One of the greatest cons ever perpetrated by the corporate church is their consistently unbiblical view of collecting a ten percent tithe from church members. Christians should look to the First Century Church as their model. This was the church that we read about in Acts that “turned the world upside down,” for Jesus Christ, a far cry from any power or record attributed to the corporate, institutionalized churches of today.
The Apostle Paul told the Thessalonian Church that he “worked day and night because we would not be chargeable to any of you.” (1 Thes. 2:9) Paul had a singular disdain for taking money from Christians for his efforts in ministry on their behalf. Paul was a tentmaker and continued to ply his trade rather than to be a financial burden on any church. One struggles to find a practice more contrary to the money hungry, self-serving evangelists, pastors and churches of today.
Paul apparently relented from his position of altruism on one occasion. He would later describe this apparent instance of him accepting an offering from a church as actual theft on his part: “ I robbed other churches, taking wages of them.” (2 Corinthians 11:8) This not only never became a regular practice with the Apostle Paul, but he would later seriously deride those who made a living on the backs of God’s people. He referred to them while in Corinth as, “them which desire opportunity, false prophets, deceitful workers.” (2 Corinthians 14) He asks the Corinthians rhetorically, “Did I make gain of you?” The word “deceitful” that we see in our English translation of the New Testament was, in fact, the Greek word “doleos.” It means, “GUILEFUL.” It implies a calculated, sinister, self-serving motive. Jesus called these clerical careerists, “Hirelings.” His context in that passage was to illustrate that those hired to shepherd sheep not their own would not have the dedication necessary to operate in the best interest of the flock. (John 10:13) Paul spoke to this in describing his experience with such ministers as, “in perils among false brethren” (2 Corinthians 11:26).
The fact is that there is NO mandate for a ten percent tithe in the Old or New Testament. Not only was Paul averse to taking money from Christians, he also made it clear that giving should never be a mandate imposed from without: “Every man as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give, not grudgingly, or of necessity…” (2 Corinthians 9:7) Clearly giving should be a response of the heart from deep within a Christian, not an imposition from without unsupported by Scripture.
Upon reading this, there will be no lack of church partisans who will predictably respond by saying, “How then can the church be funded?” In that unfortunate and troublesome question are revealed two major implications: 1.) People will not give willingly and must be coerced; 2.) The church is obligated to build and maintain large corporate edifices, have costly real estate holdings, pastoral salaries, and numerous benefits, parsonages, staff lease cars, clothing allowances, paid vacations, and on and on. My response would be to show me any of these expenses or their equivalent in the First Century church, or anywhere in the New Testament, for that matter. It is not there. Further, the money that the church did take in seems to have gone exclusively to needy Christians in the Christian community. (Acts 20:15, Romans 15:26, Galatians 2:1-10) Paul was exceedingly careful in Acts 20 to separate his finances from offerings for other churches
Two wonderful and thoroughly Scriptural books abounding with sound doctrine and a plethora of verses on this subject are, THE TITHING HOAX, By Renee & Harper, and SUNDAY MORNING STICKUP by David Lee. These books present a resoundingly strong case for the complete lack of biblical support for tithing as practiced today in most churches. The corporate church has abandoned the First Century Church model, not just in its finances, but in many, many other ways as well. Today they cannot say, as Peter once said, “Silver and gold have we none …” Sadly, they cannot say what Peter said in that same moment: “… but such as I have I give thee. In the name of Jesus Christ, rise up and walk.” (Acts 3:6)
