Transcription
I found out the truth about tithes and I'm shocked. I don't even want to tell y'all no opinions or nothing. I'm going just get into reading it. We can read it together.
Okay, let's get into tithing because I've talked about it before, but I didn't go deep down in the rabbit hole. Well, today I want to go deep down in the rabbit hole and I want you to come with me. So many people are asking the question, should we still be giving 10%? Should we give what we want? Should we just give freely? Should we feed the poor and help them instead of giving money to the church? Well, hopefully these videos will answer all of those questions for you. And even having a discussion in the comments section may answer the ones that I can't answer in this video. So, why don't we go ahead and get into some clips of what we should do when it comes to tithing. Before we do, make sure that you like this video so that the algorithm can push it out so other people can see what they should be doing when it comes to tithing and subscribe to the channel. Now, let's go.
This is Deuteronomy 14:22. The giving of tithes. You must set aside a tithe of your crops, one-tenth of all the crops you harvest each year. Bring this tithe to the designated place of worship, the place the Lord your God chooses for his name to be honored, and eat it there in his presence. This applies to the tithes of grain, new wine, olive oil, and the firstborn males of your flocks and herds. Doing this will teach you to always fear the Lord your God.
Now, when the Lord your God blesses you with a good harvest, the place of worship he chooses for his name to be honored might be too far for you to bring the tithe. If so, you may sell the tithe portion of your crops and herds, put the money in the pouch, and go to the place where the Lord your God has chosen. When you arrive, you must use the money to buy any kind of food you want, cattle, sheep, goats, wine, or other alcoholic drink. Then feast there in the presence of the Lord your God and celebrate with your household. And do not neglect the Levites in your town, for they will receive no allotment of land among you. At the end of every third year, bring the entire tithe of that year's harvest, and store it in the nearest town. Give to the Levites who will receive no allotment of land among you, as well as to the foreigners living among you, the orphans, and the widows in your town, so they can eat and be satisfied. Then the Lord your God will bless you in all your work.
Y'all, the tithes, the 10% that they set aside did not go to the Levites. They ate it. They ate it in the presence of the Lord. It literally says, "You must set aside a tithe of your crops, one-tenth of all the crops you harvest each year. Bring this tithe to the designated place of worship, the place the Lord your God chooses for his name to be honored, and eat it there in his presence." Doing this will teach you to always fear the Lord your God. The tithes were set up for the people to eat. So, yes, they gave a tenth, but it was to come and eat in the Lord's presence. It was to basically hang out and feast and celebrate with God. It was to remind them, hey, this is God. Like come see me, come hang out with me. The way that they took care of the Levites and not just the Levites. This was for the foreigners, the orphans, the widows, and the Levites was at the end of every third year bring the entire tithe of that year's harvest and store it in the nearest town. So, the Levites didn't survive off the annual tithes. They survived off the tithes of every 3 years. And this was split between the Levites, the foreigners, the orphans, and the widows. So, is it just me or everything I was taught in church about tithing is wrong? Because this is not what I was taught in church. What I was taught in church was you got to bring one/10th um and you give it to the church because that's giving to God like and this is just this is how it's supposed to be. But that's not what this Bible says.
What she said made a lot of sense and it is true. But we have to keep reading when it comes to tithe because tithe is spoken about in the New Testament as well and she's only reading from the Old Testament. So, the part that she's reading, uh, Deuteronomy 14:22-29, it talks about tithing. But keep in mind, tithing helped the priests, it helped the Levites, cuz the Levites didn't have any land. So, they survived off of the tithes. It helped the widows, the orphans, and tithing caused us to come together as a community. So, when we talk about tithing compared to Deuteronomy, those are all of the different things that tithing did in the Old Testament. But I know you waiting on me to get to the New Testament. And I'm going to just hold on. I'm trying to walk you through this to so we can see why people believe different things.
Okay, let's go. >> Tithing. The giving of a tenth was an Old Testament system [music] designed to support the Levites, much like a national tax for Israel. But here's the truth. The New Testament never commands believers to tithe. Why? Because we live under grace, not law. When Jesus and the apostles spoke about giving, they emphasized generosity, not percentages. [music] Some gave above a tenth, others below, but all gave from the heart, not compulsion. Sadly, many today still treat tithing like a spiritual tax, measuring faithfulness by an amount instead of an attitude. And verses like Malachi 3:8 are often misused [music] to guilt people into giving, forgetting that it was descriptive of Israel under the law, not prescriptive for the church under grace. Uh so tithing is uh if God gives you something, you got to give 10% of it back to him. So like if uh God gave you a $100, then 10% of that is $10. >> You got it. God isn't after your money. He's after [music] your heart. So yes, give. But give cheerfully, freely, and with gratitude for all he's given for you. [music] May God bless you and keep you.
>> I know you're probably like, "Wait, wait, wait, wait. There are two men who happen to be pastors saying two different things. Now we have Dr. James Krone. I hope I pronounced his name right. And then many know Dr. Jamal Bryant. And both of these pastors are preaching a different way of giving. Dr. Kun says, "Hey, you don't need to give 10%. That's part of the Old Testament." And it was a way for the Levites to be taken care of, which is what I just talked about, right? And then Dr. Jamal Bryan is saying, "Give your 10%. If I give you $100, you give 10 back to this church." You hear me? [laughter] He even went on in that clip to show the young lady that if you give 10%, God going to give you more than enough back. He going to give you more money, more money, more money. Um, that's not really true. I know people that have tithed all of their lives and they did not get more money back. And I'm not saying that God won't do what he said he will do because his word does not come back void. But he never said, "If you give 10%, I'm gonna make sure that I give you more money." [laughter] So anyway, let me get that confusion about your head and help you out. We're gonna figure out which one of these pastors is telling the truth. Which one should you go with? Should you go with that 10% of tithing or should you be a cheerful giver with a good attitude? We not done. We almost at the bottom of the rabbit hole. So I want you to continue to come with me. Let's go.
I um I want to start off by saying to you that I'm still growing and that the teachings that I've shared in times past on the subject of tithing were not correct. And today I stand in in humility to correct some things that I've taught for years and believed for years but could never understand it clearly because I had not yet been confronted with the gospel of grace which has made the difference. I won't apologize because if it wasn't for me going down that route, I would have never ended up where I am right now. >> But I will say that I have no shame at all at saying to you, throw away every book, every tape, and every video I ever did on the subject of tithing unless it lines up with this. I've done some corrective teaching in the last 10 years, but not to the degree of what we're getting ready to do now. So, why is this important? Because religion is sustained by two factors, fear and guilt. Mhm. >> And if it's one subject that the church has used for a long time to keep people in fear and guilt, it is in that subject of tithing. >> If you don't tithe, you can't eat here. I didn't say I won't feed you. I said you won't be able to receive anything that was fed. If you don't tithe, you can sit in a word and you will hear the message, >> but it won't transform your life. And it has nothing to do with me. Hopefully, you come to Union Church to hear God's word, not my opinion, but God's word to be fed spiritually. Can I read that? Oh my God, did God really say that verse? You ready? Malachi 3:8. He said, "Will a man rob God?" He said, "Yet you've robbed me." But you say, "In what way have we robbed you?" He said, "Here's how. In the tithes and in the offering." And it has to be corrected. And it's got to be corrected now. I may lose some friends. Preachers may not ever invite me no more, but I think I already been through that, so it doesn't matter.
Go with me in our text today in the book of Romans chapter 6 and verse 14. Romans chapter 6 and verse 14. And we're going to begin this oh probably two or three or four weeks as we really dig into it. Now you don't know it. The last two weeks I've been setting you up for this one. You knew it, right? And some of y'all already know what I'm getting ready to say. You knew it cuz the gospel of grace has brought you to that place of understanding as well. But it's just that elephant in the room or the elephant in the body of Christ that needs to be dealt with. Romans chapter 6 and verse 14. Let's read it out loud together. Ready? Read. For sin shall not have dominion over you. For you are not under the law, >> but you're under grace. That's not just a cute little verse of scripture. That's literally you are not living and you are not conducting your life under the Mosaic law, which tithing is a part of the of the law. You are not living. You are not uh conducting yourself under the law. Ever since Jesus rose again from the dead, you have been completely uh set free from living under that dispensation. You are under grace.
I want to jump in and make you aware of something before we close this thing out. Keep in mind that Deuteronomy is in the Old Testament. Remember I said that at the beginning of the video. And Malachi is also in the Old Testament. So the pastors uh Chandler, that guy is preaching from the Old Testament, right before the New Testament starts. Now, Pastor Creflo Dollar, which I'm not saying that I listen to his preaching, but I figured these clips would help. He is preaching from the New Testament and he starts in Romans. So, let's keep going.
After the death of Jesus Christ. I want to reiterate again, tithing is an Old Testament concept. But after the death of Jesus Christ, Jesus fulfilled the law. Look at that in Matthew 5:17. Jesus said, "Think not that I am come to destroy the law." So Jesus didn't come to destroy the law and anything that was under the law, which included tithing. He said, "Or [music] the prophets." He says, "I'm not come to destroy it. I came to fulfill it." So in Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, you're going to see Jesus fulfilling all of the law and at the same time talking about [music] this new way that is to come. So after the death of Jesus Christ fulfilled the law, the New Testament, nowhere after the death of Jesus, there's nowhere no nowhere commands or or any commandments or even recommends that Christians submit to a legalistic tithe system. The New Testament nowhere designates a percentage of income a person should set aside, but only says gifts should be in keeping with the income. Talks about giving of gifts. 2 Corinthians 9 and 7 look what he says here. He says, "You must each decide in your in your own heart how much to give." New Testament, you must decide in your own heart how much to give. And don't give reluctantly or don't give in response to pressure.
Okay, we've made it. We're at the bottom of the rabbit hole. Thank you for coming with me. Now, this is where I believe the confusion comes in with a lot of people except for those who just want to stick to the old law because it benefits them. But let's get into Matthew 5:17 and 18. Jesus says, "Don't misunderstand why I have come. I did not come to abolish the law of Moses or the writings of the prophets. No, I came to fulfill them." Fulfill means bring to completion. I'm fulfilling that law. So I don't want to say that it was wrong. I'm not taking away what Moses did, what the prophets did. I am saying I'm going to fulfill that thing myself. And in 18 it says, I assure you, this is Jesus speaking. I assure you until heaven and earth disappear, even the smallest detail of God's law will remain until its purpose is achieved. I think that's where the confusion comes in. That I'm not really [clears throat] sure. I'm just saying that if Jesus fulfilled the law of Moses, then that means we should be going off the New Testament. That's my understanding. You let me know what your understanding is. But if you're still confused, then this is what I want you to follow.
Watch. Tithing was an Old Testament principle that showed up in the life of Abraham. He came back from war and tithed a tenth of everything he got from war to a man named [music] Melzdc who had no parents, a type of Christ. Then in the law, God gives his people tithing in the law so that they would put aside 10% of everything that came in from the harvest to help the foreigner to help build the temple and the church. Although tithing is not structured to be bound in the New Testament, Paul wrote to the church at [music] Corinth, we give out of the generosity of our heart. The principle was give 10%. Now these Pharisees, Russians, they were so legalistic, pay attention, they are tithing from the seasonings in their cabinet, but neglecting justice, mercy, and faithfulness. Preacher, I don't get it. I don't understand, Phillip. You are majoring on minors >> and ignoring the more important things. This is why we as believers [music] should stop having fights on social media around doctrine [singing] when you don't have love in your heart. The Lord says, "Do [music] both." >> Tithe and love. Tithe and care about people. [music] >> Do both. >> You're straining out a net. A gnat. The smallest creature in Israel that was considered unholy. Swallowing a camel. The largest creature in Israel considered unholy. YOU FOCUS SO MUCH ON THIS GNAT, but you're not seeing all the false doctrine you swallowing.
You know what? I think that Pastor Philip Anthony Mitchell summed this up really well for us. There's still going to be somebody who's going to watch this video and walk away saying, "I'm giving 10%." And there's going to be someone that's going to walk away and say, "I'm going to go off the New Testament." If you feel like you want to get 10, 20, 30, 40, 45, 50, 60, 70, 80% of your income, you go right ahead. It's yours. You made it. And whatever you decide to share with your church or share with the Lord or share with the poor, the sick, the widows is between you and the Lord. I can't argue with that. I just wanted to put out this information so that others could understand why we're so confused about what we should give and what we shouldn't give and why people are holding tight onto that percentage and some people just don't want you to give freely. There is a lot of false doctrine out here. And I just hope and pray that we do what the Bible says. And even in all our confusion, don't let anybody convince you that you need to give $10,000 to become a millionaire. Don't let anyone convince you that you need to give $52, $36, $3600 for the Lord to bless you because those things are not said when it comes to tithing. Now, let me know what you think about this video in the comments below because that's what I'm here for.