Tithing

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Was William Branham's teaching on tithing correct? Is tithing a requirement for Christians? Do you have to tithe ten percent of your gross income? Does the tithe belong to the ministry? What does the Bible have to say about tithing?

William Branham's teaching on tithing was in error

There are a number of things which William Branham taught with respect to tithing that are simply wrong. These include:

1. The tithe in the Old Testament was ten percent;
2. The New Testament requires tithing so Christians are required to tithe; and
3. The tithe should go to the ministry as they are the equivalent of the Levitical priesthood.

Was the tithe ten percent?

William Branham taught that the Old Testament tithe was ten percent. But that is simply not the truth. The Old Testament was over double that.

The first tithe

Ten percent of the gross income of God’s people funded the Levites (Num. 18:20–32). The Levites were scattered all over the country and were not just in Jerusalem at the temple. The Levites also included everyone in the tribe of Levi that worked in the temple - the priest, the song leaders and musicians, even the doormen and the janitors. In Nu 13:21–32 it is laid down that the tithe must be paid to the Levites, not just to the priests.

The priests only got ten percent of the tithe

According to Numbers 18:26-28, the Levites paid ten percent of the first tithe to the priests (who were also part of the tribe of Levi). It should be noted that according to Heb 7:5, ‘they that are of the sons of Levi, who receive the office of the priesthood.… take tithes of the people.’ The explanation for this is that the priests, who received from the Levites a tithe of the tithe, thus symbolically received the whole tithe.

The second tithe

Another ten percent paid for the festivals that built community and celebration (Deut. 12:5-7, 17 & 14:22–27). Yes, that is right, it was spent on parties and it was mandatory. Can you even imagine if we all kicked ten percent of our gross aggregate income for parties?

The poor tithe (or third tithe)

Ten percent every third year went to help the poor (Deut. 14:28, 26:12-15). That’s 3.33 percent. In addition, there were gleanings for the poor and the alien. In addition, there were occasional tithes and offerings as a specific need would come up, i.e., the rebuilding of the wall in Ezra, Nehemiah, or with the creation of the tabernacle in Exodus. If you add that up, the total mandatory tithe was about twenty-five percent of your gross income.

On top of that, there were specific sacrifices and gifts that you were expected to give just out of joy, as particular needs arose. What that means is, no matter how you look at it, the tithe was well above twenty percent, depending upon the year, of your gross income going to your tithe. And then, your taxes, and then you live on whatever is left.

What is also clear is that the priests only got a small portion of the total tithe (ten percent of ten percent = one percent of income).

What was subject to the tithe?

Was the Old Testament tithe calculated on all income or only certain types of income?

Tithe paid only on the fruit of the land

According to Lev 27:30–33, a tithe had to be given of the seed of the land, i.e. of the crops, of the fruit of the tree, e.g. oil and wine, and of the herd or the flock (cf Dt 14:22, 23; 2 Ch 31:5, 6). As the herds and flocks passed out to pasture they were counted (cf Jer 33:13; Ezk 20:37), and every 10th animal that came out was reckoned holy to the Lord. The owner was not allowed to search among them to find whether they were bad or good, nor could he change any of them; if he did, both the one chosen and the one for which it was changed were holy. Tithes of the herds and flocks could not be redeemed for money, but tithes of the seed of the land and of fruit could be, but a 5th part of the value of the tithe had to be added.

There is no indication in the Old Testament that any tithing was required on wages or profits.

The no-tithe year

Every seventh or sabbatical year the land lay fallow, and was then tithe-free (Deut 15:1).

Does the New Testament require tithing?

The apostles set down very little in the way of requirements with respect to the Gentiles in the church. Specifically, Paul stated:

My judgment is that we should not trouble those of the Gentiles who turn to God, but should write to them to abstain from the things polluted by idols, and from sexual immorality, and from what has been strangled, and from blood.

The apostles agree with this:

Then it seemed good to the apostles and the elders, with the whole church, to choose men from among them and send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas... with the following letter: “The brothers, both the apostles and the elders, to the brothers who are of the Gentiles in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia, greetings. 24 Since we have heard that some persons have gone out from us and troubled you with words, unsettling your minds, although we gave them no instructions, it has seemed good to us, having come bto one accord, to choose men and send them to you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul, men who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.  We have therefore sent fJudas and Silas, who themselves will tell you the same things by word of mouth.  For it has seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay on you no greater burden than these requirements: that you abstain from what has been sacrificed to idols, and from blood, and from what has been strangled, and from sexual immorality. If you keep yourselves from these, you will do well. Farewell.”

A requirement to tithe cannot be found in the New Testament.

Paul does lay down rules with respect to giving and they are not tithing. Here is his requirement:

Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.

Should the tithe go to the ministry?

We have already proved that there is no requirement for tithing in the New Testament. And we have shown that the priests only received a tithe of the tithe (i.e. one percent).

In 2 Corinthians 8, Paul states:

We take this course so that no one should blame us about this generous gift that is being administered by us, for we aim at what is honorable not only in the Lord’s sight but also in the sight of man.

Paul was given a large gift from the church to take to Jerusalem, which of necessity had to be physically taken from places so far away to Jerusalem that it would inevitably raise questions as to its vulnerability to misuse. Paul was deeply sensitive to any negative inferences in relationship to himself in this matter, as is clear from this verse. He held himself accountable to God and to man. His decision was that local church delegates would accompany the monies, thereby ensuring an independent accountability for the money.

The most telling feature in most message churches is the lack of accountability with respect to the tithes of the church. Ministers for the most part have total control and the trustees who are legally charged by the law to ensure that there is accountability for the funds turn tail and run.

As a result, monetary misuse and abuse of tithes in message churches is the norm. Trustees and boards refuse to hold the ministry accountable and so the ministry simply walks away with the money. While this is not the case in all message churches, it is the case in most.

Quotes

Now watch this if you want to see something.

But he whose descent is not continued for... from them receiveth tithes of Abraham, and blessed him that had the promise.

Abraham had the promise, and this Man blessed Abraham who had the promise. Who was this? The sons of Levi paid tithes to their brethren or... Their brethren paid tithes to them. They had a commandment of the Lord to take a tenth of what their brothers made, for their living, because they were the priesthood. Now, that lets out the Melchisedec priesthood, as you talk about, right there. That's right. But this Man... Even the one who had the promise, the greatest man on earth, Abraham, met this Man and paid tithes to Him. [Blank.spot.on.tape--Ed.] :He had to be greater.

Listen. And without any contradiction the less is blessed of the better. Certainly. Watch Who He is. And here men that die receive tithes;...

That's the priesthood of the order of priests and preachers, and so forth. Men that receive tithe, die. See? ... but here he receiveth them, of whom it is witnessed that he liveth.

What would a man take tithings for, if he had any... If he never was born, and never will die, and was from beginning to end, and--and never had no father or mother or descent, and owned the whole Heavens and earth and all in it, why would he take tithe? Why would he ask Abraham to pay tithes? You see what a strict thing it is to pay tithes? Tithing is right. Every Christian is duty bound to pay tithe. That's right. Never has been changed.</ref>HEBREWS.CHAPTER.SEVEN.1 JEFF.IN 57-0915E</ref>

He can do nothing till first you confess that He's did it, and accept it as your own personal property. You can't get saved by beating on the altar, or can't get saved by paying your tithe, or keeping some days, or abs--abstain from meats. You don't get saved by that. It's by faith are you saved, and that through the grace of God. You have to accept it first, and believe it as your own personal property, then you are saved. Same way by healing.

God will provide the works. If you'll just walk in grace, you'll be more at work than you are right now with the Ladies Aid Society and all this other nonsense that's been added into the church. Soup suppers to pay the preacher, where'd you ever get such a thing as that Scripture? Tithes pays the preacher. He's to live by the tithes of the people. But we had to get something else to do. We have to have our part into it. And then if the--they can't make it up, there's another society will do it, another society. God's way is right. Tithes and offerings goes to Levi, which was the minister. If everybody would pay their tithes you wouldn't have to have any soup suppers. See, you adopted something else and leave the tithings off. Say it's an Old Testament ar--argument. I'd like for you to prove it to me. That's right. You can't do it by God's Word; it's a New Testament order too. God makes one order, it can never be changed. It has to remain that way.THE.CHURCH.CHOOSING.

Can a Christian go to heaven if he or she does not pay tithe?

Now, that's one that I could not answer Scripturally.

Now, this "Father, Son, and Holy Spirit," if the minister is sincere, just let--let us know (You see?), we'd be glad... Brother Neville, myself, or Brother Beeler, or Brother Collins, or any of these ministers here who are ordained to this ministry, and so forth, can--can do so.

Now, but now: Does a Christian not get to heaven because they do not pay tithe?

I--I could not say yes or no to that. But I do believe that every Christian is obligated to pay tithings because it is a commandment of the Lord. "And blessed is--are they that do all His commandments, that they might have a right to enter into the Life, the Tree of Life." :Now, I do believe that tithe-paying is essential to a Christian experience. For I'll get to that in another question in a few moments; I know there's another one in here pertaining to that.

Brother Branham, don't you feel that everyone who claims to be a Christian should pay tithes, pay their tithes into the storehouse of the Lord? Please give Scripture to this question.

All right, if you will... That is right, that the Bible said in Malachi the 4th chapter, "Will a man rob God? And you say, 'Where have we robbed Thee?' In tithe and offerings. Bring all your tithe and offerings into My storehouse and prove Me," saith the Lord, "if I will not open up the windows of heaven and pour out a blessing that there'll not be room enough to receive."

That's a challenge to any individual. And if I only had the time, and would not get to this little Scripture that I wish to get to in about the next ten minutes, I would like to give you a personal testimony of how that I was even hungry, and my mother and them hungry, and my daddy sick, but I took my tithes out first and give it to God, and you ought to see what happened. I have never seen in my life, that any man or a woman, that if you only make one dollar a week, will bring the ten cents of that money and put it into your storehouse, your church where you come, if God don't bless that, call me a hypocrite. Yes, sir. That's a challenge to anybody. And every Christian... That goes to this other question. Every Christian should pay tithes. That's right. It should be done.

Would it be wrong to use tithes on church building funds?

Well now, here--here's a touchy little thing for the church now. No, correctly, tithes is to go to the minister. That's right. In the Bible they had a box they'd set at the door in the Old Testament when the--building. This box was a fund where the people put in there for the repairing... You've read it many times in the Old Testament. They kept up the buildings and things like that... All the repairs on the buildings was taken care out of that fund. But a tenth of that went--a tenth of the tithings--all the tithings went to their priests, their pastors. Yes, tithings are to go for nothing else.

I know people take their tithes and give them to a widow woman. That's wrong. If you've got anything to give the widow woman, give her, but don't give her God's money. That's not yours in the first place. That's God's.

If you sent me downtown to get a loaf of bread, and you give me twenty-five cents to get the loaf of bread, and I met somebody on the street wanted something else, and I'd give him the twenty-five cents (See?), I give them your money. If they asked me for something, let them get it over here in this pocket and give them my money; but this is your money. And a tenth of it is the Lord's. And Levi the priest could live by the tenth.

The tenth is to be a tithing that's to be brought into the storehouse with a promise of God to bless it and a proof. He said, "If you don't believe it, come and prove Me and see if I won't do it." See? That's right.

The tithings goes into the church for the pastor and so forth like that to live on. And then the--the--the building funds and things like that is a separate fund altogether. Now, that--that is Scriptural.

One time when we get started, I want to take a night... I've went here some time ago before I left the tabernacle and taken about two or three weeks and just on subjects like that and went plumb through it and showed what tithings was in the church.

Should a person pay tithes to an individual, or should a Christian work?

Sure he should. He's the one man that will work, is a Christian.

"Pay tithes to an individual?" It depends on who the individual is. See? That's right. In Hebrews 7, the first time tithings was talked about in--in a stand that we... Wait a minute, I believe, number two question. No. Uh, uh. No. For Brother... Said, "Two questions for Brother Branham."

When... In Hebrews the 7th chapter, when Abraham, returning from the slaughter of the kings met Melchisedec, he paid Him a tithe. That was Melchisedec, the King of Salem, which is King of Peace, and King of Righteousness, which was nobody but God Himself. See?

But when you pay tithings... Really, where you owe tithings is where you get your food. "Bring ye all your tithings into My storehouse, saith the Lord. (That right?) And prove Me wherein saith God, that if I'll not open the windows of heaven and pour out a blessing that you would not have room enough to receive it." I challenge any man or woman that's not a tithe payer to accept that.

I could stand here till in the morning, telling you just what happened when I seen that, and what condition I was in. But just as loyal as I ever could, I paid tithes. And when I took my own money from the church here or from my campaigns, I'd take more... I'd give a tenth. Then I'd give it out to the ministers, and give the rest of it to ministers. Then when I couldn't do that, then the thing I did, I kept ten percent and give God ninety. And then, when the law told me I couldn't do that, I'd have to take... And if I did, it was going to be charged to it, then I had to take and bypass it into foreign missions and so forth, and then just take a wage out of that of a hundred dollars a week; and I pay my tithes from that.

Yes, sir. I believe in paying tithes. It's one of God's blessings that's proven to be a blessing. You say, "That's of the Old Testament." It is of the New Testament too. Yes, sir.

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