General Overview
Tithing is a sternly forbidden doctrine distinctly outside the perimeters of Christ’s New Testament gospel and the priceless liberties of His finished Salvation work. If your work or rest right now is more important than your Salvation, or too important to take down your hard copy Bible and carefully examine the scriptures given in this article like the Berean Christians of old did (Act 11:17), then there is no use to continue reading.
In recent weeks, Christendom in Nigeria has been embroiled over the subject of tithe among Christians. The commotion which started like a small spark of corrective campaign in an online video by a radio presenter, Daddy Freeze, against tithing doctrine, has since spread from Nigeria through the West African coast to Ghana. I guarantee you that because it is the will of Christ in these last days to ignite the passion of His full truth and free Salvation, the blaze will not go away. Rather, like Moses’ burning bush, which had the Holy Spirit as its unseen combustor inside it, the fire of the tithe debate shall increase to an unstoppable inferno till it burns throughout the whole world wherever Christ is named and where the father of lies, Satan, must be exposed and shamed.
The scripture evidence and bastions offered by the anti-tithe minority ministers to explain this purest of Christian Truth – that Tithe is an anti-Christ teaching – are currently very weak for many to appreciate. Thus, the voice of the minority who tell the truth that demanding or paying tithes is against Christ’s New Testament teachings are being drowned by the ignorant emotions, mass opium enchantments, greed and “intimidating” size of Nigeria’s and the world’s larger-than-God “Pentacostal Kings.” These Czars of today’s doctrine-violated church who preach and demand tithes are the actual breakers of God’s laws and enemies of Christ’s salvation liberty from the ordinances of the Old Testament. Ordinances which Jehovah drew up strictly for the Jews and their synagogues (Deut. 5:1-3) as they prepared to enter the Promised Land for the first time.
It is a cruel violation of ignorant worshippers to use the abolished statutes of Old Testament laws categorically issued for the Jews to continue to hold in captivity the vast masses of “pentecostal” Christendom who drink daily from their exploitative opium of tithe-for-miracles apostasy.
Until I share with you again my earlier archive posts on this subject, consider the following scriptures.
1) For whom were tithe laws enacted by God? Deut. 26:12 is explains expressly that tithes are for four strict unchangeable categories of recipients: (a) the Levites of Israel, as their non-working inheritance (Deut 10:8-9); (b) the stranger living among Israelites (as sojourners or immigrants, e.g. economically challenged Ibo’s living among Yorubas in Yoruba land or vice versa, financially distressed Hausas living among Ogonis in Ogoni land and vice versa etc); (c) the fatherless; and (d) the widows of Israel.
2) Was tithe in cash? No. It was 10% of crop harvests or livestock possession. If the distant for conveying the tithe produce to the synagogue temple chosen by Jehovah is to far from the community of the tithing Israelite, he sells the crops or livestock and uses to buy again any food item or wine, including alcoholic wine he enjoys, and deliver them to the the temple priests, usually in Jerusalem. Deut. 14:22-29.
3) Could the Israelites change or adjust the mode, manner or substances of tithing, for instance convert their tithes to cash, according to changing civilization? No! Lev. 10:1-10, Prov. 30:5-6, Rev. 22:18-19.
4) Contrary to the above, what do we have today in “churches?” Turning Christ’s stern commandment of *”Peter, feed my sheep,”* to *”Sheep, feed my Peters,”* greedy wolves have come after, the age of the original Apostles of Christ, captured and are leading many into error, as the Apostle Paul predicted: Acts 20:26-35.
5) Many wolves in the name of church founders, general overseers, cardinals and shepherds have turned the gospel to merchandize and their ubiquitous branches to trading posts. Instead of dispensing the edifying equalization and charitable economy of Christ among the flock and needy of society (2 Cor. 8:12-15), they have become inexorable harvesters of travailing crumbs of their distressed flocks. In the process they have brought carnal materialism, private jet emulation, worldly auditorium size competition, branch numerousity, capitalist academia beyond the affordability of their distressed flocks, “damnable heresies” and ridicule to the glorious gospel of Christ among the nations: 2 Peter 2:1-2, 3-8.
6) No surprise. The same kind of dizzying charisma and hypnotism of error teachers which carry away today’s lazy studying Christians and blind them to the truth that tithe is a huge, perverted fraud happened to the early Galatians believers. Many in Christendom are laid back, scripture lukewarm or too busy to personally search the Holy Scripture for themselves in order to become approved for Christ’s Kingdom. Instead, they have only itching ears dedicated to miracle preachings and a shepherd-worshipping mentality rather than true Christ devotion. Thus, they are easy sheep led daily into captivity by the charming sermons of carnal denomination kings as if “bewitched:” Gal. 3:1
7) If any Christian must pay tithes or obey any other Old Testament law not carried over, *not continued*, by the Apostles in the New Testament, he must consequently also obey all other laws (over 660 ordinances in all) contained in the Old Testament or he is cursed with the curses of not keeping all the laws. These same laws which not a single Israelite could perfectly keep up to the coming of Christ: Gal. 3:10, Deut 27:26, Rom 9:30-33.
8) If any Christian believes that he would gain Salvation or God’s blessings by obeying an Old Testament law not sustained in the New Testament, such as circumcision, tithes, vows, animal sacrifices, keeping the Sabbath according to its Old Testament detail or other religious holidays the same way as in Moses’ days, Scripture states unequivocally that such a person “has fallen from grace” and the death of Christ is “of no effect” for him. In which case such person has to invent his own “christ.” And many shallow, so-called Christians have done so, making their church founders, general overseers, popes and shepherds their own “Saviour” instead of Christ: Gal.5:1-4.
9) Moses himself, the arch prophet of the Old Testament, warned that in the future when God had brought Christ to mankind, everyone should stop practicing his (Moses’) laws (which including tithing) and obey only Christ. Today, Christ’s commandments are found through only two mediums: His own words, and His Apostles’ teachings in the New Testament): Act 3:22, John 17:1-2, 6-9, 17-26, especially verse 20.
10) Christ’s and His Apostles teachings never in any New Testament scripture called on the believers or converts to the faith at any time or place for them to exercise the Old Testament law of tithe. Instead, Christ through His Apostles *categorically* abolished it when the Holy Spirit inspired Paul to write that God no longer accepts any giving that has the slightest character or semblance of force, compulsion or demand, which Tithe represents. Rather, the Holy Spirit enshrined that in the New Testament era, God loves voluntary cheerful giving or offering. That giving now must be ONLY WHAT THE CHRISTIAN HAS PRIVATELY DECIDED IN HIS HEART AND IS ABLE TO GIVE JOYFULLY; not what God has decided for the believer in the form of a compulsory percentage of his income or gifts received in a month by a non-income earner: 2 Cor. 9:7.
11) Similarly, God abolished the entire practice of VOWS or SEED FAITH in the Christian dispensation. With a single scripture. A scripture which Satan’s charismatic commercial preachers, who are still gambling in Christ’s blood purchased church today, diligently hide from worshippers. This scripture declares that Christians shall not give to God anymore in the character of a vow, pledging what they shall give to His work in the future if a certain prayer is answered. This scripture says: “Perform your giving from a willing mind out of what you have AT HAND. This is the type of giving God accepts now, not giving from what is not yet in your hand or what you are expecting in the future.” New to you, isn’t it? I refuse to be surprised. Especially if you are among my dear brothers and sisters who have been too busy to search the Scriptures. A vow or the unscriptural practice of “seed faith” refers to giving in advance “to God” in expectation of what you are praying God to do for you. However, the above quoted scripture outlaws such giving for all Christians. You cannot pay God for what He would do for you. How much, in the first place, did you pay Him in advance of your creation in your mother’s womb and safe delivery? 2 Cor. 8:11-12.
(12) Many ignorant or rebellious apostates, when caught pants down with their worshippers-deceiving robbery by tithe, will quickly resort to one trick. They will tell you that Paul wrote the Holy Spirit’s tithe contradicting scriptures of his his own inconsequential personal opinion. That such scriptures are not sacrosanct but subject to take-or-leave status for the believer. What a dangerous, soul sinking lie.
Examine the following scriptures and digest their eternal truth to escape such lies of tithe taskmasters and merchants. It is for your salvation’s freedom which Christ attained for you at the cross once and for all.
- a) Christ Himself called Paul to His ministry and commissioned him as His Apostle to the “gentiles, kings and the children of Israel,” which therefore means the entire human race. Uniquely, Paul was the only apostle Christ called from Heaven and ordained after his crucifixion and ascension. Yet carnal church leaders and their undiscerning followers, in their misplaced zeal to defend the Idahosas, Adeboyes, Kumuyis, Oyedepos, Oyakhilomes, Oritsejafors, Okonkwos, Suleimans, Oral Roberts, Renhart Bunkes, Creflo Dollars and Benny Hinns of this world dare call to question the Apostle Paul’s divine revelations and instructions to the church universal. What audacity, dismissing the Holy Spirit inspired writings of Apostle Paul, the treasure keeper of the mysteries of Christ’s gospel: Acts 9:1-16, Rom. 16:25, Eph. 1:9. Such rebellious denomination kings against Christ’s truth reject to take into account the revelation that “ALL scripture is given by inspiration of God…” These include those that came as the gentle opinions of the Apostles, the very First Christians who touched Him, ate with Him, trampled the dusts of Jerusalem streets with Him and leaned physically on His shoulders during rest. 2 Tim 3:16, 1 John :1:1-4).
- B) Concerning his New Testament instructions y the Holy Spirit, Paul wrote: “What! Did you originate the word of God, or were you the only one who heard it? If any man considers himself to be a prophet (given the ability to correctly interpret the mystery of God and speak for God) let him proclaim that the things I (Apostle Paul) wrote to you are the *COMMANDMENTS OF THE LORD* (not suggestions for believers’ discretionary obedience). But if any man decides to continue in his ignorance, let him continue:” 1 Cor.14:36-37. It is like Paul saying: “We shall see at the judgment!”
- C) Finally, the Apostle Peter warns those who make jest of or take lightly Apostle Paul’s scripture revelations in these severe words: “…Our beloved brother Paul also, *ACCORDING TO THE WISDOM THE HOLY SPIRIT HAS GIVEN HIM HAS WRITTEN TO YOU*. As in all his letters to the churches, some of the things he writes are difficult to understand. People who are not knowledgeable and are unstable wrestle with his teachings the same way they fight other scriptures *to their own destruction* : 2 Pet 3:15-18.
In a nutshell, *TITHE IS THE GREATEST FRAUD OF MANKIND* . This is because it is not perpetuated in the name of man, an eartly corporation, constituency, authority or country but in the name of the most fearful deity ever known to man, GOD ALMIGHTY. Right in His house and under His eyelashes.
Evang. Tony Akeni, Minister-Shepherd @ Church of Christ Final Days Fellowship (Holy Ghost Fortress)
