Christians, Misinformation No. 13 - "The tithe must be the first check written" Have you heard that ?

Question

This teaching is a combination of two separate concepts in the Old Testament: "the Law of First Things" and the "Law of the Tithe"

The resulting hybrid law has been brought over into the New Covenant and applied to the Church. Beside violating the New, this hybrid is also a faulty interpretation of the old !

The "Law of First Things" is a reference to the commandments about the firstborn of man and animal and the firstfruits of fields, vineyards, and oliveyards. It is a separate concept from tithing and was regulated by separate commandments. God had no tolerance for changes in the Law. He designed each aspect to teach a spiritual lesson.
The Law said in Exoodus 13:2 -
"Sanctify unto me all the firstborn, whatsoever openeth the womb among the children of Israel, both of man and of beast: it is mine"

That was a one-time event for an individual animal. The tithe was an annual event from the herd as a whole. The two concepts couldn't be combined. There were two separate laws for two separate purposes and spiritual lessons.

Another unscriptural statement that has become popular is, " It it's not first, it's not a tithe." That means if you spend anything before you pay tithe then you have violated God's law and there will be no blessing. But the farmers in Israel couldn't know what..

..what their tithe would be until the entire harvest was finsihed. After that there was still a period of time before it could be delivered to the storehouse. In the meantime there was no law against selling or using portion that belonged to them. God didn't burden them with excessive legalism.
The Bible also contradicts that teaching in another way. According to the Law; when taking a tithe of flocks and herds, the tenth one that passed under the rod was the one given to the Lord, not the first one - Lev. 27:32-33 say,
"And concerning the tithe of the herd, or of the flock, even of whatsoever passeth 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: and if he change it at all, then both it and the changed thereof shall be holy; it shall not be redeemed"

The word "tenth" in Lev 27:32 is an ordinal number, meaning the tenth one in a sequence. It does not mean a tithe or 10 %. It comes from a ...

..a different Hebrew word. That means the tenth animal belonged to the Lord, not the first one.
Israel was also instructed not to inspect the tenth animal to see if it was good or bad. It didn't matter if it was a bad one; that is the one they were commanded to give and they were not to replace it with a good one. That is another example of the Law being different that what we have been taught about it.
It must be said repeatedly, the key to the question of tithing is getting a revelation of New Covenant life in christ. Without a revelation of that, people get bogged down in controversy over isolated scriptures and miss the real issue.
Sincere people are trying to fit New Covenant living into a framework of Old Testament types and shadows. Jesus give Paul the apostle a revelation of spiritual reality in the New Covenant. All types and shadows need to be interpreted in the light of that.
Bringing the law of tithing over into the New Covenant is wrong in itself.
Creating a new ...

..hybrid law, out of tithing and firstfruits, and adding it on top of tithing is the same as what the Pharisees did.
The Law wasn't extensive enough for them. They had another body of law that they had created and added to God's law. In their minds they were sincere but they missed the point.

People don't think that the doctrine of tithing is a message of righteousness by works. But if all of God's redemption, protection and blessing depend on tithing, then what good is the righteousness we have been given as a free gift ?

They don't mean to say it but the righteousness they leave us with isn't good for anything by itself. So it isn't righteousness at all.

If failure to tithe makes me a God-robber, then my righteousness depends on tithing.

If failure to write out the first check on payday to the local church causes me to lose favor of God on my life, then my righteousness must depend on doint that.

If tithing is what redeems the remaining 90% of my paycheck, then the blood...

..of Jesus did not redeem it.

If a curse is going tocome upon me for not tithing, then Chrsit has not redeemed me from the curse of the Law.

The popular teaching on tithing is really saying that we need CHRIST PLUS TITHING ! It is saying that the Blood of Jesus wasn't enough, that we need the blood plus tithng !

The message of GRACE and the message of Tithing are as different as night and DAY !

Still more misinformation to come...

Answer 1

Agreed, 1 misquote from Malachi. It brings new meaning to the phrase "you rob widows houses".

Answer 2

The 10% contribution which was being asked by your pastor in your religion is in the old testamennt which was addressed to the Isarael people to give 10% share of their product from the granary which is not supposed to be. Your Pastor is false Pastor asking this amount. What is existing is one the new testament which is a voluntary and willingly given of any amount to be used for the religious teachings of a religion. That is not be force.
jtm

Answer 3

I totally agree. Jesus said nothing about tithing. He simply said that God loves a cheerful giver. God doen't want us to give because we feel obligated to. When we set a minimum (ex 10%), it no longer becomes "from the heart," but a religious law which Jesus was very much against.

Answer 4

No, I've never heard that. If someone wants to tithe (can't imagine why) they should give their money to institutions (not churches) that will use it to benefit those who have less. Tithing to the church should be a sin in my opinion. This only edifies the members within that particular group.

Answer 5

i believe that tithing is wrong.....do some of your own biblical research before you tithe, don't just listen to the church leadership....Jesus didnt tell us to tithe....he told us to give...to spend ourselves on behalf of the poor, the needy....God loves a giving heart....give to those who really need it.....and realize that most of the tithe given to the church goes toward winning and keeping many church members, not so much towards giving to those in need....

Answer 6

Like I care.
No one is forcing me to go to church or be religious.

Here is an interesting fact, though.

Your taxes ARE the first check that is written, and I am forced to pay those.

Answer 7

i read somewhere that religion is a 93 million dollar industry.
but i don't go to church. hence i'm here at yahoo answers

Answer 8

crazy isn't it

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