UPC articles of faith (United Pentecostal)

[GregR]

Hi,

Following is the tithing doctrine from the "articles of faith" from the church i attend, a UPC church (United Pentecostal).

I fully understand tithing, however I'm wondering if anyone has any understanding in the way this doctrine is written. In other words, can someone help me take this doctrine to pieces. What is meant by "Moses law enjoined it"? Is there a more detailed article of faith anywhere, or is this it? Source is spiritualabuse dot com. Doesn't look like the UPC did a lot of study before making this doctrine up.


TITHING

We believe tithing is God's financial plan to provide for His work, and has been since the

days of Abraham. Tithing came with faith under Abraham; Moses' law enjoined it, and

Israel practiced it when she was right with God; Jesus indorsed it (Matthew23:23); and

Paul said to lay by in store as God has prospered you. Do not rob God of His portion,

viz., tithes and offerings. (Read Malachi 3.)

Greg.

P.S. Is this "legalism"? Do not rob God of His portion

[hillsbororiver]

Hi GregR,

The following is a lengthly excerp from Ray's tithing paper but it answers the questions you presented, he has written extensively on this subject and there is a wealth of information to be had.


Tithing is Unscriptural Under the New Covenant

[A Scriptural Exposition on the Fraudulent Fleecing of the Flock]

Since first posting this tithing paper on bible-truths.com, we have had hundreds of thousands of visitors seeking information on this topic. Many have written me personally thanking me for freeing them from this illegal and abusive practice of the Church. I have also received emails from some who are sure that tithing is a bonafide legal obligation for members of the New Testament Christian Church.

Objections to my paper range from simply quoting the prophet Malachi sent to the priests and nation of Israel: "Wherein have we robbed Thee? In tithes and offerings. Ye are cursed with a curse...." While others who can find absolutely no Scriptural authority for Christians to tithe, invent clever little doctrines like this:

"Tithing was a form of worship to God, and since we still worship God, we must still tithe."

I will answer this one in one sentence: Since burnt offerings were a form of worshiping God, and since we still worship God, must we still offer burnt offerings to God? ... Ridiculous.

Part II of this paper covers the Malachi prophecy more thoroughly as it concerns the subject of tithing.


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PART I

"Will a man ROB God?" How many untold tens of thousands of men will give account one day for teaching this verse in Malachi 3:8 totally out of context for their own sordid gain. I couldn't count the times I have heard self-appointed ministers of the gospel berate their congregations and listeners for "robbing God" in tithes and offerings. This verse in Malachi certainly means what it says. Someone was defrauding God of tithes and offerings, but wait until you find out who it is that God blames for this act.

On any given Sunday morning there will be numerous men-of-the-cloth who will be bellowing out over the air waves that people are being "cursed with a curse" because they have failed to pay God ten percent of their paychecks. And should such a gullible listener decide to repent and give God ten percent of his salary, just how would he do that? Just keep reading. These men of the cloth who often have unquenchable worldly desires of the flesh, will be sure to give you an address where you can send them (or, ah, rather God) your tithe. And do they have a right to quote these Scriptures in this manner? No they do not, and furthermore they themselves know better.

SOME SHOCKING TRUTHS ABOUT THE CHRISTIAN TITHING DOCTRINE

Abraham never tithed on his own personal property or livestock.
 
Jacob wouldn't tithe until God blessed him first.
 
Only Levite priests could collect tithes, and there are no Levite priests today.
 
Only food products from the land were tithable.
 
Money was never a titheable commodity.
 
Christian converts were never asked to tithe anything to the Church.
 
Tithing in the Church first appears centuries after completion of the Bible.
ALL SCRIPTURAL REFERENCES TO TITHING

We will now go through all the Scriptural references in the Bible on tithe, tithes, and tithing:

[1] Gen. 14:20, "And blessed be the most high God, which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand. And he [Abram] gave him [Melchizedek king of Salem, the priest of the most high God, Ver. 18] TITHES of all [all the goods of war, Ver. 16]."

We read again of this same event in the book of Hebrews:

[2] Heb. 7:1-10, "For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of God Most High, who meets with Abraham returning from the combat with the kings and blesses him, to whom Abraham parts a TITHE also, from all... Now, behold how eminent this one is to whom the patriarch Abraham gives a TITHE also of the best of the booty. And, indeed, those of the sons of Levi who obtain the priestly office have a direction to take TITHES from the people according to the law... And here, indeed, dying men are obtaining TITHES... And so, to say, through Abraham, Levi also, who is obtaining the TITHES, has been TITHED, for he was still in the loins of his father when Melchizedek meets with him."

There are a number of things we can learn concerning tithing from this section of Scriptures. In this, the first mention of tithing in the Bible, Abram gives to Melchizedek (a priest of God who was also the king of the city of Salem) a tithe of the best of the booty taken in war. Notice that this was not wheat, corn, wine, oil, or cattle from Abram's personal possessions, but rather booty taken from conquered nations.

There is nothing stated here that would cause us to conclude that Abram (later changed to Abraham) ever tithed on a regular basis on his own person possessions. Although Abraham gave Melchizedek a tithe of the booty of war, he told the king of Sodom that he would take none of it for himself.

In this same account recorded in the seventh chapter of Hebrews, we learn that the priests of Levi, from the family of Aaron (although far inferior to the priestly order of Melchizedek) also receive tithes from the people according to the law. This tells us little more about the actual tithes other than they received tithes.

Christian scholars claim that Abraham's tithing of the spoils of war predated the Law of Moses, and therefore even if the Law of Moses is done away with, tithing is still binding on Christians because Abraham predated the Law of Moses. Is this true?

And Christendom teaches that this Scripture is the first proof from the Word of God that Christians are to tithe ten percent of their salaries to the church. But what have we really learned from these Scriptures?:

Abraham went to war on behalf of Sodom (SODOM, mind you), to rescue his nephew, Lot. He then gave 10% of these spoils of war to Melchizedek, and allowed Sodom to keep 90%, while he himself kept NOTHING!

Now then, is there a Scholar alive anywhere on earth that can explain to us how this one single unparalleled and never-again-to-be-duplicated event, is Scriptural proof that Christians should give 10% of their annual salaries (not the spoils of war, but their money, their salaries), not once, but year after year after year, not to Melchizedek, but to Clergymen who claim to be ministers of Jesus Christ? If anyone can see a similarity here, I will show him the similarity between an elephant and a fruit fly.

Next we will observe a Scripture that you will probably never hear a sermon on. No tithe-preaching clergyman would use the example of how Jacob tithed. Remember, Jacob is the grandson of Abraham, the father of the faithful, whom God also blessed tremendously. Not only did God approve of Jacob's tithing proposal, but, He made it the foundational principle upon which all future tithing would be based. Here it is.

[3] Gen. 28:20-22, "And Jacob vowed a vow, saying, IF God will be with me, and [if God] will keep me in this way that I go, and [if God] will give me bread to eat, and raiment to put on, So that I come again to my father's house in peace; THEN shall the Lord be my God: And this stone, which I have set for a pillar, shall be God's house: and of all that thou shall GIVE ME I will surely give the TENTH unto thee."

Wow! This one Scripture pretty much contradicts 99% of all sermons I have ever heard on the subject of tithing! This is the very first Scripture in the Bible that gives an account of someone giving a tenth or tithe of his personal possessions back to God. But, oh how different it is from the teachings of most Christian Churches.

First Jacob truly recognizes God as God. He then begins to proposition God. He states that "IF" God will do this and "IF' God will do the other things, "THEN" Jacob says, "shall the Lord be my God." Jacob concludes his proposition to God, should God meet all of his requirements, by saying that of all the things that God will first give to Jacob, Jacob will give God back a tenth. Now don't laugh. God honored Jacob's proposition, and furthermore, God continued to honor this same principle of tithing all through Israel's history. As Paul said, "Now what have you which you did not obtain?" (I Cor. 4:7) All that we possess comes from God.

And so, once more, we learn that Israel was not to tithe on what they did not first possess, unlike those today who teach that it is required to tithe on that which one does not already possess.

God is not partial and God is not a hypocrite. This example of Jacob proves that God doesn't expect a tithe until He blessed the tithe payer first. Everyone should put down this paper, call his minister, and tell him you want to hear a sermon Sunday morning on how Jacob paid tithes to God. Now hold your breath.

Let's ask ourselves a reasonable question: Just how did Jacob actually give a tithe to God? Did he personally hand it to God? No, no one has ever even seen God. Did Jacob tithe to an angel? No, angels do not need and can't use tithes. Did Jacob send his tithe to Heaven by Celestial Express? No. Did he take it to the local church? No, there was no local church. Did he take it to the Temple? No, there was no temple. Did he give it directly to one of the Levitic priests? No, there were no Levites as yet. Well how then did Jacob tithe to God? Was it even possible? Yes, there were actually two different ways that Jacob could tithe to God:

"And thither ye shall bring your burnt offerings, and your sacrifices, and your TITHES, and heave offerings of your hand, and your vows, and your freewill offerings, and the firstlings of your herds and of your flocks: And there ye shall eat before the Lord your God, and ye shall rejoice in all that ye put your hand unto, YE and YOUR HOUSEHOLDS, wherein the Lord thy God hath blessed thee" (Deut. 12:6-7).

"And even though there were no Levites in Jacob's day, nonetheless, there were "...the STRANGER, and the FATHERLESS, and the WIDOW, which are within thy gates, shall come, and SHALL EAT AND BE SATISFIED; that the Lord thy God may bless thee in all the work of thin hand which thou doest" (Deut. 14:29).

That's how God acknowledged a tithe from Jacob: By partaking of a portion himself and his family in communion and thanksgiving to God, and by sharing his fortune with those who were unfortunate, poor, strangers, etc.

[4] Leviticus 27:30-33, "And all the TITHE of the LAND, whether of the SEED of the land, or of the FRUIT, of the tree, is the Lord's: it is holy unto the Lord. And if a man will at all redeem ought of his tithes, he shall add thereto the fifth part thereof. And concerning the TITHE of the HERD, or of the FLOCK, even of whatsoever passes under the rod, the tenth shall be holy unto the Lord. He shall not search whether it be good or bad, neither shall he change it..."

We learn a great deal about tithing in this section of Scripture:

The tithe comes from the "land," not the air or the sea. Fishermen were not required to tithe fish.
It was the "seed" or agricultural products from the fields that was holy to God and tithable.
Products from "trees" were to be tithed. This not only included the fruit, but oils, etc.
Of "herds or flocks" it was the "tenth" that passed under the rod that was holy and dedicated to God.
Here is exposed another lie of modern clergymen. It was not the first tenth, but rather the tenth tenth that belonged to God, contrary to every minister I have ever heard, who insists that the first tenth always belongs to God. Unscriptural. Untrue. Read your bible--it's the tenth one of a herd that belongs to God.

Another interesting point is this. If a herdsman had but nine cattle, he didn't tithe his cattle at all! Also notice that God did not even require the best of the cattle, just the tenth one to pass under the rod even if it was the runtiest of them all. Remember, we are talking about tithing and not sacrificing (animals for sacrifice always had to be without blemish).

Did you notice that this summary at the very end of the book of Leviticus does not mention the tithing of money? Interesting. But just maybe we will find the tithing of money in some other Scripture?

[5] Numbers 18:24-28, "But the TITHES of the children of Israel, which they offer as an heave offering unto the Lord, I have given to the Levites to inherit: therefore I have said unto them, Among the children of Israel they shall have no inheritance.

And the Lord spoke unto Moses, saying, Thus speak unto the Levites, and say unto them, When ye take of the children of Israel the TITHES which I have given you from them for your inheritance, then ye shall offer up an heave offering of it for the Lord, even a TENTH part of the TITHE. And this your heave offering shall be reckoned unto you, as though it were the corn of the threshing floor, and as the fullness of the winepress. Thus ye also shall offer an heave offering unto the Lord of all your TITHES, which ye receive of the children of Israel; and ye shall give thereof the Lord's heave offering to Aaron the priest."

According to the above Scriptures, could just anyone claim to be a representative of God and therefore have Israel pay tithes to him? Let's read it again, "But the TITHES of the children of Israel ... I have given to the Levites to inherit." Now in order to be a priest one not only had to be of the tribe of Levi, but he also had to be of the family of Aaron. In fact, if one could not trace his genealogy back to the family of Aaron, he could not be a priest of God. This is the whole point of Hebrews seven. Jesus Christ is a priest for the eons of the rank of Melchizedek because Melchizedek predated the law which stated that only sons of Aaron could be priests. Therefore Melchizedek's genealogy is not given in the Scriptures, and Christ, who according to the flesh is of the line of Judah, can and will be God's High Priest in the Kingdom of God.

A warning to all charlatans and would-be tithe extractors and collectors: There is NO temple of God being officiated in Jerusalem today. There is NO Levitic priesthood to officiate at such a temple. There is NO NEED for such a temple or priesthood at this time. Only Levites could collect tithes at the temple. Therefore, EVERYONE collecting tithes today is a charlatan and a fake. If one cannot historically trace back his genealogy generation by generation with no lapses to the family of Aaron, he IS NOT and CANNOT be a priest authorized of God at this time to collect tithes for the temple services and sacrifices. (Of course Jesus IS our Sacrifice, and therefore that whole system funded by the tithes of the law is no longer applicable).

Yet today we have tithe collecting preachers like James Kennedy and John Hagee, with whom I am a little familiar, collecting tithe monies by the millions and millions of dollars annually. Yet by years end I heard them begging for more multiple millions of dollars to get them out of all the financial debt they had accumulated during the year. And then, (so help me, if I'm lying, I'm dying), John Hagee has the unmitigated gall to offer his followers (excuse me, sell to his followers--three video tapes, $60 US/$87 CAN) entitled The POWER to get WEALTH, by which Mr. Hagee assures us that we can learn to "STAY OUT OF DEBT"! Can you believe it? Would the word "hypocrite" be too strong or out of place here?

The whole system changed under the New Covenant. Notice what happened:

Jesus said the temple would be utterly destroyed

"And, coming out, Jesus sent from the sanctuary. And His disciples approached to exhibit to Him the buildings of the sanctuary. Yet He, answering, said to them, 'Are you not observing all these? Verily, I am saying to you, Under no circumstances may a stone here be left on a stone, which shall not be DEMOLISHED.'" (Matt. 24:1-2).
 
Under the New Covenant, God does not dwell in temples made with hands,

"The God Who makes the world and all that is in it, He, the Lord inherent of heaven and earth, is NOT dwelling in temples made by hands..." (Acts 17:24).
 
The true believers under the New Covenant are now God's temple,

"For YOU ARE THE TEMPLE OF THE LIVING GOD, according as God said, that I will be making My home and will be walking in them, and I will be their God, and they shall be My people" (II Cor. 6:16).

See also, (I Cor. 3:15 and I Cor. 1:19).
 
All theologians know that when the temple ceased, the priesthood officiating at the temple CEASED!
 

Read the entire article here;

http://www.bible-truths.com/tithing.html

His Peace and Wisdom to you,

Joe

[hillsbororiver]

Hello again GregR,

Here are also some email responses from Ray;

Tithing email and replies

HI RAY

THANK YOU FOR YOUR INFO.  I WONDERED IF I ONLY BELIEVED THAT TITHING IS NOT FOR US NOW, AND [IF TITHING IS] NOT IN THE NEW TESTAMENT. 

IN GALATIANS, IT SAYS WE ARE NOT UNDER THE "OLD LAW." IS THE "OLD LAW" [REFERRING TO] ANY LAWS IN THE OLD TESTAMENT? AND DOES [THIS] NOT [ALSO] REFER TO TITHING IN THE OLD TESTAMENT?   

I WONDERED WHY CHURCH AND PASTORS DAWN SO MUCH ON MONEY, YOU KNOW JESUS NEVER MENTIONED TITHES WHILE HE WAS ON EARTH AS FAR AS WE KNOW FROM THE BIBLE AND ALSO THE PROPHETS DIDN'T ALSO.

MY MOM IS DISABLED AND LIVES OFF DISABILITY. I TELL HER NOT TO WORRY IF SHE DOESN'T HAVE HER FULL TITHE.  BUT SHE STILL DOES [TITHE] AND WILL GO WITHOUT FOR HER AND MY BROTHER. 

SHE IS VERY DISTURBED NOW AFTER READING ALL YOUR INFO.  WHERE SHE IS ATTENDING CHURCH NOW YOU MUST TITHE IF YOU [WANT TO] DO ANYTHING IN THE CHURCH. 

SHE IS SCARED THAT SHE WILL BE CURSED IF SHE DOESN'T TITHE OR RECEIVE BLESSINGS.  WHEREAS THAT IS WHAT SHE HAS BEEN TAUGHT.  PLEASE SEND ME FEEDBACK ON THAT SITUATION. 

ALSO SHE WOULD LIKE TO KNOW HOW DO YOU GIVE TO GET A BLESSING, AND HOW MUCH.

THANK YOU SO MUCH,

ELIZABETH

[Ray Replies]

Dear Elizabeth:

Thank you for your email and comments.

Let me tell you something straight out, as God as my Judge and source of knowledge and inspiration. If Jesus Christ were to enter a convening of pastors who teach that people on DISABILITY are to TITHE (10%) of their disability checks to these pastors, you wouldn't want to be in the same room with them! If you think Jesus berated the hypocritical Pharisees in Matthew 23, I don't think you would have seen anything yet!

Listen to Jesus' own words: 

"WOE UNTO YOU, SCRIBES AND PHARISEES, HYPOCRITES!   For you tithe of mint and anise and cummin [little herbs of the garden], and have OMITTED the weightier matters of the law, JUDGMENT, MERCY, AND FAITH..." (Mat. 23:23).

WOW! There it is, Elizabeth. Tithing was NOTHING to Jesus compared to properly judging [taking care of], MERCY [where is the mercy in taking WIDOW'S MITES?], and FAITH [these hypocrites don't HAVE ANY FAITH, or they would trust God for their ministries and NOT WIDOWS WHO ARE DISABLED]..."

Read Verse 14: 

"WOE UNTO YOU, SCRIBES AND PHARISEES, HYPOCRITES!  For you DEVOUR WIDOWS' HOUSES..."!!!

It is UNSCRIPTURAL EVIL to place these burdens on the shoulders of fragile widows!! Verse 4:

"For they bind HEAVY BURDENS and GRIEVOUS to be born, and lay them on men's [AND WIDOW'S] shoulders; but THEY themselves will NOT move them with one of their fingers."

Have you mother ask her pastor if God demands ten percent of her welfare check?  As him if she will LOOSE HER BLESSINGS FROM GOD if she does not give ten percent of her disability checks to him?  It is because of people just like you and your mother, Elizabeth, that I write these papers on God's truths, condemning these evil practices of many charlatans in the church today.

There is a minister on TBN that I have seen off and on over the weeks, months and years (I seldom ever listen an entire plea-for-money sermon), but I have NEVER ONCE heard this man speak on ANYTHING except becoming blessed and prospering by sending HIM your money. He has a huge ministry that goes around the world. I can't tell you how ill it makes me to watch him pronounce his blessings and cursings on his listeners for either giving or not giving him their money. And yet, I have NEVER heard him or any other prosperity preacher say that if one is in poverty or debt, to not feel obligated to send them money. In fact, they will tell you that if you are in debt, can't pay all your bills, don't have enough to buy food and live on, that THIS IS THE TIME TO SEND THEM YOUR MONEY FOR SURE!!!  God have mercy on their wretched souls. They need to repent and start obeying and trusting GOD!

In the book of Acts when there were widows who's needs were not being met, ALL TWELVE APOSTLES called for the elders of the church to appoint those who were filled with the spirit and wisdom to TAKE CARE OF THESE WIDOWS IMMEDIATELY!

Paul told Timothy to HONOR the widows who were widows indeed. 

Elizabeth, even in ancient Israel if a man had but NINE cows or sheep (many poverty-stricken people around the world would have been thankful for but ONE milking cow to feed their children), God did not consider such a one prosperous enough to TITHE AT ALL!!  A man with only nine cows did NOT tithe his cattle to God. God IS merciful.

Here's what you mother can do to receiving BLESSINGS from God:  Be kind! Show love to everyone! Be thankful! Pray for others!  She can do all theses things from a wheelchair or bed and GOD WILL BLESS HER, I GUARANTEE IT!

May God give your mother the courage to trust God directly for all her needs and not to worry about the needs of greedy pastors. They don't NEED your mother's disability checks! Trust me, THEY DON'T NEED IT! Let them trust God for a change and not the mammon extracted and extorted from the welfare checks, disability checks, and Social Security checks of WIDOWS!!

God bless you and your mother, Elizabeth!  If your mother has needs that aren't being met by her meager income, take her needs to the church. If they turn you away--CALL ME.

Grace and peace to you and your family.

Sincerely in the service of our Lord,

Ray


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Hello,

My name is Sam, I am a deacon and adult Sunday school teacher in the Assemblies of God. Although probably not for long after the 40 plus page article on '' tithing'' that I gave to my pastor.

I found your other web-site, or more accurately your ''main site''. First, I read your article on the tithe, told my wife that I wished I had found it earlier.

I believe one should never be afraid to ask the question ''why'' ? The faith God has instilled in me over the years can take the test. My beliefs are strong enough to be tested and if not then they change.

After years of listening to so many confusing teaches, I prayed this simple prayer, God I don't know what I should believe, this man teaches this and that man teaches that (something different) WHAT DO YOU WANT ME TO BELIEVE? Not what I wanted to believe but what God wants me to believe. Ever since my life has changed.

For years I've been studying the Jewish roots of the Christian faith, the word-of-faith heresy and many other areas. I've started to read some of your other articles. The only thing I've told my wife so far is, ''If what this man is teaching is true the implications are staggering.''

All I can honestly say for now is you got my intention and my interest. Plus I enjoy your humor. 

Well my son wants me to play with him {10} so I gotta go.

Your brother in Christ,

Sam


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When I was 12, my father had left us ....our house had been destroyed in a horrible storm, he paid no child support.

My mother worked 3 jobs and me and my brother picked up grocery bags of pine cones out of peoples' yards. We got paid a dime for each grocery bag we filled. I guess people didn't want them there when they mowed the grass. Long story short (maybe), we gave our dimes to our mother to help out.

We attended a lovely little church with many nice people. There seems to be 1 or 2 who attempt to spoil the bunch! Momma gave me and my brother 5 cents each to put in the offering and she would give a quarter.

One morning when she put her quarter in, the person taking up the offering just stopped. In front of everybody he started making fun and criticizing my mother's faith in God because she only gave a quarter and my brother and I only gave our ten cents. My mother left crying. I wonder sometimes if that man ever thinks of that. But I KNOW that God knew our hearts and circumstances and used that little bit for something great. Thanks for indulging me! Tara


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Just read your paper. It makes sense. One question, how is a church to pay the bills (elec. water,gas, rent,teaching books etc.) I have a bible study group in one of my rentals. And there are bills to be met. We are not a church so to speak, with a tax exempt status and all, but we do study the Word of God every Sunday morning and Wednesday night.

There are 23 of us. We did not like the way things were going in the church we were attending, so we started our own church so to speak. We have been tithing, and holding on to the money, but don't really know what to do with it. We pay the utilities and buy teaching books etc. No one gets a salary. I'm not a preacher, but do lead the study group. Looking forward to hearing from you.

I just got a computer, so I'm learning how to use it. 

Sincerely Chas

[Ray replies]

Dear Mr. [omitted]:

Thank you for your e-mail.  You are brave souls!

You can all contribute money for meeting expenses of your group, that is no problem. Just DON'T TEACH TITHING AS A BINDING LAW. Everyone is free to give according as God has prospered him.  Keep your expenses low and there show be no problems with people wondering where the money is going.  Besides, tithing had to do with agricultural products, and it is hard to run a modern organization on radishes and tomatoes.  Keep a budget, let the expenses be known to all, let everyone contribute. God bless your study group!

Sincerely,

Ray

[Another email from Chas]

L. Ray, 

Hello, I am writing again to ask you about 1 Corinth. 16:2. What is Paul saying here? You have got me thinking!!!

I talked to some of the men in our Bible Study group, and this is one of the questions that came up. Is he not talking about tithing?

Thanks for your time.

Chas

[Ray replies]

Dear Chas:

Thank you for your question.

NO! - I Cor. 16 is not speaking about tithing!

There was a famine in Judea and so Paul out of loving concern for the saints in Jerusalem took up a collection of food and necessities to be taken up to Jerusalem when He came to them.

"Now concerning the  COLLECTION..."

Tithing was never called a "collection" it was called a "tithe."

"...for the SAINTS..."

God did not institute a law of tithing for "the saints." Levites received the tithe, not "the saints."

"...even as I prescribe..."

This is PAUL'S prescription, NOT THE LAW OF MOSES!

"...to the churches of GALATIA..."

This was not a law of tithing that would have been in force on ALL THE CHURCHES EVERYWHERE, but only Galatia and the Corinthians.

"On ONE of the sabbaths..."

This was not a regular collection of tithes, but a SPECIAL collection for the destitute saints in Jerusalem. They didn't do this every week, but rather on "ONE of the sabbaths..."

"...let each of you lay aside by himself in store that in which he should be prospered..."

Notice that it was NOT a tithe, it was not fulfilling a law, and only those who were prospered were to give.

"...that NO COLLECTIONS MAY BE OCCURRING THEN, WHENEVER I MAY COME."

Paul didn't want to wait around when he came for people to start gathering things up for the saints in Jerusalem. He wanted everything collected and ready to go as soon as Paul got there. This obviously was not a collection of MONEY!!!

It is just amazing to me how people will grasp at straws to try and sustain their heretical teaching. I have already received a half-dozen e-mails quoting Paul saying not the muzzle the threshing floor ox, etc., as supposed proofs of tithing. TOTAL NONSENSE! These poor people are fighting the word of God. They do not have a LOVE OF THE TRUTH. It is so sad. The Scriptures are just not that complicated.  Paul never taught tithing to the Gentiles. Paul never collected tithes from the Gentiles.

See if this answer will help your group understand.

Sincerely in Christ's service,

Ray

There are more here;

http://bible-truths.com/e-tithe.html

His Peace and Wisdom to you,

Joe

[insanezenmistress]

whew........i am liberated from all tithe law because.....i have no sheep or bulls, or oil to spare.  sheesh i havent been financially BLESSED in a while so i have no abundance to tithe from, and since there is no temple tax i am off the hook form Jesus' "endorsement"..............

[SixFour]

whew........i am liberated from all tithe law because.....i have no sheep or bulls, or oil to spare.  sheesh i havent been financially BLESSED in a while so i have no abundance to tithe from, and since there is no temple tax i am off the hook form Jesus' "endorsement"..............

LOL! Amen, Sister!!