Financial accountability in the message
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Biblisvl
- But thanks be to God, who put into the heart of Titus the same earnest care I have for you. For he not only accepted our appeal, but being himself very earnest he is going to you of his own accord. With him we are sending the brother who is famous among all the churches for his preaching of the gospel. And not only that, but he has been appointed by the churches to travel with us as we carry out this act of grace that is being ministered by us, for the glory of the Lord himself and to show our good will. 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. And with them we are sending our brother whom we have often tested and found earnest in many matters, but who is now more earnest than ever because of his great confidence in you. As for Titus, he is my partner and fellow worker for your benefit. And as for our brothers, they are messengers of the churches, the glory of Christ.[1]
False teaching on tithing going to the pastor
William Branham stated:
- 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.[2]
The tithe 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 Num 18:21–32 it is laid down that the tithe must be paid to the Levites, not just to the priests:
- And the LORD said to Aaron, “You priests will receive no allotment of land or share of property among the people of Israel. I am your share and your allotment. As for the tribe of Levi, your relatives, I will compensate them for their service in the Tabernacle. Instead of an allotment of land, I will give them the tithes from the entire land of Israel.[3]
According to Numbers 18:26-28, the Levites paid ten percent of the tithe to the priests (who were also part of the tribe of Levi). Therefore, if the pastor is the New Testament equivalent of the Levitical priest, they should receive only got a small portion of the total tithe (ten percent of the tithe).
For a detailed discussion on tithing, please see our article - Are Christians required to tithe?
- 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 building 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 it…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 priesthood, lived 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. [4]
While William Branham said it was "scriptural", he offered no biblical support for his views.
Footnotes
- ↑ The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), 2 Co 8:16–23.
- ↑ William Branham, 61-1015M - Questions And Answers, para. 176
- ↑ Tyndale House Publishers, Holy Bible: New Living Translation (Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, 2015), Nu 18:20–21.
- ↑ William Branham, 61-1015M - Questions And Answers, para. 176-180