TITHES AND OFFERINGS ACCORDING TO THE BIBLE By: Dr. Josimar Salum

TITHES AND OFFERINGS ACCORDING TO THE BIBLE By: Dr. Josimar Salum

Some considerations:

1 - It is impossible to pay God for anything we receive from Him.

A person who is transformed, healed, freed from drug addiction or who receives any great blessing from God in the Church cannot possibly afford anything to repay God. 

It is absurd to despise the price Jesus paid with His blood for that person's complete salvation when the very salvation, blessing, healing, and deliverance are monetized.

"For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect." 1 Peter 1:18‭-‬19 

2- Tithing was not instituted or practiced as a payment for God to bless His children, much less a compensation for what He already blessed.

Once God blesses His children, recognizing that He is the possessor of heavens and earth, one delivers the tithe. So, in any case, first God blessed them, then they tithe. I sow because He gave me the seed so I can sow. Even what I sow (the seeds) comes from God!

Tithing and honoring the Lord with the firstfruits are acts of faith "without which no one can please the Lord." Hebrews 11:6.

It has been this way from the beginning, from when Abram and Jacob gave their tithes.

The Bible shows that Abraham did not tithe everything he owned, but only the spoils he got for the victory that God gave him in the war against some kings. Genesis 14.

"Then Jacob made a vow, saying, “If God will be with me and will watch over me on this journey I am taking and will give me food to eat and clothes to wear so that I return safely to my father’s household, then the Lord will be my God and this stone that I have set up as a pillar will be God’s house, and of all that you give me I will give you a tenth.” Genesis 28:20‭-‬22 

In the time of the prophet Malachi, the reason the Jews were challenged to bring the tithes to the Treasure House was that they weren't being faithful. When they brought an offering, it was a deceiving act, because they brought the worst and not the best for the temple of God. In fact, the priests were doing that. They received the blameless animal to be offered, but instead of offering it, they kept for themselves and offered the one with defects.

God stated that they should give tithes and offerings and prove Him. He would open the windows of heaven and shower on them such a blessing until there was not enough room to gather it. Please check the Book of Malachi, especially chapter 3 verse 10.

"But Samuel replied: “Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the Lord? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams." 1 Samuel 15:22 

The blessing would keep flowing if they brought their tithes and offerings to the Treasure House because that's how God had already blessed them. They needed to obey the Lord because He is a Father of blessings.

The New Covenant made with the blood of Jesus on the Cross is based on the fact that God has already given us His Son and has blessed us so abundantly that with Him He has given us all things.

"He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?" Romans 8:32 

 3 - The tithes and the offerings are not means of bargaining with God.

God loves a cheerful giver, not one who gives out of necessity or compulsion.

"Now he who gives seed to the sower, also bread to eat, and multiply your sowing, and increase the fruits of your righteousness." 2 Corinthians 9:10

God has already rescued man on the Cross of Calvary and has already blessed him with all sorts of blessings.

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ." Ephesians 1:3

There is nothing to bargain with or to negotiate with God.

4 - God loves those who give with joy

In 2 Corinthians chapter 9, sowing and reaping are the principle of the New Covenant. As a principle, the contribution can be greater than the tithe, that is, greater than ten percent, as is understood today.

The contribution can be greater than the tithe, because anyone contributes according to what he has purposed in his heart.

And he does it according to his faith and never out of greed, but he can also happily contribute with less than 10%, according to what he proposes in his heart, not with regret or obligation, that is, through a person establishing the value of his offering. 

There are no tithes in the New Testament. There is not a single mention that the disciples neither Jews nor Gentiles gave their tithes in their meetings, that is, in the Church. In Mathew 23 Jesus mentioned tithes as a practice of the Pharisees who were forfeiting the most important of the Law, which are justice, mercy and faithfulness. 

“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices—mint, dill and cumin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former. You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel.” Matthew‬ ‭23:23-24‬ 

They, the Pharisees should not neglect the more important matters of the Law, justice, mercy and faithfulness. The disciples, however, follow Jesus, not the Law. 

This is how the disciple of Jesus can sow little or sow abundantly, but always according to what is proposed in his heart.

"He who sows little will also reap little; and he who sows in abundance will reap in abundance." 2 Corinthians 9:6

As a principle, the sowing of God's people is totally and exclusively related, that is, the collected resources have these objectives:

1 - Assistance to the saints;

2 - Distribution and donation of goods to the needy;

3 - The supply of the needs of God's people;

4 - Sharing goods with others.

Any other application of the seed outside these terms is unbiblical. This is robbing God!

The contributions of the saints are also designed to meet the needs of those who preach the Gospel.

"For it is written in the Law of Moses: “Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain.” Is it about oxen that God is concerned? Surely he says this for us, doesn’t he? Yes, this was written for us, because whoever plows and threshes should be able to do so in the hope of sharing in the harvest. If we have sown spiritual seed among you, is it too much if we reap a material harvest from you?" 1 Corinthians 9:9‭-‬11 

"Anyone who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with their own hands, that they may have something to share with those in need." Ephesians 4:28

5 - Jesus rescued all men and conquered everything on the Cross of Calvary

It is indisputable biblical truth that everything we have received from God has already been conquered by Jesus on the Cross of Calvary. including all "our rewards."

It is an indisputable biblical truth that the first time the word "reward" appears in Scripture, it refers to God himself.

"After these things the word of the LORD came to Abram in vision, saying, Fear not, Abram, I am your shield, your great reward." Genesis 15:1

"By faith Moses, being grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter, choosing rather to be mistreated with the people of God than for a little while to have the joy of sin; Having the reproach (infamy) of Christ for greater riches than the treasures of Egypt; because he had the reward in view. By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king; because he stood firm, as seeing the invisible." Hebrews 11:24-27

In the context of Philippians 3:13-14, Paul regarded all things as loss for the excellency of the Knowledge of Christ Jesus.

 "All things" refers as much to the religious things he enjoyed in Judaism as to everything else related to his life, riches included!

It is because of Jesus that Paul suffered the loss of all things.

Paul considered all things dung - from the Greek “skubala” meaning “human excrement”. I'm sorry, don't be scandalized, please, that I wrote this expression here, but that's literally what “dung” means in the original text. It is the word people use in the streets, not even exactly this translation. 

How can anyone renounce all he has to follow Jesus and then seek from God the very things he renounced?

 How can anyone try to bargain with God, giving him offerings to be blessed materially for one's own benefit?

In that text, what is the goal that Paul refers to when he says that he goes on advancing and forgetting the things (those things) that are behind?

"I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death," Philippians 3:10 

What reward will we receive as we proceed to the goal because of Jesus' sacrifice on the Cross? Knowing Christ, suffering for Christ, and being made according to his death and, ultimately, the resurrection of the dead.

In conclusion, I would like to state the following:

Inequity is everything that opposes equity, equivalence or equality.

Having established this concept, I affirm that it is an iniquity within an Christian church, for a pastor to earn 10, 20, 30 times more than another in the "ministry", because a church is not a company and a worker of God is not compensated based on his class or level, but with a salary.

Salary, in the Scriptures, has to do with subsistence, because the one who preaches the Gospel must live from the Gospel and not be enriched by the Gospel.

"If anyone teaches otherwise and does not agree to the sound instruction of our Lord Jesus Christ and to godly teaching, they are conceited and understand nothing. 

They have an unhealthy interest in controversies and quarrels about words that result in envy, strife, malicious talk, evil suspicions and constant friction between people of corrupt mind, who have been robbed of the truth and who think that godliness is a means to financial gain. 

But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. 

Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. 

For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs. 

But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness." 1 Timothy 6:3‭-‬11 

 Amen.

Translated by: Filipe S.S. Gouvea