Truth about Tithing (pt.2)

Truth about Tithing (pt.2)
Hi! I’m Danny, and I was an active member of the LDS Church for 6 decades.
The title for today’s video is – Truth about Tithing (pt.2). Because I want to be thorough in my coverage of this topic – I decided to video it in two parts. However, I will release them back-to-back at the same time for a complete teaching.
In part one, I outlined the biblical context for God introducing the law of tithing to the children of Israel. Then we focused on the main passage of scripture that was given directly to the Levite priests serving in the Jerusalem temple who had become corrupt and who violated the covenant God made with them at Mount Sinai. God chastised those priests in Malachi 3:8-10 “Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings. Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation. Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine 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.” This is where things go wrong in modern times. Churches today inappropriately use this passage as proof-text for teaching the law of tithing. I hope to show that by its religious abuse – unsuspecting people have been kept in bondage by church leaders and put in sin for living it.
The New Testament never mentions tithing as law that was to be lived under the New Covenant of Christ. However, it does talk about the importance of freewill giving from the heart. Believers have the liberty to give as they are led by the Spirit, and as they are able. No percentage or amounts are mentioned. Paul teaches that cheerful giving is a form of worship and done from the heart, not by compulsion. He taught in 2 Corinthians 9:7 “Every man according as he purposes in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.” (Romans 15:25-27; 1 Corinthians 16:2). If we have the ability but don’t help others, then it proves we don’t truly love God. It states in 1 John 3:17 “But whoso hath this world’s good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?”
Following Christ’s ministry, death, and resurrection – the Jerusalem temple was destroyed in 70 A.D., and eventually all the Jews were either killed or scattered by the Roman army in 135 AD. Thus, there was no more temple nor Levite priests after that to be supported with tithes. It all becomes obsolete.
Here is where holy scripture has been twisted to suit some modern-day Christian churches including Mormon doctrine. They have taken Malachi 3:8-10 completely out of context and applied it to its general membership.
Mormonism teaches that one of the great blessings of membership in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the privilege of paying tithing. It uses as proof-text, the very passage we have been discussing in. But, having already explained so far in this video the proper context of the passage, including – when it was written, to whom it was written, and why it was written – we can see that Mormonism has both plagiarized this passage and anachronistically applied it to a modern-day setting. This was Joseph Smith’s idea, which he blamed God for instituting.
If you pluck a verse or three from scripture and misinterpret or misapply the passage, you are twisting scripture into something it wasn’t originally intended to be. That is called Eisegesis, which is a Latin term meaning “to read in, to” scripture a biased interpretation. But to read scripture and interpret as it was meant to be, by the original writer is called Exegesis. So, on the one hand – Eisegesis is inserting a subjective opinion of the reader into the verse or passage, while in contrast on the other hand – Exegesis is comprehending the original objective intent of the writer. Hope that makes sense. Mormonism is often guilty of Eisegesis, when it comes to interpreting scripture – specifically in this case with the ancient law of tithing.
To teach tithing as a requirement for baptism into the LDS Church is entirely unbiblical. Even worse, to teach that tithing is a requirement to obtain a temple recommend for eternal exaltation and to be sealed to your family is an offense to God. That is because Christ came to fulfill the law of Moses, which tithing was an integral part of the old covenant law. It is anti-Christ and anti-biblical for any church today to teach the law of tithing. It seems obvious, doesn’t it?
On the contrary, Mormonism teaches that Old Testament tithing was restored in these latter-days through the Prophet Joseph Smith. It is taught that tithing is a debt owed to God. No matter what the financial situation, every Latter-day Saint member is expected to pay that debt. Mormonism justifies it by trying to convince members that tithing has very little to do with money. It has more to do with faith and obedience. In Mormonism, tithing is part of the duties of sacrifice, and the law of consecration that members are strictly required to adhere to.
After ALL the Bible has to say about the original purpose for tithing and the end of the law – in 1838, Joseph Smith claimed to hear from God as, recorded in Doctrine and Covenants, Section 119:3-5 “And this shall be the beginning of the tithing of my people. And after that, those who have thus been tithed shall pay one-tenth of ALL THEIR INTEREST annually; and this shall be a standing law unto them forever, for my holy priesthood, saith the Lord. Verily I say unto you, it shall come to pass that all those who gather unto the land of Zion shall be tithed of their surplus properties, and shall observe this law, OR they shall NOT be found worthy to abide among you.” I’m pretty sure God doesn’t talk that way. That sounds more like a threat from Joseph Smith to his church.
Fear is often used as a motivator to get Latter-day Saints to pay, a full tithing. As a former member, I often heard the term “fire insurance” associated with tithing. This is a warning to live the law so members can be with Heavenly Father after this life and not be torched at Christ’s second coming. I’m not kidding!
That teaching of Joseph Smith is taken from Doctrine and Covenants, Section 64:23 “Behold, now it is called today until the coming of the Son of Man, and verily it is a day of sacrifice, and a day for the tithing of people; for he that is tithed shall not be burned at his coming.” In other words – pay up or burn up!
The Law of Tithing is a frequent topic of Sacrament Meeting talks by its members and leaders. It was also emphasized regularly in lesson manuals and introduced to Primary children at a very early age. Twice a year in General Conference tithing is a major topic. The church must keep the money flowing in.
To be sure that Latter-day Saints are honest about their full tithe-paying, members are called into tithing settlement or tithing declaration – at the end of the year to meet with their Bishop and to be reminded to settle any unpaid tithes. Sounds like an audit, doesn’t it?
Latter-day Saints are not considered members in “good standing” if they are not paying a full tithing. They are considered not worthy to receive a temple recommendation. They cannot hold a high-profile position in the Church if they are not full tithe payers. It is used as leverage to make members part with their money – since having a temple recommend is essential to reach Mormon heaven.
It would be difficult to imagine Christ’s apostles having yearly tithing settlements and requiring followers to pay ten percent of their income before being allowed at the Jerusalem temple. It’s just not biblical.
Here’s a reasonable suggestion – what if an active Latter-day Saint gave ten percent of his or her income or, increase to various charitable organizations that really needed the money such as a Hurricane Fund or to the Red Cross? And he or she provided receipts to their bishop to prove what they donated. Would that count? Seems better than giving ten percent to the LDS Church to invest in the Stock Market? Though they would be supporting some worthy charities – it would NOT be considered legitimate, since they did not pay the money directly to the LDS Church. It is apparent that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints must benefit financially from the members for it to count.
Do some Christian churches require the payment of tithes? Unfortunately, many do. But again, there is no New Testament basis for it. The ancient Christian Church did of course, practice giving. God is a generous, giving God, and His people should also be generous, giving people. Tithing however, is not a mark of true Christianity. It is a lie!
In a future video, I will demonstrate how tithing funds are used by the LDS Church to become the wealthiest religious institution in the world at 300 billion dollars and increasing. Some people might say that prosperity is the sign of a true church. But I say, it is the sign of man-made material religion. The Corporation of the President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was recently fined 5 million dollars by the Securities and Exchange Commission for deliberately and intentionally filing false reports for 22 years.
Here’s the primary motivation for paying tithes: If Latter-day Saints don’t pay their tithes, they cannot get a temple recommendation from their leaders. If they can’t get a recommendation, Latter-day Saints cannot go to the temple. If they can’t go to the temple, they cannot be sealed to their families. If they aren’t sealed to their families, they cannot go to the celestial kingdom. If they can’t go to the celestial kingdom, they cannot live with Heavenly Father and be exalted to godhood. So, you see, a lot hinges on living the Old Testament law of Moses to be a faithful Latter-day Saint.
Paul wrote in Romans 7:6 “But now we have been released from the Law, having died to that by which we were bound, so that we serve in newness of the Spirit and not in oldness of the letter.” Law has been replaced by living by the Spirit. It is faith without religion. See John 4:24.
The Great News is that our Lord accomplished all things on the cross – in essences, even paying our “tithing” for us. The Mosaic law was fulfilled and completed in Him. As a result, believers in Christ are released from old covenant laws and given complete liberty from all aspects of religious legal demands. For Joseph Smith to “restore” a mandatory tithing law – is in complete opposition to salvation by grace. It is unbiblical and anti-Christian. That sounds harsh, but it goes against everything Yeshua accomplished at the cross.
God is not looking for your 10%, He is looking for your heart. He is looking for a cheerful giver. One who gives out, of love out of gratitude, out of a deep and abiding trust in Him.
If you are still obeying the tithe as a requirement for righteousness, then you are clinging to something that Jesus took to the cross and put to death. The law was a shadow, but Christ is the reality. The law was temporary, but Christ was eternal. The law was a tutor but now we have the Spirit of the living God dwelling within us. Why then do so many continue to teach what has already been fulfilled? Why do so many churches bind believers under a yoke that Christ Himself removed?
Paul wrote in Galatians 5:13 “For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another.” The only thing we rob God of is our trust when we believe that we must earn his blessing by following a law that has already been fulfilled. When giving is done freely, it is an act of worship. It is an act of love. It is an act of faith. God does not need your money. He wants your heart. And when your heart is surrendered to him, you will give not out of duty. Not because someone told you that you must but because you desire to bless others. Because you desire to further the gospel. Because you decided to be a vessel for God’s provision. That is the kind of giving that God honors. That is the giving that pleases him. That is the kind of giving that brings joy.
If we don’t tithe, how will the church survive? How will the work of God continue? The church is not sustained by law; it is sustained by faith. The ministry is funded by love. When God’s people give freely there is no lack. When God’s people give as the spirit leads there is always enough.
If God could supply the needs of the ancient church, then He can supply them now. If He could stir hearts to give then, He can stir hearts to give now. We do not need legalism to keep the church alive; we need faith. Give because you love, give because you trust, give because the Spirit leads you. When you do, you find God’s blessings will overflow in your life. Not because you followed the rule, but because you walked in faith. And faith is what pleases God.
Break free from the chains that religion has placed upon us. For too long religion has taught that blessings come at a cost. That if we do not give a certain percentage, God will hold back His favor. But that is a lie. That is not the gospel of Jesus Christ. God’s blessings are not for sale. His grace is not earned, and his love is not bought with money. Yet, how many feel if they do not tithe, they are shutting the windows of heaven. That is not the God we serve.
But some will say if we do not tithe, how will God provide for us? Do you think he needs 10% of your income to meet your needs? Philippians 4:19 “But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” His storehouse is never empty. His provision is limitless. God calls us to give but to give from a place of love, not legalism. He calls us to give from a place of faith, not fear. To give cheerfully, not because we are afraid that if we don’t, we will withhold His blessings. The minute we believe giving controls God’s favor, we have turned faith into a transaction. We have reduced our relationship with God to a business deal.
Religion wants to take something that is pure and twist it into something burdensome. Religion wants to take what God has given freely and make men and women believe they must earn it to be worthy. Religion takes grace and turns it into law. Takes generosity and turns it into obligation. This deception is a victory for Satan. Christ has had the victory over, all.
Yeshua brings total freedom for us to give to those in need – whether it be a lot, a little, or nothing – as the Spirit directs us.
Thanks for watching.
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God Bless!