Russell Earl Kelly Ph. Book Details. Language : English. Format : Softcover. Dimensions : 6x9. Page Count : ISBN : This book leaves no question or objection about tithing unanswered. It is a "must read" for any serious Bible student. Amost everyone knows that the Bible tells God's people that they must tithe their income - that is, to give a tenth of what they earn to the work of the Lord.
Sadly, that is sometimes not the case in the church today. Not only is this book timely but a welcome treatise for the believer that wants to tap into the heavenly treasures. Christians should not condemn others that do not tithe but give of themselves in other areas.
Christians should give out of their love for God and not in fear of receiving a curse from God. This is why it is important for Bible students to apply proper hermeneutical tools to the Word of Truth. Christians that do not tithe are not necessarily against giving to spread the Gospel; they just believe that tithing is not a set amount but an amount they set in their hearts to give. Tithing is a divisive subject in the churches, today. However, it should not be. Tithing, if a Christian desires to practice, should be a personal issue between him and God.
This is especially important since tithing Christians do not know whether to tithe from net income or gross income. On the other hand, giving to the local church, whether through free-will offerings or tithing, does not relieve Christians from doing much more or giving far beyond. Abraham tithed from the spoils of war, not from his own property.
He was also very wealthy before he gave his tithes to Melchizedek. Tithing under the Law was from the herds and the fruit of the land for the Levites. The High Priest received a tenth of the tithe. Malachi is not a book about tithing but a book about a nation that violated its covenant with God.
The main violators were the priests. This book is not a call to Israel to tithe but to get right with God. Christians did not tithe for the first or so years. They gave sacrificially and willingly without having a specific standard of giving. When Jesus spoke of tithing to the Jews of His time, He did so because they were still under the Law, just as Jesus was. Paul never mentioned tithing because he dealt primarily with Gentiles. Since he preached the same Gospel Jesus preached, then it safe to believe that tithing was not part of the New Testament Church.
Anything and everything Christians owe belong to their Lord, Jesus Christ. The Law demanded the tithe, but only from the fruit of the land and the herds. However, many people gave it but their hearts were not right with God and the same thing is happening in many churches, today.
Under the New Covenant, grace demands much more, and Christians are well aware of that. Sadly, many are the ones who would not take part in their local congregations to do anything for the kingdom of God, but Christian leaders give them church positions because they are generous with their tithes and offerings. Many Christian leaders do not care whether their sheep are in a backslidden condition so long the money comes in; they seem not to care whether those to whom they preach are receiving from Jesus salvation, transformation, reconciliation, or healing; all they seem to care is for material gain.
However, these two reasons are not enough to reject tithing. The Bible student must, with the help of the Holy Spirit, search whether tithing is indeed part of the New Testament Church. They must give because Jesus expects them to give, as well as praying and fasting.
Dishonoring parents was one of the many things Jesus disliked about the religious people of His time. Even giving monetary gifts to others is doing something for the Lord. Some people are having their utilities cut off because they do not have the money to pay their bills while others lack food because Christian leaders manipulate the Scriptures cause them to give their money to support their local congregations.
It is not fair to them nor is it showing the love of God when Christian leaders manipulate the Scriptures to teach people that giving money is the only expression of love.
Bibliography Anders, Max. Arnold, Clinton E. Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, Philemon. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, Especially read verses 28 and 29 in chapter Yet most tithe-teachers refer to the tithe as the best and first ten per cent.
Distinct from the first tithe which was only for Levites and priests, this was to be eaten by all in the streets of Jerusalem. This was an extra subsidy for Levites who were expected to be first in line among the poor Some teach that this replaced the 2 nd festival tithe every third year.
However, if this were true, there would be no food for the three yearly festivals. Again, it is obvious why this is not taught today. Firstfruits were the first wave-sheaf of the whole harvest, not the best Lev. Unlike the food-tithe, it was a very small token amount of the first crops harvested and was small enough to fit into a hand-held basket Deut. Firstfruits were a very small token offering -- like a handful of grapes or olives.
In Nehemiah a first-fruits and first-born offerings went directly to the Temple and were required to be totally consumed by ministering priests only inside the Temple. While the Levites ate only the tithe, the priests could also eat from the first-fruits, first-born offerings and other offerings.
First Timothy is the new Spirit-taught "first. God wants you to make sure you can buy medicine, feed and shelter your family. Even the heathen do that Rom And a pastor who convinces Christians to give their first to the church to the neglect of caring for their own family is guilty of sin against God's cleat post-Calvary command.
Because the differences between firstfruits and tithes are so clear, one must conclude that educated tithe-teachers deliberately lie when they equate firstfruits with tithes! Yet almost all of them tell this lie. It is an outrage almost to the point of blasphemy and must stop!
The New Covenant was 0ver years away Jer. The New Covenant did not include post-Calvary tithing to support a Levitical priesthood which was forbidden from owning property. Tithe-teachers who preach tithing from Deuteronomy, Nehemiah, Malachi, Matthew and Luke ignore proper principles of interpretation, the covenant and the context of those books.
Malachi is addressed to Old Covenant Israel and not to the Church It is never quoted in the New Covenant after Calvary to validate tithing. Priests offer polluted bread on the altar Priests offer inferior animals for sacrifice Priests are in charge of the doors and starting sacrificial fires Priests had better animals in their flocks received as tithes ; Numb. Priests were cursed The blessings of the priests are cursed Priests had broken their special covenant with Levi Priests covered the altar with their tears Priests had married Gentile wives Priests mock God and ask why He had not judged them God promises to punish the priests Every priest in the nation has helped steal the tithes from the Levites Neh God curses the priests once again ; ; Priests are told to return the stolen tithes from Neh back to the temple storerooms This contextual sequence makes sense because, contrary to what most of us have been told, the ordinary people were to take their tithes, not to the temple, but to the Levitical cities where the vast majority of the Levites and priests needed them for food Neh b.
This also perfectly explains Malachi You are wearing stolen clothes, driving stolen cars and are living in stolen houses. Again the Bible says 12 times that those who received the first whole tithe were not allowed to own property. Receiving tithes did not mean that Old Covenant Levites and priests must have been full time and could not work other jobs.
It only meant that they could not own property inside Israel. In fact it was necessary for them to learn and work other trades in order to build and maintain the sanctuary or temple Numbers 3; 1 Chronicles What remains? Preach the truth: freewill sacrificial giving principles endorsed by the Holy Spirit after Calvary 2 Cor.
The blessings and curses of tithing are identical to and inseparable from those of the entire Mosaic Law. One must keep the whole law in order to be blessed not simply tithe ; breaking one part of the law brought its curses. The devourer of Malachi is the same as Deuteronomy Some tithe teachers go beyond credibility to place blood-washed redeemed New Covenant believers under the curse of the Old Covenant. In fact Gentile Christians never were under that Law; they were condemned by nature and conscience Rom Hebrew Christians who were once under it are now dead to it Romans You are quoting Malachi ; is it the curse of the Old Covenant?
This forced the Levites to return to their cities for food and the temple was closed Neh Nehemiah is the likely context of Malachi King Hezekiah discovered this in 2 nd Chronicles and re-distributed the tithes to the Levitical cities Thus 23 of 24 courses, all women and all men under 20 stayed in the Levitical cities. Also see 1 Chron ; see also , 21 ; 2 Chron ; ; , ; , 5, 10 ; Ezra ; Neh , 30; ; , 10; Luke
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