RUSS KELLY REBUTS WILLIAM BARCLEY ON TITHING

MAY 27, 2021

The Bible Commands Christians to Tithe

March 28, 2017  |  William Barcley / check for full article

WB: My argument, in a nutshell, is this: The requirement to tithe preceded the Mosaic law, was codified in it with ceremonial aspects added, and was affirmed by Jesus as binding on his followers.

RK: Tithing before the Law was from unclean pagan goods which were not holy tithes. Tithing during the laws was always only food from inside God’s holy land. It was limited to Hebrews living inside that holy land. There is no such thing as tithing after Calvary. Matthew 23:23 is during the law.

WB: [Genesis 14 (Abram) and 28 (Jacob) are validated by Genesis 26:5.]

RK: Not everything Abram did was in obedience to a command from God. For example, using Gen 26:5 to justify tithing is wrong because it could also justify his lie to Pharoah in Genesis 12.  The biblical definition of a “holy tithe” does not fit Gen 14 or 28.

WB:  [Gen 4, firstfrut and firstborn.]

RK: Scripture nowhere EQUATES “firstborn,” “firstfruit” with “tithe.” They are always distinctly different. Both were only food from inside God’s holy land. One tree out of many thousands in Gen 4 does not constitute a tithe.  

WB: Some have suggested Jacob was offering a one-time tithe in Genesis 28. But as John Currid observes, the verb “to tithe” describes frequent, multiple actions. Jacob appears to be “making a lifetime commitment to Yahweh in the matter of tithing.”

RK: We cannot elevate John Currid’s opinion to the level of Scripture. The Bible has a huge “if” which means that Jacob was bargaining with God – telling God the sequence.

WB: Why does Moses record these events? …

RK: Why does Moses, Nehemiah, Malachi and Jesus not uses Gen 14 and 26 ass examples of holy tithing? --- they were from unholy pagan sources.

 

WB: … Yet far from revealing discontinuity, Hebrews leaves the impression that Christians will also tithe to their eternal high priest.

RK: Hebrews 7 teaches certain discontinuity. (1) Messiah will be “after the ORDER of Melchizedek” – a non-Hebrew king-priests. (2) Messiah will not be from Aaron. (3) His coming will forces a NECESSARY CHANGE OF THE LAW (V12). And (4) that “change” will be the “disannulling of the commandment going before” of tithing from 7:5.

WB: When we come to the law, it becomes clear that the tithe is God’s standard for giving.

RK: Read Lev 27:30-34 and Num 18:20-28. The “standard” only applied to food-producers living inside holy Israel!!! It did not apply carpenters such as Jesus! It did not apply to tent-makers such as Paul! It did not apply to any outside Israel. It did not apply to Gentiles.

WB: Under the Mosaic law, there appear to be three tithes …

RK: They all had things in common: they could not own or inherit God’s holy land and could not amass wealth (Num 18:20-28). Yet today many “tithe recipients” own much land and are wealthy.

WB: SABBATH and TITHING

RK: Natural law and conscience teach both worship and giving. Neither tell us which day to worship or how much to give.

WB: Mal 3:8-10

RK: The worst God-robbers of Malachi were the minsters:   See Neh 13:5-10. Follow the “you” from Malachi 1:6-14; 2:1-17; 3 all. Every priest in the nation was stealing from God.

WB: Matt 23;23

RK: The context is “matters of the law” before Calvary. Jesus was not commanding his disciples to tithe to support He and His apostles. Although ignored, the priests were still not allowed to own property in Israel or amass wealth (Num 18:20-28).

It befuddles me that a Reform pastor would force tithing on those whom he believes have been predestined by God to obey.