TITHING 103: TITHING AS ABRAHAM DID

TITHING AS ABRAHAM DID

The foremost reason some give for tithing today is because Abraham tithed. Abraham indeed tithed before the law and gave his tithe to Melchizedek. This tithe practice stems from two basic premises:

1.        That Abraham tithed.

2.        That the one he tithed to was Melchizedek – who was Christ.

The second premise is skewed because scripture does not in any place say that Melchizedek is Christ or was Christ pre-existing. But this essay shall assume that even premise 2 is true. In spite of these premises, I shall be showing that Christians are still not obligated to give a tenth of their income in the name of tithing.

We find the account of Abraham tithing in Genesis 14 and Hebrew 7. In the Genesis 14 scripture the bible records that Abram went to war and obtained war spoils. On his way back he was met by Melchizedek who blesses him and Abram gave him a tenth of the war spoils (verse 20). This singular account is used as the basis for Christians to tithe on their income. The argument is that God has always moved his people in every dispensation to give a tenth of what they owned. The trouble with this account is many but we can enumerate a few. First, the Genesis account shows that Abram tithed war spoils, not his personal possessions although scripture records that he was rich; neither did he tithe of his increase from farm produce or animals or his income. The next thing we see is that Abram gave this tithe once. We also see that what is left of the tithe is given away to the people who truly owned the goods. Now if this very example is to be practiced by Christians today, then Christians will have to tithe on war spoils. But even if we permit that war spoil can be converted to personal income, then this income is going to be tithed only once and the rest given away. If this is not practicable, then it is simply not practicable to tithe like Abram tithed in Genesis 14.

The “tithe because Abraham tithed” doctrine is based on the fact that the patriarch did something that many consider pious and thus we all who are of the faith of Abraham should do the same. We only need to read the well documented life of Abraham to realize that not all that he did can be imitated. Some were out rightly unchristian and others were simply either according to the custom of that time or were based on God’s personal dealings with him - things Christians are not obligated to do. For example Abraham left his father’s house for a place God will have him to go. Are all Christians expected to do this when they become saved? Abraham lied to protect himself from the people of foreign lands. This is clearly an unchristian thing to do. Abraham had concubines. Abraham carried out physical circumcision on himself and his household. Abraham went to war. Apparently, the things Abraham did were peculiar to him and his walk with God; it certainly cannot be used as a yardstick for all Christians of all times. Later in Hebrew 7 we see that in God’s wisdom and providential dealings, God led Abraham to tithe to Melchizedek because in the days to come Christ’s priesthood will be likened to Melchizedek’s and if Abraham could tithe to him and receive a blessing, it would prove that Christ’s priesthood was greater than that of Aaron – who at that time was in Abraham’s loins.

The other argument that is offered on Abraham’s tithing in Genesis 14 is the fact that Melchizedek was Jesus in His pre-incarnate form. If Abraham could tithe to Jesus, Christians must tithe to Jesus also through the Church, His body on earth today. This manner of thinking is very persuading and when it comes from a very respectable man of God on a pulpit with the microphone reverberating all over the place, it is difficult to think it through. But we have the freedom of doing so now.

What if Melchizedek is Christ, are we still obligated to tithe to him through the church? It is at this point I must refer my readers to the covenant God made with Abraham in Genesis 17:

1 And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the LORD appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect.   2 And I will make my covenant between me and thee, and will multiply thee exceedingly… 4 As for me, behold, my covenant is with thee, and thou shalt be a father of many nations.   5 Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham; for a father of many nations have I made thee.   6 And I will make thee exceeding fruitful, and I will make nations of thee, and kings shall come out of thee.7 And I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee.   8 And I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land wherein thou art a stranger, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession;  and I will be their God.  9 And God said unto Abraham, Thou shalt keep my covenant therefore, thou, and thy seed after thee in their generations.   10 This is my covenant, which ye shall keep, between me and you and thy seed after thee;  Every man child among you shall be circumcised.   11 And ye shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin;  and it shall be a token of the covenant betwixt me and you.   12 And he that is eight days old shall be circumcised among you, every man child in your generations, he that is born in the house, or bought with money of any stranger, which is not of thy seed.   13 He that is born in thy house, and he that is bought with thy money, must needs be circumcised:  and my covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant.   14 And the uncircumcised man child whose flesh of his foreskin is not circumcised, that soul shall be cut off from his people;  he hath broken my covenant…[/b] 23 And Abraham took Ishmael his son, and all that were born in his house, and all that were bought with his money, every male among the men of Abraham's house;  and circumcised the flesh of their foreskin in the selfsame day, as God had said unto him.   24 And Abraham was ninety years old and nine, when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin.   25 And Ishmael his son was thirteen years old, when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin.   26 In the selfsame day was Abraham circumcised, and Ishmael his son.   27 And all the men of his house, born in the house, and bought with money of the stranger, were circumcised with him. 

Some of the things that can be garnered from this conversation between God and Abraham are: 1. This was God speaking, giving conditions for which a covenant relationship could be entered into. 2. This covenant was marked by circumcision. 3. This circumcision exercise was before the coming of the law. 4. The condition for this covenant was passed unto all the seed of Abraham – that could include those of us who will live by his kind of faith.

By the time we would come to the New Testament and begin to learn church age doctrine, we find that circumcision, which is the hallmark of the covenant God had with Abraham, was not binding on Christians (Acts 15; Romans 2:28; Galatians 5:2). This circumcision which Abraham practiced was before the law; this circumcision was an express command from God’s lips; this circumcision was to be carried out by every seed of Abraham or they will be cut off. But when we come to the New Testament epistles, Paul tells us that if anyone is circumcised that person is cut-off from Christ (Galatians 5:4). How does this relate to tithing? Like circumcision, tithing was before the law. However, while circumcision had the express command from God’s lips, tithing did not (prior to the giving of the law). If however we wish to make a doctrine out of Abraham’s practices and say that because Abraham gave a tithe Christians are therefore obligated to tithe, then we must very well insist that because Abraham practiced circumcision, then all Christians must be circumcised (I have an intimation that this was the line the Judaizers pursued in Acts 15:1, when they insisted that gentiles Christians must be circumcised to be saved). But if we cannot say Christians are obligated to be circumcised, why do we insist that Christians are obligated to tithe like Abraham?

It must be understood that Paul’s contention was not specifically against the practice of circumcision (we see proof of this in his circumcising Timothy); rather Paul was insisting on distinguishing the New Covenant ratified by Christ’s blood from any other covenant, especially that of Moses. Paul never taught anywhere that you should not be circumcised according to the law but you can be circumcised according to Abraham. For him circumcision was circumcision regardless of whose example you are following (so the premise that you should tithe like Abraham tithed and not according to the law is flawed). Paul was trying to show us that the gospel according to Christ was very distinct from the gospel Abraham received and the one Moses received. There certainly were similarities between all of them. In the Abraham covenant and the Christian covenant you will find the matter of faith (alone) for justification. In the Moses and the Christian covenant you will find the matter of sanctification and holiness. In the Abraham and Moses covenant you will see these covenants coming prior to Christ’s physical presence on earth. But none of them are a continuation of the other; all of them were distinct and peculiar to the dispensations that God gave them.

So the fact that Christ came as Melchizedek and received tithes of Abram is no justification for Christians to tithe today. Abraham’s dispensation was peculiar and different from the Church dispensation. Under the time of Abraham it can be said that people could tithe war spoils. This changed by the time of Moses, as they could only tithe agricultural products. There is no evidence in all of scripture that by the church age tithe of spoils and tithes of agricultural products is now tithes of monetary income. If this had happened, God by the Holy Spirit would have inspired the writers of the New Testament to tell us; especially in the many scriptural passages that encouraged Christian giving. The fact that He was silent on these means that we should also. If indeed Melchizedek was Christ, it is easy to see that the dispensation of Abraham permitted giving of tithes of war spoils to him at that time; by the time of the church age, this has changed a great deal. The proof of this is shown in the fact that Abraham practiced circumcision in his dispensation; a practice that is no longer necessary in our dispensation.

To end this essay on Abraham’s tithing, I wish to draw my readers to the intent of God in instituting the tithes in the two dispensations before ours. The reason is simply because God will have his people to be givers. This principle is seen in Abram giving a tenth of war spoils willingly even after he had received a blessing from Melchizedek. It is seen in Jacob vowing to give also; although there is little evidence that he actually fulfilled this vow. And a vow is a willing action that is not binding on every person, so Christians are not obligated to tithe because Jacob made a vow. This principle is seen in the obligatory tithing of agricultural products by the Israelites as commanded by God. It is this principle that translates to free will giving in the New Testament church. In Acts 4, when the Spirit was moving men in Hs power to give, we did not see anyone give a tithe; rather people were giving 100%. What this means is that in the days of God’s power the people shall be willing. The question is not why are people not giving tithes today or are people obligated to give a tithe? The question should be why are people not willing to give today? Or where is the power that moved people to give as they gave in the days of the apostles? The answer is not far fetched. First, there is no power to move men to give. Many churches have mortgaged the power of God that can compel men to give for marketing strategies which they employ to get money off congregants. In the process people have become wise and have learnt wisdom in giving in church. Another reason might just be that people do not trust how church leaders use church finances as accountability has become incredibly difficult for Pastors these days. I find it hard to understand why church leaders think they can do away with not accounting for church finances before men they can see and think they would be able to do so before God who they cannot see in that dreadful day of judgment. 

In 2 Corinthians 8, the bible records that the Macedonian Christian gave out of their deep poverty. What propelled this kind of giving was the fact that these people had first given themselves to God and then could easily give what they had. When we teach free will offering, we are not teaching the miserly amount people give in church in the name of offering. We are saying let us allow God to work on men and see how they will give when these people have totally surrendered themselves and their finances to God. The reason why some kick against collecting only offerings (and not tithes) is because most people do not give; and only give when someone is breathing down curses on them in the name of paying a tithe. If this is what informs giving in church today, it is easy to see why many give and do not enjoy God’s blessing afterwards. God expects us to give and give without boundaries in this dispensation and that is why tithes were never taught as a Christian practice in all of the epistles.

We would do well to let Abraham’s one time tithing rest as it was never meant to be an example for born again Christians in this dispensation.

See other titles on this Tithing Course:
Tithing 101: http://yesufu.blogspot.com/2014/03/the-due-order-tithe-is-defined.html

Tithing 102: http://yesufu.blogspot.com/2014/03/tithing-102-tithing-as-doctrine-of-men.html

TITHING 102: TITHING AS DOCTRINE OF MEN

TITHING AS DOCTRINE OF MEN

One of the biggest blessings to the church are men who are gifted with the ability to teach the Holy Scriptures in such a manner as to rightly divide the word of truth so that God’s people are properly fed the word of grace and are built up in Christ to bear fruits that glorify God. In the same manner one of the greatest disservices to God’s kingdom is Satan raising men who will teach the bible with private interpretation and in a way as to satisfy their lust. This great evil is not peculiar to our time. Our Lord and Savior encountered a similar challenge during his earthly ministry:

1 Then came to Jesus scribes and Pharisees, which were of Jerusalem, saying, 2 Why do thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders?  for they wash not their hands when they eat bread.   3 But he answered and said unto them, Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition?  4 For God commanded, saying, Honour thy father and mother:  and, He that curseth father or mother, let him die the death.   5 But ye say, Whosoever shall say to his father or his mother, It is a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me;  6 And honour not his father or his mother, he shall be free.   Thus have ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition.   7 Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying, 8 This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips;  but their heart is far from me.   9 But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men – Matthew 15.

From Jesus’ words above we can note what God’s word commanded: “Honor thy father and mother…”; when these men were going to interpret this scripture, they twisted it to mean that whatever a man was to give to his parent, if he had given it to God through some kinds of offering, he was not under any obligation to give to his parent anymore. He had fulfilled the law of honoring one’s parent. The same goes with the doctrine of washing of hands before eating; etc. Much of what the men of religion taught in Jesus’ time was converting and twisting sound biblical commands to suit the lust of the teachers of the law – these teachings had become tradition and law for them.

Paul the apostle tells us that as it was in the days of Jesus so was it in his days and so shall it be in the days to come – those days being the days that we live in now:

1 Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; 2 Speaking lies in hypocrisy;  having their conscience seared with a hot iron;  3 Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth.   4 For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving:  5 For it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer – 1 Timothy 4.

Consider verse 3 and remember that there are sects in Christendom today that forbids men of the clergy to marry. Some times in the annals of church history, some people began to propose the idea that men of the clergy must be likened to Christ, Peter and Paul who in their own estimation were not married. And despite express scriptural evidences that permit any man who wishes to marry to do so, these sects insist that their clergy must not marry. This is just an example of men inaugurating a doctrinal position without any foundation in scripture or upon twisted portions of scripture. Paul the apostle shows us the characteristics of these doctrines that men raise to satisfy their religious and fleshly lust:

16 Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days:  17 Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.   18 Let no man beguile you of your reward in a voluntary humility and worshipping of angels, intruding into those things which he hath not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind, 19 And not holding the Head, from which all the body by joints and bands having nourishment ministered, and knit together, increaseth with the increase of God.   20 Wherefore if ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, are ye subject to ordinances, 21 (Touch not;  taste not;  handle not;  22 Which all are to perish with the using;) after the commandments and doctrines of men?  23 Which things have indeed a show of wisdom in will worship, and humility, and neglecting of the body;  not in any honour to the satisfying of the flesh – Colosians 2

From the scripture above we see some of the characteristics of doctrine that men make up: (1). These doctrines are rooted in the laws of Moses (New Moon, Sabbath, Firstfruits, Tithing, etc); (2). These teachings are legalistic. They carry the notion of being obligatory, denying the saints the freedom they are entitled to in their walk with God; (3). These doctrines are borne from visions: they come from some respected “man of God” speaking about what God told him and which then becomes law for all Christians; (4). These doctrines have a show of wisdom: they look very “spiritual” and enticing to the religious minded; (5). These doctrines do not curb the excesses of the flesh – it does not increase the quest for holiness or the commitment to love others.

Tithing as its practiced today can only be best described as the doctrine of man. Tithing is absolutely biblical. The first recorded command to tithe from God’s lips can be found in Leviticus 27:30-33:

30 And all the tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land, or of the fruit of the tree, is the LORD'S:  it is holy unto the LORD.   31 And if a man will at all redeem ought of his tithes, he shall add thereto the fifth part thereof.   32 And concerning the tithe of the herd, or of the flock, even of whatsoever passeth under the rod, the tenth shall be holy unto the LORD.   33 He shall not search whether it be good or bad, neither shall he change it:  and if he change it at all, then both it and the change thereof shall be holy;  it shall not be redeemed.   34 These are the commandments, which the LORD commanded Moses for the children of Israel in mount Sinai.

God commands that “all the tithes” shall be “seed of the ground”, “fruit of the tree” and “tenth of the herd or flock”. This being the first mention of tithes by God himself can safely be described at the true definition of the tithes under the law. God will proceed to show whom this tithe was to be given to in Numbers 18:

20 And the LORD spake unto Aaron, Thou shalt have no inheritance in their land, neither shalt thou have any part among them:  I am thy part and thine inheritance among the children of Israel.   21 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

Other passages in Deuteronomy 14, 26 and Nehemiah 10 lends credence to the fact that the tithe as commanded by God were agricultural products that was to be food supply for the religious men of their day who were engaged in overseeing the religious and civil life of the people, so that they did not have the time to cultivate their fields. The tithe was to be a kind of taxation that would help “pay” the Levites for their service to God. In Malachi 3:10 God words shows that the tithe was “meat” or “food”. Therefore when you mention “tithes” to an average Jew, he thought of agric products or food that was to be given to the Levites and Priests. Jesus himself spoke of the tithes to include mint, anise and cumin which were spices for food (Matthew 23:23). The questions that remains unanswered by tithes advocates is when did tithes of food become tithes of money; and when did the tithes which originally was meant for the Levites become something to be given to church leaders and Pastors?

Doctrines of men are basically the teachings of men that come from their private interpretation of scripture. When care is not taken by teachers of the Word to abide faithful to the tenure of scripture, there is always the likelihood of some “additions” that looks good at first but if allowed to persist will become law. The tithes doctrine has experienced a similar “metamorphoses” over the centuries. As we have seen, God gave the command for tithes to be given to the Levites under the law. By the time of Jesus, this law still subsisted. Although with the advent of other menial jobs like carpentary, tax collectings, fisheries, etc, there was never a mention of anyone giving a tithe of whatever he made from these jobs. Jesus lived under the law and he did encourage tithing in Matthew 23:23 according to the law. By the time our Lord will rise from the dead and the law was considered abolished (Ephesians 2:15), tithing simply went with it. That is why there is not one account of anyone paying/giving a tithe in the New Testament church. There are numerous accounts of giving in the New Testament church and not one person is said to have tithed either of his income or even of any agricultural product. Hebrew 7 was not a passage that taught tithing; it simply mentioned tithes so as to give the spiritual implication of Abraham tithing to Melchizedek: a prophetic action that will someday prove Jesus to be greater than Aaron (Hebrew 7:4a). After this, the New Testament was concluded without any account of one person giving a tithe in the church.

After the apostles lived and died, there were still no accounts of Christians tithing their income. The church would undergo a great period of persecution and in spite of this the body of Christ grew. Christianity experienced a sudden reprieve when Emperor Constantine converted and became a Christian. Following a supposed vision (again?!), Constantine declared for Christ and made Christianity the official religion for Romans. Christians began to enjoy greater acceptability and the institutionalized church was created. That church is today known as the Roman Catholic Church. The Roman Church would however propose the giving of tithes some time in the 4th century to fund the bludgeoning religious enterprise they had created. By the sixth century it had become some sort of law for Christian to pay tithes to the Roman Church. Even at that time the Roman Church remained faithful to the original content of the tithes; as the tithes given in those days were 10% of people’s harvest off their farms. However, we should not loose sight of how men introduced a slight change to a very scriptural practice – tithes remained agricultural products but rather than giving it to the Levites it was now given to church leaders. This sort of tithe remained until the Reformation of the 16th century. The reformers rejected the practice and doctrine of tithing along with a host of other Romish doctrines and practices – which they rightly called doctrines of men. The phrase “Sola Scriptura” was adopted by the Reformed Fathers to help the church return back to biblical doctrines and practices. Whatsoever was not found as a scriptural practice was thrown out of the window.

This was the position of most protestant churches in those days. And coupled with the fact that the church was “sponsored” by the city council or local government, most churches did not have to resort to people to get funding; thus there was no need for tithes. Sometimes in the 18th/19th century, local governments withdrew their sponsorship of churches and many churches were left to “fend” for themselves in Europe and America. About this time, some clergies began to teach a doctrine of “monetary” tithes. This doctrine said that you are obligated to give a tenth of your income to the church were you fellowship. It answered the question of the tithes being agric products by saying that the economy of the Israelites were mostly agrarian but things have changed in modern times and our economy is majorly monetary. Thus there is the need to give tithes of money and not of a harvest. They also said that the same way the Levites conducted the religious life of Israel, so are church leaders conducting the religious life of the church and thus the need for them to collect tithes. This doctrine and practice took root in many protestant denominations that include Baptist, Aglican, Jehovah Witnesses, etc. About the turn of the 20th century, the Roman Catholic Church stopped collecting tithes. It is said that the last four popes have never encouraged the giving of tithes in churches. Jehovah Witnesses also do not collect tithes anymore and a few other protestant denominations. But the vast majority of churches still collect tithes today. And the tithe they collect is the one that is called the “monetary” tithes in distinction from the agricultural tithes God commanded.

Anyone who can trace church history and the making of the monetary tithe, which today is considered a compulsory giving of a tenth of one’s weekly or monthly or annual income, can very well see a perfect example of how the doctrine and commandment of men is today regarded as the doctrine and commandment of God. It would have been good if this practice did not come with some sort of danger but Paul warns us about what becomes of doctrine of men in 1 Timothy 4:

1 Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;  2 Speaking lies in hypocrisy;  having their conscience seared with a hot iron;

When doctrine of men has fully matured, it becomes doctrine of devils and seducing spirits. Following the said tradition of tithing, today we have men who teach the practice of firstfruit also. Taking their position mostly from the laws of Moses, they command that people must give their whole January income to their pastors to enjoy the blessings of God for the New Year. I would not be surprised if such evil men begin to teach “apostles’ feet” offering, where individuals will be cajoled to give their whole income to the church for onward distribution to all in need. This is what becomes of the doctrine that men espouse without sound recourse to scriptures. How tithes of agricultural products converted to 10% of men’s income is simply the work of the doctrine of men. How firstfruit, which originally was first harvest from the land in Israel, has become 100% of January salary is the outworking of the doctrines of men. In the days to come, congregations shall be channeling their hard earned income into church account all in the name of Apostles' feet offering. In those days, like we have them now, seducing spirit inside of men shall be running helter-skelter in the church of Jesus, deceiving men and being deceived themselves. Their consciences shall be gone, having been seared with hot iron. These men for the love of money, will teach doctrines of devils. We are in those times and we should remember that no less a person than our Lord warned us of these days:

3 And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be?  and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?  4 And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you.   5 For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ;  and shall deceive many. – Matthew 24

1 But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction.   2 And many shall follow their pernicious ways;  by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of.   3 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. – 2 Peter 2.

See Other titles on this Tithing Course:

Tithing 101: http://yesufu.blogspot.com/2014/03/the-due-order-tithe-is-defined.html
Tithing 103: http://yesufu.blogspot.com/2014/03/tithing-103-tithing-as-abraham-did.html

TITHING 101: THE DUE ORDER

THE DUE ORDER

The tithe is defined in Leviticus 27:30-33:

30 And all the tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land, or of the fruit of the tree, is the LORD'S:  it is holy unto the LORD.   31 And if a man will at all redeem ought of his tithes, he shall add thereto the fifth part thereof.   32 And concerning the tithe of the herd, or of the flock, even of whatsoever passeth under the rod, the tenth shall be holy unto the LORD.   33 He shall not search whether it be good or bad, neither shall he change it:  and if he change it at all, then both it and the change thereof shall be holy;  it shall not be redeemed.

The tithe was defined to be "Seed of the Land", "Fruit of the Tree" and the "Tenth of the Herd".

The recipient of the tithe were also given in Numbers 18:

20 And the LORD spake unto Aaron, Thou shalt have no inheritance in their land, neither shalt thou have any part among them:  I am thy part and thine inheritance among the children of Israel.   21 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.

The tithe was to be given to the levites and the priest because the Lord was their inheritance.

It is neccesary to state this definition because, the tithe Abram gave in  Genesis were simply of war spoil. We could not categorically state what it consist of. Also, the tithe Abram gave and the one Jacob vowed were never commanded by God. They could very well be called free will offerings. It was only until under the law did we find God speaking of a tithe and giving a definition to it and telling us who to give it to.

How the tithes has been converted from seed of the land, fruit of the tree and tenth of the herd to hard core currency is a mystery of the modern babylonian church. How the recipient of the tithe went from Levites to Pastors and church leaders is another mystery unsolved.

But lest this be scorned and made fun of as another mantra of anti-tithers, let me relay a biblical story that tells us that God is intent on who should have the tithes and how it should be given.

In 2 Samuel 6 David thought it good to bring the ark of God to Jerusalem. In his wisdom, and rather than following God's blue print, he chose choice men to go along with him to bring the ark. Then he got a brand new cart to carry it. With two guys to ferry it along. Along the way one of them puts out his hand to support the ark and God struck him dead.

In 2 Chronicles 15, David had learnt his lesson. Still intent on bringing the ark to Jerusalem, hear him:

1 And David made him houses in the city of David, and prepared a place for the ark of God, and pitched for it a tent.   2 Then David said, None ought to carry the ark of God but the Levites:  for them hath the LORD chosen to carry the ark of God, and to minister unto him for ever.  3 And David gathered all Israel together to Jerusalem, to bring up the ark of the LORD unto his place, which he had prepared for it.   4 And David assembled the children of Aaron, and the Levites... 11 And David called for Zadok and Abiathar the priests, and for the Levites, for Uriel, Asaiah, and Joel, Shemaiah, and Eliel, and Amminadab, 12 And said unto them, Ye are the chief of the fathers of the Levites:  sanctify yourselves, both ye and your brethren, that ye may bring up the ark of the LORD God of Israel unto the place that I have prepared for it.   13 For because ye did it not at the first, the LORD our God made a breach upon us, for that we sought him not after the due order.   14 So the priests and the Levites sanctified themselves to bring up the ark of the LORD God of Israel.   15 And the children of the Levites bare the ark of God upon their shoulders with the staves thereon, as Moses commanded according to the word of the LORD.

Notice verse 13, there was a due order according to Moses' law on how the ark was to be ferried. David found the due order, excecutetd it according to God's word and God blessed them.

The question we should ask all these people preaching a gospel of monetary tithes is this: where is this found in scripture? What is the due order God ordained for collecting tithes according to scripture? When did tithe become money from agricultural products? When did Pastors become Levites? What is the due order?

In all of scriptures, there have been called ones; there have been prophets of God: Abraham, Joseph, Moses, Samuel, David, Joshua, Jesus, Paul, Peter, etc. Non of these people as great as they were, were given a tithe because the due order God laid down was for tithes to be given to Levites.

Are we in the time and age when God's wrath shall break forth upon tithe collecting men, who have refused to follow the due order. Yes we are. If you are one of them, be warned!!

In conclusion, God is a God of order. The same God who instituted the law through Moses; brought grace and truth through Jesus and brought an end to the law. The due order or the new order today is that God has brought an end to the whole order of the Levitical priesthood. There is no Levite to give a tithe to; there is no tithe to give to a Levite. The new order commands giving out of a free will, out of love to God and in the leading of God's Spirit in our hearts.

Do not be deceived!

See other titles on this Tithing Course:

Tithing 102: http://yesufu.blogspot.com/2014/03/tithing-102-tithing-as-doctrine-of-men.html

Tithing 103: http://yesufu.blogspot.com/2014/03/tithing-103-tithing-as-abraham-did.html

ON THE NIGERIAN ANTI-GAY MARRIAGE LAW

ON THE NIGERIAN ANTI-GAY MARRIAGE LAW

Ever since Nigerian lawmakers begun debating an anti-gay marriage law have I expressed reservations against it. My attitude then and even now is that our government has a penchant for prioritizing things that they should not prioritize and they have perfected the art of ignoring pressing national issues to pursue things that are not important. Take for example the Freedom of Information Bill (FIB).

Jonathan signs Anti-Gay Marriage law

As important as this bill was, it was thrown out of the National Assembly in the last political dispensation and was only passed into law in this present dispensation. Even at that, the bill is only in letters as journalists and lawyers have been expressing their handicap at withdrawing information from government coffers despite a so called Freedom of Information. Most state governments have refused to implement this law as they insist that it must be domesticated in their states before it can become law in their respective states. One then wonders why the whole effort at passing the law, if it will simply remain in the coolers and be non-effective. The same predicament has befallen the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB). That bill has been at the National Assembly since forever and no one has thought it right to pass it. But alas, someone wakes up with a useless bill, to curb homosexual marriages, an act that is totally foreign to our culture and whala(!) it is passed into law; with everyone playing the self righteous and applauding it. Apart from the FIB and the PIB, the Nigerian nation is begging for laws that will make it work. For example, the constitution needs to be amended to allow for a true federal state. We need to have a constitution that shares the wealth of this nation equally, that allows regions producing the nations wealth enjoy it and that gives minority tribes voice in the matter of the running of the country. The issue of providing immunity to the President, Vice-President, Governors and their deputies in a corruption ridden society is a matter that is long overdue for an overhaul. There is also the matter of providing laws in this country that will allow local governments, all 774 of them, greater independence from the hegemony of their state governments. The laws of this nation must be strengthened to allow for a truly independent electoral  body, so that elections can begin to approximate to something that is free and fair in Nigeria. And so many other sundry matters; and all our lawmakers can think about is to pass laws banning gays from marrying. The question we should ask is how many gays have we seen in our society who have expressed a desire to marry? The truth of the matter is that the nature of our laws in this country already criminalizes homosexual acts and so a law further banning their marriage is simply not needed.

This essay is not a justification for homosexuality. Indeed the urgency of the matter of gays and homosexual acts gaining ground in our society was brought home to my consciousness when Edmund Obilo recently played an  interview he had with four gay men on Splash FM Radio - a local radio station in the city of Ibadan. Obilo wanted to have their response to the anti-gay marriage law and in

the process these boys let out some really gory details. They insisted that they were gays not because they were involved in homosexual acts but because they were born gays. They argued that the United Nation no longer considers homosexuality an abnormality or a mental problem. They said they were born with gay genes (whatever that means). In spite of what they said one of them related the story of how he became involved with homosexuality. He said that his own uncle introduced him to the act as a young boy. He claimed that their illicit action continued on for some twelve years, right into his teenage years, until his uncle ended the "relationship"; leaving him hurt and used. That story betrays the thought that homosexuality is natural; it is not. Homosexuality is a learned act! Simple. If someone does not introduce another to it, such an individual will never learn the act. For those of us who are religious, it is easy to see this from a spiritual point of view. Take the example of men that become bloodthirsty and sometimes turn out serial killers. No one is ever born a serial killer or with a taste for blood. One thing leads to another. First, it starts with simple anger and then an opportunity to kill. After the act is done and the killer is not punished but let loose, he finds it easy to settle every score with death. If he does it long enough, he becomes bloodthirsty and quick to kill. It is a spirit that latches on him and continues to propel him on. He can very say also that he has a killer gene in him - a gene that should be best exorcised with an electric chair! The same thing goes for the homosexuality. God forbids that the first time turn out "enjoyable", the spirit of homosexuality latches on and he keeps looking for men (or women as the case may be) to carry out the act with.

The solution does not lie with a law prohibiting gay marriages but the need to strengthen families values. Most of the gentlemen that get themselves involved in homosexuality and lesbianism for the ladies, were introduced to it in childhood by trusted individuals in families, friends or at the boarden schools. Parent have a great role

"Are You Sick?"

to play here. Parenthood is not all about making money and giving the children the best in life. It includes teaching our children right cultural and religious values. When a child is  taught the way that he should go, he would not depart from it in adulthood says the Christian Bible. It is possible for parents to know the where about of their children at every point in time. It possible for them to be able to notice a child's change in demeanor. A parent who is sensitive enough must be able to discern if a child has become sexually active. And, God forbid, if it turns out to be homosexuality, that parent must be able to first discipline the child, then counsel him/her, before helping him/her get back to their feet. Parents should hold themselves accountable for how their children turn out in life. And most of all, parents must pray continually for their children/wards, trusting the Lord to keep them from evil temptations - including homosexual ones. The government can also take a step further in strengthening already existing laws that criminalizes gay acts. If a number of these people can get some convictions and be sent to jail, it will act as a deterrent to others. It is abundantly clear that Nigeria's problem is not the absence of laws but the absence of those who will enforce them. Solving the homosexual debacle will start from the home and then unto a strong and reliable law enforcement. Enacting laws against gay marriage is as good as pouring water on the back of a duck; it will achieve nothing.

The Nigerian bias against homosexuality stem mainly from our religious and cultural beliefs. Homosexuality is simply a taboo in our culture and there is very little we can do about this. What I have a problem with is the religious bias against homosexuality, especially the Christian stance against it. One would think that Christians should know better but it seems we do not. Homosexuality is no less a sin in Christianity than adultery, murder, covetousness, malice, stealing, corruption, hatred, etc. God does not see a homosexual more of an evil doer than those listed above. This is the reason why if society vilifies homosexuality, Christians cannot afford to do so. When we join them in doing this, we condemn ourselves also - as God brings up our own sins against us in judgement. Do we then permit homosexuality to thrive in society? No. Rather, gay people must be treated with great care and concern. The church must be at the forefront of ministering to gays as their numbers are increasing more and more. What the anti-gay marriage law is going to produce are people who will go further into their shells and continue to perpetrate this evil and probably recruit more people into the act. The church should however encourage that folks like this will come out and be ministered to. We must start with the gospel of Jesus Christ and show gay people, along with all sinners, that Christ died to redeem men from sin. We must then help those who express desire to know Jesus to understand him more and more. We must teach them the word of God, which is the truth and that has enough power to set men free from every bondage to sin. We must then accept them

into our fellowship and love them enough until Christ completely transforms them. Christians must not join society to condemn homosexuals, rather we must raise the flag of Christian love that loves the sinners but detest the sin.

On a final note, the government of Nigeria and the international community's attitude to the gay matters is sitting on two unhealthy extremes. While the west thinks that gay culture has come to stay and should be allowed to thrive in modern life, the African and Nigerian attitude is that homosexuality is foreign to our culture and must be resisted. My position is to go with the Nigerian attitude but nonetheless accepting the fact that homosexuality is a reality in our societies today. The law against gay marriage will not solve the problem of homosexuality. It has the tendency to make gay people go under and in that hidden position the act will only fester. Our lawmakers may consider reviewing that law and if they cannot, the government could build institutions that will help cater for individuals seeking to be liberated from the homosexual lifestyle. There are former gays and lesbians who are happily married today and who can help in rehabilitating those under the yoke of homosexuality. Homosexuality should best be considered a psychological dis-order and gay people should be made to understand their need for rehabilitation. Rather than vilify these people, society through government institutions and religious bodies must be at the forefront of helping former gay people find liberation from this insidious lifestyle.

THE VISION

THE VISION

(Summary Text of the message delivered by Deji Yesufu at the retreat program at Akobo, Ibadan, on the 11th January, 2014 to kick start the Christian Fellowship at the Yesufu Home)

Introduction.

The vision for this fellowship is birth from the need we see in the body of Christ. A need is met by a provision and thus we trust God that the following provisions as stated below will help meet this need and realize the vision we have in Christ Jesus.

The Vision:

Matthew 28:16-20

·         Providing an avenue for the word of God to be taught thoroughly for the building, equipping and maturing of God saints.

·         Providing a platform for aggressive evangelism. To win, to train and to send.

·         Providing a fellowship were gospel truths are studied, researched and preserved.

·         Providing a fellowship were the needs of God’s people are met. That there will be no needy person among us, Acts 5:32-35.

·         Providing an avenue where men will be led to Jesus and not to church organizations, other men, church traditions and so on.

·         Providing a template for true ministry.

·         Being the salt of the earth and the light of the world in truth and verity: becoming a blessing to humanity.

The Gospel Truth:

·         Preaching and teaching the gospel of Jesus Christ.

·         A Personal Commission “to root out, and to pull down, and to destroy, and to throw down, to build, and to plant” – Jeremiah 1:4-10.

·         Distinguishing the gospel from other “gospels” in the land

v  The Prosperity Gospel

v  A Motivational Gospel

v  Word of Faith

v  Holiness Movement

·         Encouraging sound biblical truths like DISPENSATIONS, etc.

·         Distinguishing clearly between Bible Doctrines and Man made doctrines like tithing, etc.

The Wants of our times

·         National Issues

·         Prevalence of false churches and prophets

·         Jesus’ imminent coming

·         The matter of two spirits in the church

The Vision in a Nutshell:

The vision of this fellowship is to raise up Saints that will see Jesus clearly; hear Jesus soundly; and have a heart that understand Jesus to follow him purposefully by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Below are links to the messages delivered at the retreat. You may download and listen to the messages. We believe God that you will be blessed as you do. If you have any enquiry as to the fellowship or questions in regards to the messages preached, you may send an email to me at yesufudeji@yahoo.com. Please forbear with the poor audio quality of some of the messages.

1. By Deji Yesufu: https://www.dropbox.com/s/sha00u92vade1cb/The%20Vision.mp3 

2. By Pastor Arimoro: https://www.dropbox.com/s/wcf7f9but7ehv2l/APOSTACY%20IN%20THE%20CHURCH.mp3 

3. By Pastor Eryinna: https://www.dropbox.com/s/mojtiap7ruqyxgw/The%20True%20Gospel.mp3

THE CHRISTIAN MINISTER’S PAY

There is the debate as to whether Christian ministers should be paid a salary or not. The argument rages between those who are of the opinion that there are no records of ministers being paid in the New Testament and that ministry is too lofty a work for anyone to measure its worth in dollars, pounds or naira. The other party believes that ministry is just like any other work people do today and that those involved in it should be paid for whatever service they render, even in God’s name. I share the latter view on Christian ministers’ remunerations. This position is however not without a “but” that should be clearly understood according to scriptures.

First, we must understand that there is no such thing as a full-time minister in the New Testament. The term full-time is the making of modern day church people to distinguish between those who work in church and do nothing else from those who though work in church but have other avenues of making money. The Apostles of the Lamb were both full time and part time ministers. There was no such distinction in their time and there is no record of any of them being paid by a local church. The truth is that there really were no organized local church settings as we have them today in their time. These men had been commissioned by Jesus Christ simply to go into the world and preach the gospel. They had received the power of the Holy Spirit to aid them in this work; they were consumed by zeal to do the work and they just could not do anything else. Paul said: “For though I preach the gospel, I have nothing to glory of:  for necessity is laid upon me; yea, woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel!” (1 Corinthians 9:16). So for them ministry was neither full-time or part-time, ministry was all-the-time and the distinction between full time or part time never came because they didn’t have paid ministers in a so called full-time ministry capacity like we have today. Nevertheless, in 1 Corinthians 9, Paul the apostle makes a case for minister to be paid. It is however important to note the real gist of that scripture, as we will see that the apostle had more to say on the subject than just ministers’ pay.

Verse 3 gives us an idea of what prompted this subject in the first place: some people had been criticizing Paul’s method of ministry. In their time the people held their leaders accountable and were not afraid to ask questions. The leaders themselves did not see it strange that people asked these questions. Instead of using his apostolic authority to shut them up, Paul, here, is giving an “answer” to those who “examine him”. Paul goes on to state what his rights are as a Christian minister in verses 4-6 and these rights should be accorded all ministers of the gospel at all times: 1. A minister has the right to a good life, to be merry, to eat and drink. A minister can own properties, have holidays and enjoy life generally. 2. A minister has the right to marry and have children. So, enforced celibacy is alien to scriptures. 3. A minister has the right to be fully committed to the work of ministry and do nothing else: he may “forbear working”. These were Paul’s rights and these rights should be accorded any minister of the gospel in any age. In verses 7-12 the apostle resorts to reason and the Old Testament to make a case for the minister’s pay. He ends this with verses 13 and 14: “Do ye not know that they which minister about holy things live of the things of the temple?  and they which wait at the altar are partakers with the altar? Even so hath the Lord ordained that they which preach the gospel should live of the gospel”. Paul is here comparing the Levithical Priesthood to New Testament ministers. The Levites worked full time in the temple and were sustained by the tithes, first fruits and various types of offerings the people dedicated to God. Likewise Christian ministers should be supported by the people they minister to. Some people use these verses as the reason why tithes must be given in church today. I believe that if Paul thought so he would have stated clearly that tithes should be given to the ministers he was making a case for – I can see no better opportunity than now to mention tithes. The fact that he was silent on it showed that Paul saw tithing in its proper form: a form of giving which translates as free will giving in the New Testament church (2 Corinthians 9:7). Both the gentile and Jewish church of Paul’s day understood that the tithes were agricultural products that were to be given to Levites. Paul, a man from the tribe of Benjamin, could not ask anyone to give him tithes. The best he could argue for was that they who ministered “spiritual things” should enjoy material blessings from people.

In spite of the rights and privileges of Christian ministers, Paul shows us in verse 12 and 18 that there are somethings that were of greater priority to his rights and privileges: 1. That the gospel should not be hindered. 2. That ministers do not abuse their powers or rights by charging money for the gospel. Because of the possibility of these two scenarios occurring, Paul gave up his rights and privileges when ministering to the Corinthians. Some argue that this is peculiar to Paul alone and should not be used as a yardstick for all ministers. While this is true, we must not loose track of Paul’s discuss here. He is showing us that there are somethings that are more important than others. As good as the matter of a minister’s welfare is, the hindering of the gospel and the abuse of ministerial privileges is even more important. We must appreciate the enormous power a minister of the gospel wields and the great tendency for this power to be abused. When a man stands over a people and speak to them as God’s oracle, he stands in a position of great authority and power. That man may use that position to make or mar God’s people. One area where this position can be greatly abused is in the area of money. The gospel that Paul talks about here is a free gospel that should be ministered free of charge. When all a people hear when they attend church service is give money, give money, give money… are they hearing a free gospel? In this scenario, will the gospel not be hindered? What does hindering the gospel mean? People will not go to church because they believe that Pastors are looking for their money. The power of God that accompanies the preached word will be withdrawn because the Holy Spirit that brings conviction has been grieved. The name of the Lord will be blasphemed. Churches will be called “In the Name of God PLC”. Non Christians will say “I cannot afford to be a Christian because it costs too much financially”. Christians will be maligned as sheep that cannot think but who pour all their finances into churches where Pastors live large and ostentatious lifestyles. In short, the gospel will be hindered – it would not produce the effect it is designed to produce. It is because of these that the apostle traded his rights and privileges so that the gospel may have a free course in people’s hearts. We see proof of these when the apostle shows us in verses 19-23 that his priority is to bring GAIN to God’s kingdom and not to amass GAIN for himself. We see him exploring all kinds of wisdom, within a righteous context, to gain men for Christ.

Paul ends this discusses with verses 24-27 by showing that ministry is a race that requires temperance and discipline. He shows us that Christian ministers have a crown to seek for; there is something to gain which is not in this life. He shows us that he keeps his body under and disciplines it so that he may not be a castaway. Some interpret this as a need to fast, so the minister does not sin and then loose his salvation but we must remember that Paul had mentioned earlier that ministers had some privileges to eat, drink, marry, have sex, and earn a wage. We can see then that bringing the body under subjection would mean giving up some of these privileges for a higher calling. That is to say that it is wisdom for a minister to stop some of his privileges to be more effective in ministry. And the implication is that if he does not do this he will be a castaway. He would loose a heavenly gain because he has sort earthly ones. So, this position is not something peculiar to Paul alone but should be the position that every Christian minister should seek for so as to gain a heavenly reward.

Having stated all this, the question still remains as to whether ministers should be paid or not. The answer to that is that no size fits all. There may be a need to pay a minister and their may be a need not to pay a minister. A minister may choose to collect money for a work he does in ministry; he may choose to decline. The important thing is for men of God to truly discern whether their action or in-actions in ministry is hindering or furthering the gospel of Jesus Christ. Consider this example: a people attend Sunday service and in the space of two hours the following offerings are received: Workers Anointing Offering, Sunday School Offering, Sunday Love Offering, Building Offering and Mission Offering – while tithes, first fruits and some prophets offering as considered obligatory. Can the people who attend such an assembly be said to have received a “free” gospel? The implication of not preaching a free gospel is that the gospel will be hindered in one hand and the ministers themselves will be cast away on the other hand. Is it possible for a church to run without collecting tithes and offering? Were tithes and offerings collected in the churches the apostles of the lamb led? The perfect scenario that 1 Corinthians 9 shows is that a church should be a place where people come to hear the gospel and not a place to collect money from them. Ministers should be afraid that in the process of collecting money, people may be “put off” and souls denied heaven. But do Christian ministers really care about these things? I think that both tithes and offering should never be collected in church services. A collection box may be available somewhere in a church auditorium for people to put their monetary support for the ministry. I also think a minister could have a number of people who will partner with him and support him financially and prayerfully so that money issues never take center stage in a church. Because God and mammon are rivals any day, it can be pretty difficult to notice when one has veered off worshiping God and started worshiping mammon.

When we understand the crux of Paul’s discuss in 1 Corinthians 9 and we look at the way and manner Jesus Christ handled the subject of money, and as well see scriptural admonitions to ministers in regards to money (Matthew 10:7-10; Phillipians 3:18-19; 1Peter 5:2; 1 Timoth3:3), we will realize that the minister’s remuneration is a vital aspect of Christian ministry. Christian ministers should be men and women of skill who can work secular jobs to provide for their needs and the needs of their family – Paul, himself a foremost apostle of the Lamb, was a tent-maker. In cases were the minister, however, feels led to “forbear working” and be fully committed to ministry, he must be ready to bear the cost that will come with such a decision (1 Corinthians 4: 9-13). Ministry is not a business venture; ministers are not Chief Executive Officers and therefore should not expect to rival CEO’s lifestyle and remunerations. Ministry comes with sacrifices and some of those sacrifices are what Paul will have us see in 1 Corinthians 9. God is faithful to meet the needs of his servants but God’s servants must not use ministry as a cloak for covetousness. In most cases when a man veers into full time ministry, it is always wise to have a group of people who believe in his ministry enough to support him financially on a regular basis. With Paul letter to the Philippians, it is safe to say this is how the apostles of old and even Jesus financed their ministry. If this cannot be done, such individuals should work with their hands and earn a living. This is very important in the light of the two issues that Paul discusses in 1 Corinthians 9: the fact that the gospel must not be hindered and the fact that it must be presented free of charge. When money begins to occupy a crucial part of ministry and men who venture into ministry begin to use it as a platform to make money, they will begin to tear down the things that they were sent to build up.

PS: I wish to state that my writings are not directed at any church or minister in particular. My messages are to the body of Christ in general.

Happy New Year: 2014!