The Tithing Hoax » Blog

Did Jesus Tithe?

R. Renee — Sun, 19 Feb 2012 17:26:38 +0000

PROPOSITION: BASED UPON the tithe commandments of the Mosaic Law Jesus was not required to pay tithes.

Objective: To show Christians that if tithing was not required of Jesus then it is not required of them.

Introduction

One of the misconceptions about the biblical tithe is that God required everyone to pay tithes. However, this is not the case. The Bible is very specific regarding who was commanded to pay tithes. There were only three groups of people commanded to pay tithes. And when we rightly divide the word of truth we discover that Jesus was not included in any of these groups. Therefore, Jesus did not pay tithes.

Point 1 – God did not want tithes paid in the form of money

The biblical tithe consisted of agricultural produce/crops (Deut. 14:12)
The biblical tithe consisted livestock (Lev. 25:32)

Point 2 – God only required three groups of people to pay tithes

Farmers
Herdsmen
Levites (Numbers 18:25-29)

Point 3 – Jesus was exempt from paying tithes

He was a carpenter (Mark 6:3)
He earned wages
He was of the tribe of Judah (1 Samuel 16:12-13)

Conclusion: In the Old Testament (specifically, the Mosaic Law) God is specific regarding who is commanded to tithe. Although Jesus was a follower of the Mosaic Law he was not required to pay tithes. According to the Mosaic Law, God only wanted tithes from farmers, herdsmen and the Levites. And since Jesus did not fall into any of the categories he did not tithe. Jesus was not the only one exempt from paying tithes. In fact any ancient Israelite/Hebrew who earned a living as a skilled tradesman such as a tent maker, artisan, or fisherman, etc. was not required to tithe. For example, Jesus disciples, such as Peter, who was a fisherman, did not pay tithes.

In knowing this it should apparent to Christians believers that they are not required to pay tithes. Christians are not under the Law. If Jesus was under the Law and didn’t pay tithes, It stands to reason that Christians who are not under the Law are exempt from paying tithes.

R. Renee

R. Renee is an author, teacher and entrepreneur. As the co-author of The Tithing Hoax, she created The Tithing Hoax Blog as an additional resource for Christians seeking answers about the practice of tithing. Both the book and the blog are built on the same foundation: Sharing truth, knowledge and spiritual principles for the purpose of empowering others in every area of life.

The Prosperity Gospel: A Gospel that Exploits the Poor

R. Renee — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 19:15:09 +0000

THE PROSPERITY GOSPEL is a doctrine that America exports around the world, especially to places such as Africa. Africa is a continent that is rich with all the natural resources humankind needs for survival. Yet, despite its wealth of natural resources, many of the people in Africa are living in poverty.

So the Prosperity Gospel is very appealing to poor people who are seeking a way out of poverty. The Prosperity Gospel, which is nothing more than materialism dressed up in Christian clothing, is seductive message because it makes getting out of poverty sound so easy. All you have to do is pray, have faith, make positive confessions, and of course, pay tithes or sow (financial) seeds.

Unfortunately, the poor people, who are seduced by this gospel, don’t realize that they are victims of financial abuse – in the name of God.

Financial Abuse

The Prosperity Gospel is also a form of financial abuse perpetuated on poor people because according scripture the poor did not pay tithes.

That’s right poor people were exempt from paying tithes. In fact the Old Covenant/Mosaic Law required that ancient Israel, especially the priests, take care of the poor with the tithes. Furthermore, there was a tithe specifically for the poor, which is commonly called the Poor Tithe.

Every three years Israel paid tithe to the poor people who lived in ancient Israel.

At the end of three years thou shalt bring forth all the tithe of thine increase the same year, and shall lay it up within thy gates: and the Levite, (because he hath no part nor inheritance with thee,) and the stranger, and the fatherless, and the widow, which are within thy gates, shall come, and shall eat and be satisfied: that the Lord thy God may bless thee in all the work of thine hand which thou doest (Deut. 14:28-29).

When you have finished setting aside a tenth of all your produce in the third year, the year of the tithe, you shall give it to the Levite, the alien, the fatherless and the widow, so that they may eat in your towns and be satisfied (Deut. 26:12).

Although the practice of tithing is not carried over into the New Testament scripture encourages believers not to neglect the poor.

ALL THEY ASKED WAS THAT WE SHOULD CONTINUE TO REMEMBER THE POOR, THE VERY THING I WAS EAGER TO DO (Gal. 2:10, NIV).

Despite the appeal of Prosperity Gospel poor people can not tithe their way out of poverty. Prosperity Gospel preachers offer a pie-in-the-sky doctrine that preys on the desperation of poor people. And it’s a form of financial abuse because it takes so-called tithes or money from poor people under false pretenses.

It’s a shame that the Prosperity Gospel preachers take from the very people the Bible says to take care of.

R. Renee

Is God a Mafia Boss?

R. Renee — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 22:01:19 +0000

SOME PREACHERS ARE using mafia-style extortion tactics when they’re trying to get their congregations to tithe. Their gangster gospel makes God look like a Mafia boss.

VIDEO TRANSCRIPT

In the movie clip you just saw two representatives of a mafia boss are demanding payments from a local business in order to “protect” the business from possible vandalism. When the business manager refuses to pay this “protection” money the two mafia representatives employ a veiled threat that involves a possible assault on the manager’s life.

The mafia is known for extorting money from people.

Extortion is when someone uses threats of harm as a means of receiving protection money from you.

It seems that some preachers are mixing mafia extortion tactics with their tithing sermons.

Why do I say that?

How many times have you heard a preacher tell you something bad will happen to you if you don’t tithe?

For example, if you don’t tithe:

God will curse you
The devil’s gonna get you
You’ll lose your money
You’ll get sick
You’ll lose your job
Your marriage will fall apart
Your children will rebel

The list goes on and on…

Once these preachers have placed the spirit of FEAR in you they offer you a solution that will protect you from all of these bad situations: the solution pay God 10% of your income.

What they are saying is that you must pay God 10% of your income in order for God to protect you.

I don’t know about you but this sounds a lot like mafia-style extortion. In this scenario the preachers are representatives of the Mafia Boss, who in this case, is God. They collect protection money (tithes) on behalf of their Boss. If you pay tithes, the Mafia Boss (God) makes sure you’re protected. If you don’t pay tithes the Mafia Boss (God) will not protect you.

Needless to say, when it comes to ways of getting their congregations to tithe or sow financial seeds some of these preachers really know how to twist the Bible and how to threaten people their mafia-style extortion gospel.

The notion that you can tithe your way out of harms way is not biblical.

How do we know this?

Let’s take a look at two scriptures:

Many are the afflictions of the righteous, But the LORD delivers him out of them all (Psalms 34:19, NKJV).

“We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God,” they said (Acts 14:22, NIV).

What does this tell us?

The scriptures make it clear that you can not avoid bad or negative things happening to you in this life. Afflictions and hardships are a part of life. They are a part of the Christian way of life. However, the Lord is there to get you through any afflictions and hardships you will encounter.

Furthermore, nowhere in those scriptures does it say, suggest or imply that you must pay the Lord 10 percent of your income and THEN the Lord will deliver you out of your afflictions.

Yes, God is a protector but God is not an extortionist or a Mafia Boss.

R. Renee

Ignorance Plus Tithing Can Equal Home Foreclosure

R. Renee — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 18:01:10 +0000

SCRIPTURE TELLS US that God is no longer winking at our ignorance (Acts 17:30). And ignorance comes with a high price. Just ask Evander Holyfield. He “tithed” $20 million to his church and his mansion ended up in foreclosure.

During an ESPN expose on the relationship between professional athletes and prosperity gospel preachers Holyfield was asked this question: If you had to do it over gain would you pay tithes or pay your house note? Holyfield replied that he would pay his tithes because THAT’S WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS.

I’m not sure which Bible he was reading but the Bible does not tell Christians to tithe. Unfortunately, there are many Christians like Holyfield that don’t know what the Bible really says about tithing.

In some cases, folks just depend on what the preachers says about tithing. The problem with that is that there are preachers who are not telling their congregations the truth about tithes. In effect, their congregations are being dumbed down (or being kept ignorant).

In this video I go in on the practice of dumbing down Christians.

R. Renee

Tithes, Scandal and Prosperity Gospel Preachers

R. Renee — Fri, 25 Nov 2011 22:01:10 +0000

MEGA CHURCH PREACHERS Joyce Meyer, Paula White, Benny Hinn, Bishop Eddie Long, Creflo Dollar and Kenneth Copeland were/are under a congressional investigation for alleged misuse of church funds ( YOUR tithes and offerings).

One thing that each of these preachers have in common is that they teach tithing and/or the Prosperity Gospel to one extent or the other. And some of their teachings about tithing and prosperity or either misleading or inaccurate.

I don’t think it’s a coincidence that these particular ministries came under investigation. Is God using the investigation to rebuke these preachers for their false teachings?

In this video I share my thoughts on the matter. What do you think?

R. Renee

God Didn’t Show Up and Show Out – Now What?

R. Renee — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 18:01:19 +0000

Let’s face it, Wall Street big wigs aren’t the only ones responsible for the sub-prime lending scandal and the home foreclosure crisis. The Prosperity Gospel played a role too.

During the height of the real estate boom, the Prosperity Gospel was also in an upswing. Some preachers were encouraging their congregations to “step out on faith” and to buy the homes they wanted even if they couldn’t afford it. Just “Name It and Claim It” they said.

Unfortunately, many Christians took that message to heart. The result? Their homes ended up in foreclosure. In the video I delve into the relationship between the Prosperity Gospel and the home foreclosure fiasco.

R. Renee

Warning: Your Preacher May Be Practicing Fear-Based Mind Control

R. Renee — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 22:01:52 +0000

SOME PREACHERS USE fear tactics as a means of coercing their congregations into paying so-called tithes or sowing financial seeds. Using fear to manipulate and/or control people’s behavior is actually a form of fear-based mind control. In the video I explore the influence of fear-based mind control in the Christian church.

VIDEO TRANSCRIPT

Fear-based mind control is commonly associated with cults, secret societies and mass media, but fear-based mind control is also present in the Christian church.

Yes, the church.

And it’s more common than you think.

So what is fear-based mind control?

Let’s first review one definition of Mind Control as it relates to cults:

According SpiritWatch.org, cultic mind control is a process of either unconscious or intentional change of an individual’s behavior, thought, and emotional patterns through subtle, deceptive, and damaging means by unethical spiritual leaders who hold positions of trust and authority over them.

There are several techniques used in mind control, but here I will focus on one:

FEAR

Based on the above definition of cultic mind control I submit to you my definition of fear-based mind control as it relates to the Christian church.

Fear-based mind control (or FBMC) is the process by which trusted authority figures such as preachers use fear tactics to change a person(s) behavior, thought, and emotional patterns.

The use of fear-based mind control is commonly used by some preachers who are always trying to coerce or manipulate their congregations into tithing 10 percent of their income or sowing (financial) seeds. Many Christians are being exposed to fear-based mind control and don’t even know it.

Here’s an example:

A few days ago I was watching a prominent preacher give a sermon. During the sermon the preacher got on the subject of tithing. In her sermon she said:

“If you give God percent He’ll bless the 90 percent.”

Then she went onto say:

“If you don’t tithe the devil will take all of your money!”

Now, I’m sure you’ve heard some preachers say something to that effect in one way or another. Some preachers are constantly threatening their congregations with something bad happening to them IF THEY DO NOT TITHE.

If you are being exposed to this type of message, then you are being exposed to fear-based mind control.

Let’s break this fear-based mind control message down by first revisiting my definition of fear-based mind control.

Fear-based mind control (or FBMC) is the process by which trusted authority figures such as preachers use fear tactics to change a person(s) behavior, thought, and emotional patterns.

A message in which a preacher tells you the devil will take all of your money if your don’t tithes has all the components of fear-based mind control.

A Trusted Authority Figure: Preacher

Fear Tactic: The devil will take all of your money.

Change in Emotional Pattern: The congregation is now afraid. This fear causes a change in the thought pattern in the congregation.

Change in Thought Pattern: The congregation now thinks paying so-called tithes will keep the devil from taking all of their money

Change in Behavior Pattern: As a result the congregation pays so-called tithes and this reflects a change in behavior.

Of course this is just one example of how FBMC is used in the church.

So why do some preachers use FBMC tactics on their congregations?

Because It Works

And this is why FBMC works:

Fear is a powerful emotion. By nature human beings FEAR bad or negative things happening to them. So consciously or subconsciously people do things to avoid the experiences they FEAR.

So Christians who fear that something bad will happen to them if they don’t tithe are susceptible to this type FBMC message. Even though this type of FBMC is effective using such tactics on the Body of Christ is not biblical.

The Bible teaches that:

For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind (2 Timothy 1:7, KJV).

God doesn’t want you acting out fear. When you come under the influence of a preacher who uses fear-based mind control you have given your power, and in some cases your money, over to an unethical preacher. Also, fear and love can not occupy the same space at the same time. So when you act out of fear you have abandoned the Spirit of Love. Finally, a fearful mind is not a sound mind because when you’re overcome with fear you do not think rationally or use good judgment.

Free yourself from Fear-Based Mind Control

Reclaim the Power, Love and Sound Mind God has given you.

R. Renee

The Dark Side of Tithing the Church Won’t Talk About

R. Renee — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 10:01:10 +0000

The issue of whether Christians should tithe is not just some theological debate in which scholar or wannabe scholar squabble over biblical scripture. The Tithing Doctrine (and the Prosperity Gospel) affect real people in a real way.

There’s a serious downside to these doctrines that is rarely talked about in the Christian church. In this video I discuss the negative impact of these doctrines.

R. Renee

Is a Bigger Church a Better Church?

R. Renee — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 22:01:31 +0000

THE RISE OF Mega churches in recent years has spawned what I call the Church Growth Movement (or CGM). The CGM refers to the businesses/services geared toward helping pastors grow their churches. With all this emphasis on growing larger congregations and building bigger churches is the growth of the people in the churches being neglected?

Join me as I weigh in on the impact of the Church Growth Movement.

VIDEO TRANSCRIPT

With the rise and popularity of mega churches within the last 10 to 15 years a business sector has developed that is devoted to helping pastors and church leaders grow their churches. Basically, these are companies that offer business strategies/techniques that will supposedly grow a pastor’s congregation – or even turn a small church into a mega church.

This emphasis on church growth is what I call the Church Growth Movement.

The problem with the Church Growth Movement is that places too much emphasis on superficial church growth over real church growth

Nowadays Church growth is all about larger congregations, lavish church buildings with state-of-the art amenities, celebrity preachers and, of course, more money, more money, more money.

Now there’s nothing wrong with this in and of itself. I’m not hating on a church’s bling bling or all the bells and whistles a church can offer its members.

While all those things are nice those things are just symbols of what I consider Superficial Church Growth.

Know why?

Because the REAL church is not the building. The people in the church building are the REAL church. Yes, the people are the church.

So, if a pastor wants to grow his or her church then the best way to do that is from the inside out. In other words THE PEOPLE MUST GROW.

A church that ministers to the people’s needs and provides them with the practical resources necessary for transforming their life will grow organically.

For example, if a person on welfare joins a church and 6 to 12 months later that member is off welfare and working a full-time job with the help of the church. That’s REAL church growth.

If a person is addicted to drugs/alcohol and after joining the church they break that dependency and is now clean and sober with help from the church. That’s REAL church growth.

When people grow they have testimony. What do people do when they have a testimony?
They tell others. They spread the word about how their church/ministry helped them GROW and improve their life. People they know will see the CHANGE.

The bottom line is when people SEE the lives of the people in the church changing for the better then they will be more likely to join your church, pastor.

That’s REAL church growth.

You see a bigger church is not always a better church. What’s the point of having a bigger church if the lives of the people in the church are not better?

So pastor if you REALLY want to grow your church then focus on GROWING the people.

R. Renee

Speaking the Truth about Tithes Brings Out the Critics

R. Renee — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 17:01:57 +0000

NOWADAYS THE TITHE doctrine is like a religion unto itself. In other cases tithing is treated like a new deity on the scene. Some Christians are overzealous about tithing. If you tell them you don’t believe in tithing they act as if you just told them you don’t believe in God.

Anyway, since writing The Tithing Hoax I’ve faced criticism. I’ve been called everything except a child of God, LOL! That’s okay. It comes with the territory.

However, one person described me as being anti-tithing. Maybe I’m being nit-picky but being called anti-tithing is not an accurate description of my position on tithing.

I explain why in this video.