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Are Christians required to tithe?: Difference between revisions
→Was the tithe ten percent?
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William Branham taught that the Old Testament tithe was ten percent. '''But that is simply not the truth.''' The Old Testament was at least double that, if not more. | |||
===The first tithe=== | |||
The tithe was based '''ONLY on the income coming from the land''' and '''not on salaries or wages:''' | |||
The tithe was based '''ONLY on the income coming from the land''' and not on salaries or wages: | |||
:''One-tenth of all the produce of the land, whether grain or fruit, belongs to the LORD. If a man wishes to buy any of it back, he must pay the standard price plus an additional twenty per cent. One out of every ten domestic animals belongs to the LORD. When the animals are counted, every tenth one belongs to the LORD. The owner may not arrange the animals so that the poor animals are chosen, and he may not make any substitutions. If he does substitute one animal for another, then both animals will belong to the LORD and may not be bought back.<ref>American Bible Society, The Holy Bible: The Good News Translation, 2nd ed. (New York: American Bible Society, 1992), Le 27:30–33.</ref> | :''One-tenth of all the produce of the land, whether grain or fruit, belongs to the LORD. If a man wishes to buy any of it back, he must pay the standard price plus an additional twenty per cent. One out of every ten domestic animals belongs to the LORD. When the animals are counted, every tenth one belongs to the LORD. The owner may not arrange the animals so that the poor animals are chosen, and he may not make any substitutions. If he does substitute one animal for another, then both animals will belong to the LORD and may not be bought back.<ref>American Bible Society, The Holy Bible: The Good News Translation, 2nd ed. (New York: American Bible Society, 1992), Le 27:30–33.</ref> | ||
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The tithe was not the giving of money. It was likely only done on an annual basis. A weekly or monthly giving of tithes of wages to the church is not what this passage is suggesting. | The tithe was not the giving of money. It was likely only done on an annual basis. A weekly or monthly giving of tithes of wages to the church is not what this passage is suggesting. | ||
===The priests only got '''ten percent of the tithe'''=== | ====The priests only got '''ten percent of the tithe'''==== | ||
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 Nu 13:21–32 it is laid down that the tithe must be paid to the Levites, not just to the priests. | 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 Nu 13:21–32 it is laid down that the tithe must be paid to the Levites, not just to the priests. | ||
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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.<ref>Paul Levertoff, “Tithe,” ed. James Orr et al., The International Standard Bible Encyclopaedia, Volumes 1–5 (Chicago: The Howard-Severance Company, 1915), 2987.</ref> | 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.<ref>Paul Levertoff, “Tithe,” ed. James Orr et al., The International Standard Bible Encyclopaedia, Volumes 1–5 (Chicago: The Howard-Severance Company, 1915), 2987.</ref> | ||
==The party tithe (or the second tithe)== | ===The party tithe (or the second tithe)=== | ||
A distinct second tithe is found in Deuteronomy 14:22-27, and happened every first, second, fourth and fifth year of a seven-year cycle. This tithe is different because the person tithing gets to eat it, and not just the Levites or the Priests. The point was to bring the resources to the temple for a party (the festivals). Just in case you couldn't make it to the temple with your harvest, you were supposed to redeem the tithes for money and then go. | A distinct second tithe is found in Deuteronomy 14:22-27, and happened every first, second, fourth and fifth year of a seven-year cycle. This tithe is different because the person tithing gets to eat it, and not just the Levites or the Priests. The point was to bring the resources to the temple for a party (the festivals). Just in case you couldn't make it to the temple with your harvest, you were supposed to redeem the tithes for money and then go. | ||
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So why do Christian ministers teach about the first tithe only, and forget about the party tithe? You could say it is because Jesus cast out the money-changers, and those that sold animals in the temple. But what Jesus was doing was cleansing the temple from those who were in it for the money. | So why do Christian ministers teach about the first tithe only, and forget about the party tithe? You could say it is because Jesus cast out the money-changers, and those that sold animals in the temple. But what Jesus was doing was cleansing the temple from those who were in it for the money. | ||
==The poor tithe (or third tithe)== | ===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. | '''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. | ||
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What James experienced in the New Testament is believers who gave everything, and shared it with those in need. It was a religion of love for others from the heart. The law, after all, was just a schoolmaster leading to true faith. | What James experienced in the New Testament is believers who gave everything, and shared it with those in need. It was a religion of love for others from the heart. The law, after all, was just a schoolmaster leading to true faith. | ||
==Other offerings== | ===Other offerings=== | ||
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. | 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. | ||
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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 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). | ||
==The no-tithe year== | ===The no-tithe year=== | ||
Every seventh or sabbatical year the land lay fallow, and was then tithe-free (Leviticus 25:4-5 and Deuteronomy 15:1). But since you didn't have any income from the land, you couldn't really pay a tithe in any event. | Every seventh or sabbatical year the land lay fallow, and was then tithe-free (Leviticus 25:4-5 and Deuteronomy 15:1). But since you didn't have any income from the land, you couldn't really pay a tithe in any event. | ||
==The total tithing requirement= | ===The total tithing requirement=== | ||
== | |||
The "multiple tithe" position is held by Adam Clarke, Albert Barnes, Matthew Henry, Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown, Bruce Metzger, Charles Ryrie, the Jewish Talmud and most Jewish writers, like Josephus. Total tithing was either 20% (twelve tithes over seven years) or 23.33% (fourteen tithes over seven years). | |||
However, it is also clear that non-farmers were not required to pay any of the three separate tithes. | |||
=The requirement to tithe is part of the Abrahamic Covenant= | =The requirement to tithe is part of the Abrahamic Covenant= | ||