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“I believe you are going to go to hell (fire) if you don’t give your tithes.”
Submitted by Saved by Grace on 26/May/2009
Message:
This statement was recently made in our church. All of our beliefs must be founded on sound, scriptural doctrine. Therefore, I submit the following.
John wrote,
whosoever was not found written in the book of life, was cast into the pool of fire (Revelation 20:15)
Jesus added,
He that shall overcome, shall thus be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, and I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels (Revelation 3:5)
We see that overcomers’ names are written in the book of life and therefore they are not cast into the pool of fire. Therefore, one should not tell an overcomer that he is going to go to hell (fire).
Paul discussed the law of love in Romans 14:1-15:3.
Who art thou that judgest another man's servant? to his own master he standeth or falleth (14:4)
Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind (14:5)
But why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at nought thy brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God. So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God. Let us not therefore judge one another any more: but judge this rather, that no man put a stumblingblock or an occasion to fall in his brother's way (14:10-13)
Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another (14:19)
But Paul rebuked legalism and unsound teaching.
Now the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart, and of
good conscience, and of faith unfeigned: From which some having swerved have turned aside unto vain jangling; Desiring to be teachers of the law; understanding neither what they say, nor whereof they affirm (I Timothy 1:5-7)
The council of Jerusalem dealt with legalizers from Judaea. Peter’s argument for Christian liberty was why put under the law those to whom God has given the Spirit?
And when there had been much disputing, Peter rose up, and said unto them, Men and brethren, ye know how that a good while ago God made choice among us, that the Gentiles by my mouth should hear the word of the gospel, and believe. And God, which knoweth the hearts, bare them witness, giving them the Holy Ghost, even as he did unto us; And put no difference between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith. Now therefore why tempt ye God, to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear? But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved, even as they. (Acts 15:7-11)
James added,
Wherefore my sentence is, that we trouble not them, which from among the Gentiles are turned to God: But that we write unto them, that they abstain from pollutions of idols, and from fornication, and from things strangled, and from blood. For Moses of old time hath in every city them that preach him, being read in the synagogues every sabbath day (Acts 15:19-21)
Finally the whole church wrote,
For it seemed good to the Holy Ghost, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things; That ye abstain from meats offered to idols, and from blood, and from things strangled, and from fornication: from which if ye keep yourselves, ye shall do well. Fare ye well (Acts 15:28-29)
We see that salvation is by faith, but Gentiles were asked to refrain from idols, fornication, things strangled, and blood. They were not to be burdened with the yoke of bondage of the law, including circumcision and tithing.
Under the Mosaic law, Israelites tithed to Levites who had no inheritance. The statement that “here men that die receive tithes” in Hebrews 7:8 refers to the Levites. Nowhere in Scripture did Jesus receive tithes as a member of the tribe of Judah, nor did Paul as a member of the tribe of Benjamin. The Pharisees certainly would have brought an accusation against them if they had; no such account is found in Scripture. To be sure, no Gentile in Scripture ever received tithes—remember that we are all Gentiles. Israelites also gave tithes for strangers, the fatherless, and widows (Deuteronomy 14:28-29; 26:12-13). In today’s churches, there is rarely any mention of tithes going to these underprivileged groups.
Pharisees were very meticulous tithers under the law. Do those who mandate tithing today tithe of their vegetable gardens or the wild game that God provides for them, or do they simply tithe of their monetary income? Regardless, Jesus pronounced woe unto the Pharisees.
Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone (Matthew 23:23)
He said that a repentant publican was justified rather than the self-righteous, tithing Pharisee.
And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others: Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess. And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted (Luke 18:9-14)
One popular text used to legislate tithing is Malachi 3:7-10. Verse 7 refers to tithing as one of the ordinances. But what does the New Testament say about ordinances?
For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace (Ephesians 2:14-15)
And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespass; Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross; And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in it (Colossians 2:13-15)
…carnal ordinances, imposed on them until the time of reformation (Hebrews 9:10)
Many note that Abraham paid tithes before the law (he tithed of the king of Sodom’s spoil and kept nothing for himself), but he also circumcised before the law and Scripture is very clear that Gentile Christians are not required to be circumcised.
To be clear, I do not oppose Christians giving 10% of their income to the church, or even more if they desire. We should encourage giving to the man of God and to the less fortunate (Luke 10:7; I Timothy 5:17-18; I Corinthians 9:9-14).
But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully. Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver (II Corinthians 9:6-7)
It is this legalistic, judgmental teaching on tithing with which I find fault. Preachers must not preach for filthy lucre’s sake (I Timothy 3:2-3, 8; Titus 1:7, 9-11; I Peter 5:2).
But I have used none of these things: neither have I written these things, that it should be so done unto me: for it were better for me to die, than that any man should make my glorying void. 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! For if I do this thing willingly, I have a reward: but if against my will, a dispensation of the gospel is committed unto me. What is my reward then? Verily that, when I preach the gospel, I may make the gospel of Christ without charge, that I abuse not my power in the gospel. For though I be free from all men, yet have I made myself servant unto all, that I might gain the more (I Corinthians 9:15-18).
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