Uncovering False Teachings: The Tithe (Part Three)

Misguided Teaching Six: If we trust God with our tithes and offerings, He will "repay" us many times over. Perhaps the car won't break down or my kid will get that college scholarship. Conversely, if I don't tithe faithfully, God won't protect me from financial struggles.

 

While I don't want to go so far as to call this a false teaching, it is certainly misguided. It's largely based on the Malachi passage above, but there are lots of verses that seem to indicate a kind of "reward system" for giving both in this life and the next, such as the following:

"Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will reward them for what they have done" (Proverbs 19:17).

"One person gives freely, yet gains even more; another withholds unduly, but comes to poverty. A generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be refreshed" (Proverbs 11:24-25).

"Whoever shuts their ears to the cry of the poor will also cry out and not be answered" (Prov. 21:13).

"The generous will themselves be blessed, for they share their food with the poor" (Prov. 22:9).

"And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones who is my disciple, truly I tell you, that person will certainly not lose their reward" (Matt. 10:42).

"Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you" (Luke 6:38).

However, let me point out that, since we aren't commanded to tithe, the part in Malachi about tithing is obsolete. And while there is something important to be learned here about God's character and the value of trusting God with our finances, the purpose of these passages is not to set up self-centered superstition. We are not to give to God out of the selfish desire to receive more. And we are not to give to God out of fear that something bad will happen to us if we don't. To give with either of these attitudes is to strip ourselves of the blessing of just giving.

Rather, these passages are about having faith in God with everything in our lives, and in particular with those things we tend to rely on more than God--those things we falsely believe provide us with security or power or pleasure, but which can quickly become idols in our lives (namely our wealth). These passages are about trusting God to fulfill His promise to love us and provide for us. They're about being willing to face hardship in order to put others first (as Christ later does). They're about having an eternal perspective and not holding on too tightly to the things of this world. They're about seeing others (even "the least of these") as better than ourselves, opening our eyes to the suffering and injustice around us, and letting that suffering break our hearts to the point that we MUST step in and do something. They're about love and compassion and training ourselves to become fully dependent on God alone. And when God says "test me in this" (which is the only place in Scripture He does so), His goal is to build these qualities of utter God-dependence in us--not to play on our greed or fears.

If we're not supposed to tithe, what does Christian giving look like? Where should the gifts go?

Glance again over the many Scripture passages in italics that I've included in these three posts. They come from all over the Bible and nearly all of them demand that we give generously to the poor. In this way, the primary biblical teaching about giving hasn't changed. We are to give to the poor and needy generously. 

Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world. (James 1:27)

Now try to find a New Testament passage that commands Christians to give to a religious organization, like the Temple, synagogue, or Christian church--or even references it as a Christian practice. You won't find any. That's because Christians weren't expected to practice Judaism, and there was no such thing as a Christian church organization--not for 300 years. Christ and the apostles did NOT set up the early ekklesia (the body of believers) as an organized religion limited by mandatory tithes and hierarchy and church buildings and mystical religious ceremonies and important vs. unimportant people. Sadly, we have all of that today, but it came out of paganism; none of it was taught by Christ nor practiced by the early Christians. (Want to learn more about this? Read this book.)

According to New Testament Scriptures, the early Christians only gave freewill offerings. These offerings were usually in the form of hospitality--room and board. Although, sometimes, they did liquefy their assets in order to give more as needed and as they were able.

All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of their possessions was their own, but they shared everything they had. With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And God’s grace was so powerfully at work in them all that there were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned land or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales and put it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to anyone who had need. (Acts 4:32-35).

The early Christians gave according to their ability, not according to a legalistic, prescribed amount. They gave with exceeding generosity and giving brought them incredible joy. They LOVED to give. Their gifts went almost exclusively to helping the poor and needy. When Jesus told Peter, "Feed my lambs" (John 21:17) He meant with REAL food. So the early Christians' gifts were either actual food  or actual shelter, or the money they gave went to provide these things--sometimes it was for those within their group, other times it was for strangers (II Cor. 9:5-11), other times it was for traveling missionaries (although Paul regularly refused it) (Acts 20:33-35), but not one denarius went to pay for a building or to pay clergy salaries or to fund self-centered programming. 

Now, perhaps some Jewish Christians still tithed to the Temple for a while before giving it up entirely, just as some Greek converts may have continued in their pagan practices for a while. Learning to follow God in a Christ-honoring way and learning to leave your past, obsolete or ungodly ways behind is often a process, after all. However, maintaining such practices is neither prescribed or praised anywhere in Scripture, rather, under Christ, we are encouraged to leave the old things behind. 

"No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment, for the patch will pull away from the garment, making the tear worse. Neither do people pour new wine into old wineskins. If they do, the skins will burst; the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined. No, they pour new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved" (Matthew 9:16-17).

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here" (II Cor. 5:17)!

"By calling this covenant “new,” he has made the first one obsolete; and what is obsolete and outdated will soon disappear" (Hebrews 8:13).

"But now, by dying to what once bound us, we have been released from the law so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit, and not in the old way of the written code" (Romans 7:6).

But what if "needy" people just take advantage? Isn't it better to let the church decide how to help them so that I don't just become an enabler?

The fact is, Jesus never commanded the organized, Christian church to help the poor (since it didn't exist). He commanded YOU and ME to help the poor. Individuals. Certainly, joining together with other believers to pull our resources to provide for a particularly large need, as the church of Corinth did (II Cor. 9:5-11), is an excellent strategy. But handing over a large portion of our income to virtual strangers to be spent on who-knows-what-but-almost-certainly-NOT-the-poor is not what it means to "give to the Lord." This is not a New Testament teaching. It is not a Christian discipline or practice. It is not what godly generosity means. 

In fact, to just put a check in the plate--even if you mark it "benevolence" so that it goes to the needy (which is the only way I'll give in a church anymore, but that's my conviction)--creates a separation between you and those you are "helping." There is no relationship there. You are not walking alongside them. You are not seeing them, hearing them, or learning from them (or vice versa). You don't even have to love them. So, frankly, it's a spiritually lazy practice that maintains distance and social disparities often along ethnic/economic divides. You can go about your life as you always have without allowing Christ to change your heart or mind at all.

But the fact still remains that there are those who will take advantage. Greedy, lazy people do exist. When free stuff is being handed out, they'll hop in line to receive whether they're in need or not. They don't mind taking from those who are truly in need. And they don't give back. 

So, how do we watch out for the wolves while feeding the sheep? 

God commands us to help the needy; but we will not be held accountable for other people's sins if they lie or steal or misuse what they receive. Ultimately, our job is to love God and one another, but we "see through a glass darkly" (I Cor. 13:12), and our judgment won't always be spot on. Of course, Jesus also said: "I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore, be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves" (Matt. 10:16). While this was spoken primarily in regard to persecution Christians might face for their faith, the implicit claim here is that being shrewd and having healthy boundaries is not sinful. It's wise.

Paul, Silas and Timothy understood this concept when they wrote to the Thessalonian believers and gave the the following advice: 

"For even when we were with you, we gave you this rule: 'The one who is unwilling to work shall not eat.' We hear that some among you are idle and disruptive. They are not busy; they are busybodies. Such people we command and urge in the Lord Jesus Christ to settle down and earn the food they eat. And as for you, brothers and sisters, never tire of doing what is good. Take special note of anyone who does not obey our instruction in this letter. Do not associate with them, in order that they may feel ashamed. Yet do not regard them as an enemy, but warn them as you would a fellow believer" (II Thes. 3:10-15).

Therefore, you can set limits and requirements and healthy boundaries as you give. You can require those in your shelters to pass drug tests, for example. You can supply housing for a homeless mother, but also require that she complete a degree or find a job during her stay. You can give your money to a soup kitchen instead of directly to an individual you don't know personally. However, the bottom line is GIVE! SERVE! BE PRESENT IN THE LIVES OF THOSE IN NEED!

Sure, there may be those you will have to turn away. But do not let your excuses that "maybe they're not trustworthy" or "I would just enable them" keep you from figuring out a way to exercise generosity and find a way to locate and then genuinely help those who need help. Because this is how they will see Jesus in you.

"Learn to do right; seek justice. Defend the oppressed. Take up the cause of the fatherless; plead the case of the widow" (Isaiah 1:17).

"This is what the Lord says: Do what is just and right. Rescue from the hand of the oppressor the one who has been robbed. Do no wrong or violence to the foreigner, the fatherless or the widow, and do not shed innocent blood in this place" (Jeremiah 22:3).

"Do not mistreat or oppress a foreigner, for you were foreigners in Egypt. “Do not take advantage of the widow or the fatherless. If you do and they cry out to me, I will certainly hear their cry" (Ex. 22:21-23).

"Defend the weak and the fatherless; uphold the cause of the poor and the oppressed. Rescue the weak and the needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked" (Psalm 82:3-4).

"The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me’" (Matt. 25:40).

"If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth" (I John 3:17-18).

Are you saying the church and tithing is bad?

Let me be clear about something that has almost certainly gotten lost in what I've written so far: I don't believe that the church is evil.  I don't think Christians who attend church every Sunday are evil or foolish or lazy or lacking in gifting or calling. I don't think structure and organization are inherent evils, either.  In fact, it allows us to mobilize large groups of people to do some amazing good around the world, like Compassion International and Mercy Ships and Pregnancy Support Centers. However, what we do today is NOT the biblical, Christian example. Therefore, it's not sacrosanct and, as we discover flaws that interfere with Christ's example or call on our lives, we are free to make changes--even drastic changes to the way we've always done things.

Giving 10% isn't wrong; however, picking a number may simply allow you to just check a box on God's call on your life to be generous. If so, you're missing the point. You're not supposed to be able to limit your growth and character development to a formula. Life, like faith, is about relationship and intimacy and getting messy. It's about being led by the Holy Spirit and depending on Him to guide you to places where He can use you and show you something new along the way.

My Dad, Dr. Rev. David A. Brown, commented the following, and I want to share it here:
"Remember we are temples individually, and then we are to build a “spiritual temple” in a corporate sense, so that our love and unity will be a witness to the world that Jesus was God and did indeed come to make a difference among people. The Body of Christ can do things often bigger and in secret that individuals may not be able to do as part of that witness." 

I wholeheartedly agree with my dad in this. Together we are stronger and I do think the organized church (yes, largely funded by tithers) has been used of God to spread His Gospel (Good News) because it allowed us to mobilize large groups of people. However, with our modern technology I believe we are entering an era where we don't need to localize power in the same way as we have in the past. And I believe the Holy Spirit is calling us to trust in Him rather than in our man-made institutions. If we are truly doing God's work, shouldn't God be the one leading it?

Are you saying it's wrong to spend our money for spiritual gain?

Part of the reasoning behind the habitual demand for a tithe in the church is that we are all needy to some degree. We are all spiritually needy. In this way, God's call to help the needy is reduced to a spiritual metaphor rather than a practical, physical command. So, we can give to the church, sit and be "fed" by a preacher, partake of their programs, and conveniently forget that helping the needy should go beyond just dropping a check in the plate. 

Of course, spiritual and biblical training is valuable, but it tends to be more memorable and impactful when done on the job as an active participant in real-life ministry, rather than as a passive receiver of a sermon. 

My advice is three-fold:

1. Start really researching your Bible and New Testament history and culture to find out how Christ designed His body to function. And never settle for tradition over authentic Biblical, Christ-centered principle.

2. Instead of just dropping a check in the plate, ask God to lead you to someone who is genuinely in need, and then be generous. If that's too drastic, at least start giving your money to a ministry whose purpose is to help the poor or mark your offerings "benevolent fund."

3. Keep praying for God to show you His heart for the poor and needy--those who are mistreated and marginalized and voiceless. Learn to love them. And you will be amazed at how much more of Jesus you see.


THE EARLIER PORTIONS OF THIS POST CAN BE FOUND HERE: Part One, Part Two

Uncovering False Teachings: The Tithe (Part Two)

False Teaching Three: Our tithes must go to our local church. Our offerings can go to the church or to a Christian charity of our choice (or put in the benevolent fund at church.)

Many churches teach some variation of this. For example, they may say it's okay to split your tithe, with part of it going to the local church and the rest going to other Christian endeavors; however, most teach that supporting your local church with your money (10%, usually) is part and parcel to what it means to be a "practicing member of the body of Christ." You may have heard sermons preached that lean heavily on the Malachi passage in Part One where the pastor claims that the phrase, "bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house," (Mal. 3:10a) means you must give first and foremost to your local church.

Again, since teachings on the tithe are false, so is this teaching. And, in fact, the collected tithes were sent to Jerusalem (where God would put His Name). Every 3rd year tithes were given in the locality where the tither lived. So, the concept of "we must give our tithes to our local church" is flawed on many levels.

And doesn't the entire concept of publicly placing a check or a wad of cash in an offering plate run directly contrary to Christ's teaching in Matthew 6:1-4?:

"Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven. So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you."

Even in this passage, Jesus is talking about giving to the needy, since that's the only form of giving He actually endorsed for His followers. But one must point out that, since we do not practice Judaism (and don't have to tithe), neither do we have to support the Judaic Temple or synagogues. And, no, the local Christian church is not the modern equivalent of the Temple or synagogues. If you read your New Testament carefully and study history, you'll find that the early Christians were not required to attend the Temple or synagogue services. That was part of Judaism, and Christians were a "new creation" (II Cor. 5:17). In fact, many of the new Christians of that day were Greeks and Romans and wouldn't have been allowed in the Temple or in the synagogues at all. And even though Jesus went and spoke in the synagogues first, He soon left there and met with people in homes, in the fields, and on hillsides, where all were welcome.

Recall that Jesus said, "Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days" (John 2:19). He was speaking literally of His body, but also (I believe) figuratively of the ekklesia--the body of believers who would come after Him as His representatives on earth who would soon also be filled with the Holy Spirit. Recall that later, in I Corinthians 12:27, we read: "Now you are Christ's body, and individually members of it."

And consider the following teaching by Paul:  

"Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit" (Ephesians 2:19-22).

We--those who trust in and follow Jesus Christ--are ourselves God's house! We do not need to "go to church" to meet God. We ARE the ekklesia. In fact, the phrase "go to church" isn't used anywhere in Scripture because it didn't make sense. There were no designated Christian meeting places. They met wherever they could (usually in small groups in someone's home), and when they met, there was no preacher and no single leader (at least, not once the body was flourishing, and not in the same style as we have today. I intend to write about this in a later post.). They all shared equally with every member of the body functioning and exercising their gifts. So, we need not "go to church" to meet with God. We can meet Him just as easily in our living rooms, on a walk in the park, while doing the dishes, in the midst of a funeral, sitting in a coffee shop with a friend, or even lying in bed with our spouses (perhaps with a toddler tucked between us). After all:

"...the Most High does not live in houses made by human hands. As the prophet says: ‘Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool. What kind of house will you build for me?' says the Lord. 'Or where will my resting place be'" (Acts 7:48-49)?

If a house made of wood or stone can't contain God and clearly isn't even important to Him, why do we still feel like we have to go there to find Him? So, no, even our offerings need not go to feed a church organization (which will use the vast majority of the funds to pay for the cost of the building, salaries for the clergy, and their local programs.)

Consider the following church survey graphic by Rollie Dimos, Internal Audit Director for the AG National Leadership and Resource Center:

Biblically, 100% of the money we give should go to helping the needy and spreading the Gospel. However, Dimos reports that only 21% of the money the surveyed churches took in went to those causes--that is, if we assume the nebulous category called "Ministries & Support" means helping the poor. However, it is more likely that 12% is just more church-based programming. Nowhere does Dimos actually spell out that any of the funds went to helping "the poor, the alien, the orphan, or the widow." So, if a church is following this model, they may not give anything at all to truly needy people, whether those people are in their congregations or not.

One of the women who took my survey (When giving to "the Lord," where should the bulk of the money go? To the local church? Or to the needy?), claimed she preferred to give her money to the church so that they could figure out how to help the needy with it. That way she didn't have to do it herself. Really? Is this kind of sterile, superior separation between "us" and "them" biblical? Is it Christ-like? And what if your church doesn't do anything for the needy? Are you still okay with slapping a check in the plate and trusting them with it?

False Teaching Four: It's also important to give of my time and to be hospitable, but that is separate from my mandatory financial responsibilities to my church.

Since we have no mandatory responsibilities to the local church at all, this teaching misses the point entirely. It's not just "important" to give of our time and be hospitable, a Christlike, self-less, others-centered generosity of spirit should characterize the Christian life in every possible way. 

Consider how the following Old Testament and New Testament teachings about hospitality and generosity align with one another:

"If any of your fellow Israelites become poor and are unable to support themselves among you, help them as you would a foreigner and stranger, so they can continue to live among you. Do not take interest or any profit from them, but fear your God, so that they may continue to live among you. You must not lend them money at interest or sell them food at a profit" (Lev. 25:35-37).

"If anyone is poor among your fellow Israelites in any of the towns of the land the Lord your God is giving you, do not be hardhearted or tightfisted toward them. Rather, be openhanded and freely lend them whatever they need" (Duet. 15:7-8).

"Blessed are those who have regard for the weak; the Lord delivers them in times of trouble. The Lord protects and preserves them—they are counted among the blessed in the land—he does not give them over to the desire of their foes. The Lord sustains them on their sickbed and restores them from their bed of illness" (Psalm 41:1-3).

"Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ" (Gal. 6:2).

"Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life" (I Tim. 6:17-19).

"And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased" (Heb. 13:16).

"Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you" (Luke 6:38).

"Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will never fail, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys" (Luke 12:33).

"Those who give to the poor will lack nothing, but those who close their eyes to them receive many curses" (Prov. 28:27 and 37:26).

"Good will come to those who are generous and lend freely, who conduct their affairs with justice. Surely the righteous will never be shaken; they will be remembered forever. They will have no fear of bad news; their hearts are steadfast, trusting in the Lord. Their hearts are secure, they will have no fear; in the end they will look in triumph on their foes. They have freely scattered their gifts to the poor, their righteousness endures forever; their horn will be lifted high in honor" (Psalm 112:5-9).

False Teaching Five: Despite that this is mandatory, we must give our tithes and offerings with a good attitude, for "God loves a cheerful giver" (II Cor. 9:7). 

Though I don't want to say it's impossible to give a mandatory gift with a generous, cheerful heart, it certainly goes against human nature. I was raised to tithe and I never begrudged God of that 10%. After all, I believed it was all His, anyway (and the rest was mine, or so I thought, because this kind of flawed teaching begets many other flawed teachings), and in tithing I felt I was showing my gratitude. But, there was little joy in putting a check in an offering plate, seeing it whisked away to parts unknown, and never actually seeing it do any tangible good in the world. I bet I've paid a great many electric bills in my time, but how many single moms did I provide with shelter? How many babies were rescued from abortion? How many homeless men were given a meal? How many abused women found safety--because of what I gave? Probably not many. 

But I also remember a time when a friend confided to our MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) group that she and her husband were struggling because their only car broke down and it was going to be $150 to fix it and they just didn't have that much in the bank. I secretly wrote her a check for $150 and slid it to her. Now THAT gift is one that I remember and rejoice over because I know it actually filled a real need. I got more joy from giving that measly $150 than I've ever gotten from putting thousands and thousands of dollars into an offering plate. And, my goodness! What joy would be mine today if all those thousands of dollars I spent on my right to sit in a pew and listen to a preacher had been instead spent on building a safe home for victims of intimate partner violence, or purchasing a mobile unit for the local pregnancy center, or helping a family adopt a handicapped baby, or... or... or....?


THIS POST IS CONTINUED HERE: Part One, Part Three.

Uncovering False Teachings: The Tithe (Part One)

I ran a poll recently that asked the question:

When we give to "the Lord," where should the bulk of that money go?

• To a local church
• To the needy

What would your answer be? How do you think your pastor and Christian friends would answer that question?

Here were the results:

Total # of voters: 354
"To a local church": 199 (56%)
"To the needy": 155 (44%)

Many people also commented that it should be both and complained that the options were too narrow. They were narrow. But they were narrow on purpose. The reason is that, if you are giving to your local church, in most cases, very little (if any) of that money is actually used to help the needy. And when I say "needy," I'm defining that word in the biblical sense--the poor, the alien, the orphan, and widow--not the "spiritually needy" (which really could just mean any of us, for we are all equally spiritually needy.)

I've attended church services in nearly every denomination available, from Southern Baptist to Reformed to Catholic and a great many more. In fact, each Sunday, I make a point to visit a different church so that I can gain some insight into what's going on in the body of Christ.

Here's one thing I hear again and again from the pulpit: "It's time for tithes and offerings. You may know that we need to repair the roof (or purchase new sound equipment, fund the AWANA program, hire a new pastor, etc.), so please be prayerfully generous as we seek to do the Lord's work."

Also, many of us have been taught the following:

• The Bible says we each must habitually give 10% of our income to God (regardless of the level of our income).
• Our offerings are the monetary funds we give above and beyond the mandatory 10%.
• Our tithes must go to our local church. Our offerings can go to the church or to a Christian charity of our choice (or put in the benevolent fund at church.)
• It's also important to give of our time and to be hospitable, but that is separate from our mandatory financial responsibilities to the church.
• Despite that this is mandatory, we must give our tithes and offerings with a good attitude, for "God loves a cheerful giver" (II Cor. 9:7). 
• If we trust God with our tithes and offerings, He will "repay" us many times over. Perhaps the car won't break down or my kid will get that college scholarship. Conversely, if I don't tithe faithfully, God won't protect me from financial struggles.

So which of these teachings are true and which are false? You may be surprised to learn that NOT ONE of these teachings is 100% true. Each of them is either patently false or tainted with misinterpretation and misunderstanding.

Here are a couple of Biblical truths to keep in mind as we examine each of these teachings. 

1. Jesus did not come to reinforce Judaism, but to fulfill it. He called us to something new--to become the ekklesia--an every-member-functioning, priesthood of believers who are filled with the Holy Spirit. With Christ's death and resurrection, the old ways of doing things became obsolete--the Temple curtain was torn in two symbolizing that the separation represented by Judaism was over in the light of Immanuel's coming (God with us). We are not called to reinstate ancient Judaic practices.

2. The early Christians did not meet in a specially-designated building--what we call "church" today. They met in small groups in homes and larger groups met in open public spaces or rented a larger location for a specific event/purpose.

3. The early Christians did not have paid staff or officially trained clergy. There was no recognized difference between clergy and laity. Leaders and encouragers (i.e. shepherds, ministers, missionaries, etc.) arose naturally within the group and served, but it was nothing like the hierarchical power structures we see in churches today.

4. The early Christians financially supported two things: the needy and the missionaries (and the latter was more about the custom of hospitality than an official mandate). Usually, the support they gave wasn't through money, but by being hospitable and sharing what they had.

Okay, so now let's examine each of the above false teachings. But I'm going to split this into three posts since otherwise it's just too long:

False Teaching One: The Bible says we each must habitually give 10% of our income to God (regardless of the level of our income).

The first biblical example of someone giving a tenth of their possessions shows up in Genesis 14. Here, Abram has just defeated a pagan army and rescued the captured people of Sodom and Gomorrah, whom they had carried off. His primary purpose was merely to rescue Lot (his nephew) and Lot's family from among the captives. Afterwards, he is approached by two men--Bera King of Sodom and a mysterious character named Melchizedek, a "priest of God Most High" from the town of Salem (later named Jerusalem). (Some scholars think this was actually an early appearance of Jesus Himself.) Abram gives Melchizedek "a tenth of everything," which we assume is everything they gained in the battle (Paul assumes this also: Heb. 7:4), although the nature of this gift is not specifically defined. Then the King of Sodom suggested that Abram keep everything (except the people) that had been regained in the battle--an offer which Abram refuses so that he wouldn't be obligated to such an evil king.

Here are some insights about this passage:

• The "tithe" (meaning tenth) that Abram gave Melchizedek was a freewill offering. It was not mandated by either God or the priest (Jesus?) himself.
• Abram only gave Melchizedek this gift once. We do not see Abram habitually tithing.
• This gift was given, presumably, out of a recent large acquirement of goods, not out of Abram's regular income.
• This gift consisted of animals, clothing, food, weapons, etc. Minted coins and paper money would not be invented for hundreds of years.
• Abram was exceedingly wealthy. To give a tenth of a recent windfall was nothing to him, and he didn't bother to keep any of the rest of it, either. Aside from what his men ate or earned, he gave the rest (90% of his take!) back to an evil, pagan king. (By the way, that wasn't demanded by God, either.)

Later, in Hebrews 7, Paul discusses the tithe Abram gave Melchizedek. However, though he recognizes that the Levites (not descended from Melchizedek) were required to collect a tenth from the Jews, nowhere does Paul teach that the tithe is required of followers of Christ. His discussion of Melchizedek had one purpose--to validate Jesus to the Jews as the prophesied "priest forever in the order of Melchizedek."

But what about the tenth that was required from God's people to support the Levites? If you do not practice Judaism (Remember, if you are a believer in Jesus Christ, you are not called to Judaism, but to life in Christ.), then you are not required to support the Levites (or any other paid clergy) (Num. 18:21-24). If you do not practice Judaism, you are not required to give a tenth of your harvest in the fall (Lev. 27:30) or of your flock/herd in the spring (Lev. 27:32). If you are not a Levite (or, again, practicing Judaism) neither are you required to give a tenth of what you get to the High Priest (or the denomination, or whatever) (Num. 18:28). 

And, get this: Even prior to Christ, not everyone tithed! Only those who brought in a harvest or raised flocks or had some other form of renewable wealth, paid tithes. The rest participated in sin/guilt offerings and freewill offerings according to their ability (sin/guilt offerings were mandatory, but dependent on income). So, if you were poor, you didn't pay tithes. It wasn't a universal law then, and it isn't a law at all now. 

"For if the willingness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what one does not have. Our desire is not that others might be relieved while you are hard pressed, but that there might be equality. At the present time your plenty will supply what they need, so that in turn their plenty will supply what you need. The goal is equality, as it is written: 'The one who gathered much did not have too much, and the one who gathered little did not have too little'" (II Cor. 8:12-15).

When's the last time you heard a sermon preached on the passage above and the pastor said, "God's desire is NOT for a tithe, but for whatever you are able and willing to give?"

But what about the "widow's mite?" Doesn't that mean even the poor are supposed to give?

"As Jesus looked up, he saw the rich putting their gifts into the temple treasury. He also saw a poor widow put in two very small copper coins. 'Truly I tell you,' he said,' this poor widow has put in more than all the others. All these people gave their gifts out of their wealth; but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on'" (Luke 21:1-4).

If your pastor said this passage means we're supposed to give even if we are destitute, or give above and beyond a tithe, that was a false teaching. (Yes, even good, well-meaning people say false things from time to time. Even you. Even me. Don't get hung up on it; just learn some healthy critical thinking.) The point Jesus was making is that the amount we give (or the percentage) is arbitrary to God. He wants ALL of you, starting with your heart, not a spreadsheet of your tax-deductible giving record. Generosity is not in the numbers, it's in the heart (how much do you love others) and in the spirit (how much do you trust God?) Generosity is relational, not formulaic.

But what about this passage in Malachi?:

"Will a mere mortal rob God? Yet you rob me. But you ask, ‘How are we robbing you?’ 'In tithes and offerings. You are under a curse—your whole nation—because you are robbing me. Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,' says the Lord Almighty, 'and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it'" (Mal. 3:8-10).

Again, this was written to and for those practicing Judaism. So, are we robbing God by not tithing? No. We are not required to tithe. However--and this is important, so I'll go deeper into this later--God does desire that, as representatives of Christ, we develop and display the Godly qualities of generosity and compassion and helping the needy. In this way, God's character and desire for us (as described in this passage) has not changed.

False Teaching Two: Our offerings are the monetary funds we give above and beyond the mandatory 10%. 

Since the teaching about the tithe is wrong, this teaching is also necessarily wrong. Since Christ's death and resurrection, the only kind of giving God asks for is the freewill offering. But He asks it of us in every area of our lives.

"But if anyone obeys his word, love for God is truly made complete in them. This is how we know we are in him: Whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did" (I John 2:5-6).

"This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth" (I John 3:16-18).

This kind of giving is not "mandatory" in the sense of being a required act that, if fulfilled, somehow earns us salvation or God's favor. But it is an essential discipline that develops our character and brings amazing rewards of its own. These rewards are relational, not self-centered, spiritual, not financial, and everlasting, not temporal.

"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also" (Matthew 6:19-21).

God desires that we develop generosity of spirit that mirrors His own: "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life" (John 3:16).

THIS POST IS CONTINUED HERE: Part Two, Part Three.