Conclusion

This study is not about paying a minister his or her salary. As the pastor of the Church of Honesty, Respect & Love, I personally know the hard work involved with being a pastor. I do it as a labor of love. However, those that earn a living from the altar are biblically justified. This study is about keeping God’s Word pure.

Through this study we have learned the truth, which is that the tithe is not cash. It is best for us to blindingly accept God’s Word in faith instead of leaning on our own understanding. Only “then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” John 8:32.

Many of today’s church members are being told to tithe their money and to have faith in a future economic victory. For the majority of these Christians, the years go by without the promised financial windfall, and if they question the promise of opened monetary floodgates, they are told that they simply don’t have enough faith.

My dear friend, God did not establish a cash tithe. The idea of putting a cash tithe burden on His children never crossed our Lord’s mind. Instead, He said in Jeremiah 29:11, “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

Do not be afraid, for you have a counselor. Concerning the requirements of the Law, He left you this written message. Acts 15:28-29 reads, “It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us not to burden you with anything beyond the following requirements: You are to abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals and from sexual immorality. You will do well to avoid these things. Farewell.”

This study can go on and on, because the Bible has a multitude of evidence, along with many examples of an edible tithe and the use of available currency. I have written these few chapters because I know that the truths contained here can set free the lives of those that so desire freedom. However, if you require more information or a deeper explanation, please contact me.

May God bless you.

Pastor Amós

Misuse of Parables

A biblical parable is a short story used to illustrate a spiritual truth. Ministers use biblical references concerning stewardship to claim that the interpretation of the Bible means that Christians should give money to the church or they will become bad stewards instead. Ministers quote these scriptures while affirming a cash tithe, using them as further evidence of their argument. The Bible speaks of stewardship in multiple places; however, most ministers get the idea of stewardship from two of Jesus’ parables. These are the Parable of the Shrewd Manager (Luke 16:1-14) and the Parable of the Talents (Matthew 25:14-30).

The Parable of the Shrewd Manager is for managers. In other words, Jesus was talking to the spiritual leaders of His time. This parable has nothing to do with the lay members of the church. However, if this parable would be applied to lay members’ lives, then no one should ask them for money, because giving money is not the same as managing money. This parable does not say “give;” it says “manage,” and it ends by telling the spiritual managers of that time that “you cannot serve both God and money” in Luke 16:13b. We learn in Luke 16:14 that the spiritual managers in question did not like it. “The Pharisees, who loved money, heard all this and were sneering at Jesus.”

The Parable of the Talents is mainly meant for those in charge of the church, whom are represented as those who have multiple talents. However, this parable is also for lay members, whom are represented as those who have one talent. Matthew 25:14 reads, “For the kingdom of heaven is as a man traveling into a far country, who called his own servants, and delivered unto them his goods.” Jesus is the man that traveled to a far country, which is Heaven, and He called His servants, which are us Christians, and gave us all spiritual gifts that we must put to work.

During the Bible era, a denarius was equal to a day’s wage and a talent was equal to a lifetime’s wages. Jesus did not give us a monetary talent, but He did give us all at least one spiritual talent, although most of us have many spiritual talents. When Jesus returns, He will ask us to give an account of what we did with our spiritual talent(s) that He gave us, and this has absolutely nothing to do with money.

Another one of Jesus’ Parables that is being used to obtain money is the Parable of the Sower in Matthew 13:1-9. The appalling aspect of this practice is that this passage of scripture does not mention money, not even metaphorically. In fact, the word “money” in any shape or form (talents, gold, etc.) does not appear in this Parable!

The idea about sowing a seed of money is unbiblical! Later, Jesus makes it clear in Mathew 13:19 that the seeds which He refers to are the heard message of His Kingdom. These parables are not about how much money we give to the church. Rather, they are saying that as God’s stewards, we manage a spiritual property known as the Kingdom of Heaven and use our spiritual talents to sow the seeds, or message, of the Gospel in anticipation of the harvest.

Abraham’s non-edible Tithe

Genesis 14:18-20 reads, “Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. He was priest of God Most High, and he blessed Abram, saying, ‘Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth. And blessed be God Most High, who delivered your enemies into your hand.’ Then Abram gave him a tenth of everything.”

Hebrews 7:1-4 reads, “This Melchizedek was king of Salem and priest of God Most High. He met Abraham returning from the defeat of the kings and blessed him, and Abraham gave him a tenth of everything. First, his name means ‘king of righteousness’; then also, ‘king of Salem’ means ‘king of peace.’ Without father or mother, without genealogy, without beginning of days or end of life, like the Son of God he remains a priest forever. Just think how great he was: Even the patriarch Abraham gave him a tenth of the plunder!”

As we learned in Malachi 3 and Deuteronomy 14, the tithe that God had established was, among other things, a requirement of the Law of Moses, completely edible, from the increase of the Promised Land, and required land ownership. It was also for the atoning of sins and was conducive of peace. Abraham’s tithe, on the other hand, had none of these qualities. Therefore, Abraham’s tithe cannot be used as an example for demanding a cash-tithe.

As a matter of fact, Abraham was a wealthy man even before his encounter with Melchizedek. Genesis 13:2 reads, “Abram had become very wealthy in livestock and in silver and gold.” So then why didn’t Melchizedek tell him, “dear Abraham, the tithe from the spoils of war is good, but what about tithing from your wealth?” The reason is because Abraham’s tithe was of his own accord. It was not demanded as is being done in today’s churches. Abraham had not robbed God by not tithing from his wealth.

Abraham’s example tells us that we need not tithe our wealth or our increase. However, if we go to war, which I do not recommend because we are called to peace, and win, then we can tithe the spoils of war like Abraham did. But again, we’re not about to send members out to war just to get spoils to tithe, for Colossians 3:15a says, “Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts.” 1st Corinthians 7:15b also says, “God has called us to live in peace.”

Some people might argue that Abraham was a man of faith and we are his children by faith, for Romans 4:16 says, “Therefore, the promise comes by faith, so that it may be by grace and may be guaranteed to all Abraham's offspring—not only to those who are of the law but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham. He is the father of us all.”

Therefore, shouldn’t we tithe by faith? The answer is no, because Abraham didn’t use faith to tithe. He had already won the war. Therefore, it wasn’t a matter of faith. Rather, it was a matter of free will and gratitude. Hebrews 11:1 reads, “Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” Tithing was never done by faith because the Israelites got the increase first, and then tithed afterwards.

If you are holding cash in your hand, then it is not a matter of faith because you can see it. You don’t need to hand it over to the church to have faith. What you really need to do is use the money to take care of your family. In fact, if you don’t use your money to take care of your family first, you are more than lacking in faith, for 1st Timothy 5:8 reads, “If anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for his immediate family, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.”

The penalty for not tithing Leviticus 27:31

The video for this post is available at: https://youtu.be/OhepydOtKhc

Although we have learned that God’s established tithe is edible, there were people that did bring Cash, plus a fifth part penalty, in place of their tithe to God’s Temple. Leviticus 27:31 reads, “If a man redeems any of his tithe, he must add a fifth of the value to it.”

The key word of the above verse is “redeem,” which means to buy back, or to pay the price. For example, we are redeemed by the Blood of Jesus. Galatians 3:13a reads, “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law…” The Jewish farmers in the Promised Land could redeem, or buy back, the tithes of their crops and cattle with cash, plus the added penalty of one fifth of the value.

In other words, if a farmer wishes to keep his tithe of grain worth $1,000, he can pay the cash amount of $1,200. A fifth is equal to 20%; therefore, 20% of 1,000 is 200. God and Moses did not want cash, currency, or money in any of its forms, but for those that insisted on keeping the tithe, they could do so at a cost to them of a fifth part added onto the monetary value of the tithe.

Therefore, it is highly unlikely that any Israelite would want to bring cash to the Temple, no matter how rich he or she was because it would cost a lot more for them to use cash as a tithe. Nevertheless, because we see it in God’s Word, chances are that there were people that preferred to pay the penalty and did so because cash was available to them.

This penalty for keeping the tithe also prevented many of the Israelites from substituting money for the tithe, which was food! Leviticus 27:31 would make no sense if the tithe had been cash or a form of currency. This Scripture also proves yet again that cash was available enough to have a cash tithe if God wanted it that way.

But then why would Moses allow this cash penalty if God didn’t want the tithe to be cash? This is because the Israelites’ hearts were hardened. This same situation happened in the case of divorce. Moses allowed the divorce that God never wanted. Matthew 19:8 reads, “Jesus replied, ‘Moses permitted you to divorce your wives because your hearts were hard. But it was not this way from the beginning.’”

In the same way, many modern hearts have become hardened due to a lack of faith in God’s Word.

Jesus’ Thoughts on the Tithe Matthew 23:23

Wouldn’t it be great to have Jesus’ thoughts on the tithe? Thankfully, His thoughts on the tithe can be obtained by analyzing His words about this subject, which are recorded in the Bible.

Matthew 23:23 reads, “Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.” (KJV)

In this passage, Jesus is talking to men that were well off, if not rich. This makes us wonder why Jesus said it was okay for them to tithe spices. Shouldn’t Jesus have told them to tithe cash money from their riches?

Jesus was not confused about what a tithe is, and He clearly identifies the tithe as being edible and not a form of currency. Therefore, Jesus knows that the tithe is edible, even when the person who is tithing is rich. But then why were these rich men tithing spices and herbs?

You could only tithe something that you grew from the Promised Land. The scribes and the Pharisees were not about to give up their prestigious careers and take on farming. To tithe, all they had to do was plant an herb garden and bring 10% of the spices to the Temple.

God established an edible tithe. In the past, there were no refrigerators or cans to preserve foods. Although we have many ways of preserving food in our modern age (which the world would never have dreamed of during the Bible era), many pastors insist on demanding a cash tithe!

Alas, just as the scribes and Pharisees in the time of Jesus, today’s ministers have forgotten the more important things of our faith, which are Honesty in God’s Word, Respect for the sacred things of God, and Love for those whom God has placed in our care.

Ministers Playing the Word Game Ephesians 4:14

Ministers play the word game by changing the Word and throwing the focus on something else. One way that ministers play this word game is by claiming that tithes are not a part of the Law of Moses. The discussion of the Law and Tithes is simply double talk that takes the focus away from the tithe being food.

If someone wants to keep the Law, they should do so by tithing the food that the Law demands, because the Law is a matter of faith. Believers honor their faith, and others should respect it, even if it is a mixture of the Law and Grace.

We can choose to follow the Law or Grace in accordance to our faith. However, removing the word “food” and adding the word currency in Malachi 3:10 is not a matter of faith. Rather, it is a matter of theft! We must ask ourselves, why would someone remove the word “food” in Malachi 3:10 and add the word currency? The only answer I can come up with is the love of money.

This is why learning God’s Word is so important. Ephesians 4:14 reads, “Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming.”

What is a tithe? Malachi 3:10

Malachi 3:10: “Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this, says the LORD Almighty, and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it.”

In this Scripture, God has given us a clear and informative interpretation of what tithes are. He uses the words “storehouse” and “food” to identify what He is “being robbed of.” Nowhere in this verse does God use the words “money,” “cash,” “gold,” “silver,” or any other form of currency in order to describe or define tithes!

I am completely aware of the argument which alleges that there was no actual currency at the time, and therefore, the people, being farmers, used food as a form of currency. We are going to learn just how big of a lie that allegation is in just a moment, but before we do, we must understand that whoever dares to add or take anything from God’s Word is doing the equivalent of picking a fight with the Almighty. “God will add to him the plagues described in this book and God will take away from him his share in the tree of life and in the holy city.” Revelation 22:18b and 19b

It’s okay for us to view history as a source for understanding God’s Word. However, this is not a valid option when the part of history that we are talking about is already found in the Bible. If the availability of currency has already been recorded in God’s Word, which we will get to in a moment, then we should accept it. Getting out of God’s Word and viewing what is obvious in our own minds is leaning on our own understanding.

The Bible teaches in Malachi 3:10 that God’s tithe was food. Therefore, we should honor His Word, because it also clearly states that there was plenty of monetary currency available to have a cash-tithe if He wanted it that way. For instance, here’s the proof that currency was so well known and used during the time of Abraham that it even fluctuated. Genesis 23:16b: “four hundred shekels of silver, according to the weight current among the merchants.”

Here’s the proof that trade, which goes hand in hand with currency, had been an ancient business even during the Bible era. 1st Chronicles 4:22b and 23a: “These records are from ancient times. They were the potters.” There is also proof that merchants and traders were abundant enough to be considered a source of monetary revenue for kings. 2nd Chronicles 9:14a: “not including the revenues brought in by merchants and traders.”

The following explanation also proves that hundreds of thousands of Israelites did have access to and used currency. According to Deuteronomy 14:24-26, the Israelites that lived far from God’s chosen place of sacrifice would change their tithe into silver, so they could travel lighter and once at the place of sacrifice they were to use the silver to buy their tithe back. According to Exodus 12:37, 600,000 men followed Moses out of Egypt to go and settle the Promised Land. A conservative percentage of those that lived too far from the place of Sacrifice to carry their tithe would be about 50% or 300,000 men. From the start, 300,000 men were following God’s orders to use currency and this number would grow with each passing year. God gave 300,000 of His children the command to use currency to travel. Therefore, the Bible teaches that currency was abundant and available. Knowing this should make us suspicious of anyone who looks towards “history” and claims there was no currency.

These are just a few biblical examples of the abundance of a monetary currency. There are many more to be found, like the one in Exodus 30:11-16, in which every male, which was over 600,000, needed to be atoned for with money! Sounds unbelievable? Read Exodus 38:26 and see that 603,550 men participated in the census and paid the half shekel!

The Purpose of this Study

Many years ago, a man said “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor.” Luke 4:18-19

We at the Church of Honesty, Respect & Love believe in this man. We believe that He is King of kings and Lord of lords, and that He has instructed us to imitate Him. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to proclaim freedom for the prisoners, recovery of sight for the blind, and to release the oppressed, that all may enjoy the year of the Lord’s favor.

This study is not intended to start a conflict. This study is not meant for quarrelling or starting a holy war, although reformation can lead to these things. We at the Church of Honesty, Respect & Love make it our goal to deal honestly, respectfully, and lovingly with all people, as our name implies.

There are many dishonest men and women that have the appearance of godliness and use it to exploit their followers. The reality is that that’s their prerogative, and it is not our business. We are not judges, and we are not the spiritual police. We believe that vengeance belongs only to the Almighty, and that He will deal with “those who defraud laborers of their wages” (Malachi 3:5) in His own time and way.

Therefore, we “avoid foolish controversies and genealogies and arguments and quarrels about the law, because these are unprofitable and useless.” Titus 3:9

If God’s truth causes someone to get out of line by being rude, loud, arrogant or hostile while we are teaching God’s truth, the lesson will end. We will simply turn around and walk away because people that exhibit these characteristics are not oppressed. To those that are oppressed, we pray this study on the biblical truth of the tithe will help you to “come out from them and be separate, says the Lord.” 2nd Corinthians 6:17a

Again I say to you that “there are those that have a form of godliness but deny its power. Have nothing to do with them.” 2nd Timothy 3:5

What God Wants

Dear Reader, there are many things that God does and does not want us to do. Some of these things go without saying. For instance, although the Word says, “thou shall not kill,” we really don’t need a Bible verse to understand that God does not want us to kill one another.

Therefore, some of the things that God wants are more obvious than others. But there is one thing for certain, which is that when we obey God and do what He wants, He is pleased. The same is true for any of us. When others do as we want, we are glad that they do so. When we go to Church and love one another, God is glad because He wants us to do these things.

I urge you to honor our Lord today by doing something else that He wants us to do; to learn of Him. God wants us to have knowledge of Him, and to know Him through the study of Scripture.

Hosea 6:6 (KJV), “For I desired mercy, and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings.”

This is the first of many communications to come concerning the cash-tithe deception. I pray that you will take full advantage of this privilege. Open your heart and mind to God’s Word, and the knowledge of His Word (the truth) will set you free.

Rev. Amós Ortiz