Tithing not a law for Christians
By Robert K. Sanders
Is it true that if you do not tithe you are doomed for Hell?
"Yes," says Ellen G. White (EGW), the Seventh-day Adventist prophetess!
EGW: "The tithe is the Lord's, and those who meddle with it will be punished with the loss of their heavenly treasure unless they repent. … God has not changed; the tithe is still to be used for the support of the ministry." —9T 249-250.
Where does the Bible support EGW when she tells us that Christians that do not tithe will, "be punished with the loss of their heavenly treasure"? EGW's warning ought to scare any SDA into paying tithe.
Ellen White contradicts God by saying the tithe is to be used for the support of his ministers. Please give the text for this!
EGW: “The tithe is the Lord’s—since the fall of man it has been necessary that there should be men devoted wholly to the service of God. It appears that from the beginning the Lord taught His people to devote one-tenth to the support of His ministers.”—Review & Herald, January 15, 1880
God tells us tithe is to be paid only to Levite Priests. When did God change the tithe law to include the Gospel Ministers? I have not had one person answer this question.
Please Read This First Before Continuing
My wife and I were out shopping and met an SDA church member from our former local church. The conversation turned to paying tithe. This person tried to justify paying tithe because the Gospel ministers have taken the place of the Levite Priests. I pointed out that God never changed the tithe law to include non-Levites or Gospel ministers but to no avail. I also had some SDAs e-mail me after reading this page attempted to make the same argument to justify giving tithe to preachers.
I wrote to Ask a Rabbi in Jerusalem concerning their position on paying tithe. You will be amazed as I was to see that the Jews do not pay tithe. They also tell us that the Rabbis are supported by free will offerings from members of the Synagogue. Yet the SDAs teach this non-biblical doctrine of old covenant "works" to new covenant Christians that the pastors are to be paid by tithe. What a scam!
My letter to the Rabbi
Does God now require Jews to pay tithe according to the Levitical system, as there are no longer a Temple and Levite priests to care for it? How are the Rabbis paid for their work? Were all excluded from paying tithe except those in agriculture and animal husbandry?
Rabbi Reuven Lauffer's Response
- From: Rabbi Reuven Lauffer
- Sent: Sunday, November 20, 2005 7:41 AM
- Dear Robert,
There is no longer an obligation to support the Levites and Priests as they are no longer working in the Temple. Rabbis are normally supported by the contributions of their congregants through their Synagogue membership.
In general regular charity is a commandment that is incumbent on everyone and it teaches us the very important lesson that the money we control has been entrusted to us by G-d. One should not make the mistaken assumption that if a person works for his money then he has "earned" it and it belongs to him without any preconditions. Rather, whatever money we have has been granted to us by G-d and we must prove ourselves worthy of being the recipients of it. Therefore, we take some of our "hard earned cash" and give it to those that are less fortunate then ourselves.
- Best regards from Jerusalem,
- Rabbi Reuven Lauffer
Christian Church leaders often hold up the examples of Abraham and Jacob to get their members to tithe. If we look at the record, we will see that there was not a tithe law commanded by God till Sinai. Why then did Abraham and Jacob give a tenth?
In Genesis chapter fourteen we read about a war between kings of Sodom and Gomorrah with two ally kings that were defeated and taken prisoner. The victors took the property of the Kings—thy took Lot, women and children captive. When Abraham heard about this he and his men went after them and defeated the kings. Abraham then brought back Lot and all the possessions as well as the women and other people. See: Genesis 14:16.
Then Abraham gave a tenth to Melchizedek
Gen. 14:18-20 (NIV) 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.
An SDA pastor wrote me and said that when the text said, "a tenth of everything" it meant Abraham gave a tenth from his personal possessions. This pastor failed to read the text that Abraham gave a tenth of the "plunder" not from his personal possessions.
Heb 7:4 (NIV) Just think how great he was: Even the patriarch Abraham gave him a tenth of the plunder!
The reason Abraham gave a tenth was because of God's deliverance from his enemies. We would call this tenth, "a thank offering". Tithing was never a part of the Abrahamic covenant.
Abraham did not give tithe to Melchizedek from his personal possessions but from the spoils of war after rescuing Lot. Therefore we can see that Abraham was not following an unwritten tithe law when he gave tithe to the King of Salem. And besides, the Levitical tithe law did not include "spoils of war." Tithing was not a part of the Abrahamic covenant. See, Gen 17.
Before the King of Salem incident and after, there is no record of Abraham, a very wealthy man ever paying tithe of his own personal possessions to God.
Gen. 13:2 (NIV) Abram had become very wealthy in livestock and in silver and gold.
The Author of Hebrews does not teach tithing in the New Covenant.
Heb 7:1-2 (NIV) 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.”
Heb 7:4-10 (NIV) Just think how great he was: Even the patriarch Abraham gave him a tenth of the plunder! Now the law requires the descendants of Levi who become priests to collect a tenth from the people—that is, their brothers—even though their brothers are descended from Abraham. This man, however, did not trace his descent from Levi, yet he collected a tenth from Abraham and blessed him who had the promises. And without doubt the lesser person is blessed by the greater. In the one case, the tenth is collected by men who die; but in the other case, by him who is declared to be living. One might even say that Levi, who collects the tenth, paid the tenth through Abraham, because when Melchizedek met Abraham, Levi was still in the body of his ancestor.
Note: The context of Hebrews is showing how Christ is superior to the Levitical system with Levite Priests. Melchizedek did not command or demand tithe as would be the case in the Levitical law. The tithe law was given only to Israel. The Abrahamic covenant had no tithe law. Abraham was made rich by God for his faithfulness not because he gave a tenth from spoils of war.
There Is No Record That Jacob Paid A Tenth
Gen. 28:20-22 (NIV) 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 house, 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.”
Note: Jacob made a vow to God a tenth on the conditions "if" God would give him food, clothes and protect him on his journey and return him safely to his father's house. Jacob was not obeying any God ordained tithe law by making his own arbitrary conditions with God. The Levitical tithe law is to be paid without conditions. There is no record that Jacob ever paid his tenth to God.
The tithe law was enacted by God at Sinai and given only to Israel as an Old Covenant command which ended at Calvary. God never included the tithe law in the New Covenant.
Who Is To Receive the Tithe?
Levites are to receive "all" the Tithe.
Num. 18:21, 23-24 (NIV) “I give to the Levites all the tithes in Israel as their inheritance in return for the work they do while serving at the Tent of Meeting. It is the Levites who are to do the work at the Tent of Meeting and bear the responsibility for offenses against it. This is a lasting ordinance for the generations to come. They will receive no inheritance among the Israelites. Instead, I give to the Levites as their inheritance the tithes that the Israelites present as an offering to the LORD. That is why I said concerning them: ‘They will have no inheritance among the Israelites.’”
NOTE: The entire tithe was to be given only to the Levites as an inheritance. Does anyone see the gospel minister listed as receiving tithe?
The Priests that Ministered in the Sanctuary are to Receive One Tenth of the Tithe from the Levites
Num. 18:25-26 (NIV) The LORD said to Moses, "Speak to the Levites and say to them: ‘When you receive from the Israelites the tithe I give you as your inheritance, you must present a tenth of that tithe as the LORD’S offering.
NOTE: The ministering Levite (priests) is to receive one tenth of the tithe they receive from the Levites that do not minister in the Sanctuary.
Neh 10:38-39 (NIV) A priest descended from Aaron is to accompany the Levites when they receive the tithes, and the Levites are to bring a tenth of the tithes up to the house of our God, to the storerooms of the treasury. The people of Israel, including the Levites, are to bring their contributions of grain, new wine and oil to the storerooms where the articles for the sanctuary are kept and where the ministering priests, the gatekeepers and the singers stay.
The tithe law never included Gospel Ministers. Are Gospel Ministers Levite priests that minister in the Sanctuary under the Old Covenant? It is amazing how the Church Leaders can twist the Scripture and quote Ellen White's nonsense to line their pockets and scam their members.
Does God Accept Money For Tithe?
No! It is grain, fruit and animals. Even if the animal is sick or a cripple, it is to be given as tithe.
Lev. 27:30-34 (NIV) “‘A tithe of everything from the land, whether grain from the soil or fruit from the trees, belongs to the LORD; it is holy to the LORD. If a man redeems any of his tithe, he must add a fifth of the value to it. The entire tithe of the herd and flock—every tenth animal that passes under the shepherd’s rod—will be holy to the LORD. He must not pick out the good from the bad or make any substitution. If he does make a substitution, both the animal and its substitute become holy and cannot be redeemed.’” These are the commands the LORD gave Moses on Mount Sinai for the Israelites.
Currency such as silver, gold, talents and shekels was not allowed to pay tithe. So if you pay tithe with money you are violating the tithe law. Tithe payers are to run every tenth animal under the rod and give that animal as tithe. So when your church Pastor asks you to pay tithe, I guess you will have drop a lot of sheep or cows, fruit or grain, in the offering plate at church. Wow!
Who were required to tithe in the old covenant? Lev. 27:30-34
Only Israelites that raised animals and crops were commanded to tithe.
Who were tithe exempt in the old covenant?
Carpenters, fishermen, bakers, wine makers, servants, makers of pottery, clothing, boats, fishing nets, metal makers, tax collectors, makers of parchments, writers, and all the rest of occupations.
Nowhere in the new covenant does God ask for tithe. Why is it when churches and denominational leaders demand tithe, they do not exempt these people as well as the poor? They can only find the old covenant texts and impose them on Christians.
How is the Annual Tithe to Be Used?
The annual tithe is to be eaten and drank by Israel in a party setting which included the Levites to revere God.
Deut. 14:2 2-27(NIV) Be sure to set aside a tenth of all that your fields produce each year. Eat the tithe of your grain, new wine and oil, and the firstborn of your herds and flocks in the presence of the LORD your God at the place he will choose as a dwelling for his Name, so that you may learn to revere the LORD your God always. But if that place is too distant and you have been blessed by the LORD your God and cannot carry your tithe (because the place where the LORD will choose to put his Name is so far away), then exchange your tithe for silver, and take the silver with you and go to the place the LORD your God will choose. Use the silver to buy whatever you like: cattle, sheep, wine or other fermented drink, or anything you wish. Then you and your household shall eat there in the presence of the LORD your God and rejoice. And do not neglect the Levites living in your towns, for they have no allotment or inheritance of their own.
The annual tithe is to be eaten by the Jews. The annual tithe can be converted to silver if you have a large herd and the town God selected was to far away to take the animals. If this is the case you can exchange the animals for silver, and then buy wine or other fermented drinks that can be eaten by you, your household, and the Levites at a place determined by the LORD.
Has your church ever allow you to use your tithe to have a party and drink fermented drink? You might bring this to your Pastor's attention, that you have a right to party with your tithe money as commanded by God! And don't forget the Levites living in your town. Your Pastors are not invited, as they are not Levites or Jews. Of course you are not invited either because this command is just for Israel not New Testament Christians.
How is the Third Year Tithe to Be Used?
Every three years the tithe produce is to be eaten by the Levites, fatherless, aliens, and widows.
Deut. 14:28-29 (NIV) At the end of every three years, bring all the tithes of that year’s produce and store it in your towns, 29so that the Levites (who have no allotment or inheritance of their own) and the aliens, the fatherless and the widows who live in your towns may come and eat and be satisfied, and so that the LORD your God may bless you in all the work of your hands.
Why does your church not obey God in the Third Year Tithe and hold a feast for these people from the produce brought in and stored in the towns? Your church leaders will not even feed the fatherless and widows from your tithe, but pocket the money.
Ellen G. White Disobeys God!
EGW has a real problem with the tithe law. She disobeys God's law by not wanting it used to feed the poor.
EGW: "The tithe is set apart for a special use. It is not to be regarded as a poor fund." Counsels on Stewardship, P.103 R & H Supplement, Dec. 1, 1896.
Where Is the Tithe To Be Stored?
Tithe is to be stored in a special "storeroom"
Neh. 10:37-39 (NIV) “Moreover, we will bring to the storerooms of the house of our God, to the priests, the first of our ground meal, of our grain offerings, of the fruit of all our trees and of our new wine and oil. And we will bring a tithe of our crops to the Levites, for it is the Levites who collect the tithes in all the towns where we work. A priest descended from Aaron is to accompany the Levites when they receive the tithes, and the Levites are to bring a tenth of the tithes up to the house of our God, to the storerooms of the treasury. The people of Israel, including the Levites, are to bring their contributions of grain, new wine and oil to the storerooms where the articles for the sanctuary are kept and where the ministering priests, the gatekeepers and the singers stay. “We will not neglect the house of our God.”
There were many Levitical cities that were given to the Levites and they stored the tithe in storehouses in these cities. Numbers 35:1-5, Joshua 21. Israel were to give to the Levites the first of their ground meal, fruit, wine, oil, crops and a tithe of your crops. And the Levites are to give a tithe from that and take it to the storeroom where articles of the Sanctuary are kept and used by the ministering priests. If you do not follow this program then you are not tithing! As you can see conference or church offices are not the Bible Jewish Storehouse. As there are no Levite ministering priests, gatekeepers and singers living there.
Who is Robbing Who? Malachi Was Addressed to the Levites of Israel, Not the Christian Church
Mal 3:8-9 NIV ""Will a man rob God? Yet you rob me. "But you ask, 'How do we rob you?' "In tithes and offerings." "You are under a curse—the whole nation of you—because you are robbing me."
NOTE: This text is God's rebuke against the Levites Priests that were to give one tenth of all the tithe that came in to them and they in turn were to give one tenth of that to the ministering priests. The Levites were the ones that were robbing God and not obeying the Covenant God made with Israel. It was not all the Israelites that were robbing God. Chapters 2 and 3 make it clear that this was directed against the Levites which caused the whole nation to come under God's curse. When the offending Levites would start paying tithe to the ministering priests, then God would open the storehouse for them to receive blessings.
It is impossible for Christians to rob God in tithe as God has not transferred or given a tithe law to Christians. Christians receive blessings from God for having Christ as their Savior and not by any works of the Old Covenant Laws.
How often have you heard this from the pulpit, that you are robbing God by not returning a faithful tithe? You see it on the "Tithe Envelope." Malachi is the most used text to scam Christians out of their money by church pastors, as they have no New Covenant support for tithing. Church members are led to believe that if you are not returning your tithe, then you are not going to heaven, because you are a thief. The Church leaders that tell you this are liars. They are denying Christ, by using Old Covenant laws. Church Leaders are the ones that are sinning by leading you to believe tithing is binding on Christians. In so doing they are denying Christ's finished work at the cross.
It is the reprobate pastors that know better that are robbing God's people by taking tithe from them to line their pockets.
Jesus Canceled the Old Covenant Laws
Col 2:14 NIV "having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross."
EPH 2:15 NIV "by abolishing in his flesh the law with its commandments and regulations.
Note: Paul is talking about the Old Covenant that God made with Israel. This would include Civil Laws, Dietary Laws of Clean and Unclean foods, laws dealing with the Sanctuary Service, sabbath and tithing commands to support Levites Priests. The point in time that the written code was canceled was when Jesus died on the cross. (Mark 15:38 NIV) "The curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom."
Jesus Did Not Tithe Nor Command Tithing to Christians
Jesus did not tithe. He was first a carpenter, then after age 30 he was preacher and teacher. Both professions were excluded from paying tithe.
Mat 23:23 NIV ""Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices—mint, dill and cummin. 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."
NOTE: Jesus was not here advocating Christians to tithe. Jesus was reprimanding the Pharisees for not having justice and mercy, while being exact in their tithing. The Pharisees were obeying the Levitical Law of tithing and disobeying the most important part of the Law, justice, mercy and faithfulness. If you notice they were paying tithe on agricultural products not wages as insisted by the SDA denomination. Jesus was here speaking to the Pharisees under the Old Covenant and not to the Christian Church. If Christians insist on following the Levitical Law they would have to find Levites to give their tithes of animals, fruit and grain (mint, dill, and cummin). When was the last time you dropped this in the offering plate?
The Gospel Ministers Are To Be Paid
1 Cor 9:13 NIV "Don't you know that those who work in the temple get their food from the temple, and those who serve at the altar share in what is offered on the altar?"
1 Cor 9:14 NIV "In the same way, the Lord has commanded that those who preach the gospel should receive their living from the gospel."
Some interpret the "the same way" as meaning that the tithe is now to be paid to the gospel minister. Paul is explaining that the laborer is worthy of being paid for his labor. He contrasts the temple worker getting his food from the altar for his work and the gospel preacher making his living from the gospel. Tithe is not mentioned as the means of payment or that the gospel minister is to get his food from the altar.
If this were to be a literal application to the gospel workers to "eat their food from the altar", they would have to eat their food as recorded in Leviticus. I do not think any SDA gospel minister would follow this, and especially if he was a vegetarian.
Eating food from the Altar
Lev. 7:1-7 (NIV) “‘These are the regulations for the guilt offering, which is most holy: The guilt offering is to be slaughtered in the place where the burnt offering is slaughtered, and its blood is to be sprinkled against the altar on all sides. All its fat shall be offered: the fat tail and the fat that covers the inner parts, both kidneys with the fat on them near the loins, and the covering of the liver, which is to be removed with the kidneys. The priest shall burn them on the altar as an offering made to the LORD by fire. It is a guilt offering. Any male in a priest’s family may eat it, but it must be eaten in a holy place; it is most holy.“‘The same law applies to both the sin offering and the guilt offering: They belong to the priest who makes atonement with them.
NOTE: God tells us that the gospel ministers and workers deserve to be paid for their labor and worthy of double honor . Here is God's program.
1 Tim 5:17-18 (NIV) The elders who direct the affairs of the church well are worthy of double honor, especially those whose work is preaching and teaching. For the Scripture says, “Do not muzzle the ox while it is treading out the grain,” and “The worker deserves his wages.”
Note: Paul never told the members of the Christian Church to give their tithes or tithe on their wages or Social Security to pay the gospel ministers. Tithe paying was a law given only to Israel under the old covenant.
Bible Guidelines For Giving
2 Cor 9:6 NIV "Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously."
2 Cor 9:7 NIV "Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver."
The Christian is free to choose the amount of offering to give to God. If it is more than a tithe (ten percent) or less than a tithe it is acceptable to God, if it is from the heart without compulsion. It is also up to the individual to decide on where their offerings go. Also, it is for you to decide if you are giving sparingly or generously, and not to be decided for you by your church leaders. The Bible does not authorize church leaders to tell you how your money is to be spent.
Ellen G. White Changes The Tithing Law
Women to Be Paid From the Tithe
EGW: The tithe should go to those who labor in word and doctrine, be they men or women. Evangelism, page 492, Manuscript 149, 1899.
Note: Does the Bible tell us that women are to be paid tithe? Ellen just could not get it right. It was the Levites and the Levite ministering Priests only that is to receive tithe. Is there such a thing as a woman Levite Priest?
EGW tells us that Christians are to pay Tithe, Bring a Sin, Thank, and Trespass Offerings.
"God’s claims are imperative upon him, not only to give his proportion according to the tithing system, but to present his sin offering and thank offerings to God. Testimonies, vol. 4, p. 467.
"The best you can do is to bring a trespass offering to the altar of the Lord, and he will accept and pardon you." Special Testimonies to Ministers and workers, p. 339.
EGW was so caught up in Old Covenant Laws that she said that Christians are not only to pay tithe, but to bring a sin offering; thank offering and trespass offering to be pardoned by God. Where is this found in the New Testament Church? The Bible teaches we are pardoned by prayer not by works of Old Covenant Laws. Christians are under Grace and need only to pray to be pardoned by God.
Ellen G. White Says There Is No Tithe Law Or Sabbath Law In the NT—Wow!!!
EGW: A tithe of our income is "holy unto the Lord." The New Testament does not re-enact the law of the tithe, as it does not that of the Sabbath; for the validity of both is assumed. The Faith I Live By, page 244. Taken from the Review & Herald {May 16, 1882 par. 29}
EGW ADMITS that there is no tithe or Sabbath law in the NT. In order to validate these laws you have to assume they exist for Christians. Do we also assume we should stone Sabbath breakers to death because it was not "re-enacted" in the NT? For a law to be valid for Christians, we should have a thus saith the Lord. By making tithe paying and Sabbath keeping part of the new covenant she has illegally altered the new covenant making herself a false prophetess.
Is it against the will of God to pray for the sick if they withhold tithe?
EGW: We should first find out if the sick one has been withholding tithes or has made trouble in the church. HEALTHFUL LIVING, page 237, 1021 U. T. (Unpublished Testimonies).
EGW Estate responds at my request for information: The compiler of HL states in his preface that at times he made some “slight verbal changes” to make the extracts read in a connected way. This extract seems to have come from Ellen White’s manuscript on “Prayer for the Sick,” published in various places but most extensively in the Spalding-Magan Collection, pp. 5-7. Here is its context. (You can see that what Ellen White actually said was that the person seeking healing should inquire of himself whether he has been faithful to God in tithe-paying, not that others should be trying to find out about it.)
"Unless you are wrought upon by the Spirit of God in a special manner to confess your sins of a private nature to man, do not breathe them to any human soul. Christ is your Redeemer, He will take no advantage of your humiliating confessions. If you have a sin of a private character, confess it to Christ, who is the only Mediator between God and man. "If any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous." If you have sinned by withholding from God His own in tithes and offerings, confess your guilt to God and to the church, and heed the injunction that has been given you, "Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in my house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of Hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it." (SpM 5.5).
Ellen White in the above quote has shown that she is not a prophetess of God. By insisting that the tithe law given only to old covenant Israel applies to Christians and if they withhold tithe they are sinning. This is heresy. It is like saying that Christians should also obey the rest of the old covenant law of circumcision and animal sacrifices. EGW is denying the finished work of Christ.
Seventh-day Adventist Tithing Doctrine
Baptismal candidates are required to accept tithing before they can be baptized into Christ and voted into church membership. This is heresy. See SDA Church Manual, 1981 p. 62.
Tithe is to be used for the work of the ministry, Bible teaching, and for conference administration. The tithe is not to be spent for church or institutional debts or for building operations. Church officers are required to be tithe payers. SDA Church Manual, 1981 p.204, 205.
So much for the cheerful giver.
Seventh-day Adventists have adopted the Levitical model for financing the Gospel. Seventh-day Adventist Believe, p.271.
"Let's remember that when the church decides that tithe paying should be a requirement for a certain position, the church is not dealing with whether a person will be saved or not. There is absolutely no doubt that those who rob God in tithes and offerings will be lost." Is Tithing a Requirement For All Church Officers? Letter by SDA Pastor Bob Forss, November 1994.
How Tithing Came Into the Seventh-day Adventist Church
Before tithing, the Church used what was called the Systematic Benevolence Plan to finance the salary of its ministers. It amounted to one percent of one's total income.
James White rejected the ten percent plan:
" We do not urge the Israelitish tithing system as embracing the whole duty of the believers in the third [angel's] message....That system was necessary in God's plan of the Levitical priesthood; but in closing message presents a far greater call for something of the kind." R&H, April 9, 1861, p. 164.
Dudley M. Canright: in a series of articles in 1876, emphasized Malachi 3:8-11 as "the Bible plan of supporting the Ministry." He urged Adventists to adopt this plan to glorify God...." R&H, February 17, 1876, p.50, 51, see also Spectrum 1986, Adventist Tithepaying—The Untold Story, p. 139.
Note: It was Canright that gave the SDA Church the Levitical tithing system in 1876. EGW put her stamp of approval on it and James White reversed himself to comply with his wife and go non-biblical. From then on there was no stopping EGW from making up her own tithe laws. She legislated on how the tithe is to be used and not used and her condemnation to those that did not abide by them. Such as "losing your heavenly treasure" by not following them.
How Do Adventist Figure Tithe? From a former SDA Pastor. This is good!
Another thing SDAs have a real problem with is gross vs. net salary. If you really want to get the SDAs up in arms ask them whether tithe should be on gross or net earnings. There is no official answer to this question as far as I know. The layperson will say "net"—pastor will say "gross." But, and this is the neat part, ask the layperson if he thinks his pastor pays tithe on his gross. The truth is, no way Hosay! Ninety-nine point ninety-nine per cent of SDA pastors pay tithe on their net—they're careful to deduct their home office expenses, their automobile mileage allowance, the parsonage allowance, and every other "allowance" they can dream up to keep that tithe figure low. Now, if the SDA pastor is too good at finding "allowances," the Conference Treasurer will have a little talk with him and suggest he pay a bit more tithe to keep everyone happy—and if he doesn't, well, it's sayonara!
One other thing. If the church is a 501c 3 non-profit institution the (SDA Church qualifies under this) then the US GOVERNMENT says it is ILLEGAL for the church hierarchy to demand the membership pay "dues." Mandatory tithing is mandatory payment of dues. In fact, several SDA pastor's I knew put down their tithe as "union dues" on their Schedule C IRS forms and thus did not have to pay taxes on the money they paid the Conference as tithe! Of course Conferences don't like that, but the truth is, payment of tithe is just like their mandatory belief in EGW! —From a former SDA Pastor.
SDA Pastors get added perks that the tithe payer in the pew do not get. Large discounts for their children's education, health coverage for their family, a good retirement package, all expense-paid trip for pastoral training at exotic locations. In large membership churches, some may have more added benefits. Such as free housing or subsidy for their housing, the use of church vehicles; perhaps teach a class at the local church school for extra income. And the Pastor's wife may also get the job as Church Secretary for extra income.
Think About This When Figuring Your Tithe
The Adventist Church wants to get as much of your money as they can. The Editorial Office of the R & H published a booklet titled, MESSAGE TO YOU WHO ARE NEW IN THE FAITH. Chapter "How to Figure Your Income" p. 11, By W. H. Williams.
Mr. Williams tells how the Salaried Worker should figure his tithe.
"Whenever he receives his wage, be it weekly or monthly he should lay aside one tenth as the Lord's paying all personal expenses, such as rent, food, clothing, income tax, and all offerings for home and foreign work, from the remaining nine tenths."
Then Mr. Williams points out that professional people are allowed to deduct from their gross, office rent, employee's salary, travel and incidental expenses, and auto expense for business.
The Salaried Workers should be granted the same right (papal dispensation) to deduct the expenses to go to and from work. They should be able to deduct, car payments, car insurance, gas and oil, auto repairs, if car pool and public transportation, which should also be deducted from the gross income before tithe. Also the Salaried Worker should deduct work clothes and shoes whether for office, factory, etc. from the gross salary.
Because there is no Bible example of tithing for Christians, you have allowed your church to decide for you how your money is to be spent. God did not give the EGW visions to support the Old Covenant tithe program.
Stealing From Your Family In the Name of God
Adventist leaders are making a living off of your hard earned money that you tithe. Many live better than you do in their fine houses—some own boats and several cars. They can afford vacations with their family. Most can afford to send their children to Adventist academies and Universities. They also will have a good retirement from your tithe. So you folks in low income and on Social Security, think about how you are doing without so you can provide luxuries for these scammers. They are stealing from you and depriving your family in the name of God.
Do you know how else your tithe is used? It pays for lawsuits either directly or for Insurance Premiums so that your General Conference can bring suit against your brother and sister members. The SDA Church has spent millions of your dollars so that the David Dennis lawsuit would not be heard in court. Your tithe dollars have been spent by the millions in trademark lawsuits, as well as to defend corrupt church officers.
In my 37 years as a tithe payer in the SDA Church, I have seen many families with children withdraw from the SDA Church because they had a meager wage and could not pay their bills and also tithe. They believed they were robbing God and would not go to heaven. Not only did some leave the church—some also left Christ. The SDA thieves that have twisted the Holy Scriptures will have a lot of to answer for because they misled the flock that God entrusted to them.
- Abraham and Jacob did not tithe because of a tithe law nor did they pay money, silver or gold for as tithe.
- There is no Bible record of the Levitical tithe law being part of the New Covenant.
- There is no Bible record of any Apostolic Church members paying tithes to Gospel Ministers and Church leaders. Adventists do not follow the Tithe Law given by God as they pay mandatory tithe for the Pastor and Conference Officer's salaries instead of to the Levite Priests. Thus they break the tithe law and sin against God.
- Christian ministers are not authorized by God to collect tithe for their salaries. In so doing they are breaking the tithe commandment and are sinning against God. And they also deny that Christ ended the Old Covenant Laws at the Cross.
- Christians that do not tithe are not robbing God. There is no command by God for Christians to tithe. Where there is no law, there is no sin.
- There is no truth that Christians that do not tithe are doomed for Hell. Christians are redeemed by the blood of Christ, and not by silver and gold. 1 Pet. 1:18.
- God forbids money to be used to pay mandatory tithe by anyone! It is animals, fruit, grain, etc.
- Christians are to support the Church Pastor by free will offerings. They are to give generously according to their ability and not reluctantly or under compulsion. God loves a cheerful giver. Giving mandatory tithe by law is compulsion.
- There is no Bible support that God will bless a Christian that pays tithe over those that do not.
- SDAs ask for the text where Sabbath was changed to Sunday. I ask for the text where the tithe is now to be paid to the Gospel Minister, instead of the Levite Priests.
Two Men Were Shipwrecked Near An Island
When they landed ashore, one of them began screaming and yelling, "We're going to die! We're going to die! There's no food! No water! We're going to die!"
The second man leaned calmly against a palm tree.
When the first man saw how calm his friend was, he went crazy and shouted, "Don't you understand?! We're going to die!!" Undisturbed, the second man replied, "You don't understand, I make $100,000 a week."
Dumbfounded, the first man looked at him and asked, "What difference does that make?!? We're on an island with no food and no water! We're going to DIE!!!"
The second man answered, "You just don't get it. I make $100,000 a week and I tithe ten percent on that $100,000 a week. Wherever I am, my pastor will be sure to find me!"
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