Rebuttal of Bishop Elijah Hankerson on Tithing
By Russell Earl Kelly, PHD; January 29, 2019
Elijah: Opens by quoting Malachi 3:10
Russell Kelly: (1) Malachi 3:10 is addressed to national Israel
under the Old Covenant. God forbade Israel from sharing that covenant with Gentiles
and tithing was never repeated to the Church after Calvary. (2) True holy
tithes were always only food beginning in Leviticus 27:30-34, 1000 years later
in Malachi 3:10 and another 400 years later by Jesus in Mt 23:23.
RK: Not necessarily. Jesus was born,
lived, taught and died in the context of the Old Covenant which was only commanded
to national Israel.
EH: The apparent principle [from
Job] … is that we should give God the best when it comes to offerings.
RK: Not always true. First-fruits
were “first” “fruits” and not necessarily the “best.” Also, the Levitical
tithes were specifically NOT the “best,” but the “tenth” (Lev 27:30-34). Only
the “tenth of the tenth” (1%) given by Levites to the priests were specifically
the “best” (Num 18:21-28).
EH: Quotes Gen 14:17-20 and Heb
7:1-2.
RK: (1) Gen 14:17-20 is not an
example of “holy” tithing! The Bible does not tell us WHY uncircumcised Abram
tithed. Many conclude it was in obedience to the Semitic spoils-of-war custom. (2)
Abram’s tithe is never used as an example of holy tithing by any Bible writer.
(2) Hebrews 7 uses tithing as a literary vehicle to prove the High Priesthood
of Jesus Christ.
EH: Quotes Gen 47:20-26. [Pharaoh’s 20%
tax]
on
Egypt … was a pattern for Israel to later follow.
RK: No. The average for 14 years was
still only 10%. Pharaoh then used that
food to own all the land in Egypt. God did not such thing.
EH: Quotes Num 18:21 and Deut 26:12.
The
clergy was to respect God's offerings.
RK: EH missed the truth behind these
texts. (1) As a whole, Numbers 18:20-28, teaches that the first whole Levitical
tithe went (not to the clergy) but to their servants. It also teaches that the
clergy (the priests) only received a tenth of the tithe. (2) EH omits the fact
that, by receiving tithes, both Levites and priests were forbidden from owning
and inheriting land in Israel or amassing wealth (no part with them). (3) Deut
26:12 teaches that the second festival tithe was to be eaten by all and not
stored up. The clergy were to stay poor and be first in line.
EH: Quotes Prov 3:9-10.
RK: Like the holy tithe,
first-fruits were limited to food from inside the holy land of Israel.
EH: Quotes Acts 20:35.
RK: The surrounding texts teach the very opposit of
tithing. Paul refused to allow the Ephesians to support himself or those with him!
Speaking only to prechers (the elders of surrounding churches), Paul commanded
them to follow Jesus‘ examle and give to the needy.
EH: Quotes 1 Cor 9:7.
K: Again, this teaches the opposite of a commanded percentage
of tithe. Post-Calvary, Spirit-taught giving is to be from the heart, not
reluctantly not by any compulsion and cheerfully.
EH: Who was Malachi talking to? Quotes
Malachi 1:6.
RK: The text
says Malachi began speaking to the dishonest (thieiving) priests in 1:6 and
2:1. Commentaries totally miss the fact that YOU remains the pirests throughout
Malachi.
EH: Quotes Mal 1:7-10 and 2:11-17.
RK: EH does not
point out that 1:7-10 descibes dishonest pirests (not the general population)
have stolen from God. He ignores the fact 2:11-12 is a short digression and
2:13 reverts to the dishonest priests.
EH: Quotes 2:17.
RK: He does not
point out the fact that the dishonest priests are accusing God of indifferemce.
EH:
What was God saying through Malachi?
RK: EH omits 3:1-5 where God promises
to cleanse the dishonest priesthood.
EH:
The text infers that Jesus paid
tithes and taxes.
RK: No. No. No. Jesus was a
carpenter, not a food producer. God did not accept the product of man’s craft
as tithes. Jesus did not tithe and neither did Paul.
EH: Quotes Mt 23:23.
RK:
Mt 23:23 is not about the New Covenant or the Church. Jesus was placing
woes upon the Pharisees for exaggerating the Law and for making it a burden.
EH: Quotes Mark
12:17. When correctly interpeted literally, Jesus said that money with man’s images
and man’s writing cannot be given to God.
EH: While many
people have valid arguments against Gentile Christians paying tithes (for
example: there is no more temple, there is no more Levitical priesthood, we are
not under the Mosaic law) I am going to err on the side of caution because --- You
can never lose following Jesus' example.
RK: That makes no sense. As a Jew under
the jurisdiction of the Law, Jesus must teach in accordance to that Law before
Calvary.
EH: 2. No one has come up with a better solution to finance the work of the
Church.
RK: The Holy Spirit has come up with
the commandment to give (as Christ did) freely, sacrificially, generously, out
of the heart, not grudgingly, not by commandment and cheerfully --- plus with a
burden for lost souls and missions. Rom
8:2 “For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from
the law of sin and death.”
