Why we must still pay tithe: A scriptural response to Daddy Freeze

BY JOSEPH TOMLAWYER

I have waited patiently for someone to give a comprehensive write-up on why we must still pay tithe. Having waited for a while, I decided to do one myself. This is a lengthy article but I am sure it is worth the read.

Growing up as a Christian, I listened to countless messages, abided by various doctrines, sang songs in dialects that I never understood, was a member of different churches, served in different capacities in these churches and of course met people who I cannot even match their names with their faces any more. It has been one of the facets of my journey in life, and one that I will continue to embark on until it comes to an inevitable end.

Over these years, I have seen a gradual change in the church. Things that were unimaginable in times past have become ubiquitous. Different churches and preachers with different interpretations of the same Bible have led different congregations and people to think and act differently. Some of these differences have helped in making heaven co-extensive with the church while others have simply done the opposite. In other words, there are various interpretations of the Bible that have been believed for so long that they have become doctrines thathave molded so many people.

I have seen people pray in church like they are in the middle of a professional wrestling bout becauseMatt. 11:12 has been wrongly interpreted and they need to be violent to receive answers to their prayers. I have heard people say that they can never be poor again because 2 Cor. 8:9 has been misinterpreted to mean being poor and rich in terms of money. Congregants cannot call an erring leader to order because they believe his calling into the ministry is without repentance, a wrong interpretation ofRom. 11:29 and that he must not be touched based on 1 Chro. 16:22. People now believe that praying in tongues is the only way to pray in the “Spirit” rather than in the “spirit”, and think that prayers are more effective when they pray in tongues. Yet again, it is anothermisinterpretation of1 Cor. 14:1-39 and it has become so bad that people now confess their sins in tongues. I have heard preachers say that God told Hosea to marry a prostitute, a misinterpretation ofHos. 1:2 and have used it as a defense of sorts for their actions, after all the Lord works in mysterious ways. I have also heard that fornication is a sin against the body and not the soul, this particular wrong interpretation of 1 Cor. 6:18 has been used to target undiscerning youths. What about the incessant request for money because it is wrongly thought that money answers all things as seen in Eccl. 10:19? I have heard preachers say that the Worlddoes not see us manifesting because it is sons and not children that manifest and this is based on a misinterpretation of Rom. 8:19.The compulsory sowing of a seed, which of course must be financially weighty, in the life of a preacher in order to receive from God or in order to tap into his anointing is easily inferred from 2 Kings 4:1-36.

So many catchphrases are bandied around with no or a wrong understanding of the Bible. “I am strong” is the coded way of saying someone is ill. “This period I am very rich” means that I am broke at the moment. “God will break protocol for you” is to say that God will give you His promise without you passing the process involved in getting that promise. “Forgive us o Lord of our sins, the ones we have committed knowingly or unknowingly” is a show of our humility but we do not even ask ourselves how we can sin without knowing. “Offering time blessing time” of which someone has asked if the only time we get blessed during a service is when it is time to collect offering. “It is well”, this is probably one catchphrase that denotes so many things.

Many years ago, you would hear preachers say that their mandate is to reach a certain number of persons over a period of time. Their vision was to solely preach the gospel to the lost souls and win them for Christ. I have watched and observed how visions have changed. Then, one could not even think of being a pastor without proven evangelism results. A pastor would have been actively involved in street, bus, school and market evangelism as well as missionary trips before even dreaming of hearing the call to full-time ministry. That said “divine call” to ministry was usually confirmed by at least two people and it was a pass to living an austere life. This of course to the “modern day pastor” is history. In those days, sermons would always end in altar calls and it was a time of strong convictions, weeping, sobriety and repentance.The few Christian television programs ended in encouraging one to go to any Bible teaching and believing church with the lyrics of “Jesus is the answer for the world today” by Andrae Crouch singing in one’s heart. Christians were encouraged to read their Bible and not best sellers or denominational devotionals.

In hindsight, one can remember when messages began to be dumbed down albeit with and invery good ambience. Deliverance became the order of the day even to the point where people had to be delivered from poverty. Then came the time of “fall down and die”for which we are still expecting the official death figures. With the continuous sighting of perceived enemies who refused to “fall down and die”, it was time to prosper. I remember when the catchphrase changed from “let my enemies die” to “let my enemies live long to see what I would become”. Prosperity took center stage in almost all churches and was a “sign” of God’s presence. With things not getting better, dwindling fortunes and hardship in the country, it gave an opportunity to the “Motivational Speakers” to enter the stage. Messages became about how people made it in the secular sphere and how we can make it as Christians too.“Praise the Lord” became replaced with “somebody make some noise”. This metamorphosis would not be complete if we were to leave out the “gifted comedians” who have been “ordained” to make us laugh away our sorrows.

Some of these changes have been predicated upon the misinterpretation of one or several Bible verses. “Feet washing” for example has become a monthly programme for deliverance predicated on a misinterpretation of John 13:5–10. The motivation to achieve anything and all things is wrongly founded on Php. 4:13. Prosperity and riches have been misunderstood to mean the same thing.

The truth be told, the list goes on and on.

The bane of the present “Ichabodic” state of the church, in my humble opinion, can be found in two things. The first is the “Disjointed Reading” of the Bible by the speakers and hearers, a sort of “cut-and-paste” phenomenon. The second is the “Subjective Interpretation” of the Bible. Disjointed Reading and/or Subjective Interpretation of the Bible may have probably done some irreparable damage to the church. Deep thoughts show that denominations have been founded, doctrines have been adopted and characters have been built on these two factors.

Disjointed Reading of the Bible is when the Bible is being read without any form of coherence. It is when there is no fluidity in reading the Bible. When one cannot or does not read the Bible from book to book, chapter to chapter and verse to verse. It gives half knowledge of the Bible, which can be more dangerous than no knowledge of the Bible. It has led to revelations being received and sermons being preached on verses, chapters and books of the Bible without considering the preceding or succeeding verses, chapters and books of the Bible. Disjointed Reading is what would make a preacher take a portion of the Bible out of context and people would believe him.

Subjective Interpretation is when people or a preacher allegorizes a portion of the Bible to fit their situation or message as the case may be even if it does not. It is when the Objective Interpretation of a portion of the Bible is not or never considered in its use. It is when the written word is not interpreted from the thoughts of the writer. It is when the reader does not ask questions like what did the writer of this portion of the Bible mean as inspired by God, what were the prevalent circumstances at the time this passage of the Bible was written,what is the literal meaning of this word in this verse of the Bible,when was this portion of the Bible written, why was this portion of the Bible written? Subjective Interpretation of the Bible is what has led us to believe that every portion of the Bible is a promise or prophecy that is yet to be fulfilled or must be fulfilled in our lives. It is what has led to many to have a skewed mindset.

Show me a man or a people who read the Bible disjointedly and/or interpret it subjectively, and I will show you a man or people who lack of the knowledge of God.

As it is, there are very few people who have chronological understanding of the Bible in our country as we can see from the ongoing discourse. At this point you should ask yourself if you have ever chronologically read your Bible from Genesis to Revelations and if you continually do so. You should ask yourself if you have understanding of the ages in the Bible? If you have not read your Bible from “kpali-to-kpali” then you are part of the reasons for which the church is in its present state.

The Bible is the manual for the product of which we are and to which we must conform to.

Due to the fact that we have no chronological understanding of our Bible, we as Christians, have become a people without a map or Ancient landmarks. We do not know where we are coming from, where we are and where we are going to as Christians.We have little or no understanding of practices in the Bible. We cannot separate the customary practices of the Israelites from their religious practices. We cannot separate Judaism from Christianity. We cannot point to the origin of the Church in the Bible. We cannot tell which Judaic Laws are applicable to Christians. We cannot pan the book of Leviticus with the book of Hebrews and Daniel with Revelations. We cannot differentiate between histories and prophecies. We do not understand the language forms in which the Bible was written. We cannot tell what the practices of the Early Church were and which groups of people made them. We cannot say when, where or why events took place in the Bible. We have questions that we cannot answer even when all we need to do is to search for them.

This brings us to the present discourse in the church and in our country today. The word on the street is all about tithing. Questions are being asked, answers are being given, thoughts are being formed and decisions are being taken due to the doctrine of tithing in the church today. I have listened to quite a number of these, read as many too and I have been involved in a few chats. What I have come to observe when communicating with people is that they have little or no chronological understanding of the Bible and this is as a result of disjointed reading and/or subjective interpretation of the Bible. For these reasons, I have listed out a number of questions and given answers in order to help anyone in understanding tithing. I believe that the questions and answers give knowledge of the chronology of tithing. I have particularly listed the questions and given the answers that are frequently asked in our church and country today. Due to the fact that it is a lengthy article, I have listed the questions so that one can read only what one is interested in. Please do not proceed further without a Bible in hand. The following questions are what I hear people frequently ask and their answers I have given afterwards.

QUESTIONS

1. What is tithe?
2. What are the types of tithe that we have?
3. What is the history of tithe in the Bible?
4. Who were the givers of tithe?
5. Who were the receivers of tithe?
6. Why was tithe paid?
7. How often was tithe paid?
8. Who were the Levites and priests?
9. Explain Malachi 3:8-11
10. Was tithe paid in the New Testament?
11. What did Jesus say about tithe?
12. Did Jesus pay tithe?
13. Did Jesus collect tithe?
14. Did the Early Church collect tithe?
15. Should the Present Church collect tithe?
16. Who are the recipients of “tithe” in the Present Church?
17. Is my pastor a Levite by tribe?
18. Is my pastor a priest and who are the Levites and priests in the church?
19. How is “tithe” to be used in the church?
20. How rich can a pastor be from “tithe”?
21. Is it wrong for a church to build an institution like a university with“tithe”?
22. Who are those exempted from paying “tithe”?
23. Can I pay my “tithe” to someone in need?
24. What should I expect from God after paying “tithe”?
25. Should I continue to pay “tithe”?

 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

• What is tithe?The Strong’s Hebrew and Greek Dictionaries defines tithe as “a tenth”. It is the tenth part of the produce of the land and of the increase of the flock instructed in the Mosaic Law to be given by every Israelite to those who function in the sanctuary, and to the hospitable meals provided on the festivals for the poor and needy. Tithes are personal, predial or mixed; personal when accruing from labor, art, trade and navigation; predial, when issuing from the earth, as hay, wood and fruit; and mixed, when accruing from beasts, which are fed from the ground.
• What are the types of tithe that we have?It would be better to consider the types of tithe that we have before considering the history of tithe. With respect to the Mosaic Law we have four types of tithe. We find the following verses enjoining the Israelites about tithe: 27: 30-33, Num. 18:21-32, Deu. 12:5-18, Deu. 14:22-29 andDeu. 26:12-14.The first enactment of tithe under the Mosaic Laws in Leviticus underscores its holiness and its content. The second mention of tithe in Numbers instructs that it is meant for the Levites of the respective districts as remuneration for their services in the sanctuary since they had no portion in the division of the land of Canaan. They were allowed to consume it anywhere and out of it they were meant to give the priests or the Aaronites a tenth portion. In the third enactment, as can be seen in Deuteronomy, the Israelites were instructed to give a predial tithe annually and together and with the firstlings of flock and herd is meant to constitute the social and festive feast in the place of the sanctuary. If the journey to the sanctuary was too far, it was to be converted to money, which would be used to buy the repast for the festival, and of this the Levites were meant to partake. All of this, one can find in Deut. 12:5-18 and Deut. 14:22-29. Then at the end of every third year, this predial tithe was to be given as entertainment to the poor and after which the Israelite is to give an exculpatory declaration. This would be found in Deut. 26:12-14. It can be seen that these three books show give different instructions about tithe and in order not to overburden the Israelites, they had to harmonize tithe using the following classifications:

4. The Levitical or first tithe: This was the tithe paid annually after both the first-fruit and the priestly heave offering had been given; 23:19, Deut. 26:1, Num. 18:8, Deut. 18:4. This is the tithe referred to in Lev. 27:30-33.
5. The Priestly Tithe also known as the Tithe of tithe: As seen in 18:21-32, this is the tenth portion of the tithe that was given to the priest by the Levite from the tithe which the Levite had received from the Israelite. This can also be found in Neh. 10:38. This tithe seized after the Babylonian captivity and led to the priests receiving it directly from the people; Heb. 7:5.
6. The second tithe or festival tithe: This tithe was a repast during the celebration at the national sanctuary 12:5-18, Deut. 14:22-27. If the distance to the sanctuary was too far it could be sold and converted to money, which would be used to buy food, drink and ointment. There were storehouses in one part of the temple, which were superintended by the priests and Levites, in which the tithe was kept: 2 Chro. 31:11-14, Neh. 10:38-39, Neh. 12:44, Neh. 13:12.
7. The third tithe or triennial or poor tithe: 14:28-29, Deut. 26:12 instructs the Israelites to convert the second tithe to the poor tithe, and is meant to be given to the poor at home, and not brought to sanctuary.

In order to harmonize all of these tithes, the Israelites observed them over a seven-year period. The enactment was that in the first, second, fourth and fifth year the first three tithes were observed while in the third and sixth year, the third tithe would be observed with the seventh year being the fallow year.

I believe that this has given the reader enough knowledge of the types of tithe under the Mosaic Laws

• What is the history of tithe in the Bible? Tithing had been practiced by different nations from as far back as we can remember.The Phoenicians, Arabians, Pelasgians etc. all paid tithe. The first mention in the Bible was when Abram gave Melchizedek the tithe of the spoils of war: Gen 14:17-24. The second mention was when Jacob in Gen 28:20-22 made a vow to pay tithe if he returned safely to his home. After theocracy was rejected, there was a neglect of tithe during the monarchy as the kings claimed them for their personal use, 1 Sam 8:14-15, 17, but it was observed during the reign of Hezekiah: 2 Chro. 31:5-6, 2 Chro. 31:12. After the return from the Babylonian captivity, it was altered due to state of the commonwealth and the disproportion of the Levites and laymen: 10:38, Neh. 12:44, Neh. 13:5, Neh. 13:12. At first only about 360 Levites returned from the Babylonian captivity with about 37,319 laymen, while with Ezra only 38 Levites with 1496 laymen returned. This disproportion led to 97 laymen providing for 1 Levite instead of 10 laymen and it must have continued over the years. Conversely in Judaea, after the return from the Babylonian captivity, despite not having a register,Ezr. 2:62, 4289 priests returned with Zerubbabel and this was about 13 times more than those who returned with Ezra. This is not considering the 612 Nethinims who came back with Ezra and Zerubbabelin Ezr. 2:58, Ezr. 8:20 and Neh. 7:60, who also needed sustenance. Ezra therefore had to take from the overabundant tithe from the Levites and give it to the priests and Nethinims. This uneven distribution of the Levitical tithe between the Levites and the priests is what led to Ezra to ask the priests to collect tithes directly from the Israelites. It was also directed that this tithe be shared into three portions as reasoned by historians. One portion to priests and Levites, the other to the Temple storehouse and the third was distributed among the poor and needy. This allowed those who watched over the tithes i.e. the priests and the Levites function very well, as well as they were meant to when they were being constituted during the time of Hezekiah,2 Chro. 31:11-14. During the time of the priestly degeneracy and the Grecian occupation, tithes were once again discontinued but upon the rise of the Pharisees were strictly adhered to. So strict was it that they pad tithe of minute items,Matt. 23:23.
• Who were the givers of tithe? The Israelites who were capable of paying tithe and the Levites upon the receipt of tithe from the Israelites were the givers of tithe, 27:2a and Lev. 27:30-33. Also proselytes were required to pay tithes as far as they were capable of doing so.
• Who were the receivers of tithe? The Levites, the priests and the poor, 18:21-32, Deu. 12:5-18, Deu. 14:22-29 andDeu. 26:12-14.
• Why was tithe paid? Tithe was paid in order to support those who were involved in the duties of the temple and the poor,Deut 26:13. The priests and the Levites were also entitled to offerings for their sustenance but all of this was predicated upon the instruction that they would have no inheritance among their brethren, 14:29andDeut. 18:1-8.
• How often was tithe paid? Due to the differences in time between planting and harvest for the predial tithe and between delivery time for the mixed tithe, it is generally taken that tithe is paid upon harvest and/or annually. One must remember that different plants have different harvest times and one must take account of all of these but an annual adaptation is best suited.
• Who were the Levites and priests? The Levites and priests are the descendants of Levi, 29:34, Exo. 6:16, Exo. 6:19 andNum. 3:17. The name Levite is also used as a title for the group of the tribe that was consecrated for the subordinate offices of the sanctuary service,1 Kngs. 8:4 andEzr 2:70. They are the tribe that was chosen when God ended religious primogeniture,Exo 13:2 andNum. 3:11-13, as they were quite zealous;Exo. 32:26. One must also note that God’s initial plan was to have a country that had a kingdom of priests and was a holy nation,Exo. 19:6, but this plan was changed upon the sin of idolatry in the wilderness;Exo. 32:1-35. The Levites had no territorial possessions as they were completely devoted to the service of God,Num. 18:20, Num. 26:62, Deut. 10:9 andDeut. 18:1-2. One must note that this was also in line with the blessing albeit ‘curse’ that was placed on them by their progenitor,Gen. 49:5-7. The Levites had no portion of the promise land given to them and the “Simeonites” had their inheritance within that of the children of Judah,Josh. 19:1. The institution of hereditary priesthood was established and given to the family of Aaron,Exo. 28:1, while the Gershonites, Kohathites and the Merarites performed the duties of the Levites;Num. 3-5.
• Explain Malachi 3:8-11 – (Please see Question 3 for a background to this) This passage is set against the return of the Israelites from the Babylonian captivity. Nehemiah was implementing the restoration of the Mosaic Laws in Judah, 9-10. He had led the people to make a sure covenant,Neh. 9:38 and Neh. 10:32-39,but he had to reform them again on his return to Jerusalem after being absent for a while;Neh. 13:5-14. The priests were withholding what was meant for the Levites and this had to be corrected. Verse 8 opens up this particular discourse. It tells of how God was being robbed. This robbery was not confined to the priests alone as is now being taught by some in Nigeria. It extended to the whole nation,Mal. 1:6-8 andMal 1:12-14. It can be seen that the Priests were collecting tainted offerings and tithes from the Israelites. The deceiver in verse 14 is an Israelite who brings corrupt things to God. The collusion between the Priests and the Israelites is what is being rebuked from Mal. 1:6 to Mal. 3:6.Verse 9 goes on to tell us that all of Israel was already under a curse,Mal. 2:2. Verse 10 commands that ALL the tithes (Deut. 26:12 – Please see Question 2 for types of tithes) should be brought to the storehouse that there may be meat in mine house. This meat would be meant for the Levites, Priests and the poor. It goes on to say that God will open the windows of heaven and pour out a blessing. We must first of all determine the literal meaning of the phrase “Windows of heaven”. We find this phrase in Gen 7:11, Gen 8:2, 2 Kngs. 7:2 and 2 Kngs. 7:19.This simply means rain. The next phrase is “pour you out a blessing” and must also be understood. It means fruitful seasons. And the last phrase is “there shall not be room enough to receive it”. This phrase speaks for itself but it should be noted that it is not the rain that will not have enough room to be received but the tithe from the harvest. There is a process between these two phrases: “open you the window of heaven” and “there shall not be room enough to receive it”. It is the process of farming. Rain to the lazy man is useless, as it has nothing to nourish. The open windows of heaven would be useless to the Israelites if they did not work hard. But we must also note something from elsewhere in the Bible as said by Jesus. Matt. 5:45 tells us that God in His loving nature still sends that same rain to the just and unjust. Allow me to allegorize for a minute and assume that this text refers to us Christians. The reasons we sight when asking Christians to pay tithe is seen in Mal. 3:11,which talks about the rebuke of devourer. We normally pan this with verse 10. Over the years, Christians in Nigeria have paid tithe not because it is convenient or because they want to meet the needs of the recipients of their tithe. Christians in Nigeria have paid tithe because they are afraid of a closed heaven and a devourer and because they want to receive monetary rewards from God. Whether Christians should pay tithe is a question that I answer afterwards but permit me to stay confined to the Old Testament. God is not interested in fearful giving rather He is interested in cheerful giving,2 Cor. 9:6-15. Also a harvest is in many ways proportional to the seed. Christians expect that there would be some sort of supernatural increase in their finance whilst doing the same thing because they pay tithe. This simply does not happen. We must also note and this is very important: that the blessings of God are not physical or mundane; they are spiritual Eph. 1:3 (I hope to touch this later on). God does not give you money because you gave Him money; rather God in His prescience gives you what is best for you at every point in time in your life and if it is money,God gives you the power to make wealthDeut. 8:18. In accordance with chronology let me stick to Malachi. Strictly speaking, both literally and objectively, Mal 3:7-12 does not refer to us as Christians. It is a discourse for the Israelites and is historical although we make it prophetic when we allegorize it. The curse as it were, was also based on the fact that the land had been given conditions for blessings and curses as seen in Deut. 28:1-62, Exo. 3:8 and Lev. 20:24. The portion of Malachi that refers to us is Mal. 1:11. Jesus Christ repeated this and expounded it in John. 4:21-24and John 10:16. We must understand that at this point in history and in the Bible we were still referred to as Gentiles. That same sun and rain which Jesus referred to in Matt 5:45 and we find in Mal 3:10 has been given to us through His mercy. Mal 1:11 tells us that God’s name will be great among usas far as there is an incense and a pure offering. Please also note that there is nothing about tithe in Mal 1:11. I believe we understand what those requirements, incense and pure offering, mean? Please see Heb. 13:15-16, Php. 4:18, Rom. 12:1 and1 Pet. 2:5. Furthermore, there will be Gentiles who do not offer any of the two requirements to God. There are three races recognized in the Bible namely, the Jew, the Gentile and the Christian or the Church of God,1 Cor. 10:32.It is precisely the latter race that God was referring to in Mal 1:11. As Nigerian Christians we are a spiritual and not a physical offspring of Abraham.It is for this reason we can allegorize the Bible and lay claim to God’s blessings,Gal 3:8-10, Gal 3:13-14 andGal 3:28-29.It is in verses like Heb. 13:15-16 that we find our place in the practice of giving as Christians but this I would explain in another question. A fulfillment of pure offering being offered we can find in Acts 2:45.
• Was tithe paid in the New Testament? This is one of the many shallow questions that Christians ask and for which they always get a shallow response in 23:23 (Please see the last two sentences in Que. 3). The New Testament does not end the religious practices of Judaism or the customary practices of the Jews. The rise of the Pharisees led to the undue meticulous payment of tithe. We must also note that the New Testament is about three religions namely Judaism, Christianity and Paganism, and three spiritual races namely the Jews, Christians and Gentiles. Christians always forget about these differences. The book of James for example was written to the Jewish Christians while Galatians was written to Gaulish Christians. Judaism and Christian practices continued after Christ died. In fact, the Pharisees continued to look for people who they could convert to Judaism,Matt 23:15. They would expect of a proselyte to have the same zeal. The Jews continued to pay tithe in the New Testament.
• What did Jesus say about tithe? Jesus did not stop the payment of tithe. He only told them to focus on spiritual things like love, faith and mercy, 11:42 andMatt. 23:23.
• Did Jesus pay tithe? He probably would have paid personal tithe and we can assume this because He paid temple tax, 17:24-27. He was also a carpenter,Mk. 6:3, and so would not have been able to pay predial or mixed tithe.
• Did Jesus collect tithe? He did not as he was not meant to do so. His priesthood was a spiritual one and not a lineal one. The Levites were descendants of Levi while Jesus was a descendant of Judah.
• Did the Early Church collect tithe?The Early Church was made up of people from different parts of the world just as the Present Church is. The Mosaic Laws in its entirety did not apply to them. The Church was and is not under the “Law of Moses” but under the “Law of Christ”, 2:15-21, Gal. 3:10-13 andGal. 6:2.And what is the “Law of Christ”? It is found in John 13:34. One of the ways in which the Early Church practiced the “Law of Christ” was through giving. A certain man called Barnabas, a Levite, brought the proceeds of a sale and gave the whole of it to the church;Acts. 4:37. We are not told if he repeated this again but we can see that he was not confined to bring just ten percent of the proceed of this sale.We must also remember that tithe predates the “Law of Moses”,Heb. 7:5-9 andGen. 14:20,and has been practiced by men of other tribes and religions. The “Law of Moses” confines us as Christians but the “Law of Christ” gives us the liberty to do as much and as little as we can. The Early Church pooled their resources;Acts 4:32-35and Acts 2:42-47. This brought about “access and equality” and was what was responsible for them living in one accord. The Early Church practiced Wealth Distribution, no one was rich and no one was poor. We find out that The Early Church helped one another through giving,Acts 11:27-30 (please note “every man according to his ability” in vs. 29), 1 Cor. 16:1-3, Rom. 15:26 andGal 2:9-10. The word tithe is not used to describe their giving but, in the words of David Guzik, we could see that it was Periodic, Planned, Proportional and Private.These very words we can use to describe tithe. We must always remember that it was and is according to one’s ability;Acts 11:29. A good albeit sad example is of Ananias and Sapphira in Acts 5:1-11, who did not have the ability to do what they wanted to do.In clear terms, the word tithe was not used to describe the giving that the Early Church practiced but the way they did and how Abraham paid tithe imply similitude;Gen. 14:20, Acts 2:45 andActs 4:37.
• Should the Present Church collect tithe?(Please see Ques. 14 before reading this and Ques. 19&25 afterwards) There would be absolutely nothing wrong if one can give a planned, periodic, proportional and private amount of resources according to his ability for the good of mankind. I have come to see that critics do not have a problem with people paying tithe but with how the tithe is being used. You do not cut off a head because it has headache; rather, you find ways of relieving it. No form of charity should be discouraged any where in the world but the misuse of charity is what should be discouraged. Let me also add here that it is not only through the church that charity can be practiced. The simple reason being that if we were to allegorize the present day recipients of tithe as Christians, it would be for the clergy and the poor. The poor can be found anywhere both within and without the church.(I would elaborate more on this in Ques. 19&25). The Present Church can collect any form of resources towards charity, this does not necessarily have to be called tithe, but it must be done and used according to how the Early Church did and used it.
• Who are the recipients of “tithe” in the Present Church? What we would call tithe now, as we have established so far in this article, is primarily for the Saints. 12:13, Rom. 15:25-26, Rom. 16:2, 1 Cor. 16:1-3, 2 Cor. 8:4, 2 Cor. 9:1-2 andHeb. 6:10all point us to the Saints. We must note that this does not prohibit us from helping mankind at large,Gal. 6:10, but if we are strictly referring to the church then it is meant to take care of the brethren who could either be the clergy or the needy. It is not meant for the clergy alone but for the Saints.
• Is my pastor a Levite by tribe? I am not sure of where your pastor comes from but if he is from Nigeria then he is clearly not a Levite by tribe.
• Is my pastor a priest and who are the Levites and Priests in the church? The plan of God is to restore the priesthood of every man with Jesus being our High Priest;1 Pet 2:9, 3:1, Heb. 4:14-16 andRev. 1:6. No pastor should or can lay claims to the monopoly of tithe through the talk of being the priest of a church. Each Saint is a Priest and deserves to be ministered to in his or her time of need. If your pastor insists that he is apriest by office and therefore a Levite by tribe, then kindly ask him to give up his properties,Num. 18:20-24, after which you must pray for him because there would hardly be any kind of love in his heart for his brethren as it was during the time of Jesus;Lk. 10:25-37.
• How is “tithe”to be used in the church?It is for ministering to the Saints. It is to ensure that no one is lacking. It is not meant for a few individuals. Everyone who is in need should have access to the storehouse. It is also to ensure that no individual or group is living below the average standard of the church. Acts 6:1-7 tells us that when this sort of situation came up, the church was quick to address it. Tithe is to be used to help that struggling family keep their kids in good schools, that entrepreneurial sister start a business, that hardworking brother get married, that deceased elder get a befitting burial, that student pay for his tuition, that couple pay their house rent, that pastor live comfortably with his family etc. This is what the Early Church practiced and we ought to do the same. It is not for any sort of luxury for a few but for the comfort of all who are in or not in need. For the comfort of those not in need? Yes. If they are enjoying luxury then they can become comfortable by paying tithe so that people in dire situations can become comfortable.It is not for white elephant projects or building big structures everywhere. The second temple was insignificant compared to the first, yet the glory of the second was more than the first, Hag 2:3-9and Ezra 3:12-13. Why do we build structures everywhere in the face of the homeless poor? It is the spiritual footprint of the temple that the church is modeled after and not the physical footprint.
• How rich can a pastor be from “tithe”? Every pastor is entitled to his reward. Jesus said this in Matt 10:10 and Paul repeated this in 1 Cor. 9:14. Every one who preaches the gospel and lives of the gospel deserves a life of comfort. Every disciple deserves a cup of cold water as Jesus said in Matt 10:42. If a pastor preaches the gospel away from his locality or church and the hearers find it in their heart to bless him, so be it, it is solely for him. Paul on many occasions turned down this gain;2 Thess. 3:8, 1 Thess. 2:9 and2 Cor. 11:9. But in his locality or church, the tithe is for the Saints of that church. The pastor could be thought of and taken care of first but not necessarily the most. The fact that the pastor has served longest does not mean he must have the greatest reward and Jesus pointed this out in Matt 20:1-16. The current trend of luxury, whether it is perceived or real, is not one to be proud of. There is a template for everything concerning a Christian in the Bible. Paul tells us how rich a pastor can be. A pastor should be as rich as the richest hardworking person in the church and as poor as the poorest hardworking person in that same church. Paul points this out in 1 Cor. 9:25-27 and 4:11-13. Every pastor in charge of a flock is meant to aid the Wealth Distribution in that church. The day a pastor starts being richer than his members, especially when he is into fulltime ministry, is the day he stops being a conduit for wealth distribution and starts being a reservoir for wealth. The prosperity of a pastor is not in having the best of what life offers him but in denying himself of it as much as possible. Therein lies the prosperity of his soul as seen in 3 John 2 because his soul is in concert with his spirit and not his flesh.All these lists being bandied around should be unheard of. Examples include “pastors who have private jets”, “richest pastors in Nigeria”, etc. some of which are false and others ought to be verified. There is a template for the conduct and expenses involved in evangelistic journeys and we can find one in Matt. 10:9-10. It is not one of comfort talk less of luxury. Jesus told Paul he would go on an evangelistic journey to Rome in Acts 23:11and Acts 27 – 28 tell us of how that journey went.
• Is it wrong for a church to build an institution like a university with “tithe”? In answering this question we must first of all ask ourselves what is the purpose of the church in the first place. This can be found, strictly speaking, among the seven mysteries of the kingdom. We find this in 3:9-11.The commission given by Jesus is found in Matt 28:18-20 andMk. 16:15-18. It would only be right for us to be obedient to this purpose and commission. If we are to embark on anything using this purpose and commission, then it ought to be in accordance with the Bible. The franchise for the use of the name of Jesus Christ is still free to be best of our knowledge. Matt 10:8 tells us that the power behind the commission is free. Not that it is wrong to build institutions like a university, hospital, social care center etc. to cater for mankind but we must remember that it must be in accordance with the Bible as far as its resources are gotten from a church. So the question is, “Is the university built by a church not meant to be free for the members of that church?” In whatever we do we must remember that the church ought not to get involved in “assets and inequality” but in “access and equality”. If a church builds a university and its members cannot attend it, then it is an asset that brings inequality and is not in accordance with the practices of the Early Church and the Bible. One of the ways in which the church would have or can display access and equality is by aiding the free institutions within her environment. A church can build structures for various purposes in government-owned universities, renovate free government-owned primary and secondary schools and hospitals, develop the human resources in these free institutions etc. and through these means also be able to keep the government on her toes. If the church builds universities or any other kind of institution and its members do not have access them then we make void Gal. 6:10. With that said, one believes that if the tithe of a local church is distributed within that church then there might not be so much resources to execute projects like building a university.
• Who are those exempted from paying tithe? Everyone and no one. Tithing or giving in general is an act of faith and love. If one cannot pay tithe or give because he does not have or because he does not have the faith that he would be sustained after paying tithe or giving, then he should not put himself in a dire situation. It is according to one’s ability; 11:29. There is a saying that goes thus, “You can give without loving but you cannot love without giving”. Sometimes we want to give because we love but we cannot due to our situation. At times like this we should not indulge in self-deprecation and have thoughts of any sort of imprecation.
• Can I pay my tithe to someone in need?If you have read all of the questions and answers so far, then the obvious answer to this question is yes. If there is someone in urgent need and in dire situation, tithe can be given to that person.
• What should I expect from God after paying my tithe?Biblically speaking, one should on no account give because he expects something in return. Give and store up treasures in heaven where no moth can touch;Matt 6:19-20 and 12:33.
• Should I continue to pay tithe? As established so far it would be good for us to continue paying tithe but with the right caveats in place. Please pay according to your ability. Be free to approach the storehouse when in need. It makes no sense if a brother who earns N2m per annum and pays N120,000 per annum cannot find help in the church to complete his N300,000 per annum rent. Men who have wisdom in overseeing finance should be able to distribute to the Saints as need be. Neh. 13:13 tells us that men who were counted faithful distributed to the brethren as needed. Acts 6:3 also tells us that men full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom were appointed over the business of distribution. While I understand that we ought to support the Mother Church or headquarters as we call it, it is expedient to take care of the brethren in the member churches first. Also, one should be able to request for how tithe has been used or is being used to support those it is required to support. It is not something that should be shrouded in secrecy; this is the same problem the nation at large is facing. There is nothing wrong in knowing how money is been used in the church. Accountable men ought not to be afraid of giving account. Every church should periodically let her members know how their resources are being used. Of what use to churches will the billions of naira that they have in their accounts be to them if the rapture is to take place now?

Any other business

16. Alcohol in church – When this topic comes up I point straight to 10:9-11 and Heb. 4:14-16. If God can ask Aaron not to drink wine or any strong drink when coming into his presence, a tabernacle made with the hands of man, will HE not ask us not to drink when we are always in HIS presence, a tabernacle built by HIS hands?♯Sobriety.
17. Common sense – I read a Whatsapp post that talked about the matter of tithe calling it “Common Sense”. It was appalling to see the writer compare preachers with secular musicians for who should stay in Lekki, drive good cars, etc. The writer was also trying to give an informal account on how tithe is being used. That post ought not to have been written let alone forwarded. The same people who pay tithe are told not to ask how it is being used, but we are now giving account because we have been questioned from outside. That is simply wrong. Is Lekki now heaven or the benefit of preaching the gospel? That post also had an undertone of class, something Jesus told us to be aware of in 23:1-12.♯Shame.
18. Parental Rewards – This is a kind request for those who tow the lines of sowing all manner of seeds, making all manner of vows, those who out do themselves in blessing their pastors and the likes. Kindly take care of your parents first before all of these. Jesus pointed this out in 7:11 and Matt 15:5. ♯ Honor.
19. Going forward – The Church should by now be thinking of updating her teaching manuals and other materials. More questions will be asked and most manuals are simply not deep enough to answer them. We ought to rededicate ourselves to searching the scriptures and doing things rightly;2 Tim. 2:15.♯
20. What next? – One Pastor Bosun Emmanuel spoke about the “Islamization of Nigeria” before the elections that brought in this present government. The church, which he belongs to, distanced herself from him. Today the Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, is crying about an Islamic agenda. This discourse about the perceived luxurious style of living of pastors and the financial strength of the churchin the face of poverty is similar to what happened in the Bible in1 Kgs. 12. It led to the division of the Israel. Today Daddy Freeze has stirred up this National Bible Study and the church is shutting him up. If this matter is not handled properly I am sure history would repeat itself. ♯ Déjà vu.

Views expressed by contributors are strictly personal and not of TheCable.