Bordeaux Tithe Challenge, Reply by Russell Kelly

Pastor David Bordeaux

Thrive Church

thrivechurchva@gmail.com

Reply by Russell Earl Kelly, PHD

Sir:

I have just watched your tithing challenge video twice. You are very guilty of abusing God’s Word in the following biblical facts:

1. You incorrectly use the word, “tithe” (ten per cent) eleven times is a few minutes.

A. The true holy tithe of God’s Word was always only food from inside God’s holy land. It could not come from man’s hands, from outside holy Israel, or from uncircumcised Gentiles. There are 16 Bible texts validating this true fact and you do not quote any of them. Lev 27:30-34 through Matthew 23:23.

B. Money was never included in holy tithes. Non-food producers such as Jesus, Paul, tradesmen and artisans did not qualify as tithers. There is no such thing as a universal moral principle of tithing in God’s Word.

2. Your “Principle of the First” is a lie and is not biblical. The “first” and “best” is not biblical.

A. First-fruits and tithes and never the same thing in God’s Word. “First” and “tenth” do not mean the same thing in any language.

B. Contrary to what you teach, “first-fruits” were only small token offerings eaten by priests who served in the temple one week out of 24 (Neh 10:35-37a).

C. Contrary to what you teach, the first whole Levitical tithe was NOT the “best” as is clearly stated in Leviticus 23:30-34.

D. Contrary to what you teach, only the Levites gave the “best” of the tithe they received to the priests. This was only 1% of the Levitical tithe (Num 18:25-28). Do you only receive 1% of the tithe?

3. Your invented “Principle of the First” is heresy and God will hold you accountable for abusing His holy Word.

A. You do not teach that Malachi 3:10 defines the holy tithe as “food” (“meat” KJV). The definition never changed to include money as also seen also in Matthew 23:23.

B. You do not teach that Levitical tithe-recipients were forbidden from owning and inheriting property in Israel. They were also forbidden from amassing wealth. Do you receive the whole tithe, own property and have savings accounts?

4. You dishonestly teach that God must bless tithers without discussing other grievous sins in the lives of tithers. God never did bless tithers who habitually sin in other areas.

I urge you to teach God’s Word and stop adding to it.

Russell Earl Kelly, PHD

tithing-russkelly.com

russkellyphd@yahoo.com