THE NEW TESTAMENT AND TITHING VERSES; A SURVEY

 

THE NEW TESTAMENT AND TITHING VERSES; A SURVEY

Tithing in the New Testament, a command to tithe in the New Testament?

The words "Tithe," "Tithes," "Tithing," "Tither" as mentioned in the New Testament...

>>> TITHE;

> VERSE - Matthew 23:23 - "Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone."

> VERSE - Luke 11:42 - "But woe unto you, Pharisees! for ye tithe mint and rue and all manner of herbs, and pass over judgment and the love of God: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone."

Note; In both Matthew 23:23 and Luke 11:42 Jesus is rebuking the Pharisees for their hypocritical tithing practices, Jesus confirms that God's tithe was to be agricultural only ("ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin"), Jesus confirms that commanded tithing (i.e., a command to tithe to Israel) was a matter of the Law of Moses and originates from the Law of Moses, Jesus does not command tithing which is of the Law to the New Testament church who are not under the Law of Moses (Romans 6:14-15). The tithing of the Pharisees addressed by Jesus in Matthew 23:23 and Luke 11:42 was CLEARLY tithing under the Law of Moses; they would not be tithing under any other example, conditions, command or Law.

It could be said ...But woe unto you who tithe based on Matthew 23:23 and Luke 11:42; WOE UNTO YOU!

Ref; 

> Tithing is of the law; Hebrews 7:5, Malachi 3:7, Malachi 4:4, Numbers 18:21.

> New Testament Christians are not under the Law and have no command to tithe; Rom 6:14, Gal 5:13-14, Titus 2:11-15, Psalm 119:128-130, Eph 5:1, 1 John 3:1-3, Acts 15:24.

> Agricultural produce only from the Promise Land of Israel, never money; Over 30 times in 17 verses in the Bible the tithe is mandated and described as limited to agricultural items only; 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.

>>> TITHES;

> VERSE - Luke 18:12 - "I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess."

Note; The Law of Moses (or the New Testament) instructs NO ONE to "fast twice a week" or "pay tithes on all that I possess." Jesus was using a PARABLE to illustrate the proud bragging and false beliefs of people who are deceived by false doctrine, deceived by scriptural ignorance and are full of boasting pride (2 Timothy 3:13). Jesus DID NOT INSTRUCT that anyone should tithe in the manner as the person in His parable, and did not instruct New Testament Christians to "pay tithes on all that they possess." Nowhere does scripture include a requirement of "fasting twice a week" or "tithing on all that a person possesses." Tithing teachers often use Luke 18:12 as an excuse to promote a non-scriptural tithing claim of "tithe on your income." When they do so they are taking scripture out of context and are ignoring the WHOLE COUNSEL OF GOD (the whole Bible) regarding a singular passage of scripture. Again; the Bible, New or Old Testament, does not require fasting twice a week, and does not require the tithing of all a person possesses.

Ref;

> The whole counsel of God is to be used to rightfully interpret scripture; Acts 17:11 - "These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so." 2 Timothy 3:16-17 - "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: that the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works." "Test all things; hold fast what is good." - 1 Thessalonians 5:21 "Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path." - Psalm 119:105, Hebrews 5:14 - "But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil."

> Hebrews 7:5 - "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:"

Note; Hebrews 7:5 clearly states that the tithing God had commanded was based on the Law of Moses; "have a commandment to take tithes of the people according to the law," New Testament Christians are not under the Law of Moses (see; Romans 6:14-15) and have no command to tithe anything to anyone. Tithing teachers often refer to the tithing practiced by the Nation of Israel (I.e., Malachi 3:10) as an example for New Testament Christians to follow, yet the Bible reveals that their tithing practices were of the Law of Moses and consisted of, and was limited to agricultural items only, never money.

Additionally; NOWHERE in the New Testament are the tithing practices of the Law of Moses, ergo; the Israelites, cited as an example to follow for Christians, neither do we see any such tithing practices recorded in the early church of the Book of Acts or in the Epistles of the Apostles. There is NO New Testament scripture instructing Christians to tithe as the Jewish people of Israel did. Hence; "Forasmuch as we have heard, that certain which went out from us have troubled you with words, subverting your souls, saying, Ye must be circumcised, and keep the law: to whom we gave no such commandment:" - Acts 15:24. And; "For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them." - Galatians 3:10

> VERSE - Hebrews 7:6 - "But he whose descent is not counted from them received tithes of Abraham, and blessed him that had the promises."

> VERSE - Hebrews 7:8 - "And here men that die receive tithes; but there he [receiveth them], of whom it is witnessed that he liveth." ("receiveth them" was added by KJV translators, and is not found in the original Greek text.)

> VERSE - Hebrews 7:9 - "And as I may so say, Levi also, who receiveth tithes, payed tithes in Abraham."

NOTE: Hebrews 7:6 to 9 refers to the singular tithe of Abraham to Melchisedec from the spoils of war. Nowhere in the Old or New Testaments does scripture cite Abraham's tithe to Melchisedec as an example to be followed, not for the Jews of Israel, not for New Testament Christians.

Additionally; Abraham's tithe to Melchisedec, by having the Levites in his loins has already accomplished its goal of establishing the superiority of the Priesthood of the order of Melchisedec over the now discontinued inferior Priesthood of the Levites. There is no further tithing required to so do; Hebrews 7:7 - "And without all contradiction the less is blessed of the better." Hebrews 7:8 is a singular event and does not speak of Melchisedec continuing to receive tithes, and it is interesting to observe that "men who DIE" receive tithes; a reference to the death (ending of) of the Levite priesthood which could perfect and save no one; 

Hebrews 7:16 - "Who is made, not after the law of a carnal commandment, but after the power of an endless life."

Hebrews 7:11 - "If therefore perfection were by the Levitical priesthood, (for under it the people received the law,) what further need was there that another priest should rise after the order of Melchisedec, and not be called after the order of Aaron?"

Hebrews 7:19 - "For the law made nothing perfect, but the bringing in of a better hope did; by the which we draw nigh unto God."

Levi in the loins of Abraham paying tithe to Melchisedec;

Hebrews 7:5 - "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:"

Hebrews 7:10 - "For he was yet in the loins of his father, when Melchisedec met him."

There is much more that can be said concerning Abraham's tithe to Melchisedec, but suffice it to say that Abraham's tithe to Melchisedec does not stand as an example for the New Testament Christian to follow. Abraham tithed to Melchisedec...TO MELCHISEDEC, not to a pastor, church or your favorite ministry. 

>>> TITHING;

Not mentioned, no scriptural reference.

>>> TITHER; 

Not mentioned, no scriptural reference.

>> CONCLUSION;

Tithing, including monetary tithing (the tithing of money) is not a New Testament commandment or practice. The New Testament does not instruct Christians to tithe, tithing has been canceled and ended forever;

Hebrews 7:18-19 - "For there is verily a disannulling of the commandment going before for the weakness and unprofitableness thereof. For the law made nothing perfect, but the bringing in of a better hope did; by the which we draw nigh unto God."

___________________________________________________________________

Copyright 2024, Anthony Todd, All rights reserved. Permission to copy and distribute this article must be obtained in writing from Tithing Study Online.

Permission can be requested at: tithingstudyonline@gmail.com. Upon permission to do so, it is granted under the strict condition that no content of any article be removed or altered, and that all articles are to remain intact as is when used. You must include a notation that any article distributed originated from Tithing Study Online, and include our blog URL as: https://ExaminingTithingDeceptions.blogspot.com - Permission to copy for personal use only is hereby granted.

WHAT TITHING TEACHERS WILL NEVER TELL YOU

 

WHAT TITHING TEACHERS WILL NEVER TELL YOU

>> If you do this...

Malachi 3:10 - "Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it."

>> Then you are also bound by this...

Deuteronomy 27:26 - "Cursed be he that confirmeth not all the words of this law to do them. And all the people shall say, Amen."

James 2:10 - "For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all."

Galatians 5:3 - "For I testify again to every man that is circumcised [keeping the Law of Moses], that he is a debtor to do the whole law."

>> Because of this...

Malachi 3:7 - "Even from the days of your fathers ye are gone away from mine ordinances [the Law of Moses], 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."

>> Why? Because Malachi 3:10 was written pursuant to, based on, and under the authority of the Law of Moses. Malachi 3:10, bringing tithes to the storehouse, originates from the Law of Moses;

Numbers 18:26 - "Thus speak unto the Levites, and say unto them, When ye take of the children of Israel the tithes which I have given you from them for your inheritance, then ye shall offer up an heave offering of it for the LORD, even a tenth part of the tithe."

Which is explained (expanded) in detail here...

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."

To tithe based on Malachi 3:10 places a person under the Law of Moses and therefore subject to the results of not obeying the whole Law of Moses.

>> Additionally; if you are tithing money, if your tithe consists of money, you are in violation of God's word that states the following...

Deuteronomy 14:22-27 - "Thou shalt truly tithe all the increase of thy seed, that the field bringeth forth year by year. And thou 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 art not able to carry it; 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, 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."

...consume the tithe yourself, or sell the tithe for money, bind the money to your hand, DO NOT USE IT TO PAY A TITHE; money must be spent on you and your family, part of your purchases shared with a Levite within your gates.

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Copyright 2024, Anthony Todd, All rights reserved. Permission to copy and distribute this article must be obtained in writing from Tithing Study Online.

Permission can be requested at: tithingstudyonline@gmail.com. Upon permission to do so, it is granted under the strict condition that no content of any article be removed or altered, and that all articles are to remain intact as is when used. You must include a notation that any article distributed originated from Tithing Study Online, and include our blog URL as: https://ExaminingTithingDeceptions.blogspot.com - Permission to copy for personal use only is hereby granted.

THE BIBLE WARNS US

THE BIBLE WARNS US

"Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish ought from it, that ye may keep the commandments of the Lord your God which I command you." - Deuteronomy 4:2

Over 30 times in 17 verses in the Bible the tithe is mandated and described as limited to agricultural items only. (See; 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)

And...

"Every word of God is pure; He is a shield to those who take refuge in Him. Do not add to His words or He will rebuke you, and you will be proved a liar." - Proverbs 30:5-6

What are we warned of? This; DO NOT ALTER OR ADD TO GOD'S WORD; ergo; DO NOT ADD A REQUIREMENT OF THE TITHING OF MONEY FROM INCOME TO GOD'S WORD. If we do, God calls us LIARS who will be rebuked.

MONEY TITHING

Money from income is never mentioned as suitable for tithing. God's Holy Tithe NEVER consisted of money. Nowhere in God's word has God ever levied a tithe on personal monetary income; not to Israel, not to any Gentile, not to the New Testament Church. Monetary tithing, that is to say the tithing of money, does not exist in God's word, the Bible, as a commandment for anyone at anytime. There is no ten percent "tithing" requirement commanded to the New Testament Church.

Also; nowhere in the Bible has God instructed anyone to tithe as, or because of the tithing by Abraham to Melchizedek. Abraham tithed TO MELCHIZEDEK, NOT to any New Testament church or minister. Nowhere in the Bible is Abraham's tithe to Melchizedek cited as an example to be followed. Abraham's tithe to Melchizedek was DESCRIPTIVE NOT PRESCRIPTIVE. The Bible does not prescribe tithing based on Abraham's singular tithe to Melchizedek. Abraham's tithe to Melchizedek was sufficient to establish the superiority of the Melchizedek priesthood over the Levite priesthood. That important superiority does not need to be established or proven again;

Hebrews 7:6-7 - "But he whose descent is not counted from them received tithes of Abraham, and blessed him that had the promises. And without all contradiction the less is blessed of the better."

THE TITHE SOLD

If you sold the tithe for money, the holder of the money was forbidden to use the money to "pay a tithe." The money was commanded to be used to purchase anything you wanted and share it with you family and Levite who was with you. You were not permitted to tithe with money. Where does the Bible say this? 

Here...

Deuteronomy 14:22-27 - "Thou shalt truly tithe all the increase of thy seed, that the field bringeth forth year by year. And thou 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 art not able to carry it; 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, 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."

Note; "BIND UP THE MONEY IN THINE HAND" ... do not use it to tithe with.

HEED THE WARNING; DO NOT ALTER GOD'S WORD OR YOU WILL BE PROVEN TO BE A LIAR AND REBUKED.

___________________________________________________________________

Copyright 2024, Anthony Todd, All rights reserved. Permission to copy and distribute this article must be obtained in writing from Tithing Study Online.

Permission can be requested at: tithingstudyonline@gmail.com. Upon permission to do so, it is granted under the strict condition that no content of any article be removed or altered, and that all articles are to remain intact as is when used. You must include a notation that any article distributed originated from Tithing Study Online, and include our blog URL as: https://ExaminingTithingDeceptions.blogspot.com - Permission to copy for personal use only is hereby granted.

2000 YEARS AGO

2000 YEARS AGO

God ended tithing 2000 years ago, and never commanded the tithing of money to anyone, neither was a command ever given for any group of people to tithe except the Nation of Israel. Or, as God's word tells us...

"He sheweth his word unto Jacob, his statutes and his judgments unto Israel." He hath not dealt so with any nation: and as for his judgments, they have not known them. Praise ye the Lord." - Psalm 147:19-20

As noted many times before; In the New Testament no Apostle ever instructed tithing, asked for a tithe, rebuked any person or church for not tithing, or received a tithe. Not one of them. The early church seen in the Book of Acts NEVER tithed. We have NO record of them doing so. In fact, The Book of Acts records this...

"Forasmuch as we have heard, that certain which went out from us have troubled you with words, subverting your souls, saying, Ye must be circumcised, and keep the law: to whom we gave NO such commandment:" - Acts 15:24

If tithing was required and taught in the New Testament for Christians, it would have to be clearly detailed and outlined in the terms and conditions of the New Testament like all promises and commands of the New Testament are. Tithing instructions would be clearly included in the New Testament, there are NO SUCH INSTRUCTIONS TO BE FOUND. No such terms, conditions or details are outlined anywhere in the New Testament. Tithing was never, is not now, and will never be part of the New Testament. The New Testament KNOWS NOTHING OF ANY COMMAND FOR A BELIEVER TO TITHE.

Titus 1:10-11 - "For there are many unruly and vain talkers and deceivers, specially they of the circumcision: WHO'S MOUTHS MUST BE STOPPED, who subvert whole houses, teaching things which they ought not, for FILTHY LUCRE'S SAKE."

...Why are you paying money to liars?

Where did God end tithing? Here...

HEBREWS CHAPTER SEVEN; TITHING CANCELED BY THE NEW TESTAMENT...

What is DISANNULLED? What is WEAK? What is UNPROFITABLE? These three;

1. The Levitical Priesthood (which could bring perfection [salvation] TO NO ONE, Hebrews 7:11).

2. The Law of Moses relative to New Testament Christians who are NOT UNDER THE LAW (Romans 6:14, Acts 15:24).

3. Tithing, which is of the law of Moses (Hebrews 7:5, Numbers 18:21-24, Matthew 23:23).

In Hebrews Chapter Seven tithing is mentioned 7 times, verses number; 2, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 and 9 again, focusing CLEARLY ON TITHING, and while proving the superiority of Christ's priesthood, ALSO places tithing (along with the rest of the law of Moses) in a position of INFERIORITY and declares...

ALL THREE ARE WEAK, ALL THREE ARE UNPROFITABLE, AND ALL THREE ARE DISANNULLED (CANCELED)...INCLUDING TITHING.

"For there is verily a disannulling of the commandment going before for the weakness and unprofitableness thereof." - Hebrews 7:18 (Hebrews was written sometime well after A.D. 49 and prior to A.D. 65.)

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Copyright 2024, Anthony Todd, All rights reserved. Permission to copy and distribute this article must be obtained in writing from Tithing Study Online.

Permission can be requested at: tithingstudyonline@gmail.com. Upon permission to do so, it is granted under the strict condition that no content of any article be removed or altered, and that all articles are to remain intact as is when used. You must include a notation that any article distributed originated from Tithing Study Online, and include our blog URL as: https://ExaminingTithingDeceptions.blogspot.com - Permission to copy for personal use only is hereby granted.

IMPORTANT FACTS CONCERNING TITHING AND THE BOOK OF MALACHI; obeying Malachi 3:10 is impossible for a New Testament Christian

IMPORTANT FACTS CONCERNING TITHING AND THE BOOK OF MALACHI; obeying Malachi 3:10 is impossible for a New Testament Christian.

>> 1. The tithe to be brought to the temple storehouse was 1/10 of the original tithe (not the whole tithe) which had to be delivered to the temple storehouse in Jerusalem only by a Levite accompanied by a priest descended from Aaron;

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."

>> 2. Ninety percent of the tithe was not delivered to the temple storehouse, but was sent to the Levitical cities;

Nehemiah 10:37 - "And that we should bring the firstfruits of our dough, and our offerings, and the fruit of all manner of trees, of wine and of oil, unto the priests, to the chambers of the house of our God; and the tithes of our ground unto the Levites, that the same Levites might have the tithes in all the cities of our tillage."

>> 3. The call to tithe, to whom Malachi was addressing, was to the nation of Israel and the corrupt priesthood of the nation. There is no mention in the Book of Malachi of the New Testament church being addressed or commanded to tithe anything to anyone;

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."

>> 4. Tithing was a national requirement on the nation of Israel, tithing was never commanded on any individual or individual's income;

Malachi 3:9 - "Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation." The man robbing God, referred to in Malachi 3:8, was a corrupt priest named Eliashib identified in Nehemiah 13:4-5 - "And before this, Eliashib the priest, having the oversight of the chamber of the house of our God, was allied unto Tobiah:..." That is to say the man mentioned in Malachi 3:8 is identified in Nehemiah 13:4-5 as Eliashib the priest who was conspiring with a man named Tobiah to rob the temple storehouse of the tithe of the tithe and placing the tithe of the tithe in an improper chamber they were using to store the stolen tithe;

Nehemiah 13:4-5 - "And before this, Eliashib the priest, having the oversight of the chamber of the house of our God, was allied unto Tobiah: And he had prepared for him a great chamber, where aforetime they laid the meat offerings, the frankincense, and the vessels, and the tithes of the corn, the new wine, and the oil, which was commanded to be given to the Levites, and the singers, and the porters; and the offerings of the priests."

>> 5. The tithe being referred to by Malachi came from Israeli farms and herds, from farmers and ranchers, and was limited by God to agricultural products only and their derivatives such as wine and olive oil;

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.

In the above verses, NOT ONE mentions a tithe in the form of money (gold, silver, shekels, mites, coins, etc.). Fruits, vegetables and clean animals WERE NOT THE CURRENCY in Israel during the writing of scriptures; neither in Old or New Testament times. They possessed and used money much as we do today as their currency; see Genesis 23;12-16, Exodus 38:28, Exodus 38:29, Leviticus 5:15, Leviticus 27:3, Leviticus 27:4, Leviticus 27:5, Leviticus 27:6, Leviticus 27:7, Leviticus 27:16, Numbers 3:47, Numbers 3:50, Matthew 21:12-13, Mark 12:41-42, Acts 8:20.

>> 6. Malachi 3:10 can only be obeyed and fulfilled by and via the Law of Moses, not by any New Testament promise or command. Malachi 3:10 is a command to tithe under the law of Moses, not under the New Testament. There is is NO CONTINUATION of Malachi 3:10 into the New Testament. No one can obey or fulfill Malachi 3:10 under the New Testament;

Malachi 3:7 - "Even from the days of your fathers ye are gone away from mine ordinances [Law of Moses], 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." New Testament Christians are not under the Law of Moses and have no command to tithe;

Romans 6:14 - "For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace." 

Acts 15:24 - "Forasmuch as we have heard, that certain which went out from us have troubled you with words, subverting your souls, saying, Ye must be circumcised, and keep the law: to whom we gave no such commandment:"

Hebrews 7:18 - "For there is verily a disannulling of the commandment [Law of Moses] going before for the weakness and unprofitableness thereof."

>> 7. The common people, i.e.; non Levites, were forbidden to bring a tithe to the storehouse;

Only the Levites were permitted to bring the tithe of the tithe to the storehouse, anyone else doing so faced the death penalty; in the clear context of tithing Numbers 18:21-23 says this; "And, behold, I have given the children of Levi all the tenth in Israel for an inheritance, for their service which they serve, even the service of the tabernacle of the congregation. Neither must the children of Israel henceforth come nigh the tabernacle of the congregation, lest they bear sin, AND DIE. But the Levites shall do the service of the tabernacle of the congregation, and they shall bear their iniquity: it shall be a statute for ever throughout your generations, that among the children of Israel they have no inheritance."

CONCLUSION;

No scripture in the Book of Malachi instructs a Christian to tithe. In fact, Malachi's description concerning tithing and where the tithe of the tithe was to be delivered to, and the requirement to do so under the Law of Moses makes it IMPOSSIBLE for a New Testament Christian to obey Malachi 3:10. There is no temple storehouse to take any tithe to. Additionally; the Bible does not describe a New Testament church as a "storehouse to be tithe to."

NEW TESTAMENT CHURCHES ARE NOT STOREHOUSES FOR THE TITHE, NEITHER ARE THE BANK ACCOUNTS OF CHURCHES, PASTORS OR OTHER MINISTERS. 

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Copyright 2024, Anthony Todd, All rights reserved. Permission to copy and distribute this article must be obtained in writing from Tithing Study Online.

Permission can be requested at: tithingstudyonline@gmail.com. Upon permission to do so, it is granted under the strict condition that no content of any article be removed or altered, and that all articles are to remain intact as is when used. You must include a notation that any article distributed originated from Tithing Study Online, and include our blog URL as: https://ExaminingTithingDeceptions.blogspot.com - Permission to copy for personal use only is hereby granted.

CONFUSION OVER THE BOOK OF MALACHI

CONFUSION OVER THE BOOK OF MALACHI

>> The False Claim;

The book of Malachi, in particular Malachi 3:10, was written to command and instruct all people, including New Testament Christians to tithe (hand over ten percent of their income) to a church or other ministry. Everyone must tithe money to the church because Malachi 3:10 tells us to do.

>> The Truth;

The Book of Malachi was written to the Nation of Israel (Malachi 1:1), in particular to Israel's corrupt priesthood (Malachi 1:6, 2:1) who were stealing from and neglecting the Temple of God in Jerusalem. Malachi clearly states who he is addressing, and it is not the New Testament Church. The Book of Malachi was addressing the Nation of Israel under the Law of Moses, in particular Malachi is addressing the disobedience and sins of the Levite Priesthood in regards to the Temple in Jerusalem.

>> The Facts;

Most all, if not all tithing teachers refer to Malachi 3:10 as their "go to scripture" that they claim instructs a Christian to tithe. By "tithing" they clearly mean "handing over ten percent of your income to the church or a ministry." This claim is made even in the fact of Malachi giving no such command, and in detail stating who he is in fact addressing and what he is speaking of.

Malachi 3:10 reads...

"Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it."

Why was this commanded in Malachi? The reason is that the tithe of the tithe was not being delivered to the Temple storehouse as it should have been;

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."

Malachi was addressing the corrupt priesthood of his era (Malachi 1:6, 2:1) who were in disobedience to God's commands. By doing so, by robbing God, they were once again placing the entire nation of Israel in peril of judgment and destruction a mere 30 years after they had began to return from their exile in Babylon (now the Medo-Persian empire). The Medo-Persians, led by King Cyrus II, invaded Babylonia from the east in June of 539 B.C. and captured its capital, Babylon, in July of the same year. In biblical chronology, this occurred near the end of the Babylonian exile of the Jews. God warns of the judgment...

Malachi 2:3 - "Behold, I will corrupt your seed, and spread dung upon your faces, even the dung of your solemn feasts; and one shall take you away with it."

Note the phrase "and one shall take you away with it." ...a warning of once again being taken into captivity and exiled from the Land of Israel into slavery.

As historians have noted, and as recorded in the Bible;

"Before the Babylonian exile even began, God told Jeremiah that Judah would “become a desolate wasteland, and these nations will serve the king of Babylon seventy years” (Jeremiah 25:11). Ezra and others recorded that “in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia [539 B.C.], in order to fulfill the word of the Lord spoken by Jeremiah, the Lord moved the heart of Cyrus” (Ezra 1:1), and Cyrus allowed all the Jews to return to Judah. Not only did Cyrus release the Jews, but he also returned the stolen temple articles and paid for the Jews’ rebuilding efforts from the royal treasury (Ezra 6:4-5). This was a monumental time in Israel’s history, as Jerusalem and the temple were rebuilt and the Law was reinstituted."

In these verses Malachi makes record of God's indictment of the corrupt priests of Israel...

Malachi 1:6-8 - "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? Ye offer polluted bread upon mine altar; and ye say, Wherein have we polluted thee? In that ye say, The table of the LORD is contemptible. And if ye offer the blind for sacrifice, is it not evil? and if ye offer the lame and sick, is it not evil? offer it now unto thy governor; will he be pleased with thee, or accept thy person? saith the LORD of hosts."

Who was the man who was robbing God being referred to here?...

Malachi 3:8-9 - "Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings. Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation."

Answer; the corrupt priests of Israel as stated here...

Malachi 2:1-2 - "And now, O ye priests, this commandment is for you. If ye will not hear, and if ye will not lay it to heart, to give glory unto my name, saith the LORD of hosts, I will even send a curse upon you, and I will curse your blessings: yea, I have cursed them already, because ye do not lay it to heart."

>> Apply All or Apply None;

If you are claiming that Malachi 3:10 refers to the New Testament church then you must also apply all of the Book of Malachi to the church. This is why...

1. Malachi clearly states that he is addressing the Nation of Israel who are under the Law of Moses; 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."

2. James wrote this; James 2:10 - "For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all."

3. Paul wrote this; Galatians 5:3 - "For I testify again to every man that is circumcised, that he is a debtor to do the whole law."  "circumcised"... in context; keeping the Law of Moses.

Therefore, if Malachi 3:10 is to be applied to New Testament Christians, THIS also must be applied to New Testament Christians...

THIS - Malachi 2:2-3 - "If ye will not hear, and if ye will not lay it to heart, to give glory unto my name, saith the LORD of hosts, I will even send a curse upon you, and I will curse your blessings: yea, I have cursed them already, because ye do not lay it to heart. Behold, I will corrupt your seed, and spread dung upon your faces, even the dung of your solemn feasts; and one shall take you away with it."

THIS - Malachi 2:8-9 - "But ye are departed out of the way; ye have caused many to stumble at the law; ye have corrupted the covenant of Levi, saith the LORD of hosts. Therefore have I also made you contemptible and base before all the people, according as ye have not kept my ways, but have been partial in the law."

THIS - Malachi 2:12 - "The LORD will cut off the man that doeth this, the master and the scholar, out of the tabernacles of Jacob, and him that offereth an offering unto the LORD of hosts."

THIS - 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?" "mine ordinances" ...ergo; Return to the Law of Moses.

THIS - 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."

Malachi was instructing tithing PURSUANT TO AND UNDER THE LAW OF MOSES (Malachi 3:7, Malachi 4:4), yet the Bible tells us that New Testament Christians are NOT under the Law of Moses...

Romans 6:14 - "For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace."

Romans 10:4 - "For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth."

 

CONCLUSION;

It is without a doubt that Malachi, in particular Malachi 3:10, was written to the corrupt priests of Israel and to the people of the Nation of Israel, not to the New Testament Church, not to New Testament Christians. New Testament Christians have no command or instructions to tithe anything to anyone...

Hebrews 7:18-19 - "For there is verily a disannulling of the commandment going before for the weakness and unprofitableness thereof. For the law made nothing perfect, but the bringing in of a better hope did; by the which we draw nigh unto God."

Disannulling;

Greek;

Original: ἀθέτησις

Transliteration: athetēsis

Phonetic: ath-et'-ay-sis

Definition: From G114; cancellation (literally or figuratively): - disannulling, put away, ended.

> Footnotes;

1. The tithe that was to be brought (transported, bring, Malachi 3:10) to the Temple storehouse in Jerusalem was limited to 1/10th of the tithe; 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."

2. Only the Levites were permitted to bring the tithe of the tithe to the storehouse, anyone else doing so faced the death penalty; in the clear context of tithing Numbers 18:21-23 says this; "And, behold, I have given the children of Levi all the tenth in Israel for an inheritance, for their service which they serve, even the service of the tabernacle of the congregation. Neither must the children of Israel henceforth come nigh the tabernacle of the congregation, lest they bear sin, AND DIE. But the Levites shall do the service of the tabernacle of the congregation, and they shall bear their iniquity: it shall be a statute for ever throughout your generations, that among the children of Israel they have no inheritance."

3. For details of the robbery and neglect of the Temple in Jerusalem BY ISRAEL, NOT BY THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH, see Nehemiah chapter thirteen which gives us details of the situation Malachi is speaking of such as these (Nehemiah 13 will help you understand in proper context the Book of Malachi)...

>> Was allied unto Tobiah, And he had prepared for him a great chamber - Nehemiah 13:4-5 - "And before this, Eliashib the priest, having the oversight of the chamber of the house of our God, was allied unto Tobiah: And he had prepared for him a great chamber, where aforetime they laid the meat offerings, the frankincense, and the vessels, and the tithes of the corn, the new wine, and the oil, which was commanded to be given to the Levites, and the singers, and the porters; and the offerings of the priests."

Note; the "great chamber" was the location where they were storing the stolen tithe (the tithe of the tithe) which was not being placed in the proper Temple Storehouse for the use of the singers, porters and priests on duty in the Temple. Look closely; "HE [Eliashib] had prepared for HIM [Tobiah] a great chamber;" ...that is not a reference to the proper Temple Storehouse where the tithe should have been stored. He, Eliashib, was the man robbing God referred to in Malachi 3:8 - "Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings." ...The "God robber" in Malachi 3:8 IS NOT A NEW TESTAMENT CHRISTIAN WHO IS NOT TITHING; see Malachi 2:1.

>> That did the work, were fled every one to his field - Nehemiah 13:10-11 - "And I perceived that the portions of the Levites had not been given them: for the Levites and the singers, that did the work, were fled every one to his field. Then contended I with the rulers, and said, Why is the house of God forsaken? And I gathered them together, and set them in their place."

>> Why is the house of God forsaken? - Nehemiah 13:7-11 - "And I came to Jerusalem, and understood of the evil that Eliashib did for Tobiah, in preparing him a chamber in the courts of the house of God. And it grieved me sore: therefore I cast forth all the household stuff of Tobiah out of the chamber. Then I commanded, and they cleansed the chambers: and thither brought I again the vessels of the house of God, with the meat offering and the frankincense. And I perceived that the portions of the Levites had not been given them: for the Levites and the singers, that did the work, were fled every one to his field. Then contended I with the rulers, and said, Why is the house of God forsaken? And I gathered them together, and set them in their place."

>> What evil thing is this that ye do, and profane the sabbath day? - Nehemiah 13:16-18 - "There dwelt men of Tyre also therein, which brought fish, and all manner of ware, and sold on the sabbath unto the children of Judah, and in Jerusalem. Then I contended with the nobles of Judah, and said unto them, What evil thing is this that ye do, and profane the sabbath day? Did not your fathers thus, and did not our God bring all this evil upon us, and upon this city? yet ye bring more wrath upon Israel by profaning the sabbath."

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Copyright 2024, Anthony Todd, All rights reserved. Permission to copy and distribute this article must be obtained in writing from Tithing Study Online.

Permission can be requested at: tithingstudyonline@gmail.com. Upon permission to do so, it is granted under the strict condition that no content of any article be removed or altered, and that all articles are to remain intact as is when used. You must include a notation that any article distributed originated from Tithing Study Online, and include our blog URL as: https://ExaminingTithingDeceptions.blogspot.com - Permission to copy for personal use only is hereby granted.

WHO WAS MALACHI 3:10 WRITTEN TO?

WHO WAS MALACHI 3:10 WRITTEN TO? 

> This is who...

The Book of Malachi was written to the people of Judah, or the remnant of Israelites who returned from Babylonian captivity between 440 and 400 BC. The book's name comes from the Hebrew word Mal'akiy, which means "my messenger", and the book states that it contains "the word of the Lord to Israel by Malachi" - Malachi 1:1.

Written to...

1. The Nation of Israel and corrupt priests. - Malachi 1:1, Malachi 1:6

2. The Priests of Israel. - Malachi 2:1

3. Priests who are cursed. - Malachi 2:2

4. Priests who have departed out of the way of the Lord. - Malachi 2:8

5. Priests who do not glorify God. - Malachi 2:2

6. Priests who's blessings are cursed. - Malachi 2:3

7. Priests who's seed is corrupt. - Malachi 2:3

8. Priests who will be shamed with dung on their faces. - Malachi 2:3

9. Priests under judgment. - Malachi 3:5

10. Sorcerers. - Malachi 3:5

11. Adulterers. - Malachi 3:5

12. Oppressors of working people.  - Malachi 3:5

13. False swearers. - Malachi 3:5

14. Priests who oppress widows. - Malachi 3:5

15. Priests who oppress orphaned children. - Malachi 3:5

16. Priests who refuse to help a stranger in need. - Malachi 3:5

17. Priests who have no fear of God. - Malachi 3:5

18. Priests who are stealing the tithe of the tithe from God. - Malachi 3:8, Nehemiah 10:38, Nehemiah Chapter 13

19. Priests who are wicked. - Malachi 3:15

20. Priests who are under the Law of Moses - Malachi 4:4

>> NOT THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH.

If Malachi 3:10 was for the New Testament church it would be found in the New Testament. It's found NOWHERE in the New Testament.

___________________________________________________________________

Copyright 2024, Anthony Todd, All rights reserved. Permission to copy and distribute this article must be obtained in writing from Tithing Study Online.

Permission can be requested at: tithingstudyonline@gmail.com. Upon permission to do so, it is granted under the strict condition that no content of any article be removed or altered, and that all articles are to remain intact as is when used. You must include a notation that any article distributed originated from Tithing Study Online, and include our blog URL as: https://ExaminingTithingDeceptions.blogspot.com - Permission to copy for personal use only is hereby granted.