Something was terribly wrong. I was consistently sending my tithe to help fund an airplane for one of the preachers I watched. It seemed like a good thing, so I sent money with the hopes he’d get the plane and fly to Las Vegas so I could see him in person. What happened swamped me.
When the preacher came here, God told me I couldn’t go. All that money toward the plane to get him here and then for God to tell me I wasn’t supposed to go. Wow did that get my head spinning.
I’d also heard a teaching about the correlation between giving directly to the head of a ministry and prospering mightily. So, wanting to be a richer Christian, I did that too. When I wasn’t seeing results, I asked what was going on. God told me, “I didn’t tell you to give to him.” Swamped again!
There are things we know intuitively that can’t be ignored, no matter who tries to teach us differently. I think tithing is in that category. Preachers in all different denominations are teaching lots on tithing, but I think they’ve gone way overboard and error has crept in like the tentacles of an octopus. Good people are confused about tithing and even more squeezed when they do tithe and aren’t seeing the wealth the preachers seem to promise.
I knew something about this tithing message was terribly wrong and I waited for God to confirm it. He led me to read a few pages from Fred Wolfe’s book, Rightly Dividing the Word of Truth. In my opinion it is the best writing on tithing and giving that I’ve ever read. Fred puts it in a way that is easy to understand. He documents what he says with the scriptures and takes away confusion. Reading what follows will set you free, make you feel good about yourself and inspire you to be a better person.
NOTE: I’ve taken the liberty (with Fred’s permission) to shorten it somewhat, but I encourage you to get the book and read the entire section for yourself. Scroll to the end to see the link to his book.
“The sharing of what you have is a biblical principle that not only blesses the recipient, but the giver as well. It has come to be known as ‘tithing.’ Abram was the first one in the Bible to give away a tenth ‘of the spoil’ from a victory in battle, as is recorded in Genesis 14. As time went on, the practice of tithing was incorporated into the Law of Moses and was designated to support the Levites. (See Num 18:24).
The tithes were always represented as something to eat or drink.... We know by now, that Jesus Christ fulfilled the Law and that we are no longer under the Law, but under Grace. The obligation, the expectation to give the tithe, was for Israel, not for the Church of the Body of Christ. Church leaders have no right or authority to expect or encourage anyone to give a tenth or any other percentages. When people who are regular ‘tithers,’ because they have been taught to do so as an obligation, do not or cannot tithe, they feel guilty and begin to condemn themselves, as if they were somehow sinning.
The Christian Church did not exist when tithing was instituted as a law for Israel. New guidelines would apply. The principle of giving and receiving has replaced the obligation of the tithe. But, what did not change was the reciprocating purpose for which giving was instituted.
For as touching the ministering to the saints... every man according as he purposeth in his heart, [so let him give] not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work. (2 Cor 9:1-2, 9:6-8)
The first thing to note in these verses is that one of the purposes of giving is to minister to the saints, not to maintain or build buildings, much like the tithe was for the needs of the Levites. Second, the analogy of sowing seed like a farmer is used: whether a lot or a little is sown or planted, the sower will reap accordingly. It does not say, ‘if you don’t give at least this much, it won’t do you any good.’ These verses go on to say that sowing (giving) is a matter of the heart, but should absolutely not be undertaken out of sorrow or a feeling of obligation. Indeed, it says that God loves a ‘cheerful’ giver! We are to give hilariously! This is the only place in the Bible this word hilaros is used. If it hurts to give, you should not do it. There is no obligation to give anything to anyone, ever. But, it would be foolish not to. There is one thing that every one of us has the same amount of: time. You do not have to have money or possessions in order to give. What you do have to have, no matter what you give, is the right attitude.
See 2 Corinthians 8:1-15. These are some wonderful verses on the subject of giving. Firstly, the Macedonians were not only able, but willing to give of themselves. No influences from outside of themselves made them willing to give. In order to help anyone with anything, these two ingredients must be present. If one is not willing, the ability to give does not matter. Secondly, again we have the support of our fellow believers, who are called the saints. It says that giving to one another in the household of God is to prove the sincerity of your love. And finally, we can help supply the needs of other believers with our abundance, not from our lack thereof; not out of our own need. Someday, their abundance may supply our needs, as well....
There is no biblical evidence that money was ever a part of tithing in the Old Testament and it does not specifically say that money played any role in giving in the New. But, it does not need to because it is a principle. You can give time, talent, money, food, clothing, shelter, mercy, grace, peace—just about anything—and reap whatever you sow.... The important things to know are that you are free to give whatever you purpose in your heart to give and that you give with unburdened cheerfulness.
Some other key scriptures on this subject are Romans 12:13a: ‘Distributing to the necessity of saints;’ and Philippians 4:16, where the key word in the KJV is “communicated(d):’ See Phil 4:14-17 and 2 Cor 9:9-15. ‘He will make you rich in every way so that you can always give freely.’ What a promise! We have already seen that giving is proof of the sincerity of our love for God, and now we see that it is also proof of our faith in God, to supply our need in abundant excess, above all we can ask or think! What it comes down to is how much we believe in God’s ability to multiply the seed we sow. No one gets left out when we give of our abundance, especially not the giver. The purpose of giving is to supply the needs of the saved. Whether they are the ones teaching you the word or they are feeble. And of receiving, that fruit may abound to the account of the giver. When you give, you will receive a greater supply to give from. It has been said that you cannot out-give God. When we give with the right attitude, there is no limit to what God can supply.
It would be wonderful if the Church actually took into account the needs of the saints, especially the poorer ones, when it came to deciding where to spend the money it collects. The needs of the saints should come before those outside of the church. The poor who received those gifts in the Old and New Testaments were always the poor of Israel and those of the body of Christ. See Ex 22:25, 23:11, Deut 15:11, Rom 15:26....
There is no obligation to give anything to anyone. Some say the reason the Dead Sea is dead is because it has no outlet. There are many blessings available to us when we give of what we receive. Once we see and understand these, we will want to apply the principle of giving and receiving, cheerfully.”
- Fred S. Wolfe II Rightly Dividing the Word of Truth pgs. 68-75 http://www.amazon.com/Rightly-Dividing-Word-Truth-Understanding/dp/144974933X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1372006160&sr=1-1&keywords=Fred+S+Wolfe
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