Gary Linton Rebutted on Tithing by Russell Kelly

MINISTRYMAKER, 9-20-2014
https://ministrymaker.com/the-tithe/
Russ Kelly Rebuts Gary Linton on His Tithing Doctrine
 

Gary: Nehemiah 13:10-11a NKJV says, “I also realized that the portions for the Levites had not been given them; for each of the Levites and the singers who did the work had gone back to the field.

 

Russ: Every single statement in your article is erroneous because it is out of context. Read all of Nehemiah 13:5-11! (1) HOLY tithes were always only food from inside Israel. (2) The high priest, Eliashib (not the rulers) had removed the tithe out of the temple storeroom (13:5) (3) He must have kept the priests’ portion because only the Levites left to get something to eat. (4) Priests and Levites also worked as herdsmen (of tithed animals) and farmers in their loaned fields (Numbers 35; Joshua 20, 21) and had many other provisions (2^nd Chronicles 23 to 26; Num 3).

 

Gary: So I contended with the rulers, and said why is the house of God forsaken?”

 

Russ: Eliashib the high priest was clearly responsible. He had stolen the Levites’ portion of the tithes. This is also the real context of Malachi 1:6-14; 2:1-2 and 3:8-10).

 

Gary: Nehemiah had discovered that the house of God had been forsaken.

 

Russ: Only by the Levite servants to the priests. The priests are not included among the Levites who left. Priests had removed the tithes. Read your own quote of Neh 13:10-11; the Levites (not the priests) did the dirty heavy work of the temple).

 

Gary: The Levites had to go back to working in the fields to provide for themselves.

 

Russ: These are their own fields in their own Levitical cities. These are mentioned many times in the Old Testament – especially Numbers 35 and Joshua 20, 21.

 

Gary: They had quit because the tithe wasn’t being given to the house of the Lord.

 

Russ: No. The tithe had been given to the Levites and priests per Neh 10:37-38 but the priests under Eliashib had stolen them. The room in 13:5 had previously been full of tithes. Compare 1 Kings 6:6 for its small size.

 

Gary: Nehemiah rebuked the rulers for their negligence,

 

Russ: To the extent they had allowed Eliashib to remove the tithes per Neh 13:5.

 

Gary: the tithe was restored,

 

Russ: This was an emergency re-stocking of the small room in the temple designed to hold tithes for those Levites and priests serving a one week rotation. Again, see Neh 10:37-38.

 

Gary: the Levites left the fields and went back to work in the house of God as God had ordained.

 

Russ: Only about 2% of the Levites and priests served in the temple at any normal time. Since they rotated 24 courses (families), the vast majority stayed in their Levitical cities – 23 of 24 courses, all women, all girls, all men under 20.

 

Gary: It is never God’s intention that men and women of God should have to work secular jobs and the ministry (bi-vocational).

 

Russ: You are so very wrong here. This is not taught or seen in either the Old or New Covenants. Read 2 Chronicles 23 to 26. Although Levites and priests were not allowed to own or inherit land in exchange for the tithe, they worked many trades essential for the temple such as guards, woodworkers, masons, metal-workers, cooks, fabric makers, sculptors, janitors, etc., etc., etc. See also Numbers 3. After Calvary Paul boasted of working to support both himself and his associates (Acts 20:29-34) and urged others to follow his example.

 

Gary: They are to be provided for by means of the tithe (Numbers 18:21).

Russ: Numbers 18:21-24 and Neh 10:37b prove that the whole first tithe only supported the Levite servants to the priests who did not minister the blood. Next, Numbers 18:25-28 and Neh 10:38 prove that the priests who ministered the blood only received one tenth of the tithe (that is, one percent of the total). Why did you ignore these texts? In Numbers 18:1-20 the priests also received from many other sources. Any reputable church history book will tell you that all priests and Levites were required to learn and work other trades. They merely could not own property because they received the tithe.

 

Gary: The house of God is inevitably neglected when the ones He has called cannot devote all their time to the ministry.

 

Russ: Wrong. Wrong. Wrong.

 

Gary: If the truth was known, we do not use the tithe today as God originally intended.

 

Russ: The truth is that modern Christians have re-defined the HOLY tithe from “only food from inside God’s HOLY land” to “income from all sources.” You have changed the Word of God.

 

Gary: We give our tithes to pay for all the expenses of the church when in actuality the tithe was to be given to support the ministry or ministers.

 

Russ: Close, but still wrong. Those Levites who received the whole tithe were only servants to the priests (Num 18:21-24; Neh 10:37b).

 

Gary: Their tithe and additional offerings was what was used for general expenses.

 

Russ: OT priests were not commanded to tithe. The OT temple was not supported by tithes at all. Only freewill offering and spoils of war (which could pass through the fire) paid for temple building expenses.

 

Gary: Can you imagine all that could be done for God if His tithe was set apart for those called to minister full time?

 

Russ: Can you imagine how churches would grow if the OT stewardship Law was replaced by New Covenant principles of grace and faith? The Reformation would finally be completed.

 

Gary: Tithing is a Principle Set Forth by God

 

Russ: In order for something to be a “principle,” it must apply equally to everybody. “Holy tithing” always only applied to OT Hebrews who lived inside God’s HOLY land as food producers. There is no other “tithing principle” in the Bible.

 

Gary: The tithe was instituted by God through Abraham before the Law ever existed.

 

Russ: No. Most pagans around Canaan tithed before Abram’s time. God did not institute pagan tithing.

 

Gary: Abraham gave a tithe to Melchizedek while the law was still in his loins (Genesis 14:20 and Hebrews 7:5-10).

 

Russ: Uncircumcised Abram’s tithe was not “holy” under the law. It consisted of pagan spoils of war from Sodom. We are not told why Abram tithed of if he ever tithed again. It was probably in obedience to the pagan custom of giving tithes of spoils of war to one’s local king-priest.

 

Gary: If the principle of tithing existed prior to the giving of the law it stands to reason that it would continue after the law is abolished.

 

Russ: Hebrews 7:5, 12 and 18 are extremely important. Since 7:5 is the first use of “commandment,” “tithe” and “law” in Hebrews, then that which was “of necessity changed” in 7:12 must refer to tithes from 7:5. How was it “changed”? The answer is in 7:18; the “commandment to take tithes” was “abolished, annulled.”

 

Gary: The law merely picked up the principle that God had already setup before the law existed.

 

Russ: No. The Law completely re-defined the pagan concept in terms of the HOLY tithe of the Law.

 

Gary: The Tithe Belongs to the Lord (Leviticus 27:30)

 

Russ: Read the entire context of 27:30-34! It is the HOLY tithe of only food from inside HOLY Israel which God had miraculously increased. Period! Perform a search of “money” in Genesis and you will find it very often. Although money was common, money is never included in any description of holy tithes.

 

Gary: It is God’s not ours.

 

Russ: It was only God’s for those OT Hebrews who lived inside His HOLY land as food producers. It was never required from Gentiles, the Church, non-food producing Hebrews or Hebrews who lived outside HOLY Israel. Tithes could no come from defiled pagan lands. That is clear.

 

Gary: That is why Malachi said we were robbing God when we withhold the tithe (Malachi 3:8).

 

Russ: The “we” of Malachi 3:8-10 refers to “we-priests –every priest in the nation” who had stolen the tithes from the Levites. Beginning at Malachi 1:6, “you” refers only to the dishonest priests of Judah who had stolen the tithe as described in Nehemiah 10:5-10 and Mal 1:13-14; 2:1-2.

 

Gary: Actually, if the truth be known, all we have belongs to God.

 

Russ: This was also true in the O.T. times. Yet, even then the HOLY tithe was always only food from inside HOLY Israel.

 

Gary: Tithes Are the Firstfruits of What Is to Come (Proverbs 3:9)

 

Russ: Wrong. Compare Deuteronomy 26:1-4 and Nehemiah 10:35-38. Tithes were tenth-fruits reckoned after the full harvest. “Firstfruits” were only very small token gifts of HOLY food first harvested.

 

Gary: Israel was to bring God the firstfruits (tithe) of the harvest.

 

Russ: Firstfruits are never called tithes in God’s Holy Word. Please stop your lie.

 

Gary:  Therefore, tithing is a principle of faith and not law.

 

Russ: No. Tithes were required whether or not faith was present. Tithes were commanded by law only to OT Hebrews. Gentiles were not even allowed to bring tithes to the temple.

 

Gary: Notice, it is the firstfruits and not what we may have left after we have paid everything else.

 

Russ: You just contradicted your own text of Leviticus 27:30. One cannot tithe a harvest-crop until the full harvest has been received; it is impossible to calculate ten per cent before the harvest is complete.

 

Gary: The Tithe Should Go to the Storehouse (Malachi 3:10)

 

Russ: See Should the Church Teach Tithing? Read my chapters on Nehemiah and Malachi and the discussion of the Levitical cities. The temple of 2^nd Chronicles 31 (Hezekiah) was still that of Solomon and it had no facilities for storing the whole tithe of the whole nation – that is why they dumped it on the streets!!! According to Nehemiah 10:37b-38, the whole tithe went to the Levitical cities where it was needed as food for 98% of the Levites and priests. In turn, they then brought what they needed to the temple storeroom (Neh 13:5) in Jerusalem for food for one week at a time. Study the course rotations.

 

Gary: We are to bring the tithe to the storehouse that there may be food (provision) in God’s house.

 

Russ: Food to eat. Since Christianity was an illegal religion until after AD 312, church buildings were illegal and there was no “storehouse” concept.

 

Gary: We give our tithe so that the priest (pastor/minister) is able to adequately prepare food (spiritual food) for your dinning pleasure.

 

Russ: OT priests only received one tenth of the whole tithe (1% total) per Numbers 18:21-28 and Neh 10:37-38. Today all believers are priests before God.

 

Gary:  The tithe goes to the priest enabling him to have time to prepare properly for your spiritual diet.

 

Russ: Gospel workers are not priestly mediators between God and man (2 Tim 2:5). The Apostle Paul taught exactly the opposite of what you write in 1 Cor  9:1-14 and Acts 20:29-34. Why would he boast about disobeying a direct command of tithing was for gospel workers?

 

Gary: Tithing Releases God’s Blessing (Malachi 3:10)

 

Russ: The whole Law was a test, not merely tithing (Deut 27-30). Please read Galatians 3:10-14, especially 3:10. In order to be blessed from law-keeping, one must perfectly obey all 600 + commands of that law. God did not bless OT Hebrews who tithed and transgressed other commands.

 

Gary: There is something about His children stepping out in faith and trusting God by their commitment to tithing that releases God’s favor and blessing. It is not law or a works thing but faith.

 

Russ: We express faith even more by giving freely, sacrificially, generously and not by commandment (2 Cor 9:7). Our faith is in purely post-Calvary New Covenant principles of giving.

 

Gary: … until there’s no longer room to receive it.

 

Russ: If the author of this article was himself “tithing,” then he should have personally experienced these overflowing blessings with no room to store them. And, if every church member who claims to have tithed also received such overflowing blessings, then the whole world would know it and copy their example. This is a demonstrable farce!!! New Covenant Christians are not under the Old Covenant law!

 

Gary: Tithing Releases Spiritual Revelation. Luke 16:11

 

Russ: This text is not about tithing. It relates more to principles of grace and faith.

 

I challenge any and every tithe-advocate to a public (open) dialog on this subject. It has been treated as a taboo subject long enough.

 

Russell Earl Kelly, PHD

316 Aonia Rd

Washington, GA 30673

russkellyphd@yahoo.com

www.tithing-russkelly.com

Luke 18:11 Does Not Redefine Holy Tithes

LUKE 18:11 DOES NOT RE-DEFINE HOLY TITHES

The Pharisee in Luke 18:11 went beyond the requirements of the law and added to it to make himself appear pious. He added fasting twice a week (not in the law) and he added tithing all that he had (not in the law). It is clear from 16 biblical texts which describe the CONTENTS of the HOLY tithe that HOLY tithes could only from food miraculously increased by God’s hand inside His holy land. God did not change that description and neither should the self-righteous Pharisee.

Gentiles could not tithe; their food came from defiled pagan land.

Hebrew craftsmen inside Israel could not tithe; their increase came from their own handiwork. Paul, a tentmaker using materials outside God’s HOLY land could not tithe and did not teach tithing.

Is There a Direct Text Which Ends Tithing?

Michael Peralta says: Where in the New Testament are we told NOT to tithe? I see the practice of circumcision changed, the practice of unclean food changed, the practice of blood sacrifice changed. But NO WHERE in the New Testament do I see that we are told that we don't have to tithe anymore. I challenge you to find such a scripture (a direct scripture just like we find for circumcision, blood sacrifice of animals, unclean food regulations.
Find me such a New Testament scripture. Where is it sir? Where?

………………………………………………………………………..

Mr. Peralta

1.  Here is your direct text.

Heb 7:18 “For there is verily a disannulling of the commandment going before for the weakness and unprofitableness thereof.” It is “direct” because, in the context of chapter 7 and entire book of Hebrews, “commandment” must, at the very least, refer back to “commandment” in 7:5 which was “of necessity changed” in 7:12. Why? The words “commandment, tithes and law” first occur in Hebrews in 7:5. The “change” of 7:12 was not “from Levi to gospel workers”; no, it was from “Levi” to “being disannulled.” If you still disagree, I challenge you to disprove my logic.

 

2.  What “hermeneutic” (principle of interpretation) do you consistently use when bringing something from before Calvary to something after Calvary? I insist on an answer to this question before you again attempt to prove me in error. Covenant theology (mostly Presbyterian) says that everything before Calvary automatically carries into the post-Calvary era unless specifically repealed. That appears to be your logic. If it is, then I have scores of examples for you to explain.

 

Dispensational theology says that only that which is repeated after Calvary in terms of grace and faith applies after Calvary. That is my consistent hermeneutic and tithing is not repeated to the Church or Gentiles.

 

3.  The existence of direct texts is a poor hermeneutic to use. For example the Law required killing children who struck or cursed parents – yet there is no direct text which repeals such punishment. The same is true of commanding menstrual women to leave the house and congregation, of the destruction of houses with mildew, of wives suspected of infidelity being required to eat dirt from the sanctuary and of the legal right to own slaves. There is no direct scripture ending any of those.

…………………………………….

I challenge you to show me a direct text which:

4. DEFINITION: No text changes holy tithes from “food from inside God’s holy land of Israel” to “increase of all income from Gentiles also.” There are 16 texts which describe the contents of the holy tithe as only food from the holy land (Lev 27:30-34). Since that is legally the way the “holy tithe” was used by Moses, Hezekiah, Nehemiah, Malachi and Jesus, a court of law would limit your definition.

 

5. RECIPIENT #1: No text changes the 1st recipient of the first whole food tithe from the Levite servants of the priests (Numb 18:21-24; Neh 10:37b) towards gospel workers. Their modern counterparts would be deacons, greeters and all church workers except ministers. The change was disannulment per Hebrews 7:18.

 

6. RECIPIENT #2: No text changes the 2^nd recipient of the first whole tithe from the O.T. priests (Numb 18:24-28; Neh 10:38) to gospel workers. Note: 1^st Cor 9:13-14 is self-defeating because 9:13 opens the door for all types of temple support while 9:14 limits support of gospel workers to acts of grace and faith. The change was disannulment per Hebrews 7:18.

 

6. RECIPIENT #3: No text changes the recipient of the yearly festival tithe from all of the people towards being totally ignored by tithe-teaching churches today (Deut 12:1-19; 14:22-26). The change was its annulment per Hebrews 7:18.

 

7. RECIPIENT #4: No text changes the third third-year tithe for the poor from the poor towards being totally ignored by tithe-teaching churches today (Deut 14:28-29; 26:12-13). The change was its total disannulment per Hebrews 7:18.

 

8. LOCATION: No text changes the location of the Old Covenant tithes from 1st) Levitical cities (Neh 10:37-38), 2nd) streets of Jerusalem and 3rd) local towns for the poor towards so-called church “storehouses” (a false teaching).

 

9. TIME: No text changes the TIME to tithe from harvest to any time. To Hebrews this meant that the tithe was about 23% for food producers. This 23% is ignored today.

 

10. WHY: No text changes the tithe to support an Old Covenant Law society towards supporting gospel workers. In fact, the change of priesthood from the household of Aaron towards every believer abolished the necessity for tithing (1 Pet 1:9; Rev 5:10).

 

11. COVENANT: No text changes the New Covenant into the same wording as the Old Covenant to include tithing (Heb 8:8-13; Gal 4:21-26; 2 Cor 3:6-10).

 

12. DEATH: No text changes the fact that the believer is dead to the law and that law cannot tell a dead person what to do. The New Covenant “law of life in Christ” (Rom 8:3) does not command tithing; it commands freewill generous sacrificial giving.

Russ Kelly Rebutts Ken Wytsma on Tithing, 8-2014

Ken Wytsma, a Rebuttal of His Sermon on Tithing

Kenwytsma.com/2014/07/24-tithing

By Russell Earl Kelly, PHD

 

Ken: 15% of what Jesus said was about money.

 

Russ: Only 2 texts involved tithing and one was repeated in Matthew 23:23 and Luke 18:42. Jesus’ teaching on tithing was before Calvary and was in the context of “matters of the law” (Mt 23:23). Jesus never commanded His Gentle disciples to tithe; such would have been unlawful.

 

Ken: Martin Luther taught that one’s pocketbook must be converted.

 

Russ: Luther opposed tithing. See his sermon of 1525 on my web site, www.tithing-russkelly.com (articles).

 

Ken: Point #1: The first portion of what we get belongs to God.

 

Russ: Wytsma’s fundamental error is his wrong definition of tithes as the first of our increase.

(1) True HOLY biblical tithes (as the word is used by Moses, Malachi and Jesus) were always only food from inside God’s HOLY land which God had miraculously increased. Although money was common even in Genesis, money is never a tithed item in 16 texts which describe the “holy” tithe. Tithes could not come from a) what man produced, b) non-Hebrews such as Gentiles or c) outside of HOLY Israel.

(2) Firstfruits (1st) and tithes (10^th) are never the same in Scripture. The tithe could only be figured after the full crop had been harvested or the entire herd increase had been counted.

 

Ken: Quotes Leviticus 27:30-33.

 

Russ: (1) These texts teach a) the tithe is only the 10^th and not the first, b) only food and c) included the defective clean animals (27:33).

(2) 27:34 is not quoted. It limits the book of Leviticus to Old Covenant Israel under the Law.

(3) It is wrong to simply define “tithe” as the “tenth.” The context is the “HOLY tithe” as the words are used by Moses, Malachi and Jesus. We would never refer to a specific war as simply “war.”

(4) Wytsma and tithe-teachers ignore the most fundamental of all hermeneutics: “To whom was the text addressed?” It was only addressed to Old Covenant Israel before Calvary.

 

Ken: Again quotes Leviticus 27:30-33 pointing out that God said “the tithe is mine.”

 

Russ: (1) The tithe of the law was not a universal law for every Hebrew. It only applied to Hebrews living inside the HOLY land of Israel and only to those who earned their livelihood as either farmers or herdsmen in food supply.

(2) The phrases “holy to the LORD” and “most holy to the LORD” are very common in the book of Leviticus. Yet, the Christian Church correctly discards the vast majority of things “holy” and “most holy” as ending when the law ended. Since the “holy tithe” did not precede the Law, it also ended when the law ended. Compare the sequence between Hebrews 7:5, 12, 18.

 

Ken: Quotes Exodus 23:19 and Deuteronomy 26:1-2 to prove that the tithe was a first fruit.

 

Russ: The texts prove the opposite from what Wytsma claims.

(1) Exod 23:19 commands Israel to bring “the first of the firstfruits” to the temple.  That amounts to only a few grapes, apples, olives or even a handful of barley and wheat. Such is very different from the tithe.

(2) Deut 26:1-2 (better 26:1-4) limits the first fruit to that which would fit into a small hand basket. This is hardly a tithe of the full harvest! In Nehemiah 10:35-37a the first fruit went to the priests who were ministering at the temple (about 4% of the total) while 10:37b-38) commands the full tithe to be brought to the Levitical cities (where 96% of the priests and Levites were most of the tme).

 

Ken: (Cuts open a cantaloupe) The seeds represent the tithe; nobody eats the seeds; they are holy to God.

 

Russ: The illustration makes no sense. The whole fruit, including the seeds, was brought either as a first fruit offering or as a tithe.

 

Ken: “Don’t put the tithe last; God said put the tithe first!”

 

Russ: No texts! Nowhere did God say to put the tithe first! The word means “tenth,” not “first.” Only being food, it could only be reckoned AFTER the whole count had been completed.  The modern church places words into God’s mouth to make sure it gets the first 10% of one’s total income regardless of whether medical bills, food, shelter and essentials are met! This is a modern scandal which must stop!!!

 

Ken: Point #2: “Money is one of the ways we stay connected to God.” Good stewardship brings spiritual blessings.

 

Russ: This does not authorize post-Calvary gospel workers to bring tithing into the New Covenant church There must be a CONSISTENT principle for bringing pre-Calvary teachings into the post-Calvary church. The fundamental dispensational hermeneutic is: “That part of the Old Covenant which applies to the New Covenant must be repeated after Calvary to the Church in terms of grace and faith.”

 

Ken: Quotes Acts 20:35 which is a saying of Jesus “it is more blessed to give than to receive.”

 

Russ: Read the context of Acts 20:35 in verses 29-34!  Paul was reminding church elders that he had not been paid money, food or clothing while in Ephesus for 3 years. Paul was urging church elders to follow his example, get a regular job,  and give to the needy in the assembly rather than expecting the assembly to support himself and his associates.

 

Ken: Quotes Malachi 3:6-10. “Malachi speaks to our culture.”

 

Russ: No. Malachi speaks to Old Covenant Israel under over 600 commands of the Law. Malachi does not speak to the Church or Gentiles. Malachi is addressed to Israel (1:1) and then specifically to its dishonest thieving priests (1:6; 2:1) who had stolen the tithe (1:13, 14; 3:8-10; Neh 13:5). Beginning in 1:6 the “you” of Malachi refers to the priests. Nehemiah 13:5-10 is probably the context. The priests had emptied the storeroom of its tithes (13:5) and the Levites, who then had nothing to eat, returned to their fields in their Levitical cities. Nehemiah does not say that the priests had nothing to eat (Neh 13:6-10).

 

Ken: Malachi 3:6-10 teaches that Israel was not bringing the firstfruits to the temple.

 

Russ: Wrong. a) Firstfruits are not mentioned in Malachi. b) Every priest in the nation was involved in stealing the tithes from the Levites (Neh 13:5). See my website and book for an extended discussion of Malachi 3 and Nehemiah 10 and 13.

 

Ken: God “repeatedly in Scripture” tells His people to “test Him.”

 

Russ: Wrong. Most tithe-teachers correctly state that Malachi 3:10 is the only text which specifically uses the word “test” in this manner. However, in reality, each and every one of the over-600 commands was a test of obedience. Compare Deuteronomy 28-30 and especially Galatians 3:10. It is hermeneutically wrong to teach that tithing was a test while other more important commands were not. God never did promise to bless tithe-payers who sinned in other areas of the Law. The only way one could be blessed from tithing was to keep all of the law (Deut 27:26; Gal 3:10).

 

Ken: Tithing was not part of the Law because tithing preceded the Law.

 

Russ: Again, there is a great difference between the words “tithe” and “holy tithe” as used by Moses, Malachi and Jesus. Sixteen (16) Law texts describe the contents of the “holy tithe” as only food from inside God’s HOLY land of Israel which only God had miraculously increased by His hand.

 

Ken: “Abraham’s tithe preceded the Law (Gen 14:20).”

 

Russ: Yes, but Abram’s tithe was not the holy tithe produced by God. The Bible does not say that Abram (not yet Abraham) tithed pagan spoils of war because a) God commanded it or b) because he freely chose to do so. There is a high probability that Abram tithed pagan spoils of war to this local king-priests because long-standing Arab tradition demanded such! Jacob’s tithe also came from pagan sources in Haran of Syria, an outpost of the early Babylonian Empire. Neither Abram’s nor Jacob’s tithes met the biblical definition of a “holy tithe” and neither would have been accepted by Moses, Malachi or Jesus as a “holy tithe.”

 

Ken: Quotes Proverb 3:9.

 

Russ: This is a classic and common often-abused Scripture used to attempt to make “first fruit” equal “tithe.” Proverb 3:9 is not a discussion of tithing. In fact, it should be pointed out that, in the Old Testament, even “first fruit” refers to “food” only from inside God’s holy land. Tithes could not come from defiled unclean Gentiles or defiled unclean Gentile land.

 

Ken: The “principle” of tithing is that “the first portion is God’s.”

 

Russ: Wrong. That was the “principle” only for food from inside holy Israel. It never applied to those to earned their livelihood as non-food producers and those outside God’s holy land. It is amazing that no texts are given to validate Wytsma’s assertions.

 

Ken: An objection is that tithes were not for preachers per Numbers 18.

 

Russ: If Wytsma would read all of Numbers 18 (the literal wording of the ordinance including tithing) he would discover that the first full Old Covenant tithe did not go to the priests, but to their Levite servants who did not minister the blood (Numb 18:21-24; Neh 10:37a). The ministers (preachers) only received a tenth of the tenth (1%) per Numb 18:25-28; Neh 10:38). Also, in the New Covenant a) all believers are priests and b) tithing is not taught as the means of support for gospel workers.

 

Ken: First Timothy 5:18 teaches that church elders (preachers) are due “double honor” which means twice as much salary as is normal.

 

Russ: a) The context of First Timothy 5:1-17 is that of DISCIPLINE and not salary. When one seeks to discipline a church leader, one must exert “double honor” in caution.

b) If Paul were teaching tithing, he should have clearly stated that the pastor should receive a “double tithe.”

c) First Timothy 5:1 is ignored in the “double salary” explanation. “Rebuke not an elder, but entreat him as a father; and the younger men as brethren.”

d) First Timothy 5:19-20 is also ignored in the “double salary” explanation. “Against an elder receive not an accusation, but before two or three witnesses. Them that sin rebuke before all, that others also may fear.”

 

Ken: The law of gleaning (the corners of a field and that which is dropped) constitutes a tithe of the last 10%.

 

Russ: Wrong. a) The law of gleaning was in addition to the 3^rd 3^rd-year tithe for the poor; it did not replace it; it occurred every year! Wytsma should know this simple fact.

b) Where does Wytsma go with this idea? He does not suggest a second tithe be given to the poor. And he ignores the real 2^nd yearly tithe which was eaten during the holy festivals.

 

Ken: The widow’s mite was a tithe.

 

Russ: Wrong. The widow’s mite was clearly a freewill sacrificial offering. Alfred Edersheim proves that the temple had no tithe-receptacle (because tithes were taken directly to the Levitical cities (Neh 10:37-38).  The widow placed her contribution into the container for the poor and probably received more than what she placed within upon existing the temple from the same container.

 

I invite Ken Wytsma to a public dialog on tithing. It is past time for this remnant of the Law to be removed from Christian churches. It is time for Christians to teach post-Calvary New Covenant stewardship principles from post-Calvary New Covenant texts.

 

Russell Earl Kelly, PHD

316 Aonia Rd

Washington, Ga 30673