A common mistake (or deliberate deception) of false tithing teachers, made also by tithers, is replacing facts clearly stated in God's word as to what Biblical tithing is with their own commandments of men. Or, as Jesus said...
Matthew 15:9 - "But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men."
And...
Mark 7:13 - "Making the word of God of none effect through your tradition, which ye have delivered: and many such like things do ye."
This is a danger with any Biblical subject, and is seen blatantly consistent in the false teachings regarding tithing.
SOME COMMON REPLACEMENTS
Here are some common and typical replacements tithing teachers insert in order to deceptively convince their followers to hand over ten percent of their income to them;
>> The tithing teacher claims;
Your tithe is to consist of money from your income and bank account.
>> God's word states;
The tithe are agricultural items from the Promise Land of Israel; Lev. 27:30, 32, Num. 18:27, Num. 18:28, Deut 12:17, Deut. 14:22, Deut. 14:23, Deut. 24:21, Deut. 26:12, 2 Chron. 31:5, 2 Chron. 31:6, Neh. 10:37, Neh. 13:5, Mal. 3:10, Matt. 23:23, Luke 11:42. God's tithe is NEVER described as "money to be paid or surrendered" to anyone. There is no such thing in God's word as "monetary tithing." ...the tithing of money.
>> The tithing teacher claims;
Malachi 3:10 was written to the church and to every New Testament Christian.
>> God's word states;
Malachi 3:10 was written to the Nation of Israel and to corrupt priests in the time of Malachi; Malachi 1:1 - "The burden of the word of the LORD to Israel by Malachi." Malachi 1:6 - "A son honoureth his father, and a servant his master: if then I be a father, where is mine honour? and if I be a master, where is my fear? saith the LORD of hosts unto you, O priests, that despise my name. And ye say, Wherein have we despised thy name?" Malachi 2:1 - "And now, O ye priests, this commandment is for you."
>> The tithing teacher claims;
Tithing is a New Testament requirement for Christians under grace.
>> God's word states;
Tithing was a requirement for the Nation of Israel under the law of Moses; Malachi 3:7 - "Even from the days of your fathers ye are gone away from mine ordinances, and have not kept them. Return unto me, and I will return unto you, saith the LORD of hosts. But ye said, Wherein shall we return?" Malachi 4:4 - "Remember ye the law of Moses my servant, which I commanded unto him in Horeb for all Israel, with the statutes and judgments."
>> The tithing teacher claims;
Your "tithe money" is to be given to them or their organization or church.
>> God's word states;
If the tithe has been converted to money, it must be used to buy items for the person and their family and must not be used to "pay a tithe;" Deuteronomy - "14:25-27 Then shalt thou turn it into money, 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, or for whatsoever thy soul desireth: and thou shalt eat there before the LORD thy God, and thou shalt rejoice, thou, and thine household, And the Levite that is within thy gates; thou shalt not forsake him; for he hath no part nor inheritance with thee."
>> The tithing teacher claims;
The tithe is to be taken to their church.
>> God's word states; The tithe (ten percent of it) was to be taken to the temple storehouse in Jerusalem; Nehemiah 10:38 - "And the priest the son of Aaron shall be with the Levites, when the Levites take tithes: and the Levites shall bring up the tithe of the tithes unto the house of our God, to the chambers, into the treasure house." No scripture describes any New Testament church or any other ministry as "a storehouse where tithes are to be taken to."
>> The tithing teacher claims;
You should tithe as Abraham did, tithe to me and my organization.
>> God's word states; Abraham tithed to Melchisedec, not to the tithing teacher or their organization. Genesis 14:20 - "And blessed be the most high God, which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand. And he gave him tithes of all." Hebrews 7:1-2 - "For this Melchisedec, king of Salem, priest of the most high God, who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings, and blessed him; To whom also Abraham gave a tenth part of all; first being by interpretation King of righteousness, and after that also King of Salem, which is, King of peace;"
CONCLUSION
Tithing teachers consistently replace scripture, or parts of scripture thereof, with their own narrative used to deceive gullible Christians and defraud them of their income. They also typically take scripture, such as Malachi 3:10, completely out of proper context. Text taken out of context is a method used to deceive people and is consistently used by false teachers such as tithing teachers.
Malachi 3:10 is clearly written to the Nation of Israel and the corrupt priests of Israel, NOT the New Testament church. In the case of Malachi 3:10, tithing teachers typically take Malachi 3:10 out of audience context; the primary audience is Israel, NOT the New Testament church. For the New Testament church, Malachi 3:10 is DESCRIPTIVE text (describing or recording a situation), it is not, relative to the New Testament, PRESCRIPTIVE (prescribing something to be done). Malachi 3:10 does not prescribe tithing for the New Testament church.
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