Rewriting Scripture to Justify Tithing

By Patricia Backora
In order to justify monetary tithing (or any other kind) under the
New Covenant, you have to give Scripture a major rehaul.
Lets begin with scriptures taken out of the Old Covenant (where
tithing belongs).
Leviticus 27:30: And all the tithe OF THE LAND, whether of the seed
of the land, or of the fruit of the tree, is the LORDS; it is holy unto
the LORD.
Change to: And all the tithe OF THE FRUIT OF YOUR LABOR,
whether of your savings in the bank, or of the Fruit of the Federal
Mint, is the preachers; it is holy unto the preacher.
Verse 31: And if a man will redeem ought (any) of his tithes, he
shall add thereto the fifth part thereto.
Change to: If some poor widow wants to borrow back some of her
tithe money to eat, charge her 20% interest.
Verse 32: And concerning the tithe OF THE HERD, or OF THE
FLOCK, even whatsoever passeth under the rod, the tenth shall be
holy unto the LORD.
Change to: And concerning the tithe OF YOUR WORK WAGES, or OF
YOUR POCKETBOOK, even whatsoever passeth out of an ATM
machine, the FIRST part of it shall be holy unto the preacher.
Verse 33: He (the tithe payer) shall not search (inspect) whether it
be good or bad, neither shall he change it: and if he change it at all,
then both it and the change thereof shall be holy; it shall not be
redeemed.
Change to: The tithe payer shall inspect his paycheck to make sure
he gives the BEST (biggest) part of it. If he changes his mind and
decides to substitute a prettier hundred dollar bill, he should just
empty his wallet and fast until the next payday rolls around.
Verse 34: These are the commandments, which the LORD
commanded Moses for the children of Israel in Mt. Sinai.
Change to: These are the genetically modified commandments,
which the PREACHER commanded the church in Atlanta, Ga.
Deuteronomy 14:22: Thou shalt truly tithe all the increase of thy
seed, that the field bringeth forth year by year.
Change to: Thou shalt truly tithe on all the wages you earn, that the
boss pays you week by week.

Verse 23: And THOU SHALT EAT before the LORD thy God, in the
place which he shall choose to place His name there, the tithe of thy
corn, of thy wine, and of thine oil, and the firstlings of thy herds,
and of thy flocks; that thou mayest learn to fear the LORD thy God
always.
Change to: And you shall pay, before the preacher, in the place
where youre sitting in the pew, the tithe or your cash, of your
wallet, and of your oil stock dividends, and the first of your hardearned paycheck, that you might learn to be afraid of the preacher
always.* * * Forget that bit about the wine, everybody knows they
really drank Welchs Grape Juice back then. And dont take scripture
so literally that you actually EAT the Lords tithe like they did back
then! The preacher will do that FOR you when he takes his buddies
out to a lobster restaurant!
Verse 24: And if the way be too long for thee, so that thou art not
able to carry it; or if the place be too far from thee, which the LORD
thy God shall choose to set his name there, when the LORD thy God
hath blessed thee:
Change to: If you live too far from the hole-in-the-wall and are
unable to haul a hundred-dollar bill to the place where the preacher
is building a name for himself, when youre still living in poverty:
Verse 25: Then thou shalt turn it into money, and bind up the
money in thine hand, and shalt go unto the place where the LORD
thy God shall choose:
Change to: No need to turn it into money, its always BEEN money!
Bring that money in to build a project which the preacher shall
choose. (MONEY is mentioned in this tithing verse! So the preacher
must be rightor IS he?)
The next verse will blow you out of the water! New converts, hide
your eyes!
Verse 26: And thou (the tithe-payer) shalt bestow (spend) that
money for whatsoever thy soul lusteth after; for oxen, or for sheep,
OR FOR WINE, OR FOR STRONG DRINK, or for whatsoever thy soul
desireth: and thou shalt eat before the LORD thy God, and thou
shalt rejoice, thou and thy household.
Change to: Get rid of the wine and strong drink, for heavens sake!
Old Testament folks didnt know they were supposed to drink Coke
instead! That money's supposed to go into MY church treasury!
Must be a translational error! And the preacher shall spend that
money for whatever his soul LUSTETH after (true): for a new car, a
bigger and better suit, or for a trip to Hawaii, or whatever his little
old heart desires: and the poor tither shall go home broke and eat

leftover pinto beans in front of an old TV set, and he shall grumble

about it with his whole household.
Verse 27: And the Levite that is within thy gates; thou shalt not
forsake him; for he hath no part nor inheritance with thee.
Change to: Hey, wait a minute! Arent preachers spiritual Levites
and ordinary Christianswhat tribe do THEY belong to? Poor little
pew Christians, they aint got no tribe, so theyd better pay up!
Anyhow, the spiritual Levite that's hollering at you from up in the
pulpit, thou shalt not defraud him of HIS tithe. Hes got a brand
new car and home, and might inherit even more from his rich uncle.
But having just a little more never hurt, did it?
Verse 28: At the end of three years thou shalt bring forth all the
tithes of thine increase the same year, and shall lay it up within thy
gates.
Change to: Every single week (or pay period), before Uncle Sam
gets his cut, thou shalt deduct ten per cent of thy paycheck and
store it in the church treasury.
Verse 29: And the Levite, (because he hath no part nor inheritance
with thee,) and the stranger, and the fatherless, and the widow,
which are within thy gates, shall come and eat and be satisfied; that
the LORD thy God may bless thee in all the work of thine hand
which thou doest.
Change to: And the spiritual Levite in the pulpit, who owns a nice
hunk of real estate, shall consume the third-year tithe which should
be feeding the homeless guy, the fatherless, and the widow. Thou
shalt tell them to go get a job or they dont deserve to eat anyway,
and the preacher will stop blessing out his congregation for being
tithing deadbeats.
On a more serious note, why isnt the whole tithe given to the poor
every third year like they did in ancient Israel? I sort of suspect
God didnt want tithes TAKEN from the poor in ancient Israel like
they are today!
Why, in all my long life, have I NEVER heard a tithing sermon based
on this passage?
Leviticus 25:1: And the LORD spake unto Moses in Mt. Sinai saying,
Verse 2: Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them,
when ye come into the land which I shall give you, then shall the
land keep a Sabbath unto the LORD.
Verse 3: Six years shalt thou sow thy field, and six years shalt thou
prune thy vineyard, and gather in the fruit thereof;

Verse 4: But in the seventh year shall be a Sabbath of rest unto the
land, a Sabbath for the Lord: thou shalt neither sow thy field, nor
prune thy vineyard.
Verse 5: That which growth of its own accord of thy harvest thou
shalt not reap, neither gather the grapes of thy vine undressed: for
it is a year of rest unto the Land.
Verse 6: And the Sabbath of the land shall be meat (food) for you;
for thee, and for thy servant, and for thy maid, and for thy hired
servant, and for the stranger that sojourneth with thee.
Verse 7: And for thy cattle, and for the beast that are in thy land,
shall all the increase thereof be meat.
The Israelites observed a seven-year agricultural (and tithing) cycle.
Every seventh year the land (and the tithers) got a break. No
large-scale reaping was to be done, so no tithes were to be paid.
Any Jewish rabbi will tell you no tithes were paid in ancient Israel on
the seventh year, and tithes were never collected from the wages of
the poor. During the Sabbatical year, people were to take from the
land just what they needed for their own personal consumption, and
nothing more. How would this set with conservative preachers
who holler about having a strong work ethic, and squeezing the
most (money) out of every waking moment of your life? Preachers
who generally support politicians who frack the overworked,
pesticide-poisoned land instead of giving it a rest? What if
somebody out in the congregation decided that every seventh year
he would ditch the factory job, sling on a backpack and go live off
the land like the Indians did before the coming of the white man?
Todays tithers simply dont get that seventh-year break
commanded by Scripture. Theyre pressured to slave SEVEN years
out of seven to satisfy Organized Religions hunger for finances.
When one job isnt enough, people are encouraged to work two.
Preachers LITERALLY (and wrongly) apply the Tithing Law, while
spiritualizing away peoples need for physical rest, to keep the
cash rolling in. Parents who must work extra jobs come under
criticism because they arent always there for the kids and have
poor family values. Think of it. God actually gave the farmer a
whole year off every seventh year from plowing, sowing and
reaping, besides their weekly Sabbath Day rest. God even cared
about the land, which is nothing but dead, wormy dirt! Funny how
preachers dont worry about other Christians dropping dead from
overwork. I kinda suspect God is a lot more merciful than His
supposed representatives up in the pulpit.
Lets pay a visit to the three verses tithing teachers base most of
their doctrine on. But, unlike them, lets also read (and airbrush to

fit their doctrine) other verses in the same context which clarify who
this scripture is addressed to.
Malachi 2:1: And now, O YE PRIESTS, this commandment is for
YOU.
Change to: And now, O ye pew Christians, this commandment is for
YOU.
Malachi 3:3: And he (God) shall sit as a refiner and purifier of
silver; and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold
and silver, that they may offer unto the LORD an offering in
righteousness.
Change to: And he (the preacher) shall sit in judgment on those
lacking gold or silver; and he shall terrify the sons of Gentiles, and
plunder them of gold and silver, that they may offer unto him an
offering out of fear.
Verse 4: Then shall the offering of Judah and of Jerusalem be
pleasant unto the LORD, as in the days of old, and as in former
years.
Change to: Then shall the offering of Nashville and of Chicago be
pleasant unto the preacher, as it always has been, and bigger than
last weeks.
Verse 5: And I will come near to you in judgment; and I will be a
swift witness against the sorcerers, and against the adulterers, and
against false swearers, and AGAINST THOSE THAT OPPRESS THE
HIRELING IN HIS WAGES, the widow, and the fatherless, and that
turn aside the stranger from his right, and fear not me, saith the
LORD of hosts.* * *Preachers either ignore this verse or ignore the
inclusion of the hireling (wage-earner) in this context where God
is rebuking the LEVITES, not the people, for failure to be kind to
exploited groups of people.
Change to: And I, your divinely appointed and anointed tithecollector, will sit in judgment upon you; and I will be a swift witness
against sorry offerings, and against adult members who dont pay
up, and against falling offerings, and against those that dont deduct
a tenth from the hirelings wages, the stingy widow, and the tightfisted fatherless, and that DARE dispute MY right to take your tithe,
and dont show me proper fear and reverence, saith the preacher in
the pulpit.
Verse 6: For I am the LORD, I change not; therefore ye SONS OF
JACOB are not consumed.
Change to: For I am the preacher whos trying to tell you Gods
wrong here! He said sons of Jacob He REALLY means hes
rebuking the sons of the Apache Indians, the sons of the Eskimos,

the sons of the Gypsies, the sons of Latinos, etc., who are in danger
of being consumed for committing the sins in this passage!
Verse 7: Even from the days of your fathers ye are gone away from
mine ordinances, and have not kept them. Return unto me, and I
will return unto you, saith the LORD of hosts. But ye said, Wherein
shall we return?
Change to: Even from the days of your fathers the Vikings, the
Normans, the Celts, the Africans and the Anglo-Saxons, you have
departed from the ordinances of Mosaic Law and have not kept
them. Return unto a Mosaic Law never given to your ancestors,
saith the Preacher. Dont sweat over the dietary laws, Sabbath
laws, circumcision, etc. but be sure to hang onto tithing! As they
used to sing on Sesame Street, One of these things is not like the
others, and that applies to tithing, which has NOT been fulfilled in
Christ like circumcision and animal sacrifice ( which, BTW, wouldnt
make me any richer)! But ye said, Why should we return unto a
church that tries to put Mosaic Law on us when Christ died to set us
free?
Now weve reached the three verses tithing preachers love the
most. But how would you need to change them to justify THEIR
tithing doctrine?
Verse 8: Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say,
Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings.
Change to: Will a man rob Gods supposed representative? Yet ye
have robbed him of what he wants most: money. But ye say,
Wherein have we robbed the preacher? In monetary tithes and big
enough offerings.
Verse 9: Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me, even
this whole nation.
Change to: Damn all you rotten pew potatoes, cause youve robbed
ME, your spiritual dad, you know, the guy who never remembers
your birthday or Christmas. I dont care if Paul taught that children
shouldnt be the ones laying up for the parents. Youve still failed to
pay ME genetically modified money tithes. That applies to all you
Germanic, Japanese, Chinese, Mexican, and other Heinz-57 Gentiles
who refused to obey the ONLY Old Testament Law that my god
(mammon) carried over to the New Covenant of Grace. Disregard
the fact that when God says this whole nation (see verse 6), He
meant the Nation of Israel, not the entire earth, which He would
have said if that was what He meant! That curse carries over into
the New Covenant Gentile church, even though God was addressing
the Nation of Israel (sons of Jacob) ONLY. Must be a mistranslation.

Verse 10: Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may
be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the
LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and
pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to
receive it.
Change to: Bring ye ten per cent of all the paychecks, that there
may be money in my (the preachers) church treasury, mammons
WHOREHOUSE, and test you-know-who to see if he will open up an
unexpected source of income and shower you with money, that
there shall not be room enough to receive it.* * *So what if Jesus
Himself says: Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God, or put him to
the test (Matt.4:7). So what if the whole Body of Christ, , not some
church building, is the New Covenant habitation of God (Eph.2:2122; I Pet.2:5?) Just disregard the fact that things radically changed
after the Cross, and youll get indigestion if you bring money into
the New Covenant House of God, which is the body of the believer
(I Cor.3:16; 2 Cor.6:16).
Lets go on to the New Testament, where youll search in vain for
any command by Paul (or even Jesus) to pay tithes on wages.
Christs earthly ministry took place under the final days of the
period of Law (Gal.4:4). Only after the Cross did the New Testament
era actually begin. But even as He spoke of tithing under the Law,
Christ mentioned only tithes taken from things which grow out of
the earth: mint, anise and cumin (Matt.23:23). Christ did not
command His own disciples (or anyone else) to tithe on their wages.
Christ modified the law on adultery to include looking lustfully at a
woman, but He did NOT change the tithing law into a Christian
income tax! Jesus did NOT support His own ministry through tithes,
nor did His disciples. They were (mostly) from the Tribe of Judah,
and only members of the Tribe of Levi qualified to ask for tithes of
any kind (Num.18:26).
Many preachers teach that since Jesus made certain laws harder to
keep (e.g. the prohibition against divorce and adultery) it follows
that He also wants to make other laws more difficult as well, and
pass them on to the church. But the plain truth is this: While
scriptural teachings on the sanctity of marriage are repeated in the
New Testament epistles, tithing was a TEMPORARY ordinance for a
specific nation governed by a specific code of religious laws, Israel
(Lev.27:34). Gentiles never were under this law because God never
gave it to them (Psalms 147:19-20). Tithing was part of this law
(Matt.23:23). Tithing was NEVER, NOT EVEN ONCE, commanded, or
even recommended as a nice gesture, to the Gentile Church by
Paul or any other apostle. Paul teaches cheerful, gracious giving
ONLY. Paul rebukes Christians for every evil under the sun. But
NOT ONCE does Paul remind the churches under his oversight to

pay their tithe, or rebuke any church or individual for withholding

ten per cent of their income from the church. Had Paul slapped the
tithing law on his parishioners (and threatened them with hellfire
and damnation for failure to pay up), he would have been a very
wealthy man and could have eaten like a king every night instead
of always going hungry (2 Cor.11:47).
Did Jesus REALLY come to put His church under a heavier burden
than was borne by the Jews under Law, who did NOT have to tithe
on wages and salaries? How would you need to change the following
verses to justify the kind of stewardship sermons preached in
todays churches?
Matt.12:28: Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden,
and I will give you rest.
Change to: Come to church, all ye that labour and are heavy laden,
and I, the preacher, will give you no rest.
Verse 29: Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek
and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
Change to: Fill out my pledge card, and learn the ABCs of faith; for
I, the preacher, am merciless and cold of heart: and ye shall find no
rest for your souls.
Verse 30: For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.
Change to: For my folks are uneasy because my sermons bite.
How would you modify the following NT verses to justify todays
tithing doctrine?
Does the Holy Spirit require Christian converts to tithe ten per cent
of their paychecks to the church? Lets peek at Acts chapter 15 for a
clue.
The apostles are debating whether or not new Gentile
converts must start keeping the Law of Moses, which included
tithing (only on farm produce and ONLY to sons of Aaron). What
was their conclusion? What is the modern preachers conclusion?
Apostles conclusion, Part I: Acts 15:24: Forasmuch as we have
heard, that certain which went out from us have troubled you with
words, subverting (upsetting) your souls, saying, Ye must be
circumcised, and keep the law; to whom we gave no such
commandment.
Preachers conclusion, Part I: Forasmuch as we have heard, that
certain super apostles which flew to your conference from our
mega-church have taught you word of faith theology, challenging
your stingy souls, saying the offering needs to be supersized, and

you have to hang onto the preachers favorite Old Testament law,
and that, in a nutshell, is OUR commandment!
Apostles conclusion, Part II: Verse 28: FOR IT SEEMED GOOD TO
THE HOLY GHOST, and to us, to lay upon you NO GREATER BURDEN
than these necessary things;
Verse 29: That ye abstain from meats (foods) offered to idols, and
from blood, and from things strangled, and from fornication: from
which if ye keep yourselves, ye shall do well. Farewell.
Preachers conclusion, Part II: Verse 28: For it seemed good to the
church treasurer, and to us, to lay upon you ONE greater burden
than these necessary things;
Verse 29: That ye abstain from meeting at home instead of church,
and from burdening us with unwanted questions, and from starting
to think for yourself, and from forcing us to move to a cheaper
building: from which if ye keep yourselves, thats just the start. Oh,
we almost forgot. God expects you to tithe ten per cent of your
net.we mean GROSS! paycheck! You are dismissed.
Are Christians REALLY under grace instead of law?
Romans 6:14: For sin shall not have dominion over (rule over) you:
for ye are not under the law, but under grace.
Change to: For sin shall not rule over you (thats the preachers
job); for ye are not under the law (except for certain laws that profit
the preacher), and youd better grease the preachers palm if you
want to stay in his good graces!
Gal.3:10: For as many as are under the works of the law are under
a curse: for it is written, Cursed be every one that continueth not in
ALL things which are written in the book of the law to do them (that
includes every law in Leviticus, including animal sacrifices and ritual
washings).
Change to: For as many as are under the laws the preacher likes
are under a blessing that exists only in their imagination: for the
preacher says: Cursed is every one who continueth not to keep OUR
version of Moses tithing law (dont forget the crispy green
firstfruits), but forget dietary laws, circumcision, keeping the
Sabbath, etc.
Speaking of circumcision, it was just as hot an issue in the days of
the First Century church as tithing is in our day. I never hear
preachers holler about bringing back circumcision, which legalists in
the early church tried to enforce, just like tithing is enforced today.
Maybe PROFITABLE doctrine is a bigger priority in the modern
church, and thats why we dont see many online forums debating

Christian circumcision. Its safe to say that if preachers could get

rich from circumcision, they wouldnt hesitate to transform spiritual
circumcision of the heart into a big money-making operation.
Money-hungry preachers are so economical with the truth, theyd
be able to twist the Word of God and discover 1001 reasons why
ALL Christians, including the poor widow, had to get circumcised as
a requirement for church membership!
Can you imagine the big stampede out the church door if
circumcision WAS made a requirement for church membership?
Only women would be left sleeping in the pews! But week after
week preachers are snipping away at peoples paychecks, without
Gods authorization. Ten per cent may be the difference between
children eating a nutritious meal and having macaroni and cheese
five nights a week.
Preachers NEVER preach on this one (at least Ive never heard it
done). How would you need to reinterpret this verse to justify
tithing?
Proverbs 22:16: He that oppresseth the poor to increase his riches,
and he that giveth to the rich, shall surely come to want.
Change to: He who makes himself poorer to increase the preachers
riches, and he who showers rich preachers with more money, shall
surely reap a hundred-fold harvest of Monopoly money.
Just for fun, lets examine a passage of Scripture which tells
Christians the proper way to give. The context is Paul is taking up a
collection to feed hungry saints in Jerusalem. How do tithe-hungry
preachers interpret these verses today?
2 Cor.8:11: Now therefore perform the doing of it; that as there was
a readiness to will, so there may be a performance out of that which
ye have.
Change to: Step out in faith and make a credit card donation out
of what you dont have yet, believing that the LORD will come to the
rescue with a windfall blessing from an "unexpected source"
somewhere in Cloud Koo koo Land.
Verse 12: For if there first be a willing mind, it is accepted according
to that a man hath, not according to that he hath not.
Change to: Your hesitation is of the devil! Hurry up and give before
satan argues you out of it! Make a $2,000 vow of faith out of what
you dont think you have yet, because even though you havent
gotten that money yet, you ALREADY have it by faith and it will
soon materialize into the visible realm like a genie floating out of a

bottle eager to do your bidding. So go ahead and pledge it by faith

and God will accept it.
Verse 13: For I mean not that other men be eased, and ye be
burdened.
Change to: If our preaching means anything to you, youll be willing
to pay for it, even if it makes you poorer.
Verse 14: But by an equality, that now at this time your abundance
may be a supply for their want, that their abundance also may be a
supply for your want: that there may be equality.
Change to: Charity begins here in this church, not at home! And it
begins with us here in this pulpit, so pay up, bud! Forget this notion
of us all being lovey-dovey brethren looking after each others
mutual welfare as equals. That sounds too much like socialism and
were way too conservative for that! Some sink, some swim. Tough
luck.
Out of your poverty you provide for us, your spiritual
overseers who crack the whip to keep you out working FOR US. Our
jesus taught survival of the fittest and the fatest.
Verse 15: As it is written, He that had gathered much had nothing
over; and he that had gathered little had no lack.
Change to: God wants ME to have the very finest because Im far
more important than you are. Poverty builds character, and it
wouldnt hurt you to fast a few meals anyway.
2 Cor.9:7: Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let
him give; not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loveth a cheerful
giver.
Change to: Every man (and woman) according as he feels
intimidated by our sermon, so let him pay tithes, because he has
to; for the preacher loves his cash cows.
Verse 8: And God is able to make all grace abound
ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may
good work.
Change to: And the preacher is able to make the
on you; that ye, seldom having enough money left
bills, may give the preacher more and more.

toward you; that

abound to every
pressure pile up
over to pay your

Verse 9: As it is written, He hath dispersed abroad, he hath given to

the poor: his righteousness remaineth for ever.
Change to: The good Christian limits his giving strictly to the four
walls of this sanctuary, he has given to the preacher: his money
remaineth here for ever.

How does Jesus Himself view the issue of equality in the Body of
Christ?
Matt.23:8: But be not ye called Rabbi (Master); for one is your
Master, even Christ; and all ye are brethren.
Preachers act as if Christ had said this instead:
Peter, James, and John, you three are my inner circle. Youre head
and shoulders above the rest, so those pew potatoes you lead out of
green pastures must call you Master. Christ may be your main
Master, but there are many others as well. Thats the way the
cookie crumbles. Some are masters, some are slaves.
Matt.23:9: And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is
your Father, which is in heaven.
Christ did NOT say:
Some will be father figures over you to take tribute from you. Go
ahead and call the most important church leaders Reverend,
Father Holy Father, Your Grace, etc. The Father in heaven is
just ONE of many higher-ranking fathers who rule over you.
Verse 10: Neither be ye called masters: for One is your Master, even
Christ.
Jesus did NOT say:
You will be exalted masters and rule over Gods people as little
gods in the pulpit.
Verse 11: But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant:
Jesus did NOT say:
But he that is greatest among you shall take your money and scare
you with tithing sermons.
One famous televangelist boasted that those who didnt agree with
him would be his slaves up in heaven. Christ did not tell His people
to worship keynote speakers at conventions and exalt them above
ordinary Christians.
Verse 12: And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and
he that shall humble himself shall be exalted.
Christ did not say:
Its okay if religious celebrities live like kings at the expense of the
poor, and unless you fight for your place in the pecking order youll
end up a minimum wage maid up in heaven vacuuming and dusting
for rich TV preachers.
Jesus taught that children of the King are free from having to pay
taxes to their own kingdom.

Matt.17:24: And when they were come to Capernaum, they that

received tribute money came to Peter, and said, Doth not your
master pay tribute?
25 He saith, Yes. And when he was come into the house, Jesus
prevented him, saying, What thinkest thou, Simon? of whom do the
kings of the earth take custom or tribute? of their own children, or
of strangers?
26 Peter saith unto him, Of strangers. Jesus saith unto him, Then
are the children free.
27 Notwithstanding, lest we should offend them, go thou to the sea,
and cast an hook, and take up the fish that first cometh up; and
when thou hast opened his mouth, thou shalt find a piece of money:
that take, and give unto them for me and thee.
Jesus paid the Temple tax (see Ex.30:13) with a coin taken from the
mouth of a fish, not money Hed earned Himself. This speaks of
grace, not works. Gods own dear children are FREE from paying
taxes to their own kingdom! But tithe collectors in tall pulpits
threaten them with the fires of hell for failure to cough up ten per
cent of their gross wages and salaries to THEM, the exalted
representatives of Big Religion! I think Jesus simple words about
the children not having to pay taxes to their own Father carries
much more weight than ten thousand pro-tithing sermons which
appeal to Scriptures that just aint there.
I saved the best for last. Does tithing to some rich preacher result
in a bumper harvest of good things from God?
Proverbs 22:16: He that oppresseth the poor to increase his riches,
and he that giveth to the rich, shall surely come to want
(destitution).
Preachers REALLY teach: He who cheats some loser to get Gods
blessing, and he who finances the preachers fat lifestyle, will win
the lotto jackpot in this life, then go get pie in the sky after he dies.
Conclusion:
We are ALL brethren, of equal importance in the sight of God. God
even disapproves of lofty titles being used by preachers to set
themselves apart from the rest of the Body of Christ as lords over
Gods heritage (I Pet.5:3). Giving is to be done cheerfully, to meet
true needs. You and I have just as much right to ask a preacher for
money (or tithes) as they have to ask us for it!
*****
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