TITHING AND SALVATION

TITHING AND SALVATION, by Russell E Kelly, PHD, January 15, 2020

Is there a connection between tithing and salvation? Good question. The simple answer is “No” because the Bible does not teach “Salvation by grace through faith plus tithing. In my opinion, that would make such teachers false-cult-like. However, many tithe-teachers make it a requirement for church membership.

        The problem is one’s understanding of the Law and not simply one’s understanding of tithing. As an old-school dispensationalist such as that taught by Nelson Darby, C. S. Scofield, Walter Elwell, Merrill Unger, John MacArthur, Moody Bible Institute and Dallas Theological Seminary, I believe that the Law was an indivisible combination of the Ten Commandments, civil judgments and worship statutes ONLY given to O.T. Israel. The basic first tithe was only for those who were not allowed to own or inherit property or amass wealth (Numbers 18:20-28 --- it replaced their land inheritance in Israel. Also, the Law only defined holy tithes as food from inside Israel which God had miraculously increased.

There are no biblical grounds whatsoever which justify non-Hebrews receiving re-defined “tithes” while also amassing wealth and owning or inheriting property.

        Hebrew Christians are no longer under that Law as an Old Covenant. Gentile Christians never were under it; they were always condemned by nature and conscience before Calvary (Rom 1:18-20; 2:14-16). The “old man” of all Christians is “crucified with Christ” (Rom 6:6), “dead to the Law” (Rom 7:4) and now under “the law of the spirit of life in Christ” --- the Law of love through the indwelling Holy Spirit. Those who teach tithing simply do not understand the biblical doctrine of Law. While ignoring the Sabbath commandment for sunset Friday, the often teach that the Ten Commandments still exists as found in the Law while either the civil judgments or worship statutes (or both) no longer exist. This is contrary to what Jesus taught in Matthew 5:17-19 as seen in verses 20-48.

        Post-Calvary New Testament Holy Spirit teaching does not repeat tithing (or the Saturday sunset) to the church. It teaches sacrificial giving. For some that means much more than 10% while, for others, it means less. In almost 20 years since my book was published, not one church leader has accepted my challenge to have an open public discussion of biblical tithing. They simply cannot win the argument.

In Christ’s love

Russell E Kelly, PHD