, you didn’t tithe. The tithe was the tenth portion of the livestock, not the first. It’s amazing how many misconceptions have come into this “tithing” doctrine that has been invented by men. The key thing to understand here is that the tithe had nothing to do with money. God’s people back then had money, but God didn’t ask for it.

We know they had money back then because in Deuteronomy 15:19-16:17 God put a little provision in His “crops/livestock tithe instructions” that mentioned money. The provision was this: If a farmer or rancher lived very far away from where the Levites were, instead of dragging the 10th part of his crops or livestock all that distance, he was allowed to sell his crops or livestock for money, and then take the money to where the Levites were. Other verses in the Bible talk about the money the Israelites had, such as Deuteronomy 23:19 where God commanded them not to charge a fellow Israelite interest on money: “You shall not charge interest to your countrymen: interest on money, food, or anything that may be loaned at interest.” So because of these Bible passages, we know they had money. But they didn’t tithe money. These passages also tell us something very important: the Israelites did not consider food/crops/livestock to be their version of money. I know this is a simple concept, but the reason I mention it is that tithing preachers will often act as if when the Israelites tithed their crops and livestock, they were tithing their version of money. This is simply not true. Food was not their version of money. Crops and livestock were not their version of money. They had money, just like you and I have money. But they didn’t tithe it.

No, You DON’T Have To Tithe: Undeniable Biblical Proof That You Do NOT Have To Give 10% of Your Money To Your Church (Kindle Locations 126-137, 114-126, 108-114, 91-101).

The twelveth author E.B Reynolds gives an undisputed Jewish argument that tithing is not money in Tithing and Christianity.

There are many different opinions about the tithe. Some churches expect their members to pay one tithe, while others teach two and three tithes. Some want the tithe before taxes others after taxes. How many and when tithes are to be paid is not really the objective here. Rather it is to see if the tithe is or has ever been mandatory to the Christians. The apostle Paul tells us in Romans 3:1-2 that the Jews have advantage over us because unto them were committed the oracles of God. That being the case the writings of the one Jewish sage who has been called by many “the second Moses” has been consulted. Moses Ben Maimon is considered by many to be the greatest Jewish thinker, Talmudist and codifier of the Law (Mishneh Torah) during the Middle Ages. In 1180 Rabbi Moses Ben Maimon, better known as Maimonides and also as Rambam, finished the Mishneh Torah which took him about 10 years to write. Maimonides was born in Cordova, Spain in the year 1135. After the death of his father and of his brother David, he dedicated himself to the practice of medicine to support himself and the family of his brother as he believed that it was incorrect to make a living teaching Torah. The Mishneh Torah is divided into different chapters. Under the title “Matnot Aniyiim”13 (Law about giving to the poor) there are 10 chapters and each one has several rules called “halacha”. Chapter six, for example, has 17 rules or divisions. Halacha one explains that the product from the land that is given to the poor is called the tithe of the poor. In Halacha two Maimonides explains that after the offering of the first fruits is given to the priests, which consist of the first of the grain, wine and oil (Deuteronomy 18:4), the owner of the field separates one tenth of the remainder. This constitutes the first tithe and is given to the Levites. From the remainder (Halacha three) he separates another tenth which is called the second tithe. This belongs to the owners of the fields and is to be eaten in Jerusalem. This second tithe (Halacha four) is separated in the first, second, fourth and fifth years, but in the third and sixth year (after the first tithe has been separated) it was given to the Levite, the widow and the orphan. This is the tithe that was kept within the cities, as was mentioned before and was known as the tithe of the poor or the tithe of the third year (Deuteronomy 14:27-29). The Levite in turn had to separate a tenth of the tithe he received and give it to the Priests. Under the title Terumot (offerings) chapter one, Halacha one, we read that the obligation to set apart the terumot and the tithes applies only in Eretz Israel, (the Land of Israel). Halacha 11 is very reveling. In it we read that the produce grown in Eretz Israel, belonging to a Gentile who was involved in all the work, was exempt. The reasoning behind this is found in Deuteronomy 18:4 which clearly states your grain meaning, of course, the grain of a Jew, not of a Gentile. If a Jew is working for a Gentile in Syria, for example, he does not have to tithe because he does not own the land (Halacha 17).

E. B. Reynolds. Tithing and Christianity (Kindle Locations 209-213, 196-209, 189-196). EB Reynolds. Kindle Edition.

The thirteenth author John Lilly gives analysis of why tithing in not money in Why You Don’t Have To Tithe: Undeniable Biblical Proof That Tithing Is Not An “Eternal Principle” and You Are Not Required To Do It.

The Pharisees Tithed Spices, Not Money

The only time Jesus referred to tithing was when He was rebuking the Pharisees because they tithed on their little garden spices but didn’t really help anybody out in life. Jesus said in Matthew 23:23, “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cumin, and have neglected the weightier provisions of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness; but these are the things you should have done without neglecting the others.” Notice, what were they tithing on? Agricultural products. “Mint and dill and cumin”. Not money. We know the Pharisees had money, because the Bible says they were lovers of money! But yet they didn’t tithe on their money! They tithed on their garden spices! Why? Because the tithe commands of the Law of Moses had nothing to do with money. Why were the Pharisees tithing their spices? Because tithing of agricultural products by those who grew them was a “provision of the law” – it was commanded in the Law of Moses. See, the Pharisees tried to appear religious outwardly by keeping details of the Law of Moses, and in this case they were being nitpicky about it to the point where they brought a tithe of the spices they grew in their backyard in order to obey God’s tithing law for farmers and ranchers in the Law of Moses. Jesus told them, “This you should do” (because they were supposed to be spiritual leaders and examples to the people in obeying the Law of Moses), but then rebuked them for neglecting the weightier matters of the law (like actually loving and helping people). Now, I’ve heard preachers say that Jesus’ statement, “This you should do” (in reference to the Pharisees tithing from their little spice gardens), proves that Jesus wants us all to give 10 percent of our every paycheck in the offering plate. The problem is, the Pharisees didn’t give 10 percent of their money in the offering plate. They brought 10 percent of their spices. Their money was sitting in their house under the bed.

Modern preachers use those phrases figuratively, trying to turn God’s reference to literal food in the Law of Moses into “spiritual food”, etc. That seems a natural thing to do – especially to us today who have repeatedly heard erroneous preaching on the subject. But the problem is, God did not speak through the prophet Malachi figuratively. There is absolutely no indication anywhere in Scripture that when God used the words “tithe”, “food”, and “storehouse” in Malachi 3:10, that He suddenly and magically changed the definition of these words from literal food to “figurative or spiritual food”. There is no evidence in Scripture that God suddenly changed the meaning of the words “tithe”, “food”, and “storehouse” in Malachi 3:10 from a literal meaning to a figurative meaning. In fact, in verse 7 God directly referred to His specific “ordinances” (commands) in the Law of Moses, which all had to do with tithing literal agricultural products, literal food and literal storehouses for the food. So the immediate context of Malachi 3:10 forces to conclude that when God used the words “tithe”, “food”, and “storehouse” in Malachi 3:10 in talking to the Israelites, He meant the exact same thing He had meant every other time He used it in the Bible when talking to them – “farmers and ranchers (not every Israelite) living under the Mosaic law, tithing the 10th part of their agricultural products according to certain specific instructions that sometimes did not include giving it to the Levites.

Lilley, John. Why You Don’t Have To Tithe: Undeniable Biblical Proof That Tithing Is Not An “Eternal Principle” and You Are Not Required To Do It (Kindle Locations 239-250 and 257-274). Panta Press. Kindle Edition.

The fourteenth author John Kelly seattles the argument that tithing was not paid on income but on eatible items in The Other Law of Moses.

The Levites did not pay a tithe.  As I opined earlier in the chapter, the Levites had town occupations, supplying the agricultural economy with valuable finished goods and services.  They were paid for these goods and services.  Yet there is never a mention, or even an inference that a tenth of these things or of their remuneration were to be given over to God.  The Scripture states that the Levites’ tithe exemption derived from the fact that they received no inheritance in land, not because they were without income (Num. 18:20-32).  Income was not inherited from God; income came from the work done by the individual.  That work belonged to the individual.  The land belonged to God and the tithe came from the land.  If a non-Levite family was engaged in an additional commercial endeavor, say a grandmother hired out as a seamstress, or children picked the weeds out of a neighbor’s fields for a small wage, a tithe was not demanded in Scripture from these additional family earnings.  If Papa is a superior wood carver and contracts with others to make carvings for pay, none of the pay is tithed.  The tithe was strictly a contract between the landowner, God, and the lessee, the possessor family, for the use of the land.

Kelly, John. The Other Law of Moses (Kindle Locations 615-625). John L. Kelly. Kindle Edition.

The fithteenth author Mash Udenula surmises what tithes or first fruits could never be money in The Modern Teachings On Tithes,Offerings and First Fruits.

I have not exhaustively quoted every word Moses uttered concerning tithes, first fruits and offerings, but having had read exhaustively, this is what I conclude from the scriptures: 1. There were various types of offerings (The grain offering, peace offering, sin offering, trespass offering, offering with restitution), but all offerings were presented to God by burning a portion as a sweet smelling aroma to God. In this sense, the offerings were indeed, literally, offered to God. What I am implying here is that, the modern offering and tithing are questionable as to whether the giver gives to God, to man or an institution. 2. Though money was in existence during the introduction of the Mosaic laws relating to offerings, tithes and first fruits, God specifically identified what was to be offered. It was animals and farm produce. Tithe was not in the form of money. 3. Tithe related to a tenth of all farm produce and animals, and it did not matter the state of the tenth-whether bad or good. It just had to be the tenth as per God’s instructions. 4.  All the males that were born first of men and animals were dedicated to God. The cows, sheep and goats were actually sacrificed to God (a portion was burnt before God), while man’s first born male was to be redeemed and replaced with an animal. Of course this is one principle you can never apply today owing to the fact that money has no gender! 5. The first fruits only related to a very insignificant portion of the first harvest from the ground. This portion could not even be 1% of your usual entire harvest. Try to ascertain what percentage of a one hectors’ crop production a basket full harvest will be, and you will agree with me! A sheaf of wheat cannot even produce a loaf of bread, by the way! 6.  I could have gotten it wrong, but the times I have heard first fruits being taught, I get the impression that first fruits and first born, are in principle, the same thing. The scriptures however, make a clear distinction of what these two represented. They are totally two different things with two different underlining principles. 7. By nature of what tithes and first fruits were, It would be practically impossible for someone who did not own a farm or animals to give tithes and first fruits. Meaning an individual who worked for someone and earned wages (whether in money terms or in kind) but did not own his own production could not tithe or offer first fruits.

Udenula, Mash. The Modern Teachings On Tithes,Offerings and First Fruits (Kindle Locations 1065-1105). Kindle Edition.

The sixteenth author Cynthia McClaskey seattles the argument that tithes were food items brought to the temple not money in The Truth About Tithing.

The Israelites did not just take their tithes and offerings to the temple and “drop them off”. THEY and their HOUSEHOLDS partook in all that they brought, as well as the portion of their offerings “reserved from the fire” for the Levites, as God commanded. The only offerings they did not partake in were the redemption monies and things devoted. These belonged to the priest performing the ritual. The tithe, in reality, was a yearly celebration at the Temple. Jews traveled from all over the known world to partake in this huge celebration. As you will see from the following verses of scripture, those who had to travel great distances were allowed to sell their crops for money and then buy whatever they wanted when they arrived in the city where the celebration was being held. Also notice that alcohol was allowed to be consumed before the Lord during this celebration. If drinking alcohol is a sin, as some churches teach, then why does GOD allow consumption of wine and strong alcohol in the Temple during this celebration? Thou mayest not eat within thy gates the TITHE of thy CORN, or of the WINE, or of thy OIL, or the firstlings of thy HERDS or of thy FLOCK, nor any of thy vows which thou vowest, nor thy freewill offerings, or heave offering of thy hand: But thou MUST eat them (tithes and offerings) before the LORD thy God in the place which the Lord thy God shall choose, THOU, and THY SON, and THY DAUGHTER, and THY MANSERVANT, and THY MAIDSERVANT, and the LEVITE that is within thy gates: and thou shalt rejoice before the Lord thy God in all that thou puttest thine hands unto (Deuteronomy 12:17-18). Thou shalt truly TITHE all the increase of thy SEED, that the FIELD bringeth forth year by year. And THOU (the children of Israel) shalt EAT before the Lord thy God, in the place which he shall choose to place his name there, the TITHE of thy corn, of thy wine, and of thine oil, and the firstlings of thy herds and of thy flocks: that thou mayest learn to fear the Lord thy God always. And if the way be too long for thee, so that thou are not able to carry it (again, we are talking about crops, wine, oil, herds and flocks); or if the place be too far from thee, which the Lord thy God shall choose to set his name there, when the Lord thy God hath blessed thee: THEN shalt thou turn it into money (sell it), and bind up the money in thine hand, and shalt go unto the place which the Lord thy God SHALL CHOOSE: And thou shalt bestow that money for WHATSOEVER THY SOUL LUSTETH AFTER, for OXEN, or for SHEEP, or for WINE, or for STRONG DRINK (The Hebrew word here means intensely alcoholic liquor), or for WHATSOEVER THY SOUL DESIRETH: and thou shalt eat there before the Lord thy God, and thou shalt rejoice, THOU and THINE HOUSEHOLD. (Deuteronomy 12: 22-26). There are several very important things that need to be pointed out from these passages: 1. God had to choose the place for the tithe celebration. 2. The whole family, along with servants, partook in the tithes. 3. The Levites partook in the tithes. 4. Alcohol was consumed in the Temple during this celebration. 5. This was an ANNUAL celebration. Basically, everyone went to the Temple to celebrate the goodness of God in their lives. THIS is what the tithe celebration was all about. There was absolutely no way the foreign Jews could travel every week to the Temple to pay tithes; this would create financial hardship for the entire family! Nowhere in scripture does it state that tithes are money. Nowhere in scripture does God command the Jews to leave their tithes at the Temple. Nowhere in scripture does God command that the Levites receive 100% of the tithes taken to the Temple. Nowhere in scripture does God tell us that he has chosen to place his name in thousands of church institutions for a tithe celebration each and every week! The families of those who tithed all partook of the tithes and offerings during this celebration.

Cynthia McClaskey. The Truth About Tithing (Kindle Locations 989-1249). AuthorHouse. Kindle Edition.

The seventeenth author M. D. Ewing presents a clear arguemnt how tithing can me misintermpreted as money instead of food items, in The Emancipation of Tithing: Discovering Your Freedom From Financial Slavery

The most important lesson for properly interpreting the Bible and the Scriptures relating to each passage is based on how well we understand the surrounding context of the story being portrayed. Do we understand all the facts in each passage? Do we understand the context before and after each passage? Have we biblically defined the meanings of all the words surrounding each passage? How well do we understand the general flow of discussion? Do we have an indication of the cultural background at hand? What did the author mean in the day that he/she wrote the passage? It is imperative that we clear up all the factual problems before moving into the theological meaning of any passage of Scripture. It is also important to visualize yourself as a participant in the crowd of the original audience in order to understand the authenticity of the original message. There are two terms that are always used when practicing the art of hermeneutics. The first term is known as, “eisegesis” (ice-sa-ge-sis), which means to read your own meaning into a passage. Interpreting the Bible correctly begins with a great deal of prayer, learning how to pay attention to what the text itself is saying, and then pulling the meaning out of each passage. This term is called, “exegesis” (ex-sa-ge-sis), which means to draw out from. We must allow each passage to be defined by what is actually in the text of Scriptures, supported by the surrounding verses of the text, if we intend on interpreting the Bible in context and in a correct manner. We can no longer put into a passage of Scripture our own meanings and interpretations about a particular subject when that subject is not listed or included in the passage at hand. This is called “bias demeanor” and “subjectivity,” which is the framework of silent manipulation and control. For example, if I said, “Farmers sow seeds in the ground to bring up a harvest,” this text should NOT be interpreted as, “People should give me money in order to gain possessions.” This is a primary example of bias demeanor and subjectivity. As the author of that statement, I literally meant what I stated, that farmers who plant seeds in the ground will grow a harvest. As you see, my original message can easily be misinterpreted if the meanings of all the words surrounding the context are misunderstood, and if the meaning of the original writer is misunderstood then the true meaning behind the story could be lost forever.

Ewing, M.D. The Emancipation of Tithing: Discovering Your Freedom From Financial Slavery (Kindle Locations 80-98). Enlightenment Publishing LLC. Kindle Edition.

The eighteenth author Daniel Mynyk seattles the argument about Abram’s tithe spoils of war and not income in Freedom To Give (The Biblical Truth About Tithing).

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”? Third, of what type of substance did Abram tithe? Did Abram tithe only of money? Did Abram tithe of money at all? Likely, Abram’s tithe included money, but was not limited to money. Genesis 14:11 says that the alliance of Chedorlaomer took all the “good” and “victual” from the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah. The “goods” may have included money, but likely also included clothing and weapons. The “victuals” strictly means “food.” The alliance stole the food that these kings brought with them to sustain themselves for the battle. In verse 21, the king of Sodom granted Abram to keep the “goods” but requested to return the people. In verse 23, Abram replied that he would not keep a “thread” to a “shoelatchet,” which both indicate small portions of clothing. In verse 24, Abram also qualified that he could not return food that his men had already eaten or would need to compensate them for their efforts. If Abram’s tithe consisted mostly of material things and food, why do many who attempt to regard Abram’s tithe as a model for continual practice for the church dictate that the people only tithe from sources of monetary income or comparable liquidity? Fourth, what did Abram do with the rest of the spoils after he tithed of them to Melchizedek? Genesis 14:21-24 distinctly records that Abram returned the remnant of the spoils back to the king of Sodom.

Mynyk, Daniel. Freedom To Give (The Biblical Truth About Tithing) (Kindle Locations 605-613,613-629 and 629-643). CrossLink Publishing. Kindle Edition.

The nineteenth author Ron Knott gives 27 reason for why tithing is not money in the Bible Tithing-Fact or Fiction.

In starting our search through the Scriptures for the truth concerning tithing let us consider the following Situational awareness statements. Further into the study we will address each one of these statements. TWENTY-SEVEN REASONS OR CONSIDERATIONS FOR NOT TITHING 1.  There was no command to tithe before or after the Law. 2.  Did Adam and Eve, Job, Noah, or Joseph tithe? 3.  Why did God reject Cain’s gift? 4.  Tithing is not commanded in the Ten Commandments. 5.  The tithe was never money; it was always agricultural products. 6.  Tithes are to be eaten. 7.  Tithes are to go into the storehouse. 8.  Under the Law one could redeem his tithes. 9.  Only a tenth of the tithe went to the priest. 10. Every three years the tithe went to the need. 11. Every seven years there was no tithe. 12. The people paid a tithe to themselves. 13. Tithes were for the Levites, widows, aliens, and fatherless. 14. All priests were Levites, but not all Levites were priests. 15. The Law tolerated many wives, concubines, sacrifices, and tithes. (The implication here is if we teach one of these practices – why not all?) 16. Who is robbing God of tithes and offerings? 17. Jesus did not tithe, nor did He accept tithes. 18. The New Testament Church did not tithe. 19. The New Testament command concerning giving: “Every man as he purposeth …” 2 Corinthians 9:7 20. Since the New Testament salvation plan is superior to the Old Testament salvation plan we can conclude that the New Testament giving plan is superior to the Old Testament giving plan. We have a better covenant with better promises. Which plan should we follow? 21. God honors acceptable gifts and rejects unacceptable gifts. 22. The Pope reinstated tithing at the Council of Macon in 585 AD. 23. Where do your tithes go? 24. Should we support the church and the ministry? Absolutely! But not by the Old Testament Law of tithing. 25. Present day priests, pastors, and preachers are not restricted from owning land, as were their counterparts in the Old Testament. 26. Why are not all who tithe wealthy? 27. Are you blessed financially for tithing or for giving to the poor?  There are a lot more than twenty-seven reasons why New Testament Christians should not tithe but these should be sufficient for this study.

Knott, Ron. Tithing-Fact or Fiction (pp. 45-47). Kindle Edition.

The twentyeeth author Alvin J. Bates mences no words to proclaim that titing and first fruits is not monetary but food in Debunking The Tithe of Israel”: Warning: Ministers of the Gospel Read only at your own risk!

Next, let’s talk about giving under the Law of Moses. 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, a 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. Deuteronomy 16:16 and 17 Now most preachers would jump up and say “that’s what I’m talking about!” Let’s take a closer examination of God’s word. The first command was to appear before the Lord their God to all three feasts. The second command was to give as he is able. Some men would have undoubtedly given much more than others. Some men whose hearts were not right with God would have given less. But the key phrase here in verse 17 is every man is to give as he is able. This means it is an offering from the heart and not some ritualistic giving of say “10 percent of everything they made.” Remember, the tithe was a forced saving up of food for the people to be used on the trip to Jerusalem and during the feasts of the Lord. The teaching of the tithe has been used to pile on guilt and force people to give 10 percent of their earnings to the church or God will “curse you” and yours with “the Curse” given for breaking the Law of Moses. The last time I checked the New Testament, Jesus had fulfilled the whole Law of Moses, and we now live under “Grace.” Uhm mm. If we are now living under grace, then how in the world can we likewise be living under the “Curse of the Law of Moses?” Yet that is exactly what nearly all preachers proclaim. This teaching is an untruth and should be stopped immediately! Fulfilled means “completed,” and still we visit all those old law scriptures when it comes to money yet stay in the new testament for nearly everything else—hypocrisy! Either we are living under the old law, or else we have been delivered out of the old law and now live under the Spirit of Grace whereby we cry “abba father.”

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!

Alvin J. Bates. Debunking “The Tithe of Israel”: Warning: Ministers of the Gospel Read only at your own risk! (p. 36 and pp. 25-26). Xlibris. Kindle Edition.

The twenty first  author David A Croteau examines the tithe doctrine who paid and did not pay tithes in the scritptures in the Perspectives on Tithing.

Different scholars have different calculations. Regardless of the total, the tithe laws are clearly more complicated than a mere 10 percent; also, the Israelites were required to give more than 10 percent from the land. Nowhere is there a command to tithe from income.

Tithes were given from the increase of the land. The Mosaic law never directed the Israelites to give of their increase; it specified particular products that were liable to tithe laws, and these products were always connected to the land. There was a very strong connection of products liable to tithes to the land; originally, only products produced from Israel were included. In the New Testament period, artisans, fishermen, and tradesmen did not pay tithes on their income, and Jews outside Israel (those in the Diaspora) did not pay tithes on anything.9 Furthermore, priests and the poor (who owned no land or animals) were exempt from tithes.

The Mosaic law demands systematic tithing. Abram gave his tithe to Melchizedek (a priest), while the Mosaic law tithes were (mostly) for the Levites. Abram gave voluntarily and not from his own possessions; the Mosaic law tithe was compulsory and was on the increase of possessions connected to the land. Abram gave 10 percent to Melchizedek (though his gift was really 100 percent) and the Mosaic law tithe averages about 20 percent. Finally, there is no evidence that Abram was obeying some revelation from God prior to the Mosaic law. Numbers 31:27–29 says that the Israelites were to take one five-hundredths (0.2 percent) of the spoils of war and give it to the priest as an offering to Yahweh.10 Therefore, the stipulated amount required by the Mosaic law for spoils won in battle is significantly less than what Abram offered Melchizedek in Genesis 14.

Croteau, David A., Perspectives on Tithing (Kindle Locations 1680-1686, 1664-1667 and 1694-1699). B&H Publishing. Kindle Edition.

The twenty second  author C. L. Threatt  explians in Malachi what the rain and devourer means in relation to tithing in The Tithes That Bind.

And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the field, saith the LORD of hosts. KJV The devourer in question was pests that were destroying the products of the earth and the fruits of the trees. Some say today that our devourer is satan, because the Bible says he prowls around like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour (1Peter 5:8). His job is to steal, kill and destroy (John 10:10), and what better way to do this than through our finances. The land was once plentiful, but the sin of not bringing the whole tithe caused it to be cursed. God was telling the Israelites that if they did as He commanded, the curse would be lifted, the windows of heaven would be opened, and pour out an abundant blessing. What were the windows of heaven? The windows of heaven as it relates to this scripture are the clouds and rain. In Genesis 7:11, the windows of heaven opened up to pour out a deluge of wrath during the flood of Noah. In Malachi, God promised to open the windows of heaven again, only this time, the rain would be a blessing rather than a curse. The land at that time was barren due to a lack of rain, and because their tithes were of an agricultural nature (grains and crops), they were suffering. God promised to pour out rain so that they would have so many crops that they wouldn’t have room for them.

Threatt, C L. The Tithes That Bind (Kindle Locations 404-419). Ahava Publishing, LLC. Kindle Edition.

The twenty Third  author  Eric M. Hill explians how some early church fathers were misinterpreted as it relates to tithing inWhat Preachers Never Tell You About Tithes & Offerings: The End of Clergy Manipulation & Extortion.

Bishop Cyprian of Carthage Bishop Cyprian (A.D. 200-258) represents those early church leaders who did not advocate the tithe, but who strongly believed the clergy should be involved in no worldly activities that would encroach on its ability to serve the church. Of course, this belief, noble as it was, was used in later years by others to create and demand a financial tithe. That’s one reason why we’re including it here. In 249 A.D. he explained that “every one honoured by the divine priesthood, and ordained in the clerical service, ought to serve only the altar and sacrifices, and to have leisure for prayers and supplications.” Cyprian’s letter uses the Levites as an example for ministers who are able to devote their full attention to the ministry of the church, which he considered to be prayers and supplications:   …the Levitical tribe, which was left free for the temple and the altar, and for the divine ministries, received nothing from that portion of the division; [the allocation of the land of Canaan among the tribes of Israel once they crossed the Jordan river with Joshua] but while others cultivated the soil, that portion [the Levites] only cultivated the favour of God, and received the tithes from the eleven tribes, for their food and maintenance, from the fruits which grew. All which was done by divine authority and arrangement, so that they who waited on divine services might in no respect be called away, nor be compelled to consider or to transact secular business. Which plan and rule is now maintained in respect of the clergy, that they who are promoted by clerical ordination in the Church of the Lord may be called off in no respect from the divine administration, nor be tied down by worldly anxieties and matters; but in the honour of the brethren who contribute, receiving as it were tenths of the fruits, they may not withdraw from the altars and sacrifices, but may serve day and night in heavenly and spiritual things.   A careful reading of Cyprian’s short letter reveals that its subject is not the Old Testament tithe, the modern financial tithe, or even financial support of the clergy.  It is the ideal of church sponsored clergy taking care of the church without distractions. Cyprian mentions the model of the Levites solely for this purpose, and not to encourage a financial tithe.

It is important to correct this error because Cyprian’s letter has been cited by many anti-tithers as his attempt to support the clergy with financial tithes. This mistake gives the appearance that there was a credible effort to introduce the new tithe system a hundred years before bishops began to do so.  The sentence in Cyprian’s letter from where this idea comes doesn’t support this view:   …but in the honour of the brethren who contribute, receiving as it were tenths of the fruits, they may not withdraw from the altars and sacrifices, but may serve day and night in heavenly and spiritual things.   Cyprian states that the clergy was supported “by the brethren who contribute,” and that this was “as it were tenths of the fruits.” As it were is a simile, “a figure of speech in which two dissimilar things are compared by the use of like or as.” The bishop was stating simply that freewill contributions given to support the clergy and tithes given to support Levites were similar in this manner: the object was to provide modest financial assistance so they could fulfill their leadership duties without distraction.36 It is significant that such a fervent and focused leader (and future martyr) should rely on freewill contributions to fulfill his clergy obligations instead of demanding money through a new tithe system. If it were possible for him, why is it not possible for us?

 

Hill, Eric M.. What Preachers Never Tell You About Tithes & Offerings: The End of Clergy Manipulation & Extortion (Kindle Locations 1341-1348,  1348-1361, 1362-1364, 1364-1377). SunHill Publishers. Kindle Edition.

This short list of authors who disagree with tithing is by no means exhaustive, but in my research this list can go back centuries. Many people did not agree to the commuting  of the food and crop tithe to money. I guess I’m not different in my view and so here is a quote from my book, Kleptomaniac: Who’s Really Robbing God Anyway?

“There are varying beliefs and theological arguments on whether there were one, two, or three tithes in Israel. This chapter examines different tithing practices in Israel; importantly, it will not focus on the number of tithes. I will examine tithing based on its empirical definition, which is from the agricultural production and livestock that relates to farmers and herders who tithed in Israel using Leviticus 27:30-33. Individual study of the tithe doctrine in Israel and how many there were is essential for understanding the tithe practices of the Hebrew people. No matter what position you may have regarding the number of tithes, it is important to understand that the term “tithe” in Hebrew always refers to food; it never refers to money.
Based on the International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (ISBE), the view of multiple tithes is, “There is an obvious apparent discrepancy between the legislation in Leviticus and Deuteronomy. It is harmonized in Jewish [Hebrew] tradition, not only theoretically, but in practice, by considering the tithes as three different tithes, which are named the first tithe, the second tithe and the poor tithe, which is called the third tithe.”

Excerpt Taken from Kleptomaniac: Who’s Really Robbing God Anyway? by Dr. Frank Chase Jr. iBooks.

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

Midwest Book Review for Kleptomaniac: Who’s Really Robbing God Anyway?

Kleptomaniac: Who’s Really Robbing God Anyway? The Untwisted Truth About the Centuries Old Tithes and Offering Deception examines the history of church tithes, a practice from the early days of Christianity which takes a darker turn as its history and connections to actual Scripture are probed from its original applications to modern times. But if readers expect a supportive Scripture-based emphasis on the value of tithes, it should be advised that Kleptomaniac does not toe a party line of religious propriety but offers a sobering and critical examination of the notion of tithes and how it has changed over the centuries.

Church-goers who struggle with the idea of tithes and Church donation processes will discover that there’s reason for their concerns. There is an ongoing battle for truth and orthodoxy surrounding these matters, and this too is covered as Kleptomaniac analyzes the Biblical roots and intention of tithes and how the Church has applied them over the centuries.

This book is dedicated “To those who have suffered the wrath of family, friends, pastors, churches and other Christians for changing their giving practice from mandatory tithing to New Covenant, post-tithe freewill giving, remember, this fight to reveal the truth about tithing started centuries ago. People from many denominations and religious groups have held views against tithing long before we were born and the debate still rages on in the annals of theology.”

That tithing has long been a powerful controversy is reflected in the Introduction’s dedication: “To those who have been excommunicated from their church, to those who feel shunned, to those who have lost friends, to those who have been cut off from fellowship and to those who want to give from their heart without a percentage mandate, your voices will echo through the pages of this book. Also, to the believers from past generations who died never knowing that a curse on their lives never existed for not tithing, may this book be a light to your descendants who are still afraid to question tithing.”

Despite its fiery contentions, Kleptomaniac’s approach rests firmly on a combination of historical precedent, experience and analysis, and Scriptural quotes that back Dr. Frank Chase Jr.’s scrutiny. Chapters thus adopt a scholarly tone as they pull quotes from Scripture to analyze them: “I will examine the different tithes as separate items for context. The Bible gives specific instructions on how to distribute the tithe and to whom the tithe belonged. Who did God command to receive the tithe and who paid the tithe? Numbers 18, lays out the legal legislation on tithes under the law. However, before we look at this text, let’s jump forward to the New Testament. Hebrews 7:5 is the nail in the proverbial coffin that says who can collect tithes.”

From keywords and comparing Bible references to how tithes were (and are) being stolen from early to modern times, Dr. Chase’s scholarly analysis is precise, well detailed and reasoned, intricately researched and referenced, and yet is very accessible to lay audiences: “I think this book presents convincing doctrinal evidence that no money tithe argument can be established because it is inconsistent with Scripture, context and history. Although the Bible clearly describes that tithing took place in many verses, it does not mean that we continue the practice through commuting the tithe to money. The description of tithing food in the Old Testament does not equate to a money tithe prescription in the New Testament.”

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.

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. D. Donovan, Senior Reviewer, Midwest Book Review. Midwest Book Review for Kleptomaniac: Who’s Really Robbing God Anyway

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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.
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Randolf is Reading Kleptomaniac: Who’s Really Robbing God Anyway? from Dr. Frank Chase Jr

When the truth smacks people in the face, the response sometimes comes in the form of obfuscation. That’s the case with monetary tithing. For a lot of people in the religious community who stand by the docrtine of monetary tithing, many of them don’t realize they are behaving like peasants. What do I mean by that? Well, the literal informal meaning defines a peasants “as an ignorant rude, or unsophisticated person; a person of low social status.”  When it comes to tithing, many people go on the defensive and sometimes to the extreme to defend the monetary tithe doctrine that has no biblical support. At one time in history, the Bible was was entirely latin and during that time, the farming peasant community could not read so they had to depend on the religious elites to translate the words of the Bible, which made peasants vulnerable to whims of any transliteration or interpretation put forth by the religious leaders.  Today, most people don’t really study tithing in its purest sense. That’s why preachers can interpret the tithe as money and the peasant congregation just accepts the interpretation because they believe what the preacher tells them even when the evidence suggests otherwise. Though the monetary tithe was created out of context in the back rooms of religious leaders centuries ago. They also had a plan to ensure tithing would exist in future ages and they way that happened was to convince people they would be cursed if they didn’t tithe and to convince people of boutiful blessings if they faithfully tithed using Malachi chapter 3, which was redefined for the masses of christian peasants. The whole monetary tithe ponzi plan was based on financial interests and had nothing to do with the Bible. You can get signed paperbacks, just order Kleptomaniac: Who’s Really Robbing God Anyway? from Paypalme for $23.87

 

For those interested in what reviewer think about, Kleptomaniac: Who’s Really Robbing God Anyway? go to Reader’s Favorite and learn more about what a reviewer thinks. 

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

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

Tweet to @drfrankchasejr

Thanks Daniel White for Joining the tithe converation.

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June 28, 2017 Frank 7Leave a comment
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Why Pay Tithes When the Bible Says to Eat Tithes?

Frank Chase Jr latest interview by AllAuthor

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…

Dr. Chase biblically proves it! I was having fun...... review gif

 

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

Kleptomaniac: Who’s Really Robbing God Anyway will be featured on Good Kindles at Free and Bargain ebooks Book Promotion site for Authors

 

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

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In the face of overwhelming biblical truth that tithing is not money, why do people persist to think they are really tithing to God when they pay ten percent of their income to a church, which is later deposited into a secular bank? Not one penny they hand over ever reaches the hand of God. So what’s up with this picture. Believers blindly believe the monetary tithe doctrine because they are driven by the force of custom and habit. It really has nothing to do with the Bible, but more with trying to fit into a institutional system that tells you what to believe rather than you studying for yourself. Custom, habit and doctrine can be a powerful influence on people who depend on professional preachers to feed them the Word indstead of them feeding themselves. The desire to pay tithes of income is like an opioid addiction becuase there are many benefits promised to those who pay without question. There is also another addictive pattern that goes along with tithe blessings that is the fear of a curse. The prospect of a curse from God on those who don’t pay tithes reigns supreme in the minds of the fearful, so they pay up at all cost to avoid God’s wrath. This pattern of pay paying tithes strickly comes from the force of custom, habit and tradition established by men and not by God.  Tithing money has become an established belief system by the theology man’s traditions, customs and habits rising above the sovereignty and authority of the scripture. Tithing money is an act of elevating man’s tradition over God’s law. So then the practice of paying a tenth of your income to the institutional church is a tradition based on the living faith of the dead (that is dead family members who paid tithes and taught you to do the same) and tithing is based on traditionalism, which is the dead faith of the living (everybody tithes becuase everybody does it). It’s a form of religious mob mentality. You can get signed paperbacks, just order Kleptomaniac: Who’s Really Robbing God Anyway? from Paypalme for $23.87

In this blog post, it will be evident that tithes are not money, but I wonder how many people will open their minds and hearts to consider the truth based on facts, hermeneutics and proper exegesis. If you look at Deuteronmy chapter 12 and 14 and Leviticus chapter 27, or any other of the tithe reference in scripture, it will be clear that God wanted grain, new wine, new oil, herds and focks as the authorized tithe from those who were given land in Israel. There can be no other interpretation of the biblical tithe and to try to convert the food tithe to money is nothing more than an attempt to high-jack scripture for financial gain. Do churches need money to sustain it itself with the secular banking system? The answer is yes. When churches operate in the 501c3 tax code system, they must abide by tax code rules and the contracts they signed with the back when they decided to become servants to the lender. Building a churh building takes a lot of money and many congregations or church orgainizations have to violate Proverbs 22:7, which say, “The rich ruler over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender.”  Signing a huge building loan from a bank, immediately thrusts pastors into a perpetual fundrasing mode for his entire life in the pulpit to pay lender back. The church, the board and all the membership become servants to the banker who controls them until the church loan is paid off. Many pastors have to resort to heavy handed tithe sermons with promises of blessings for those who pay and curses for those who don’t pay to keep from loosing the building in foreclosure. If you fear a curse from God, you’ll pay up and if you love receiving blessings, you’ll pay up. Not a bad deal on both ends as a form of fundraising. But the problems is, the Bible never endorses the financial methods emplimented in most fundraising efforts in today’s churches. The tithe was never God’s plan to fund churches or salaries for church workers. In fact, Paul endorsed the idea that all must work for a living to earn a salary, including pastors and church workers. I cover all of this in my book Kleptomaniac: Who’s Really robbing God Anyway?.  The tithe was an inheretence that God said belonged to the Levites along with other benefits.

We often for get that Ancient hebrews who lived in Israel operated as a agricultural theolocracy that required a tithe from the harvest and the every tenth animal from the livestock. This system was set up by God to support the Levitical priesthood which operated under sacrifical laws and offerings. If you notice, today we do not live under a theocratic system but a democratic system, which cannot sustain a monetary tithing system.   People love to claim that tithing is required in the New Testament but, you would have to find a verse or passage where the Messiah referred to tithing on Jewhish money such as Deanarius, Bekahs, Drachmas, Gerahs, Talents or Mites neither silver or gold of that time. There is not one single biblical reference where anyone paid a tithe on any of these coins. It should be known also that paper money was not invented yet.

Many claims are made about the tithe and many people believe them as if those claims come from the mouth of God or His word. What follows are claims that have no bearing in scripture and so you can just regard them as false claims driven by the force of custom and habit and not scripture.

  1. False claim 1. The tithe applies to everyone. This is not true becuase tithing only applied to those in Isreal who who were farmers and ranchers among the 11 tribes who paid the tithe to the levites. It should also be known that the tithe was commanded for the Levites and since Jesus was from the tribe of Benjamin, the Bible says nothing about the tribe of Benjamin receiving tithes. Therefore, the arguement that you pay tithes to Jesus is false becuse he was not from the tribe of Levi.
  2. False claim 2. God requires you to give 10% of your income to the church as a tithe. This is not true becuase there is not chapters and verse that covers monetary tithing. And becasue the tithe is empiracally defined as food, money was not the tithe of the Bible nor is money required as a tithe in church.
  3. False claim 3. God will curse you if you don’t  tithe. This is true only if you did not tithe crops and livestock as God required in the law. There is not curse for not tithing money since the biblical tithe is all edible items.
  4. False Claim 4. God will make you rich by pouring out blessgings from the windows of heaven. This is false becasue the windows of heaven is not about money, it is about the expanse of the sky from which rain falls. If you tithe money when the Bibles does not endore this action, there is no benefit to you because the practice is based on custom, tradition and man’s Law not God’s law.

In my book, Kleptomaniac: Who’s Really Robbing God Anyway? cover many more false tithing claims coming from the pulpit that can be biblically refuted. The list I’m providing below tell you exactly what the law says about tithing, taxes and T’rumah and you will find that not one time did God command a tithe of money. So the question is if God’s law’s does not require money as a tithe, why does man’s law insist in violating the Law God by commuting the tithe to money in opposition to the scriputure. Here are the the tithe laws.

  1. That an uncircumcised person shall not eat of the t’rumah (heave offering), and the same applies to other holy things. This rule is inferred from the law of the Paschal offering, by similarity of phrase (Ex. 12:44-45 and Lev. 22:10) but it is not explicitly set forth in the Torah. Traditionally, it has been learnt that the rule that the uncircumcised must not eat holy things is an essential principle of the Torah and not an enactment of the Scribes (negative). See Brit Milah: Circumcision
  2. Not to alter the order of separating the t’rumah and the tithes; the separation be in the order first-fruits at the beginning, then the t’rumah, then the first tithe, and last the second tithe (Ex. 22:28) (negative) (CCI19).
  3. To give half a shekel every year (to the Sanctuary for provision of the public sacrifices) (Ex. 30:13) (affirmative).
  4. That a kohein who is unclean shall not eat of the t’rumah (Lev. 22:3-4) (negative). See Kohein.
  5. That a person who is not a kohein or the wife or unmarried daughter of a kohein shall not eat of the t’rumah (Lev. 22:10) (negative). See Kohein.
  6. That a sojourner with a kohein or his hired servant shall not eat of the t’rumah (Lev. 22:10) (negative). See Kohein.
  7. Not to eat tevel (something from which the t’rumah and tithe have not yet been separated) (Lev. 22:15) (negative) (CCI18).
  8. To set apart the tithe of the produce (one tenth of the produce after taking out t’rumah) for the Levites (Lev. 27:30; Num. 18:24) (affirmative) (CCI12). See Levi.
  9. To tithe cattle (Lev. 27:32) (affirmative).
  10. Not to sell the tithe of the herd (Lev. 27:32-33) (negative).
  11. That the Levites shall set apart a tenth of the tithes, which they had received from the Israelites, and give it to the kohanim (called the t’rumah of the tithe) (Num. 18:26) (affirmative) (CCI13). See Kohein, Levi.
  12. Not to eat the second tithe of cereals outside Jerusalem (Deut. 12:17) (negative).
  13. Not to consume the second tithe of the vintage outside of Jerusalem (Deut. 12:17) (negative).
  14. Not to consume the second tithe of the oil outside of Jerusalem (Deut. 12:17) (negative).
  15. Not to forsake the Levites (Deut. 12:19); but their gifts (dues) should be given to them, so that they might rejoice therewith on each and every festival (negative). See Levi.
  16. To set apart the second tithe in the first, second, fourth and fifth years of the sabbatical cycle to be eaten by its owner in Jerusalem (Deut. 14:22) (affirmative) (CCI14) (today, it is set aside but not eaten in Jerusalem).
  17. To set apart the second tithe in the third and sixth year of the sabbatical cycle for the poor (Deut. 14:28-29) (affirmative) (CCI15) (today, it must be separated out but need not be given to the poor).
  18. To give the kohein the due portions of the carcass of cattle (Deut. 18:3) (according to the Talmud, this is not mandatory in the present outside of Israel, but it is permissible, and some observant people do so) (CCA51). See Kohein.
  19. To give the first of the fleece to the kohein (Deut. 18:4) (according to the Talmud, this is not mandatory in the present outside of Israel, but it is permissible, and some observant people do so) (CCA52). See Kohein.
  20. To set apart t’rumah g’dolah (the great heave-offering, that is, a small portion of the grain, wine and oil) for the kohein (Deut. 18:4) (affirmative) (CCI11). See Kohein.
  21. Not to expend the proceeds of the second tithe on anything but food and drink (Deut. 26:14). Anything outside of things necessary for sustenance comes within the class in the phrase “Given for the dead” (negative).
  22. Not to eat the Second Tithe, even in Jerusalem, in a state of uncleanness, until the tithe had been redeemed (Deut. 26:14) (negative).
  23. Not to eat the Second Tithe, when mourning (Deut. 26:14) (negative).
  24. To make the declaration, when bringing the second tithe to the Sanctuary (Deut. 26:13) (affirmative) (CCI17). A List of the 613 Mitzvot (Commandments) 

In this list of tithe commands, you will notice that there is more than one tithe in Israel. What you also see in this list is food and not money in reference to the tithe. Now that is interesting because no church is practicing the other required tithes like Israel. In my book, Kleptomaniac: Who’s Really Robbing God Anyway, I cover a lot of information about the different kinds of tithes required in scriptures. For those who like to claim they follow the tithe laws in their churc, they must also consider the that the Bible requries forgiveness from debts. According to Deuteronomy 15:1-2, 1 “At the end of every seven years you shall grant a release of debts. 2 And this is the form of the release: Every creditor who has lent anything to his neighbor shall release it; he shall not require it of his neighbor or his brother, because it is called the LORD’s release.” All debt is supposed to be forgiven and you start with a new clean slate for the next seven years. So according to the law, you can tell your banker that God said after seven years, you don’t have to pay your morgage. Since the tithe laws comes out of Deuteronomy, the Lord’s release from debt is no different.  Let’s see how far that goes. Because a pastor is not from the tribe of Levi, he cannot collect tithes.

Now for those who like to argue the Abram, Melchizedek tithe principle, there there is not way one can justify a monetary tithe based on what Abram tithed to Melchizedek. The first question one must ask it what did Abram tithe from, his personal wealth or what he captured in a war. The book of Hebrews bears this out that Abram tithe came from spoils of war not income. Here a good write up about Melchizedek getting a tithe from Abram.

Gal 3:10 (NRS) All who rely on observing the law are under a curse, for it is written: “Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law.”

A point often made is that since Abram gave 10 percent of the war-spoils to Melchizedek, the tithe came before the law and is thus not a part of it.

In a word, nonsense. For example, God killed an animal to provide a “covering” for Adam and Eve, and Able got this right in his approach to God by way of sacrifice, long before the sacrificial “covenant” spelled out the details. So did Abraham, Jacob and many others predating “the Law”. Does this mean we should still kill animals in sacrifice, since Able and Abraham did so before the Law of Moses was formally established? No. This would be so flimsy an excuse logically that it could only be made by someone with a strong hankering for the old wine. (Luke 5:39) Good grief, how far away from Christ do we want to go, and with what faulty logic as an excuse? What next, we can’t eat “apples” from certain trees… should be carried into the “new covenant”? In Christ the religious law is dispatched with in totality, and to embrace any part of it is to tacitly reject the reality of the incarnation of Christ and the promises of the New Covenant.

Imagine that someone actually asserted that we should not eat from certain apple trees because “this command predates the law, and thus is not part of the old or new covenant”. Wouldn’t this be a clear symptom of liking the old wine better than the new? Wouldn’t it also hark of an ignorance of biblical history and a penchant for religious myth as well? Was it an “apple”, as per popular fable, or a fig? What the tithe actually is in scripture is dealt with elsewhere, but for the purpose here we need to look at what happened between Abram and Melchizedek in context.

Melchizedek did not receive a tithe in the Deuteronomy 14:22-29 sense, obviously, even though the same Hebrew word is used since it was a “tenth”. Yet the context was different in many aspects. In the case of Melchizedek it was a “spoils of war” issue; more like a tribute or tax than the tithe. Melchizedek was a king and priest and had a higher standing than Abraham who was at that time a wanderer without a home, and thus Abraham paid tribute to “the greater”. This is the point of the citation in the New Testament. For the purposes of the point of the writer of Hebrews, the amount (5/10/20/50%) is not the point–it is that Abraham paid homage as a lesser to a greater. “The Tithe” in the old covenant had little to do with homage, rather the opposite. The greater were to give to the lesser (alien, Levites, widows, etc.) as can be seen in the definition of the tithe in Dt 14:22-29

Heb 7:4 (NIV) Just think how great he was: Even the patriarch Abraham gave him a tenth of the plunder!

From this precedent, and since Melchizedek was a priest as well as a king, the Old Testament priests got a sort of “tax” of 10% payments that were also termed “tithes” as a means to fund the temple, as well as getting gifts from Kings (later), and being included in the OT “tithe party” (Dt 14 style), as well as getting to eat the meat offered in sacrifice, etc., etc. As you can see, the Levites had multiple sources of income and providence, but the rules were strict: they were not allowed to own anything, they had no inheritance in this life. Their focus had to be on God, since by definition they could not own anything.

The spiritual point of this is full of meaning for us. The “priests” are not the clergy, right? As Russell Hobbs likes to say: “You are a priest of the Most High God!” yet our minds easily snap back to false religious notions that the Old Covenant priests were replaced by Pastors or Popes or Clergy. It is not so. If there is an application here, it is to all believers, not just a few.

So what is God saying here? We (the Levites, the priests of God) are to have no inheritance? It think so. Consider the lilies. Consider the sparrows. Sound familiar?

It is a hard teaching for “the rich”, and not many will enter the kingdom. But with God, all things are possible.

Luke 14:33 (Phi) “Only the man who says goodbye to all his possessions can be my disciple.”

In conclusion, remember that we are no longer under the shadow law in any sense, certainly not in a small detail of how the old-covenant priesthood was funded. Along these lines–if you have not read it already–I highly recommend the message entitled “The New Legalism“.

The new covenant makes most every aspect of the old covenant more severe and radical. All might be required, and presently. Jesus might look at us and say, “Sell all you have…” or just a field, or perhaps something else. There is no telling, and thus we must get rid of all sense of possessing. Jesus made the Old Covenant seem easy in many respects: “I tell you, if a man lusts in his heart…” and “He who hates has committed murder…” and so on. In like manner, Jesus takes giving/tithing/tribute to the radical and ultimate extreme. All is required, even if you get to keep some of it for a time. <smiles> Our treasure is elsewhere.

Mt 6:24-34 (NIV) “No-one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money. Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labour or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendour was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” Melchizedek Getting a tithe from Abram

For those of you who don’t know the law on tithing, the biblical tithing obligation applies only to agricultural produce in the land of Israel. That means no believer is obligated to tithe money because they live outside the land of Israel and are not from one of the 11 farming and herding tribes of Israel. If you study the tithing system closely as God set it up in the law to protect the less fortunate. Tithing was anti-aristocracy. In it’s purest form, it ensured no one would go hungry. The tithe system prevented an aristrocacy in Isreal. That is not the case today with mega churches. We have an aristocratic millionaraire class of clergy that has crated a system of haves and have not the body of Christ.  Instead of an aristocracy among a dominant, landed class of tribes that collects taxes from subservient tenants or serfs based on their ownership of land, the Torah presents the tribe of Levi as a model anti-aristocracy, a class of itinerant Levite scholars who collected tithes from from 11 tribes based their own lack of ownership of land. God said to the landed class in Israel, “Don’t abandon the Levite in your gates, for he has no portion and inheritance among you” (Deuteronomy 14:27).

I need to address to this problem about a teaching that’s been going around for years that God will bless you 30, 60 and 100 fold if you pay your tithes. Mark 13-1-13 and Mark 4:14-20 is one the most grossly mis-interpreted text to try to collect baseline income from God’s people. If you have knack for biblical foolery on tithing, the slide below will give you insight into what the 30, 60 and 100 fold blesssing really address.

 

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When I wrote my book, I set out to explain some of the passages and the logic behind some of the text in book bubbles. Many of the book bubbles share book excerpts and my thoughts about why I wrote the text or how the research affected me. My first  book bubble, The Fight Continues deals with the views that churches have about tithing. And even though I published a book, teaching and sharing the truth about tithing has been a centuries-old fight. What has been difficult about tithing is learning that everyone has their own personal meaning what the term mean, so in my second book bubbles, Understanding Tithing Starts With a Definition explains the meaning of the term tithing to set the foundation so people won’t go off the rails on unfounded definitions. You have to establish and empirical definition before you can start talking about a subject and what it means.  For me reasearch is important in getting to the bottom line of a subject, so my third book bubble, Research Brings Truth explains how I went about peeling back the layers of existing tithe doctrines in Christian theological circles. For many in the church, the argument has been that tithing existed before the law and that somehow justifies commuting the biblical food tithe to monetary tithing so that got me thinking about my forth book bubble, The Law Does Not Teach Money Tithing, which explains what the law actually taught about tithing and frankly the law did not say a utter a word about tithing income from a paycheck. One of the argument you will likely hear from the pulpit is that that Bible requires a tithe on the increase. Now on face value that is true, but what is the increase and how does the Bible define increase? That lead to my fifth book bubble, Tithing on Increase, which explains what the word means in context of scripture and not financial considerations of our current economic system. In the Bible the word increase has a different meaning and is confined to the economic system of that time. Tithing and giving have been conflated, redefined, taken out of context so much so that true giving is lost becuase of the confusion. In my sixth, book bubble, What Does True Giving Look Like? I try to explain biblical practice of freewill giving over the erroneous practice of monetary tithing which is not on the pages of the Bible. Many assume monetary tithing has always been the case, but in my seventh book bubble, Arguments Against Tithing Has a Long History, I share historical examples of people speaking out against the unlawful tampering of scripture to justify collecting money as a tithe. Long before many of us were born, many before us stood against the monetary tithe and paid the price with their lives. The debate has been whether the tithe is money or food, so to address that issue, my eighth book bubble, Monetary Tithing or Edible Tithing, Which One? puts to rest what the tithe is by sharing insight from the Jewish historian Josephus. Often when a financial system is threatened by exposing it fautly underpinnings, in this case church titing, there are no lengths the church will not go to make sure the status remain in tack. This lead me to write my ninth book bubble, The Church and its Money Grab Tactics to expose the different methods churches employ to collect ten percent of peoples paychecks. You would think that in scripture, one would be able to find a definitive postion on monetary tithing, and though we give Apostle Paut credit for penning much of the New Testament, my tenth book bubble, Paul Never Taught Believer to Tithe Money examines what Pau’s giving position was and how he viewed support gospel preachers. And guess what ladies and gentlemen, it was not tithing. Any time you have a conversation with a person who believes in tithing is to ask them to show you where Jesus paid monetary tithes. The first thing that will hit the person is cognitive dissonance because they won’t be able to find on verse to support their position. That is why my eleventh book bubble, Jesus and His Ministry Never Received Tithes talks about how the Messiah and the deciples received support and why Jesus could not pay or receive tithes. At some point in digging up the truth about monetary tithing after years of research, you have to conclude that as I did that tithing is not required, and that’s what my tweleveth book bubble, Official Orthodox Biblical Tithing Has Passed Away closes the book on the differences between tithing and giving by allowing context to define the tithe centuris ago and now as edible items (crops, livestock, grain, and flocks). This term first fruits, which is often confused with tihing is my thirteenth book bubble titled, What are First Fruits in the Bible? In this bubble, it is clear the Bible never defined first fruits as money as some do today, but in my author insight about the book excerpt, I make it clear that tithing and first fruits have exclusive meanings and can never be interchanged. Eating tithes verses paying tithes has been the quintessential question of the ages and yet when the Bible is pretty explicit that tithes are eatible items, some still won’t accept the truth of the word so in my fourteenth book bubble, Eating Tithes vs Paying Tithes I explain my thoughts on why people choose falsehood over truth. The first question one must ask when talking bout tithes is Jesus did not pay a tithe or collect a tithe, why should I be paying money the Bible does not require. I try to answer those question in my latest book bubble titled, Did Jesus Collect Tithes?  I hope these book bubble give you information that you would go to my website and purchase a signed copy my book, Kleptomaniac: Who’s Really Robbing God Anyway? For those who are interested in giving in the New Testament, I completed a partial power point study titled, New Testament Giving. There you will find what I discovered about giving in the New Testament. The ebook is now available at Amazon. Kleptomaniac: Who’s Really Robbing God Anyway on Facebook

 In this excerpt from my book, Kleptomaniac: Who’s Really Robbing God Anyway I talk about other tithe practices that seem unknown by most who claim they know what the Bible says about tithing. In chapter 7, The Tithe in Israel, i explain that:
 “Israel also practiced another tithe, which some experts call a third tithe, poor tithe, or the third year tithe. Before going any further, let me say that according to some biblical scholars, historical experts, and theologians, there was never a second or third tithe in Israel. It is believed that Israel had only one tithe that was used in different ways based on the sabbatical and agricultural cycles. Although, I use the terms first, second, or third tithe, it is for the purpose of separating the tithe in distinctive ways to help make sense of a complex tithing system. The historian, Josephus, mentions three tithes; however, biblical experts say his tithe writings stem from concepts devised later by rabbinical and oral decrees and not from the biblical instructions Moses received from Yahweh. Preachers today who teach the misapplication of tithing are not following the biblical commands God gave Moses about the food tithe; rather, they are following traditions and customs of men created in later times to establish regular financial support for churches. The important fact about the tithe is what God restates in the law in Deuteronomy. Tithing laws change from Leviticus to Numbers and the reason is that when they got to the land of Canaan, God says in Deuteronomy 12:8 that, “You shall not at all do as we are doing here today [the wilderness]—every man doing whatever is right in his own eyes—….”
In the wilderness, they performed tithing and other sacrificial functions based on what was right in their own eyes. However, in Canaan, God instituted very strict tithing and sacrificial rules. One of them was that they could no longer offer sacrifices as they did in the wilderness or approach the temple in the same way. Under the law, the tithe is regulated in a more fair way. When you examine the Scripture, it is clear where the tithe went and who received it in Deuteronomy 14:28-29:
At the end of every third year you shall bring out the tithe of your produce of that year and store it up within your gates. And the Levite, because he has no portion nor inheritance with you, and the stranger and the fatherless and the widow who are within your gates, may come and eat and be satisfied, that the LORD your God may bless you in all the work of your hand which you do (NKJV).
The third year tithe is also detailed in Deuteronomy 26:12-14. When you have finished laying aside all the tithe of your increase in the third year—the year of tithing—and have given it to the Levite, the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow, so that they may eat within your gates and be filled, then you shall say before the LORD your God: I have removed the holy tithe from my house, and also have given them to the Levite, the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow, according to all Your commandments which You have commanded me; I have not transgressed Your commandments, nor have I forgotten them. I have not eaten any of it when in mourning, nor have I removed any of it for an unclean use, nor given any of it for the dead. I have obeyed the voice of the LORD my God, and have done according to all that You have commanded me. (NKJV).
Based on the sabbatical cycle and the Scriptures, the tithe did not go to the temple. Every third and sixth year of the sabbatical cycle, the tithe stayed in the towns for people to eat? Excerpt From: Frank Chase Jr. “Kleptomaniac: Who’s Really Robbing God Anyway.” iBooks. 
 It is clear God’s People ate the tithes. Levites, stranges, the poor, widows, orphans, the hungry all to part in eating the tithes that God approved. Before you say you know what tithing is in Israel it would be a good practice to study up on the tithe in Israel before you make a financial decisions to could up ten percent of your income based on a doctrine that is not in the Bible.  I wish I had, but 30 years is a long time to go without knowing the truth about the lies told about tithing.

In closing, another author Michael Morrison, in Sabbath, Circumcision, and tithing wrote:

Tithing in ancient Israel

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 Chronicles 31:5-6), 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.

Two or three tithes?

In ancient Israel, a tithe of all agricultural produce belonged to the Lord; ten percent of the crop was “holy to the Lord” (Leviticus 27:30). Ten percent of the herds were also holy (verse 32). God then gave these tithes to the Levites: “ 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” (Numbers 18:21).

However, Deuteronomy 12:5-7 says that the people were supposed to take their tithes to the festival site, and eat them! “You must not eat in your own towns the tithe of your grain and new wine and oil, or the firstborn of your herds and flocks, or whatever you have vowed to give, or your freewill offerings or special gifts. Instead, you are to eat them in the presence of the LORD your God at the place the LORD your God will choose” (verses 17-18).  A different system of giving was required for some animals.The people were supposed to take their tithes to the festival site, and eat them. Deuteronomy 14:23 is similar.

Some people conclude that Deuteronomy is talking about a different tithe than Leviticus and Numbers are. They believe that Deuteronomy is talking about a second tithe, which was to be used only for festival expenses. This conclusion is based in large part on the logic that the same tithe could not be given to the Levites and eaten by the people at the festivals. However, this assumption may be wrong. For one thing, it would mean that Deuteronomy says nothing about first tithe, nothing about the financial support of the Levites, even though Deuteronomy was the “second law,” the re-stating of the basic laws of Israel. (page 160-161).

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May 10, 2017 Frank 751 Comment
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God Only Approves of Edible Tithing Not Monetary Tithing

Frank Chase Jr latest interview by AllAuthor

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…

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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

Let’t take a look at  Deuteronomy 26:12. I’m going to cite the NET transliteration to show you how droctrinal isegetical bias happens to erroneously mistranslate the word tithe to money. Tithe teachers who mandate monetary tithing use the NET version to buttress their postition by saying, “Here’s proof that tithing money valid because it says, When you finish tithing all you income in the third year (the year of tihiny), you must give it to the Levites, the residents foriegns, the orphans, and the widows so that they may eat to their satisfaction in your villages. They say with confidence that your paycheck is required to be tithed to God. Not so fast with that silver tongue. Look at the verse again. It clearly talks about Levites, foriegners, orphans and widows eating something. Notice this is not the same tithe that is spoken about in Malachi chaper 3. Wow! This verse clearly talks about about a different tithe that was paid and notice that it was eaten in the villages and towns where they lived. So in Israel there was more than one tithe based on this verse. As I have always stated that you must be careful with the different translations because many of them superimpose their ideas into the text. So in Deut 26:12 how in the world could the verse say income as if it was money and then end the verse talking about groups of people eating the tithe, which is supposedly money. It makes no sense ladies and gentlemen and it defies all logic, reason and biblical hermanuetics. The translaters inserted the word income to prop up monetary tithing, which means they intended to mislead by incorporating their opinions to influence a different interpreation of the verse out of context. If you study all 42 references of the word tithe in the NET version, the majority of the translaliteration uses the word produce, crops or similar. Why they inserted the word income in Deuteronomy 26:12 indicates to me that they wanted to set up a psychological and religous belief system that tithing money is biblical. It is an epic fail becuase the verse ends with eating food and not eating income.  As the tithe is related to increase, I discussed its hebrew word Tbuwah in my book, Kleptomaniac: Who’s Really Robbing God Anyway? So what happens today is that people view the word tithe through the lens of cash and coins based on their world view and their current economic persuation, while ignoring scriptural  context.

How to do you prove the text of Deuteronomy 26:12 overwhelmingly speaks of livestock the crops? That’s easy. Pull out your scriptural magnifying class and microscope and let’s compare different Bible versions to see if monetary tithing is a Bible doctrine or mandate.

Deuteronomy 26:12 

NET version:When you finish tithing all you income in the third year (the year of tihing), you must give it to the Levites, the residents foriegns, the orphans, and the widows so that they may eat to their satisfaction in your villages.

NIV version:When you have finished setting aside a tenth of all your produce in the third year, the year of the tithe, you shall give it to the Levite, the foreigner, the fatherless and the widow, so that they may eat in your towns and be satisfied.

NASB version:When you have finished paying all the tithe of your increase in the third year, the year of tithing, then you shall give it to the Levite, to the stranger, to the orphan and to the widow, that they may eat in your towns and be satisfied.

NLT version:  Every third year you must offer a special tihe of your crops. You must give these tithes to the Levites, foriegeners, ophans, and widows so that htey will have enough to eat in your town.

CEV version: Every year you are to give ten percent of your harvest to the LORD. But every third year, this ten percent must be given to the poor who live in your town, including Levites, foreigners, orphans, and widows. That way, they will have enough to eat.

BBE version: When thou hast made an end of tithing all the tithes of thy produce in the third year, the year of tithing, thou shalt give it to the Levited, to the stranger, to the fatherless, and to the widow, that they may eat in thy gates and be filled.

MSG version: Every third year, the year of the tithe, give a tenth of your produce to the Levite, the foreigner, the orphan, and the widow so that they may eat their fill in your cities.

YLT version: When thou dost complete to tithe all the tithe of thine increase in the third year, the year of the tithe, then thou hast given to the Levite, to the sojourner, to the fatherless, and to the widow, and they have eaten within they gates, and been satisifed

ESV Version: When you have finished paying all the tithe of your produce in the third year, which is the year of tithing, giving it to the Levite, the sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow, so that they may eat within your towns and be filled,

NKJV: When you have finished laying aside all the tithe of your increase in the third year—the year of tithing—and have given it to the Levite, the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow, so that they may eat within your gates and be filled,

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As you can see based on the preponderance of tithing evidence, there is no way anyone can conclude that the tithe in Deuteronomy 26:12 is money unless subterfuge is at play. Now this women based on the application of scriputure might fall in the catergory of widow, since she is single and if the verse 12 applied to money, her church was suppose to give her the tithe becuase she could have been poor. Pastors you can just interpret scripture as you see fit to maintain your finanical system. The NET translators took the Hebrew word for increase 08393 in Deuteronomy 26:12 and applied it to money and by doing so they intentionally clouded the original Hebrew langauage and the meaning of the word tithe which only deals with the harvest and not income. So when her church sent a letter with a fine of $1,000 for not paying tithes and by insinuating she robbed God is foolishness and I would tell her that she can ignore the words, Will a Man Rob God and know that she can eat her tithes and never have to pay tithes becuase her money is not what God wants as tithes.

Often you hear in church that God requires a tenth of your increase, and that is true if you are talking about livestock and crops, but it is not true in the case of money. Now I know that’s a hard pill to swallow if you’ve been taught that all of your life. But that’s why I write blogs to explain what certain words mean in the scriptures. The word increase is one of those biblical words that has church members discombobulted. So I think is important to share with you what increase mean. In my book, Kleptomaniac: Who’s Really Robbing God Anyway I give details on what increase really means and whether it applies to erroneous concept of monetary tithing. Here’s an excerpt from chapter 7 of my book, The tithe in Israel that should get you started on your research way so that you will not be fooled by scriptural shell games on what God considers increase. The ebook is now available at Amazon.

Every time the Bible mentions, it must always be linked with increases in livestock and produce rather than money. Only farmers, shepherds, cattle herders (of the 11 tribes), and Levites tithed in the land of Canaan. It is a scriptural fact that people ate the tithes, and nowhere does the Bible command a tithe from income as a substitute. It may be a good idea to explain what the word increase means as it relates to tithing. For non-Hebrew people unfamiliar with the intricacies of tithing, the system is basically non-intuitive for those not astute in Hebrew culture, practices, literature, and language.

In Canaan, they understood the tithing law applied to the land. Furthermore, only the people who lived in the Promised Land were required to tithe from the inherited land. Though the natural inclination of people is to accept teaching from the pulpit as unadulterated truth, churches have no biblical authority to receive tithes in the New Testament. The tithe law was only applicable to the Levites; Hebrews 7:5 is explicit in its instructions. As no pastor or minister holds the Levitical priesthood office, tithes are not applicable, as the tithe is passed down through the bloodline to the Levites.

When people use the word increase regarding tithes, they think it refers to money, crops and cattle. Increase in the text is not a command for people to pay 10 percent of their income. The word has numerous meanings in Hebrew. When a Scripture uses the word increase, the Hebrew meaning of the word must coincide with the context of the verse and chapter. For example, when you look up the word increase in Strong’s you will notice it says increase means income, i.e., produce (literally or figuratively). You will also see that the Hebrew word for increase means produce, i.e., crop or (fig) wealth. The problem is, people zoom in on income or wealth and assume tithing included money and forget the context of the verse and run theologically amok. For example, can you assume increase is money in Deuteronomy 14:28, which says, “At the end of three years thou shalt bring forth all the tithe of thine increase the same year, and shalt lay it up within thy gates” (KJV). This verse actually refers to the tithe that is kept in towns for the people to use for food and has no connection to money.

When you read the verse in the NKJV, money is not a part of the context because even with the Hebrew word, the context drives the meaning of the word increase. Here’s how Deuteronomy 14:28 reads in the NKJV; “At the end of every third year you shall bring out the tithe of your produce [increase] of that year and store it up within your gates.” While I will not delve deeper into what increase means, you must do word study to understand that the word increase has no connection to paying tithes in money. When God said he wanted the Hebrew people to tithe against the increase in cattle, crops and flocks (animal births and crop growth); it was from an agricultural perspective. Yahweh’s increase in the yield applies in this formula: Gross yield less input or costs equals actual increase. That means, if you planted ten bushels of corn and only harvested ten bushels of corn, there was no increase, thus no tithe. If you harvested 20 bushels of corn, your increase was ten bushels and you would tithe 1 bushel of corn. When the word increase is used with tithing, God only expected a tithe based on the laws of agriculture and His labor. For example, He gave Israel abundant increase in food sources and expected a tithe from what grew from the ground and every tenth animal. God did not give the tithe to the Levites because they had no income. In fact, blessings from income in the Bible were not a result of people tithing money. People received income based on their hard work, including the Levites who worked when they were not on temple duty. The income from the work people performed belonged to the worker and the work God performed through increases in crops and cattle belonged to God. Therefore, the tithe came from the land through God’s efforts. The 11 tribes tithed from the land as a payment to God. The tithe was from something Yahweh created [the land] not from what man labors for as in income.



It is important that you avoid becoming a piece of merchandise in God’s Kingdom and the Bible makes this clear in 2 Peter chapter 2 verse 3, which says, “And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not.” It is important to state that this single woman could not give from the heart as the Bible teaches, but she became a piece of merchandise to her church who wanted to fine her money for not tithing monetarily. Making merchandise of God’s people is the idea of selling something for money. The monetary tithe is being sold to members like snake oil and it is done by merchandising the the authentic biblical livestock and crop tithe based on greed. So I would advise that no believer should allow themselves to become a merchandise sidepiece in God’s kingdm by feeding the institutional church’s endless, insatiable deire for cash. That single woman should have taken that letter she got from her church and mailed it back stamped insufficient funds.

In the scriptures, Paul addressed the issue merchandising God’s people in several different places in the scriptures. He says that he would never practice merchandising or peddling the Word of God when he wrote, “For we are not, as so many, peddling the word of God; but as of sincerity, but as from God, we speak in the sight of God in Christ.” So the montetary tithe doctrine perpetrated acrosss the pulpit is peddling and trading of the word in an effort to gain finances from unsucpecting congregants who most likely do not study the Bible for themselves. And Paul continues his argument against merchandising in Acts 20:33-34 when he writes, “I have coveted no one’s silver or gold or apparel. Yes, you yourselves know that these hands have provided for my necessities, and for those who were with me.” Paul would never offer the word for money and in his mind preaching the word for money was different from accepting and receiving gifts from believers which he made clear in 1 Cor. 9:14, “Even so the Lord has commanded that those who preach the gospel should live from the gospel.” This passage has nothing to do with tithing but everything do with receiving gifts from believers as a means of support.  When Paul says he coveted no man’s money, he made it clear that he worked and supported those who journeyed with him on his preaching endeavors. Paul worked so that his traveling companions would not become a public and financial charge to the congregations they visited.  Paul often foregoes his right of support as the higher calling rather than insisting on people paying him to preach. Now that is a true Apostle.

If you look at the context of Deuteronomy 26:12 then read verse 14, it is clear th subject is not money but food and here is the butter on the bread in verse 14,

I have not eaten any of it when in mourning, nor have I removed any of it for an unclean use, nor given any of it for the dead. I have obeyed the voice of the LORD my God, and have done according to all that You have commanded me.

The tithe was not eaten in verse 14, it was given to the poor, the widows, the orphans, and the stranger. So it is certain that the tithe context in Dueteronomy is about food and not money. Paul did not mence words in his dialouge with the Corinthians and tells them in no uncertain terms that he did not live like a mega church millionaire preacher. He said he worked hard with his own hands in 1 Cor. 4:11-13. “11 Even today we go hungry and thirsty and don’t have anything to wear except rags. We are mistreated and don’t have a place to live. 12 We work hard with our own hands, and when people abuse us, we wish them well. When we suffer, we are patient. 13 When someone curses us, we answer with kind words. Until now we are thought of as nothing more than the trash and garbage of this world” (CEV).  Paul was a strict Pharisee (Act 26:4-5); he knew the law intimately and he knew that the law of tithing did not apply during the gospel dispinsation of salvation, which is why he never mentions tithing in any of the letters he wrote to the churches or to individuals.

So for the all the ladies out there who have been fined for not paying tithes, this post is for you. And in the spirit of Paul, let me say it is better to obey God in your giving rather than man-made dogma that you owe God a tenth of your income. Now to make it clear, if you do perticipate in the IRS 501c3 tax return giving plan where you give a ten of your income as a tax deductible gift to the church, that is certainly OK becuase you get to file that tax deductible gift on your return, which is perfectly legal. But know this, a tenth of your income is not an authentic biblical tithe, it is payment of a temple tax to support the institutional church, which is a part of the IRS code as a 501c3 for tax exempt churches. In the end, paying ten percent of your income to church and filing it on your income tax return, does that mean you tithed to the IRS and at the end of tax season, the IRS acting as God sends you a blessing refund check, which comes from the windows IRS heaven? I’m being facetious, but you get the point.  When your pay ten percent to the church and file it on your tax returns, the IRS sends you a refund check in the mail. That has nothing to do with the Bible, tithes or curses from God.  I’m not against charitible giving to any instution and that includes the church as well, but it important to state that because some people’s income levels are so high, it will necessitate that they give a tenth or more away, to avoid a huge tax bill from the IRS. So here’s the hard truth and facts ladies and gentlemen, we give in churh not only to support churches but we also give to lower our taxable income to get a refund. That’s not tithing, that’s simply accounting 101. A tenth of income cannot be called a biblical tithe because the empirical definiton of the tithe is the Hebrew word Ma’aser, which means everything editable that comes from livestock and crops. According to leviticus 27:30-33, the Bible says:

 30 And all the tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land or of the fruit of the tree [crops], is the LORD’s. It is holy to the LORD. 31 If a man wants at all to redeem any of his tithes, he shall add one-fifth to it. 32 And concerning the tithe of the herd or the flock, [livestock] of whatever passes under the rod, the tenth one shall be holy to the LORD. 33 He shall not inquire whether it is good or bad, nor shall he exchange it; and if he exchanges it at all, then both it and the one exchanged for it shall be holy; it shall not be redeemed.’ ”

I hope this blog helps many people in search for truth about the tithe of the Bible. And I hope the lady who was sent a fine for not paying tithe one day discovers my book and know that she is not required to tithe to God, now, in the future becuase of grace and Christ sacrifice on the cross. And if need be I hope she read the New Testament givig slides below so she can be equipped to deal with modern tithe teaching that are not in the Bible. Kleptomaniac: Who’s Really Robbing God Anyway is an ebook from Amazon and in PDF, iPad and Kindle from Book Baby.

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When the truth smacks people in the face, the response sometimes comes in the form of obfuscation. That’s the case with monetary tithing. For a lot of people in the religious community who stand by the docrtine of monetary tithing, many of them don’t realize they are behaving like peasants. What do I mean by that? Well, the literal informal meaning defines a peasants “as an ignorant rude, or unsophisticated person; a person of low social status.”  When it comes to tithing, many people go on the defensive and sometimes to the extreme to defend the monetary tithe doctrine that has no biblical support. At one time in history, the Bible was was entirely latin and during that time, the farming peasant community could not read so they had to depend on the religious elites to translate the words of the Bible, which made peasants vulnerable to whims of any transliteration or interpretation put forth by the religious leaders.  Today, most people don’t really study tithing in its purest sense. That’s why preachers can interpret the tithe as money and the peasant congregation just accepts the interpretation because they believe what the preacher tells them even when the evidence suggests otherwise. Though the monetary tithe was created out of context in the back rooms of religious leaders centuries ago. They also had a plan to ensure tithing would exist in future ages and they way that happened was to convince people they would be cursed if they didn’t tithe and to convince people of boutiful blessings if they faithfully tithed using Malachi chapter 3, which was redefined for the masses of christian peasants. The whole monetary tithe ponzi plan was based on financial interests and had nothing to do with the Bible. You can get signed paperbacks, just order Kleptomaniac: Who’s Really Robbing God Anyway? from Paypalme for $23.87

One of the hardest things to do is to help people think outside of their religious dogmas when they are so endoctrinated to what they really believe is in the Bible. I find that frustrating when you think the goal of all Bible believers should be scriptural integrity, interpretation, hermanuetics and exegesis. However, scriptural authenticity oftens gets sacrifced on the alters of dogmatic eisegetical theology in the interest of mantaining the financial monetary tithe system God never endorsed. To maintain such a system, a certain amout of biblical ignorance must be preeminent, and being a scriptural peasant allows the monetary tithe system to continue unabated with its excesses and indulges running amuk. Even today we have created an aristocracy in Christanity with mega millionaire preachers and teachers of the Bible with mega churches and mega personal assets. Their are no shortages of haves-and-have-nots in the Church.  Just a couple days ago, I tried to purchase a book trailer video from a vendor who was obviously a believer. He refuned my purchase saying, “Due to my spiritual beliefs, I am unable to do your video book trailer. I have refunded your purchase. God Bless.” The only way he could refuse my purchase was that my book, Kleptomaniac: Who’s Really Robbing God Anyway went against his beliefs about tithing. Now I know he did not read my book, but made a judgement call without ever knowing what was written in the book. As a business owner, he had a right to deny my purchase, but I think he did so based on a mis-interpretation of scripture. If I met him personally, I would say, “Did you reject my request based on true spiritual beliefs or did you reject my purchase based on non-bibical ideological censorship? If you are truly interested in theology, interpretation and research, you must never hesitate to question your beliefs. Your faith will be strengthened from investigating your beliefs. Whe you find something uncertain about your belief system, the best way to find aswers is to undertake research and study. This is how you will come to know the truth. Do not deny yourself the opportunity to learn further and strengthen your faith.” 

I addresed the subject of tithing in my lastest video titled,  Actually Tithing is Not in the Bible. The video talks about what people believe is in the Bible and share what the Bible says especially tithing. Kleptomaniac: Who’s Really Robbing God Anyway is an ebook from Amazon and in PDF, iPad and Kindle from Book Baby.

 

Tithing money is not in the Bible and especially in the New Testament because giving is not a tithe for these reasons.

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

Get your e-book signed by Frank Chase Jr

When I wrote my book, I set out to explain some of the passages and the logic behind some of the text in book bubbles. Many of the book bubbles share book excerpts and my thoughts about why I wrote the text or how the research affected me. My first  book bubble, The Fight Continues deals with the views that churches have about tithing. And even though I published a book, teaching and sharing the truth about tithing has been a centuries-old fight. What has been difficult about tithing is learning that everyone has their own personal meaning what the term mean, so in my second book bubbles, Understanding Tithing Starts With a Definition explains the meaning of the term tithing to set the foundation so people won’t go off the rails on unfounded definitions. You have to establish and empirical definition before you can start talking about a subject and what it means.  For me reasearch is important in getting to the bottom line of a subject, so my third book bubble, Research Brings Truth explains how I went about peeling back the layers of existing tithe doctrines in Christian theological circles. For many in the church, the argument has been that tithing existed before the law and that somehow justifies commuting the biblical food tithe to monetary tithing so that got me thinking about my forth book bubble, The Law Does Not Teach Money Tithing, which explains what the law actually taught about tithing and frankly the law did not say a utter a word about tithing income from a paycheck. One of the argument you will likely hear from the pulpit is that that Bible requires a tithe on the increase. Now on face value that is true, but what is the increase and how does the Bible define increase? That lead to my fifth book bubble, Tithing on Increase, which explains what the word means in context of scripture and not financial considerations of our current economic system. In the Bible the word increase has a different meaning and is confined to the economic system of that time. Tithing and giving have been conflated, redefined, taken out of context so much so that true giving is lost becuase of the confusion. In my sixth, book bubble, What Does True Giving Look Like? I try to explain biblical practice of freewill giving over the erroneous practice of monetary tithing which is not on the pages of the Bible. Many assume monetary tithing has always been the case, but in my seventh book bubble, Arguments Against Tithing Has a Long History, I share historical examples of people speaking out against the unlawful tampering of scripture to justify collecting money as a tithe. Long before many of us were born, many before us stood against the monetary tithe and paid the price with their lives. The debate has been whether the tithe is money or food, so to address that issue, my eighth book bubble, Monetary Tithing or Edible Tithing, Which One? puts to rest what the tithe is by sharing insight from the Jewish historian Josephus. Often when a financial system is threatened by exposing it fautly underpinnings, in this case church titing, there are no lengths the church will not go to make sure the status remain in tack. This lead me to write my ninth book bubble, The Church and its Money Grab Tactics to expose the different methods churches employ to collect ten percent of peoples paychecks. You would think that in scripture, one would be able to find a definitive postion on monetary tithing, and though we give Apostle Paut credit for penning much of the New Testament, my tenth book bubble, Paul Never Taught Believer to Tithe Money examines what Pau’s giving position was and how he viewed support gospel preachers. And guess what ladies and gentlemen, it was not tithing. Any time you have a conversation with a person who believes in tithing is to ask them to show you where Jesus paid monetary tithes. The first thing that will hit the person is cognitive dissonance because they won’t be able to find on verse to support their position. That is why my eleventh book bubble, Jesus and His Ministry Never Received Tithes talks about how the Messiah and the deciples received support and why Jesus could not pay or receive tithes. At some point in digging up the truth about monetary tithing after years of research, you have to conclude that as I did that tithing is not required, and that’s what my tweleveth book bubble, Official Orthodox Biblical Tithing Has Passed Away closes the book on the differences between tithing and giving by allowing context to define the tithe centuris ago and now as edible items (crops, livestock, grain, and flocks). This term first fruits, which is often confused with tihing is my thirteenth book bubble titled, What are First Fruits in the Bible? In this bubble, it is clear the Bible never defined first fruits as money as some do today, but in my author insight about the book excerpt, I make it clear that tithing and first fruits have exclusive meanings and can never be interchanged. Eating tithes verses paying tithes has been the quintessential question of the ages and yet when the Bible is pretty explicit that tithes are eatible items, some still won’t accept the truth of the word so in my fourteenth book bubble, Eating Tithes vs Paying Tithes I explain my thoughts on why people choose falsehood over truth. The first question one must ask when talking bout tithes is Jesus did not pay a tithe or collect a tithe, why should I be paying money the Bible does not require. I try to answer those question in my latest book bubble titled, Did Jesus Collect Tithes?  I hope these book bubble give you information that you would go to my website and purchase a signed copy my book, Kleptomaniac: Who’s Really Robbing God Anyway? For those who are interested in giving in the New Testament, I completed a partial power point study titled, New Testament Giving. There you will find what I discovered about giving in the New Testament. The ebook is now available at Amazon.

Now, I’m not the only one who writes about tithing. I am certainly not the only author whose published books on tithing. One of my facebook Friends Who Like Kleptomaniac: Who’s Really Robbing God Anyway? named Rob Robey wrote an excellent article about tithing. I would hope that one day the person who refused my order for a book trailer would read my book and this post to learn more about tithing before turning down business simply based on an unresearch religous belief. Here is what Rob Robey wrote about tithing.

The Lord gave me understanding many, many years ago.

The Monetary Tithe Requirement Doctrine: An Invention of Man
by Ronald W Robey

A few years back, someone told me that he had talked to five (5) different “Biblical Scholars” about my stance on Scriptural tithing and they all informed him that I was wrong.

My response was simple. I didn’t consult with “Biblical Scholars” to arrive at my conclusion… I went straight to the source… the infallible and inerrant word of God. I would hope this would be the actions of all who want to be approved (2 Tim. 2:15) in God’s eyes.

We are instructed by the Apostle Paul to “put on the full armor of God” (Eph. 6:11) and above all to “take up the Shield of Faith and the Sword of the Spirit which is the word of God” (Eph. 6:16-17)

How can one be taking up the word of God when one is embracing and teaching doctrine that is contrary to that which holy men of old penned down as they were moved by the Holy Spirit to do?

There are only a handful of instances where we find people tithing in the word of God. A true “Biblical Scholar” shouldn’t have a problem looking up those few instances.

The word “tithe” in relation to God’s commanded tithe appears only 14 times in 13 verses of the KJV. (Lev. 27:30,32; Num. 18:26; Deut. 12:17; Deut. 14:22,28; 2 Chr. 31:5; Neh. 10:38; Neh. 13:12; Matt. 23:23; Lk. 11:42) This tithe is from agricultural increase only.

The word “tithes” in relation to God’s commanded tithe appears only 23 times in 20 verses of the KJV. (Le 27:31; Nu 18:24,26,28; De 12:6,11; De 26:12; 2Ch 31:12; Ne 10:37,38; Ne 12:44; Ne 13:5; Am 4:4; Mal 3:8,10; Lu 18:12; Heb 7:5,6,8,9) This tithe is from agricultural increase only.

The word “tithes” in relation to a voluntary tithe appears only 1 time in 1 verse in the KJV. (Gen. 14:20) Context reveals that this tithe is from war spoils and not from Abram’s own property or riches.

The word “tithing” in relation to God’s commanded tithe appears only 2 times in 1 verse of the KJV. (Deut. 26:12) This tithe is from agricultural increase only.

The phrase “the tenth” in relation to God’s commanded tithe is found only 2 times in 2 verses of the KJV. (Lev. 27:32; Num. 18:21) This tithe is from agricultural increase only.

The phrase “the tenth” in relation to a voluntary tithe is found only 2 times in 2 verses in the KJV. (Gen. 28:22; Heb. 7:4) This tithe is from spoils of war and not from Abraham’s own property or riches.

The phrase “the tenth” in relation to a forced tithe by man is found only 2 times in 2 verses in the KJV. (1 Sam. 8:15,17) Those who choose man to rule over them tithe according to the invention of their ruler. They have rejected God.

The phrase “a tenth” in relation to a voluntary tithe is found only 1 time in 1 verse in the KJV. (Heb 7:2) This tithe is of war spoils and was not of Abraham’s property or riches.

That is a total of 36 verses in the entire KJV that refer to God’s commanded tithe. Of all those verses, not a single one instructs, or commands one tithing one’s monetary income. The 36 verses that refer to God’s commanded tithe refer to food, and they can be found in the dispensation of the Mosaic Law between Leviticus 27: 30 and Hebrews 7:9. (see the above references)

There is only one tithe in the entire Bible that may have contained money, and that is the tithe given to Melchizedek by Abram in the Valley of Shaveh.

Abram gave Melchizedek tithes of the spoils of war. Abram had promised God he would not keep any of the spoils as his own lest he give Bera, the king of Sodom, occasion to brag that he had made Abram rich.

This reveals that what Abram tithed was not his own property, but the property of others! Nor did Abram tithe his monetary income to Melchizedek. Rather, he tithed the spoils of war.

Further, Abram is never said to have ever tithed again. A one time tithe to Melchizedek,… of the spoils of war,… is this whose tithe we are to emulate? Then only a once-in-a-lifetime tithe is required; and that of war spoils, not of one’s monetary income.

Jacob is revealed to have promised God that he would give him a tenth of all that God would give him. A careful study of the word of God will reveal that what Jacob vowed to tithe was not monetary income,… he vowed to tithe a tenth of the land that God promised to give Jacob and his descendants.

And, once Jacob’s descendants moved into the Promised Land, God held them to their father Jacob’s vow. God required that tithe that Jacob had set apart for God. (Gen. 28:20-22; Lev. 27:30-34)

God required tithes of agricultural crops and livestock from the children of Israel. (Lev. 27:30-34) They were “holy” to God. Set apart by the Patriarch Jacob.

Are we to tithe in the manner that the children of Israel tithed? If so, then it is to be agricultural, restricting it to only landowners who have crops and livestock. It is to be taken to farming communities in the Promised Land, not anywhere else in the world. Of those tithes, the tither is to eat with his family. How many pastors tell their congregations to eat a tithe with their families? It is highly doubtful that any pastors do.

The long and short of it is, that which pastors tell their congregations is God’s tithe today, cannot be found anywhere in the pages of God’s Holy word. Today’s monetary tithe requirement doctrine is the invention of man, not a decree of God.

Brethren, open your Bibles and study. Don’t read, but STUDY. You will find what I have written does not conflict with what the word of God says concerning the tithe or tithes God has commanded in His word.

What does conflict with His word, is the monetary tithe being taught in the pulpits by men who are supposed to be teaching truth rather than error. They are supposed to preach the word, not inventions of man.

Our giving is not to be of necessity, (2 Cor. 9:7) yet pastors make it such. Our giving should not be because of guilt, yet pastors have no problem making their congregation feel guilty by accusing them of “robbing God” if they don’t tithe.

The Bible tells us to choose in our own hearts what we want to give. (2 Cor. 9:7) If we follow God’s instruction rather than distorted doctrine, God will be pleased with us.

Now, I ask, why does one need some kind of Theological Degree to study the word and come to the same conclusions I have on the topic of tithes? It appears that Theological Degrees have not helped the aforementioned “Biblical Scholars” to rightly divide the word of Truth, for they teach contrary to what the Scriptures teach on the subject of tithing.

Will I bow to the demands of the preacher who teaches that I am to tithe my money to the Church? Not until that preacher can provide Scripture from the word of God that says the Christian is to tithe his or her monetary income to the Church. In all my years of studying the word of God, I have yet to find said Scripture.”

 

Kleptomaniac: Who's Really Robbing God Anyway?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

So I’ll conclude with these two slides from from my New Testamment Giving Study. Maybe the ten percent you give to your church, although is ok if you give it from your heart, and so is someone who gives 3, 2, 5, 7 or 9 percent. The reason its ok not to be bound by percentage giving is that whatever you give must come from the heart. However, another thought is that your ten percent is not a tithe as we’ve already proven, but your tenth paid to your church represents a tax, a temple tax of sorts that you file on your income taxes and get a refund from the government, which does not amont to the windows of heaven opening up and pouring you out a blessing as erroneously taught from the pulpit. The income tax check from all your tithes paid to the church is blessing refund from the IRS not the windows of God’s heaven.

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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

Get your e-book signed by 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?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

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KLEPTOMANIAC: Who’s Really Robbing God Anyway?

Interested in purchasing a copy of the book KLEPTOMANIAC. This book is a journey into the annuals of biblical history concerning what the Bible teaches about tithing and giving. This book will take you on a proverbial archeological quest to uncover the true meaning of biblical words that deal with money. When confusion exists about what certain words mean in the Bible, such as tithe, tithing, tenth or ten percent, this book will examine the Hebrew and Greek language to bring to life what these words actually mean in context. This book will upend the common beliefs held by believers concerning giving and tithing based on the history of the original people of the Bible and how they related to money. From the very beginning to the end of the book, everything is supported by Scripture and research. You will know from the onset why the author, Dr. Frank Chase Jr., wrote the book and learn about his personal story of what happened as a result of embracing New Covenant giving principles from the New Testament. No book asks questions like this book. And some of those questions are: does the Bible talk about tithing? Did God change the tithe at some point in biblical history? Are first fruits money? Is the tithe food or money? Is the church the storehouse? Did Jesus, Paul and the Disciples tithe? Did the early church honor a money tithe system? Are Christians really cursed for not tithing ten percent of their income? These questions will be answered based on scholarship, the land, the language and the literature of the original Biblical people. Not only does the book cover the Old Testament tithe, but it will travel through time to unveil what the New Testament teaches about giving and tithing by analyzing some of the epistles of Apostle Paul concerning his views and the instructions he gave on charitable giving. This book defines biblical terms using the Hebrew and Greek text to bring clarity and understanding of the scripture in context. KLEPTOMANIAC defines the actual orthodox biblical tithe.

Get get a signed copy from the author's website at http://www.fcpublishing.com/about_kleptomaniac. Price includes tax, shipping and handling.
If you just want a copy of the ebook, go to https://store.bookbaby.com/book/kleptomaniac

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