TITHING IS BEING ATTACKED!

 

TITHING IS BEING ATTACKED!!!!!

 OH NO! THE SKY IS FALLING!

Mary Ann Wray

It is very telling when preachers get on the defense about tithing being “attacked“ by New Testament believers. The same  preachers don’t talk about morality being attacked, righteous living being attacked, sexual purity being attacked, pure devotion to Christ being attacked, or spiritual manipulation and abuse happening in so many ministries in America that the people of God are being attacked covertly while sitting in pews.

How much do they talk about almsgiving especially as it relates to what we should do with the money Father God supplies us with? How much do they set aside and give to widows, orphans, and the poor in their very own congregations? They don’t talk much about that either because it affects their “bottom line” budgets. These “ministries” are run more like businesses than they are Houses of Prayer. The fruit is telling.

The battles they choose to pick and fight are very telling too. They shout from the housetops that if you teach tithing is not a New Covenant “requirement” you are not correctly dividing scripture and under a curse. But truth be told, to scripturally debunk tithing is like taking away their “bread and butter” probably because none of them will work a job to support their ministries like the apostle Paul did. The apostle Paul, who was sent to the Gentiles, did in fact teach giving offerings to support ministry is scriptural but not one time did mention the word “tithe” in the context of giving. He actually quoted from Deuteronomy when he said “Don’t muzzle the ox when it’s treading out the corn.” He gave this Old Testament principle in regards to those who teach the word-that they should be blessed and supported by those who receive the word. However, did he mention tithing to do it? No, he did not demand the tithe to do it. See also Galatians 6: 6.

Peter, the apostle to the Jews, never mentioned the word tithe in any of his writings or teachings either. None of the Apostles did as a matter of fact. Jesus mentioned tithing in Matthew 23 when he was talking to the legalistic Pharisees. These legalists tithed their mint and cumin (not money) to the very last straw, but yet ignored weightier matters of the law, like mercy, justice and faith.

The truth is, to teach New Testament giving the way Jesus and the apostles did, would negatively affect many ministry “budgets” and preachers lifestyles! It would minimize and even take away the “giving units” they depend on for their mortgaged buildings of brick and mortar. They emphasize building programs and preachers’ comfort over building the people of God who are the REAL temple of the living God! See Isaiah 66:1, Acts 7: 48-51 & 1 Corinthians 3: 16-17.

People who tell the truth about New Testament giving, to them, are wrong and deceived. Some of them even refer to us as "reprobates." Talk about being in bondage to the law that you would call someone who contradicts your legalistic narrative as an unprincipled soul on their way to eternal damnation.  Many of these preachers talk about “grace” but select what passages of scripture to include and better yet exclude. Not one time did Jesus or the Apostles demand tithing under the New Covenant but had a lot to say about how to give.

Tithing teachers build their entire case out of Old Testament scriptures (which by the way were entirely agricultural) because it simply doesn’t exist under the new covenant. Then they’ll turn around and say people who attack tithing don’t believe in the Old Testament. This is laughable. As someone who religiously tithed for over 40 years,  but saw the light of grace under the New Covenant, I finally understand that grace does in fact exclude us from Old Testament ordinances and observances but not giving. I give now at times more that a “tithe”, but my giving now is not based on a particular percentage, preacher, ministry or building. It’s based on how the Holy Spirit leads me and remembering the poor.

The Holy Spirit does not put us under bondage to any old covenant requirement. There are only four ordinances that have passed from old to new and they are as follows:  don’t eat meat sacrificed to idols, do not drink blood, do not eat meat that has been strangled and to keep oneself sexually pure.

These ordinances are found in the book of Acts chapters 15 and 21. These particular Old Testament ordinances were decided and agreed upon by the council at Jerusalem because so many Gentiles were getting born again, and there was a disagreement between the Jewish and Gentile believers as to what Old Testament ordinances one should have to follow. Tithing was not mentioned in any one of these ordinances at all.

What is amazing to me is that in the book of Exodus when God told Moses to build a tabernacle so the people of God could offer sacrifices and gather around it to worship Yahweh, He told Moses to instruct the people of God to bring whatever was on their heart to give for its construction. The Bible says that they gave so much material that God provided and  allowed them to bring out of Egypt, that Moses had to command them to stop giving!!!

Jesus has become the final sacrifice for us and we can each and individually enter into the “holy place” of worship, not just the High priest.  The temple curtain was rent from top to bottom when Jesus gave up the ghost and said, “It is finished.”

What takes more faith preachers? To trust God to move upon peoples hearts to supply needs according to His riches in glory, or to demand a percentage so you can create a budget? Ministry needs aren’t your needs anyway. They’re all about God and his people. Father God supplies for his own. Selah.

“The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work. As it is written, “He has distributed freely, he has given to the poor; his righteousness endures forever.” He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness. You will be enriched in every way to be generous in every way, which through us will produce thanksgiving to God. For the ministry of this service is not only supplying the needs of the saints but is also overflowing in many thanksgivings to God. By their approval of this service, they will glorify God because of your submission that comes from your confession of the gospel of Christ, and the generosity of your contribution for them and for all others, while they long for you and pray for you, because of the surpassing grace of God upon you. Thanks be to God for His inexpressible gift!" 2 Corinthians 9: 6-15