So what's wrong with the above? you ask... Well it would probably be easier to answer the question, What's NOT wrong with the above? However, I would like to touch on some of the most important reasons why what the Independent Fundamental Baptist Denomination teaches about tithing is WRONG.
First of all it's important to understand that Tithing is a Biblical principle, however, it no longer applies because tithing was commanded under the Old Covenant. Tithing is no longer a relevant principle. Tithing was a command under the Mosaic Law, a series of laws that we are no longer obliged to follow. The Mosaic Laws were specifically for the Israelites during that time period. The Old Covenant was only meant for the Israelites until the New Covenant began at the death, burial and resurrection of Christ.
We can see by reading Numbers 18:20-21 in context what the tithes were for. Numbers 18 is cataloging the duties of the priests and the Levites and showcasing what was done to support them as they worked in the Tabernacle. The Independent Fundamental Baptist Denomination makes that mistake of stopping at verse 21. If you continue reading in that chapter you will see that tithes were food products from the land of Israel which were to be used to compensate the Levites for serving God in the Tabernacle as a replacement for their lost land inheritance rights in Israel (see Numbers 18:31). Every mention of tithe there after, is a reference to that law.
Since tithing was a part of the Law of Moses under the legal economy of Israel. It does not apply to the Church today, since we are under grace and not under the law (Romans 6:14; 10:4). The New Testament teaches proportional giving according to what we have, not what we don’t have (see 2 Cor. 8:12). The New Testament also teaches that we are to "make up your own mind as to how much you should give and don't give reluctantly or in response to pressure" (2 Corinthians 9:7). The Lord doesn't want us to give under compulsion or under a belief that we have to. The Lord wants us to give because we want to. Nor does the Lord care how much you give. The Lord is more concerned with your heart attitude and your motivation for giving.
Second, I have never heard a tithe message where Malachi 3 wasn't used. The problem is, however, that churches that use Malachi 3 to support tithing ignore five important Bible facts.
Malachi in context is part of the Old Covenant and, to my knowledge, is not quoted in the New Covenant to validate tithing for us.
Malachi is very clear in addressing what the curses were for. The curses were for dishonest priests because they had stolen the best offerings from God (see Malachi In 1:6; 2:1 and 3:1-5). The "curse" of Malachi 3:9 is the curse of the Nation of Israel's breaking of the Old Covenant. Malachi's audience had recently re-committed themselves to fall under the blessings or curses of that Old Covenant Law. Voluntarily placing yourself under any one part of the Law, such as tithing, obligated you to keep all the Law perfectly. (see Deuteronomy 27:26 and Nehemiah 10:29).
In Malachi 3:10-11 the tithes mentioned are still referring to the food brought to the tabernacle NOT money (Lev. 27:30-33).
The assumption is made that Malachi is addressing everyone. The truth is that only landowners and herdsmen inside Israel were required to pay tithes not everyone. Others only paid free-will offerings
"Storehouse" does not mean "treasury". In Malachi's time, the government was involved in collecting and redistributing the church funds. Storehouses were considered the property of the theocratic state which received political aid to collect its tithes. Storehouses held food and sacrificial animals which were used to provide food for the poor, fatherless, and orphan in the land. It had nothing to do with bringing money to pay the salary of the Pastor or church leaders or for up keep and expansion of the Church building.
So as you can see, The truth of Malachi is completely different from what the Independent Fundamental Baptist Denomination teaches today about tithing. The Independent Fundamental Baptist Denomination has taken Malachi out of context, twisted and manipulated it to fit their doctrine, and are using it in an abusive way that is very different from what it was intended to be used.
If Malachi 3:10 really worked for New Covenant Christians they way that the Independent Fundamental Baptist Denomination claims it works, then millions of poor tithing Christians would have been blessed with a blessing far above anything that anyone has ever imagined. There is no evidence that the majority of “tithe-payers”, whether poor or wealthy are ever blessed financially merely because they tithe (see Heb. 7:18, 19; 8:6-8, 13).
To confirm this, during my 25 years in the Independent Fundamental Baptist Denomination I give my "tithe" faithfully just as instructed by the leaders. I have never received the blessings that they claim that one will receive if one tithes. They will claim that I didn't tithe with the proper motivation or that I gave begrudgingly and that is the reason I haven't been blessed. No, that's just another lie of the Independent Fundamental Baptist Denomination to guilt a person into paying tithes and to cover themselves from the liability of their false teachings.
Third, as stated earlier, tithing is not Taught in the New Testament. The Independent Fundamental Baptist Denomination uses Matthew 23:23 to support the idea that Jesus taught the New Testament Church to tithe. If you look at the context carefully, however, you see that the New Covenant began at the Death, Burial and Resurrection of Jesus NOT his birth (see also Gal. 3:19,24,25). When Jesus discussed tithing in Matthew 23:23, he was only commanding Jewish obedience to the Old Covenant Law which he endorsed and supported until Calvary. In Matthew 23:23 Jesus told his followers to obey the scribes and Pharisees "because they sit in Moses’ seat." Yet He did not command Gentiles whom He healed to present themselves to the priests and obey the Law of Moses. To my knowledge, there is not a single New Testament Bible text which teaches that New Testament Christians are supposed to continue tithing.
The Independent Fundamental Baptist Denomination will also try and convince you that tithing was taught by Paul in 1 Corinthians 9:14. Yes I agree, taken by itself verse 14 clearly indicates that those who preach the gospel should be supported by those who benefit from it. HOWEVER, the MESSAGE OF THE CHAPTER neither begins nor ends there. The entire chapter is the continuous thought of Paul. You can't just take one verse, pull it out and draw your conclusions from one single verse. By looking only at verse 14 you are only seeing one part of Paul's thoughts on the topic. You have to look at it in the context of the entire thought. I will talk about this passage more next.
Fourth, as stated earlier, tithing is not supposed to be for bringing money to pay the salary of the Pastor or church leaders or for up keep and expansion of the Church building. The FIBD uses the 1 Corinthians 9:13-14 passage to teach that church leaders should be supported with tithes "in the same way," "following the same principles" that were used to support Old Testament priests and that is why 1 Corinthians 9:14 begins with "even so" - to connect it with 9:13.
Again, I agree, taken by itself verse 14 clearly indicates that those who preach the gospel should be supported by those who benefit from it. As I indicated earlier, the MESSAGE OF THE CHAPTER neither begins nor ends there. The entire chapter is the continuous thought of Paul. You can't just take one verse, pull it out and draw your conclusions from one single verse. By looking only at verse 14 you are only seeing one part of Paul's thoughts on the topic. You have to look at it in the context of the entire thought.
If you keep this passage in context, you will see that Paul's message is not about tithing in the way that we know of it today at all. First of all, verse 14 has nothing to do with money. Verse 13 states: "those who work in the Temple get their MEALS from the FOOD brought to the Temple as OFFERINGS..." then in verse 14 he states "in the same way..." so Paul seems to only be referring to food provided as meals to the Temple workers it has nothing to do with money.
Secondly, if you Read verse 12 If you support others who preach to you, shouldn’t we have an even greater right to be supported? But we have never used this right. We would rather put up with anything than be an obstacle to the Good News about Christ. and continue reading after verse 14 15 Yet I have never used any of these rights. And I am not writing this to suggest that I want to start now. In fact, I would rather die than lose my right to boast about preaching without charge. 16 Yet preaching the Good News is not something I can boast about. I am compelled by God to do it. How terrible for me if I didn’t preach the Good News! 17 If I were doing this on my own initiative, I would deserve payment. But I have no choice, for God has given me this sacred trust. 18 What then is my pay? It is the opportunity to preach the Good News without charging anyone. That’s why I never demand my rights when I preach the Good News. you can clearly see that it wasn't Paul's intention to communicate that the OT principles should be followed. In fact he was stating the exact opposite. If you maintain the context of that chapter, however, it's clear that he is against church members paying to support his preaching. According to this passage, a preacher has a certain right to request money for payment but Paul is saying that he shouldn't use that right. For Churches to guilt the congregation into paying tithes so that the pastor is supported is pure manipulation.
Also, if you think about the relationship between the Pastor/Church Leaders and the congregation, common sense will tell you that a congregation paying the salary of the church leaders creates a very precarious ethical dilemma of a dual relationship. Paying the leader's salaries opens the door for individuals, especially those who pay a lot to the church, to control and manipulate the church staff. It invariably changes the relationship between the leaders and the congregation from one of fellow believer meeting together for worship, to one of payment for services rendered, which creates all kinds of problems.
I've heard stories about the rich person in the church who gives so much money to the church that he threatens to stop giving if the church doesn't do things his way. Of course the Pastor and staff are pressured into giving the individual what he/she wants so that the money keeps coming in.
Fifth, churches under the New Covenant were never meant to be a "storehouse" or even a building. The false teaching is that Christian buildings called "churches," "tabernacles," or "temples" replaced the OT Temple as God’s dwelling place. God’s Word never describes New Covenant churches as "tabernacles," "temples" or "buildings" in which God dwells! God’s church, God’s dwelling place, is within the believers. Believers do not "go to church"! Believers "assemble to worship." Also, since OT priests did not pay tithes, then tithing cannot logically continue. Therefore it is wrong to call a building "God’s storehouse" for tithes. (1 Cor. 3:16, 17; 6:19, 20; Eph. 1:22, 23; 2:21; 4:12-16; Rev. 3:12). For "storehouse" compare 1 Corinthians 16:2 with 2 Corinthians 12:14 and Acts 20:17, 32-35. For several centuries after Calvary Christians did not even have their own buildings (to call storehouses) because Christianity was an outlaw religion.
The following is an excerpt from "Should The Church Teach Tithing" - By Russell Earl Kelly which can be downloaded FREE by Clicking Here
Finally, we can see from history that tithing did not actually even become a part of the Church until A.D. 777. The false teaching is that the historical church has always taught tithing. The earliest Christian assemblies patterned themselves after the Jewish synagogues which were led by rabbis who, like Paul, refused to gain a profit from preaching and teaching God’s Word. There are many books on Jewish social life which explain this in great detail.
From Christ’s death until Christianity became a legally recognized religion almost 300 years later, the great majority of church leaders took self-imposed vows of poverty. This can be historically documented! They took Jesus’ words to the rich young ruler in Luke 18:22 literally "sell all that you have, give it to the poor, and follow me." Most church historians agree that these early church leaders for at least the first 200 years worked for a living and were self-supporting. How could a Christian leader tell a Roman census taker that he was a full-time preacher? That would almost guarantee his death!
Clement of Rome (c95), Justin Martyr (c150), Irenaeus (c150-200) and Tertullian (150-220) all opposed tithing as a strictly Jewish tradition. The Didache (c150-200) actually condemns traveling apostles who stay longer than three days and ask for money. And travelers who decided to remain with them were required to lean a trade. These early opponents of tithing are not quoted by modern tithe teachers.
Cyprian (200-258) tried to impose tithing in Carthage, North Africa around A.D. 250. At his conversion Cyprian gave away great personal wealth to the poor and lived under a vow of poverty. His idea of tithing included equal re-distribution to the poor. And we must remember that his ideas of tithing were not adopted. When tithe teachers quote Ambrose, Chrysostom and Augustine as so-called "church fathers" they conveniently leave out the first 200 years of church history. Even after Christianity became legal in the fourth century for over a thousand years the greatest spiritual leaders almost all took vows of deep poverty and preferred to live unmarried lives in monasteries. If these tithe teachers are quoted, then the church should also be told what kind of lives they usually led and how they redistributed the tithe to the poor.
Tithing was not always in the church. While disagreeing with their own theologians, most church historians write that tithing did not become an accepted doctrine in the church for over 700 years after the death of Christ. According to the very best historians and encyclopedias, it took over 500 years before the local church Council of Macon in France, in the year 585, tried unsuccessfully to enforce tithing on its members. It was not until the year 777 that Emperor Charlemagne legally allowed the church to collect tithes. And even then it was to gain favor with the Pope. That, my friend, is the history of tithing found in the Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Americana and the Roman Catholic Encyclopedia for everybody to read.
